Where Melinda French Gates is putting her money to work

Melinda French Gates is one of the most influential philanthropists in the world. As co-founder of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, she has spearheaded donations totaling $77.6 billion in grants since its inception in 2000.

Although French Gates has announced her resignation from the foundation she started with her ex-husband, Bill Gates, her work in diversifying opportunity continues at Pivotal Ventures. French Gates founded the company with the goal to invest in women-led funds that both challenge the existing venture capital industry with greater representation and make a profit.

What are Gates’ sectors of interest? Politics, technology, finance, and a good story. Yahoo Finance’s Brian Sozzi had the opportunity to discuss Pivotal Ventures with French Gates in mid-March, before her announcement.

Click here to see more Lead This Way.

Video transcript

Melinda French Gates is one of the most influential philanthropists in the world, and she's soon stepping down from her job running the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation to focus on her own venture capital firm.

In our latest episode of Lead This Way, our own Brian Zazi had a chance to sit down with her and hear more about the vision to fund companies run by women and women of colour.

Take a look.

I am mostly through pivotal ventures using philanthropic dollars to invest in human beings who are changing the world.

And I really look at four key sectors technology because it is changing our lives.

Politics.

That's where our policies and laws are made.

Finance because that's where the power is and then culturally, also the storytelling, because I think that helps bring society along to start to see everybody else.

Is there a guiding principle?

You use, uh, to help make some of these investments?

I look at?

Who are the change makers in the world?

Are they willing to work in partnership with others and in teams because no one person is going to change a sector, it takes lots of different vantage points So I look for partners who are brave and bold and willing to lead with a new idea.

And will they do it in partnership with others?

You can watch the full episode of Lead This Way with Melinda French Gates tomorrow during the 11 a.m. Eastern time Hour of wealth.

You don't wanna miss it.