Melinda French Gates is a philanthropist, businesswoman, and global advocate for women and girls. As the co-chair of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Melinda sets the direction and priorities of one of the world's largest philanthropies. In 2015, Melinda founded Pivotal Ventures, a company working to accelerate the pace of social progress in the United States. Melinda is also the author of the bestselling book, The Moment of Lift.
Melinda grew up in Dallas, Texas. She received a bachelor's degree in computer science and economics and an MBA, both from Duke University. Melinda spent the first decade of her career developing multimedia products at Microsoft before leaving the company to focus on her family and philanthropic work. She has three children -- Jenn, Rory, and Phoebe -- and lives in Seattle, Washington.
"The Moment of Lift is an urgent call to courage. It changed how I
think about myself, my family, my work, and what's possible in the
world. Melinda weaves together vulnerable, brave storytelling and
compelling data to make this one of those rare books that you carry
in your heart and mind long after the last page."--Bren� Brown,
Ph.D., author of the New York Times #1 bestseller Dare to Lead "An
inspirational look at the need to empower women to make change in
the world." --The Washington Post "[The Moment of Lift] is a moral
appeal, imploring each of us who reads it to look around -- at our
own families, our own workplaces, our own place in a gigantic, but
highly connected, world -- and get to work making it more equal." -
Chicago Tribune
"Drawing on her vast experiences meeting women in far-flung corners
of the developing world, Gates' book is a heartfelt memoir about
stepping out of her comfort zone, as well as a manifesto of sorts
about the transformative power of broadening women's rights." --
Jessica Zack, San Francisco Chronicle "At a time when beneficial
globalization is being threatened by nationalism, and women's
rights are in danger of being rolled back to nineteenth-century
norms, Gates offers urgent reminders of why it's necessary to help
women everywhere achieve their full potential." -- Booklist,
starred review "Part memoir, part call to action, Gates's
compassionate narrative underscores her determination to leave a
positive mark on this world. She inspires and emboldens in this
eloquently argued work." -- Publishers Weekly
"This book is a beautiful and concise mission statement on what we
need to do to move society forward--continue to empower women. At
every level and in all places women are truly the bedrock
supporting their communities." -- Trevor Noah "Melinda Gates
uplifts and inspires by weaving a narrative of fortitude and hope.
She pushes us to challenge the status quo and never settle." --
Mellody Hobson "The Moment of Lift is a gift to humanity. With
concrete stories and examples, Melinda Gates helps us see and
embrace the great truths - "The goal is for everyone to be
connected. The goal is for everyone to belong. The goal is for
everyone to be loved." Melinda's message is so real, so personal,
so intelligent, so needed. If only everyone would read it and know
it, we would all rise up together!" -- Richard Rohr "The Moment of
Lift is a book about gender equity and its golden thread is
empathy. This book lifts up the voices of women and girls whose
experiences have been entirely unlike Melinda's own. They've taught
her a great deal, and in this beautifully crafted and artful
memoir, Melinda Gates invites the reader to learn from them too."
-- Paul Farmer, M.D., co-founder of Partners In Health "I think
this is one of the best books I've ever read." -- Warren Buffett
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