Social Impact Pioneers: Recent Episodes
Business Fights Poverty
What does it take to solve the world's most complex challenges? According to partnership expert Darian Stibbe, the answer isn't better technology, bigger budgets or stronger institutions working alone, it's collaboration. From rocket science to systems change: Darian Stibbe explains why effective partnerships matter more than ever.Social Impact Pioneer, Darian, Executive Director of The Partnering Initiative (TPI), shares insights from more than 20 years spent helping businesses, governments, NGOs, philanthropies and international organisations work together to create lasting social and environmental impact. Before becoming one of the world's leading voices on cross-sector collaboration, Darian was a NASA scientist and quantum physicist, a journey that gives him a perspective on complexity, systems thinking and change second to none.Drawing on real-world examples, Darian challenges one of the biggest misconceptions about partnerships: that collaboration is a natural skill. Instead, he argues that partnering is a professional discipline that can be learned, practised and continuously improved. He explains why partnerships often fail not because of the people involved, but because organisations lack the systems, culture and incentives needed to support genuine collaboration.The conversation explores the growing shift towards systems change and multi-stakeholder partnerships, particularly as organisations face increasingly interconnected challenges, from climate resilience and sustainable supply chains to public service delivery and economic development. Darian also highlights the often-overlooked role of philanthropy as a catalyst for transformation, not just funding solutions, but bringing diverse actors together to unlock change at scale.Packed with practical insights, compelling stories and reasons for optimism, this conversation offers a fresh perspective on how organisations can move beyond transactional relationships and build partnerships capable of delivering transformational impact.Whether you're working in business, philanthropy, government or civil society, listen in to hear valuable lessons on how collaboration can become a strategic capability, and why the return on investing in it may be far greater than many realise.Links:The Partnering Initiative: tpiglobal.orgSDG Partnership Guidebook: https://thepartneringinitiative.org/knowledge-centre/partnering-guidebooks/sdg-partnership-guidebook/Blog on partnering capabilities: https://thepartneringinitiative.org/tpi-blog/partnering-is-a-professional-skill-its-time-we-treated-it-that-way/Transform initiative empowering philanthropy and business to create transformation through multi-sector partnerships: https://thepartneringinitiative.org/programmes/transform-empowering-philanthropy-as-catalytic-partners-for-transformational-change-2/Partnering for impact: building transformational partnerships: https://thepartneringinitiative.org/services-and-training/professional-development/open-training/And if you liked this:Take a read of the latest Business Fights Poverty paper exploring partnering for system change: https://businessfightspoverty.org/moving-beyond-projects-how-corporate-ngo-partnerships-can-build-systems-collaboration/And listen in to this conversation, Brokering Partnerships and Collaboration with Ian Leader: https://businessfightspoverty.org/brokering-partnerships-and-collaboration-with-ian-leader/
Creating shared prosperity requires recognising the strengths that already exist within communities and investing in them intentionally.This episode is packed with insights for business leaders, investors, philanthropists, policymakers and anyone interested in creating a more equitable future. If you're interested in systems change, social justice, racial equity, impact investing, community development or the future of inclusive economies, this conversation offers both practical lessons and renewed optimism.Listen now to discover how collaborative leadership, patient capital and a commitment to human potential can help build economies where everyone has the opportunity to thrive.Links:Joe’s Linked In: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joe-scantlebury-ba5bb67/Living Cities: https://livingcities.org/And if you liked this, try:Inside the Mars Impact Fund with Michelle Grogg: https://businessfightspoverty.org/inside-the-mars-impact-fund-with-michelle-grogg/And check out our latest research: https://businessfightspoverty.org/resources/?_content=insight – exploring Partnering for Systems Change, Catalytic Finance and Stakeholder Activation.
What if one of the world's greatest untapped talent pools is hiding in plain sight?More than 120 million people around the world have been forcibly displaced by conflict, persecution and violence. Yet too often refugees are portrayed through the lens of crisis rather than capability. Their stories are reduced to statistics, while their skills, ambitions and entrepreneurial potential remain overlooked.Listen in as we mark World Refugee Month, and speak with one of the leading innovators challenging that narrative.Meet Social Impact Pioneer, Aline Sara, Co-Founder and CEO of NaTakallam, the award-winning social enterprise transforming how businesses and individuals engage with refugees and conflict-affected communities. Rather than treating displaced people as beneficiaries of aid, NaTakallam connects them with organisations and learners around the world as language tutors, translators, educators and public speakers, creating dignified work through the digital economy.Since its launch, the platform has enabled refugees and conflict-affected individuals to earn more than $5 million, working with over 37,000 users across 110 countries and supporting more than 350 organisations worldwide.Born to Lebanese parents and shaped by a childhood lived between New York and a homeland marked by conflict, Aline's personal story is inseparable from her professional mission. From journalism and human rights research to building a pioneering social enterprise, she has spent more than a decade working alongside displaced communities, proving that opportunity, not charity, is often the most powerful response to humanitarian crises.Together, we explore why the future of refugee inclusion lies beyond aid alone; how businesses can unlock talent that too often goes unseen; and why creating access to meaningful work is fundamental to restoring dignity, resilience and hope. Aline also shares candid reflections on scaling a mission-driven business, navigating the rapid rise of artificial intelligence, and balancing commercial sustainability with deep social impact.Perhaps most powerfully, we discuss why refugee issues should never be discussed without refugees themselves being part of the conversation. Through NaTakallam's Refugee Voices programme, people with lived experience are leading conversations that challenge stereotypes, build empathy and foster genuine human connection across borders.This is a conversation about displacement, entrepreneurship, inclusive business and the future of work, but above all, it is a reminder that behind every refugee statistic is a person with skills, ideas and aspirations waiting for the opportunity to contribute.Links:NaTakallam : https://natakallam.com/Aline Sara : https://www.linkedin.com/in/alinesara/And if you liked this, try:Financing Solar Energy in the Global South with Lassor and Ruchir: https://businessfightspoverty.org/financing-solar-energy-in-the-global-south-with-lassor-and-ruchir/andThe Business of Coral Reefs with Sam Teicher: https://businessfightspoverty.org/the-business-of-coral-reefs-with-sam-teicher/
Listen in to Ian Leader, Social Impact Pioneer, cross-sector strategist and founder of Local Works. Ian shares his experience in building partnerships that really work, between business, community and government. With more than 25 years of experience working across New Zealand’s business, charity, education, philanthropy and local government sectors, Ian has become one of the country’s leading voices on collaboration, systems change and social impact brokering. Remember that, social impact broker … a vital role so often over looked.From pioneering employee volunteering initiatives in the 1990s to designing purpose-driven community investment strategies and place-based partnerships, Ian has spent his career helping organisations move beyond traditional corporate social responsibility (CSR) and towards genuine shared value creation.In this conversation, Ian shares why he believes “communities are jigsaws,” complex ecosystems made up of interconnected people, organisations and cultures, and why businesses must stop thinking about “giving back” and instead start actively participating as part of the community itself.We explore:•The evolution of CSR, corporate citizenship and conscious business •Why impact brokers are essential for successful partnerships and systems change •How businesses can build trust with communities and create authentic social impact •The shift from scarcity thinking to abundance and collaboration •Why employee volunteering and community engagement should be embedded into business strategy •What First Nations and Māori approaches to business can teach us about sustainability, purpose and long-term thinking •How social impact leaders can bridge the gap between intention and execution Ian also reflects on working in some of New Zealand’s most vibrant and challenged communities, where he learned that “work isn’t always the priority,” and why understanding people’s lived realities are critical for organisations that want to create lasting impact.Packed with practical insights, systems thinking, real-world examples and unforgettable quotes, this episode is a masterclass in collaborative leadership, social innovation and the future of business as a force for good.Whether you work in sustainability, ESG, CSR, philanthropy, social enterprise, community development or purpose-led business, this conversation will challenge how you think about partnerships, power and the role organisations play in society.Discover why the future of impact depends on learning how to work together.Links:Ian’s podcast 'CSR Aotearoa: Agents of Change': https://open.spotify.com/show/5Gjvg9TsTA74LKAGOQnBi6?si=4abea07503284fc3 Local Works: www.localworks.nz Local Works Resources : https://www.localworks.nz/resourcesMore info about Hunter Lovins: https://natcapsolutions.org/The Partnering Initiative: https://thepartneringinitiative.orgAnd if you liked this, try:What Real Sustainability Integration Looks Like in Business, with Fernanda Facchini, Natura: https://businessfightspoverty.org/what-real-sustainability-integration-looks-like-in-business-with-fernanda-facchini-natura/
Social Impact Pioneer Hesham Elzeftawi, Founder and CEO of EBRIIZ shares his journey from Egypt to the US and Mexico developing deep understanding and appreciation for cross-cultural learning, practical field experience, and emerging market realities. Hesham’s time in Arabic, English, and Spanish-speaking communities gives him a perspective we all need to hear.In this conversation, Hesham explores what businesses can gain from understanding different cultures, why overlooked markets hold untapped opportunities, and how inclusive growth can create wider economic opportunities, not only benefits for the few.Hesham’s career spans more than two decades across international development, cross-cultural learning, youth development, education, women’s economic empowerment, community engagement, and financial inclusion. He has worked with organisations including CARE, UNDP, GIZ, Soliya, ICA MENA, and the Science and Technology Development Fund, contributing to programmes that have reached hundreds of thousands of people across Egypt and the wider region.From managing a USD 2.4 million education programme reaching more than 40,000 students, to supporting financial and social inclusion work targeting women’s access to the formal financial system through savings and loan group methodologies, Hesham has seen first-hand how social impact succeeds when it is grounded in real local needs. He reflects on why strong project design does not always translate into local relevance, and why meaningful development must be shaped by the people, institutions, and markets it aims to serve.This is a conversation about turning misunderstanding into opportunity, seeing diversity as a way through change, and building links that are not only cultural, but practical, human, and economic.Through EBRIIZ, Hesham is now building on these experiences to explore how cultural difference can become a source of trust, collaboration, and business opportunity. His work focuses on turning misunderstanding into connection, and connection into practical economic value.He sees EBRIIZ as an evolving founder journey, shaped by both success and failure, rather than a completed success story.For anyone interested in cross-cultural leadership, youth development, emerging markets, inclusive business, financial inclusion, women’s empowerment, or the future of business with impact, this episode offers rich insights into how we can move through change with curiosity, courage, and collaboration.Hesham is part of the Business Fights Poverty Global Expert Network: https://businessfightspoverty.org/global-expert-network/Links:LinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/in/heshamelzeftawiEBRIIZ:https://ebriiz.org/en/welcome-to-ebriiz/If you like this, try: What Real Sustainability Integration Looks Like in Business, with Fernanda Facchini, Natura: https://businessfightspoverty.org/what-real-sustainability-integration-looks-like-in-business-with-fernanda-facchini-natura/
In this episode, we’re joined by Devon Fritz, author of The High-Impact Professional’s Playbook and co-founder of High Impact Professionals. An experienced coach and strategic philanthropy adviser, Devon helps people bridge the gap between good intentions and measurable outcomes.Devon’s story begins in the private sector, where he worked as a software developer and achieved financial security early in his career. But instead of fulfilment, he found himself questioning his path. That turning point led him to explore what it really means to do good, and ultimately to the effective altruism movement, where he discovered a global community focused on maximising impact through evidence, data, and thoughtful decision-making.In this conversation, Devon shares practical insights on how to build a high-impact career, including why many professionals focus on the wrong goals, and how to shift from being “busy” to being truly effective. He explains the importance of thinking in terms of scale, how many people you’re helping, and why small changes in direction can lead to orders-of-magnitude greater impact.We also explore the power of effective giving, and how strategic donations can often achieve more than people expect. Devon challenges common assumptions about nonprofit work and highlights why some of the most impactful opportunities lie in overlooked or “neglected” areas.Thinking about a career change? Devon makes the case that transitioning into impact-focused work is less risky than it seems, and often more rewarding. He shares frameworks for identifying the best opportunities, including how to assess what problems are important, tractable, and neglected.Finally, we dive into what separates truly high-impact professionals from the rest: principled decision-making, a focus on outcomes over activity, and the courage to aim bigger.Whether you’re early in your career, considering a pivot, or looking to maximise your contribution, this episode offers a fresh perspective on how to do more good, effectively.Links:Devon on Linked In: https://www.linkedin.com/in/devonfritz/Devon's book: https://www.highimpactprofessionals.org/bookAnd if you liked this take a listen to: Michelle Grogg from Mars: https://businessfightspoverty.org/inside-the-mars-impact-fund-with-michelle-grogg/
Social Impact Pioneer Michelle Grogg is the Executive Director of the Mars Impact Fund. Listen in as Michelle shares her insights on why Mars can do more with an Impact Fund now. She shares her experiences on how businesses can drive meaningful social impact at scale and how delivering impact through both business operations and targeted investment is a vital way to make limited resources go further.Michelle has held senior leadership roles at Mars and Cargill, and her influence extends across major global platforms, including the World Economic Forum’s Food Action Alliance, the U.S. Global Leadership Coalition, and the Munich Security Conference’s Global Food Security Task Force. Known for her systems thinking and collaborative leadership, she has spent years working at the intersection of business, sustainability, and social impact. With a career spanning corporate responsibility, global philanthropy, and international development, Michelle has deep expertise in building partnerships, shaping sustainable business strategies.This podcast conversation is recorded in the early days of the Mars Impact Fund, the innovative, LLC-structured fund designed to work alongside the business rather than separately from it. Michelle explains why Mars chose to create a dedicated impact fund now, despite its long history of embedding social impact into its operations, and how this new approach unlocks greater flexibility to partner with nonprofits, social enterprises, and for-profit organizations alike.We also explore why Mars prioritises building resilient communities in sourcing regions, supporting a pipeline of future scientists and improving access to veterinary care. Michelle shares insights into why strong supply chains depend on strong communities, and why businesses must take a systems-level approach to creating lasting change.Beyond strategy, Michelle reflects on her personal journey into purpose-driven work, the importance of collaboration, and why failure is an essential part of driving innovation and impact. She also discusses emerging trends in impact investing and corporate sustainability, including the growing need for long-term thinking, partnership-driven solutions, and intentional decision-making.Whether you’re interested in ESG, corporate responsibility, impact investing, or sustainable business strategy, this episode offers practical insights and inspiration. Tune in to learn how companies like Mars are rethinking their role in society, and what it takes to create impact that endures.Links:Mars Impact Fund: https://www.mars.com/about/mars-impact-fundAnd if you liked this episode do take a listen to:What Real Sustainability Integration Looks Like in Business — with Fernanda Facchini, Natura: https://businessfightspoverty.org/what-real-sustainability-integration-looks-like-in-business-with-fernanda-facchini-natura/andWhy Fairtrade Matters More Than Ever with Marike Runneboom de Peña: https://businessfightspoverty.org/why-fairtrade-matters-more-than-ever-with-marike-runneboom-de-pena/
business integration with green finance and resilient value chains. With 25 years of experience, Fernanda shares practical insights on turning ESG ambition into measurable business impact.Fernanda has built her career at the intersection of sustainability and performance, developing governance frameworks, KPIs, and action plans that translate environmental and social goals into operational reality. At Natura, she works across business functions to integrate sustainability into decision-making, risk management, and long-term value creation.In this conversation, Fernanda shares what “true sustainability integration” looks like in practice. From embedding climate and nature risks into governance structures, to aligning incentives and measuring impact through tools like integrated profit and loss. Fernanda also shares how Natura is using green finance, including sustainability-linked bonds, to fund climate action, biodiversity protection, and social impact across its value chain.We also explore the growing importance of resilient value chains in the face of climate change, geopolitical instability, and social inequality. Fernanda explains how Natura works with suppliers, smallholders, and communities, particularly in the Amazon Rainforest, to strengthen resilience, reduce risk, and create shared value.This episode is essential listening for sustainability leaders, ESG professionals, and business executives looking to understand how sustainability can drive growth, resilience, and competitive advantage. Fernanda offers a clear, practical perspective on how businesses can move beyond theory and lead the transition toward a more inclusive, regenerative, and sustainable future. Links:Natura’s Profit and loss: https://ri.natura.com.br/en/sustainability/management-by-impact-ipl/Natura’s Climate Transition action plan: https://ri.natura.com.br/en/sustainability/socio-environmental-publications/ Natura’s Vision 2050: https://ri.natura.com.br/en/sustainability/vision-2050/And if you enjoy this episode, take a listen to:Why Fairtrade Matters More Than Ever with Marike Runneboom de Peña: https://businessfightspoverty.org/why-fairtrade-matters-more-than-ever-with-marike-runneboom-de-pena/andSocial Impact from Big Picture to On-the-Ground Action with Darsh Myronidis, Virgin Group: https://businessfightspoverty.org/social-impact-from-big-picture-to-on-the-ground-action-with-darsh-myronidis-virgin-group/
Getting your coffee tomorrow is not a given. Behind everyday products like coffee, bananas, and cocoa lies a global trading system under pressure. A pressure shaped by climate change, economic uncertainty, and growing inequality. The need to change how we value our food is urgent or we risk our daily coffee, and midmorning snack. Listen in to this podcast episode to hear from Social Impact Pioneer Marike Runneboom de Peña, Interim CEO of Fairtrade International, about why this moment is a turning point for fair trade and global supply chains.From sociologist to co-founder of a banana cooperative with over 200 members in the Dominican Republic, Marike is now the interim leader of Fairtrade International. March 2026 is important for Fairtrade as they launch a new Global Strategy 2026–2028, focusing on three urgent priorities: sustainable livelihoods for farmers and workers; resilient and fair supply chains; and a stronger collective commitment to ethical and sustainable trade.Listen in as, together, we explore:· Why fair trade is more critical than ever in today’s volatile global economy· The real challenges farmers face, from low prices and unfair trading practices to climate change· How Fairtrade’s new strategy aims to create long-term resilience and equity in global supply chains· What businesses, policymakers, and consumers must do to support fair and sustainable tradeIn addition, hear from Marike as she shares her personal journey, from working directly with farming communities to stepping into a global leadership role. Learn about motivation, perseverance, and focus. This podcast conversation is grounded in the devastating impacts of an unequal trading system and the resilience of farmers determined to overcome them.This conversation challenges the idea that sustainability is optional. As Marike explains, “Fairer trade is not just a future goal, it’s a shared responsibility.” Without meaningful action, we risk a very near future where farming becomes unsustainable, supply chains break down, and essential products disappear from our shelves.If you’re interested in sustainability, ethical business, global trade, or the future of food systems, this episode is essential listening.Because when trade doesn’t work for farmers and workers, it doesn’t work for anyone.www.fairtrade.netOur strategyriskmap.fairtrade.net
How do we finance renewable energy in the places where it can have the greatest impact? Meet two visionary leaders and Social Impact Pioneers driving solutions: Lassor Feasley, co-founder and CEO of Renewables.org, and Ruchir Punjabi, co-founder and CEO of Distributed Energy, a company making renewable energy affordable and accessible for businesses across India, Africa and the Middle East.Across India and Africa, some of the world’s most effective solar opportunities remain dramatically underfunded, despite offering enormous social, economic and environmental returns. While traditional climate finance and philanthropy often focus on developed markets, emerging economies hold some of the highest-leverage opportunities for accelerating the clean energy transition and expanding energy access.That is where Renewables.org is changing the game.Renewables.org is a pioneering nonprofit that allows everyday people to invest from as little as $25 into solar projects in the Global South. As these projects generate and sell carbon-free electricity, investors receive monthly repayments over five years. There is no interest return, but the climate impact is extraordinary: every dollar invested can deliver up to 550% of the carbon impact of a typical US solar investment. Through its open-source Impact Multiplier, Renewables.org shows how solar in emerging markets can prevent up to five times more carbon per dollar than comparable projects in developed countries.Lassor brings a design-led, systems-thinking approach to nonprofit finance, building a platform that blends transparency, accessibility and climate impact. Ruchir brings deep entrepreneurial and operational expertise, leading the delivery of distributed solar solutions at scale in some of the world’s fastest-growing markets.Together, they are bridging philanthropy and finance, design and infrastructure, and catalytic capital and real-world clean energy deployment. Their partnership offers a compelling new model for climate finance, energy justice and social entrepreneurship.We discuss loan-based philanthropy, why emerging markets represent the highest-impact climate investment opportunity of our time, how technology is helping scale distributed solar, and what the future of inclusive renewable energy financing could look like.This is a story about solar energy, climate innovation, and a new vision for a just, scalable and equitable clean energy future, one where anyone can help fund the transition.Links:Renewables.orgLassor Feasley: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lassor/Ruchir Punjabi: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ruchirpunjabi/Kiva: https://www.kiva.org
the Future of Work with Banalata, DHL Group: https://businessfightspoverty.org/talent-development-social-impact-the-future-of-work-with-banalata-dhl-group/
Ibiza may be world-famous for its beaches, superyachts and nightlife, but behind the glamour lies a growing affordable housing crisis that threatens the island’s future. In this episode, three Social Impact Leaders: Sofi Ribas, Anna Olivia Spenner Hernández, and Yvette Torres-Rahman, share insights from their groundbreaking research into Ibiza’s housing crisis and explore practical solutions to make living on the island viable year-round.Affordable housing is a global problem, particularly in tourist destinations…the podcast deeply explores the challenges that underpin the problem and provides joined up ideas to tackle these crises.Essential workers, including teachers, healthcare staff, hospitality employees and young families, are increasingly unable to access safe, affordable housing in Ibiza. Some are living in informal settlements without reliable water or electricity, while luxury tourism continues to flourish around them. The challenge is complex, urgent, and deeply personal.Through over 200 hours of research, analysis of 50+ global case studies, 20 expert interviews, and insights from 1,000+ island residents, this initiative, supported by the Balearic Government through EU Next Generation funding, set out to reimagine housing in Ibiza through cross-sector collaboration.In this conversation, we explore:· What’s really driving Ibiza’s affordable housing crisis· The human impact of informal settlements and rising housing costs· Why data gaps are holding back effective policy· Lessons from global destinations facing similar pressures· How businesses, policymakers and civil society can collaborate on long-term solutionsIf you’re interested in affordable housing, sustainable tourism, social impact, ESG, cross-sector collaboration, or community-led solutions, this episode offers grounded insights and hopeful pathways forward.Because Ibiza’s future depends on ensuring the people who make the island thrive can also call it home.Links:Business Fights Poverty: Five bridges to 2045: https://businessfightspoverty.org/five-bridges-to-2045-how-business-can-deliver-a-fairer-more-resilient-world/Accommodation reportSofi’s business (Ma): https://www.linkedin.com/company/thinkma/TedX Ibiza: https://tedx-ibiza.com/PIMEEF (SME federation for Ibiza and Formentera ): https://www.pimeef.com/And if you liked this conversation, do take a listen to: Managing Debt and Mortgages with social entrepreneur: Jinesh Vohra - https://businessfightspoverty.org/managing-debt-and-mortgages-with-jinesh-vohra/
the Future of Work with Banalata, DHL Group: https://businessfightspoverty.org/talent-development-social-impact-the-future-of-work-with-banalata-dhl-group/
What does it take to restore coral reefs at scale — and turn one of the world’s most urgent environmental crises into a sustainable, investable solution? This conversation explores the business of coral reefs, running impact businesses, investors and innovation.Social Impact Pioneer, Sam Teicher is the co-founder of Coral Vita, the world’s largest for-profit coral reef restoration company, and a recent Earthshot Prize winner committed to reviving threatened reefs. Sam’s vision isn’t just ecological, it’s deeply rooted in creating a restoration economy that sustains marine life and local livelihoods.Through cutting-edge genetic technology, AI-driven monitoring, and scalable business models, Sam and his team have developed tools like BrainCoral (named one of TIME’s Best Inventions of 2025) to support partners ranging from governments and re-insurers to hotels and coastal communities. Coral Vita’s impact speaks for itself: over 100,000 resilient corals grown, expansion across several continents, and $8 million raised to scale these solutions globally.Sam brings a rare mix of scientific expertise, policy insight, and hands-on leadership. He’s shared the stage at events like the United Nations and Nobel Prize Summit, but also understands the day-to-day realities faced by the billion people who rely on coral reefs. Coral Vita’s reach includes 40,000 engaged supporters who care about the ocean and planet. This conversation explores the world Sam is creating and delves into some of the expertise he has acquired – from identifying what a good shareholder looks like to taking control of the story.Expect practical insights, and inspirational ideas.Links:Coral Vita: https://coralvita.co/about/Sam Teicher on intragram: https://www.instagram.com/samteicher/And if you liked this conversation, take a listen to:Climate Resilience and Adaptation with David Nicholson: https://businessfightspoverty.org/climate-resilience-and-adaptation-with-david-nicholson/
Scott: https://businessfightspoverty.org/overcoming-poverty-driving-workforce-development-economic-empowerment-with-megan-scott/orThe Future of Climate Action: Youth Leadership and Systems Change with Penelope and Hassan: https://businessfightspoverty.org/the-future-of-climate-action-youth-leadership-and-systems-change-with-penelope-and-hassan/
In this episode, we sit down with Social Impact Pioneer, Darshana “Darsh” Myronidis, Director of Sustainability at Virgin Group — the HQ at the centre of one of the world’s most iconic and diverse brands. With more than 20 years of global sustainability leadership, Darsh has built a career dedicated to helping businesses deliver meaningful social and environmental impact. From renewable energy in the North of England to sustainable business strategy in Southeast Asia, brewing operations in South Africa, advisory work at the UN, and executive leadership across multiple industries, Darsh has become known for her rare blend of big-picture systems thinking and on-the-ground action.At Virgin, Darsh leads sustainability across sectors as varied as travel, leisure, health, wellness, media, entertainment, and technology. In our conversation, she reveals how she brings coherence to such a vast ecosystem, why Virgin embeds sustainability into every business decision, and how Virgin places people and planet at the centre of its purpose – to change business for good.We dive into what drives her as a leader, how impactful leadership shows up in complex organisations, and why she is so passionate about championing the next generation of sustainability leaders, particularly those from underrepresented and under-heard communities.Looking ahead to 2026, Darsh offers insight into the biggest opportunities and headwinds in sustainability—from navigating geopolitical risk and supply-chain volatility to unlocking the power of regenerative thinking, radical collaboration, and AI for good. We explore the language that truly resonates inside businesses, how to communicate beyond jargon, and how to create momentum even during times of change.Whether you’re a sustainability professional, business leader, or simply curious about what the future of responsible business looks like, this episode offers clarity, inspiration, and a powerful reminder: the actions we take today can shape a better, fairer future for all.Links: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/darshana-myronidis/Virgin: https://www.virgin.com/To hear more from Social Impact Pioneers try listening to Åsa from Ikea: https://businessfightspoverty.org/how-ikea-is-powering-global-social-entrepreneurship-with-asa-skogstrom-feldt/
During this special edition of Social Impact Pioneers - we are joined by David Nicholson, a leading figure in global climate action, speaking to us directly from the UN Climate COP in Belém, Brazil. As Mercy Corps’ first-ever Chief Climate Officer, appointed in 2022, Nicholson has been at the forefront of embedding bold, science-driven climate strategy into one of the world’s largest humanitarian organisations - expect to hear his thoughts on climate resilience, adaptation and business action. This conversation forms part of the Business Fights Poverty Climate Series 2025. Over more than a decade at Mercy Corps, Nicholson has helped steer the organisation towards global leadership on climate resilience, sustainability, and adaptation. Drawing on a career that spans carbon-finance innovation in Uganda, climate and energy consulting at DAI, and green business development in Colombia, he now works to ensure that vulnerable communities can withstand the accelerating impacts of climate change. In 2023 alone, Mercy Corps’ climate programming reached 5.9 million people, and through its Climate: Possible campaign, it aims to extend climate-smart solutions to 12.5 million people, while supporting innovations projected to benefit a further 20 million through high-impact climate startups.Speaking from COP30, Nicholson offers rare insight into the mood, momentum and political dynamics shaping this year’s summit—from the heightened focus on tropical forest protection in the Amazon, to the growing urgency around adaptation finance, climate-resilient livelihoods and the practical implementation of national climate plans. He reflects on the realities faced by communities on the front lines of drought, displacement and economic instability, and why climate adaptation and poverty reduction can no longer be treated as separate challenges.If you are seeking clear analysis, grounded field experience and a pragmatic perspective on global climate action, this conversation with David Nicholson offers you straight up insights and solutions-focused look at what must happen next.Links:Mercy Corps: https://www.mercycorps.org/David Nicholson: https://www.mercycorps.org/en-gb/who-we-are/our-team/david-nicholsonMercy Corps Climate: Possible: https://www.mercycorps.org/en-gb/advance-climate-resilient-communitiesClimate Change at the International Court of Justice: https://commonslibrary.parliament.uk/research-briefings/cbp-10354/To find out more about the Business Fights Poverty Climate Series: https://businessfightspoverty.org/climate-series/
This Social Impact Pioneers episode forms part of the Business Fights Poverty Climate Series 2025. Katie Hyson sits down with Matthew Spencer, Global Director of Landscapes at IDH – The Sustainable Trade Initiative, for a timely conversation recorded live from COP 2025 in Belém, Brazil. With climate risks intensifying and global supply chains under unprecedented pressure, Matthew explores why landscape-level collaboration is emerging as one of the most effective solutions for protecting the world’s most vulnerable ecosystems — while strengthening livelihoods for millions of smallholder farmers.Matthew shares IDH’s ambitious goal to protect and restore five million hectares of vulnerable landscapes by 2030, addressing deforestation, biodiversity loss, and climate impacts through integrated, jurisdictional approaches – working with communities, businesses and governments. Drawing on career of experience, he explains why landscape initiatives not only deliver environmental gains but also help companies share risk, reduce costs, build resilience, and secure long-term supply.Listeners will hear real-world success stories — from palm oil landscapes in Aceh, Indonesia, to sustainable beef production in Mato Grosso, Brazil — where public-private partnerships have cut deforestation and improved farmers’ incomes. Matthew also highlights the rapidly growing landscape platform SourceUp, which now hosts over 65 initiatives (expected to reach 100 next year), helping businesses fast-track participation by identifying opportunities by commodity, country, or sustainability priority.Matthew’s Social Impact Pioneer credentials include time with Greenpeace and Oxfam, he’s helped secure the UK’s phase-out of coal while at the think tank Green Alliance and he’s a Turner Fellow at the Cambridge Conservation Initiative, researching what has worked in tropical forest protection over the last three decades.Listen in for Matthew’s views on why climate action and poverty reduction must go hand-in-hand, and what truly drives lasting change in forest protection and sustainable land use.Packed with practical insights for business leaders, sustainability professionals, and anyone working at the intersection of climate and development, this episode offers rare optimism — and a clear roadmap for collective action.Tune in to learn how landscape collaboration can drive climate resilience, restore forests, and transform global value chains.Links:IDH - idh.orgMatthew Spencer - idhsustainabletrade.com/people/matthew-spencer andlinkedin.com/in/matthew-spencer-90b46a46SourceUp - sourceup.orgTropical Forest Forever Facility - tfff.earthAnd if you liked this, take a look at the wider Business Fights Poverty Climate Series 2025 here: https://businessfightspoverty.org/climate-series/
Environmental Scientist, CARE, Malawi.Links: Redd+ Projects: https://unfccc.int/topics/land-use/workstreams/redd/what-is-reddPUR: https://www.pur.co/Catholic Relief Services: https://www.crs.org/Care: Malawi We Staan Nog Steeds: https://www.carenederland.org/verhaal/malawi-we-staan-nog-steeds Care: Malawi: Herstel van groene vegetatie draagt bij aan duurzame toekomsthttps://www.carenederland.org/nieuws/malawi-het-herstellen-van-groene-vegetatie CARE Malawi LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/care-international-in-malawi/posts/?feedView=all CARE Nederland: https://www.linkedin.com/company/care-nederland/posts/?feedView=allRestore Africa: https://www.evergreening.org/restoreafrica/
In this episode of Business Fights Poverty’s Social Impact Pioneers Podcast, host Yvette Torres-Rahman speaks with Åsa Skogström Feldt, Managing Director of IKEA Social Entrepreneurship BV, about how business can be a force for good. Recorded live during the UN General Assembly 2025 in New York, this powerful conversation explores how IKEA is partnering with social entrepreneurs worldwide to create inclusive growth, fight inequality, and build sustainable livelihoods.Åsa Skogström Feldt leads IKEA Social Entrepreneurship, a company within the Inter IKEA Group that invests in partnerships and accelerator programs supporting over 100 social enterprises each year. From empowering refugees and artisans to transforming circular waste systems in India, IKEA is proving that business-led social innovation can tackle the root causes of poverty while driving long-term sustainability.Åsa brings a blend of corporate leadership and non-profit innovation, having previously served as Global President and CEO of The Hunger Project in New York and Sweden. Her career spans major roles at Sony Ericsson, Aspiro, and Ericsson Mobile Communications, alongside decades of activism championing women’s empowerment.Together, Yvette and Åsa discuss how to bridge the worlds of philanthropy and business, scale social impact, and harness the power of AI, circularity, and social innovation to build a more inclusive economy. Discover how IKEA’s approach—through impact investing, mentoring, and global collaboration—is redefining what it means to be a responsible business.Tune in to hear how Åsa Skogström Feldt and IKEA are proving that “it’s good business to be a good business.”
