Forbes #4 Most Powerful Woman

We couldn’t be more thrilled to announce that Melinda Gates, one of the world’s most powerful women, will be joining the 2016 Summit faculty. Just last week, Forbes published its annual power ranking, listing Gates at number four. Here’s why:

Melinda Gates has cemented her dominance in philanthropy and global development to the tune of $4.2 billion in giving in 2015 and more than $36.7 billion in grant payments since she founded the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation with her husband in 2000. Her work has inspired other big donors and has changed the way funders think about effective philanthropy: highly targeted campaigns coupled with data-driven monitoring and global collaboration. As the woman with her name on the door, Gates decides the direction of the organization and reviews the results. Much of her attention is now focused on championing investments in women and girls around the world. This includes a 2016 initiative, announced at the Women Deliver conference in Copenhagen in May, that will funnel $80 million into collecting key data on women in developing countries over the next three years—yielding the information Gates believes is needed to inform efforts to achieve gender equality.

Watch this short video to get a glimpse into the leadership and passion that fuels this powerhouse woman.

To attend the GLS at a premier host site near you, register here. Check out The Global Leadership Summit website to see other members of the faculty and for additional information.