Since its founding in 2015, Merivis has enjoyed a strong partnership with Salesforce, which has been a steadfast supporter of our mission to train veterans and military spouses for technology careers within the Salesforce ecosystem. Salesforce provided our first major grant, enabling us to hire a full-time staff member to expand our programs. They also spotlighted our graduate, Sheldon Simmons, allowing him to share his Merivis journey at Dreamforce 2019. Many of our graduates have been hired by Salesforce, and numerous others have volunteered for our programs. Recently, we added another collaborative event to our enduring partnership: a hackathon with the Salesforce CIO organization, held June 13-14, 2024, aimed at developing technology solutions to support our operations and programs.
It all began with a fundraising event in Houston last September. Long-time Merivis volunteer Abi Beaty invited Ashleigh McCord, SVP of Salesforce Business Technology Strategy and Enablement and executive sponsor of Vetforce Texas, a Business Resource Group designed to support, promote, and celebrate military families and initiatives. After learning more about Merivis and hearing Kelsey Gibson share the profound impact Merivis had on her career, Ashleigh approached us with a desire to help, given her close ties to the military community. She met with Merivis board member Kevin Berkline to discuss how she could leverage her resources to further our training programs.
Ashleigh’s support began with a surprise email to me, announcing a generous $50,000 donation from Business Technology to close out our year-end Veterans Day Campaign. This major gift alone was impactful, but Ashleigh’s commitment didn’t end there. A few weeks later, she again met with Kevin and proposed an innovative idea: mobilizing her team of Salesforce professionals to optimize Merivis’ tech stack. This initiative aimed to create more efficient processes and workflow automations, and maximize the use of the Salesforce platform, significantly enhancing our operational capabilities.
“Stepping away from our daily routines to collaborate with a non-profit like Merivis, which fully leverages Salesforce’s capabilities, has given me a profound appreciation for the impact and incredible possibilities we create. It’s remarkable to see how tasks we consider simple can make an immense difference for them. This experience has strengthened my belief in the power of collaboration and the positive change we can drive together. Business truly is a force for good, and our partnership with organizations like Merivis fosters a mutually beneficial relationship where we all grow, learn, and thrive within the Salesforce ecosystem.”
— Jean Paul Miralda, Senior Manager, Program/Project Management
“Volunteering for the Merivis Hackathon has been an incredibly rewarding experience, enabling me to give back to a community that was instrumental in my career shift to Salesforce consulting. I am grateful for Salesforce for supporting this partnership and providing the time to engage in meaningful volunteer work. Together, we are empowering more Salesforce professionals of the military community on their career journeys.”
— Robyn Provost, Senior Solution Consultant
“I choose to volunteer regularly with Merivis because it provides a unique way I can apply the skills I’ve gained in my career to serve a community that has dedicated their careers and lives to serving. This Hackathon gave me a new way to give back while working alongside my colleagues.”
— Matt Edmonson, IT Architect Director
Supporting nonprofit organizations during an economic downturn can be challenging. Increased demands on day-to-day roles and tighter budgets create a tough environment for sustaining programs. However, innovative approaches to offset costs and enhance efficiency in programs and administrative activities can help weather the storm. On behalf of the board of directors, our volunteers, and every member of the military community we serve, we are deeply grateful for this partnership with the Salesforce CIO organization.
To make a financial contribution to our programs in support of the 2024 Hackathon collaboration efforts visit our campaign page and if you’re a Salesforce employee you can also request a Salesforce match through their internal platform.