In this episode, we sit down with Social Impact Pioneer, social entrepreneur and purposeful leader - Amrit Dhaliwal. As CEO of Walfinch, one of the UK’s leading home care franchise networks, Amrit is on a mission to redefine both franchising and social care—bringing innovation, purpose, and people-first values into sectors too often driven solely by margins.Tune in for an introduction to leading with purpose—both for people and for businesses. If you’re ready to discover what it takes to be a truly values-driven leader, this is where to start.From transforming an Italian deli into an award-winning restaurant to founding Walfinch in 2019, Amrit’s entrepreneurial journey is rooted in spotting inefficiencies and building better systems. Today, under his leadership, Walfinch is rapidly expanding and on course to become a £20 million network, with multiple franchisees expected to reach £1 million turnover within their first three years. His success, however, is not measured by profit alone. Amrit is committed to blending commercial growth with meaningful social impact, ensuring older adults receive exceptional care while franchisees thrive.In a wide-ranging conversation, Amrit shares his philosophy on values-based leadership, the importance of instilling company culture at every level, and why business success is inseparable from purpose. Drawing on influences such as Daniel Pink’s Drive, John Maxwell’s Five Levels of Leadership, and Gino Wickman’s Traction, he offers practical insights into scaling a purpose-led business in a regulated industry.We also explore the pressing challenges facing the UK’s care system, the balance between profit and purpose, and how leaders can resist the pressure for growth-at-all-costs by staying true to their vision. Whether you are an aspiring entrepreneur, a franchisee, or simply curious about the future of social care, this conversation offers timely lessons on resilience, strategy, and building businesses that last.Join us as Amrit Dhaliwal explains why redefining home care is not just a business model but a social mission—one that could shape the future of care in Britain and beyond.Links:Walfinch: https://walfinch.comAmrit's book - Time to Thrive: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Time-Thrive-Revolution-solution-insider/dp/1068664304John Maxwell - 5 Levels of Leadership: https://youtu.be/jsjlJCOzmhkGena Wickman – Traction: https://youtu.be/4MdB3tIzhmcEOS Entrepreneur Operating System: https://youtu.be/NNyY7k8uXLEDaniel Pink – Drive: https://www.danpink.com/books/drive/ And if you liked this conversation, please take a listen to:Combining Personal and Business Purpose with Hamzah Sarwar: https://businessfightspoverty.org/combining-personal-and-business-purpose-with-hamzah-sarwar/
Listen to this podcast conversation to learn about The Power of Participatory Radio. Social Impact Pioneers - Meshack Kitungu Kawinzi and Hannah Davis share how one of the world’s oldest and most trusted communication tools, radio, is being harnessed to change lives and strengthen communities. From the rolling tea fields of Kenya to smallholder farms across Africa, Asia and Latin America, participatory radio is reaching people often left behind in the digital revolution, offering knowledge, voice, and agency in their own languages.Meshack and Hannah have dedicated their careers to amplifying the voices of farmers, women, and workers who are rarely heard, yet who are central to the fight for gender equity, climate resilience, and sustainable livelihoods.Meshack Kawinzi is a visionary educator and health informatics specialist with more than two decades in global development. He has led transformative initiatives such as Farmers’ Voice Radio and HERProject, directly benefiting over half a million smallholder farmers and workers across East Africa. Today, alongside lecturing and policy advocacy, he continues to shape development practice through research, mentoring, and digital innovation.Hannah Davis is a passionate advocate for sustainable agriculture and ethical trade. Over the past 20 years, she has worked with smallholder farmers worldwide—supporting cooperatives, advancing gender justice, and co-creating the Farmers’ Voice Radio methodology at the Lorna Young Foundation. This approach is now used in 15 countries, reaching more than two million farmers with vital, practical knowledge.Together, Meshack and Hannah show us how radio is not just about broadcasting messages—but about handing farmers the microphone. From breaking down gender barriers to sparking community-led solutions, Farmers’ Voice Radio proves that participatory radio is more than a programme: it is a movement of empowerment, resilience, and connection.So whether you are working to engage people on social issues or looking for a dose of inspirational and uplift – this conversation is for you.Links:Meshack Kawinzi bio https://www.linkedin.com/in/meshack-kawinzi-6ab43b65/Hannah Davis bio https://www.linkedin.com/in/hannah-davis-472a8628/Farmers' Voice Radio: https://www.farmersvoiceradio.org/Farmers' Voice Radio resource hub: https://www.farmersvoiceradio.org/resourcesTwinings Sourced with Care programme: https://sourcedwithcare.com/FCDO Work and Opportunities for Women programme: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/work-and-opportunities-for-womenWOW/Twinings partnership project summary: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/work-and-opportunities-for-women-programme-project-profile-twinings-partnership/work-and-opportunities-for-women-project-profile-twinings-partnershipThe HERproject streams mentioned by Meshack have since evolved and expanded into RISE, an international coalition focused on embedding gender equality at scale across global garment, footwear, and home textiles supply chains: https://riseequal.org/World Radio Alliance: https://www.worldradioalliance.com/Statistic about listenership comes form 2019 Deloitte report: https://www.deloitte.com/in/en/about/press-room/deloitte-global-tmt-predictions-2019.htmlAnd if you enjoyed this conversation, please take a listen to:Why Business Resilience is the New Social Impact, with Nyika Brain: https://businessfightspoverty.org/why-business-resilience-is-the-new-social-impact-with-nyika-brain/
In this episode of Social Impact Pioneers, we explore how the next generation is reshaping climate action, social innovation and systems change—not by waiting their turn, but by leading from the front. Meet Social Impact Pioneers: Penelope Gregoriou and Muhammad Hassan Dajana.Penelope and Hassan, both World Economic Forum Global Shaper and members of the Schwab Foundation's Youth and Social Initiative, join this conversation to share insights and experiences from South Africa and Pakistan respectively.Penelope is a sustainability strategist and ESG expert with a sharp focus on climate finance, sustainability reporting and transformative systems change. An alumnus of the UN SDG Innovator programme and a member of the World Benchmarking Alliance, she combines technical rigour with a deep commitment to centring humanity in climate policy.Hassan is a Fulbright Scholar and edtech entrepreneur scaling climate education across Pakistan. His projects—spotlighted by the UN and World Economic Forum—range from planting 10,000+ trees in urban heat zones to pioneering “green masjids” that embed environmental stewardship within religious teaching. His mission is bold: to empower 100 million learners to engage with climate justice.Together, they explore a grassroots leadership that is bold, collaborative and global in its reach. From rethinking how we measure impact to driving climate adaptation through community-led solutions, Penelope and Hassan share practical insights into how young innovators are disrupting silos, bridging sectors, and transforming moral urgency into policy reality.Listeners will discover:• How youth-led climate solutions are scaling from the ground up.• Why grassroots leadership is central to tackling systemic inaction.• How collaboration across business, civil society and government is shaping a more resilient future.If you’re searching for fresh thinking on leadership, collaboration and systems change, this conversation is essential listening.Social Impact Pioneers—where the changemakers of today shape the world of tomorrow.Links:Muhammad Hassan Dajana on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/hassandajana/Penelope Gregoriou on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/penelope-gregoriou/The Global Shapers Community: globalshapers.orgWorld Economic Forum: Leveraging green, blue and social infrastructure for disaster recovery and preparedness: https://www.weforum.org/stories/2025/06/leveraging-green-blue-and-social-infrastructure-for-disaster-recovery-and-preparedness/ World Benchmarking Alliance: https://www.worldbenchmarkingalliance.orgClima Synth: https://www.instagram.com/climasynth_/For Upcoming Updates on Darakht: Sign up here https://darakht.beehiiv.com/ How today's youth are taking the lead in global climate actionhttps://www.weforum.org/stories/2023/07/empowering-tomorrows-climate-leaders-how-youth-influence-climate-action/ Puff Recycleshttps://www.instagram.com/puffcycle.ch?igsh=dHh4YTIzYnk2eTlxHamara Kachra Hamari Zimadarihttps://www.instagram.com/hkhk_shaperskhi?igsh=N3ZucGdlZmp0cGdqHow collaborative action on smog could cast new light on India-Pakistan relationshttps://www.weforum.org/stories/2024/01/smog-india-pakistan-collaboration/Plastic Free Pakistanhttps://www.instagram.com/plastic free pakistan?igsh=azJkamU4bGR4MTQ2Our Green Blue Rawalpindi.https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1gmdGmUdsj2eXi_fdFqhvqyWu2pRGWBg1And if you liked this episode, take a listen to: Business-NGO Partnerships for Social Impact, With Diageo and Care: https://businessfightspoverty.org/business-ngo-partnerships-for-social-impact-with-diageo-and-care/
Welcome to Social Impact Pioneers, where we spotlight change makers redefining the future of business and society. In this episode, we’re joined by Mark Horoszowski, Co-founder and CEO of MovingWorlds, and Alam Bains, Head of Corporate Programs & Partnerships at MovingWorlds. Together they are empowering social innovation, unlocking the reasons why people might take action, enhancing social entrepreneurs and taking volunteering to another level.Mark and Alam are at the forefront of transforming corporate volunteering into a powerful engine for global impact. MovingWorlds is a global platform helping social enterprises access critical skills and knowledge—while enabling professionals to grow through purpose-driven projects. Through careful matching, two way support is helping to drive personal and social impact. With over $52 million in pro bono support across 110+ countries already given, they’re proving that purpose and profit can go hand in hand.What’s particularly interesting about this conversation is Mark and Alam’s work looking at why people might want to take action or get involved. They share their latest research that looks at designing behaviour-centred interventions – unlocking the understanding from social sciences to scale social innovation. Take a look at the resource links to find out more. Together we explore:•How social enterprises and corporate professionals are co-creating change•Why purpose-driven partnerships outperform transactional giving•What future-ready leadership looks like•How to better understand people to enable behaviour change.Whether you're a business leader seeking to align impact with innovation, a social entrepreneur scaling solutions, or a professional eager to find purpose in your career—this conversation is full of real stories, practical insights, and transformative ideas.Links:Moving Worlds: https://movingworlds.orgMoving Worlds and SAP: https://movingworlds.org/partner/sap/Moving Worlds and their work on the reasons why people volunteer or take action: https://blog.movingworlds.org/5-volunteering-personas-csr/Moving Worlds’ training programme on behaviour change for impact: https://movingworlds.org/social-sciences-to-scale-social-innovation-dan-ariely-generalIf you enjoyed this episode, please do take a listen to Financial Inclusion & Women Entrepreneurs with Nguyet and Tanvi: https://businessfightspoverty.org/driving-financial-inclusion-womens-entrepreneurship-with-nguyet-and-tanvi/
From Boardrooms to Base of the Pyramid – Stefan Engels on Reimagining Development Through Business. Meet Stefan Engels, an international development leader with a remarkable cross-sector journey—from corporate boardrooms to grassroots innovation hubs across Africa. Now based in Nairobi, Stefan brings nearly two decades of experience working at the nexus of private sector development, inclusive business models, and entrepreneurial ecosystems.Stefan’s career began in the corporate world of pharmaceuticals - with Johnson & Johnson, where he rose from Sales Representative to Regional General Manager over 15 years. But he made a bold pivot—leaving behind corporate predictability to pursue purpose-driven work in international development. His career spans time with UNDP, GAIN (Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition), and multiple foundations and NGOs across Kenya, Uganda, Rwanda, Mozambique, and Vietnam.In this episode, Stefan shares his insights on transitioning from the private sector to global development—navigating cultural shifts, embracing multi-stakeholder partnerships, and building resilient, systemic solutions for complex challenges. We explore the seismic shifts in development aid, the growing role of business in achieving social impact, and the enduring power of inclusive business strategies.Expect to hear: Why business can (and must) be a force for good Lessons in systems change and co-creation The future of development finance and impact measurement Advice for businesses building social impact into their core modelWhether you're a business leader seeking to deepen your social impact strategy, a development practitioner, or simply curious about how capitalism can align with sustainable development goals (SDGs)—you might find this interesting. Listen now and discover how profits can fit poverty and why Africa may just be the future’s innovation lab.
If you are looking for a bit of purpose-led leadership inspiration and personal development – take a listen. Sustainability and social impact leader Nyika Brain, joins the Social Impact Pioneers podcast to share her experiences in global supply chains, delivering impact through business and explains why resilience is the new social impact and could be the way to navigate CSR and ESG challenges. Born in Malawi and shaped by her experiences across the Global South, Nyika offers a unique, real-world perspective on how business can — and must — be a force for good. From leading ESG at MM Flowers (a major supplier to UK retailers like M&S) to strategic roles at the bank Barclays and the supermarket Waitrose, she brings deep insights into how to embed impact into core business strategy.Nyika is a trustee of The One Foundation and John Lewis Partnership Foundation, and a key voice in the Business Fights Poverty Global Expert Network. Her philosophy? “Social risk is business risk. Managing this risk builds resilience – it’s fundamental to core business and social impact.”In this episode, we explore:🔹 Why resilience is the most important lens for social impact in 2025🔹 What businesses often get wrong about supply chain risk — and how to fix it🔹 The power of genuine partnerships, good governance, and listening to communities🔹 How to lead through complexity, build coalitions, and make long-term impact stick🔹 Why personal resilience is essential for every social impact leaderWhether you're in ESG, procurement, philanthropy, or just figuring out how to lead with purpose — this episode is packed with practical advice and hard-won wisdom. Nyika’s grounded, global voice is one every purpose-driven professional needs to hear right now.Links:Business Fights Poverty and Five Bridges to take social impact forward: https://businessfightspoverty.org/five-bridges-to-2045-how-business-can-deliver-a-fairer-more-resilient-world/Business-NGO Partnerships for Social Impact, With Diageo and Care - https://businessfightspoverty.org/business-ngo-partnerships-for-social-impact-with-diageo-and-care/Business Fights Poverty AI powered social impact data finder: https://businessfightspoverty.org/insight-navigator/
In this episode, we welcome Social Impact Pioneer Josh Wheeler — founder of Be Broadcast, award-winning broadcast PR strategist, and one of the UK’s leading voices on reshaping how we talk about climate change and how to move the conversation from climate fear, stalling and inaction, to something everyone can take positive action on.Josh joins us to dive into Be Broadcast’s latest data-driven report, Mission Control: The Climate Conversation, which analysed over 45,000 radio and TV segments across the UK. The findings are eye-opening: climate change is dramatically underrepresented compared to entertainment events like the Oscars, and when it does make headlines, the framing is overwhelmingly alarmist — think “ticking time bomb” and “disaster waiting to happen.”But what does this mean for the public’s understanding, emotional response, and willingness to act? Josh explains why our current approach to climate storytelling often alienates the very people we need to engage: the “movable middle.” He explores how brands, campaigners, and communicators can break through media fatigue and craft narratives that inspire hope, clarity, and meaningful action — without slipping into despair or denial.This isn’t just a climate story. It’s a media story. Josh pulls back the curtain on why climate coverage fades so quickly once the floods subside or the political drama ends, and what we can do to keep this vital conversation alive long-term.Whether you work in PR, journalism, public policy — or are simply someone who cares about the future of the planet — this episode will give you fresh insight and practical tools to help shift the narrative.Ready to challenge the headlines and reimagine climate storytelling? Don’t miss this powerful conversation with Josh Wheeler. 🌍Links:📊 Get the full report at: bebroadcast.co.uk/mission-control🎧 Hear more on climate action here: https://businessfightspoverty.org/business-ngo-partnerships-for-social-impact-with-diageo-and-care/
What are the real-world impacts of inclusive economic development, gender equity, and the transformative power of entrepreneurship? Social Impact Pioneers Nguyet Tran Thi Minh in Vietnam and Tanvi Jaluka in California.Nguyet is CARE Vietnam’s Women’s Entrepreneurship and Financial Inclusion Manager. She leads the Strive Women program—a collaborative initiative with the Mastercard Center for Inclusive Growth that supports women-led micro and small enterprises in Vietnam. With years of private sector experience and a deep understanding of local financial systems, she shares insights into the barriers Vietnamese women entrepreneurs face, including access to finance, caregiving responsibilities, and limited digital literacy.Whilst Tanvi is CARE USA’s Research Lead. Her work spans over a decade in global gender and development. Tanvi is passionate about the importance of impact evaluations, holistic measurement tools, and research that centres women’s voices. Together, they highlight the need to move beyond traditional business metrics and understand indicators like confidence, control, and quality of life for women in emerging markets.Expect to hear insights financial health, business resilience, digital tools, caregiving responsibilities, and the real needs of women entrepreneurs. We'll hear why measuring confidence and control matters, how ecosystem collaboration can close inclusion gaps, and what businesses and donors can do to meaningfully support women’s economic empowerment.Whether you work in social impact, financial services, or care about unlocking the potential of entrepreneurs this episode is packed with insight, real-world research, and action-driven solutions to support women entrepreneurs globally.🎧 Listen now to learn how empowering women in business isn’t just the right thing to do—it’s smart economics.Links:CGD, Gender Equity: https://www.cgdev.org/topics/gender-equalityPoverty Action: Financial Inclusion: https://poverty-action.org/financial-inclusionCare: Women’s entrepreneurship:https://www.care.org/our-work/economic-growth/womens-entrepreneurship/Mastercard and Care, Stive Women: https://www.care.org/our-work/economic-growth/womens-entrepreneurship/strive-women/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nguyet-tran-8976ab127/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tjaluka/ Women Entrepreneurship Support Ecosystem Newsletter sign up: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdkAv3LNgs2HzEN945gzpEjHIF8Indaat-Ebl2gkrDyfmT8Xg/viewform
How can businesses and their partners design programmes to tackle multiple societal issues whilst making economic sense?Listen in to this conversation between Social Impact Pioneers: Amanda Smith, Global Head of Social Impact at Diageo; Amayaa Wijesinghe, Climate and Resilience Advisor at CARE International UK; and Thomas Ongogo, Program Manager at CARE International Kenya – as they explore how businesses and NGOs can work together to simultaneously tackle climate, gender, and economic challenges.This conversation was recorded during the Business Fights Poverty Global Equity Summit 2025. During which, Diageo and CARE International shared honest insights from their collaboration with smallholder farmers, grounding the discussion in their latest case study and practical experiences. Together their discussion highlights five actionable insights:1.Integrate Social, Environmental & Economic Goals – Achieve holistic, long-term impact by designing programs that empower women, promote climate resilience, and build local economies.2.Build Local Ownership – Strengthen communities by investing in local leadership and gender-inclusive initiatives like VSLAs.3.Secure Multi-Year Funding – Ensure sustainable outcomes by advocating for long-term financial commitments that allow for deeper, systemic change.4.Pool Resources for Collective Impact – Leverage cross-sector collaboration to drive scalable, innovative solutions.5.Embrace Digital Solutions – Use tech to extend agricultural knowledge, improve productivity, and reinforce value chain resilience.Tune in to explore how aligning social and environmental goals can deliver measurable business value while creating lasting impact on the ground.Listen now to learn how purposeful partnerships can power inclusive, sustainable development.Links:Business Fights Poverty Global Equity Summit 2025, including further resources from this and many other sessions: https://businessfightspoverty.org/global-equity-summit/#HighlightsBusiness Fights Poverty (2024). Business, Social Impact and Inclusivity with Amanda Smith. [podcast] Available at: https://businessfightspoverty.org/business-social-impact-and-inclusivity-with-amanda-smithDiageo (2025). Helping our smallholder farmers tackle the impacts of climate change and gender inequality. [online] Available at: https://www.diageo.com/en/news-and-media/stories/2025/helping-our-smallholder-farmers-tackle-the-impacts-of-climate-change-and-gender-inequalityYouTube (2024). Business, Social Impact and Inclusivity with Amanda Smith. [video online]Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CRmdJt-CAgs
How can technology, in this case mobile technology help people in hard-to-reach places and can it ever make our world fairer? These are two questions our Social Impact Pioneer this week grapples with daily. In this episode of the Business Fights Poverty podcast series – Social Impact Pioneers, we sit down with Max Cuvellier Giacomelli, Head of Mobile for Development at the GSMA, the global industry body uniting over 750 mobile operators and 400 tech companies. Max leads one of the most impactful teams in the world—Mobile for Development (M4D)—which has reached over 220 million people in low- and middle-income countries through mobile innovation. Max shares how the GSMA’s initiatives drive digital inclusion, financial empowerment, climate resilience, and gender equality, particularly through its Connected Women campaign and mobile money ecosystems. He unpacks how mobile connectivity is closing the mobile gender gap, with targeted programs helping over 80 million women access mobile internet and financial services, and how GSMA-supported startups like Crop2Cash are using AI to empower African farmers. We also explore the usage gap—the 3.1 billion people who live within network coverage but remain offline—and what’s being done to tackle digital barriers. Max highlights the GSMA’s push for commercially sustainable innovation, its AI Innovation Fund, and why ‘dumb AI’ built for real-world conditions in Africa may hold the key to inclusive tech. Whether you're passionate about tech for good, sustainable development, startup ecosystems, or bridging the digital divide, this conversation is packed with insights on how to scale impact through smart, inclusive partnerships between the private and public sectors. Tune in to hear how GSMA is helping build a more equitable digital future—and why the road to socio-economic transformation runs through mobile.Links:Links:Max Cuvellier: https://www.gsma.com/solutions-and-impact/connectivity-for-good/mobile-for-development/gsma_people/max-cuvellier-giacomelli/GSMA Mobile for Development (“M4D”) : https://www.gsma.com/solutions-and-impact/connectivity-for-good/mobile-for-development/ GSMA, #AccelerateAction: Our latest data shows progress in closing the mobile internet gender gap has stalled: https://www.gsma.com/solutions-and-impact/connectivity-for-good/mobile-for-development/blog/accelerateaction-our-latest-data-shows-progress-in-closing-the-mobile-internet-gender-gap-has-stalled/GSMA: AI for Africa: Use cases delivering impact: : https://www.gsma.com/solutions-and-impact/connectivity-for-good/mobile-for-development/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/AI-for-Africa-Use-cases-delivering-impact.pdfGSMA; Breaking Barriers: How we can close the Usage Gap: https://www.gsma.com/breakingbarriers/#:~:text=Only%204%25%20of%20the%20global,affects%203.1%20billion%20people%20globally.GSMA: Ensuring food security by solving the agricultural information gap: https://www.gsma.com/solutions-and-impact/connectivity-for-good/mobile-for-development/blog/ensuring-food-security-by-solving-the-agricultural-information-gap/GSMA: ClimateTechHorizonshttps://www.gsma.com/solutions-and-impact/connectivity-for-good/mobile-for-development/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/GSMA_ClimateTech_Horizons_2025.pdf
Work should be the most reliable path out of poverty. But for many, low wages, job insecurity, bureaucratic red tape, and the benefits cliff create barriers to financial stability. Social Impact Pioneers Megan Spurgeon and Scott C. Miller are transforming economic empowerment by revolutionising workforce development and breaking systemic cycles of poverty in the U.SMegan Spurgeon is the Director of Empower Upper Cumberland, a collective impact initiative dedicated to creating sustainable workforce and human services solutions in Tennessee. With a strong background in higher education, workforce development, and community action, Megan is a key player in aligning economic, social, and workforce initiatives for lasting change.Scott C. Miller, founder of Circles USA and president of The Poverty Solution, has been a national leader in poverty alleviation for over 40 years. He has helped communities raise over $200 million to support families in achieving long-term economic independence. His groundbreaking Poverty Alleviation System (PAS) - germinated from collaborations with the Walmart Foundation and Keurig — is a comprehensive framework that supports individuals in fully escaping poverty and contributes to reducing poverty rates at scale.is replacing outdated poverty management models with innovative, results-driven solutions.During this podcast conversation Megan and Scott explore:✔️ The Shift from Poverty Management to True Poverty Alleviation – Why current systems fail and how to implement real change.✔️ Collaboration for Impact – How businesses, nonprofits, and policymakers must work together for sustainable results.✔️ Breaking the Cycle of Poverty – The biggest challenges and innovative solutions shaping the future.✔️ The Role of Employers & Policy in Economic Empowerment – How businesses can support workforce development and retain talent.So whether you are working to address poverty, curious about the programmes supporting workforce development or simply in need of some positivity – Megan and Scott are your people.Links:•Scott Miller - https://www.linkedin.com/in/scottcmillerprofile/•Megan Spurgeon - www.linkedin.com/in/megankellyspurgeon•The Poverty Solution: https://www.thepovertysolution.com/•Empower UC - https://empoweruppercumberland.org/•Annual Report - https://empoweruppercumberland.org/news-and-events/prosperity-press/•TANF Opportunity Act - https://www.tn.gov/humanservices/tanf-opportunity-act.html•UCHRA - https://uchra.org/
How do you scale support for smallholder farmers, in hard to reach locations, harvesting a slow maturing crop?Social Impact Pioneer Christina Mawuse Gyisun, Co-Founder of Sommalife, joins us to talk about the shea industry in West Africa and how she and her team are increasing market access, and securing the future of an industry, by better supporting female smallholder farmers.Though women shea nut farmers provide a crucial raw ingredient to the $430 billion beauty industry, many live in extreme poverty, struggle with limited access to markets, and face the devastating impacts of climate change. Sommalifeis changing the game with a bespoke tech platform that digitizes operations, connects farmers to buyers, and empowers them as environmental stewards.The Problem: Systemic Exclusion & Environmental ThreatsIn West Africa, 60 million women smallholder farmers depend on raw commodities like shea nuts for survival. Yet, these farmers are often left out of formal markets, limited to selling their crop for low prices. Meanwhile, the shea tree—a lifeline for many communities—is at risk due to deforestation and vulnerable to climate change. In Ghana alone, 90% of charcoal production comes from shea trees, threatening both economic livelihoods and biodiversity.The Solution: Technology, Traceability & Market AccessSommalife has developed a bespoke digital platform to connect farmers directly to international buyers, ensuring fair prices and financial stability. Since 2020, the enterprise has:✅ Digitised operations for 110,000 farmers✅ Increased income by 23% for 40,000 women✅ Protected 1,500+ acres of shea treesBy leveraging AI and traceability technology, Sommalife enables ethical sourcing, ensuring that farmers benefit from global sustainability initiatives. This innovation aligns with the EU’s Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive (CS3D), which mandates supply chain transparency.Call to Action: Investing in Social ImpactTo scale this success, funding, collaboration, and corporate partnerships are crucial. Companies and investors looking to create real change can support ethical sourcing initiatives that protect the environment while improving livelihoods.As a Schwab Foundation Social Entrepreneur of 2025, Mawuse is proving that sustainable business can be profitable and impactful. Will your organisation be part of this movement?LinksFAO: West African agriculture and climate change (includes Percentage of West Africans who depend on agriculture): https://www.fao.org/family-farming/detail/en/c/413652/#:~:text=Agriculture%20is%20vital%20to%20livelihoods,gross%20domestic%20product%20(GDP).USAID: Sustainable Shea Butter Initiative, Fact Sheet (16 million shea producer network): https://www.usaid.gov/west-africa-regional/fact-sheet/sustainable-shea-initiative#:~:text=Demand%20for%20shea%20produced%20in,collecting%20and%20processing%20shea%20kernels.Karibon: Shea butter as cocoa butter equivalent: https://delivery.bunge.com/-/media/Files/00-Confectionery-Brochures/11-Coberine-Shea/Folder_Karibon.ashx Sommalife: https://sommalife.com/ Sommalife Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sommalife/Sommalife Linked In: https://www.linkedin.com/company/sommalife/?viewAsMember=trueSommalike Medium: https://sommalife.medium.com/Mawuse's Linked In: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mawuse-christina-gyisun-772758123/Mawuse's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mawusegyisun/Schwab Foundation Awards 2025: https://www.weforum.org/press/2025/01/schwab-foundation-awards-2025-new-social-entrepreneurs-and-innovators-of-the-year-announced/&https://www.schwabfound.org/2025-awardees
Listen in to explore how microentrepreneurs can be the catalyst for economic growth, the systemic shifts needed to empower them, and the emerging trends shaping their future.Social Impact Pioneers - Werner Wallner, Managing Director of the Hilti Foundation; Amalia Johnsson, CEO of Hand in Hand International; and Payal Dalal, Executive Vice President of Global Programmes at the Mastercard Center for Inclusive Growth join us to share their wisdom. With decades of experience in financial inclusion, entrepreneurship acceleration, and economic development, they bring invaluable insights into how small businesses can transform lives—and entire economies.Why Microbusinesses MatterMicrobusinesses make up 90% of global enterprises and contribute to over 50% of global GDP. In Kenya alone, 50% of working-age adults are informal entrepreneurs living below the poverty line. Strategic investment in this sector could boost national GDP by as much as 60%. Hand in Hand’s acceleration programmes—which offer advanced business training, credit access, and robust market linkages—have already increased participant incomes by 140%, often placing them among the country’s top 15% of earners. But despite their enormous potential, micro-entrepreneurs remain the most underserved economic players, especially women. This episode delves into how we can change that.Delivering System-Level ChangeTransforming microenterprise growth isn’t about isolated interventions—it requires systemic change. Our guests discuss how governments, financial institutions, and NGOs must coordinate efforts to unlock the full potential of micro-entrepreneurs. From broadening financial access to redefining women’s role in entrepreneurship, this conversation underscores the urgency of moving beyond ‘entrepreneurs by necessity’ and recognising them as economic powerhouses. Werner shares how financial inclusion initiatives have enabled thousands of women to build credit histories, access financing, and achieve long-term business growth. Meanwhile, Amalia highlights how tailored sectoral support for rural entrepreneurs is proving just as effective as urban interventions.Emerging Trends: AI, Cybersecurity, and DigitalisationThe future of small business success hinges on emerging technologies. Payal discusses the game-changing potential of Generative AI, which is already enhancing financial coaching and unlocking new digital financing opportunities for small businesses. However, the shift to digitalisation also brings new threats—cybersecurity risks are escalating, and over 50% of small businesses that suffer a cyberattack fail financially. Our guests stress the need for proactive measures to protect entrepreneurs in the digital economy while ensuring technology remains an enabler, not a barrier.Whether you're a policymaker, an investor, an NGO leader, or simply passionate about economic empowerment, this episode is packed with actionable insights and bold strategies. Links:Mastercard, Center for Inclusive Growth: https://www.mastercardcenter.orgHand in Hand International: https://www.handinhandinternational.orgHilti Foundation: https://www.hiltifoundation.orgDemocratizing data analytics and AI to level the playing field for small businesses: https://www.mastercardcenter.org/insights/article/democratizing-data-analytics-and-ai-to-level-the-playing-field-for-small-businessesHand in Hand: From informal entrepreneur to MSME owner: Making enterprise acceleration work for underserved women https://www.handinhandinternational.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/From-informal-entrepreneur-to-MSME-owner-acceleration-learning-report.pdf
