Melinda Gates Instagram – When I needed to find a new pathway outside of the studio system to make my latest film ORIGIN, I thought of an old question that I’d long wondered about. Would those non-profits that I saw at the end of PBS documentaries ever consider making a narrative film with actors – if it was about a topic that aligned with their mission? I called the one man who would have the answer – and in a turn of events that would change everything – he said yes. That man is Darren Walker of the Ford Foundation. He gave me and ARRAY Alliance’s Executive Director Regina Miller the courage to ask our long-time supporters Laurene Powell Jobs of Emerson Collective and Melinda Gates of Pivotal Ventures. These dynamic women leaders also said yes. Then, more like-minded partners came on board, like Anne Wojcicki, Kimberly Steward, Agnes Gund, Chris and Jada Paul, among many others. You never know when people will say yes. So in the meantime, prepare the soil. Be ready when the time comes for the seeds you’ve planted to blossom. ORIGIN is the flower from a seed planted with the love and resources of many people. My heartfelt thanks to every foundation and individual who lent their sunlight to this work. Thank you to Geoff Edgers for writing this story of our journey together. The link to his beautiful article is in my bio. xo