Devex Pro Insider: Sleepless in Seattle as Gates ramps up its giving

No one knows what the future holds for the Gates Foundation now that it’s announced it is sunsetting in 2045 — and in the process giving away an eye-popping $200 billion while they’re at it. But we got some firsthand insights into that future from Mark Suzman, the foundation’s CEO, during a one-on-one interview we had with him last week. Among those insights: the three priority areas where the foundation is putting its efforts into; what it’s really like to partner with Bill Gates himself; what it can and can’t do in this current climate of aid cuts; and how the foundation responds to accusations that it’s too powerful and influential. On the latter point, a frequent critique is that the foundation is too “Seattle-centric,” basing its headquarters in the U.S. even though its work takes place in dozens of countries in Africa, Asia, and elsewhere. “First, I would point out that the foundation already looks incredibly different to what it did 15 years ago,” Suzman said. “The foundation I joined in 2007 had no offices internationally. The foundation we have today has offices in China, in India, in now five African countries — Kenya, Senegal, Ethiopia, Nigeria, South Africa.” Suzman also noted that the foundation is increasing staff, with nearly 200 staffers in Africa alone. “That shift has been a very deliberate, intentional shift … because you need strong local representatives on the ground who are able to engage in real time with our partners and … have a healthy understanding of the local context.” “Now remember, I'm from South Africa. I occasionally joke, Seattle is the strangest place on the planet for me to end up, because, hey, it's the furthest place away you could be from South Africa,” he added. “I’d say, if you were going to design the world’s largest philanthropy and say its primary work would be South Asia and sub-Saharan Africa, what would be the least optimal city to make your headquarters? Seattle would be pretty high up there by both time zone and the distance of travel.” But as he points out, Seattle is Bill and Melinda French Gates’ hometown, so don’t expect the headquarters to move anytime soon. After all, when your billionaire boss asks you to pack up and relocate a few thousand miles away, you’d be hard-pressed to say no. For more on our conversation with Suzman, check out the write-up that’s exclusively for Pro members. Also in today’s edition: A Gates Foundation exec turns to venture capital, and the U.K. touts its global clout while it guts aid. Bits and pieces Shrinking budgets, rising risks. In a year of conflict, cyber threats, and rising instability, U.K. foreign secretary David Lammy didn’t sugarcoat it: “The world is increasingly volatile,” he wrote in the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office’s 2024-2025 annual report. But he’s bullish about Britain’s global role — and proud of how FCDO is showing up. Still, there’s a sharp edge to all this ambition: U.K. aid spending is falling fast. Bilateral education and health programs across Africa are being cut. In the Democratic Republic of Congo, a girls’ education program will end early. Health support for women and emergency response is down in Zimbabwe, Ethiopia, Mozambique, and elsewhere. Aid experts say the impact will be deadly. “The government has confirmed our worst fears — significant reductions in aid spending will result in deaths of the world’s most vulnerable, including children,” warned Save the Children’s Lisa Wise. The government counters that it's protecting multilaterals such as Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance and the International Development Association, the World Bank’s fund for the least-developed nations, calling it a bright spot, even if contributions to the bank are down a bit. But front-line groups call it a painful pivot. Bond’s Gideon Rabinowitz warned the U.K.’s most marginalized partners — especially women, children, and conflict-affected communities — will “pay the highest price for these political choices.” Schwab under fire. Klaus Schwab, the man behind Davos, is under scrutiny after an internal probe found a pattern of workplace misconduct — from bullying and harassment to questionable expenses and suggestive emails, according to The Wall Street Journal. Investigators say Schwab treated the World Economic Forum like his “fiefdom,” approving lavish travel for his wife, pressuring staff over rankings, and billing massages to junior employees’ cards. Schwab, who stepped down in April, denies wrongdoing and said he “always treated women respectfully.” But with trustees weighing whether to refer the findings to prosecutors, the battle over his legacy is just beginning. An emerging force. Venture capital firm 500 Global is opening a new office in Abu Dhabi and plans to invest up to $300 million in startups tackling big global challenges over the next two years. Alaa Murabit, a former Gates Foundation exec who helped write the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, will lead the firm’s new sustainable growth practice. “In line with Abu Dhabi’s increased focus on sustainable investment,” Murabit will target co-investments in Africa, Brazil, the Gulf, and India — in sectors such as health, climate, and gender equity, said 500 Global COO Courtney Powell. Big ideas from bold cities. Open Society Foundations has picked 31 sharp minds from seven global south cities — including Beirut, Lagos, Jakarta, and Buenos Aires — for its 2025-2026 fellowship program. “The bold ideas and energy that this global fellowship brings is not just important, but crucial in this moment,” said OSF President Binaifer Nowrojee. Each fellow will receive $120,000 grant and join a network focused on fearless thinking and global impact. Among the new cohort: a Beirut filmmaker documenting the lives of queer people in Syria, a Lagos architect exploring indigenous markets and climate justice, and a Sri Lankan law student tracing multicultural heritage through sacred sites. Heading for higher ground. Australia has launched the world’s first climate migration visa, offering Tuvalu a pathway to resettle as the Pacific island nation faces rising seas and an