Lydia Baldridge Meier - ModeratorSenior Vice President, Philanthropy Services
Opportunity International, USA

Lydia Baldridge Meier has been with Opportunity International since 2004 and currently manages the team responsible for donor data, research, proposals, and reports. She is also responsible for fundraising campaigns for the organization, having led six campaigns including the $126 million Banking on Africa Campaign and the recently completed $100 million Waymaker Campaign. Lydia’s deep experience at Opportunity, coupled with her experiences living abroad as the child of a missionary couple, make her perfect for facilitating a meaningful dialogue around women’s empowerment. She holds a bacheor’s degree in International Policy and French from Rice University and a master’s degree in Public Policy from the University of Chicago.

Favorite thing about Opportunity clients:

The strength they hold with quiet dignity is such an inspiration to me. Through very difficult circumstances, they persevere to find a way to build their life.

A woman you admire and why:

Melinda French Gates as someone who has used her privilege to make a real difference for others. This quote from her book The Moment of Lift I think exemplifies what Opportunity has been working to do for 50 years: “As women gain rights, families flourish, and so do societies. That connection is built on a simple truth: Whenever you include a group that's been excluded, you benefit everyone.”

A change you’d like to see for women in the next decade:

I would like to see girls completing their education at nearly universal rates. Ensuring this would have a profound impact on their health, safety, lifetime earnings, and overall contribution to their nation’s economy.