Marking successes, acknowledging effort, inspiring others - at Salesforce, we truly believe in the power of celebrating the achievements of the Trailblazers within our Ecosystem. This is precisely why, on 31st August, we hosted a spectacular event at Salesforce Tower London, where ~100 recent graduates from 9 Workforce Development (WFD) Partners and Salesforce-led Programs across the UK joined us for a fun and inspiring evening of celebration.

The Salesforce Workforce Development Partners are organisations identifying individuals from underrepresented backgrounds - and empowering their upskilling and reskilling journey. This aligns with IDC's forecast that the Salesforce Ecosystem in EMEA will create 1.5 million net new jobs by 2026. Our response to this is led by the values the ecosystem embodies, focusing efforts in creating a diverse and skilled talent pool. WFD partners play a critical role in nurturing this talent pipeline, guiding individuals from fundamental Salesforce concepts and business skills to hands-on experience and becoming Salesforce certified.

The event featured an empowering panel discussion with Industry Leaders and inspiring Trailblazers representing the Partner & Customer Ecosystem, including Cohan Leon Daley (CloudSmiths), Matthew Brown (Tech Talent Consulting), Janet Okuyemi (EPAM Systems) and Chloe Nti (OYF), moderated by Salesforce’s Naseera Avila Castillo. They highlighted the meaningful potential of a Salesforce career, encouraging continuous development, community engagement and the power of mentoring and networking. The sentiment was clear: "Reach out, stay curious and don’t feel afraid to speak up!".

Then came the awe-inspiring presence and keynote of Dr Ronda Železný-Green, a Digital Changemaker, Mobile Technologist, Trainer and Researcher. She is also recognised as one of the most influential women in UK Tech for building communities and networks to increase the diversity and inclusion in the technology sector. Her journey of resilience, perseverance, and persistence was truly inspiring. She emphasised the need for diverse role models and making your voice heard. Her personal story is one of breaking barriers, creating social impact and uplifting marginalised communities.

The event culminated in a heartwarming awards ceremony where each WFD Partner and Salesforce-led Program had nominated their "Graduate of the Year." This fantastic group of Trailblazers showed exceptional promise, guaranteeing that their names will shine even brighter in the future. This year, the winners list includes: Hema Kumar (FDM Group), Andrei Martynenko (01 Founders), Andrew Lee (Grayce), Mariana Stefani (LDN Apprenticeships), Deborah Ogunbunmi (Salesforce Movement to Work), Bruno Almeida (Revolent), Darshani Liyana (Salesforce Pathfinder), Ade Adeseye (Salesforce Talent Alliance Career Cohorts) and Davina Carter (Supermums). Congratulations to all Trailblazers on their recognition and success!

Being part of the Trailblazer community means embracing change and making the impossible possible. We extend heartfelt thanks to all who participated in this extraordinary event — to the dedicated WFD partners, our Salesforce Partners and Customers, the Trailblazers, and to the inspiring speakers who shared their stories. We can't wait to witness the success of these remarkable Trailblazing graduates!