Dive deep into the transformative world of social work, with Social Impact Pioneer, Peter Buturo. As Peter champions the vital force social work offers to strengthen communities, combat poverty, and champion justice.Peter is a seasoned social worker actively engaged in the field. During this conversation hear Peter’s inspiring journey into social work, sparked by personal tragedy and fuelled by a deep-seated desire to make a real difference in people’s lives. At the age of 16, Peter suffered the loss of his mother, uncle and grandparents. This devastation led him to reach crisis point as he battled with suicide. At the age of 17, Peter navigated life without parents in the UK. Fast forward to 2011 and Peter graduates from Birmingham City University as a qualified social worker. In our discussion, we address how and why social workers played such an important part in his own journey. Peter explains why he believes social workers continue to be critical in early intervention, the importance of family environment in child development, and the often misunderstood aspects of social work amidst public scrutiny. Peter emphasises the necessity of empathy and collaboration across societal sectors to foster real change.This episode not only sheds light on the day-to-day realities of social workers but also delves into broader societal issues like domestic violence and the systemic challenges that professionals face in safeguarding the welfare of children and families.Stay tuned as we uncover effective strategies for improving social systems and hear firsthand from someone who's not only in the trenches but also looking ahead to the future of social care. Whether you're a fellow social worker, involved in policy, or simply interested in contributing to a more just society, this episode promises profound insights and compelling discussions. Links:Peter's work: https://bold-leap.com/Peters's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/peterbuturoPeter's book, Social Work and Beyond: How to be a conscious social work entrepreneur: https://amzn.eu/d/1vL81YL
How can we measure impact and outcomes from social programmes that work for business? Our Social Impact Pioneer today believes that ESG initiatives need a unified impact measurement scale – impact per dollar. Meet Gilad Tanay, Founder and Chairperson of the ERI Institute. “Impact per Dollar gives investors a tangible percentage figure or impact unit of a particular initiative, i.e. how many people lifted from poverty per $10k invested.” Says Gilad. Gilad founded the ERI - which stands for the Effective Research for Impact – and that is what they do. ERI is a pioneering research organisation dedicated to identifying and maximising “Impact per Dollar” in philanthropy, ESG investing, with business and global development initiatives. With a background spanning academia and high-impact consulting, Gilad’s work has informed strategies for governments, major NGOs, and philanthropic funds worldwide.Before establishing ERI, Gilad co-founded and served as a director of Academics Stand Against Poverty (ASAP) and lectured on the Global Justice Programme at Yale University. Recognised for his insights on global inequality and poverty alleviation (including a TEDx talk at Yale – see below for links), Gilad left a traditional academic career to solve tangible, high-stakes problems. His approach centres on creating unified, evidence-based impact measurement frameworks—tools that empower investors, companies, and donors to truly understand the return on their social investments.In this conversation, we’ll unpack why the current ESG landscape often fails to deliver systemic change, and how “impact per dollar” can revolutionise social impact. Gilad discusses how unified metrics—similar to a financial ROI—let funders identify which initiatives genuinely lift communities out of poverty. He highlights the importance of direct cash transfers, skill-building programs, and fair labour practices to break the poverty trap, emphasising that businesses can become powerful agents of change when they address root causes rather than apply superficial fixes.Get ready for a thought-provoking dialogue on aligning profits with purpose, the urgent need for standardised impact metrics, and how the business sector can seize its unique position to tackle the world’s most devastating poverty-related diseases and inequalities. If you’ve ever wondered how to make social impact capital more transformative, this episode is your roadmap to higher-impact social investments.Links:•ERI Institute - https://eri-institute.com/about-2/•Gilad’s TedX - https://www.youtube.com/watch?app=desktop&v=hchXtBPSAZ4•Gilad Tanay’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gilad-tanay-798b8a/ •14 million people die a year from poverty-related diseases - https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/noncommunicable-diseases•ERI Institute Unified / Systemic impact per dollar method - https://eri-institute.com/impact-per-dollar/•Robber Baron mentality – business zero-sum game & Adam Smith liberal democracy - https://www.economist.com/interactive/essay/2024/10/31/when-politics-is-about-hating-the-other-side-democracy-suffers•Additional link - https://www.economist.com/leaders/2024/11/21/the-opportunities-and-dangers-for-trumps-disrupter-in-chief
Social Impact Pioneers Antoinette Marie, Director of Heifer Labs, and Sander de Jong, Managing Director of Fairfood talk blockchain, supplychains and food.Antoinette is a trailblazer in digital transformation and humanitarian development, whilst Sander is a serial social entrepreneur with a passion for food. In this episode, we delve into the heart of social entrepreneurship and its pivotal role in reshaping global food systems. Sander shares how he came to create of the Dutch Weed Burger—a venture that began in the early 2010s and continues to redefine the plant-based food market with its innovative use of seaweed. Sander is now the managing director at Fairfood. At Fairfood he is at the forefront of shaping a digitally connected, transparent food sector with prosperous small-scale farmers. As we explore his journey, we'll also delve into the broader implications of such entrepreneurial ventures on global food systems. Sander exemplifies how personal backgrounds, familial entrepreneurship, and a deep-seated desire for change can drive someone to reinvent their career path for the greater good. At the same time Sander uncovers the challenges and opportunities technology provides for supply chain transparency and to deepen societal impact.This is where Antoinette comes in - Antoinette is championing technology-driven solutions to empower smallholder farmers. With a focus on bridging the digital divide and driving sustainable practices across agricultural supply chainsWith the recently released white paper from Heifer International and Fairfood International outlining a strategy to help suppliers and companies ensure farmers in commodity supply chains receive sustainable, living incomes. The link to the paper is below and expect to find details of two open-source methodologies for determining actual production costs and efficiency for more transparent pricing and sustainability.One such methodology is blockchain. Together Antoinette and Sander share their insights on the developments in blockchain to enhance transparency and traceability from farm to fork. The vision is to shed light for consumers on the origins of their food, and support farmers in achieving a living income, thereby fostering a fair and sustainable agricultural sector.Join us as Antoinette and Sander provide insights into the challenges and opportunities that come with integrating cutting-edge technologies in the fight against rural poverty. Whether you are an aspiring social entrepreneur, a professional in the tech industry, or simply someone passionate about making a difference, this episode is packed with valuable lessons and inspiring stories.Links:The Dutch Weed burger: https://dutchweedburger.com/en/Fairfood: https://fairfood.org/en/ Heifer: White Paper: Commodity Living Income Strategy: A Data-Forward Living Income Strategy for Commodity Supply Chains: https://www.heifer.org/about-us/media-center/press-releases/heifer-international-and-fairfood-international-release-commodity-living-income-strategy-white-paper.htmlFruitpunch AI challenge: https://www.fruitpunch.ai/challengesSander de Jong’s Linked In: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sanderdejong/Antoinette Marie’s Linked In: https://www.linkedin.com/in/amarie/
Welcome to this episode of the Social Impact Pioneer podcast, where we explore the intersection of business and social good through transformative partnerships. Social Impact Pioneers - Taryn Davis, the Senior Director of Strategic Partnerships and Stakeholder Relations at Cargill and Chris Noble, Associate Vice President of Corporate Partnerships at CARE discuss what makes the long-term partnership between their organisations work.In this episode, we will dive deep into Cargill's longstanding partnership with CARE, a global organisation dedicated to alleviating poverty and empowering women. Together, they have reached over 4.6 million people across 13 countries, focusing on improving agricultural productivity and ensuring food security. Listen in as Taryn and Chris share insights on the innovative programs, like farmer field schools, that have transformed lives, especially for women in farming communities.Chris and Taryn explore how strategic partnerships between businesses and not-for-profit organisations unlock opportunities for communities to strengthen their resilience to stresses and shocks - especially in today's rapidly changing global environment. They emphasis why organisations that collaborate can leverage respective resources, expertise, and influence to create more substantial and sustainable outcomes. Their insights aim to help businesses and organisations form partnerships that will lead to long-lasting, impactful results for community resilience initiatives. Join the conversation and discuss the importance of co-creation, trust, and data-driven strategies in building resilient partnerships that can withstand global challenges, such as climate change and economic crises. Whether you're a business leader, nonprofit professional, or simply interested in how strategic collaborations can make a difference, this episode is packed with valuable insights and inspiring stories. Tune in and be inspired by the powerful impact of partnership in creating lasting change.Links:Cargill & Care (2020). Building Transformational Partnerships. Business Fights Poverty white paper. Available at: https://www.cargill.com/doc/1432128057778/cargill-care-business-fights-poverty-white-paper-pdf.pdfImpartner (2023). Data-Driven Partner Behaviors: How to Drive the Greatest Results. Available at: https://impartner.com/resources/blog/data-driven-partner-behaviorsSan Francisco Fed (2023). Community Resilience and Adaptive Capacity: A Meaningful Investment Across Assets. Retrieved from https://www.frbsf.orgCastañeda, A. (2021). Rightly done, PPPs can be the right tool for green and resilient infrastructure. World Bank Blogs. Available at: https://blogs.worldbank.org/en/ppps/rightly-done-ppps-can-be-right-tool-green-and-resilient-infrastructureThe conversation took place as part of the Business Fights Poverty Global Goals Summit 2024: https://businessfightspoverty.org/global-goals-summits
In this episode, we’re hearing David Nicholson of Mercy Corps and Thomas Beloe from the UNDP talk human centred climate action. David Nicholson is the first-ever Chief Climate Officer at Mercy Corps. David joins us from the climate COP29 in Baku to share where he thinks business and human centred climate action have gotten to. Whilst Thomas Beloe, the Acting Director, Sustainable Finance Hub, UNDP records his piece shortly after the climate COP is finished and shares his thoughts on how climate action needs to move forward for everyone.Both provide insider views on what it was like at the climate COP in Baku, how we can take action, and the role business and others can play in helping tackle climate change.Mercy Corps’ climate-related programs have reached 5.9 million people in 2023, with ambitions to extend this impact to over 20 million by supporting high-impact climate startups and advancing their Climate: Possible campaign.With over a decade of experience at Mercy Corps, David’s work spans continents and industries—from carbon finance projects in Uganda to green business program development in Colombia. He’s a driving force behind AgriFin, a groundbreaking initiative delivering digital solutions to over 7 million smallholder farmers across Africa, empowering them with tools like mobile banking, insurance products, and climate-smart agricultural advice.Whilst Thomas has more than 25 years of experience in providing policy advice to governments across Africa, Asia, Europe, Latin America and the Pacific. Tom Beloe leads UNDP’s Sustainable Finance Hub. In addition to global and regional roles on sustainable finance, Tom has also worked on governance, climate finance and responsible business practices. Previous to UNDP, Tom worked for think tanks, NGOs and the UK government’s Department for International Development (DFID). He has a master’s degree in Anthropology from Cambridge University and a Master’s in Social Policy and Planning from the London School of Economics.Links:Thomas, Beloe, UNDP: https://www.undp.org/authors/thomas-beloeDavid Nicholson, Mercy Corps: https://www.mercycorps.org/en-gb/who-we-are/our-team/david-nicholsonBusiness Fights Poverty, Climate Justice: https://businessfightspoverty.org/climate-and-business
Welcome to Social Impact Pioneers – in this episode we delve into the intersection of climate change, human rights, and modern slavery. This conversation forms part of the Business Fights Poverty Climate Justice Series (links below) and takes place at the tail end of the climate COP29, Baku.In this episode, we hear from Social Impact Pioneers: Chiara Soletti and Sizakele Marutlulle.Chiara Soletti, Climate Change Advocacy Manager at Anti-Slavery International, is a leading voice on human rights and climate change. With expertise in migration, just transition, and modern slavery, Chiara works tirelessly to influence policy and integrate human rights into global climate action. As an official observer of the UN climate conferences, she brings vital perspectives on the growing risks of exploitation due to climate change impacts.Sizakele Marutlulle, an award-winning business strategist and entrepreneur, shares her passion for using creativity to drive societal change. With over two decades of experience in leadership, brand strategy, and business development, Sizakele focuses on helping businesses become forces for positive impact. As a champion of Human Centric Creativism, she advocates for brands that prioritise human well-being and sustainable growth.Together, Chiara and Sizakele provide invaluable insights into how businesses can address climate-related challenges while safeguarding human rights. In this episode, we explore how climate action can prevent the rise of modern slavery, the importance of ethical supply chains, and the role of business in driving positive social change.Links:Anti Slavery International: https://www.antislavery.orgClimate Change and Modern Slavery Hub: https://www.climate-modern-slavery-hub.org/Anti Slavery International (Oct 2024). Launch of new climate change and modern slavery hub: https://www.antislavery.org/latest/launch-of-new-climate-change-and-modern-slavery-hub/Chiara Soletti, Linked In: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chiarasoletti/Sizakele Marutlulle: https://sizakelemarutlulle.com/ Business Fights Poverty and Climate Justice: https://businessfightspoverty.org/climate-and-business
As the climate COP29 in Baku concludes without much fanfare, understanding what was really going on is more important than ever. Business Fights Poverty Youth Ambassador, Malkia Johns sits down within the COP and speaks with two women’s health activists, Niona Nakuya and Terry Owino.Niona, a reproductive health specialist and climate change advocate from Uganda, serves as the Programme Officer for Population Health, Environment, and Development at Regenerate Africa. Terry, a women's health and well-being advocacy lead from Kenya, is a passionate advocate for gender justice and climate inclusion.Tune in as Niona and Terry share their unique perspectives on the intersection of women’s health, climate change, and social justice. From their work empowering women in Africa to navigate the impacts of climate change, to their efforts in advocating for gender equality and climate finance, both activists are at the forefront of human-centred climate action.The conversation delves into their personal experiences at COP29, reflecting on the challenges and opportunities for developing countries like Uganda and Kenya. Niona discusses the Population Health and Environment model and its impact on grassroots communities, while Terry highlights the importance of addressing climate change from an intersectional perspective, focusing on the lived realities of women in the Global South.Through their insights, this episode shines a light on how businesses can contribute to climate action through sustainable practices and social responsibility. As COP29 puts climate finance at the center of discussions, Niona and Terry provide crucial reflections on the importance of integrating health, gender, and community development into global climate policies.Links:Terry Owino's Linked In: https://www.linkedin.com/in/terry-owino-2b28791b7/Nakuya Niona Kasekende's Linked In: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nakuya-niona-kasekende-09167413a/To find out more about the Climate Justice Series by Business Fights Poverty, check out: https://businessfightspoverty.org/resources/?_combined_categories=climate-justice
Meet two Social Impact Pioneers as they talk international development, climate resilience and the climate COP29 in Baku, Azebijan. Simon Crittle, Director of Global Communications at iDE, brings nearly 30 years of expertise in journalism, government, and nonprofit communications. From his time as a New York correspondent for Time Magazine to serving as the UN World Food Programme’s spokesperson in Sudan, Simon’s journey reflects a commitment to impactful storytelling. Now leading communications for iDE—a global nonprofit innovating to end poverty—Simon travels the world, producing powerful content and managing a dynamic team.Simon is joined by Kazi Jawad Hossain, iDE’s Climate, Resilience, and Agriculture Manager. Kazi leads global programs addressing climate, environment, and energy challenges, with a focus on empowering the world’s most vulnerable populations. Recorded live from COP 29 in Baku, Azerbaijan, this episode dives into the atmosphere and key developments at this pivotal climate conference.Discover what sets this COP apart, from groundbreaking discussions on climate finance to critical advancements in loss and damage mechanisms. Kazi shares compelling insights into the urgency of inclusive climate solutions, spotlighting women entrepreneurs as catalysts for sustainable change. Learn how iDE’s ambitious 10-year strategy, Project Fury, aims to transform the lives of 1 million women entrepreneurs while scaling local private sector innovation.Whether you’re passionate about climate action, intrigued by global development, or seeking inspiration to make a difference, this episode delivers. Don’t miss the chance to hear firsthand accounts from the frontlines of the climate crisis—and discover how we can all play a part in building a more resilient, equitable future.Links:Simon Crittle: https://www.linkedin.com/in/simon-c-47b23952/Kazi Jawoad Hossain: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kazijawoad/iDE: https://www.ideglobal.org/And for more from Business Fights Poverty on climate justice and many other topics affecting business and social impact: https://businessfightspoverty.org
In this special episode, we bring you exclusive insights straight from COP29 in Baku, Azerbaijan, with long-time Business Fights Poverty community members, Justin Perrettson and Katarina Kahlmann. As global leaders and changemakers convene to tackle the pressing challenges of climate change, Justin and Katarina share their experiences, expertise, and perspectives from inside the conference.Justin Perrettson, Head of Partnerships and External Engagement at Novonesis and an Advisory Board Member for the UN Climate Technology Centre & Network, provides an insider’s look at the complexities of COP negotiations. With a focus on inclusive multilateralism, climate finance, and carbon pricing, Justin unpacks the significance of this year's "technical COP" and its role in driving global climate action. From securing funding for mitigation and adaptation to exploring technology solutions for the Global South, Justin highlights the urgency and interconnectedness of the process.Katarina Kahlmann, Chief Program Officer at TechnoServe, shares her perspective on implementing regenerative business solutions worldwide. With over 2,000 employees across the Americas, Africa, and Asia, her work demonstrates how innovative approaches can build resilient, inclusive economies.Amidst cautious optimism and geopolitical concerns, the conference is abuzz with discussions on AI’s potential to combat climate change and the transformative power of climate finance. While the quieter setting of Baku contrasts with past COPs, the focus here is clear: less fluff, more action.Tune in to hear how COP29 is setting the stage for a pivotal COP30 in Brazil, and what it all means for business, policy, and the fight against climate change.Brought to you by Business Fights Poverty.To have your say join: https://forum.businessfightspoverty.org/t/climate-justice-community-forum-2024/5031 | Thursday 21st November | 3-4:15pm GMT
Welcome to a special episode of the "Social Impact Pioneers" podcast, where today, we're not just discussing change; we're living it. In this episode you will hear from Malkia Johns, Business Fights Poverty Youth Ambassador who is in Baku for the climate COP29. In this conversation Malkia talks with Zach Lubin, a recent graduate from the University of Glasgow and an environmental enthusiast.Hailing from Kenya, Malkia is the Founder and Executive Director of Sauti Salama. She is an electrical engineer with a commitment to gender equality and youth inclusion in climate action. Over the next two weeks, she will be our host, bringing firsthand insights directly from the heart of the conference.Hear diverse perspectives as Malkia engages with global delegates, shedding light on how businesses contribute to combating climate change and advocating for actionable solutions. With her passion and expertise, she aims to bridge gaps and foster conversations that lead to real, impactful change.Today's episode we hear from Malkia and Zach Lubin, a recent graduate from the University of Glasgow and an environmental enthusiast, who shares his insights into the conference's dynamics and his personal experiences.Hear first had what is going on at the Climate COP 29 in Azerbaijan from people there, on the ground, trying to make positive climate change, for people and planet happen.Links:Zach Lubin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/zachary-lubin-89b627ba/Malkia John: https://www.linkedin.com/in/malkia-j-806989131/Malkia live at climate COP29: https://www.youtube.com/live/0KUeOk2CSwYBusiness Fights Poverty’s latest articles on climate, business and people: https://businessfightspoverty.org/resources/?_combined_categories=climate-justice
How do you turn an ambitious corporate commitment on social impact and inclusivity into reality? Meet Social Impact Pioneer Amanda Smith. Amanda is the Head of Community Impact at Diageo. Diageo is a global leader in premium drinks, renowned for its portfolio of over 200 iconic brands, including Johnnie Walker, Tanqueray, Guinness, and Smirnoff. Operating in nearly 180 countries and employing over 30,000 people worldwide.At the heart of Diageo’s ethos is its Spirit of Progress plan, a commitment to sustainable growth through inclusive programs that empower individuals and communities. From business and hospitality skills training to innovative water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) initiatives, Diageo aims to create a positive impact where they operate. A key focus is championing diversity and inclusion, ensuring that 50% of beneficiaries in their community programs are women, thus enhancing opportunities for underrepresented groups.Amanda is the lady behind turning this ambitious commitment into reality. With her extensive experience in creating inclusive programs, Amanda shares insights into how Diageo integrates social responsibility into its core business strategy. We’ll discuss the importance of inclusivity in WASH initiatives and how these efforts not only benefit women and girls but also strengthen communities.As we navigate through Amanda’s journey and the impactful work at Diageo, you’ll discover why the time for social responsibility is now and how businesses can harness their influence to drive positive change. Amanda shares how Diageo have been actively addressing human rights and inclusion in their value chain for some time. With the emerging social impact regulations, including Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive (CSDDD) coming into action in Europe – we talk about how Diageo has been preparing for it and why regulation doesn’t need to be all about risk and compliance. Don’t miss this engaging conversation about innovation, inclusion, and the future of sustainable business practices. Links:Amanda Smith: https://www.linkedin.com/in/amanda-smith-99776b1b/Diageo: https://www.diageo.com/en/our-businessDiageo, Inclusive Business Approach: https://www.diageo.com/en/esg/diversity-equity-and-inclusion/inclusive-community Diageo and CARE International Partnership, Investing in water and empowering women through WASH in Kenya: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=luVVK1vLX5w Task Force on Taskforce on Inequality and Social-related Financial Disclosures: https://www.tisfd.orgOxford University, Leading Sustainable Corporations: https://www.sbs.ox.ac.uk/programmes/executive-education/online-programmes/oxford-leading-sustainable-corporations-programme WaterAid: Integrating gender equality into community water, sanitation and hygiene projects – guidance notes: https://washmatters.wateraid.org/publications/integrating-gender-equality-into-community-water-sanitation-and-hygiene-projectsWash4Work, CEO Water Mandate: WASH benefits accounting framework: https://ceowatermandate.org/publications/WASH-Framework-Summary.pdfDiageo (2023), Human Rights, Global Policies: https://media.diageo.com/diageo-corporate-media/media/p1pnrolk/dia1857_a4_policies_global_human_rights_2023-update-v4.pdf The Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive (CSDDD) - Directive (EU) 2024/1760: https://www.corporate-sustainability-due-diligence-directive.comAnd if you liked this, do take a look at: Business Fights Poverty, Global Goals Summit 2024, Driving ESG Innovation in the New Regulatory Context with Metahttps://businessfightspoverty.org/session/driving-esg-innovation-in-the-new-regulatory-context-with-meta/
Is sustainability now a choice between compliance and innovation for business? During a time of regulation, (CSRD, CSDDD to name just two), ESG scepticism and increasing societal pressures.In this episode of Social Impact Pioneers, we talk with Dr. Mary Johnstone-Louis, Senior Fellow at the Saïd Business School, University of Oxford, and Co-Director of Oxford’s Sustainable Business Programme. Dr. Johnstone-Louis brings a wealth of experience from her work across five continents, focusing on corporate responsibility and sustainability in various contexts.We dive into the crucial conversation around sustainability as a choice between compliance and innovation. Dr. Johnstone-Louis argues that businesses must view sustainability not just as a regulatory requirement but as a transformative opportunity for innovation and growth. She emphasises the importance of interdisciplinary approaches that incorporate science, politics, and strategy, especially as sustainability becomes more mainstream.Our discussion also touches on the pivotal role of academia in shaping sustainable practices and educating future leaders. Dr. Johnstone-Louis believes that researchers can drive meaningful change by challenging conventional business norms and inspiring new perspectives on corporate governance and ethics.Listeners will gain insights into the enablers and blockers in the sustainability landscape, from emerging trends to potential threats. Dr. Johnstone-Louis highlights the need for businesses to move beyond mere compliance to create value through innovative solutions that benefit society and the environment.As we explore Dr. Johnstone-Louis's journey and her contributions to the evolving discourse on Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) criteria, we emphasise that effective sustainability practices are essential for long-term success. This episode is a must-listen for business leaders, academics, and anyone passionate about the intersection of business and sustainability.Join us as we learn from one of the leading voices in corporate ethics and governance, and discover how you can be part of the solution for a more sustainable future.Links:Mary Johnstone-Louis: https://www.sbs.ox.ac.uk/about-us/people/mary-johnstone-louisKPMG, 2024 Sustainability Organization Survey: https://kpmg.com/us/en/articles/2024/sustainability-organization-survey.html IBM, How to create business value with embedded sustainability: https://www.ibm.com/thought-leadership/institute-business-value/en-us/report/sustainability-business-value Colin Mayer, publications: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Colin_Mayer FT, Forget COP26 boasts — decarbonising takes thousands of tiny, boring steps: https://www.ft.com/content/1bca616e-3398-4599-8019-8cd688364d9e Oxford University, Net Zero, Tracking Progress: https://netzeroclimate.org/innovation-for-net-zero/progress-tracking/ SME Climate Hub: https://smeclimatehub.orgBusiness Fights Poverty Global Goals Summit: https://businessfightspoverty.org/global-goals-summits Business Fights Poverty workshop with Meta: DRIVING ESG INNOVATION IN THE NEW REGULATORY CONTEXT: https://businessfightspoverty.org/session/driving-esg-innovation-in-the-new-regulatory-context-with-meta/
How does financial inclusion transform lives? And what is the role of listening and agility in the success of inclusive financial products and services?Meet Social Impact Pioneer – Atul Tandon. Atul is the visionary CEO of Opportunity International. Opportunity International is a pioneer in developing microfinance products that empower the underprivileged. They are proof of the significant impact of sustainable banking on global poverty alleviation.Atul’s journey from his humble beginnings in India to becoming a global leader in microfinance via MBA and CitiBank financier propels him to lean in, use his financial skills and help others. Listen in to learn about Atul’s journey and how his conviction to deeply listen to and understand the people he serves allows Opportunity International to pivot and progress their financial products – so that they really do improve lives. We'll discuss the organisation's latest innovations, such as digital tools for farmers and educational initiatives that bypass traditional barriers, offering new paradigms for social improvement.In 2023, under Atul's leadership, Opportunity International and its partners disbursed over $1.85 billion (released in loans), impacting 50 million lives across 31 countries. These funds have catalysed growth for smallholder farms and informal businesses, helping families educate their children and improve their living standards. The organisation's approach combines financial assistance with educational programs, further exemplifying its holistic strategy to combat poverty.During this conversation Atul shares just some of what he has learnt as a leader for social impact – from motivating teams for impact over income to starting with the end in mind and knowing when to leave. This podcast conversation is a trove of useful and actionable insights.Links:•Bloomberg – The AI Revolution Comes for Farmers Growing a Third of Our Food - https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2024-06-14/ai-is-helping-the-world-s-poorest-farmers-improve-yields•Devex - https://www.devex.com•Opportunity International; Atul Tandon - https://opportunity.org/who-we-are/people/atul-tandon•Opportunity International, Kenya school study: Three-year quasi-experimental study finds children gain as much as half a year equivalent of additional schooling | Opportunity International Edufinance - https://edufinance.org/publications/research-and-learning/endline-findings-kenya/•Opportunity International | CoLab - https://opportunity.org/colab/•Our World in Data (Aug 2023); Extreme poverty: How far have we come, and how far do we still have to go? - https://ourworldindata.org/extreme-poverty-in-brief•Our World in Data (2023); Poverty Data Explorer - Our World in Data - https://ourworldindata.org/explorers/poverty-explorer•US News and World Report (Sept 2024); In a World Facing Climate and Equity Crises, Impact Investing Is Gaining Momentum - https://www.usnews.com/opinion/articles/2024-09-10/in-a-world-facing-climate-and-equity-crises-impact-investing-is-gaining-momentumAnd if you liked this, take a listen to:Gender-Smart Climate Finance with Sana Kapadia - https://businessfightspoverty.org/gender-smart-climate-finance-with-sana-kapadia/
What is the business case for corporate volunteering and employees sharing their expertise for social good? And how can corporate philanthropy make a social impact? Social Impact Pioneer, Anthony Sanchez, Vice President and Global Head of Community Impact at Moody's, shares his wisdom.Anthony's career spans over two decades, during which he moved from corporate communications into corporate social responsibility (CSR). Finding his passion for delivering social impact through business actions, Anthony is today an award winning, champion of corporate social responsibility, philanthropy and a leader in employee engagement and employee volunteering.Leading teams first at American Express and now at Moody's, Anthony has been instrumental in developing global philanthropy initiatives and enriching employee engagement through volunteering, pro bono programs and embedding it into core business. During this podcast, Anthony shares what corporate philanthropy looks like in 2024, and how employee volunteering has evolved from painting fences to an important tool in colleague engagement, learning and development and community understanding.Links:Moody’s Community Impact - https://communityimpact.moodys.io/Moody’s Employee Engagement Programs - https://communityimpact.moodys.io/employee-engagementWomen’s World Banking - https://www.womensworldbanking.org/WEConnect International - https://weconnectinternational.org/And if you like this, do take a look at the latest resources from the Business Fights Poverty Global Goals Summit: https://businessfightspoverty.org/global-goals-summitsAnd do take a listen to:Ethical Supply Chain Management with Clare Fitton: https://businessfightspoverty.org/ethical-supply-chain-management-with-clare-fitton/
