Joining the Conversation: an Inclusive Ecosystem Requires Inclusive Dialogue
It is almost a year since the murder of George Floyd, which opened the eyes of people around the world to the reality of systemic racism and violence against Black people in this country. His death sparked a movement, with protests across the nation and globe, like we haven’t seen since the civil rights movement.
But it also sparked conversations that led to action.
In response, Salesforce launched the Racial Equality and Justice Taskforce to help drive systemic change in our workplace and community. Salesforce is taking action across four pillars: people, philanthropy, purchasing, and policy decisions as we work to advance racial equality and justice. At the same time, several Black business owners in the Salesforce ecosystem spoke up to express the need to be a part of the conversation.
“Advocacy is often exhausting and can seem like an uphill battle to truly effect change at the scale and level that matters,” Joshua Hoskins, founder and developer at CRMified said, “but George Floyd’s death gave me permission to stand up for myself and others in a way I haven't done before.”
Toni V. Martin, owner and managing director of Systems to Success, felt similar and shared the importance of Salesforce understanding the realities of the Black community. “My livelihood is tied to Salesforce’s success,” she said. “We want to make sure Salesforce is attuned to the needs of this group of professionals who work on the platform, help customers every day, and are Black business owners who are affected by the company itself.”
Toni, Joshua, and several other Black business owners and allies began meeting over the phone to voice their opinions and find comfort in shared experiences. Each meeting led to greater discussion and action, manifesting in a plan to host a town hall meeting of Salesforce leaders and Black owners in the ecosystem. From there, the Black-Owned Salesforce Entrepreneurs (BOSE) collective was born.
BOSE Breaks Barriers
BOSE led the effort to co-host the town hall with Salesforce on October 23, 2020, which included 25 Black Salesforce Entrepreneurs and 25 Salesforce leaders from across many lines of business. The conversation included:
- Showcasing Black Salesforce entrepreneurs and their stories
- Introducing four core focus areas for partnership: guidance, funding, opportunity, and collaboration
- Establishing ongoing mutual dedication of time and resources to achieve initiatives
The meeting was grounded in authenticity, transparency, and the desire to take action. BOSE leaders believe that working together with Salesforce they can help solve challenges faced not only by Black entrepreneurs but also by other underrepresented groups and small businesses.
“All of the businesses you see on the AppExchange have a logo and a listing, but there are people behind those businesses,” said Toni. “It’s important to understand the stories of the people who provide these services.”
These stories and voices include those of Brandon Bartley and Najee Bartley. Together, they own BBVisions Multimedia, a one-stop-shop for online creative content needs, including email through Salesforce Marketing Cloud.
“What BOSE is doing is going to lay the foundation for the way diversity and inclusion is looked at for all of Salesforce,” said Brandon. “People are going to look at what BOSE is doing today and adopt these policies into day-to-day life.”
BOSE has also opened up opportunities for Joshua, Toni, Brandon, and countless others to receive business coaching and resources through two impactful programs:
1. Salesforce Accelerate
Salesforce Accelerate is a virtual program designed to provide the insights and support companies need to strategically align with Salesforce and grow with AppExchange. Businesses can get Salesforce-specific guidance to refine their products, pitch, and vision that they can’t receive elsewhere. Within the program, the current cohort brings together Black entrepreneurs to improve their Salesforce offerings, while discussing common challenges and bridging the inequity gap.
“The Accelerate program has been mindblowing for me” said Joshua. “Everyone tells you you can’t run a service business and build a product because customers take the lion’s share of your time. Some of the hallmarks of that statement are very true when you don’t have the resources to deliver. But the program has provided the right amount of accountability, coupled with valuable instruction and collaboration about business ideas I have, enabling me to be ready to go to market versus waiting years to get around to executing.
2. Ureeka
Ureeka is a platform for next wave entrepreneurs (like female and minority small and mid-sized business owners) to receive the coaching, community, and access they need to thrive. Through sponsorship from Salesforce, BOSE businesses have received crucial resources and mentorship to clarify and advance their businesses. For a mid-sized business like BBVisions Multimedia, Ureeka mentorship provides business knowledge and policy structure they didn’t previously have.
“It’s about being able to have the same access to resources and opportunities that everyone else has,” said Brandon.
A More Equitable Future
Going forward, BOSE leaders have big plans — in their businesses and their passion to bridge the equity gap. Armed with new resources and relationships, Joshua, Toni, and several other BOSE members have been busy registering for partner programs, working with Accelerate and Ureeka, and getting their businesses reconfigured. But BOSE’s primary goal to promote diversity is still at the forefront.
“We all have our heads down, taking advantage of the resources Salesforce has offered us,” said Toni. “But you’re going to see us being very vocal about our experiences. We’re spreading the word about our successes to hopefully encourage and motivate others who want to follow in our footsteps.”
Salesforce is so grateful for the leaders in our community, like the members of BOSE, for driving important conversations that challenge us to take action. George Floyd and countless more should be alive today, and so, our work continues. We will keep taking action for racial equality and a more just world.
Learn more about our commitment to advancing Racial Equality and Justice and check out more Black-owned businesses on AppExchange.
