John Sage

John is the CEO of Pivotal Ventures, an investment and incubation company created by Melinda Gates to advance social progress in the U.S. Pivotal uses philanthropic and investment capital to accelerate momentum where progress has stalled, working with organizations and individuals to substantially improve people’s lives. As CEO, John drives the company’s strategy and resources toward scalable, high-impact initiatives to fight systemic barriers to progress. He focuses on innovative solutions and effective partnerships with government, foundation and private sector executives who share Pivotal’s ambition and sense of urgency. John began serving as Melinda’s chief of staff in 2012. This followed more than 20 years leading strategic initiatives for global companies, including Microsoft, Disney and Starbucks. A pioneer in social enterprise, in 1997 John cofounded Pura Vida Coffee, an organic fairtrade coffee company with distribution throughout the US. He is an Ashoka Fellow, an honor that recognizes entrepreneurs using business to transform society. John received his MBA from Harvard University after earning a Bachelor of Arts with Honors from Stanford University.