What does gender-smart climate finance mean in practice and how can gender lens investing make any kind of difference during the green transition?Sana Kapadia, Chief Catalyst at Heading for Change, is a key figure in unlocking capital at the intersection of climate and gender finance. With a diverse background in impact investing, venture capital, and gender finance, Sana is a trailblazer in leveraging capital for systemic change. She’s dedicated to addressing the intersection of climate finance and gender equity, highlighting how these two crucial issues can drive meaningful, inclusive change. Listen in as Sana lays out why taking a gender lens to investing is essential if we are to ensure a just transition to a green economy. Sana explains: “Climate finance isn't just an opportunity—it's a necessity.”Having started her career as a financial analyst focusing on real estate, in 2010 Sana pivoted into impact investing – focusing on gender finance. Sana talks about why this transition has unlocked opportunities for her and how we can take action to enable women to be fully integrated into the climate response. During this podcast conversation, Sana shares real-world examples and given her base in the UAE – her insights into the region’s developments. She emphasises the growing investment opportunities at the climate-gender nexus, urging immediate action to scale inclusive climate finance. Links: Heading for Change: https://www.headingforchange.orgHeading for Change on Linked In: https://www.linkedin.com/company/heading-for-change/?viewAsMember=trueHeading for Change newsletter: https://www.headingforchange.org/newsletterHeading for Change investment portfolio : https://www.headingforchange.org/investmentsJacqualine Novogratz – The Blue Sweater: https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/594025/the-blue-sweater-by-jacqueline-novogratz/2x Global,knowledge hub: https://www.2xglobal.org/knowledge-hub2x Inclusive gender and climate finance: https://www.2xglobal.org/knowledge-hub-blog/inclusive-gender-and-climate-finance2x Ignite, Accelerating the next generation of women-led, gender-smart fund managers: https://www.2xignite.orgIFC She Wins Arabia: https://www.ifc.org/en/stories/2022/creating-opportunities-for-women-led-startupsMasdar Wiser : https://masdar.ae/en/strategic-global-initiatives/wiserSuzanne Biegel: https://www.headingforchange.org/suzannes-legacyICFA – acceleratorAmazon, Reckitt, Visa Foundation facility: Calalyzing Gender Equity in Climate Finance: https://www.usaid.gov/gender-equality-and-womens-empowerment/climate-gender-equity-fund-cgefSheChanges Climate: https://www.shechangesclimate.orgBusiness Fights Poverty, Global Goals Summit 2024: https://businessfightspoverty.org/global-goals-summits (apply your re-usable promo code for your free online tickets: BFPGGS24And if you like this conversation, take a listen to:Investors and Female Entrepreneurs, with Sanjukta and Heatherhttps://businessfightspoverty.org/investors-and-female-entrepreneurs/
How can innovative finance and philanthropy to help solve the world’s biggest problems? What are the innovations in finance that can better tackle poverty, address climate change and create equity? And how can philanthropy go beyond a simple donation to charity?Meet Alix Lebec, the trailblazing founder and CEO of LEBEC. With a mission to merge financial mechanisms with philanthropic efforts, LEBEC is creating impactful solutions across the U.S. and Europe. Since its inception in 2020, Alix has steered the company towards maximising value creation and scaling transformative solutions for pressing global challenges.With over 20 years of expertise in sustainable finance and philanthropy, Alix has played pivotal roles in advising and growing organisations dedicated to societal improvement. Starting her career with the World Bank in Paris and Southeast Asia, she introduced groundbreaking communication initiatives and educational programs. Her significant contributions continued at Water.org, where she was instrumental during the organisation’s pivotal early-stage global expansion. Alix launched WaterEquity in 2014 alongside an entrepreneurial founding team and under the leadership of co-founders Gary White and Matt Damon. Together the organisation evolved from an $11 million pilot fund into a globally recognised investment manager, effectively mobilising over $200 million in investments and philanthropic funds.During our conversation, Alix shares her insights on leading her own organisation, the potential of finance to drive real impact and the future of financial innovations. Discover how strategic investments and philanthropy can work hand-in-hand to foster sustainable business practices and promote systemic change.Alix says: "We believe it’s critical to think bigger and reimagine how global capital markets can be a force for good. The opportunities to donate, invest, and do business sustainably are immense, and it's time to harness them for systems change," says Alix.Listen in as Alix Lebec enlightens us on the power of innovative finance and philanthropy in creating a more equitable and sustainable world. Don’t miss this engaging discussion on how strategic funding can be a catalyst for global change.Links:Alix Lebec: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alix-lebec-1821a71/Lebec: https://lebec.coWaterEquity.orgDebt for nature swaps – national debt burden relief if committed to nature:https://www.imf.org/en/News/Articles/2022/05/03/CF-Belize-swapping-debt-for-natureBusiness funds from the core balance sheet: https://www.globalcompactusa.org/news/starbucks-ecolab-gap-inc-reckitt-and-dupont-join-with-u-s-government-to-invest-nearly-140-million-in-water-access-fundSun Culture: https://sunculture.ioStandard Chartered Innovations in Sustainability: Integrating nature into financial decision making: https://www.sc.com/en/campaigns/innovation-in-sustainability/And if you liked this, join us at the Business Fights Poverty, Global Goals Summit 2024. Register here: https://businessfightspoverty.org/global-goals-summits (apply this promo code to unlock your free online tickets: BFPGGS24)
Social Impact Pioneer, Bill Omondi is on a mission to build a generation of young Africans with great leadership and communication skills. As the CEO and Founder of the Debate Circle in Kenya, Bill is working to empower young people – so that they can lean in and articulate their response to the global challenges – from poverty to climate change. Creating the change and actions that they need.Bill is also an inaugural part of the core Business Fights Poverty team – as our Community Engagement Lead, Kenya.Listen in to hear Bill’s passion for empowering the next generation through educative and transformative initiatives. In the 3 – 4 years since the inception of the Debate Circle – Bill has taken the organisation from a seed of an idea to reaching, engaging and empowering thousands of young people annually.Bill is unlocking opportunities for young people to be heard, to help ensure they are understood and able to engage others in what they have to say.Tune in as we uncover the layers of Bill’s impactful work, explore the challenges and triumphs of leading a social enterprise, and discuss future initiatives aimed at broadening the reach and depth of the Debate Circle. Whether you're a social impact enthusiast, educator, or someone passionate about youth empowerment, this episode promises rich insights and inspiration from one of the leading voices in the field of education and community development.Don't forget to follow us on LinkedIn and Instagram to see more updates and connect with Bill directly.Links:Debate Circle on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thedebatecircle/?locale=hr_HRBill Omondi on Linked In: https://ke.linkedin.com/in/bill-omondi-8a238994 To learn more about the work Business Fights Poverty has been doing on partnering and collaborations – click here: https://businessfightspoverty.org/resources/?_search_resources=partnershipAnd if you liked this podcast do take a listen to:Tackling Poverty and Unemployment Through Youth Entrepreneurship, with Anita and Rose: https://businessfightspoverty.org/tackling-poverty-and-unemployment-through-youth-entrepreneurship-with-anita-and-rose/
Improving our health starts a long time before we get sick. Social Impact Pioneer Dr. Jan Carney has dedicated her career to public health - tackling the biggest morbidity and mobility issues society faces on a scale that makes a big difference to all our well-being.Listen in to learn how to make positive social impacts at scale as Jan shares tried and tested community and society scale wellbeing behaviour change.Jan, a prominent figure in public health, serves as the Associate Dean for Public Health and Health Policy and Professor of Medicine at the Larner College of Medicine at the University of Vermont. With a comprehensive academic background that includes a Bachelor of Biology/French/Premedical Studies from Middlebury College, a Doctor of Medicine from the University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, and a Master of Public Health from Harvard School of Public Health, Dr. Carney has dedicated her career to improving public health through education, research, and policy.Public health, as Jan explains, differs significantly from mainstream medicine. It is not just about treating individuals one at a time but involves a holistic approach to improve health at the community and population levels. Her approach involves understanding and implementing the social determinants of health, such as nutrition, housing, and education, which play a crucial role in maintaining public health.During her tenure as Commissioner of Health in Vermont, Jan spearheaded several initiatives that dramatically improved public health outcomes, including increased access to healthcare, reduced infant mortality, and decreased tobacco use among teens. These achievements were made possible through collaborations with a diverse range of professionals across healthcare and social services.Jan’s current focus is on educating the next generation of public health leaders, emphasising the importance of community partnerships and policy advocacy. She remains actively involved with various national organisations, advocating for increased public health funding and integrating public health perspectives into broader healthcare and policy discussions.In an era marked by challenges such as misinformation and the need for greater health literacy, Jan’s work exemplifies the critical role of public health professionals in fostering a healthier society through education, prevention, and strategic collaborations.Links:The University of Vermont Master of Public Health program: https://www.uvm.edu/publichealth/education/programs/master-of-public-health/Carney, J.K. (2021): A History of Public Health: From Past to Present, Book available: https://www.google.co.uk/books/edition/A_History_of_Public_Health_From_Past_to/d6qgEAAAQBAJ?hl=en&gbpv=0Carney, J.K. (2015): Controversies in Public Health and Health Policy, Book available: https://www.google.co.uk/books/edition/Controversies_in_Public_Health_and_Healt/OXmGCgAAQBAJ?hl=en&gbpv=0If you liked this podcast, do join us at the Global Goals Summit 2024: https://businessfightspoverty.org/global-goals-summits (Apply this code for your free online pass: BFPGGS24 )
Women’s mental health and work. Social Impact Pioneers Sue Tym and Jo Martin examine how to best support women in the garment sector. Sue is the Senior Manager for the Social Impact Portfolio in Primark's ethical team, whilst Jo has over 30 years’ experience in mental health trainer and practitioner.Sue and Jo have been leading a series of programmes where women help other women boost their well-being, and tackle stress, which is in turn boosting business performance. Join them to explore practical ways to enhance your mental health and that of others you are working with wherever you are in the world. During this podcast expect to hear how Jo and Sue’s respective careers have been driven by their interests and personal convictions. Sue explains: "When I was a dreamy, 18-year-old... I had a bit of a crisis of conviction and thought why am I studying fashion?... So my very clever tutor suggested that I work on a collection for easy dressing for those with dexterity issues."Alongside the challenges of unlocking support for others who have experienced deep trauma. When describing her experiences creating nurturing environments for people who have been in war zones, Jo says: “[When] working in conflict and post-conflict situations there are no therapists or medication, instead helping women to provide for their families while at the same time supporting each other can be a big part of their recovery.”Together they have brought this experience to support women in the garment sector and share the results this is achieving. So whether you're a professional seeking to make a meaningful impact or a company aiming to enhance your corporate social responsibility, this podcast offers valuable lessons and inspiration.Links:Primark Cares: https://www.primark.com/en-gb/r/women/primark-caresPrimark, My Space: https://corporate.primark.com/en-us/a/primark-cares/people/my-space-creating-space-for-mental-health-in-factoriesPrimark: Moner Kotha project: https://www.abf.co.uk/responsibility/responsibility-in-action/2023/primark--moner-kotha-project WHO: Mental health: https://www.who.int/health-topics/mental-healthLegislation on workplace stresshttps://kluwerlawonline.com/journalarticle/International+Journal+of+Comparative+Labour+Law+and+Industrial+Relations/38.1/IJCL2022003ILO/WHO joint policy brief, Mental Health Work: https://www.ilo.org/topics/safety-and-health-work/mental-health-work WHO (2022), Mental Health at Work: https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/mental-health-at-workAnd if you liked this, do take a listen to:The Role of Businesses in Building and Breaking Peace with Molly Melin: https://businessfightspoverty.org/the-role-of-businesses-in-building-and-breaking-peace-with-molly-melin/How Can Business Help Peace, with Tim Fort: https://businessfightspoverty.org/how-can-business-help-peace-with-tim-fort/
What are Village Savings and Loan Associations (VSLAs) and why can they be transformative for communities, particularly for women? Social Impact Pioneers Kalkidan (Kal) Lakew and Emily Janoch from the international NGO, CARE, explore how VSLAs facilitate financial inclusion, foster social empowerment and encourage community solidarity.Kal is the Program Coordinator for CARE's Women (in VSLAs) Respond initiative. Whilst Emily Janoch is the Associate Vice President for Thought Leadership and Design at CARE. During this conversation, they not only deep dive into the benefits and outcomes of VSLAs but also look critically at the role of international development programme design, iterative improvements and the benefits of responsive community led feedback. Kal explains: “By listening and learning from women and girls in Village Savings and Loan Associations and understanding the impact of different crises and shocks – we can help to refine how the VSLAs work and determine what to prioritise.” Whilst Emily shares, “I am focused on finding ways to leverage evidence and learning to improve impact, build dignity, and eradicate poverty.” What are Village Savings and Loan Associations - VSLAs?VSLAs serve as a grassroots financial model where members—predominantly women—save together and access small loans. Originating in Niger in 1991, these associations have become a cornerstone of development programs, addressing food security, nutrition, and education. They are crucial in regions where access to formal financial services is scarce, enabling members to manage their funds and make collective decisions.Kal and Emily are finding that VSLAs go beyond mere financial transactions. They empower women by breaking social and economic barriers, enhance community negotiating power, and address critical social issues like education and early marriage. Through collective action, VSLAs enable women to increase their confidence and achieve remarkable community contributions, from starting businesses to advocating for educational facilities.How effective feedback improves outcomes Today’s discussion will also touch on the importance of adapting development initiatives to the specific contexts and needs of communities. Kal and Emily explore effective strategies for ensuring that development interventions are responsive, sustainable, and scalable. They share insights on engaging with communities as equal partners, emphasising the necessity of listening and learning from those we aim to support.Listen in to find out more. Links: CARE: http://www.care.org/ CARE’s VSLA programme: https://www.care.org/our-work/education-and-work/microsavings/ CARE’s Women Respond initiative: https://www.care.org/our-work/disaster-response/emergencies/covid-19/women-respond-leadership-covid-19-response/ CARE’s data sharing platforms with the communities, https://careinternational.podbean.com/e/the-data-belongs-to-them/ CARE’s farmer livelihood work. https://www.care.org/our-work/food-and-nutrition/agriculture/farmer-field-business-school/ And if you liked that take a listen to: Investors and Female Entrepreneurs, with Sanjukta and Heather: https://businessfightspoverty.org/investors-and-female-entrepreneurs/And * Lifting Participation: Female Entrepreneurs Tackle Climate Change – with Bill Winters and Audrey S-Darko:https://businessfightspoverty.org/lifting-participation-female-entrepreneurs-tackle-climate-change/
Social Impact Pioneer Elizabeth Wells talks about women entrepreneurs and digital inclusion. Elizabeth is currently the Head of Entrepreneurship at the Cherie Blair Foundation for Women. The Foundation is on a mission to eliminate barriers to entrepreneurship for women, helping to enable global economic gender justice. Elizabeth’s work within the organisation is focused on unlocking the power of digital for women’s entrepreneurship.With 10 years of experience working on women’s economic empowerment, economic development, and governance programmes, Elizabeth shares why digital exclusion is particularly pronounced for women – from access to mobile handsets, digital connectivity, low digital literacy and the high associated costs. Elizabeth reveals the potential of integrating digital tools in business operations for women. Whether it’s mobile money and online transaction systems, that helps to provide financial autonomy; through to book-keeping and client management that enhances business efficiency.Elizabeth is passionate about working in partnership with private and public sector organisations and has delivered this in some 12 different countries. Her experience includes working with partners like Qualcomm, DHL Express, FCDO and USAID. Together we talk about some of the partnering opportunities that can better serve female entrepreneurs.Elizabeth says – “There is a lot of excitement around AI. Digital inclusion is critical to business success and, if women are digitally excluded - whether it’s because of poor connectivity or infrastructure, high cost of data or lack of mobile phone ownership or access – women will never achieve their potential in business.” Please find here the links to the reports: •GSMA Mobile Gender Gap Report 2023: https://www.gsma.com/mobilefordevelopment/programme/connected-women/the-mobile-gender-gap-report-2023/•Cherie Blair Foundation for Women Research Reports: https://cherieblairfoundation.org/what-we-do/research/2023-audit/ •Bridging the Divide: Women, Tech and Business Success: https://cherieblairfoundation.org/what-we-do/research/covid19-research/•Cherie Blair Foundation website: https://cherieblairfoundation.org/ •Cherie Blair Programmes: https://cherieblairfoundation.org/what-we-do/programmes/•Cherie Blair HerVenture: https://cherieblairfoundation.org/what-we-do/programmes/herventure/•Cherie Blair Mentoring: https://cherieblairfoundation.org/what-we-do/programmes/mentoring/
Social Impact Pioneer Molly Melin deep dives into the role of organisations, particularly businesses in building and breaking peace.The UN estimated in early 2023 that six out of seven people worldwide are plagued by feelings of insecurity. The world is facing the highest number of violent conflicts since the Second World War, whilst 2 billion people — a quarter of humanity — live in places affected by such conflict. And the world certainly hasn’t become more peaceful since 2023!Molly is the Professor & Chair of the Department of Political Science at Loyola University Chicago. Her research and teaching focus is international relations and foreign policy decision-making, with emphasis on international conflict and conflict management. Molly’s current research focuses on third party interventions in ongoing international conflicts, the role of the private sector in conflict prevention, and UN peacekeeping. Together we will talk about her book, The Building and Breaking of Peace: Corporate Activities in Civil War Prevention and Resolution, which examines corporations’ conflict roles in building and preventing peace using original data and in-depth case analyses of corporate actions and outcomes in Colombia, Northern Ireland, and Tunisia.Listen in to learn how organisations can leverage their influence to foster peace, providing practical steps to reducing conflict and building peaceful relationships. Molly explains in no uncertain terms that businesses are well positioned to be a force for good that helps create peace. If you want a peaceful world, listen in. This podcast is for you. Links:UN January 2023, With Highest Number of Violent Conflicts Since Second World War, United Nations Must Rethink Efforts to Achieve, Sustain Peace, Speakers Tell Security Council, https://press.un.org/en/2023/sc15184.doc.htmMolly Melin (2021), The Building and Breaking of Peace; Corporate Activities in Civil War Prevention and Resolution, https://global.oup.com/academic/product/the-building-and-breaking-of-peace-9780197579367?cc=gb&lang=en&The MacBride Principles: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MacBride_PrinciplesWEF and The Graduate Institute (2020), MOBILIZING THE PRIVATE SECTOR FOR PEACE AND RECONCILIATION , https://www3.weforum.org/docs/WEF_Mobilizing_the_Private_Sector_Report_2020.pdfCNN (2022), McDonald’s CEO sounds the alarm over crime in Chicago, https://edition.cnn.com/2022/09/15/business/mcdonalds-ceo-chicago-crime/index.htmlAnd if you liked this, do take a listen to:How Can Business Help Peace, with Tim Fort: https://businessfightspoverty.org/how-can-business-help-peace-with-tim-fort/And have a look at: Business Fights Poverty: Human Rights and Governance » Conflict and Peace: https://businessfightspoverty.org/category/human-rights-and-governance/peace/
Today on our podcast "Social Impact Pioneers," we are joined by two trailblazers in the fight against global poverty and unemployment through youth entrepreneurship: Anita Tiessen, CEO of Youth Business International (YBI) from the UK, and Rose Namutebi, a social worker and entrepreneur who serves as Cordaid Uganda’s Gender Specialist and Project Coordinator for their High Flyers project.Anita Tiessen has carved a notable career in international development and human rights. Prior to her role at Youth Business International, the only organisation dedicated to youth entrepreneurship on a global scale, she held leadership positions at the World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts, UNICEF UK, and Amnesty International. Anita brings a wealth of experience in empowering young individuals to start and grow their businesses, particularly in underserved communities.Rose Namutebi joins us from Uganda, bringing a rich background in local governance and human rights. With over two decades of experience with Cordaid, she has been instrumental in advancing youth entrepreneurship, livelihood and food security, and inclusive programming for women, people with disabilities, and refugees in some of the world’s most fragile settings.In today’s episode, Anita and Rose delve into how youth entrepreneurship serves as a crucial lever for social change, economic growth, and community empowerment. They highlight the profound impact that nurturing entrepreneurial spirit has on mitigating youth unemployment, which has been exacerbated by the global pandemic with a loss of 34 million youth jobs.Our discussion also covers the specific challenges and opportunities in making entrepreneurship accessible and inclusive. Listeners will gain insights into the innovative strategies implemented by Youth Business International (YBI) and Cordaid to foster a supportive environment for young entrepreneurs, integrating business development with social objectives.Join us as we explore the transformative power of youth entrepreneurship in creating a more inclusive and prosperous global economy. Whether you are an aspiring entrepreneur or an established business leader, this episode is set to provide valuable perspectives on leveraging business for lasting social impact.Links:YBI website: https://youthbusiness.org/YBI Global Youth Entrepreneurship Summit webpage: https://genforchange.youthbusiness.org/summit/YBI Bootcamp webpage: https://genforchange.youthbusiness.org/bootcamp/Cordaid website: https://www.cordaid.org/en/countries/uganda/And if you like this, do listen to:Lifting Participation: Female Entrepreneurs Tackle Climate Change – with Bill Winters and Audrey S-Darko: https://businessfightspoverty.org/lifting-participation-female-entrepreneurs-tackle-climate-change/
Delve into the intersection of technology, finance, and social good. Social Impact Pioneer Briana Marbury, the CEO and President of the Interledger Foundation talks about her work shaping the future of digital financial inclusion.The Interledger Foundation is the philanthropic FinTech committed to advancing financial inclusion through innovative technology. The foundation promotes the Interledger Protocol, which simplifies and accelerates global payments, akin to sending an email. This initiative is especially crucial for underrepresented and underserved communities, enhancing their access to digital financial services and supporting their integration into the tech ecosystem. Through grants, community building, and advocacy, they are paving the way for a more inclusive financial future where transactions are seamless and universally accessible.Listen in to hear Briana sharing her insights on the unique challenges of digital financial inclusion and her vision for a world where digital financial services are as straightforward as sending a text message.So, whether you're involved in finance, technology, or just passionate about social impact, join us as we explore how digital innovation can transform lives and foster a more inclusive global economy. Stay tuned as we dive deep into the conversation with Briana Marbury.Links:Interledger Foundation: https://interledger.orgInterledger, Inspire future leaders: https://interledger.org/educationM Pesa: https://www.m-pesa.africaInterledger Protocol: https://interledger.org/interledgerCDG, People's Clearinghouse, Mexico : https://lacamara.mxBanco Central do Brazil, Pix system in Brazil: https://www.bcb.gov.br/en/financialstability/pix_enInterledger Summit : https://interledger.org/summitAnd if you liked this podcast do take a listen to:Managing Gender Inequalities in Supply Chains with Sam Ludlow Taylor: https://businessfightspoverty.org/managing-gender-inequalities-in-supply-chains-with-sam-ludlow-taylor/
How do we better support women working in global value chains? Social Impact Pioneer, Clare Fitton of Sedex joins us to talk gender data, ethical supply chain management and how it can enhance business performance whilst improving lives. Global value chains depend on hundreds of millions of workers to produce the goods we use every day – from our food, to our clothes, to our personal care products and cars. Women represent a significant proportion of workers. And yet in many countries, the rights, roles and support for women are different to men. From land rights, to financial access, to education. The UK’s Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO)’s Work and Opportunities for Women (WOW) programme set a challenge in 2018 – to improve women's economic opportunities through business interventions in supply chains. One of the first things they did was focus on improving the collection of data about women workers, working closely with partners Sedex, ETI and BSR. Because what gets measured, gets managed. Clare Fritton trained in Human Rights Law, specialising in Business and Human Rights and Gender Equality. She has over 15 years’ experience working with companies, trade unions, NGOs, investors and government bodies on the practical implementation and effectiveness of human rights due diligence practices. Clare is now the Sedex Members Ethical Trade Audit (SMETA) Evolution and Impact Lead within Sedex. Clare has a particular focus on social impact measurement and improving women workers’ access to their rights. Sedex has 80,000 members all of whom are now potentially benefitting from gender disaggregated data. Together we explore the strides being made in ethical auditing, data-driven improvements and emerging gender disaggregating audit methodology. We talk about how gender indicators such as higher numbers of women in supervisory roles correlates with a reduction in the likelihood of other risks. We discuss the broader implications of new due diligence and value chain regulations and how companies can navigate these changes through more effective use of data. Stay tuned as we uncover the tangible benefits of gender-inclusive practices in supply chains and the critical role of continuous improvement in ethical auditing. Join us as we dive into a conversation that’s all about making a difference, one data point at a time.Further Business Fights Poverty and the Work and Opportunities for Women (WOW) Resources can be found here: https://businessfightspoverty.org/gender-and-business Links: 1. Sedex Gender Data Insights report: https://www.sedex.com/app/uploads/2022/12/Sedex-Gender-equality-through-data-FINAL-PDF.pdf2. Integration of gender data indicators into Sedex tools, building on WOW’s work: https://www.sedex.com/blog/driving-progress-on-gender-equality-through-better-gender-data/3. Sedex Gender in Agriculture report: https://www.sedex.com/app/uploads/2023/05/Sedex-Gender-in-agriculture-report.pdf4. Regular gender-based webinars through Sedex Community Engagement Programme: https://www.sedex.com/solutions/community/5. BSR Gender Data and Impact Tool: https://www.bsr.org/reports/BSR_Gender_Data_and_Impact_Tool_Executive_Summary.pdf6. ETI Gender Data Indicators Guidance: Level 1: https://www.ethicaltrade.org/sites/default/files/shared_resources/ETI_GenderDataGuidance_L1.pdf7. ETI Gender Data Indicators Guidance: Levels 2 & 3: https://www.ethicaltrade.org/sites/default/files/shared_resources/ETI_GenderDataGuidance_L2-L3_1.pdf
Managing gender inequalities in supply chains is good for people and good for business. Meet Social Impact Pioneer - Sam Ludlow-Taylor, the Senior Manager for Human Rights Programmes at the John Lewis Partnership, which includes the supermarket - Waitrose. Sam is on a mission to tackle gender inequity from the bottom up and top down. With a rich background in commercial roles transitioning into ethical trade and responsible sourcing, Sam has experience ranging from business headquarters to factory floors across the food and clothing sectors.Sam delves into why addressing gender inequality isn't just ethically imperative but also crucial for business health and sustainability. Through her partnership with the UK's Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO)’s Work and Opportunities for Women (WOW) programme, she highlights the practical steps and success stories that illustrate the power of focusing on gender issues within supply chains.She argues that gender inequality harms business efficiency and growth, stating, “50% of the population are women... if you tackle gender equality, the whole economy is bolstered.” This episode explores how initiatives aimed at women's economic empowerment in agriculture—where women comprise 40-60% of the labour force in developing countries—can lead to increased farm yields and overall business benefits.Sam emphasises the importance of partnerships for fostering positive change and creating sustainable business models that support women, especially in contexts vulnerable to climate change impacts. She also shares how the John Lewis Partnership’s commitment to purpose and democratic business practices underpins their efforts towards a more equitable and productive corporate environment.Listen in to gain insights into the intersection of gender, business, and ethical supply chain management. Understand how targeted efforts to empower women not only lead to fairer working conditions, but also enhance operational efficiencies and societal benefits.Links: Waitrose Foundation: https://www.waitrose.com/ecom/content/sustainability/responsible-sourcing/waitrose-foundation John Lewis Partnerships, Creating Better Jobs: https://www.johnlewispartnership.co.uk/csr/creating-better-jobs.html Farm Africa: https://www.farmafrica.org UK Government, FCDO (2022): From risks to rewards: overcoming the impacts of climate change on women in agricultural supply chains:https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/from-risks-to-rewards-overcoming-the-impacts-of-climate-change-on-women-in-agricultural-supply-chains/from-risks-to-rewards-overcoming-the-impacts-of-climate-change-on-women-in-agricultural-supply-chains
Investing in women farmers - why do we need to and are we doing enough? Social Impact Pioneer Leonor (Leo) Gutiérrez Fernández, the visionary Director of the Women in Agriculture Initiative (WAI) at Root Capital, joins us to talk: impact investing, agriculture and why we aren’t helping anyone by leaving women behind. With a background in psychology and a master's in social development, Leo has dedicated her life to fostering gender equity, impact investing, and global development, making significant strides in the agricultural sector.At Root Capital—a nonprofit that invests in small and growing agricultural enterprises to transform rural communities—Leo leads the organisation’s strategy to advance gender equity in the impact investing space. To date Root Capital has distributed $1.96 billion to over 843 enterprises, impacting millions of lives.During this conversation, hear about Leo’s personal journey from psychology student to international development leader. She explores why gender-inclusive businesses are: More stable and profitable; less likely to experience significant revenue dips; less likely to default; and more likely to secure new sources of financing.Together we delve into the power of female farmers, how to unlock their strength and why we overlook them to our detriment.And if you too want to get involved, do join our written discussion on 23rd May 2024, as we explore: How we can ensure communications are human-centred, empathetic and engaging?: https://forum.businessfightspoverty.org/t/how-can-we-ensure-communications-are-human-centred-empathetic-and-engaging/4651Links:Root Capital: https://rootcapital.org/Leonor (Leo) Gutiérrez Fernández: https://rootcapital.org/thought-leader-leonor-leo-gutierrez-fernandez/Root Capital’s Women’s Council: https://rootcapital.org/meet-the-womens-council/Root Capital’s Inclusion pays report: https://rootcapital.org/inclusion-pays/Root Capital’s A Journey Into the Heart of Kenya’s Macadamia-Processing Region: https://rootcapital.org/a-journey-into-the-heart-of-kenyas-macadamia-processing-region/Root Capital’s SOPPEXCCA: Empowering Women Coffee Farmers in Nicaragua: https://rootcapital.org/meet-our-clients/stories/soppexcca-empowering-women-coffee-farmers-in-nicaragua/Root Capital's Impact Dashboard: https://rootcapital.org/our-impact/#impact-dashboard
