Uncanny Valley | WIRED BIG INTV: Melinda French Gates on Secrets: ‘Live a Truthful Life, Then You Don’t Have Any’
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Dec 2, 2025 
Melinda French Gates, a renowned philanthropist and founder of Pivotal Ventures, discusses the challenges and insights of her work in advancing women's health. She shares her personal journey from a Catholic school lesson on women's worth to navigating gender dynamics in computer science. Melinda emphasizes the need for authentic leadership, the barriers billionaires face in philanthropy, and her focus on women's health despite political hurdles. She also advocates for a balanced work culture and stresses the importance of children's digital well-being.
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Lesson From A Nail Polish Incident
- Melinda French Gates recounts being caught for wearing clear nail polish in Catholic school and sent to the principal's office.
- Her father's fury at the school's rule taught her to value women's time and push back against trivial constraints.
Building A Different Team Culture
- Melinda describes arriving at Microsoft where few women worked and how she changed management style to attract talent.
- By being herself she built a supportive subculture and pulled great developers to her teams.
Philanthropy Defined By Action
- Melinda defines philanthropy as giving your time, skills, or money to change the world for the better.
- She learned it early in community work and kept that definition through her career.
