Join a conversation with Melinda French Gates and Anele Mdoda

In a wide-ranging interview, Melinda will reflect on her 25 years in philanthropy, her journey as an advocate for women and girls, and her recent decision to leave the foundation she co-founded to start a consequential new chapter in her work on behalf of women and families.
Melinda will also discuss her new book,The Next Day, in which she writes about some of the most significant transitions in her life, including becoming a parent, losing a close friend to cancer, and ending her marriage.

Through these stories, she explores universal lessons about friendship, motherhood, embracing uncertainty, and rejecting perfectionism.

“You don’t get to be my age without navigating all kinds of transitions. Some you embraced and some you never expected. Some you hoped for and some you fought as hard as you could.” – Melinda French Gates

This is a special chance to get to know a different side of the influential global philanthropist as she offers a rare window into the people, ideas, and experiences that have made her who she is.

About Melinda French Gates:
Melinda French Gates is a philanthropist, businesswoman, and global advocate for women and girls.

For over 25 years, Melinda has led efforts to unlock a healthier, more prosperous, more equal future. Today, she heads Pivotal, an organization she formed in 2015 that works to accelerate the pace of progress and advance women’s power and influence in the U.S. and around the world.

Previously, she founded and co-chaired the Gates Foundation, where, for more than two decades, she set the direction and priorities of the world’s largest philanthropy. Melinda is also the author of the bestselling book The Moment of Lift and the creator of Moment of Lift Books, an imprint publishing original nonfiction by visionaries working to unlock a more equal world.

Melinda grew up in Dallas, Texas and attended Duke University, where she received a bachelor's degree in computer science and economics and an MBA. She spent the first decade of her career developing multimedia products at Microsoft before leaving the company to focus on her family and philanthropic work. Melinda has three children—Jenn, Rory, and Phoebe—and lives in Seattle, Washington.

About Anele Mdoda:
Anele Mdoda is an award-winning South African radio and television presenter who began her career in 2004 while studying Politics and International Relations at the University of Pretoria.
She currently hosts the popular breakfast radio show Anele and The Club on 947, airing weekdays from 6–9 AM. Her radio journey spans top stations like 5FM and 947, where she has become one of South Africa’s most recognisable voices.

Anele’s television presenting work includes SA’s Got Talent, Dream School SA, Real Talk with Anele (SAFTA winner, 2017), and four seasons of Celebrity Game Night—winning Best International Format Show and earning multiple SAFTA nominations. She’s also hosted the Miss SA Pageant, SuperSport’s Super Saturday, and featured on Clash of the Choirs, The Buzz on Honey, and Strictly Come Dancing.

She has interviewed global stars like Trevor Noah, Forest Whitaker, Katy Perry, Ed Sheeran, and Charlize Theron, and twice appeared as a red carpet correspondent at the Oscars.
In 2025, Anele also served as Executive Producer on The Last Ranger, a powerful film that went on to receive an Oscar nomination, cementing her reputation as a creative force behind the scenes as well as on screen.

Anele is also a producer, author, and mother—known for her energy, humour, and ability to connect across platforms. As she puts it: “Be as interested as you are interesting.”

Purchase your tickets here: https://www.webtickets.co.za/v2/event.aspx?itemid=1574057498

NB: Doors open at 14:00 & the event begins at 15:00