Climate change is a global health issue. Social Impact Pioneer, Desta Lakew joins us to share her insights on why Africa’s youthful population is a sick crisis waiting to explode if we don’t start thinking about health care rather than sick care. And how climate change is already deteriorating health in the areas she’s working on.Desta is a powerhouse in forging global partnerships for Africa, playing a pivotal role in securing strategic alliances for Amref Health Africa. Since joining the Amref executive team in 2014, Desta has been at the forefront of thought leadership and external engagements, working tirelessly with global partners and Amref's senior leadership to drive transformative health initiatives across the continent.Amref Health Africa is the largest health development non-governmental international organisation based in Africa. With over 2000 people working with them and operations in more than 8 countries within the continent. Amref is on a mission to catalyse and drive community-led and people centred health systems while addressing social determinants of health.Desta’s instrumental role in launching the first biennial Africa Health Agenda International Conference in 2014 marked a significant milestone in facilitating a global south dialogue and knowledge exchange on Universal Health Coverage in Africa and Asia. Desta holds a Masters of Public Health from the State University of New York and serves on the regional advisory board for Acumen East Africa and the Thematic Working Group on Private Sector of Health Systems Global. Her commitment to health equity and her strategic vision for a healthier Africa make her a true pioneer in the field.Join us as Desta Lakew shares her journey from Ethiopia to New York and back to Africa, her motivations, and her ongoing work to address the critical intersection of health and climate change, aiming to strengthen health systems and improve lives across the continent. Stay tuned as we explore the challenges, the victories, and the future of health in Africa with one of its most passionate advocates.Links:AMREF: https://amref.orgAMREF’s thoughts on Health and Climate Change: https://newsroom.amref.org/news/2024/04/amref-puts-a-spotlight-on-widening-climate-change-induced-health-inequalities-in-africa/Africa Health Agenda International Conference (AHAIC2025): https://ahaic.orgDesta’s Linked In: https://www.linkedin.com/in/destalakew/And if you liked this, take a listen to:Combining Personal and Business Purpose with Hamzah Sarwar: https://businessfightspoverty.org/combining-personal-and-business-purpose-with-hamzah-sarwar/
Deep dive into the world of domestic work and what it means to empower domestic workers. Whether that’s cleaning, caring or generally working within the home or directly for one person or family, you will have been engaged in domestic work or know someone who is. The ILO estimates that 75.6 million people are engaged in domestic work around the world, and for women especially it can be an important source of income. But domestic work can be casual, without the support mechanisms many have come to rely on in decent work settings – from holiday and sick pay to safe working environment and safe working hours. Social Impact Pioneer Professor Jenny M. Hoobler has dedicated her academic life to unveiling the critical role of domestic work and workers in today's workforce and across all our societies.Jenny is now the Professor of Human Resource Management and the Academic Director of Leadership for Social Impact Knowledge Center at NOVA School of Business and Economics in Portugal. Her CV and experience include completing her PhD in the USA, and time as a Professor at the University of Pretoria in South Africa. She has consulted for companies such as UPS and USG Corporation and is an associate editor of the Journal of Applied Psychology.Jenny's insights into the employer-employee relationship within domestic work reveal a spectrum of experiences, from being the essential glue keeping everything going to exploitation. This episode aims to spark a conversation on the importance of formalising these relationships, ensuring fair wages, and recognising the vital role of domestic workers in supporting the so-called "100-hour couples" of today's workforce. This conversation is not just about acknowledging the challenges but also about championing change and recognising the profound impact of domestic work on our society.Links:https://www.ilo.org/global/topics/domestic-workers/lang--en/index.htmIntl Labor Org on domestic worker numbers, etc.ILO, Work on diverted mothering: https://www.ilo.org/global/topics/domestic-workers/lang--en/index.htmJenny's paper on domestic workers being intersectional: https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/23322373.2015.1126499?casa_token=kEUWAUR9C48AAAAA%3Acp9NIOkDaQp9LWa-MCljSHPypinUXU8vDrXV09ANIxWe5yCDnek_1W9Jp_hICYI0uMsKhsV7LsFkvlk IDWFED - International Domestic Workers Federation: idwfed.orgLiving wage calculator for South Africa: https://living-wage.co.za/Jenny Hoobler: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jenny-hoobler-8780754/Nova SBE Leadership for Impact Knowledge Center: https://www.linkedin.com/showcase/nova-sbe-leadership-for-impact-knowledge-center/And if you liked this do try:Revolutionising Maternal Health Supply Chains: Insights from MSD for Mothers: https://businessfightspoverty.org/revolutionising-maternal-health-supply-chains-insights-from-msd-for-mothers/
How has the business agenda on equity evolved over the past 20 years? Meet Social Impact Pioneer and Business Fights Poverty Institute Founding Fellow – Jane Nelson.Jane is the Founding Director of the Corporate Responsibility Initiative at Harvard Kennedy School and worked with the late Professor John Ruggie who developed the United Nations Guiding Principles on Business on Human Rights. She was a director and then senior advisor at The Prince of Wales International Business Leaders Forum (IBLF) from 1993 to 2013, and has been a senior associate with the Institute for Sustainability Leadership at Cambridge University and an adviser and track leader at the Clinton Global Initiative. In 2001, she worked with the United Nations Global Compact in the office of the UN Secretary-General, Kofi Annan, preparing his report for the General Assembly on cooperation between the UN and the private sector. She is currently a co-chair of the Business Commission to Tackle Inequality (BCTI).Jane talks candidly about her incredible career to date and the shifting dynamics within corporate strategies towards integrating equity more fundamentally into business practices that have run in parallel. Jane has been at the table during many of the world’s pivotal conversations on societal impact in the past 30 years. She shares her insider highlights with us during this podcast conversation. Together with Business Fights Poverty Co-Founder and CEO, Zahid Torres-Rahman - they explore the evolution of the business and equity agenda. Jane looks back at the big trends over the past two decades and sheds light on how we navigate today’s complex challenges and transformative opportunities. Listen in to access deep insights and a dose of inspiration to guide you on your own journey, as this conversation underscores the increasing recognition of businesses’ role in fostering a more equitable economy.Links:Business Commission to Tackle Inequality: Tackling Inequality: An Agenda for Business Action: https://tacklinginequality.org/files/flagship.pdfBusiness Fights Poverty: Generative AI and Social Impact - Role of Business: https://businessfightspoverty.org/report/generative-ai-and-social-impact-role-of-business/Corporate Responsibility Initiative, Harvard Kennedy School: https://www.hks.harvard.edu/centers/mrcbg/programs/criandhttps://www.hks.harvard.edu/faculty/jane-nelsonLiving Wage Foundation: https://www.livingwage.org.ukWorld Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD): https://www.wbcsd.orgAnd if you like this, do take a listen to:Combining Personal and Business Purpose with Hamzah Sarwar: https://businessfightspoverty.org/combining-personal-and-business-purpose-with-hamzah-sarwar/
Are you poor? Am I poor? And what will it take to stop poverty? Social Impact Pioneer Dr Martin Burt doesn’t think we should just be measuring poverty, or in turn wealth, by the amount of money we have alone. Martin believes that we can all be poor by some measures and that none of us are necessarily poor by all the measures.That is because Martin has been studying, working and leading businesses, civil society and governments to on his mission to tackle poverty. During this podcast you will hear what Martin has learnt on his journey; he shares the tools and skills he has developed in tackling poverty; and challenges us all to end poverty.Dr Martin Burt is the founder and CEO of Fundación Paraguaya, a social enterprise he set up in 1985 to tackle poverty head-on. Together they have researched poverty in depth and developed the Poverty Stoplight – which Martin will go into detail for us during the conversation. Fundación Paraguaya was named Latin America’s most impactful and innovative development organisation by the Inter-American Development Bank in 2018. El Pais recently named Dr. Burt as one of the “21 Latin Americans who are changing the world.” Whilst the Poverty Stoplight (which is a key programme Martin is spearheading) is featured in the Solutions Insights Lab “What’s Working Solutions”. If that wasn’t enough – Martin holds a PhD from Tulane University in Development Economics and International Development, he is a Distinguished Visiting Professor of Entrepreneurship and Social Innovation at the Worcester Polytechnic Institute and Research Associate at University of California, Irvine.In public service, Martin was elected Mayor of the capital city of Paraguay in the 1990s, he has served as Chief of Staff to the President of Paraguay, between 2012 to 2013 and was appointed Vice Minister of Commerce. Martin was also twice elected as the president of the Paraguayan-American Chamber of Commerce; and has written books on economics, development, municipal government, poetry, and education. Check out - “Who Owns Poverty?”Links:Poverty Stop Light - https://www.povertystoplight.orgWho Owns Poverty? - https://redpress.co.uk/products/who-owns-povertyMartin's Linked In: https://www.linkedin.com/in/martinburt/And if you liked this do try: Reframing Poverty with Eric Meade: https://businessfightspoverty.org/eric-meade/
What happens when social impact and entrepreneurship skills are combined? The Social Impact Pioneer Dr Orsolya Ihasz.Orsolya or Orsi to her friends, works at the intersection between deep academia, social innovation, entrepreneurship, and public health – she is a champion of the social enterprise.From youth peace activist to today – where Orsi is currently the Director of the Cranfield Venture Programme and before this she spent 12 years in entrepreneurship education at the University of Cambridge, Judge Business School – championing and supporting people to succeed in developing innovative ideas and succeeding in enterprise. She has a PhD in Social Innovation & Complex Information Systems, and has worked with the Department for International Development, the EU DG Youth, to promote youth-participation within policy. She is an external advisor to the World Health Organisation - working on the scaling of digitally enabled health interventions for tackling non-communicable diseases. In her spare time, Orsi is co-founder of Colab-8, a venture consultancy aimed at delivering social innovation across sectors; collaborating with RH-Consult in Geneva; and the Curiosity Incubator - Accelerator for Good at the University of Cambridge; and she’s a Fellow at the Foundation for Science and Technology.During this podcast conversation, we talk about innovation, entrepreneurship, solving big questions, and why health innovation needs to start in our communities.Orsi has been studying, teaching, advising people on entrepreneurial mindset and skill sets needed for successful social enterprises. A give away – Orsi is convinced that social enterprises are a key mechanism to tackling some of the world’s most pressing issues.During our conversation we talk about asking difficult questions and opening doors in order to answer them; why the solution to many health challenges is community-based; and how social enterprises will be the solution to overzealous capitalism.Links:Be Healthy, Be Mobilehttps://www.who.int/initiatives/behealthy/R-Health Consult https://www.r-healthconsult.comFoundation of Science and Technology https://www.foundation.org.uk/Curiosity Incubator | Accelerator for Good https://www.linkedin.com/company/curiosity-incubator/about/Colab-8 https://colab-8.com/Ideas to Innovation (i2i) https://www.cranfield.ac.uk/som/events/i2iAnd if you like this, take a listen to:Lifting Participation: Female Entrepreneurs Tackle Climate Change – with Bill Winters and Audrey S-Darko: https://businessfightspoverty.org/lifting-participation-female-entrepreneurs-tackle-climate-change/
How do we tackle gender inequality through work? Avon are calling for Women's progress and equality, for us to Speak Out against gender-based violence and Shine Bright for women in our communities and around the world. This podcast was recorded during the Business Fights Poverty Global Equity Summit 2024.Ahead International Women's Day - Andreea Moldovan and Laura Shaw joined us and had a conversation about the key findings from Avon's latest Global Progress for Women report. They very generously open up about their personal experiences of breaking the barriers to gender inequality and discuss nurturing entrepreneurial spirit, creating safe spaces for women to thrive and driving actionable change for a more equitable and supportive future for women worldwide. Andreea has 25 years of experience in direct selling and cosmetics industry, with over 10 years spent as a General Manager. Andrea has a background in computer science applied in economics She has lived in 3 countries and worked with more than 20 markets during her career.Laura, with over two decades in marketing, PR, and communications, is an accountability coach and marketing manager as well as running her successful Avon business - Laura is a proud Avon rep - supporting others to do the same.Links:Avon's Global Progress for Women Report 2024: https://www.avonworldwide.com/dam/jcr:d2346fa0-8d27-43a0-96ba-0e2282c0a3fc/IWD-report-2024.pdfBusiness Fights Poverty, Global Equity Summit 2024 - full video resources and insight reports: https://businessfightspoverty.org/global-equity-summit
Can business help peace? And can the processes by which peace comes into being help business? My social impact pioneer today – Tim Fort believes so.As one of the recent nominees for the 2024 Nobel Peace Prize (yes The Nobel Peace Prize) – Tim Fort is a prolific thinker and writer on all avenues of business and peace. Tim Fort has been nominated for the 2024 Nobel Peace Prize for his work in showing how ethical business behaviour can positively contribute to peace. He holds the Eveleigh Professorship in Business Ethics at the Kelley School of Business at Indiana University and is also an Affiliated Scholar at the Kroc Institute of International Peace Studies at the University of Notre Dame. Fort received the 2022 Distinguished Career Faculty Award from the Academy of Legal Studies in Business. He has written one hundred articles, reviews and chapters along with twelve books; he has edited many more. Two of his books have won the Best Book Award from the Academy of Management for Social Issues. Tim joins us to share very practical advice on how we can make peace and what business can learn from peacemakers. He then goes on to give us a sneak peak into his new book which he is co-authoring with Kristin Hahn, executive producer of Apple TV’s "The Morning Show," explaining how shared cultural experiences can serve as common ground for people divided by social and political issues. Get ready to hear about the power of music, sharing a love of sports, and why going for a walk with your dog could resolve conflict.Links:-Cindy Schipani and Tim Fort’s book: The role of business in fostering peaceful societies: https://www.cambridge.org/core/books/role-of-business-in-fostering-peaceful-societies/39F381F211120B66293F33812A88C717-Tim Fort, The Diplomat in the Corner Office: Corporate Foreign Policy https://www.sup.org/books/title/?id=23129-Tim Fort and Cindy Schipani, The Role of the Corporation in Fostering Sustainable Peace, 35 Vanderbilt Law Review 389 (2021). Available at: https://scholarship.law.vanderbilt.edu/vjtl/vol35/iss2/1-Terry Dworkin and Cindy Schipani, Gender Voice and Correlations with Peace+, 36 Vanderbilt Law Review 527 (2021). Available at: https://scholarship.law.vanderbilt.edu/vjtl/vol36/iss2/6-Tim Fort, Review by: William Frederick. Business Ethics QuarterlyVol. 20, No. 1, Behavioral Ethics: A New Empirical Perspective on Business -Ethics Research (Jan., 2010), pp. 134-137 (4 pages). Published By: Cambridge University Press. Available at: https://www.jstor.org/stable/27755327-Jane Nelson (2000). The Business of Peace: The Private Sector as a Partner in Conflict Prevention and Resolution. Available at: https://books.google.com/books/about/The_Business_of_Peace.html?id=hQwrJAAACAAJ-Samuel Moyn (2021). Humane: How the United States Abandoned Peace and Reinvented War. Available at: https://www.amazon.com/Humane-United-States-Abandoned-Reinvented/dp/0374173702-Raymond Kelly (2000). Warless Societies and the Origin of War. Available at: https://press.umich.edu/Books/W/Warless-Societies-and-the-Origin-of-War-Constance Cook Glen, Timothy L. Fort (2022). Music, Business and Peacebuilding. Available at: https://www.routledge.com/Music-Business-and-Peacebuilding/Glen-Fort/p/book/9781032185989-Tim Fort (2021). TED. What can the dog park teach us about bridging great societal divides?Available at: https://www.ted.com/talks/tim_fort_what_can_the_dog_park_teach_us_about_bridging_great_societal_divides-Braver Angels. Available at: https://braverangels.orgSweet dreams for Rwanda: http://www.sweetdreamsrwanda.com-Follow Tim and Kristin’s collaboration. Available at: https://www.facebook.com/iuhhc/photos/a.685177491572241/4845214892235126/?type=3If you liked this podcast do join us at the Business Fights Poverty Global Equity Summit: https://businessfightspoverty.org/global-equity-summit (free tickets are available when you apply this promo code: GES24BFP
Measuring social impact and human rights regulation are hot topics. Social Impact Pioneer - Emily Kane Miller has been working hard to develop understanding and data on to help us all with this. From lawyer to social impact specialist, Emily has an eye for detail.Emily has felt the pain of not being able to measure and manage social impact with businesses. Most people complain about this, Emily bucks this trend and instead set up Ethos Tracking – the social impact data capture and reporting platform.Get ready to hear from Emily, as she takes us from the basics of social impact with business. Emily explores questions such as: why is social impact measurement important? How do you begin to measure social impact? Right through to the nuances of the emerging human rights and due diligence regulatory reporting requirements.In addition to this, Emily talks about her recent Forbes article which explores the social impact trends of 2024, emphasising the importance of data in validating and amplifying social good efforts. Whether you're a seasoned professional in the social impact space or just starting to explore how you can make a difference, this podcast conversation will help you.Links:Ethos Giving: https://ethos-giving.comEthos Tracking: https://ethostracking.comForbes article: Social Impact Trends That Will Affect Chief Impact Officers In 2024: https://www.forbes.com/sites/zengernews/2024/01/05/social-impact-trends-that-will-affect-chief-marketing-officers-in-2024/?sh=626241b830afEmily’s Linked In: https://www.linkedin.com/in/emily-kane-miller-32272286/And if you like this check out the Business Fights Poverty Equity Summit – live 6th and 7th March 2024: https://businessfightspoverty.org/global-equity-summitRegister with this reusable promo code for free online access: GES24BFP
Education equity – what does that mean and why does it matter? For Social Impact Pioneer, Mohan Sivaloganathan knows it’s about making education and employment preparedness fairer, opportunities open to everyone and closing the gaps of inequality. Mohan Sivaloganathan, the CEO of Our Turn. leading a national movement in the US of young leaders in the fight for education equity. Our conversation is personal and pragmatic, with advice for students, educators, and business decision makers. With an aim of opening up the conversation in inequality so we might be able to close up the gaps between us all.In this episode, we explore Mohan's journey from a first-generation American, navigating the expectations of a South Asian immigrant family, to becoming a Troublemaker for the status quo, challenging and reshaping the narrative around success, identity, and community engagement. Mohan’s work has brought him recognition: Being named within the 40 Under 40 Rising Star in NY and being featured by Fast Company, Good is the New Cool, ESPN, and more.Join us as Mohan shares his insights on the importance of equipping change drivers with the support they need, the role of identity and culture in advancing justice, and how his multifaceted life experiences have shaped his approach to making the world a better place. Whether you're a student, young professional, educator, philanthropist, or corporate leader, this conversation promises to enlighten, inspire, and provoke thought on how we can all play a part in driving meaningful change.Journey into the mind of a man who lives at the intersection of activism, leadership, and creativity. Tune in to discover how Mohan Sivaloganathan is not just challenging the status quo but rewriting the rules of engagement for a more equitable and just society.Links:Our Turn: https://www.itsourturn.orgMohan Sivaloganathan: https://www.linkedin.com/in/msivaloganathan/And if you liked this conversation, do check out:Combing Personal and Business Purpose with Hamzah Sarwar: https://businessfightspoverty.org/combining-personal-and-business-purpose-with-hamzah-sarwar/The Business Fights Poverty Equity Summit: Join us for two engaging days at our Global Equity Summit, where we'll navigate the shifting landscape of business and equity, crafting strategies to tackle contemporary challenges. Delve into vital issues such as women’s entrepreneurship, health, gender-based violence, sustainable infrastructure, value chains, and empowering the youth. Register for FREE using promo code GES24BFP. : https://businessfightspoverty.org/global-equity-summit/
Meet Social Impact Pioneer - Hamzah Sarwar as he shares the challenges of combining personal and business purpose. Hamzah takes us on his personal journey, exploring the challenges of trying to create social good, whilst providing for his family. Hamzah is now the Global Social Impact and Partnerships Director at Reckitt, who are a global health, hygiene, and nutrition business, with a presence in over 45 countries and a portfolio including household names such as: Dettol, Harpic, Strepsils, Nurofen, Lemsip, and Durex. Today Hamzah's role extends beyond mere business operations to cultivating meaningful societal change. His journey, however, isn't just a story of open doors and opportunities. It's a tale of passion, resilience, and commitment to social innovation. With over 13 years of cross-functional leadership in marketing, insights & evaluation, brand purpose, and social impact, Hamzah is a living testament to the power of aligning corporate strategies with societal needs.Our conversation centres on the essence of corporate and personal purpose. We delve into how these concepts can drive a business forward and also create a tangible impact in the world. Hamzah, an award-winning practitioner, is celebrated by the Schwab Foundation for Social Entrepreneurship and the World Economic Forum as one of the top global social innovators. His accolades include being a finalist in the Corporate Social Intrapreneur award for 2024, a Global Fellowship at the League of Intrapreneurs, a One Young World ambassador, and a member of the BMW Foundation responsible leaders’ network.Get ready for a practical conversation on how to realise your own personal purpose and a pick-me-up on empowerment. One person can make a difference…and Hamzah humbly explains how.Links:DRUM, Reckitt's Hamzah Sarwar explores the innovation behind winning an award for community engagement: https://www.thedrum.com/tv/video/reckitts-hamzah-sarwar-explores-the-innovation-behind-winning-an-award-for-community-engagementReckitt and social impact: https://reckitt.com/our-stories/2023/better-lives-for-8-million-people-our-biggest-impact-ever/Reckitt, Fight For Access social impact investment fund: https://reckitt.com/our-impact/fairer-society/fight-for-access-fund/Reckitt, WINFund: https://reckitt.com/media-landing/press-releases/2023/increasing-access-to-healthcare-and-climate-finance/Reckitt, Dettol, The Hygiene Quest: https://www.dettol.com.au/hygiene-quest/One Young World: https://www.oneyoungworld.comLeague of Intrapreneurs: https://www.leagueofintrapreneurs.comWEF, 10 Million Social Enterprises, 2024: https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2024/01/10-million-reasons-for-the-private-sector-to-invest-in-social-enterprise/Kate Raworth, Donut economics: https://www.kateraworth.com/doughnut/
Making living wages work. Today, I'm thrilled to introduce a trailblazer in the realm of social impact, Jeff Bakes, an award-winning International Total Rewards Director and the current Head of Total Rewards at IKEA. With over three decades of reward expertise, Jeff stands out as a global thought leader, known for his innovative and exceptional solutions in the field. And that field includes, making living wages work - for business and for people.In this episode, we delve into the critical topics of Living Wages and the tangible benefits of investing in your workforce. Jeff's impressive career includes leading roles in Rewards at Channel 4 Television in the UK and significant contributions to PwC, Mondelez, and Network Rail. His insights on diverse and inclusive workforces are not just theoretical; they are the product of years of dedication and practical application.Jeff's approach to living wages goes beyond the basics. He views it as a means to provide employees with a standard of living that allows for self-sufficiency and choice. For Jeff this is both simple, yet profound in its impact on individuals, families, and communities. In our conversation, Jeff shares his experiences and challenges in implementing living wages, emphasising the balance between financial constraints and the moral imperative of fair pay. He highlights the benefits businesses reap from fair wages, including enhanced employee engagement, attraction, and retention, ultimately leading to a more robust and committed workforce.As we explore the future of work, Jeff touches on the evolving landscape of employment, the role of technology, and the importance of embracing diversity and equality in the workplace. His forward-thinking approach is not just about meeting current standards but anticipating and preparing for future challenges.Jeff Bakes, is a true pioneer in social impact within business. Whether you're a business leader, HR professional, or someone passionate about making a difference, this episode is a must-listen. Jeff's insights and experiences are a testament to the power of commitment, innovation, and the relentless pursuit of positive change in the workplace.Links:IKEA's Living Wages: https://www.ikea.com/gb/en/newsroom/corporate-news/ikea-to-invest-in-pay-and-cost-of-living-support-package-pubbcc12b20Jeff Bakes: https://uk.linkedin.com/in/jeffbakesAnd if you liked this conversation, take a listen to: Azfar Khan Explores the Complexities and Transformative Potential of Living Wages: https://businessfightspoverty.org/social-impact-pioneer-azfar-khan-explores-the-complexities-and-transformative-potential-of-living-wages/
Delve into the fascinating world of sustainable hospitality with Levar Jackson, a visionary in eco-friendly hotel design. As the Founder and CEO of Yogh Group, Jackson collaborates with Oregon State University to pioneer sustainable technologies for the hospitality industry, such as the QuaiEnergy System and the Algae Growth System.Our conversation starts in the UK, highlighting the need for greener travel destinations. Levar is on a mission to integrate sustainability, and clean-technology design in hotels.Levar emphasises the importance of pragmatic solutions in transforming hotels into sustainable spaces. He discusses the challenges of miniaturising sustainable technologies for hotel use, ensuring that they are both efficient and fit for the unique demands of the hospitality industry. We explore various trends in sustainable technology, with a focus on contextually based solutions like microgrids, heat pumps, and green roofing. The key takeaway? No single technology can solve all problems; a holistic, location-specific approach is essential.As we discuss the financial and environmental implications of sustainable practices, Levar highlights the need for the hospitality industry to lead in innovation, rather than merely adopting technologies designed for other sectors.Links:https://yogh.group/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/levarjacksonAnd if you liked this take a listen to: Social Impact Pioneer, Azfar Khan Explores the Complexities and Transformative Potential of Living Wages: https://businessfightspoverty.org/social-impact-pioneer-azfar-khan-explores-the-complexities-and-transformative-potential-of-living-wages/AndLifting Participation: Female Entrepreneurs Tackle Climate Change – with Bill Winters and Audrey S-Darko: https://businessfightspoverty.org/lifting-participation-female-entrepreneurs-tackle-climate-change/
Social Impact Pioneer, Azfar Khan explores the complexities and transformative potential of living wages. A topic that seems straightforward but unravels into a myriad of intricate issues: Living wages. The concept is simple – pay people enough not just to survive, but to truly live. This approach has the power to address the root of numerous societal challenges, from domestic violence and health issues to education and overall happiness. Lifting individuals out of poverty can significantly diminish these problems.However, the reality of implementing living wages is far from simple. Questions arise about accurately measuring what constitutes a living wage, managing geographical variations, and adapting to the frequently changing cost of living. To unpack these complexities, we're joined by a distinguished expert in the field, Azfar Khan.Azfar, a Senior Economist at the Anker Research Institute, brings a wealth of experience from his over two decades at the International Labour Organization (ILO). His roles have included Head of Research for Fundamental Principles and Rights at Work, Deputy Director of the Socio-Economic Security Programme, and Migration Policy Specialist. With a PhD in Development Studies and Economics, Azfar has also taught at the Institute of Social Studies in The Hague, Netherlands, and served as the Director of the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA)’s Global Programme of Training in Population and Development.Based in Geneva and Beirut, Azfar's work has focused on social protection, employment, poverty, labour migration, and the interplay of demographic and economic issues. Today, we're zeroing in on his insights into living wages – a topic that's more relevant than ever in our world of growing inequality and relative poverty.Links:Living Wage Methodology:https://www.econstor.eu/bitstream/10419/182380/1/978-1-78643-146-2.pdfOn Qatar Labour Rights Issues: Why it's time to end kafala: https://www.theguardian.com/global-development/2014/feb/26/time-to-end-kafalaQatar criticised for promoting slave labour:https://english.alarabiya.net/sports/2013/09/26/Qatar-criticized-for-slave-labor-within-World-Cup-projectshttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5y_uA6bovq4Universal Basic Income: https://basicincome.org/What Is Basic Income and How Does It Support Wellbeing:https://greatergood.berkeley.edu/article/item/What_Basic_Income_How_Support_Well_BeingUN Guidelines on Business and Human Rights: https://www.ohchr.org/sites/default/files/documents/publications/guidingprinciplesbusinesshr_en.pdfILO Social Dialogue: https://www.ilo.org/global/research/global-reports/social-dialogue/2022/lang--en/index.htmAnd if you liked this podcast take a listen to:Bill and Audrey explore how female entrepreneurs are tackling climate change: https://businessfightspoverty.org/lifting-participation-female-entrepreneurs-tackle-climate-change/
Over 4.5 million mothers and babies die each year from preventable conditions during pregnancy, birth or in the few weeks of life; 95% of these in lower-income countries. Maternal health supply chains are a key element to ensure medicines and equipment reach those who need it. Last mile delivery of medicines to hard-to-reach places is critical to addressing maternal and baby deaths. This Social Impact Pioneer podcast delves into the transformative partnership between Global Financing Facility (GFF), MSD for Mothers, the Mozambique Government, the USP Foundation and a caste of other public and private actors. Their ground-breaking collaboration focuses on improving maternal health supply chains, particularly in Mozambique. Listen in to this podcast to learn how public-private partnerships can tackle complex health issues effectively and exemplify the power of shared information for good. Social Impact Pioneers - Jeffrey Jacobs and Tara Tagmyer have both dedicated their careers to solving complex health challenges. From vaccine design to last-mile delivery of medical supplies to remote health facilities. During this conversation expect to learn first-hand, practical ways to bring big organisations together to share expertise and importantly complex data sets in order to create health provision solutions. As Tara explains the crucial role of AI in strengthening these supply chains underscores the synergy of technology and healthcare.Links:Business Fights Poverty and our collaboration with the Global Financing Facility on the role of business in delivering healthier futures for women, children and adolescents, available at: https://businessfightspoverty.org/gff-delivering-healthier-futures-for-women-children-and-adolescents/ Jacobs, J., LinkedIn Profile, available at: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeffrey-l-jacobs MSD for Mothers, Who We Are, available at: https://www.msdformothers.com/who-we-are.html Statista 2023, Infant Mortality Rate 2023, available at: https://www.statista.com/statistics/264714/countries-with-the-highest-infant-mortality-rate/ Tagmyer, T., LinkedIn Profile, available at: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tara-tagmyer-b7bb154b/UN WHO, 2023, A woman dies every two minutes due to pregnancy or childbirth: UN agencies, available at: https://www.who.int/news/item/23-02-2023-a-woman-dies-every-two-minutes-due-to-pregnancy-or-childbirth--un-agencies WHO, 2023, Global Progress In Tackling Maternal and New-born Deaths Stalls Since 2015, available at: https://www.who.int/news/item/09-05-2023-global-progress-in-tackling-maternal-and-newborn-deaths-stalls-since-2015--un.
