Menu
How we do business

Our Approach

Creativity Over Conventionality

We are convinced deploying capital across the spectrum of philanthropic grantmaking and private investment accelerates game-changing advances in nature and science and unlocks faster, deeper impact. We work with field experts and problem solvers who choose creativity over conventionality and above all, have an unbridled optimism for the future.

  • Multi-Asset Class Investments

    LH Capital, through its affiliates, invests across asset classes in pursuit of impact, seeking market-rate returns through venture funds, direct investments in private companies, and public equities.

  • Philanthropy

    One size doesn’t fit all. Our philanthropic capital is adaptive and responsive to the needs of each project, ranging in grant type, size, and duration, accompanied by light-touch reporting requirements, so that practitioners can focus on driving change.

How we invest

Examples in Life Sciences and Healthcare

  • Basic & Applied Research

    Grants to academic labs

  • Startup Support

    Funding for pitch competitions, accelerators, incubator space, etc.

  • Growth & Scaling

    Direct and venture fund investing

  • Public Companies

  • Public health & policy solutions

The Lyda Hill Difference

"Do what others can't and won't do, not what they can and will do"

Balancing big bets and sure bets

Celebrating the DOers

Attributed to advice given by Warren Buffett to Lyda after she signed the Giving Pledge, Lyda takes seriously the sentiment, “Do what others can’t do and won’t do, not what they can and will do.”  Through this lens, Lyda Hill Philanthropies takes calculated risks by supporting and empowering change-makers closest to the problem or by incubating solutions internally, driving innovations from conception to execution.

We believe it takes a balance of big bets and sure bets to tackle the world's most complex problems. Our “big bets” are high risk, innovative projects with transformative potential. While seeking to champion “big bet” solutions, we must not overlook the “sure bet” opportunities, which support evidence-based programs and projects that are all but guaranteed to make an impact.

The most complex challenges of our times are being addressed by the sector’s most valuable asset: its people. Investing in those closest to the work - the DOers – means recognizing their tireless work, celebrating their accomplishments, and where appropriate, encouraging a little fun. After all, it can be deeply rewarding to help other people achieve success, build toward the next breakthrough, and both inspire and be inspired by the problem solvers who relentlessly rise to the next challenge.

The Lyda Hill Difference

"Do what others can't and won't do, not what they can and will do"

Attributed to advice given by Warren Buffett to Lyda after she signed the Giving Pledge, Lyda takes seriously the sentiment, “Do what others can’t do and won’t do, not what they can and will do.”  Through this lens, Lyda Hill Philanthropies takes calculated risks by supporting and empowering change-makers closest to the problem or by incubating solutions internally, driving innovations from conception to execution.

Balancing big bets and sure bets

We believe it takes a balance of big bets and sure bets to tackle the world's most complex problems. Our “big bets” are high risk, innovative projects with transformative potential. While seeking to champion “big bet” solutions, we must not overlook the “sure bet” opportunities, which support evidence-based programs and projects that are all but guaranteed to make an impact.

Celebrating the DOers

The most complex challenges of our times are being addressed by the sector’s most valuable asset: its people. Investing in those closest to the work - the DOers – means recognizing their tireless work, celebrating their accomplishments, and where appropriate, encouraging a little fun. After all, it can be deeply rewarding to help other people achieve success, build toward the next breakthrough, and both inspire and be inspired by the problem solvers who relentlessly rise to the next challenge.