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FALL/WINT ER 2020 WEBB M AGA ZINE
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T HE WEBB SCHOOL S webb.org
the moonshot
E C EN T LY, I was reading an interesting article in
Barron’s by Abby Schultz, “The Age of Moonshots” (Dec. 9, 2019). In the piece, Schultz describes the unique partnership forged by Eric Schmidt (former CEO of Google) and Tom Kalil to identify and support the world’s greatest challenges with potential breakthrough ideas, something they’ve branded “ambitious yet achievable goals.” Schultz delves into Schmidt Futures, the philanthropic institute that is working its way through The Moonshot Catalog to fund cures for infectious
diseases, climate change and world hunger. Schmidt and Kalil are not alone in the search to find and fund moonshot ideas. However, for me, their partnership is the perfect lens through which to see a world where young people can forge governmental, corporate and non-profit coalitions to tackle our greatest challenges.
