Benioff Apology Reversal: Salesforce CEO Walks Back National Guard Call in San Francisco

Marc Russell Benioff, born September 25, 1964, in San Francisco, California, is an American internet entrepreneur and philanthropist best known as the co-founder, chairman, and CEO of Salesforce, a leading cloud computing company[5][1][2]. He graduated from Burlingame High School in 1982 and earned a Bachelor of Science degree in business administration from the University of Southern California in 1986[1][5]. Benioff began his career at Oracle Corporation, where he quickly rose to become the youngest vice president at age 26, before leaving in 1999 to found Salesforce with a vision to revolutionize enterprise software by delivering customer relationship management (CRM) through the cloud[1][4]. Salesforce launched from a small San Francisco apartment with the slogan "The End of Software," pioneering the software-as-a-service (SaaS) model. The company went public in 2004 and has grown into a Fortune 150 company with over 70,000 employees and a market valuation exceeding $200 billion[1][2][3]. Under Benioff’s leadership, Salesforce introduced innovations such as the AppExchange—the first enterprise app marketplace—and expanded through acquisitions including Tableau, Slack, and MuleSoft, positioning the company as a comprehensive platform for business software[1][2]. The Salesforce Tower in San Francisco symbolizes the company’s commitment to innovation and sustainability[3]. Benioff is also notable for integrating philanthropy into business through Salesforce’s 1-1-1 model, dedicating 1% of equity, product, and employee time to charitable causes. He co-founded the Pledge 1% movement, which has been adopted by thousands of companies[2][3]. Beyond Salesforce, he became the owner and co-chair of *Time* magazine in 2018[5][2]. Recognized widely for his leadership, Benioff has received numerous honors including Forbes’ “Innovator of the Decade,” CNN Business CEO of 2020, and accolades for his commitment to equality and social impact[2]. He continues to lead Salesforce into emerging areas such as AI agents, maintaining a focus on innovation and social responsibility[6].

Ron Conway is an American venture capitalist, super angel investor, and philanthropist, widely recognized as a central figure in Silicon Valley’s tech ecosystem. Born on March 9, 1951, Conway graduated from San Jose State University with a degree in political science. He began his career in marketing at National Semiconductor Corporation (1973–1979) before co-founding, serving as President, and leading Altos Computer Systems as CEO (1979–1990), taking the company public on Nasdaq in 1982. He later served as CEO of Personal Training Systems (1991–1995), which was acquired by SmartForce/SkillSoft. Conway transitioned to angel investing in the mid-1990s, focusing early on internet startups and quickly establishing himself as a leading investor. He founded SV Angel, a prominent venture capital firm, and managed the Angel Investors LP funds from 1998 to 2005. His investments span numerous successful technology companies, and he played a key role in arranging Google’s Series A funding. Conway has been named to Forbes Magazine’s Midas List of top deal-makers since 2011, was recognized as Best Angel at the 2009 TechCrunch Crunchies Awards, and was included in Vanity Fair’s 100 most influential people in the Information Age in 2010. Beyond investing, Conway is known for his advocacy in technology, civic engagement, and immigration reform. He is the founder and chairman of sf.citi and co-founder of FWD.US. He is actively involved in efforts to address systemic racial inequity and support founders of color, notably through Slauson and Co. Philanthropically, Conway is a member of the Giving Pledge and supports organizations such as the Salesforce Foundation, UCSF Medical Center, UCSF Benioff Children’s Hospital, College Track, and gun violence prevention groups including Sandy Hook Promise and Giffords.org. Since the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, Conway has been involved in securing PPE and fundraising for drug therapies and vaccines, including organizing the Covid-19 Tech Task Force. He remains a prominent voice and influential figure in both the tech and philanthropic communities.