Thursday kicked off the Dreamforce Equality Summit — a day full of inspiring talks and motivating calls-to-action to create a more diverse and inclusive workplace...and world. From the wise words of Trailblazing CEO's redefining narratives around authenticity to the stories of public figures championing equality, there's never been a time when businesses — and employees — have been poised to make such lasting and meaningful change. 

Opportunity and optimism at Climate Summit

Former vice president Al Gore enlisted Trailblazers to join in the Sustainability Revolution, which he said 'has the magnitude of the industrial revolution, with the speed of the digital revolution.” said Gore. It's up to us to invest and innovate. Read more.

Oceanographer Sylvia Earle led a panel of Trailblazers — Alexis Haass, Adrian Grenier, and Nainoa Thompson — on how the most innovative organizations use the levers of competition to pull plastic from the oceans. “Now we have the chance to create the world we want,” said Earle. 

Equality Keynote with Tracee Ellis Ross and Adam Rippon

Tracee Ellis Ross, star of the hit sitcom "Black-ish," and Adam Rippon, Olympic Bronze Medalist figure skater, closed Thursday at Dreamforce with a standing ovation at the Equality Keynote. Despite being decades apart and from different backgrounds, both use their platforms to speak up for the equality for all. “When you have access, you are given not only the opportunity but — I feel — the responsibility to use it. Otherwise, there is no point,” said Rippon, referring to the bronze medal he won in the most recent Winter Olympics. Ross took a moment at the very end to remind the crowd to “stay curious, stay courageous, and vote!” Watch the session here.

Executive Summit: Someone has to be CEO, “Why Not Me?”

Geisha Williams is the first Latina CEO of a Fortune 500 company. She was recently named 24th on Fortune’s list of Most Powerful Women. At Thursday's Fortune Executive Summit she told the audience that a huge part of that is a result of mentorship. One day a mentor named Clark Cook took the young Williams aside and asked “What are your long term career aspirations?” Williams answer – to be a supervisor – wasn’t thinking long-term enough, he said. “Someone has to be the CEO of this company one day. Why not you?”

Williams was 24. “And I remember a lightning bolt hitting me - why not me? Well women weren’t running companies, Latinas weren’t running companies. And yet he inspired me with those three words.”

"A great leader inspires, shares, and brings their team along. No one wants to work for a robot. You need to show what you value, what you like, what you did over the weekend — just be you."

Commerce Cloud: Tweens Shop at Hyperspeed on Mobile

Commerce Cloud CEO Mike Micucci’s two tween daughters joined the keynote squad and wowed the audience with their mobile shopping skills, as Mike gave them each an iPhone and asked them to fill their shopping carts with as many beauty products as possible in 20 minutes. Their shopping sessions were recorded, and the audience was able to watch their journeys in hyperspeed as Einstein product recommendations guided their choices. At the end of their sessions, the girls had filled their carts with over $3,000 worth of cosmetics. These items were donated to Dress for Success, an organization that empowers underserved women to interview for jobs like seasoned pros. Watch the hyperspeed shopping here. 

Equality Summit: Bernard Tyson

We live in a time of disagreement and fragmentation in our country, a time where many feel there is less energy available for compassion for our fellow humans. Bernard Tyson, CEO of Kaiser Permanente, is nevertheless optimistic.

“I’ve seen people with compassion, I’ve seen people step up. Every day good people that want to do good, who have figured out a way to find a ‘We’ solution. Just look at something like the GoFundMe phenomenon - people are willing to donate, and help and contribute! So I remain optimistic that the human spirit is still alive.”

But for a better world to come about, Tyson has no doubt - business must play a part. “Every company of size has an obligation, period, to be a part of our communities, and to contribute to our communities, not to stand off. Every major company has that opportunity - and that obligation.”

Marketing Cloud keynote

Each year, Trailblazers from all over the world gather at Dreamforce to share brand success stories, information on current industry trends, and plans for adapting to future changes in the ever-evolving world of marketing.

At this year’s Marketing Cloud keynote, Intelligent Marketing for the Empowered Consumer, leaders from Salesforce, along with customer Trailblazers from Warner Bros. Entertainment, Ticketmaster, and BBVA, took the stage to share fresh insights on intelligent marketing, announce a dynamic new acquisition, and showcase recent Trailblazer triumphs.

Uber leading with its head and heart

In today's fireside chat with Marc Benioff, Uber CEO Dara Khosrowshahi told a full audience how he's bringing more "heart" to the company. He spoke of how Uber is putting its partner drivers first and figuring out how to provide temporary workers with much-needed benefits. They've already started in the UK with sick pay and benefits for drivers, including maternity and paternity leave. Overall Uber has shifted focus to team and culture on their journey to providing mobility as a service to billions of people. When asked what advice Dara would have given to his predecessor, he replied with something he learned from Barry Diller, who he worked for at Expedia: "Listen to what you don't want to hear." 

Making San Francisco the best city in the world

As a warm welcome to the newly elected mayor of San Francisco, London Breed — the first African-American woman to hold the city's top post — Marc Benioff, Salesforce Co-CEO invited her to an intimate chat about her vision for making San Francisco an even better place to live and work. “Our role as leaders is to change the lives of the people counting on us to make good decisions,” said Breed. “Our job is to take care of San Francisco.” Watch the session here. 

Let's go camping!

While it's fairly customary to have product demos galore at any tech conference these days, we'd venture a bet there are very few you've ever experienced that happen in the middle of a forest! (To be honest, we take pride in doing things just a little bit different — dare we say, better — at Dreamforce!) If you haven't done so already, be sure to take a stroll through the Dreamforce Campground. With the sound of birds chirping in the distance, let our friendly park rangers guide you through a hands-on tour of Salesforce product demos and unique customer success stories. See life-size Ben & Jerry's ice cream containers, tap into your inner rock star at the Metallica Fan Experience, learn how Marriott personalizes the visitor journey, and maybe even catch Salesforce Co-CEO, Marc Benioff, giving an interview atop the Customer 360 mountain! The sky's the limit in the Dreamforce Campground.