Max Gasteen (Class of 2023) is currently Senior Program Officer Leadership Advising, helping to shape the advocacy and policy priorities of Melinda French Gates in her role as Co-Chair of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. Previously, Max was the Director of Partnerships and Business Development at Global Access Diagnostics (GADx), a social enterprise dedicated to increasing access to diagnostics for neglected health issues and for underserved populations. Max has also spent a number of years as a grant maker in the Global Policy and Advocacy division of BMGF, responsible for securing political and financial support for foundation priorities, including eradicating polio and eliminating neglected tropical diseases. Prior to that, he worked for the UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) on improving the use of evidence across global development programs and as a policy officer on the UK’s largest bilateral aid program to Pakistan. Max loves to be outside in all seasons and is grateful for the amazing natural beauty that surrounds us in our region. Originally from the UK and with roots in France, Max now lives in Seattle with his wife, two kids and growing menagerie of pets that includes a rabbit, a dog and snake. At the time of writing, no pets had eaten each other.