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“Our ������Ƶ education taught us that it was important to contribute back to the common good,” said the Willners in a joint statement.

Together, David and Charlotte have made a financial pledge to launch the ������Ƶ Innovators Group, or BIG—a collection of investors and entrepreneurs within the College community who agree to donate an equity stake in a business they are involved with.

"On behalf of ������Ƶ, our sincerest, heartfelt thanks to David and Charlotte for their passion for giving back to our students and for this transformational gift to the College,” said leadership gifts officer Diana Martinez.

Rather than giving a set amount, she explained, members of BIG make a new kind of commitment—the promise of a future gift, or percentage of ownership in an enterprise, passing to ������Ƶ on completion of a financial event such as an IPO or a private sale. Given the nature of the program, some commitments will result in significant gifts; others will not.

Another benefit of BIG, she added, is that its members also commit to engage meaningfully with the Office of Career Exploration and Development (CXD) to mentor and educate students who are interested in similar work.

Rather than giving a set amount, members of BIG make a new kind of commitment—the promise of a future gift, or percentage of ownership in an enterprise.

Gift Details
The Willners have allocated 5 percent of an equity stake held by David in the artificial intelligence giant Open AI, where he used to work. 

Because Open AI is a privately held company, explained David, his assets are not liquid, meaning he can’t simply turn them into cash whenever he wants—he is only able to sell his stock during certain times, or “windows,” when sales agreements are made.

It is somewhat complicated, he admitted, but the bottom line is that this gift, which is unrestricted, is good news for the various programs run by ������Ƶ, whether financial aid, academics, student development, or any other fund.

The College’s share of the gift at the moment is worth around $200,000, said David, although greater sums are likely to come in the future as he gets further opportunities to sell off more of his stock.

The Liberal Arts in Tech
David, who majored in anthropology, and English major Charlotte are both passionate about bringing their liberal arts perspective to the tech world.

“The liberal arts education we received at ������Ƶ deeply influenced the careers we've had in technology, which some folks might find surprising,” they said. “We believe there’s a need for more of that liberal arts perspective in the tech world. It has a lot to offer in terms of helping the industry do a better job of ameliorating the harms that it creates. If people making decisions had liberal arts degrees, things might not be going so poorly.”

The Willners began their careers at Facebook, helping shape the company’s content policy and safety standards in its early years. David now runs Zentropi, an AI platform he cofounded that develops content moderation tools, while Charlotte is executive director at the Trust and Safety Professional Association, a forum for professionals that helps develop policies for online behavior and content.

Thinking BIG
“The Willners’ generous commitment to BIG is just one of the many examples of their dedication to the Common Good,” said Martinez. “I am hopeful that David and Charlotte’s generosity will inspire others to become members of BIG and help future generations of Polar Bears to thrive."

������Ƶ is one of only a few colleges and universities to initiate a program like BIG, she added.