Embracing Mistakes on the Path to Extraordinary Goals

After Haiti’s devastating earthquake, Rajiv Shah headed the largest humanitarian effort in U.S. history. As chief economist of the Gates Foundation he tried to immunize almost a billion children. He tells Steve why it’s important to take big gambles, follow the data, and own up to your mistakes.

• SOURCE:
  • Rajiv Shah, president of the Rockefeller Foundation.

• RESOURCES:
  • Big Bets: How Large-Scale Change Really Happens, by Rajiv Shah (2023).
  • "The Root of Haiti’s Misery: Reparations to Enslavers," by Catherine Porter, Constant Méheut, Matt Apuzzo, and Selam Gebrekidan (The New York Times, 2022).
  • "Testing Is Our Way Out," by Paul Romer and Rajiv Shah (The Wall Street Journal, 2020).
  • "How to Get Millions of People to Take Coronavirus Tests and Stay Home if They're Positive," by Steven Levitt, Paul Romer, and Jeff Severts (USA Today, 2020).
  • "Haiti In Ruins: A Look Back At The 2010 Earthquake," by The Picture Show (2020).
  • "Vaccine for a Global Childhood Illness Passes Last Big Hurdle," (The New York Times, 1997).

• EXTRAS:
  • "Dambisa Moyo Says Foreign Aid Can’t Solve Problems, but Maybe Corporations Can," by People I (Mostly) Admire (2021).
  • "Moncef Slaoui: 'It’s Unfortunate That It Takes a Crisis for This to Happen,'" by People I (Mostly) Admire (2020).