Stacey Childress
Deputy Director
Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation
Seattle, WA USA
“Never stop making mistakes and never stop trying to learn from them.”
Videos
By Roadtrip NationStacey Childress
Milestones
My road in life took a while to figure out.
I grew up in a very small town where everyone knew everyone, so I always felt very supported and taken care of.
I was very involved with the community through my high school and church—I worked with young children and also volunteered in retirement homes.
When I went to college, I wasn’t quite sure what I wanted to do for my career, so I ended up majoring in English because I had a strong interest in it in high school.
After graduating, I tried teaching for a while—I loved it but was struggling to support myself, so I started looking for other options.
A friend worked in sales and was doing well for himself, so he introduced me to his boss, which launched my transition into business and sales—I loved leading a team and helping people be successful.
I spent about a decade in sales taking on bigger and bigger assignments before I decided to go to graduate school for my MBA at Harvard Business School.
After receiving my MBA, I worked as a professor at Harvard Business School for almost 10 years.
I got the opportunity to work for the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, where my team is focused on education innovations and technologies to help teachers and students learn.
Keep following my journey
Education
High School
Career
Deputy Director
I lead a team focused on education innovations and technologies to help teachers and students learn.
Career Roadmap
My work combines:
My work combines:
Education
Non-Profit Organizations
Helping People
Advice for Getting Started
Here's the first step for college students
Use that easy access to technology and connections to your advantage. Sometimes such access can seem daunting, but it's important to use that as an asset to help you succeed. Your generation has access to technology that allows you to connect, network, and learn in a way that no other generation has seen!
Hurdles
The Noise I Shed
From Peers:
"You shouldn't move away from home."
Challenges I Overcame
School Stress
Financial
