• Home
  • Latest
  • Fortune 500
  • Finance
  • Tech
  • Leadership
  • Lifestyle
  • Rankings
  • Multimedia
TechHuman Capital

Salesforce Rewards Indiana for Changing its Mind About Gay Rights

By
Heather Clancy
Heather Clancy
Down Arrow Button Icon
By
Heather Clancy
Heather Clancy
Down Arrow Button Icon
May 6, 2016, 12:24 PM ET
Kristin Hornberger Photography

Marc Benioff has a reputation among certain governors as being a “corporate bully.” His most recent cause célèbre was Georgia, where he recently threatened to shut down Salesforce’s offices over a law that would have limited gay rights.

But the San Francisco-based cloud software company also rewards states that take its anti-discrimination stance seriously.

Consider this Exhibit A: Salesforce (CRM) on Friday trumpeted a massive real estate investment in Indianapolis. This is the same place that the software company boycotted last March over a proposed law that would have given businesses the green light to deny service to same-sex couples.

Benioff’s stance inspired many other companies to adopt similar positions. Governor Mike Pence blinked, changing the law to appease his corporate critics.

The reward? Salesforce now plans to add another 800 jobs to the state as part of a $40 million expansion effort, adding a new regional headquarters there that mimics its presence in New York and London. The company is taking over an existing high-rise building, the Chase Tower. The site will feature a technology demonstration center.

Get Data Sheet, Fortune’s daily technology newsletter.

Salesforce already is one of the biggest tech employers in the state with more than 1,000 staffers in the Indianapolis area, courtesy of its $2.5 billion acquisition of marketing software company ExactTarget in 2013. It plans to move into the new tower starting in early 2017.

Thank you @IndyMayorJoe @GovPenceIN as Salesforce expands as Indiana's largest tech company. Equality for all. pic.twitter.com/cH685QirvV

— Marc Benioff (@Benioff) May 6, 2016

By the way, it’s worth remembering that Benioff and company also prevailed in Georgia when the state’s governor vetoed its “religious freedom” law. Are you listening, North Carolina?

 

 

About the Author
By Heather Clancy
See full bioRight Arrow Button Icon

Latest in Tech

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025

Most Popular

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Fortune Secondary Logo
Rankings
  • 100 Best Companies
  • Fortune 500
  • Global 500
  • Fortune 500 Europe
  • Most Powerful Women
  • Future 50
  • World’s Most Admired Companies
  • See All Rankings
Sections
  • Finance
  • Fortune Crypto
  • Features
  • Leadership
  • Health
  • Commentary
  • Success
  • Retail
  • Mpw
  • Tech
  • Lifestyle
  • CEO Initiative
  • Asia
  • Politics
  • Conferences
  • Europe
  • Newsletters
  • Personal Finance
  • Environment
  • Magazine
  • Education
Customer Support
  • Frequently Asked Questions
  • Customer Service Portal
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms Of Use
  • Single Issues For Purchase
  • International Print
Commercial Services
  • Advertising
  • Fortune Brand Studio
  • Fortune Analytics
  • Fortune Conferences
  • Business Development
  • Group Subscriptions
About Us
  • About Us
  • Editorial Calendar
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Diversity And Inclusion
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • About Us
  • Editorial Calendar
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Diversity And Inclusion
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • Facebook icon
  • Twitter icon
  • LinkedIn icon
  • Instagram icon
  • Pinterest icon

Latest in Tech

Man in a suit touches servers in a rack.
Investingfraud
Supermicro’s co-founder was just arrested for allegedly smuggling $2.5 billion in GPUs to China
By Amanda GerutMarch 19, 2026
3 hours ago
InnovationUber Technologies
Uber will operate its own robotaxis again—this time with Rivian’s not‑yet‑built EVs
By Jessica MathewsMarch 19, 2026
11 hours ago
AIoriginal content
The CEO of Patreon blasts AI companies for the ‘bogus excuse’ they’re using to not pay artists
By Marco Quiroz-GutierrezMarch 19, 2026
12 hours ago
Elon Musk, wearing a DOGE shirt and hat, puts one hand to the brim of the hat as he stands in the Oval Office.
LawDOGE
DOGE cancelled a $349,000 grant to replace a museum’s HVAC after ChatGPT flagged it as DEI, court documents show
By Sasha RogelbergMarch 19, 2026
12 hours ago
Basecamp Research cofounders Oliver Vince and Glen Gowers photographed walking down a street wearing puffer jackets.
AIEye on AI
Could data from 100 million species help cure disease? One startup is betting on it
By Sharon GoldmanMarch 19, 2026
13 hours ago
baseball catch before betmgm ad
Cryptosports betting
MLB embraces prediction markets with Polymarket deal and a pact with federal regulators to “protect the integrity of baseball”
By The Associated PressMarch 19, 2026
14 hours ago

© 2026 Fortune Media IP Limited. All Rights Reserved. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy | CA Notice at Collection and Privacy Notice | Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information
FORTUNE is a trademark of Fortune Media IP Limited, registered in the U.S. and other countries. FORTUNE may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice.