Ron Conway, founder of SV Angel, speaks during the TechCrunch Disrupt NYC 2015 conference on May 4, 2015 in New York.
Michael Nagle | Bloomberg | Getty Images
Days after he suggested that President Donald Trump send federal troops to San Francisco, Salesforce CEO Marc Benioff has to face some consequences.
The prominent startup investor Ron Conway, who, among other things, supported companies Google, Airbnb and Stripe resigned from the Salesforce Foundation board on Thursday, CNBC has confirmed. Conway is a longtime Democratic donor who has been a member of VCs for Kamala and has donated about $500,000 to at least two funds related to Kamala Harris’ unsuccessful 2024 campaign.
The New York Times was first to report Conway’s departure from the Salesforce Foundation. A Salesforce spokesperson confirmed his exit in an emailed statement.
“We are deeply grateful to Ron Conway and his incredible contributions to the Salesforce Foundation board for over a decade,” the spokesperson said, noting that the group “has donated $250 million to public schools and educational nonprofits to improve opportunities and access for young people, including $30 million announced this week.”
The Trump administration recently deployed the National Guard to Portland, Oregon and Chicago, sparking protests and lawsuits and leading to citizens and immigrants being detained without legal representation.
In a story published in The New York Times late last week, Benioff hinted that he would welcome troops to San Francisco, home of Salesforce. The company’s annual Dreamforce conference began Tuesday in downtown San Francisco.
“We don’t have enough police officers, so if they can be police officers, I’m all for it,” Benioff told the Times.
Benioff later appeared to walk back his comments, writing on X that security is “first and foremost the responsibility of our city and state leaders.” However, by this point, Tesla CEO Elon Musk and other right-wing figures had seized on his original comments and amplified them to their listeners.
Musk, who has been criticized for his personal drug use, called downtown San Francisco a “drug zombie apocalypse.” And on Wednesday, Trump called San Francisco “a mess” and suggested possibly sending in the National Guard.
According to the Times, Conway told Benioff in an email that their “values no longer align.” While Benioff has donated to members of both parties, he has supported Democrats in the presidential election, including Barack Obama, Hillary Clinton and Kamala Harris.
Conway is the founder and managing partner of SV Angel, an early-stage venture firm. He has long been involved in technology in San Francisco, founded the trade organization sf.citi and helped found FWD.us, which focused on immigration reform.
The Salesforce Foundation isn’t his only connection to Benioff’s philanthropic efforts. Conway is also a major donor to UCSF Benioff Children’s Hospital.
Conway did not respond to a request for comment.
California Gov. Gavin Newsom and San Francisco leaders issued statements and held news conferences Wednesday to announce that federal troops are not welcome in the city and that crime is declining.
Conway has supported Newsom, including in 2021 when he opposed a recall effort against the Democratic governor.
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