Vicki Phillips

The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation was formed in 1997 as the William H. Gates Foundation. In 1999, the foundation was renamed the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation Trust was created in January 2000 through the merger of the Gates Learning Foundation, which worked to expand access to technology through public libraries and the William H. Gates Foundation, which focused on improving global health. The foundation participates in preventive approaches and collaborative endeavors with government, philanthropic and not-for-profit partners. Priority is given to grants that leverage additional support and serve as a catalyst for long-term, systemic change. The foundation also provides funds to promote greater equity in global health, education and public libraries. Through their partnerships in communities across the US, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation is committed to raising the high school graduation rate and helping all students, regardless of race or family income. The foundation is headquartered in Seattle, Washington.

Renaissance Learning, Inc. engages in the provision of technology-based school improvement and student assessment programs for kinder to grade 12 schools. Its products include Star 360, myIGDIs, Accelerated Reader, Math and myON. The firm's software solutions offers assessments, early literacy, individualized and balanced instruction, and response to intervention. The company was founded by Judith Ames Paul and Terrance D. Paul in 1986 and is headquartered in Wisconsin Rapids, WI.

The Ocean Exploration Trust, Inc. engage in pure ocean exploration. It is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization dedicated to exploring the ocean, seeking out new discoveries in the fields of geology, biology, maritime history, archaeology, and chemistry while pushing the boundaries of engineering, technology, education, and communications. The company was founded by Robert Ballard in 2008 and is headquartered in Old Lyme, CT.

National Center on Education & The Economy provides solutions to schools for the development of the students. It offers international education benchmarking. The company was founded in 1988 and is headquartered in Washington, DC.