Top 10 Moments From TrailheaDX ‘19
Whether you were excited about product innovation networking with Trailblazers - here’s what we think were the top 10 moments from TrailheaDX ‘19.
Stephanie Lottridge
After an exciting two days of celebrating innovation on the Salesforce platform, Trailblazers left TrailheaDX ‘19 inspired to continue learning, eager to impact their communities for the better, and (of course) ready to return next year to pick up the fun where they left off.
Here are this year’s top 10 moments:
1. Salesforce Blockchain stole the show
We had lots of great new product and feature announcements at TrailheaDX ‘19 (see the next top moment), but the one that stood out the most was Salesforce Blockchain — a new, low-code blockchain platform connected to CRM so organizations can securely collaborate and share data across third parties.
2. Innovation was everywhere
Our audience of admins and developers at TrailheaDX ‘19 were hungry for product innovation. And we were happy to oblige. In addition to Salesforce Blockchain, we announced we open sourced Lightning Web Components and now offer a Trailhead badge in ethical AI development — a hot topic across the industry right now. We can’t wait to see everything our Trailblazers do with these innovations.
3. Those fantastic, bedazzled shoes!
Executive Vice President and General Manager of Trailhead Sarah Franklin wowed the crowd at the TrailheaDX main keynote with her handmade, bedazzled platform wedges. Fun fact: Did you know that Chris Duarte, our Vice President of Trailhead Content, designed and created these for Sarah? Now that’s the Trailblazer Community in action!
4. Three new Trailblazers joined the Golden Hoodie club
Receiving a Golden Hoodie on stage is a major acknowledgment — not only of the individual’s personal achievements but of how they’ve given back to the Trailblazer Community at large. At TrailheaDX ‘19, we welcomed three new Trailblazers to the coveted Golden Hoodie club: Susannah St-Germain, Angela Mahoney, and Phillip Connaughton.
5. Trailshred rocked the house
Thousands of keynote attendees rocked out to LT Smooth’s rendition of Guns N’ Roses’ song, “Sweet Child of Mine” called “Sweet Code of Mine.” The sing-a-long was in honor of our newest feature on Trailhead giving learners the ability to add sound effects to their Salesforce org. Complete the Add Sound Effects to Your Salesforce Org Trail before the clock strikes midnight (PT) on August 7, 2019 and the special Trailshred community badge will mosh its way onto your profile.
Director of Product Management Badi Azad (right) rock out
6. Trailblazers refined their skills at the Career Fair
The TrailheaDX ‘19 Career Fair gave both early and experienced Salesforce developers, consultants, admins, marketers, and analysts the opportunity to network with an array of employers in the Salesforce ecosystem. Trailblazers also attended sessions where they could touch up their resume, get advice from career coaches, and build a career plan.
7. “Team Scare Net” dazzled the judges at the Future Trailblazer Challenge
At the Future Trailblazer Challenge pitchfest, seven schools in the Oakland Unified and San Francisco School Districts presented ideas for using technology as a force for good. The panel of judges included Salesforce co-Founder and Chief Technology Officer Parker Harris, Salesforce Chief Philanthropy Officer Ebony Frelix Beckwith, and Apple’s Vice President of World Wide Product Marketing Susan Prescott.
“We need the next generation to help us solve some of these critical problems in the world. The adults need to carry their weight, but the next generation is where some of these brilliant ideas are going to come from,” said Harris at the start of the event.
Every student group impressed the judges with their Sustainable Future Designs and the winning group from San Francisco’s Denman Middle School awed the audience with their invention of a biodegradable mesh net designed to attach underneath boats and collect trash.
Denman Middle School took home the Future Trailblazer Challenge award
8. Trailmoji gave us a new way to express ourselves
Salesforce’s Executive Vice President of Developer Relations and General Manager of Trailhead Sarah Franklin announced the new Trailmoji app during the main keynote, igniting an explosion of attendees customizing their personal Trailmoji look and sharing it on social media.
9. Then two astronauts took us home
To top off the event, we heard from two of the most iconic Trailblazers of our time: Mae C. Jemison, the first African American woman in space, and Peggy Whitson, the astronaut who broke the record for most time spent in space. The two reminisced about experiences in space and how it shaped their appreciation for several things — including challenging oneself to succeed, protecting the planet, and being inclusive.
“As we separate ourselves from the Earth, we separate ourselves from the universe,” said Jemison about the importance of caring for our planet and for each other.
Oh! And you may be asking yourself: “What was it like seeing Earth from space for the first time?” Whitson recalls, “[It was like] I’d lived my life in a semidark room and someone turned the light on.”
equality and sustainability at the TrailheaDX ‘19 closing keynote
10. But wait, this guy …
And then there was the Shred Master General who gave us the best tour of the Salesforce Outpost we’ve ever witnessed. His real name is Kris Chant and he’s the Director of Developer Marketing at Salesforce. Anyone who gets that excited about TrailheaDX swag is a friend of ours.
the TrailheaDX ‘19 swag
Catch up on all the product announcements, Trailblazer moments, and more highlights from TrailheaDX ‘19.
