Melinda Gates: Marriage, Motherhood, Microsoft, and Making a Difference
March 8, 2009
Why Melinda Gates
What constitutes someone as a leader? Would it be a person who has a following of supporters? Could it be a person that has an impact on many near and far? What if this person just gives of themselves and their assets unselfishly to help others? If these are some of the things that make a person a leader, than I would have to say that Melinda Ann Gates would definitely be classified as one of the most influential leaders of our time.
Melinda Gates is just as you see her; real, authentic and consistent, while having a quiet toughness about herself when getting things done. She always knew that hard work and education would go hand and hand. She believed, “If you are successful, it is because somewhere, sometime, someone gave you a life or an idea that started you in the right direction. Remember also that you are indebted to life until you help some less fortunate person, just as you were helped”. (Melinda Gates, valedictory speech, Ursuline Academy, 1982) This is a testament to her not wanting to be in the limelight for the good deeds that she and her foundation do. She could easily bask in their billions and enjoy life in other ways. However, that obviously was not her calling or passion.
Melinda is the co-founder and co-chairman of one of the world’s largest foundations, Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. For some time many thought that the foundation was Bill’s alone. In 2005 Melinda started speaking about the work of the foundation. During her travels she thought it was very important that people understand that this was a joint effort between Bill and she. The goal of the foundation is to give everyone an equal opportunity to thrive, by reducing or eliminating obstacles like poor health, nutrition, and weak educational systems. (Strom, 2008) The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation not only wants to change poverty and educational...