VC legend Ron Conway quits Salesforce Foundation after Benioff’s National Guard comments

Ron Conway, the influential founder of the venture capital firm SV Angel, has decided to resign from his position on the Salesforce Foundation board. This move comes on the heels of recent comments made by Salesforce CEO Marc Benioff, who expressed his support for President Trump and suggested that National Guard troops should patrol the streets of San Francisco, according to a report from the New York Times. Conway, who has been a board member for a decade, has historically aligned with Benioff on many social issues. The Salesforce Foundation is dedicated to bolstering education and workforce development for underprivileged youth, and in 2023 alone, it contributed $36 million to various initiatives, finishing the year with assets totaling $400 million. However, the shift in Benioff's political stance has strained their longtime friendship. In an email to Benioff, Conway expressed his dismay, stating, "It saddens me immensely to say that with your recent comments, and failure to understand their impact, I now barely recognize the person I have so long admired." In a recent interview, Benioff highlighted Elon Musk's approach to government efficiency while acknowledging he had not been attentive to reports regarding immigration enforcement or Trump's criticisms of the media. This is particularly noteworthy given that Benioff owns Time magazine, which he acquired in 2018. The growing divide between Benioff and Conway has become more apparent during Salesforce’s annual Dreamforce conference, a major tech event in San Francisco. As of now, neither Salesforce nor Conway has provided further comments regarding this development.