Why lifting participation of women and excluded groups around the world can help tackle climate change. Listen in to this personal conversation between Standard Chartered’s Group Chief Executive, Bill Winters and Futuremaker Audrey S-Darko as they talk entrepreneurship, climate change and women in technology. Audrey is a dynamic entrepreneur in the agricultural-tech sector based in Ghana. During this conversation with Bill Winters, she shares her first-hand experiences and perspectives on the critical intersection of climate change and environmental degradation. In the wake of COP28 – Audrey emphasises the loss of arable land, reduced agricultural productivity, and the socio-economic consequences for farming communities that climate change is reaping. Whilst together Bill and Audrey discuss the power of female entrepreneurs and how tackling the inequality in financing and support of their enterprises can radically increase climate solutions, whilst simultaneously lifting households out of poverty. Be ready to learn about financing mechanisms and support that can help create resilience to climate change and lift participation of female entrepreneurs, including Standard Chartered’s own Futuremakers and Women in Tech programmes.Links:Business Fights Poverty Climate Justice Summit assets from workshops on female entrepreneurs tackling climate change: https://businessfightspoverty.org/climate-justice-summits/Standard Chartered, Futuremakers: https://www.sc.com/uk/futuremakers/Standard Chartered, Women in Tech: https://www.sc.com/ae/sustainability/women-in-tech/Investors and Female Entrepreneurs, with Sanjukta and Heather: https://businessfightspoverty.org/investors-and-female-entrepreneurs/
Dive into the heart of COP28, examine the critical discussions on climate change and water security. Social Impact Pioneers - Farai Tunhuma and Uwe Steckhan of UNICEF, the United Nations Children's Fund, join us from within the global climate conference in Dubai – COP28.Our conversation begins with a focus on the crucial role of water in climate resilience. We explore how climate change exacerbates water scarcity and affects sanitation systems, directly impacting over 700 million children globally. The discussion emphasises the need for collaborative action in securing water resources and adapting to changing climate conditions.The episode also sheds light on the intersection of private sector involvement and climate action. With insights from the UNICEF private sector engagement team, we discuss how businesses can contribute positively to water security and climate resilience. The dialogue underscores the importance of private sector investment and innovation in addressing these global challenges.Finally, our Farai and Uwe reflect on their experiences at COP28, sharing how the conference has influenced their work and opened doors for future collaborations. They highlight the importance of translating discussions into action, emphasising the urgency of addressing climate change impacts on children and vulnerable communities.Links:UNICEF Global WASH Call to Action ahead of COP28: Liquid Assets at Risk | UNICEF : https://www.unicef.org/documents/liquid-assets-risk This Call to Action developed by UNICEF in collaboration with WaterAid and the CDP highlights the ways in which businesses and governments can work together to invest in sustainable safe drinking water and sanitation services as an essential first line of defence against the impacts of climate change. We launched this just before COP28.UNICEF COP28 report: The climate-changed child - A Children’s Climate Risk Index supplement: The climate-changed child | UNICEF: https://www.unicef.org/reports/climate-changed-child The report details how children's health is affected by climate change and contains new data on how and where children are exposed to water related threats that jeopardize their health and wellbeing. Also includes key asks for the private sector. UNICEF COP Page: COP28: UNICEF calls for universal action to tackle a child rights crisis | UNICEF: https://www.unicef.org/climate-action/cop Uwe Steckhan | LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/steckhan/Farai Angela Tunhuma | LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tunhumafaraiangela/
Welcome to our latest podcast episode, where we delve into the heart of climate action and child advocacy within the climate conference – COP28's Green Zone. Our special guests, Saranga and Keeva from ChildFund International, share their profound insights and experiences in empowering children and youth to combat climate change.ChildFund International, an organisation dedicated to helping vulnerable children worldwide, has been making a significant impact for over eight decades. Their approach emphasises child protection and promoting societies that value, protect, and advance children's rights. Saranga Jayarathne, the Senior Advisor Advocacy, for ChildFund International underscores the necessity of viewing climate change through a child-focused lens. Highlighting how climate change exacerbates existing risks for children, both online and offline, and the urgent need for action to protect their future.Keeva Duffey, Senior Advisor on Climate Action at ChildFund, shares her perspective on the role of children and youth in climate discussions. She stresses the importance of their meaningful engagement at local, national, and international levels, including events like COP28. ChildFund’s mission is to ensure that children's voices are heard in crucial climate change discussions, advocating for a future where they are safe, healthy, educated, and skilled.Our conversation also explores the broader implications of climate change on children's health, education, and safety. We discuss how rising temperatures, air pollution, and shifting weather patterns pose significant threats to children's well-being. Join us as we explore the intersection of climate change and child advocacy with experts from ChildFund International and how involving everyone in the conversation can help create a sustainable future for the next generation.Links:ChildFund website: ChildFund Children's Charity | Sponsor a Child Today!Child protection online, Take it down campaign: ChildFund | Take It DownUNICEF report: The climate-changed child | UNICEFWorld Bank report on migration: Groundswell Part 2: Acting on Internal Climate Migration (worldbank.org)ChildFund Alliance report strategies to end violence in a changing climate:Strategies-to-end-violence-against-children-in-a-changing-climate.pdf (barnfonden.se)ChildFund Alliance climate and environmental action brief: Climate and Environmental Action Brief 2023 - ChildFund AllianceDr. Stephen Knight-Lenihan (MSc; Dip. Jour; PhD; MEIANZ.): Recent publications: Knight-Lenihan, S 2020 Achieving biodiversity net gain in a neoliberal economy: the case of England Ambio 49(12): 2052-2060. DOI 10.1007/s13280-020-01337-5 / Knight-Lenihan, S 2021 Why the proposed Natural and Built Environments Act might fail. N. Z. J. Environ. Law 25, 259–277. / Knight-Lenihan, S 2022 Identifying limits in domestic law delivering net ecological benefit: a New Zealand example. Urban Sci. 6, 93.https://doi.org/10.3390/urbansci6040093 / Knight-Lenihan, S 2023. Ecological health and integrity in New Zealand legislation. Aust J Envt Mgmt DOI: 10.1080/14486563.2023.2179117. Knight-Lenihan, S. 2015 “Benefit costs analysis, resilience and climate change” Climate Policy 16(7): 909-923.And if you liked this podcast listen to: https://businessfightspoverty.org/exploring-the-role-of-carbon-markets-in-climate-change-solutions-insights-from-cop-28-with-sheri-hickok/
In this episode, we dive deep into the role of carbon markets in addressing the global challenge of climate change. Recorded at COP28, from Dubai, Social Impact Pioneer Sheri Hickok provides a 101 on the function of carbon markets and their evolution through carbon offsetting hiccups; whilst giving us a glimpse behind the curtain of the globe’s climate conference.Sheri is the CEO of Climate Impact Partners. With over 25 years of experience in the renewable energy and now the carbon markets – she explains how companies utilise these markets to achieve their sustainability goals. The conversation demystifies the concept of carbon markets, moving beyond the simple notion of tree planting to explore comprehensive strategies like agroforestry projects in Indonesia, community engagement and additive contributions. Together we talk creating jobs, enhancing community livelihoods, improving local biodiversity, and the regulation that is being developed to ensure carbon markets don’t fall into green washing.Sheri talks about the African Carbon Markets Initiative (ACMI) – where African nations countries can transfer carbon credits earned from the reduction of their greenhouse gas emissions to other countries in order to meet their climate targets. By 2030 the ACMI aims to: Produce 300 million carbon credits annually; Unlock $6bn in revenue; Create 30mn jobs.Listeners are encouraged to join the conversation and contribute their perspectives. This episode is not just an informative session; it's a call to action for collective efforts in combating climate change through innovative solutions like carbon markets.As the climate crisis looms larger, this podcast episode offers valuable insights and inspires hope by showcasing effective strategies and real-world examples of progress in the fight against global warming.Links:Impact Partners: Climateimpact.comVCMI - VCMI - Delivering high-integrity carbon markets: https://vcmintegrity.org/ICVCM - ICVCM - Build integrity and scale will follow: https://icvcm.org/IPPC 2030 targets - The evidence is clear: the time for action is now. We can halve emissions by 2030. — IPCC: https://www.ipcc.ch/2022/04/04/ipcc-ar6-wgiii-pressrelease/Website with project info/case studies - Case Studies | Climate Impact Partners: https://www.climateimpact.com/case-studies/
Can regenerative enterprise create the sustainable business model needed to address climate change, end poverty, and help everyone be included in a better future?In the world of activism and scepticism, there are calls for radical divergence from capitalist, consumerism. Social Impact Pioneer Niels de Fraguier is championing another path - regenerative enterprise. A term that encapsulates the idea of not just sustaining but actively replenishing and restoring through business. On the eve of COP28 – as the world sharpens its focus on the global challenge of climate change – listen in to this podcast for refreshing insight into how business can be a part of the solution.Niels is a seasoned activist who started his career working with refugees and vulnerable groups. This work involved policymaking and collaboration with organisations like the UN, European Commission, and the Council of Europe, before he turned his attention to business. Exploring the question – how can the energy and efforts of business be harnessed to ensure the sustainable future we need?Listen in to Niels as he thoughtfully unpicks how businesses can pivot to support more people…this is a conversation of practical steps and key questions that could enable business decision makers to pivot their work – resulting in better run businesses fit for the future and, hopefully, regenerating social and environmental outcomes. As Niels explains ‘doing no harm is not good enough – businesses must contribute positively and regeneratively.’ Questions this podcast explores:How do we make sure business is fit for the future:To make businesses fit for the future, it's crucial to embrace regenerative practices, going beyond sustainability to replenish and repair the world. This involves redefining success to prioritise social and environmental goals alongside profit, ensuring business activities contribute positively to society and the environment. Key strategies include adopting a circular economy model, respecting local communities and ecosystems, fostering diversity and equity in the workplace, and innovating for positive impact. Businesses should strive to be a force for good, transforming their operations to create a more equitable, sustainable, and thriving future for all.Can business continue as before for a sustainable future?Businesses must evolve beyond traditional sustainability for a sustainable future. Regenerative enterprise focuses on replenishing ecosystems and empowering human potential, not just minimizing harm. This approach involves embedding evolutionary purpose, respecting interconnections and locality, and fostering well-being, participation, and resilience. It's about creating value in multiple forms, not just financial gain. Companies should challenge the status quo, promoting systemic change towards a more equitable, thriving world. This transformation requires collaboration, innovative thinking, and a commitment to long-term, positive impact on people and the planet.Links:Niels de Fraguier - https://fr.linkedin.com/in/nielsdefraguier/enNiels de Fraguier articles: https://niels-defraguier.medium.comThe Regenerative Enterprise - https://theregenerativeenterprise.comPositive resources - http://www.makeapositiveimpact.coThink into the Future: a Canvas to lead positive change and become a good ancestor - https://bit.ly/3br9mTLFUTURs : Le jeu pour faire de demain un meilleur lendemainhttps://futurs-lejeu.frL'ÉCOLOGIE POUR TOUTES ET TOUS - https://lecologiepourtous.fr
This conversation looks into the escalating challenge – that climate change and poverty increase gender based violence. Three experienced civil society, gender empowerment practitioners from leading NGO Practical Action join the Social Impact Pioneers’ podcast to share the wealth of worrying insights and what we can do about it.Mariette Utamuvuna, Berthille Kampire and George Williams each bring first-hand experience of working with women, and men, in tough places. Be ready to learn about the impacts of living in refugee camps on the incidence of gender based and domestic violence. Our conversation opens with a powerful exploration of gender-based violence (GBV) as a fundamental human rights issue. We discuss the intricate ways in which gender inequality fuels poverty and injustice, emphasising the need for gender mainstreaming and transformative change. This conversation is not just about identifying problems but also about championing practical actions and strategies to empower women and engage men in the fight against GBV. Mariette, Berthille and George together also share inspiring stories from the field, highlighting successful interventions in refugee camps and communities affected by climate change. These stories illustrate the power of community involvement and the importance of addressing gender inequality in all aspects of development work.Join us as we explore the intersections of gender-based violence, climate, resilience, and practical action. Whether you're a professional in the field, an interested listener, or someone looking for ways to make a difference, this episode offers valuable perspectives and solutions for a more equitable andsustainable world.If you have found any of this worrying or you would like direct support with regards to GBV – the NO MORE directory can support you: https://nomoredirectory.org/ Links: Climate Change and Domestic Violence in South Asia - Nextshark.com (2023). Climate change linked to increase in domestic violence in South Asia, study finds. [online] Available at: https://nextshark.com/temperature-increase-domestic-violence-south-asia-study Gender Transformative Change - Practical Action - Gender Transformative Change. [online] Available at: https://practicalaction.org/gender-transformative-change Gender-Based Violence – UNHCR - Gender-based violence. [online] Available at: https://www.unhcr.org/what-we-do/protect-human-rights/protection/gender-based-violence Violence Against Women and Girls - World Bank Gender Data Portal - Violence against women and girls – what the data tell us. [online] Available at: https://genderdata.worldbank.org/data-stories/overview-of-gender-based-violence/ Share of women who suffered intimate partner physical and/or sexual violence in 2020, by region - Statista - https://www.statista.com/statistics/1212170/share-of-women-who-suffered-intimate-partner-physical-and-or-sexual-violence-by-region/ Climate crisis linked to rising domestic violence in south Asia, study finds - The Guardian - https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2023/jun/28/climate-crisis-linked-to-rising-domestic-violence-in-south-asia-study-finds The night a refugee camp became a city - Practical Action (2022) - https://practicalaction.org/news-media/2020/04/07/the-night-a-refugee-camp-became-a-city/ Does access to electricity change poor people’s lives? - Practical Action (2019) - https://practicalaction.org/news-media/2019/02/15/does-access-to-electricity-change-poor-peoples-lives/ Gender Transformative Early Warning Systems - Practical Action Info Hub – https://infohub.practicalaction.org/handle/11283/621134Gender and Age Inequality of Disaster Risk - Practical Action Info Hub – https://infohub.practicalaction.org/handle/11283/622902 Gender_Transformative_Change_Updated_Feb_2023.pdf - Practical Action (2023) - https://practicalaction.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/Gender_Transformative_Change_Updated_Feb_2023.pdf
Youth inclusion and business. Why do businesses need to better listen to young people and how can you be better at youth inclusion? In today’s rapidly evolving corporate environment, businesses need to prioritise inclusivity – not only as a moral imperative, but as a crucial element in staying competitive. Young people, with their adaptability and unique perspective, represent a significant stakeholder in achieving Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). By actively involving this demographic, businesses can drive meaningful change, ensuring that innovations are both inclusive and sustainable.Listen to Morten Enggaard Rasmussen, Executive Vice President, People, Sustainability & Brand, Novozymes A/S and AiLun Ku, President & CEO, The Opportunity Network as they frankly explain how to better support, listen to and engage young people in business. AiLun explains: "[Young people] have so many assets and so many talents. And when we only apply adult brains, and adult thinking and frameworks we came up with, we leave a lot of things intact and a lot of things unsaid."Whilst Morten challenges us: "I have a call for anyone in here: look at the company, look at your leader... If they are not diverse, if they are not looking for inclusivity, they don’t deserve you. Move on. There are plenty of opportunities."If you enjoyed this conversation, take a listen to:Investors and Female Entrepreneurs, with Sanjukta and Heather: https://businessfightspoverty.org/investors-and-female-entrepreneurs/
As the global community grapples with ensuring food security in the face of ever-mounting challenges, there’s an imperative need to place farmers at the epicentre of strategic solutions. Together, we must ensure we focus on both food security and farmer livelihoods.Michelle Grogg, Vice President, Corporate Responsibility and Sustainable Development, Cargill and Cesar Galaviz, Rancher, Farmer and Agronomist, Río Fuerte Sur, Mexico discuss how to create food security, support farmer livelihoods whilst creating resilience and capacity to adapt to climate change.Expect to hear about water stress, environment care, innovative farming techniques, yield improvement.Cesar explains: "This is the time to act and adapt to a new way of producing food. We need to be more sustainable and also friendly with the environment. But if we don’t do something right now, it can be too late for the future, for tomorrow."Michelle stresses: We need to make sure that farmers are at the table so that we can hear and we can really listen to what they think is needed. They’re the experts, and we are here to work alongside them."
At the current rate of progress, the UN estimates it could take 300 years to achieve full gender equality. People have been working to create gender equity but the results aren’t making enough of a difference. Is one solution – including men in gender empowerment? The International Center for Research on Women (ICRW), Hand in Hand and Cartier Philanthropy have teamed up to better understand what it would take to help men, help women.In some parts of the world, a conflux of challenges face people – women’s role is perceived as predominantly in the home, visiting friends, or making money is at her husband’s discretion. In these same places few people are employed in the formal economy and living on less than $2.15 a day – and micro-entrepreneurship is the only route out of poverty. It is these places that Hand in Hand have focused their work. This podcast peels back the data to reveal the impacts of men and women’s engagement to create gender equity. Three years ago, Hand in Hand started an ambitious new project to shift the norms and attitudes that hold women entrepreneurs back in rural Arusha, Tanzania – working with ICRW and Cartier Philanthropy. Today we hear from Social Impact Pioneers Dorothea Arndt, and Ravi Verma as they share the learning from this work.Dorothea is the CEO of Hand in Hand International. Hand in Hand are the global network of charities supporting women to lift their families out of poverty by launching their own businesses. In the last 20 years they have supported 4.2 million enterprises and helped to create 6 million jobs. Whilst Dr Ravi is the Director, ICRW Asia. With more than three decades of experience in programmatic research and evaluation in family planning and reproductive health, gender mainstreaming and HIV/AIDS in countries throughout Asia.Ravi and Dorothea together bring a wealth of experience and expertise to creating lasting gender equality. Together they emphasise the importance of involving men and communities in women's empowerment. They particularly highlight the economic implications of gender dynamics, whilst sharing practical learnings from the work and research. Links: Report: Measuring the impact of male engagement on women's economic empowerment: https://www.handinhandinternational.org/measuring-the-impact-of-male-engagement-on-womens-economic-empowerment/UN Women (Sept 2022). Achieving full gender equality is still centuries away, warns the United Nations in a new report. https://www.unwomen.org/en/news-stories/press-release/2022/09/press-release-achieving-full-gender-equality-is-still-centuries-away-warns-the-united-nations-in-a-new-reportDorothea Arndt: https://www.handinhandinternational.org/teammember/dorothea-arndt/ Dr Ravi Verma: https://www.icrw.org/staff-members/ravi-verma/And if you liked this try:Investors and Female Entrepreneurs, with Sanjukta and Heather: https://businessfightspoverty.org/investors-and-female-entrepreneurs/
In a world teetering on the brink of 1.5-degree climate change, the need for innovative, forward-thinking solutions has never been more urgent. Big questions often require big answers that are often so lofty they are impossible to deliver in reality – especially when it comes to business transformation.
Meet Social Impact Pioneers, Ariel Muller, Director of Futures and Strategic Initiatives and LiLin Loh, Senior Sustainability Strategist, both from Forum for the Future, both based in Singapore. Forum for the Future is a leading international sustainability non-profit running out of offices in the UK, US, India and Singapore. Since Forum was founded in 1996, it has been working in partnership with business, governments and civil society to accelerate the shift towards a just and regenerative future in which both people and the planet thrive. Listen in to this podcast conversation to hear Ariel and LiLin reach from future system level sustainable thinking to practical business orientated solutions. Join these experts in the realm of futures thinking and sustainability. This is a masterclass in how to anticipate, imagine, and make decisions today for a better tomorrow. Futures thinking, as Ariel Muller, Director of Futures and Strategic Initiatives at Forum for the Future explains, is a practice of imagination and anticipation. It's about observing current trends and signals, then using that data to envision possible futures. This isn't crystal ball gazing; it's a rigorous, collaborative process that can help businesses, governments, and individuals prepare for what's coming. Ariel, with a background in creative and values-driven work, emphasizes the importance of combining futures thinking with systems thinking. This dual approach not only helps us understand what might happen in the future but also delves into the power dynamics and structural aspects that shape those outcomes. But how does this all tie into sustainability? LiLin Loh is a Senior Sustainability Strategist also with Forum for the Future, based in Southeast Asia. She brings the conversation down to earth by discussing the practical challenges businesses face in their value chains, particularly in responsible recruitment. LiLin highlights the culture of fear that often prevents companies from addressing deep-rooted issues, opting instead for surface-level compliance. LiLin’s experience working directly with businesses has shown her the need to go beyond mere compliance and engage in multi-solving—addressing both immediate and long-term risks. So, if you're intrigued by the idea of futures thinking, keen to tackle sustainability challenges, or simply want to understand how to navigate the complex landscape of modern business, this is the podcast for you. It's not just about asking big questions; it's about finding transformative answers. Tune in to explore how we can collectively look towards the future and address the challenges of today, ensuring a more sustainable and equitable world for all.
Links: Forum for the Future: https://www.forumforthefuture.org/framing-the-future-as-just-and-regenerative-why-and-how
The Future of Sustainability: https://www.forumforthefuture.org/businesses-must-adopt-a-transformative-mindset-to-build-resilience-through-the-climate-crisis
Full links can be found:https://businessfightspoverty.org/resources/?_content=podcast
In the bustling world of sustainable development, the term "just transition" has become a buzzword. But what does it truly mean, and why should businesses care? The recent podcast episode featuring Savanna and Joachim from the World Benchmarking Alliance (WBA) sheds light on this intricate concept and provides practical support for business practitioners navigating the challenges of delivering their organisations through a just transition.
If we take no action to address climate change - estimates suggest that it will cost the world’s economy US$178 trillion by 2070. And yet if do manage to move our energy mix to renewables, for us to use electric vehicles and increase the energy efficiency in existing and future buildings – the ILO estimate that over 18 million new jobs could be created. This podcast examines the question - how can businesses ensure that these 18 million new jobs are open and available to everyone who wants one. And ensure whole communities aren’t disadvantaged by the move to a greener economy?
Savanna, part of the research team, highlights the methodology, co-developed with the International Labour Organization (ILO) and other experts, focuses on ensuring a just transition as companies move towards a more sustainable future. The methodology is extensive, touching on stakeholder engagement, planning, job creation, upskilling, social protection, and policy advocacy.
Joachim, the climate policy lead, delves deeper into the practicalities. He emphasizes the importance of companies not only creating green jobs but ensuring these jobs are decent and contribute to the net-zero economy transition.
But why the emphasis on just transition? As Savanna explains, the goal is to ensure that as we transition to a net-zero economy, those affected are not left behind. It's about a human-centered approach, ensuring that all stakeholders are part of the conversation and that the transition is equitable.
This podcast episode, brimming with insights and expertise, is a must-listen for anyone keen to grasp the intricacies of this vital concept. Dive in and discover the future of sustainable business practices.
If you like this, do try:
Building Climate Resilience: Sustainable Homes and Social Impact with Henning and Joyce: https://businessfightspoverty.org/building-climate-resilience-sustainable-homes-and-social-impact-with-henning-and-joyce/
Links: WBA’s Just Transition Assessment methodology and 6 key indicators : https://www.worldbenchmarkingalliance.org/research/just-transition-launch-of-the-methodology/
Just Transition from ILO guidelines https://www.ilo.org/wcmsp5/groups/public/@ed_emp/@emp_ent/documents/publication/wcms_432859.pdf
WBA’s Oil and Gas Benchmark 2023, https://www.worldbenchmarkingalliance.org/publication/oil-and-gas/Global
Global Deal WBA training Call for fellowships - ITCILO course on mediation and conciliation - OECD (theglobaldeal.com)
WBA Benchmark Scorecard, Climate and Energy: https://www.worldbenchmarkingalliance.org/climate-and-energy-benchmark/
Deloitte (2022), Deloitte research reveals inaction on climate change could cost the world’s economy US$178 trillion by 2070, https://www.deloitte.com/global/en/about/press-room/deloitte-research-reveals-inaction-on-climate-change-could-cost-the-world-economy-us-dollar-178-trillion-by-2070.html
ILO (2018), World Employment and Social Outlook 2018: Greening with jobs: https://www.ilo.org/wcmsp5/groups/public/---dgreports/---dcomm/---publ/documents/publication/wcms_628654.pdf
McKinsey (2021), Why women are leaving the mining industry and what mining companies can do about it: https://www.mckinsey.com/industries/metals-and-mining/our-insights/why-women-are-leaving-the-mining-industry-and-what-mining-companies-can-do-about-it#
European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, Just transition, https://www.ebrd.com/what-we-do/just-transition
Attention all investors and female entrepreneurs – this podcast is for you. Did you know that less than 2% of investment goes to female-led businesses? And even if there's just one woman in a group of male founders, their chances of investment drop compared to all-male teams. But fear not, Social Impact Pioneers Heather Matranga and Sanjukta Mitra are here to offer practical solutions to the gender financing gap.
