Years ago, long before Drew Brees concluded his keynote speech at Domopalooza 2019 by zipping footballs into a crowd of more than 2,000 fans, he sat in the backseat of a car and quietly absorbed the destruction of a section of New Orleans caused by Hurricane Katrina.
At the same time, New Orleans Saints head coach Sean Payton was in the driver’s seat, taking it all in as well, but angry at himself for getting lost and ending up in a neighborhood that looked like a war zone.
“He was recruiting me to come play quarterback for the Saints and he thought he’d lost me in that very moment,” Brees said.
As it turned out, it was the best mistake Payton has ever made. Because in reality, Brees was only thinking, “This is my calling. This is where I’m supposed to be.”
Fast forward 13 years, and New Orleans is in a much better place thanks to Brees. The NFL’s all-time leading passer has not only delivered the city a Super Bowl, he’s used the power of his platform to help resurrect it.
While that particular story was just one of many told during Domopalooza 2019, it may have best embodied the entire event, which was mainly about the ways people and organizations are using a platform (Domo) to make a difference.
In fact, our CEO, Josh James (pictured above, with Brees to his left), even kicked off day one by saying, “Customers keep coming up to me, telling me how much (Domo) has changed their life.”
No one could argue as customer after customer came on stage over the next two days and detailed how Domo has been a positive influence for them.
One of the first to do so was Derek White, chief digital officer of banking giant BBVA, who said he uses Domo because “it’s a game of data in our world. If we don’t understand what data our customers are looking at and how they’re using it, we will lose that game.”
White’s presentation was followed by new product announcements—including several that allow more data science, AI, and machine learning to drive more efficiency through the platform—and demos of new apps such as Digital360, which our director of business operations, Matt Meacham, described as a four-pronged solution that allows marketers to “see the whole picture.”
Brees then showed off his arm … but not before passing out tips on leadership (“it all starts with showing you care,” he said) and how to establish a winning culture (“be the same guy every day,” he advised).
Day two was no less interesting, starting with the very first announcement: that Domo had just launched Domo for Good (D4G), a social good program designed to leverage the Domo platform in collaboration with non-profit organizations.
“The power of purpose is one of the most meaningful catalysts for change,” Josh said. “This new program leverages data and the passion and talent of Domo experts—from our most capable customers to our incredible employees—to help non-profits build better communities, save lives and lessen human suffering.”
That bit of news served as perfect entree for Carolyn Miles, CEO of Save the Children, who sat down with Josh to discuss just how big of a role data can play in matching some of the most marginalized kids in the world with people who would like to help.
Other D4G partners, including Mark Brand of A Better Life Foundation and Rod Fujita of the Environmental Defense Fund, spoke as well. All received rousing ovations for the important work they’re doing.
To cap things off, Judd Apatow was called to the stage, where the comedian and filmmaker demonstrated why, with one hilarious story after another, he’s one of the funniest people in Hollywood.
But, like Brees, he also talked about how he’s used his platform to make a difference, and revealed some secrets to his success.
“I think at the end of the day you just want to be someone people want around,” the creator of movies such as The 40-Year-Old Virgin and Knocked Up said. “Sure, a lot of it is you want to be a hard worker and overproduce. But you also want to be someone people like having in the room. Be a positive contributor. That goes a long way.”