Lyda Hill, “Philanthropreneur” IF/THEN Initiative (Wikipedia.com)

Lyda Hill
Founder:
IF/THEN Initiative
To Advance Women in STEM

Texas residents are probably aware of Lyda Hill’s philanthropy, but I had never heard the name although I had heard of H.L. Hunt, the Texas oilman who was once the richest man in America. Lyda is his granddaughter. Her resume goes beyond the limits of this blog, but reading about her initiatives will inspire readers to learn more about them.

Born with money, Lyda didn’t have to work, but in 1967, she opened Hill World Travel, which became the largest travel agency in Dallas and one of the largest in the U.S. She sold it in 1982 and decided she could help others by donating to causes. She has earned the title of “philanthropreneur,” a word that means she is an entrepreneur who wants her money to initiate change rather than just giving money to charities. She concentrates on donating to institutions that do scientific research and to museums.

She is the founder of the IF/THEN initiative, which advances women in STEM. In the past, not many women pursued careers in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics. Those were “men’s” careers. However, when encouraged, women learn they can develop interest and succeed in those careers. IF/THEN refers to the mantra, “If we support a woman in STEM, then she can change the world.”

Hill is a member of Bill Gates’ and Warren Buffett’s Giving Pledge, which promises to donate the majority of their wealth to charity. Her donations center on science, conservation and community empowerment.

Bio

• Born – 1942 in Dallas, Texas
• 1952-60 – Hockaday School, all-girl boarding school in Dallas
• 1960 – Entered Stanford but left to attend Hollins University, Roanoke, Virginia
• 1964 – Bachelor’s degree in mathematics, Hollins University
• 1979 – Diagnosed with breast cancer

Career

• 1967 – Launched Hill World Travel in Dallas
• 1982 – Sold the agency
• 1970 – President of Seven Falls, a tourist attraction near Colorado Springs, Colorado
• 1995 – Constructed Garden of the Gods Visitor and Nature Center, Colorado Springs
• 2011 – Donated $3.5 million to the Garden of the Gods Foundation then donated the visitor
  center to the foundation
• 2018 – Founded the IF/THEN Initiative to foster women’s interest in STEM

 Awards

• 2014 – Chronicles of Philanthropy ranked Hill 35 of top 50 philanthropreneurs. She is the only woman on the list.
• 2022 – Carnegie Medal of Philanthropy
• 2023 – Lyda Hill Philanthropies received the American Cancer Society Philanthropist of the Year award after donating $5.25 million to establish the ACS BrightEdge Texas Accelerator for cancer

Personal – She is said never to have married.

Further information
open.spotify.com/episode/7HueT0OMIsb0omByIeEwl0
www.lydahillphilanthropies.org/about-us/our-founder
www.biontx.org/past-dennis-k-stone-recipients/2017-lyda-hill#:~:text=Also%20a%20patron%20of%20projects,for%20its%20VOLY%20platform%20and

My ebooks available at amazon.com and barnesandnoble.com:
Honoring 23 Black Women, Recognizing 23 Notable Mothers, Saluting 23 Faithful Suffragists