Heather, VP and Managing Director of Impact Investments at Village Capital, shares tools for investors to mitigate bias in the investment process, from decision-making tools to new investment models (check out links below to the Smarter Systems toolkit) and introduces a pilot financing facility for Women in Tech alumni as part of Futuremakers by Standard Chartered. Meanwhile, Sanjukta is the Liabilities Product Head of Business Banking India for Standard Chartered Bank. She drives equitable access to financial support for women and small businesses, with networking and business leads platforms, as well as banking services tailored to female-led businesses (take a look at the links below for details).
Together, these women are on a mission to expand the reach and scale of financial services, creating accessible banking and financing to lift participation and create economic inclusion. Whether you're an investor, a female entrepreneur, or simply passionate about helping women reach their potential, this podcast is for you. Don't miss out on the practical solutions to accelerate female-led business growth and success.
Links:
Standard Chartered Bank, Lifting Participation: https://www.sc.com/en/about/our-long-term-ambition/lifting-participation/
Futuremakers by Standard Chartered: https://www.sc.com/en/sustainability/investing-in-communities/
Standard Chartered Bank, SC WIN – https://www.sc.com/en/banking/banking-for-individuals/sc-win/
Village capital: https://vilcap.com
Smarter Systems Toolkit : https://vilcap.com/smarter-systems
Pitchbook: companies founded solely by women garnered just 0.9% of the total capital invested in venture-backed startups in Europe: https://pitchbook.com/news/articles/the-european-vc-female-founders-dashboard
Pitchbook: companies founded solely by women garnered just 2.1% of the total capital invested in venture-backed startups in the US: https://pitchbook.com/news/articles/the-vc-female-founders-dashboard
Solutions for Women Entrepreneurs - 38% of all MSMEs are women owned: https://www.womensworldbanking.org/what-we-do/solutions-for-women-owned-businesses/
“Potential” and the Gender Promotion Gap – revealing that investment evaluating potentially harms women and benefits men: https://danielle-li.github.io/assets/docs/PotentialAndTheGenderPromotionGap.pdf
Constructed Criteria: Redefining Merit to Justify Discrimination - showing that that evaluators redefine what success looks like in a candidate to fit the characteristics displayed by candidates of their preferred gender. https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1111/j.0956-7976.2005.01559.x
Male and Female Entrepreneurs Get Asked Different Questions by VCs — and It Affects How Much Funding They Get: https://clicktime.symantec.com/15tpsyHbJeDpXoVvFaXmb?h=HjafWLeJkXDZC6y81BX2miqUqT2MtIqaKV7krhM1VpU=&u=https://hbr.org/2017/06/male-and-female-entrepreneurs-get-asked-different-questions-by-vcs-and-it-affects-how-much-funding-they-get
If you like this conversation, do take a listen to:
Scaling Green Tech Solutions for Smallholder Farmers, with Audrey and Khadija: https://businessfightspoverty.org/scaling-green-tech-solutions-for-smallholder-farmers/
What Does it Take to be a Female Entrepreneur? With Naom and Natasha: https://businessfightspoverty.org/what-does-it-take-to-be-a-female-entrepreneur-with-naom-and-natasha/
How can NGOs pivot towards innovation, agility and impact? Social Impact Pioneers Isaac Nyangolo of Zeraki and Paul Ronalds from Save the Children’s Global Ventures share their journey.
Faced with a rapidly changing world and the tremendous need for systemic reform, NGOs like Save the Children are venturing beyond the bounds of traditional funding models and approaches. Navigating the tumultuous waters of non-governmental organisation funding, they're pivoting towards innovation in order to achieve their ambitious missions.
Paul Ronalds joins the conversation to share why Save the Children, went on a brave journey of transformation beginning by recognising the growing limitations of traditional philanthropy and grants. Paul shares how they embarked on a mission to explore new territories—impact investing, technology, and social enterprise and in the process set up Save the Children Global Ventures (SCGV).
SCGV is the dedicated entity created to explore innovative finance funding mechanisms and take new technologies to scale. The venture has helped generate significant traction for organisations like Zeraki, a Kenyan-based ed-tech firm that not only proved to be a sound financial investment, but also aligned with the mission of Save the Children.
Meet Isaac Nyangolo, social innovator, entrepreneur, CEO and Co-Founder of Zeraki. There have been great strides taken in getting children some education, but more than half all 10-year-olds from poor and middle income countries are unable to read and understand a short age-appropriate text. With the predictions of climate related disasters and migration becoming a reality, the access to quality education may well slip further. Isaac is on a mission to democratise education and create access to quality learning through online tools and data. During our conversation he advocates for agile support from funders and supporters to scale and grow economically sound, lasting and impactful solutions. Prepare yourself for a good dowse of inspirations coupled with practical ideas and insights as Paul and Isaac share their warts and all journey.
Links: • Save the Children Global Ventures: https://scgv.org/ • Zeraki: https://www.zeraki.app/ • UNESCO, The World Needs Almost 69 Million New Teachers to Reach the 2030 Education Goals: https://uis.unesco.org/en/document/world-needs-almost-69-million-new-teachers-reach-2030-education-goals • Holon IQ, $10tn global education market in 2030: https://www.holoniq.com/notes/10-trillion-global-education-market-in-2030 • Save the Children, Impact Funds: https://savethechildreninvestments.org.au/ • Kevin Starr & Sarah Miers, “No Where To Grow”, Stanford Social Innovation Review, Oct 2020: https://ssir.org/articles/entry/nowhere_to_grow • Greg Coussa, “To Impact Millions, the Social Sector Needs to Scale Up Scaling Up”, Stanford Social Innovation Review, Jan 2019: https://ssir.org/articles/entry/to_impact_millions_the_social_sector_needs_to_scale_scaling_up • Global Partnership, Education Data Highlights:https://www.globalpartnership.org/results/education-data-highlights
What does it take to rebuild from failure? Social Impact Pioneer, Daniel Mangena shares his journey - boom to bust and boom again. Today Daniel is a global soul, five-time author, and entrepreneurial coach. Despite hitting rock bottom after losing everything, Daniel rebuilt his life in a unique way, offering valuable insights into recharging oneself, finding purpose, and achieving success through adversity.
Daniel's story is one of resilience and transformation. He candidly reveals that he once contemplated suicide, feeling that his life had lost all meaning. A late diagnosis of Asperger's syndrome, coupled with amassing and subsequently losing a great deal of wealth, took its toll. However, he managed to turn his life around and is now dedicated to empowering others to do the same.
As an entrepreneurial advisor, Daniel firmly believes that success is within reach for everyone, regardless of their starting point. He encourages individuals to identify their passions and determine which ones they are willing to endure numerous failures and setbacks for. When asked about his advice for entrepreneurs who lack formal backing, such as smallholder farmers in emerging markets, Daniel shares that hard situations can be an advantage. He emphasizes the resourcefulness and problem-solving skills developed through navigating challenging circumstances. Failure, according to Daniel is not an experience but a choice. Rather than accepting circumstances as the end of the story, he encourages individuals to view failure as a test or a bump in the road. Drawing on his own experiences and the stories of successful businesspeople, he highlights how failure often precedes great success. This podcast conversation offers a unique perspective on personal growth, success, and social impact. Daniel’s insights provide a roadmap for individuals seeking to rebuild from failure, find their purpose, and make a positive difference in the world. By embracing resilience, pursuing passions, and empowering communities, each person has the potential to create a life of meaning and contribute to a brighter future.
As Daniel continues to inspire and empower others, his podcast episodes and books serve as valuable resources for those seeking personal and entrepreneurial growth. His message resonates with the human spirit, reminding us that success is possible for anyone, regardless of their past or present circumstances. So tune in, recharge your motivation, and embark on a transformative journey of self-discovery and achievement.
Links: Daniel’s Entrepreneur Magazine writer: https://www.entrepreneur.com/author/daniel-mangena Daniel’s Books – The Money Game; Stepping Beyond Intention; The Dreamers Manifesto; Power Proximity: From Time to Time: https://dreamwithdan.com/books/ Three feet from gold: https://www.goodreads.com/en/book/show/6983077 Universal law – law of vibration: https://medium.com/@FlanneryDz/the-law-of-vibration-the-2nd-universal-law-ba0329a5f0d2 Ray Dalio – The Changing World Order: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Changing_World_Order
If you liked this, take a listen to: Business Purpose Made Simple, with William Buist: https://businessfightspoverty.org/business-purpose-made-simple-with-william-buist/ and Scaling Green Tech Solutions for Smallholder Farmers, with Audrey and Khadija: https://businessfightspoverty.org/scaling-green-tech-solutions-for-smallholder-farmers/
Doubt and uncertainty can fog the perception of businesses managing their environmental, social, and governance (ESG) risks and opportunities. Can enterprises be thriving and profitable while addressing social injustices and environmental degradation? The evidence says "Yes," but how do we best articulate this?
Meet Social Impact Pioneers Jennifer Owens and Kati Kallins. Two people with decades of experience working with people from across business areas – in that time Jenn and Kati have learnt a few things about how to better communicate environmental, social and governance topics. Buckle up for a deeply pragmatic conversation, stuffed full of practical guidance and insight.
Jenn is a seasoned content strategy executive, she crafts compelling narratives, working with people across business to understand how, when and where to talk about sustainability and diversity.
Concurrently, Kati Kallins, an adjunct professor at Hult International School of Business, she merges her passion for climate action and social equity with corporate sustainability. Having worked at Meta, Google, and the Environmental Protection Agency, Kati brings experience of both the communications and people engagement.
This podcast is not a platform for idealistic discourse. It dives into practical, on-the-ground strategies, dissecting how businesses can contribute positively to a world where safety and sustainability are universal rights, not luxuries. It discusses ways to uphold profit and purpose, unravelling how these ideas are not at odds but, instead, a not-so-new business paradigm.
Expect digestible takeaways and actionable tactics. So, let's lean in, listen, learn, and together navigate this journey towards a better future. Because at the end of the day, we all strive for a world that's not just profitable, but one that's also habitable and just.
And if you liked this podcast, take a listen to:
Business Purpose Made Simple, with William Buist: https://businessfightspoverty.org/business-purpose-made-simple-with-william-buist/
and
What Does it Take to be a Female Entrepreneur? With Naom and Natasha: https://businessfightspoverty.org/what-does-it-take-to-be-a-female-entrepreneur-with-naom-and-natasha/
Over 100 million people are displaced worldwide. That’s the equivalent of the 14th biggest country in the globe. The world seems to be in a refugee crisis and yet for some, like Social Impact Pioneer, Dale Buscher – there are practical pragmatic solutions, developed over decades of lived experience.
Dale’s professional journey reaches back to 1988. His extensive experience includes supporting refugees from Vietnam to Haiti, Bosniak refugees in Croatia, displaced Kurds in Northern Iraq, and many more.
During our conversation Dale explains how situations and circumstances surrounding any one person who is forcibly displaced is complex, nuanced and dynamic. Navigating these challenges requires a deep understanding of the refugee experience itself but the experience of Dale and his colleagues means that there is support, guidance and time-tested help available. Enter the all-encompassing guide: "Building Livelihoods: A Field Manual for Practitioners in Humanitarian Settings."
Dale’s robust background, including advising the UN High Commissioner for Refugees and authoring the field handbook "Operational Protection in Camps and Settlements," ensures his insights are practical, steeped in lived experience, and transformative. And be ready to hear Dale share why the Refugee Self-Reliance Initiative - a joint effort by the Women's Refugee Commission – where Dale is currently Vice President of Programs and RefugePoint is a vital programme in helping promote a future where refugees regain financial independence and understand self-resilience.
Whether you're a humanitarian practitioner, a supporter of refugee rights, whether you are displaced or a listener with a desire for deeper understanding, this podcast is your compass in the intricate landscape of refugee support and self-reliance.
This podcast is more than a manual; it's a portal into the reality of humanitarian aid, the importance of self-reliance, and the tangible ways we can contribute to building a better future for displaced individuals. So, tune in, and let Dale Buscher guide you through the challenges and real-life experiences of supporting refugees around the globe.
Links:
Women’s Refugee Commission; Building Livelihoods: A Field Manual for Practitioners in Humanitarian Settings; https://www.unhcr.org/media/building-livelihoods-field-manual-practioners-humanitarian-settings
Refugee Self-Reliance Initiative: https://www.refugeeselfreliance.org
The Women’s Refugee Commission: http://www.womensrefugeecommission.org
RefugePoint: https://www.refugepoint.org
European Commission, European Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aid Operations; Forced displacement; https://civil-protection-humanitarian-aid.ec.europa.eu/what/humanitarian-aid/forced-displacement_en
And if you liked this conversation take a listen to: Financial Inclusion for Displaced People, with Micol, UNHCR and Ricardo, IFC - https://businessfightspoverty.org/financial-inclusion-for-displaced-people-with-micol-unhcr-and-ricardo-ifc/
How can we build climate resilience? Social Impact Pioneers Joyce Coffee and Henning Alts reveal the secrets to longevity within inclusive business models and explore why a construction materials company is vital to building climate resilience with vulnerable communities.
Listen in to this podcast conversation as Henning Alts, the social scientist working with Cemex, the global construction materials company, celebrates 25 years of Patrimonio Hoy. Initially designed to empower low-income families in improving their homes, Patrimonio Hoy has evolved into something far greater. This inclusive business model not only provides access to financing, but also offers technical assistance, enabling families to build safe, resilient, and sustainable homes step by step. As Henning explains: “The outcomes aren’t just strong homes, but stronger families and communities too.” Climate change, we know, is unleashing a cascade of extreme weather events, leaving vulnerable communities, often residing in fragile housing, at the mercy of its devastating effects.
Joyce Coffee, who was instrumental in developing the world's first climate resilience principles for the financial services industry and has played a key role in shaping the climate adaptation field – believes that Patrimonio Hoy could play a vital part in the next 25 years to help people literally build physical climate resilience into their homes. Boldly brought into Cemex to evaluate the business propensity to climate resilience - Joyce shares what she has discovered on this unique journey.
During this conversation, get ready to learn about climate resilience; how leading-edge businesses are examining all that they do in preparation for their response to climate change; whilst looking at what it takes for inclusive business models to stand the test of time.
Links: Patrimonio Hoy: 25 years of social transformation through home improvement: https://youtu.be/lLFI60RuunI
Patrimonio Hoy: 25 años de transformación social a través de la mejora de viviendas: https://youtu.be/jM6_4F5EMjc
Cemex Urban Solutions: Patrimonio Hoy forms is one of the six businesses that belong to Cemex’s Urban Solutions – the portfolio of integrated solutions for urban development. Cemex is leveraging their critical mass and building materials expertise, to offer complementary solutions for sustainable cities, emphasizing net-zero and sustainability, circular solutions, and resilient buildings and infrastructure. Find out more here: https://www.cemex.com/products-solutions/urbanization-solutions
Business purpose made simple. Listen in to this podcast and hear Social Impact Pioneer William Buist explain the basics of business purpose and why we might be over complicating it. During this conversation William dives into business purpose and how solving big problems is at the heart of all businesses. Before he shares his practical ways to support teammates in their personal development. To optimise team performance – creating a road map for effective leadership.
William Buist spent many years working his way up and through business. He has managed teams of hundreds and wrestled with the challenges of getting a desperate group of people in seemingly boring jobs to pull in the same direction and be passionate about their work. After a spot of trial and error – William discovered the power of purpose – finding out first hand that drilling into the basics of the problem your business is trying to solve for, can help bring everyone together, remotivate and energise.
On his way, William saw a journey his colleagues were going on, a journey he has codified so that we can all learn from his wisdom. Listen in to hear how William explain how explorers can turn to novices, practitioners, experts and then masters. And how building teams of masters creates opportunities and resilience. This may sound lofty but be prepared for very practical insights into how to do create high performing teams and be a better leader.
Join William on his journey and take advantage of his kind offer to help you too. If you would like to take advantage of a free and personalised business purpose audit – do take a look at the link below.
Links:
Intentional Mastery: Step Beyond Your Expertise and Build Better Business: https://www.williambuist.com/product/intentional-mastery-step-beyond-your-expertise-and-build-better-business-by-william-buist/ Your free and personal business audit: https://audit.williambuist.com
And if you liked this conversation, do take a listen to:
What’s it Really Going to Take to Reach Gender Equality? https://businessfightspoverty.org/whats-it-really-going-to-take-to-reach-gender-equality/
A Sustainable Business Guide with David Grayson, Chris Coulter and Mark Lee - https://businessfightspoverty.org/david-grayson-chris-coulter-and-mark-lee-the-sustainable-business-handbook/
Why is financial inclusion for displaced people a problem? If you are a migrant or a refugee, if you have left your home due to forced reasons, and you arrive in another country, chances are that financial services are not accessible to you. The lack of an ID card or the lack of recognition of the ID card provided to you is a barrier; the lack of your credit history and collateral are additional barriers; language differences and stereotypes; as well as the lack of information from financial service providers will all hold you back from getting access to financial services. And the consequences are that you may not be able to get a job, pay your taxes or set up your own enterprise. And yet, as we will hear in this podcast, improving financial services for displaced people, unlocks a wealth of economic and social growth for this population, as well as benefits and gains for the countries that hosts them.
Meet Social Impact Pioneers Micol Pistelli and Ricardo Martin Garcia Tafur who have been working tirelessly to develop better financial service models for forcibly displaced people. Financial services that help migrants, refugees, and asylum seekers, as well as internal displaced people to get contributing to their local host communities and economies.
Micol is a Senior Financial Inclusion Coordinator at UNHCR, The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees – which has the mandate to help and protect refugees, forcibly displaced communities, and stateless people around the world. Whilst Ricardo is a Senior Operations Officer at the IFC and UNHCR Joint Initiative that fosters private sector engagement into forced displacement contexts at the International Finance Corporation (the IFC) which is part of the World Bank Group. Both are deeply focused on building financial and economic inclusion of forcibly displaced populations.
During this podcast conversation Micol and Ricardo roll up the blind on the economic case for having better financially integrated people in host communities. They explain: “If people migrating into your area are economically contributing to your area, paying their taxes and putting their efforts back into your community – there can be positives for everyone.”
Together they have been working directly with financial service providers across South America – the data that they have collected reveals the challenges facing migrants and, also the market opportunities that open, if forcibly displaced people are better served.
Get ready to hear very practical ways for banks and other financial service providers to better support migrants, refugees and asylum seekers, while maximizing the gains and benefits for the financial sectors in their host countries. From designing and implementing tailored and people-centered value propositions, to sensitization and breaking paradigms, to recruitment opportunities and service delivery. Listen in to hear more.
Links:
UNHCR data link https://www.unhcr.org/refugee-statistics/ Short blog on UNHCR work on financial inclusion https://www.unhcr.org/blogs/gaining-ground-on-refugee-financial-inclusion-through-advocacy-innovation-and-partnerships/
Global Trends 2022 https://www.unhcr.org/global-trends (can replace the data link previously shared)
The Global Report 2022 https://reporting.unhcr.org/publications
Verkuyten M. Public attitudes towards migrants: understanding cross-national and individual differences. World Psychiatry. 2021 Feb;20(1):132-133. doi: 10.1002/wps.20819. PMID: 33432771; PMCID: PMC7801858. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7801858/
And if you liked this conversation, take a listen to:
Gender Equity Pathways at work with Rani from IFC and Tere of Circle de Luz: https://businessfightspoverty.org/what-does-it-take-to-create-gender-equality-at-work/ and Business and Refugees, with Yusuf and Emily: https://businessfightspoverty.org/business-and-refugees/
Carefully formed supply chain contracts can protect human rights and save lives. With the EU laying down rules for companies to respect human rights and the environment in global value chains – how can businesses do this in practice? Social Impact Pioneers Sue Maslow, Patrick Miller and Olivia Windham Stewart are part of the Responsible Contracting Project - collaborating across industries, communities to tackle the challenge of embedding human rights protections into international supply chain contracts. If you are wondering how to act on the EU Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD) or looking to protect your business from breaches in your supply chains, this podcast is for you.The concept of popping a few lines on human rights due diligence into a supplier contract seems like a simple idea – but the devil is in the detail. Contract law is complex, time consuming and expensive if done badly. Contracts that exert unreasonable commercial pressure or place unrealistic expectations on suppliers don’t help anyone. During this conversation Sue, Patrick and Olivia explain how templates of internationally recognised human rights due diligence principles have been developed to help businesses and those in procurement. Check out the links below to see how they have combined their legal and human rights expertise to explain how the principles of human rights due diligence can be embedded directly into business supplier contracts to enhance effectiveness and improve human rights outcomes. Wherever your organisation is on caring for those in your supply chain take a listen. Social Impact Pioneers:· Sue is Co-Founder and Partner of Antheil Maslow & MacMinn, LLP. She is Vice Chair of the American Bar Association Business Law Section Working Group to Draft Model Contract Clauses to Protect Human Rights in International Supply Contracts; Chair of the American Bar Association Business Law Section’s Corporate Social Responsibility Law Committee and Senior Legal Advisor to the Responsible Contracting Project. · Patrick is the Founding Attorney of Impact Advocates, focusing on international commercial dispute resolution through arbitration, mediation and litigation. Patrick is a Legal Advisor to the Responsible Contracting Project and advises companies on a range of ESG issues, including establishing responsible supply chain frameworks.· Olivia is Deputy Director of the Responsible Contracting Project; Deputy Director of the Business and Human Rights Law Program and Senior Fellow at Rutgers Law School, New Jersey, USA. She is an independent business and human rights specialist enhancing corporate accountability and improve human rights due diligence across sectors.Links:Impact Advocates: https://impactadvocateslaw.com/Patrick: https://www.linkedin.com/in/patrick-miller-ab933520/Olivia: https://www.linkedin.com/in/olivia-windham-stewart-4414b683/ Sue: https://www.linkedin.com/in/suemaslow/Center for Human Rights: https://www.americanbar.org/groups/human_rights/business-human-rights-initiative/contractual-clauses-project/ Bloomberg Law Article #1: How Contracts can Improve: https://aboutblaw.com/ZzG Bloomberg Law Article #2: The Demise of Plausible: https://aboutblaw.com/ZzHBloomberg Law Article #3: Sharing Responsibility under UNGP: https://aboutblaw.com/ZzEMCCs and Schedules in The Business Lawyer, Winter Issue 2021 (January 2022): https://www.americanbar.org/content/dam/aba/publications/business_lawyer/2022/77_1/report-intl-supply-chains-202201.pdfSSRN, Balancing Buyer and Supplier Responsibilities: Model Contract Clauses to Protect Workers in International Supply Chains, Version 2.0: https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=3829782Association of Corporate Counsel: Introduction to the Model Clauses: https://www.acc.com/resource-library/balancing-buyer-and-supplier-responsibilities-model-contract-clauses-protect
Food technology can feed the world – so says Social Impact Pioneer Donna Rosa. Donna’s high-flying career in food technology and nutritional science would have been enough for most of us. Instead, Donna then switched to helping entrepreneurs in emerging markets be more successful and scale their business. This year Donna has been recognised for her work across these two spaces – winning the Humanitarian Award for Service to the Science of Food in honour of Elizabeth Fleming Stie. These seem two very divergent careers but as Donna explains during this conversation they are truly linked. As Donna explains: “I am passionate about the importance of food science in food security... I realised that I had accumulated a lot of business experience over the years, and I can either die with it in my head, or I can share it with those who most need it.” Having spent decades working in multinational food businesses, Donna is the Chief Entrepreneurship Officer for EFour Enterprises– utilising finance, information systems, and business advisory for specialized enterprise support – particularly for food businesses in emerging markets. Donna’s multi-career journey has at the heart of it – solving the biggest problems, leaning into them, and bringing her skills and expertise as a scientist, technologist, business leader and coach. Listen in to learn how to increase food safety and decrease food loss and waste. How simple processing such as drying and canning could extend shelf life and reduce the food poverty and lean times for many around the world. Donna shares: “No one was utilising food science or food processing to alleviate food insecurity.” Donna's approach is special - instead of simply pointing out the simplicity of the problem and solutions, she rolls up her sleeves and works directly with food entrepreneurs in emerging markets. Her mission is to share her business experience and knowledge with those who most need it. Listen in to hear Donna generously leaning in to share her top tips on getting businesses to stability and scalability. If nothing else this conversation is an inspiring journey revealing that a combination of science, technology, and business expertise can create positive social impact in the world. Links: EFour Enterprises: https://www.efourenterprises.com Humanitarian Award for Service to the Science of Food in honor of Elizabeth Fleming Stier: https://www.ift.org/community/awards-and-recognition/achievement-awards/elizabeth-fleming-stier-award Food science for relief and development: https://info.ift.org/en/fsrd-21#:~:text=Food%20Science%20for%20Relief%20and%20Development%20(FSRD)%20is%20the%20application,agriculture%20in%20development%2C%20and%20nutrition.This would be a better link for the FSRD page: IFT Food Science for Relief and Development or https://info.ift.org/en/fsrd-21Donna Rosa: https://www.linkedin.com/in/donnarosa/ If you liked this conversation, take a listen to: Scaling Green Tech Solutions for Smallholder Farmers, with Audrey and Khadija: https://businessfightspoverty.org/scaling-green-tech-solutions-for-smallholder-farmers/And Gender Parity in Farming with Taryn and Emily: https://businessfightspoverty.org/gender-parity-in-farming/
What is the economic cost of LGBTI+ exclusion? Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Intersex or Questioning (LGBTI+) people are among the most marginalised and excluded groups but what does this mean for business around the world? This podcast examines the opportunity that fully inclusive organisations can offer. Listen in to hear from Social Impact Pioneers and leading voices on LGBTI+ inclusion: Lee Badgett and Ricardo Garcia Tafur.Lee is a professor of economics and co-director of the Center for Employment Equity at the University of Massachusetts Amherst and has recently authored ‘The Economic Case for LGBT Equality’. Her research and writing focus on economic inequality for LGBTI people, including wage gaps and employment discrimination. Ricardo is a regional financial inclusion specialist for the International Finance Corporate (the IFC), part of the World Bank.He’s an economist specialised in international development with more than 25 years of global experience on issues related to financial inclusion, and provision of financial services to unserved and underserved segments, such as women & LGBTI+, migrants and refugee populations.As of November 2022, 33 of the 195 countries in the world, recognise same sex marriage. Lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, intersex or questioning (LGBTI+) people are treated differently around the world. During this podcast conversation Lee and Ricardo show was how businesses can navigate these differences, empowering us all to make a positive difference.Lee explains: “Every country is an emerging country when it comes to LGBTI inclusion.”They talk personally about their experiences and practically how businesses can help LGBTI+ people to be their best at work. Together they examine how businesses can engage with suppliers, civil society and governments to increase inclusion of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, intersex and questioning people, communities and family members. Together they talk about the business case and benefits of a fully inclusive business environment - Ricardo summarising: “There are companies that are attracting the best talent by recruiting and supporting LGBTI people at all levels. There are companies expanding their markets to include LGBTI people and there are companies attracting investment because of their LGBTI inclusion.”Listen in to hear more about the opportunities that full inclusive organisations can offer and how to make inclusive organisations a reality.Links:Lee Badgett: https://www.leebadgett.com/aboutThe Economic Case for LGBT Equality: https://www.leebadgett.com/theeconomiccaseIFC GLOBE: https://www.ifc.org/wps/wcm/connect/topics_ext_content/ifc_external_corporate_site/fp_home/people/employee-resource-groups Stonewall: https://www.stonewall.org.ukIf you like this podcast do listen to:Gender Equity with Rani and Deepika, IFC: https://businessfightspoverty.org/gender-equity-with-rani-and-deepika-ifc/
Scaling Green Tech Solutions for Smallholder Farmers: Insights from a Ghanaian Female Entrepreneur and an Africa and Middle East regional female leader in finance.Are you ready to learn from a young female entrepreneur from Ghana and an Africa and Middle East female finance leader from Pakistan who are passionate about the way we approach green tech solutions and improve incomes for smallholder farmers? Then buckle up and tune into this podcast featuring Social Impact Pioneers Audrey S-Darko and Khadija Hashimi.Audrey S-Darko, the visionary behind the climate tech start-up Sabon Sake, is a fierce advocate for regenerative agriculture. Her innovative agri-tech business focuses on restoring soil health and biodiversity through sustainable waste recovery and utilising eco-friendly biochar to increase carbon sequestration. Audrey's vision is to empower smallholder farmers across Africa to adopt regenerative farming practices and access new markets, creating more resilient and economically productive agricultural communities.Joining Audrey on this podcast is Khadija Hashimi, the Head of Corporate Affairs Brand & Marketing for Africa and the Middle East, as well as the Country Head of Pakistan for Standard Chartered Bank. Khadija is a thought leader, coach and multi-disciplinary expert who is passionate about championing female leaders and women entrepreneurs. Through her work with Standard Chartered’s global initiative Futuremakers, she advocates for lifting the economic participation of women and girls.During the podcast, Audrey and Khadija share insights into their partnership and discuss the importance of investing in women and girls. They offer advice on what it takes to succeed as a female leader while exploring how banks can better support women entrepreneurs to succeed. As Khadija notes, investing in girls and young women brings greater prosperity and diversity to everyone in society.Don't miss out on this exciting conversation about scaling green tech solutions and improving incomes for smallholder farmers in Africa. Tune in to hear Audrey and Khadija share their experiences and learn how green tech and empowering women can change the world for the better.If you enjoyed this podcast, do try: What Does it Take to be a Female Entrepreneur? With Naom and Natasha: https://businessfightspoverty.org/what-does-it-take-to-be-a-female-entrepreneur-with-naom-and-natasha/andGender Equity Pathways at work with Rani from IFC and Tere of Circle de Luz: https://businessfightspoverty.org/what-does-it-take-to-create-gender-equality-at-work/Links:Futuremakers by Standard Chartered sc.com/futuremakersStandard Chartered long-term ambitious - Lifting participation https://www.sc.com/en/about/our-long-term-ambition/lifting-participation/Sabon Sake www.sabonsake.comMcKinsey Global Institute (2015); How advancing women’s equality can add $12 trillion to global growth: https://www.mckinsey.com/featured-insights/employment-and-growth/how-advancing-womens-equality-can-add-12-trillion-to-global-growth
