I was fortunate to have wonderful parents, through whom I inherited being sociable and hard-working. I set off on a journey to have an interesting life surrounded by good people. I think I had a calling to become an entrepreneur instinctively because I possessed a willingness to take what I hoped were calculated risks which required curiosity and the discipline to get undone things done. It’s exhilarating to find business opportunities that also will be of benefit to the communities and micro economies within. I’m lucky to have a personality that leans toward being empathetic which hopefully draws the best out of those whom I come in contact. Importantly, my young partners over the years have been outstanding individuals who are considerably brighter than I am!
I enjoy taking the time to “think” which guides my attention to various interests. For me, it’s more exhilarating to be in the game rather than just a spectator, so I stay active while following my moral compass which creates the necessary time for worthy causes.
My credo comes from Thomas Jefferson-“Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness” and also Mark Twain-“Always do right; this will gratify some people and astonish the rest!”
I’ve been intrigued with Ukraine for a number of years. I knew it was the largest country in Europe, as big as Texas where I grew up, with 45 million people. Further, it’s been the “breadbasket” for Europe and elsewhere for many years. In August, 2021, Mary and I planned to precede a biking trip in the Dolomites with a 7 day visit to Odesa and Kiev. BUT a Covid outbreak in Ukraine stopped all travel in and out so I thought we could perhaps visit the next summer. Only seven months later February 24, 2022, Putin and Russia invaded Ukraine. I was heartbroken because Ukraine has been miraculous since its independence in 1991. Within days many cities were bombed and the industrial city of Mariupol was flattened followed by killing of thousands of men, women and children.
Describing my distress to a long-standing Stanford B-school friend, I found out about an effort beginning in Geneva where the employees of a third B-school mate’s business headquartered there had many Polish employees who wanted to develop their free time and vehicles to rush much-needed supplies to contacts in Ukraine. I quickly joined the effort and socialized the situation to growing concentric circles of friends and acquaintances.
As we continued to ramp up that summer, I decided I needed to go to Ukraine myself. A plan was set for me to go to Lviv on October 3, 2022 in the western part of Ukraine by flying to Kraków, Poland then via car and driver across the border. We encountered sporadic rocket/bomb craters but the city more or less was intact. Through Andy Kurtzig and Andriy Chemes, I had a unique opportunity to meet the Mayor of Lviv as well as the Governor of the province. Lviv is a beautiful city of over 700,000 population. I learned that throughout the country, but especially in the cities, English is a second language taken by 85% of the students! Ukrainians are very bright and intuitive. They have great personalities as well!
In April, 2022 the effort started with blankets, clothes, baby formula, tourniquet’s and portable furnaces. By early summer, we progressed to urgent items but not including weapons – Kevlar vests, winter jackets, power generators night vision goggles, observation drones, boots, old cars and trucks that still had usable life or be used for parts, and beyond. From the beginning, we have had NO OVERHEAD because all of us are volunteers. We only pay for the fuel for the cars and trucks making the trip as well as the fuel for some Cessna’s and other small aircraft that have made pickup and deliveries in England and western European countries.
We need to support Ukraine’s right to democracy! How you can help.
The Guide and Soldier just returned from Donbas where they showed WSJ Reporters mass graves of Ukrainian victims including civilians.
Meeting with Andriy Sadovyi, Mayor of Lviv, in his office.
Andy Kurtzig of Just Answer, Andriy Chemes, and Bill Poland delivering supplies to the Soldiers.
I’ve been a Buck Board of Trustees member since 2005 and have the title of Chair Emeritus. I’ve never been more excited than at present. In the past, the focus has been on basic research – i.e. looking through microscopes at various organisms critical to advancing healthy longevity.
NOW, we’ve made a dramatic shift with massive data collection and clinical research on site, where we humans can be participants and get important feedback that affects our individual biology at the Buck. I had a VO2 Max test recently at their Clinical Center which provides potentially vital guidance as how to live our lives. I’m a firm believer there can be a large difference between chronological age and biological age – i.e. 80 years old vs. 60 years old. I believe healthy diet, sleep, vigorous exercise, active social connections and lifelong learning create a rewarding lifetime.
Imagine a world where we don’t just treat diseases—we predict and prevent them. At the Buck Institute, we are pioneering a transformative shift in medicine, using cutting-edge AI, deep multi-omic data, and human clinical trials to rewrite the rules of aging and disease prevention.
With a landmark $52M award from ARPA-H, we’re launching Personalized Analytics for Transforming Health (PATH)—an ambitious initiative that combines the power of AI, large-scale health data, and wearable technology to unlock the secrets of longevity. By deeply characterizing human biology at an unprecedented scale, we are building the next generation of diagnostics and interventions—turning healthspan optimization into a science, not a guess.
Through advanced machine learning and multi-omic analysis—spanning genomics, proteomics, and metabolomics—we are identifying biomarkers, defining disease subtypes, and developing real-time, personalized health recommendations. Our work will accelerate breakthroughs in precision medicine, moving us from reactive healthcare to proactive, personalized longevity strategies.
This isn’t just research—it’s a revolution in human health. The future of medicine is here, and at the Buck, we’re making it personal. buckinstitute.org
View Bill’s Achievements