Welcome to Meet the #SalesforceOhana, a new blog series that’s all about getting to know the people behind the World’s Most Innovative Company. We’ll be sitting down with Salesforce employees to chat about what matters to them most. Then, we’re bringing you their stories — real, uncensored, and straight from the source. By sharing the perspectives of our diverse employees, we can all learn from one another and grow together as one united Ohana, an extended Salesforce family.

Roojuta Lalani, Lead Engineer, San Francisco

“I value Salesforce for what it stands for: equality and opportunity.”

I am originally from India, brought up in a big family of 18. My parents, especially my mom, always told me I could do anything I wanted and that I was capable of doing great things.

I was exposed to technology early on and have always been fascinated by it, but I never thought of it as a career until I stumbled upon computer science classes in college. Once I started learning programming, I fell in love with the power of building applications, which enable so many great things.

Salesforce is amazing. I love the message that our CEO sends to the world. He stands for causes that align with the values of our company. And the idea that I get paid doing work for a cause I believe in, Volunteer Time Off, is amazing. I value how much Salesforce has supported me and enabled me to contribute to programs like Techwomen and Technovation, which are both close to my heart.

Jon Aniano, SVP of Product Management for Service Cloud, San Francisco

“The thing that helps you succeed at Salesforce is helping other people. That’s been the best learning experience for me.”

I was born in Brooklyn, New York, but I’ve lived extensively across the midwest and east coast. Being exposed to different cultures within the United States shaped my perspective, formulated my opinion on culture, language, and people, and it’s taught me how to adapt to different worlds.

I started my career in technology at a company that maintained a small on-premise software for contact management. Being from a generation that spent its formative years on the internet, I built a company based on Salesforce’s model. I looked up to it. Salesforce embodies the values I embody. Here, I am excited to come to work every day.

Ryan Escober, Product Marketing Manager, San Francisco

“What do I love about this job? The fact that I can fail 50 times, then succeed, and still be appreciated.”

Born and raised in Hawaii, I’m half Filipino and half Hawaiian, and I speak three different languages: English, Hawaiian, and Tagalog. When I started at Salesforce, after eight years of working in the Aerospace and Defense industry, I did not immediately open myself up to the Ohana culture. I wasn’t immediately sold on the open and collaborative nature of Salesforce. Well, I was wrong. There is just a natural way to work here, and I have grown to trust and love it.

During a sales kickoff two years ago, an account executive shared a customer story from an organization called City of Hope, which implemented Salesforce to help patients and their families engage doctors and nurses at a particular hospital. Hearing this story was especially powerful for me – my dad was a patient at that hospital. It made me appreciate that here at Salesforce, we are taking time to invest in human goodness.

Ready to join the #SalesforceOhana? We’re hiring! Find opportunities at salesforce.com/careers.