I am grateful to call Bill McGlashan a friend, mentor, and I am grateful that he supports our missions as a board member and advisor. World leaders look to Bill as a man who inspires action, opens opportunities, and drives meaningful change.
An experienced executive, he has played a leadership role in many businesses that have grown to become household names. He also made an indelible impression on the world of impact investing. As co-founder of The Rise Fund, Bill and his partners—Bono and Jeff Skoll—worked to channel private capital toward ventures that generate both financial returns and lasting social impact. They are committed to sustainability, working to build solutions to big problems, such as climate change, health, biodiversity, education, and other areas that influence the lives of more than 1 billion people. His life's work demonstrates the power of merging business acumen with a deep commitment to social responsibility, showing that financial success and global betterment are not mutually exclusive.
Simultaneously, Bill was the founder and Managing Partner at TPG Growth, one of the largest private equity firms globally. There, he led investments that drove innovation and job creation in the United States and worldwide.
By listening to Bill, I get both ideas and examples of personal leadership. I get to share them with members in our community through the lessons we create. He exemplifies the CEO mindset, showing all that comes from a disciplined, results-driven approach to personal and professional leadership. Bill’s commitment to leaving the world a better place than he found it is contagious, and I strive to prove worthy of the trust he placed in me by joining our board and sponsoring our work. Members of our community are fortunate that he cares about improving outcomes for all people, including those who go through America’s prison system.
When I asked Bill for guidance in developing Prison Professors, he did a lot more than write big checks. He traveled with me to meet with leaders of the Bureau of Prisons and other prison systems, offered guidance, and reviewed the work I was doing. We’ve met other leaders, including Brian Hill, founder of the Edovo Foundation, and people who built leadership careers at the highest levels of prison systems, including the Federal Bureau of Prisons. He reviewed manuscripts, filmed videos, and assisted me in developing a curriculum that we use to teach others how to live as the CEO of their life. His insights added depth, credibility, and hope to our program. Because of Bill’s involvement, our work now reaches more than a million people who see that transformation is possible—even in the face of adversity.
Bill has shown unwavering dedication to our mission by contributing his energy, resources, and wisdom. His belief in our work fuels my determination to empower individuals to turn adversity into opportunity. It’s a constant reminder that none of us achieve success alone. By surrounding ourselves with the right people, we grow stronger and more capable of making a meaningful impact.
Choose mentors, advisors, and friends who challenge you to be better and align with your values. To truly succeed in life, we must work to lift others along the way. That sense of shared purpose is what turns personal triumphs into legacies of meaningful change. It’s how we build futures filled with hope, growth, and impact.
