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How much should business leaders speak out about threats to democracy? It's a question many corporations are wrestling with these days. Business and democracy leader Daniella Ballou-Aares shows why companies have both the ability and the responsibility to engage in protecting elections and the rule of law — and why their bottom lines may depend on doing so. After the talk, Daniella joins Modupe for a conversation on business, politics and the year ahead.

How can you effectively support people at work and in your community, especially when they're different from you? Inclusion strategist Amber Cabral shares three steps you can take to build connection — emphasizing that even small, everyday actions can make a big difference to those around you. After the talk, Modupe shares questions we can ask to help bridge divides.

Sometimes, you need to break the rules to innovate — but which ones? Entrepreneurship professor John Mullins shares six counter-conventional mindsets for entrepreneurs looking to think strategically, navigate challenges and change the world. After the talk, Modupe expands on the value of stepping out of your comfort zone – thoughtfully.

This is an episode of the latest season of The TED Interview, focused on Infectious Generosity.

To get a free copy of the Infectious Generosity book, visit ted.com/generosity

Bill Gates, the founder of Microsoft and the co-chair of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, is one of the top ten richest people in the world. But since 2008, he has traded his day-to-day role with Microsoft to focus full-time on his foundation's work to expand opportunity around the world. Chris interviews Bill about his philanthropy philosophy and digs into the opportunities and challenges that face one of the largest private charitable foundations in the world. The two also discuss The Giving Pledge, the movement Bill co-founded with Warren Buffet, which encourages wealthy individuals to commit the majority of their wealth to charitable causes within their lifetimes. Chris and Bill examine the importance of solving the world’s most pressing problems efficiently, talk about why meaningful change requires scale, and compare notes on how to best encourage collective excitement about giving back.

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Artist and TED Fellow Constance Hockaday shares how the captain of a trans-Atlantic community raft taught her how to voice her hopes and desires, inspiring a vision of possibility for the future. The question from the trip that stuck with her changed everything: What does inclusive leadership look like? Hockaday calls for mentors and aspiring leaders everywhere to answer that crucial question to unlock their agency and power. After the talk, Modupe shares a framework for achieving goals – both at work and in your personal life.

Access to information is the key to unlocking human rights for all, says equality champion Paige Alexander. From educating female entrepreneurs on how to launch life-sustaining businesses to murals, billboards and other creative ways of sharing vital resources, Alexander shares how she and her team at the Carter Center connect people to the information they need — when they need it the most. After the talk, Modupe unveils a surprising and often overlooked source of useful information.