We support philanthropists and foundations in developing and implementing ambitious strategies leveraging science, technology, and innovation

Our Thesis

We live in an age of stunning scientific and technological advances, from the wealth of knowledge accessible on the Internet to the more than doubling of global life expectancy from 32 years in 1900 to over 72 years today. These advancements were set into motion over 400 years ago during the Renaissance, a period of profound scientific, cultural, artistic, and intellectual flourishing.

The Renaissance was the result of a confluence of developments: the printing press accelerated the diffusion and exchange of knowledge, Renaissance thinkers questioned existing beliefs and advocated for the use of the scientific method, and tools such as the microscope and astrolabe deepened our understanding of and ability to navigate the world.

Wealthy families played an important role in fostering this Renaissance by both supporting artists, writers, and scholars such as Galileo Galilei and Leonardo da Vinci, and encouraging them to be ambitious and forward-thinking. We believe today’s philanthropists could play a similar role in fostering a 21st-century renaissance, similar to the role the Rockefeller Foundation played in the Green Revolution and the creation of molecular biology, or that many actors played in the Child Survival and Development Revolution, the dramatic reduction in under five child mortality.

However, despite its immense potential, science and technology philanthropy is complex and time-intensive, especially for philanthropists who do not wish to build large teams of in-house experts. Existing research institutions and incentives also constrain the ambition of scientists and innovators seeking to design and launch breakthrough ideas. Renaissance Philanthropy aims to address these bottlenecks. Our mission is to fuel a 21st-century renaissance by increasing the ambition of philanthropists, scientists, and innovators. Our vision is a brighter future for all through science, technology, and innovation.

Our Track Record

Our team is composed of experts with a track record of producing impact across science, government, and philanthropy.

We’ve developed and launched dozens of large-scale science and technology efforts within the government.
Our team has experience serving two presidents in senior White House roles, including helping to lead the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy. Highlights include working with the Senate to grant every federal agency incentive prize authority for up to $50 million, launching the $40 billion National Nanotechnology Initiative and the $3 billion BRAIN Initiative.

We’ve programmed $600 million in federal funding over six years across nine major DARPA programs.
Joshua Elliot served as a program manager at DARPA where he created, ran, and transitioned nine programs.

We’ve developed multi-stakeholder collaborations and partnerships.
Our team has helped catalyze over $61 billion of support from the public and private sector, and directly enabled over $500 million in co-funding from peer philanthropists. We have helped design two $60 million signature partnerships with the UK government focused on augmenting the UK Biobank and advancing institutional innovation within science.

We’ve designed and implemented multiple large scale philanthropic programs.
Our team helped design, incubate, and scale multiple programs at Schmidt Futures, a philanthropic initiative co-founded by Eric and Wendy Schmidt, including the Innovation Fellows program, the Learning Engineering Virtual Institute (LEVI), and Focused Research Organizations (FROs).

We’ve cultivated multiple networks and communities critical to surfacing and scaling breakthrough ideas. Our team has helped to cultivate:

  • Networks of philanthropists and their advisors that have helped to deploy $150 million in philanthropic funding over the last two years

  • Networks of policy leaders with experience across agencies, the White House, Congress, and civil society

  • The ARPA PMs Google Group, an active online community of 200 current and former program managers at DARPA and other ARPAs

Our Team