Gates, Melinda, 1964-

Melinda Gates is co-chair of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation; The second of four children, Melinda grew up in Dallas, Texas. She received a bachelor’s degree in computer science and economics from Duke University in 1986 and a master’s in business administration from the Fuqua School of Business in 1987.

After joining Microsoft Corporation that year, she distinguished herself as a leader in the development of multimedia products and was later appointed Microsoft’s general manager of Information Products. In 1996, Melinda left Microsoft to focus on her philanthropic work and family.

Melinda lives with her husband and three children in Seattle, Washington.

Melinda Ann Gates née French born August 15, 1964, Dallas Texas; earned a bachelor's degree in computer science and economics from Duke University in 1986 and an MBA from Duke's Fuqua School of Business in 1987, member of the Kappa Alpha Theta sorority; joined Microsoft and began dating CEO Bill Gates a few months later, got married in 1994, has three children, lives in Seattle, WA; co-founder of Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation; works with women and techology