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Dreamforce 2017 Kickoff Preview

By Rob Acker November 2, 2017

Dreamforce is a time for the community of nonprofit and education trailblazers to come together. It’s my favorite four days of the year, and I can’t wait. At Dreamforce, we connect, learn, get inspired, have fun, and give back.

And it all starts with our Kickoff presentations on Monday!

This year, Salesforce.org will have 3 Kickoff presentations at Dreamforce. These are amazing opportunities to hear from thought leaders in the nonprofit and education sectors, and get a sneak peek at what’s next in Salesforce product innovation.

Here’s a preview:

Salesforce.org Kickoff: The Age of Empowerment
Monday, November 6 @ 10:00am
Hilton Union Square San Francisco, Ballroom B

Register here

For the first time ever, in addition to our two industry kickoffs, we’ll also be hosting a Salesforce.org Kickoff to bring our whole ohana of social trailblazers together. If you work at a nonprofit or educational institution, it’s a great chance to see how innovators like Anti-Defamation League and Georgetown University are using technology and partnering with Salesforce.org. But changing the world is not just for nonprofits and educators — if you work at a for-profit company, then we’ve also got something amazing in store for you, too! Hear how we’re partnering with United Way to empower companies to give back in a whole new way.

  • Rob Acker, CEO, Salesforce.org
  • Nasi Jayazeri, EVP & GM, Next-Generation Platform, Salesforce.org
  • Cheryl Porro,  SVP, Tech and Product, Salesforce.org
  • Jessica Hood, Director, Solution Engineering & Innovation, Salesforce.org
  • Brian Gallagher, President and Chief Executive Officer, United Way
  • Judd Nicholson, Vice President & Chief Information Officer, Georgetown University
  • Rafail Portnoy, SVP of Technology, Anti-Defamation League

 

Higher Education Kickoff: Education Empowered
Monday, November 6 @ 9:00am
Hilton Union Square San Francisco, Ballroom B

Register here

With almost 1000 attendees from the sector, the higher ed portion of Dreamforce really is an edtech conference-within-a-conference. We’re kicking off the week with trailblazers who are innovating at every stage of the student lifecycle, from Michigan State’s new applicant experience built on on Salesforce Lightning to University of San Diego’s Amazon Echo app for students. We’ll also hear from two schools who are piloting Salesforce Advisor Link: Oregon State and University of Florida.

  • Hosted by: Nathalie Mainland, Allyson Fryhoff, Pat McQueen, Jason Belland
  • Rob McCurdy, CIO, Michigan State University
  • Susana Rivera-Mills, Vice Provost and Dean for Undergraduate Studies, Oregon State University
  • Lois Brooks, Vice Provost for Information Services, Oregon State University
  • Tammy Aagard, Associate Vice President for Enrollment Management, University of Florida
  • David Gruber, Associate CIO & Senior Director, Enterprise Systems, University of Florida
  • Avi Badwal, Sr. Director, Enterprise Technologies, University of San Diego

Nonprofit Kickoff: The Impact Platform
Monday, November 6 @ 1:30pm
Hilton Union Square San Francisco, Ballroom B

Register here

I’m thrilled to welcome over 2300 nonprofit attendees to Dreamforce this year! The Nonprofit Kickoff is all about starting the week of right by celebrating our amazing community. You’ll also see the latest innovations in our Nonprofit Success Pack, as well as new Salesforce technologies like Einstein artificial intelligence. We’ll be joined by Connected Nonprofits like Barnardo’s, Project Lead the Way, and Furniture Bank.

  • Hosted by: Lori Freeman, Allyson Fryhoff, Marc Ferris, Kate Mirkin
  • Dan Kershaw, Executive Director, Furniture Bank
  • Tammy Peddle, Social Enterprise Director, Furniture Bank
  • Bob Darby, Director of Information Services, Barnardo’s
  • Vince Bertram, President & CEO, Project Lead the Way
  • Valerie Osinski, Senior Vice President & Chief Technology Officer, Project Lead the Way

See you at Dreamforce! Be sure to follow us along on Twitter @SalesforceOrg