BillAndMelindaGatesFoundation
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Gates Foundation: Empowering women is key to fighting poverty
In 2006, Berkshire Hathaway CEO Warren Buffet donated $31 billion in company stock to the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. As a way of outlining just what the Gates family did with the "single biggest gift anyone ever gave anybody for anything," the couple have penned a lengthy report. The big takeaway is that the most impact will come from social change -- not tech. Considering where Bill Gates worked, that might surprise you.
Mastercard built a mobile marketplace for farmers in East Africa
More than two billion people across the world continue to stay unbanked. One of the biggest reasons for that exclusion is accessibility. In developing countries in particular, low-income groups tend to get left out of the fold because they don't have access to basic banking services. But now, as simple services like mobile banking have proven to help people transition out of poverty in Africa, organizations are starting to focus on the financial inclusion of vulnerable communities. 2Kuze, a mobile payment solution from Mastercard Labs, is one such initiative that is built for farmers in Kenya.
Bill and Melinda Gates back an implant that could prevent HIV
You don't have to wait until after an infection to fight HIV. A technique known as pre-exposure prophylaxis has you taking preemptive medicine on a regular basis, greatly reducing the chances that HIV will take root in the first place. Needless to say, such a treatment could change the world if done well -- and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation wants to make sure that it's as easy as possible. They're investing $140 million in an Intarcia Therapeutics program that will develop an under-the-skin pump implant (you're looking at it above) that will deliver a steady stream of anti-HIV drugs in 6- or 12-month batches. Instead of having to remember to take medicine every day, you'd only have to top up once or twice a year.
Melinda Gates' initiative is about getting more women into tech
Melinda Gates has been supporting the global fight against malaria, tuberculosis and AIDS with her husband since 2000. And she'll continue to do so, but now she's also building her own office and dedicating resources to tackle gender inequality in the tech industry. In an interview with Backchannel, Gates said her new initiative's goal is to get more women working in technology and to get them to stay there. Gates is more than just the Microsoft founder's wife: she worked in Redmond for a decade after getting her undergrad and MBA in computer science from Duke.
The White House wants to study the Earth's microbes
The president proved that he has big scientific dreams when he announced a new effort to find a cure for cancer. Now, the White House has launched yet another ambitious project called the National Microbiome Initiative, which aims to take a closer look at the tiny world of microbes. Microbiomes or microorganism communities that live on and inside people, animals, plants and just about everywhere might be invisible to the naked eye, but they a huge effect on the way we live. They can either make us sick or make us healthy, promote or stunt the growth of plants and contribute to climate change, among many other things.
DNA nanomachine detects HIV antibodies in minutes, not hours
Current methods for detecting the antibodies that indicate HIV infection are agonizingly slow and cumbersome. However a new DNA nanomachine developed by an international team of researchers (and funded, in part, by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation) could shorten the process to a matter of minutes.
Gates Foundation collaborates with Manchester University to develop potable toilet water
It's an unsettling thought, having to drink water from that bowl in your bathroom, but if the need ever arose, wouldn't you be glad to know it was clean and safe? Dr. Sarah Haigh, a researcher into the properties of nanomaterials at Manchester University, is currently pursuing this goal with a $100,000 grant from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. With the help of nanomaterials and bacteria, Haigh believes that hydrogen can be easily extracted from not only the water, but human waste itself, which could then be processed into clean water. Should the system work effectively, Haigh stands to receive an additional $1,000,000 grant to further her research and develop inexpensive purification systems for use in nations without modern infrastructure. And you thought nothing worthwhile would come from purchasing Microsoft Office.
Bill Gates' kids 'aren't deprived,' they have Zunes
Bill Gates doesn't give too many interviews, but the Daily Mail's Caroline Graham sure managed to get a lot out of him during their recent sitdown. Gates spent much of the time discussing his global health foundation, which, according to him, has become "full-time work for the rest of my life." And, while he acknowledged that he's still involved with Microsoft on a "part-time" basis, he reaffirmed that he has no desire to return to the throne. Does this mean he's finally ready to lift his household's notorious Apple embargo and allow his kids to own iPods? Not exactly: "They have the Windows equivalent. They have a Zune music player, which is a great Windows portable player. They are not deprived children." Hear that? Bill's kids aren't in need! In fact, they even earn allowances and "do chores," just like your kids. Sure, their pops may have billions of dollars stowed away under his mattress, but he says his offspring will only receive a "minuscule portion" of that fortune. Cue the violins.
Did Bill Gates find a job?
Not that we were too worried, but Bill Gates may have found that job he was looking for. Patty Stonesifer, CEO of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and former Microsoft VP, said that she would vacate her position on January 1st, 2009 but will remain with the organization. Perhaps the move has something to do with her giving away $16 billion of Bill's hard-earned stash? The obvious successor of course, is Mr. Gates who chairs the foundation and vacates his position at Microsoft this summer. However, the foundation's new CEO has not been officially named. That leaves direct control over its $38.7 billion endowment up for grabs. Don't let the fact that Chinese women want him and Americans want to be him deter you from applying.
Gates to spend more time with Bono
Microsoft announced today that Bill Gates will be transitioning out of his current role at Microsoft effective July 2008, though he will maintain an advisory role in a part-time capacity. After his departure, Gates plans to work full time on his chartable foundation, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. Gates, his wife Melinda, and U2 lead singer Bono were jointly awarded Time's Persons of the Year in 2005 for the foundation's humanitarian efforts. Speaking of the move, the webslinger richest man in the world had this to say: "I believe with great wealth comes great responsibility - the responsibility to give back to society and make sure those resources are given back in the best possible way, to those in need ... It's not a retirement, it's a reordering of my priorities." New responsibilities were also relegated to Ray Ozzie -- who will become chief software architect -- and Craig Mundy -- who will take on the role of chief research and strategy officer. Mundy and Ozzie, realizing the comic nature of their names, plan to begin shooting a buddy comedy -- appropriately titled Ozzie and Mundy -- in the fall of 2009.* * That last bit is a joke and not true. Best of luck to Ozzie, Mundy, and Gates.
