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The holidays are here and that means our 12 Days of Trailblazing is coming to a close. Not to worry, though, because we’re ending it on a high note. This is the best compilation yet of our most inspiring Trailblazer stories. These are stories of personal strength, community leadership, and world-changing ideas. There’s so much goodness in here that you’re sure to feel extra inspired heading into the new year. So kick back, relax and let the inspiration flow:

  1. Mariel Espinal was working as a bank teller while trying to finish college and raise her son. She couldn’t help but think, “there has to be something else out there.” So she quit and accepted an internship through a nonprofit organization called Year Up, where she was assigned to learn Salesforce. She’s now a successful Salesforce consultant and loves her job. Read her story here.
  2. Vanessa Villagomez is someone who does not back down from a challenge. While a student at the University of Iowa, she was forced to leave school due to a devastating cancer diagnosis. She was able to beat the cancer into remission but realized that “life is precious and time is limited.” Instead of finishing her education, she starting working for a nonprofit where she learned Salesforce. Now she’s the Salesforce expert at her company. Read about her strength and perseverance here.
  3. Eric Dreshfield is a true pioneer. When he wasn’t able to attend Dreamforce back in 2011, he decided to create an event of his own, called Midwest Dreamin.’ Since then, it’s not only become an annual affair in Chicago, but has inspired others to follow in his footsteps and start their own community events. Follow his story on his blog here.
  4. Every Trailblazer needs a trail map, and for Salesforce users it’s Trailhead. Fabien Taillon turns to Trailhead for not just learning, but to gain motivation by designing his own education: “I don’t learn fairly complex processes well by reading large PDF documents. The humor and fun of Trailhead, combined with the hands-on challenges, are what keep me going.” Read his story here.
  5. Trailhead worked for Christian Menzinger too because it catered to his preferred learning style. He loved the hands-on learning model: “The lessons are so high quality because you don’t just read, but you are given problems that you really have to think about.” Read his story here.
  6. Companies can be Trailblazers too, and the online retailer Ivyrevel is one of them. Ivyrevel is blazing a brand new trail for retailers — one that’s personalized and mobile. Currently, phones account for 50% of their sales and more than 70% of visits. Find out more about how they’re transforming the shopping experience here.
  7. David Liu is the kind of Trailblazer who leaves a path for others to follow. After getting inspired to learn to code, he decided to share his journey and knowledge on his popular blog, SFDC99. He keeps it updated regularly with tips and tricks, and other Trailblazer success stories. Check it out here.
  8. Toya Gatewood may describe herself as an “accidental admin,” but it’s because of her lifelong-learner mentality that she was able to transform her career and life: “I went from never having heard of Salesforce to being able to relocate to an area I’ve been wanting to move to for years, all because I had in-demand Salesforce skills!” Read her story here.
  9. A true Trailblazer helps build a better world for others. That’s exactly what Shonnah Hughes did when she founded the Women in Tech Diversity User Group (and other community groups, including PepUp Tech) to enable young women of color to enter STEM professions. Her efforts are both noble and inspiring. Read her story here.
  10. Speaking of PepUp Tech, one of their many successful students is Nicholas Grant. After arriving to the U.S. from Jamaica on an F1 visa, he discovered the program, learned Salesforce, secured an internship and launched his career as a Salesforce consultant. Read his story and listen to his podcast episode here.
  11. Selina Suarez is a Trailblazer because she’s dedicated her career to educating disadvantaged populations. One of her first jobs was for an education nonprofit, where she was able to apply her Salesforce skills to get more students into college. She now works for Salesforce.org and is one of the co-founders of PepUpTech. Read her story here.
  12. Making the world a better place can happen on small and large scales. In the case of (RED), they’ve been able to reduce the number of babies born with HIV from 1,200 ten years ago to 400 today (and virtually zero by 2020) through partnerships with public and private sector individuals, companies, and organizations. They’ve blazed this trail with Salesforce to maintain their high standards at scale. Read the (RED) story here.

From the entire team at Salesforce, we wish you a very happy holidays! And just in case you missed any of the action over the last 12 days, be sure to check out the other 12 Days of Trailblazing blog posts, each one with expert insights and recommendations: