Aspen Institute teams up with Pivotal for women’s equality

Melinda French Gates is committed to spending as much money as possible on women’s advancement, and her organization’s latest partnership is yet another example of this work.

French Gates’ philanthropic consortium, Pivotal, has teamed up with global innovation nonprofit the Aspen Institute for the Workplace Innovation Now (WIN) Challenge, according to a Sept. 26 announcement.

The competition is a $60 million grant that challenges nonprofits and coalitions to develop solutions to the barriers that women face in the workplace. It will run over the course of the next year and will issue funds to up to eight grantees in three focus areas: culture and practices, AI, and narrative, or in other words, initiatives that challenge what it means for women to be successful in the workplace, to include solutions like “mitigating bias.”

The partnership is Pivotal’s latest venture aimed at creating a more equitable world for women. French Gates founded the organization in 2019, and pledged to spend at least $2 billion on women’s equity. In December 2024, the organization committed $150 million to “dismantle” the barriers to equality women face at work.

While women have seemingly made many gains in the workplace in recent decades, they still are paid less than men and frequently don’t have access to the same career opportunities. Working mothers, caregivers, and women of color have experienced declines over the last year, as job opportunities become more limited and companies reduce flexible work options.

“Women—especially mothers of young children—are leaving the workforce at an alarming rate, driven out by inflexible policies, rising childcare costs, bias, and harassment,” French Gates said in an announcement. “Now is the time to invest in better workplaces: ones that support balance, ensure safety for all workers, and recognize women as essential leaders. When we remove barriers for women, we unlock potential across the entire economy.”