“I realized that the only way to get into a good college was to be valedictorian or salutatorian. So that was my goal.”

We set out what’s going to be our work time versus our foundation time versus family time, and we’ll reassess that… sometimes every week.

Deep human connection is … the purpose and the result of a meaningful life – and it will inspire the most amazing acts of love, generosity, and humanity.

You are indebted to life until you help some less fortunate person, just as you were helped.

Everyone agrees that the failure of our high schools is tragic. It’s bad business, and it’s bad policy. But we act as if it can’t be helped. It can be helped. We designed these high schools; we can redesign them.

Women are the centre of the family. It’s the woman who decides what’s eaten in the house, when to have the kids vaccinated; everything that has to do with the children’s health revolves around her.

My background was computer science and business school, so eventually I worked my way up where I was running product groups – development, testing, marketing, user education.

If you are successful, it is because somewhere, sometime, someone gave you a life or an idea that started you in the right direction. Remember also that you are indebted to life until you help some less fortunate person, just as you were helped.

With economic opportunity, sometimes it’s making sure that if they’re not in a place where they can have good jobs, that when they have economic opportunity, they have digital tools to use.

Around the world we have girls in primary school at about the same rate now as boys, but keeping them in quality secondary schools is where the world is lagging. I’m seeing a lot of countries look at this now.

Now, as smartphones are coming up, there are all kinds of apps that will start to be developed that will help women.

Government funding that’s coming from the United States is making a huge difference on the ground in the developing world. It’s really palpable – it’s making a huge difference saving lives.

What great changes have not been ambitious?

Women and girls should be able to determine their own future, no matter where they’re born.

A woman with a voice is by definition a strong woman. But the search to find that voice can be remarkably difficult.

The premise of this foundation is one life on this planet is no more valuable than the next.

If you want to lift up an economy in Africa, you basically start with the women.

I should say in general the advantage of education is to better fit a man for life’s work. I would advise young men to take a college course, as a rule, but think some are just as well off with a thorough business training.

Like Ice Cube asks, “Why are more niggers in the pen than in college?” It’s easier to go to the pen than it is to go to college.

If you want to get laid, go to college. If you want an education, go to the library.

When you go to college you can just be whoever you wanna be. So I got there and I’m like, ‘Yeah, I’ma rapper.’

I had become aware, as early as my college days, that no opinion, however absurd and incredible can be imagined, that has not been held by one of the philosophers.

The most influential people in my life have always been women. My family, my friends, my teachers, my colleagues, and my idols.

All of my friends who have younger siblings who are going to college or high school – my number one piece of advice is: You should learn how to program.

Amherst is a liberal arts college, committed to providing students with a broad education.