We look in our own backyard and say, 'How do we help at-risk families, at risk youth? How do we think through some of the problems affecting the Pacific Northwest and make some change there?'

We look in our own backyard and say, 'How do we help at-risk families, at risk youth? How do we think through some of the problems affecting the Pacific Northwest and make some change there?'

Melinda Gates

I went to business school, and I went straight from that to a nine-year career at Microsoft. Eventually, I ran a big chunk of the consumer products division for Microsoft.Then I left with the birth of our first daughter because Bill and I both wanted to have a few kids.

I went to business school, and I went straight from that to a nine-year career at Microsoft. Eventually, I ran a big chunk of the consumer products division for Microsoft.Then I left with the birth of our first daughter because Bill and I both wanted to have a few kids.

Women and girls face a whole host of issues. We start with health, so we work very deeply on maternal deaths, making sure that a mom doesn't die in childbirth, making sure that she has access, for instance, to AIDS medication.

Women and girls face a whole host of issues. We start with health, so we work very deeply on maternal deaths, making sure that a mom doesn't die in childbirth, making sure that she has access, for instance, to AIDS medication.

If you can't go to secondary school, the boys get to go and the girls don't, you're locked into a cycle of poverty, because you don't have a chance.

If you can't go to secondary school, the boys get to go and the girls don't, you're locked into a cycle of poverty, because you don't have a chance.

Abortion has become a very politicised issue that I think countries have to work out themselves. In a lot of countries, people can't even yet agree on what their laws should be.

Abortion has become a very politicised issue that I think countries have to work out themselves. In a lot of countries, people can't even yet agree on what their laws should be.

Today is International Women's Day, and there's a fantastic set of pieces running by an organization called ONE called

Today is International Women's Day, and there's a fantastic set of pieces running by an organization called ONE called "Poverty Is Sexist." It's a great way to quickly learn about what's actually going on for women in poverty around the world, and then do something about it.

Now, as smartphones are coming up, there are all kinds of apps that will start to be developed that will help women.

Now, as smartphones are coming up, there are all kinds of apps that will start to be developed that will help women.

Despite the debunking, you have a small group in the last five years that hasn't wanted to vaccinate their children, for instance, for measles. Then, all of sudden, we got an outbreak of measles and kids were starting to die from measles.

Despite the debunking, you have a small group in the last five years that hasn't wanted to vaccinate their children, for instance, for measles. Then, all of sudden, we got an outbreak of measles and kids were starting to die from measles.

In different places you run into myths around vaccination or around family planning. In the United States, one of the myths that existed for a long time, that has been completely debunked, was that autism was linked to a vaccine.

In different places you run into myths around vaccination or around family planning. In the United States, one of the myths that existed for a long time, that has been completely debunked, was that autism was linked to a vaccine.

We set out what's going to be our work time versus our foundation time versus family time, and we'll reassess that... sometimes every week.

We set out what's going to be our work time versus our foundation time versus family time, and we'll reassess that... sometimes every week.

When we better understand the realities of these women's lives, we are able to design and deliver solutions that are more useful to them.

When we better understand the realities of these women's lives, we are able to design and deliver solutions that are more useful to them.

Poverty disproportionately affects women around the world.

Poverty disproportionately affects women around the world.

Our economies are built on the backs of all this unpaid labor that women do.

Our economies are built on the backs of all this unpaid labor that women do.

If you ask, who has the chance to move into the city and get a good job out in the developing world? It's a man. Who's left to care for the kids back at home? The woman is.

If you ask, who has the chance to move into the city and get a good job out in the developing world? It's a man. Who's left to care for the kids back at home? The woman is.

If you can't travel to the developing world, look at helping to fund a woman with a small loan and follow her. Learn her story. Learn about the difference that you're making.

If you can't travel to the developing world, look at helping to fund a woman with a small loan and follow her. Learn her story. Learn about the difference that you're making.

That's universal - we all want to bring every good thing to our children. But what's not universal is our ability to provide every good thing.

That's universal - we all want to bring every good thing to our children. But what's not universal is our ability to provide every good thing.

Having children made us look differently at all these things that we take for granted, like taking your child to get a vaccine against measles or polio.

Having children made us look differently at all these things that we take for granted, like taking your child to get a vaccine against measles or polio.

I realized that the only way to get into a good college was to be valedictorian or salutatorian. So that was my goal.

I realized that the only way to get into a good college was to be valedictorian or salutatorian. So that was my goal.

The premise of this foundation is one life on this planet is no more valuable than the next.

The premise of this foundation is one life on this planet is no more valuable than the next.