Melinda French Gates left the Gates Foundation in 2024, after two decades at the organization she co-founded, but she hasn’t stopped her work in philanthropy . She’s now focused on expanding Pivotal , a group of organizations that she founded in 2015 to accelerate social progress for women and families. On June 4, French Gates announced $215 million in additional funding to Pivotal to focus on women’s reproductive and midlife health, bringing her total support of women's health to $600 million over the past two years. She shared with TIME why she feels investing in women’s health is critical for ensuring women’s power in society. This interview has been condensed and edited for clarity. Why did you want to start Pivotal, even while you were at the Gates Foundation? My inspiration for Pivotal was really wanting to make sure that we lift up all women, because women are the bedrock of society and of their families.…