Melinda French Gates

Melinda French Gates is a philanthropist, businesswoman, and global advocate for women and girls. She developed an early interest in computers while taking an advanced math class at the Ursuline Academy, a Catholic school for girls. She went on to pursue this interest in college, earning a bachelor's degree in computer science from Duke University in 1986. The following year, she obtained a master's degree in business administration, with a focus in economics, from Duke University's Fuqua School of Business.

French Gates joined Microsoft Corporation in 1987, and married Bill Gates in 1994. That same year, the couple co-founded what was later to become the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. In her role as co-chair, French Gates has helped shape and approve strategies, review results, and advocate for foundation issues. Besides focusing on the improvement of people's health with vaccines and other life-saving tools in developing countries, the foundation also seeks to dramatically improve education in the United States. In 2006, French Gates restructured the organization and in 2012, she pledged $560 million toward improving access to contraception for women in poor countries.

Beyond the realm of the foundation, French Gates has become a vocal advocate for empowering women and girls at home and abroad. She spearheaded the London Summit on Family Planning in 2012, and has given multiple TED talks, including: "What nonprofits can learn from Coca-Cola," "Let's put birth control back on the agenda," and "Why giving away our wealth has been the most satisfying thing we've done."

In 2015, aiming to utilize a broader range of tools beyond those available in a foundation setting, French Gates founded Pivotal Ventures, an investment and incubation company working to drive social progress for women and families in the United States. In 2024, French Gates announced her resignation as co-chair of the foundation to dedicate more time and resources to her philanthropic efforts in promoting women's health and reproductive freedom.