The Computer Scientist Behind Microsoft

Before her massive philanthropic career, Melinda French Gates was a talented software developer. She joined Microsoft in 1987, where she helped build some of their earliest multimedia products.

Many people only know her as a public figure, but she was a tech expert long before meeting Bill Gates. She earned a degree in computer science at Duke and thrived in the male-dominated tech world of the eighties. Her technical background helped her navigate the inner workings of the company during its rapid growth. Today, she applies that same analytical mindset to solving complex global problems.