uncertain future. The agreement allows up to 280 Tuvaluans per year to live, work, and study in Australia — a lifeline for a country at the front lines of climate change. While the visa is framed as a bold humanitarian response, it also serves a geopolitical purpose: strengthening Australia’s ties in the Pacific and countering China’s growing regional influence. Fully on board. Wade Warren, chair of the board at the Society for International Development-United States, announced the election of four board members: Paige Alexander of The Carter Center; Jeff Goldberg of Amazon Sustainability; Keri Lowry, formerly with the Millennium Challenge Corporation; and returning member Gloria Steele of DevelopMetrics. “The creativity and expertise of our board is one of our greatest assets,” Warren said. Each will serve a three-year term. SID-US also thanked its members for participating in the election. Panoply of partners. Stopping the next pandemic isn’t just a government job. That’s why the Pandemic Fund, housed at the World Bank, just launched the External Advisory Council — a group of 19 organizations from business, philanthropy, academia, and think tanks. “Non-sovereign actors … bring essential assets: knowledge, innovation, capital, data, and operational reach,” the fund stated. EAC, launched in 2025, is all about turning that brainpower into action, offering strategic input, sparking partnerships, and helping countries — especially low-resource ones — build stronger health systems before the next crisis hits. Rigas returns to GSA. After being grilled by Congress over U.S. aid cuts, Mike Rigas is stepping away from the hot seat of the State Department to rejoin the General Services Administration — again. “Today, at the direction of President Donald J. Trump, I have assumed the responsibilities of Acting Administrator of GSA,” Rigas told staff, marking his third stint at the agency — which provides support and services to other federal agencies. The move effectively sidelines DOGE-aligned leaders Stephen Ehikian and Josh Gruenbaum, handpicked by Steve Davis and Elon Musk before their exit from government. It’s the clearest sign yet that the White House is dialing back Musk-world influence. Still, Rigas struck a diplomatic tone: GSA will stay focused on helping agencies “be as effective and efficient as possible.” Never too young. Last week, over 50 young leaders from Indigenous, Afro-descendant, and local communities across 27 countries gathered in Bali, Indonesia, for the first Global Youth Forum. The event aims to boost youth leadership in the fight for land and climate justice. “Our very presence, as Indigenous youth, (represents) healing and resistance,” said a member of Ecuador’s Amazon Indigenous group. With COP30 on the horizon, the forum is a powerful call to action: to recognize and resource youth as today’s protectors of forests, cultures, and ancestral knowledge. Opening the floodgates. Surge for Water is celebrating a decade of community-led work in Uganda, where its Water+ programs have now reached over 340,000 people. “Today, we celebrate a decade of lasting change in Uganda — change made possible through deep-rooted community partnerships and our unwavering belief in the power of local leadership, especially the leadership of women,” said founder Shilpa Alva. Working hand in hand with local partner POPOW, Surge has delivered hundreds of clean water systems, toilets, hygiene training, and menstrual health sessions — laying the groundwork for healthier, more dignified lives. Moving on Gita Gopinath, the International Monetary Fund’s first deputy managing director and first female chief economist, is heading back to Harvard this August to become the inaugural Gregory and Ania Coffey professor of economics. “Gita has been an outstanding colleague — an exceptional intellectual leader,” said IMF chief Kristalina Georgieva, praising her steady leadership through the pandemic, wars, and a turbulent global economy. Gopinath called her time at the fund a “once-in-a-lifetime opportunity” and said she’s excited to dive back into the research and teaching of macroeconomics and international finance. Melanie Joiner has been named senior director of partnership at Integrate Health, an organization working to make quality primary health care accessible for all, starting in West Africa. Arizona State University has named Kristin Lord vice president for global strategy and engagement and professor of practice. “ASU is the most innovative, impactful, and forward-leaning university I have encountered anywhere in the world,” she said, thanking President Michael Crow and Senior Vice President James O’Brien for the opportunity. Lord previously served as president and CEO of IREX, a global development and education organization. Marionka Pohl is joining Seed Global Health as senior director of policy, where she’ll help expand the organization’s advocacy efforts to strengthen health systems and support health care workers worldwide. “No matter whether from a moral, economic or security angle - investing in & strengthening doctors, nurses and midwifes worldwide is imperative,” she said. Pohl thanked CEO Vanessa Kerry and the team, adding that she will be focused on advancing health care across Africa in the face of growing global crises. Dr. Mary Stephen officially stepped into her new role as the World Health Organization’s representative to Eritrea after presenting credentials to Eritrea’s foreign minister, Osman Saleh Mohammed. WHO reaffirmed its commitment to supporting Eritrea’s health priorities and advancing health care access across Africa. Darren Walker’s next act is coming into focus: The outgoing Ford Foundation president will join the Obama Foundation’s board on Nov. 1. “Joining The Obama Foundation Board feels like coming home to everything I believe about leadership and change,” Walker said. Former President Barack Obama called him “an outstanding example of what it means to lead with purpose in philanthropy.” Walker’s move comes as he also takes the helm at the National Gallery of Art and prepares to publish a new essay collection this fall. Up next Feeling stuck in today’s tough job market? 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