Unlocking the power of female entrepreneurs from the inside – social impact pioneer Jenny Stojkovic, joins us to share her journey. As Silicon Valley tech industry professional Jenny experienced first-hand that even in the most progressive markets women are being left behind. So she pivoted her career. Bringing together her love of food, her care for other women leaders and her focus on a sustainable future – Jenny started the Vegan Women's Summit to accelerate change in the food industry by bringing together powerful and innovative women. During this podcast, Jenny share’s succinctly what she has learnt.Listen into the conversation to hear why funders are missing out by overlooking amazing women entrepreneurs; learn about the food trends of our future; and gain practical insights how to better navigate leadership – from upping networking skills to overcoming imposter syndrome. Jenny explains: “There's no single day where somebody wakes up and gives you a stamp of approval and says, ‘okay, you're an expert, okay, you're a leader.’ You just kind of start doing it. It's a habit…you start homing in on your beliefs and your styles and what you want to see builds and eventually at some point, you're just a leader.”In addition, Jenny invites you to become part of the Vegan Women’s Summit – joining over 60,000 professionals across six continents, with an annual conference and reports on women founders. Jenny is on a mission to make the food industry more inclusive. And she believes in the power of women. As she explains, “Women drive most of the food purchases - 93% of consumer food purchases are made by women. So, it just would follow suit that if we want to be able to sell to those that buy these foods, we should be tapping into leaders from those communities.” Listen in to find out more and to get involved.Links:Linked In: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jenniferstojkovic/Vegan Women Summit: https://www.veganwomensummit.com/ Book: The Future of Food Is Female: Reinventing the Food System to Save the Planet: https://www.amazon.com/Future-Food-Female-Reinventing-System-ebook/dp/B09WY24B42/And if you liked this, do try:Food Security and Climate Change, with Aled Jones, NFU Cymru: https://businessfightspoverty.org/food-security-and-climate-change/
Listen in to explore the challenges and opportunities surrounding gender equality and women’s empowerment. The conversation goes beyond the standard gender equality rhetoric: the importance of increasing women’s representation in leadership roles; encouraging gender specific mentorship and skill development; promoting and supporting women. This conversation gets deeper, peering into some uncomfortable areas of why gender equality is in some cases stalling or reversing.During this conversation you will hear men frankly explain why we need to put men into the driving seat of gender equality activities. How for many men there is no gender inequality problem.As Daniele Fiandaca, Co-Founder of Token Man explains: “It is impossible to effect change without the engagement of the majority.”In addition this podcast challenges the cultural norms around caregiving and work. You will hear open and frank conversations around the guilt mothers and care givers have when trying to balance their wish and need to work. How creating positive narratives for children explaining why mummy is going to work is required if we wish to break the cycle of family derived resentment towards work. No one presumes to get it right, but we hear from mothers determined to be positive role models for their children.This podcast hears from Social Impact Pioneers:Jean Claude Niyomugabo, Co-Founder, Speke Farms; Daniele Fiandaca, Co-Founder, Token Man; Tashmia Ismail-Saville, Chief Business Development Officer, Mitacs; Ajaita Shah, Founder & CEO, Frontier MarketsModerator: Katie Hyson, Director of Thought Leadership and COO, Business Fights PovertyThis podcast was originally recorded as a live Twitter Space within the Business Fights Poverty Gender Summit 2023.For more information on the Gender Summit and other insights, do check out: https://businessfightspoverty.org/gender-summits/Links:G20; Economic Empowerment of rural women: https://www.g20-insights.org/policy_briefs/economic-empowerment-of-rural-women/Self Help Groups – an initiative started by NABARD in 1986 to promote gender-lens financial inclusion and livelihoods, under the Ministry of Rural Development (Deen dayal Antyodaya Yojana – National Rural Livelihoods Mission (DAY-NRLM) – currently there are 5.47 million groups, or 59.6 million women (https://pib.gov.in/newsite/PrintRelease.aspx?relid=191635)Catalyst: Women in the Workforce India: https://www.catalyst.org/research/women-in-the-workforce-india/Girls Not Brides: Child Marriage in India: https://www.girlsnotbrides.org/child-marriage/india/
What does it take to create gender equality at work? How can we help marginalised groups progress in business – and particularly marginalised women in business? Listen to this podcast to hear from Social Impact Pioneers helping young women from underserved backgrounds to progress and succeed in the workplace. Your gender, your education, your background, and your earning potential are all connected. If we’re going to create gender equality in the workplace, we need to understand that not all women have the same background, privileges, and experience. A woman’s earning potential goes up 20% for every year of schooling she completes. And sadly, girls are less likely to complete school than boys. Meet Social Impact Pioneers: Rani Pooran and Tere Gonzalez. They are champions of women in the workplace. Working tirelessly to create gender parity in education and in business. Together they talk in practical terms, about what we can do to help girls, particularly from marginalised backgrounds to succeed, prosper and reach their potential. They share practical ways for individuals and employers to take positive action. Rani Pooran is the Head of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion at the International Finance Corporation (IFC), part of the World Bank Group. Now based in Washington DC, Rani has worked in the UK, US and Canada. She is a past Chair of the United Nations Environment Programme Finance Initiative’s Gender Equality Working Group and a former board member and Vice-President of a community mental health agency based in Toronto. Tere, is the Executive Director of Circle de Luz. The Charlotte based organisation empowering young Latinas through extensive mentoring, holistic programming and scholarship funds for further education. She was appointed as one of the first 17 United Nations Young Leaders for the Sustainable Development Goals in recognition of her work around the world. Tere has previously worked at the United Nations Foundation, the Organization of American States, and the World Bank Group to advance shared prosperity, youth empowerment, gender equality, diversity, and the upward mobility of underserved groups. She is now the leader of Circle de Luz. Tere says: “I am a proud immigrant from Mexico and leader of a US based organisation empowering young Latinas and advancing their education. I believe education is one of the greatest assets a person can have—with a ripple effect on communities, economies, and the next generations.”And we would love to hear your thoughts on this conversation and urge you to join in the collection of better data to help everyone to be able to get on and achieve their potential. Do get in touch: https://twitter.com/FightPoverty and https://www.linkedin.com/company/business-fights-poverty/ Links:Catalyst Link:https://www.catalyst.org/research/emotional-tax-teams-key-findings/Tere Gonzalez - https://www.linkedin.com/in/globaltere/ and @globaltere Circle de Luz: www.circledeluz.orgCircle de Luz on social media: •Instagram – @circledeluz•Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/CircledeLuz•LinkedIn – https://www.linkedin.com/company/circle-de-luz/•Twitter – @circledeluzDiversity, Equity and Inclusion at the IFC: https://www.ifc.org/wps/wcm/connect/Topics_Ext_Content/IFC_External_Corporate_Site/FP_Home/People IFC research: https://www.forbes.com.mx/ellas-lideran-mujeres-representan-52-de-los-inscritos-en-cursos-en-linea/Children and Poverty education facts: https://www.compassion.com/poverty/education.htmChildren International, Global Poverty and Education: https://www.children.org/global-poverty/global-poverty-facts/facts-about-world-poverty-and-education
What does it take to be a female entrepreneur…to inspire, to lead and to make change? This conversation hears from Social Impact Pioneers Naom Monari and Natasha Kwakwa, as they discuss getting started, how to build a business and why getting your first endorsement from another organisation can be a catalyst for growth.Expect to hear practical advice on succeeding as an entrepreneur and important tips on how to get the help you need to make a difference.Naom Monari founded Bena Care whilst she was still studying to be a nurse in Kenya. Naom is determined to narrow the gap between the harsh realities of chronic illnesses, expensive healthcare and the impoverishing economic and emotional effects this had on patients and their families. In just five years since Noam set Bena Care she has assembled a network of more than 9,800 healthcare workers to provide affordable, preventive, therapeutic and rehabilitative care to over 4,000 people with life-limiting illnesses at the comfort of their own homes in Kenya. Alongside the healthcare workers, Bena Care provide training for family carers and access to lower costing homecare medical equipment.Whilst Natasha Kwakwa is the Global Head of Impact at Standard Chartered. Natasha leads Standard Chartered’s approach to positive community impact. This includes the Group’s contribution to the UN Sustainable Development Goals and Futuremakers by Standard Chartered, their global initiative to tackle inequality. Natasha joined the Bank in August 2015. Prior to joining the Bank, Natasha designed and led multi-party education and social development programmes in the not-for-profit and public sectors in the UK, Angola, West Africa and Brazil. Futuremakers by Standard Chartered were one of the first, if not the first to recognise Naom and Bena Care’s potential. As Naom says: “My advice to any woman out there would like to bring change to their community through the solutions that they're having to their problems is get started.” Links:Benecare: www.benacare.or.keFuturemakers by Standard Chartered: https://www.sc.com/en/sustainability/investing-in-communities/If you enjoyed this conversation, take a listen to:Joyce Mbaya-Ikiao, Founder and CEO of Zydii and Futuremakers Alumni: https://businessfightspoverty.org/joyce-mbaya-ikiao/
Gender parity in farming and equality for women in agriculture could feed millions more around the world. The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations estimate that closing the gender gap in agricultural inputs alone could lift 100–150 million people out of hunger. This podcast hears from Social Impact Pioneers: Emily Janoch from the NGO CARE and Taryn Barclay from multi-national company Cargill.Together they talk deeply about why women are critical to prosperous food supply chains, what difference it would make if we take women seriously in the agricultural sector and how supporting women and their communities is essential for long term sustainability. Spoiler alert: “When women have more access, control and ownership over their businesses – they deliver incredible success and impact for themselves, their families and their communities.” Explains Taryn.NGOs and corporates often partner but not many partnerships run for so long or as deeply as the partnership between Cargill and CARE. Cargill connects farmers with markets, customers with ingredients and families with daily essentials. Whilst CARE started with a simple emergency relief package, delivered over seven decades ago. Cargill and CARE’s relationship stretches back to 1958 when Cargill contributed to ‘Care’s food crusade.’Today, Cargill and CARE launch a new phase of the latest iteration of their partnership as they continue to work in developing gender parity in farming businesses and agricultural communities. Prepare to hear an open and honest discussion what it takes to maker partnerships really work as Taryn and Emily discuss how they could make their partnership even better.A little on Emily and Taryn:Emily Janoch is the Senior Director for Thought Leadership and Knowledge Management and Learning at CARE. For a decade and a half Emily has been designing systems to capture and share information to help improve impact, build dignity, and eradicate poverty.Taryn Barclay is the Senior Director for Strategic Partnerships & Stakeholder Engagement at Cargill. With over 20 years of experience working in large, global multinational corporations. Taryn works to advance Cargill’s food security and environmental sustainability partnerships.I hope you enjoy this conversation and I would love your feedback.Links:The partnership: https://www.cargill.com/sustainability/careCARE: https://www.careinternational.org.uk/about/our-history/Cargill: https://www.cargill.com/aboutFAO, Women in Agriculture Closing the Gender Gap for Development: https://www.fao.org/publications/sofa/2010-11/en/
Gender-based violence is a work issue. UN Women estimate that 736 million women—almost one in three—have been subjected to physical and/or sexual violence in their lifetimes. And victims of gender-based violence (GBV) can be men too, although women are disproportionately affected. Include: gender-based harassment, cohesive control and financial abuse and the numbers mean that everyone in the world is impacted. Work productivity, attendance and presenteeism, and safety issues such as stalking by an abuser, are just some of the ways gender-based violence seeps into the workplace. The business case for addressing gender-based violence is strong. This podcast hears from two global leaders in addressing gender-based violence and how business can take positive action. Social Impact Pioneers: Jane Pillinger and Craig Wilkinson are two of the most important thinkers and activators the world has in addressing harassment and gender-based abuse in and out of the workplace. Together they share their practical wisdom, for women and men, for individuals and organisations to help make it safe for everyone, everywhere. Get ready to hear about workplace policies, procedures and toolkits that can support people involved in gender-based violence. Explore positive role models – and how we can all, regardless of our gender take positive action to tackle gender-based violence at the root causes. Jane is a global expert on ending gender-based violence at work. She regularly advises global businesses, governments, unions and international organisations - including the ILO and UN Women. Jane is the author of several books and numerous articles on the topic, including the recent book “Stopping Gender-Based Violence in the World of Work.” She is a former Specialist Advisor to the UK House of Commons Select Committee on Employment, a former Visiting Professor in Gender Studies at the London School of Economics and is currently a Senior Research Fellow in the Department of Criminology and Social Policy at the Open University in the UK. Craig is a bestselling South African author, an award-winning social entrepreneur and Dad Coach. He is passionate about the crucial role men and fathers play in the lives of their children and society. Drawing from his experience as a single dad, raising two children to adulthood and years of working with men, Craig has produced outstanding resources for fathers – check out the links below for information. Craig is the founder and CEO of Father a Nation (FAN), whose mission is to restore and equip men to be great fathers, mentors and role models. Craig advocates for men, champions men and provides the most positive practical ways for men and women to better support one another. Craig is the author of “DAD – how to be the father your children need”, “No Excuse For Abuse”, the authentic masculinity book “The 6 Pack of Champion Virtues” and the co-founder of the No Excuses Campaign. Craig was awarded the GQ Humanitarian Man of the Year award in 2019. Links:UN Women: Facts and figures: Ending violence against women: https://www.unwomen.org/en/what-we-do/ending-violence-against-women/facts-and-figuresUN Women, Domestic Violence: https://www.weps.org/sites/default/files/2021-01/COVID-19_DOMESTIC_VIOLENCE.pdf Jane’s Book: Stopping Gender-Based Violence and Harassment at Work: https://www.agendapub.com/page/detail/stopping-gender-based-violence-and-harassment-at-work/?k=9781788215732 Craig’s work and resources: www.craig@craigwilko.com and https://www.fatheranation.co.za No Excuse for Abuse free eBook: https://www.fatheranation.co.za/free-ebook/ If you like this conversation, check out these: Craig Wilkinson’s podcast on toxic masculinity and positive role models: https://businessfightspoverty.org/craig-wilkinson/ Jane Pillinger and Alice Allan, on gender equality and addressing gender-based violence (GBV): https://businessfightspoverty.org/jane-pillinger-and-alice-allan/
How can civil society hold businesses and governments to account? This podcast examines the role of NGO advocacy and activism in pushing for better social and environmental outcomes.Chelsea Hodgkins is a Policy Advisor on Oxfam America’s Climate, Energy, and Extractive Industries team. She joins us for this conversation having recently been to the climate conference, COP27 in Egypt. During this podcast Chelsea looks specifically at the role of different sectors and how the freedom of speech is essential to improve energy security and access, before providing practical advice on how to deliver a ‘just transition’ and why the Loss and Damage Fund is an important ray of hope. Chelsea implores us: “Movements really matter.”With Chelsea’s expertise in extractives and energy – she talks in detail about the differing forms of energy; how governments and businesses are pursuing their climate policies – sometimes to the detriment of vulnerable people and the climate; whilst demanding more investment be made in renewable energy sources across the world. Chelsea talks frankly on the question: “How can our energy transition respect human rights?” Chelsea cites the “dramatic increase in demand for minerals used for solar panels, electric vehicles and battery storage” is a key area we need to ensure vulnerable and Indigenous People are not forgotten during the rush to mine critical minerals in the clean energy transition. This podcast conversation is not necessarily an easy listen. Chelsea holds us all to account. But her pragmatic advice for business practitioners and policy makers means that it is a must listen to if we are to ensure no-one is left behind during the transition to a clean economy.Link:International Energy Agency (IEA), Critical minerals, The role of critical minerals in clean energy transitions: https://www.iea.org/topics/critical-minerals International Energy Agency (IEA), The Role of Critical Minerals in the Clean Energy Transition, Report: https://www.iea.org/reports/the-role-of-critical-minerals-in-clean-energy-transitions/executive-summary Dash to Gas Africa: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-63637686Loss and Damage Fund: https://unfccc.int/news/cop27-reaches-breakthrough-agreement-on-new-loss-and-damage-fund-for-vulnerable-countriesOxfam Carbon Billionaire’s Report: https://policy-practice.oxfam.org/resources/carbon-billionaires-the-investment-emissions-of-the-worlds-richest-people-621446/ Oxfam’s Climate Finance Short Changed Report 2022: https://policy-practice.oxfam.org/resources/climate-finance-short-changed-the-real-value-of-the-100-billion-commitment-in-2-621426/If you liked this podcast, do try:What is Climate Justice, with Tara, Chris and Javier: https://businessfightspoverty.org/what-is-climate-justice/AndPalm Oil and Climate Justice with Anita Neville: https://businessfightspoverty.org/palm-oil-and-climate-justice/
What does it take to be a climate activist? Social Impact Pioneer and climate activist Pushpanath Krishnamurthy talks about what motivates and drives him to give up an easy life and devote it to campaigning for climate justice.Push to his friends has in the past 11 years walked over 35 million steps in the name of climate action. And in the process, he has walked with and listening to over 600,000 people. Push began his walking in 2009 when he set off from Oxford to walk to Copenhagen.In this conversation Push shares some of the stories from people he has met along the way. He paints a vivid picture of what climate change looks like in remote villages in Uganda and how people are innovating climate resilient solutions. Push is a passionate believer in better understanding everyone’s perspectives.He says: “It is the darkest paradox of our times that those who caused so little to the climate crisis have paid with life and livelihood, and yet they are able to show us, with just a little power and voice - a clear way forward to adapt and mitigate as well as deliver Justice.”In addition, Push is a master in connecting the dots. Across his travels he has met so many people. You will hear a masterclass of how a connector and master networker connects ideas with entrepreneurs, farming cooperatives with big business supply chains, and policy makers with community builders. Listen to this podcast to hear Push share some of what he has heard during his listening walks. Get inspired to take action and empowered to listen.In his latest article with us here at Business Fights Poverty Push explains: “Leaders, businesses, civics and anyone listening - let us act together. Please take a step, as I have been doing since 2009. As I began my journey, walking from Oxford to Copenhagen for the climate conference and I continue to do so in the 11 years since. I have spoken with more than 600, 000 people in that time and I won’t stop now. I encourage you to get walking and listening too.”Links to find out more about Push’s work:Go Push Go: https://www.gopushgo.co.uk/Watch Push’s walks: A Push for peace: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zwW0KXHJnasAhimsa Santhai – Celebration of local livelihoods and climate action:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AXG-LTI4_f8Push in The Hindu, raising awareness on climate change: https://www.thehindu.com/sci-tech/energy-and-environment/ive-started-walking-faster-walker-activist-pushpanath-krishnamurthy-on-creating-awareness-on-climate-change/article65602756.eceGopush on Facebook:https://www.facebook.com/gopushgo.co.uk/ and https://www.facebook.com/pushpanath.krishnamurthy/-Dibella India - Fair, Transparent, Regenerative Organic Cotton Apparels: https://www.dibellaindia.com/Fashion Network - Indian Terrain partners with Fairtrade India to create sustainable clothing line: https://in.fashionnetwork.com/news/Indian-terrain-partners-with-fairtrade-india-to-create-sustainable-clothing-line,1265064.htmlIf you like this take a listen to:Climate Conferences with Obed Koringo: https://businessfightspoverty.org/climate-conferences-with-obed-koringo/AndFood Security and Climate Change, with Aled Jones, NFU Cymru: https://businessfightspoverty.org/food-security-and-climate-change/
Planting trees can cause social harm. The simplest solutions are so often the best ones, but not always. Take climate change – we have put too much carbon into the atmosphere. The planet’s main mechanism to take carbon from the atmosphere is trees – so the solution to climate change is tree planting. Right?! Not necessarily, if it means families lose their homes and food is taken out of production. This podcast unpacks the complexities of food security and climate change - their interwoven dependancies and knock on affects to poverty.Hear from Social Impact Pioneer Aled Jones. Aled is an eighth-generation farmer and the President of the National Farmers Union Cymru - the leading agricultural organisation that represents and champions all farmers and growers in Wales.Listen to this podcast as Aled shares his wisdom – he carefully picks apart deeply complicated systemic challenges and their knock-on effects – covering topics ranging across land management, agriculture, food supply, nourishing people and climate change. He explains why tackling food waste should be a priority and how upweighting the importance of agriculture and food systems in our political decision making will ensure better long-term outcomes in food supply, nutrition, climate action and helping to lift people out of poverty.Aled says: “We are now seeing food and energy being weaponised and I fear water can be a critical weapon and all will impact social stability.”Aled is a champion for ordinary people to be at the decision-making table. He implores us all to step up and be heard. Aled explains why experience and wisdom from all walks of life must be brought together if we are to find solutions that will genuinely benefit all.This is no black and white conversation of easy answers – but as Aled says: “There is a much, much, much larger picture…but we all have a responsibility.” Links:Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO), The State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World 2021: https://www.fao.org/state-of-food-security-nutrition/2021/en/World Health Organisation – Healthy Diet, 2020: https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/healthy-diet NFU Cymru, Growing Together 2022: https://www.nfu-cymru.org.uk/news-and-information/growing-together-mss-plant-trees-across-wales/Oxfam, Tightening the net, 2021: https://www.oxfam.org/en/research/tightening-net-implications-net-zero-climate-targets-land-and-food-equityNFU Cymru: https://www.nfu-cymru.org.uk/about-us/World Farmers Association: https://www.wfo-oma.org If you liked this podcast, try:Regenerative farming and climate change, with Patrick Nyaga, Farm Africa: https://businessfightspoverty.org/regenerative-farming-and-climate-justice/
Building social impact movements is hard. Bringing people together, across society and sectors to engage with and take action on an issue is a golden ticket to creating long term lasting impact. How do you do it?Meet Social Impact Pioneer Devi Thomas. During our conversation Devi shares her wisdom and experience in successfully developing and delivering social movements and campaigns. Rarely does someone so generously gift their secret sauce as Devi does during this conversation. She takes us step by step through creating a movement.This podcast a masterclass in movement building, and also a deep dive into Devi’s work building, accelerating and advocating for the non-profit sector. Devi says: “Not-for-profits are a misnomer - I consider myself to be an active part of the problem-solving sector.”Named one of 2022's Top Women in Communications, Devi Thomas is a social impact visionary. With 20+ years of experience overseeing communications and global campaigns, she is a particular expert in communicating around social and environmental impact –creating movements - encouraging people to really take action. Buckle up, we will be hearing from a real master in social impact communications.Devi is the Global Head of Industry Solutions at Microsoft Philanthropies, Tech for Social Impact. Championing innovative non-profits and connecting technological support and solutions for them. She has previously worked with Salesforce and the UN, beginning her career as a journalist.Links:Bryan Stevenson, Equal Justice Initiative: https://eji.org/bryan-stevenson/UN Foundation, Shot at Life: campaign https://shotatlife.orgDevi Thomas, Linked In: https://www.linkedin.com/in/devi-thomas/If you liked this podcast, try:How to communicate social impact with Eric Ressler: https://businessfightspoverty.org/eric-ressler-social-impact-communications/and A Sustainable Business Guide with David Grayson, Chris Coulter and Mark Lee: https://businessfightspoverty.org/david-grayson-chris-coulter-and-mark-lee-the-sustainable-business-handbook/
Business and refugees are not two words that are often heard together. According to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), 70.8 million people have been forcibly displaced worldwide.
Being a ‘forcibly displaced person’ or a ‘refugee’ are labels. What does it really take to rebuild your life in a new country? And how can businesses lean in and support people to get back on their feet, to get quality jobs and to support all our economies and communities as best they can?
During this podcast you will meet Mohammad Yusuf. Yusuf shares with us his journey – from Syria to London. Yusuf is a software developer, who left Syria when the conflict escalated. Yusuf reached the UK and applied for asylum, sought refugee status and ‘the right to work’…this conversation examines how he rebuilt his life and how he found applying for a legal right to work.
Yusuf explains: “One of the barriers I faced at first was the right to work. I didn't have the right tools straightaway when I came to the UK. Being a refugee or asylum seeker makes getting a job very difficult. I didn’t have the local qualifications, I lacked the local connections and network, plus English isn’t my first language.”
Alongside Yusuf, we also hear from Emily Johnson who is the Director of Europe Corporate Responsibility for Cummins, a global power leader that designs, manufactures and distributes power solutions.
People working with Cummins started volunteering at workshops with Breaking Barriers - a charity who supports refugees into meaningful employment. Emily explains how they partnered with Breaking Barriers to develop a sustained refugee employability programme.
Emily explains: “We know that people from refugee backgrounds have faced tremendous challenges and bring skills, experience and wisdom that can make our communities and our business stronger and more resilient. We believe that we have a role to play in helping to improve the situation for refugees in our communities. We know we are not the experts, so we seek to partner with non-profits that have deep expertise and understanding of the needs of refugees in our communities. We found that expertise in Breaking Barriers.”
Links: Breaking Barriers: https://breaking-barriers.co.uk Refugees at Home: https://www.refugeesathome.org Cummins: https://www.cummins.com and https://www.cummins.com/company/esg Careers at Cummins - to https://www.cummins.com/careers/paths Join the FUSE network: https://breaking-barriers.co.uk/partner-with-us/our-business-network/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/yusuf-musa/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/emily-johnson-389b8221/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/breaking-barriers/ Twitter: @BB_UK1; @Cummins; @CumminsEurope Instagram: Breakingbarriersuk Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BreakingBarriersUK If you liked this podcast do listen to:
Training Migrant Workers with Sandra Granath and Aleksandra Lasota: https://businessfightspoverty.org/sandra-granath-and-aleksandra-lasota-training-for-migrant-workers/
Malnutrition is a business issue. The link between malnutrition and poverty might be an obvious one. The links between malnutrition and business are perhaps less so. During this conversation we are going to deep dive into both, whilst looking at the intersections between nutrition, climate change, conflict and communicable disease.
As the world braces for some of the most extreme food shortages seen in generations – we are going to talk hunger and malnutrition and why everyone, everywhere should be sitting up and engaging on this deeply sad topic.
During this podcast hear from two of our world’s experts on childhood development and nutrition. Maniza Ntekim and Dr. Alok Ranjan.
Maniza leads the Early Childhood Development East and Southern Africa initiative at the Conrad N. Hilton Foundation. Previously she’s served as a regional advisor for UNICEF’s Eastern and Southern Africa Regional Office, overseeing the early childhood development programmes.
Alok is the Director of Programmes and Investments for The Power of Nutrition. He is a medical doctor with a post-graduate degree in Community Medicine. Prior to The Power of Nutrition, he led the Nutrition program at the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation for India, Bangladesh, Indonesia and South Asia.
“We need to work across multiple levels of deprivation. Working in silos will not give us long term sustainable impact. ” Explains Alok.
Together they warn about the world sleep walking into the global nutrition crisis and that every 60 seconds a child is becoming severely malnourished and almost 50 million people are hungry. They are determined that business needs to step up – that malnutrition is a business issue, without healthy people, businesses cannot succeed.
Maniza expounds: “This is a not just a charity issue, it’s a matter of business survival. Businesses need skilled human capital to grow, to be competitive and to be productive. The basis of a good business is human capital. We know that human capital is developed in the early stages of life; 80% per cent of the human brain is developed by the age of three. If a significant proportion of the population within which you hire is poorly nourished and not had the chance to be developmentally on track that’s critical for your business.”
Maniza and Alok are deeply practical and pragmatic in how we can collectively address malnutrition and hunger and what businesses in particular can do about it. Together they make the business case for investing in good food – from healthy workforces to higher cognitive performances. Listen in to hear how to gather back in the 11% GDP which is currently being lost in Africa and Asia due to malnutrition.
Links:
• Save the Children and The Power of Nutrition research on The Costs and Affordability of Nutritious Diets in Malawihttps://resourcecentre.savethechildren.net/pdf/CotD-Report-PoN-Malawi-2022-MEB-Data-2022.06.27_Final.pdf/ • The global hunger crisis pushes a child into severe malnutrition every minute in 15 crisis-hit countrieshttps://www.unicef.org/press-releases/global-hunger-crisis-pushing-one-child-severe-malnutrition-every-minute-15-crisis • 50 million people are currently on the edge of famine https://www.wfp.org/global-hunger-crisis • Almost 11% of GDP lost in Africa and Asia due to stunting https://globalnutritionreport.org/reports/2016-global-nutrition-report/ • On average, a stunted worked loses 20% of annual incomehttps://www.thelancet.com/journals/eclinm/article/PIIS2589-5370(22)00050-5/fulltext • The Cost of Stunting research, published in The Lancet https://www.thelancet.com/journals/eclinm/article/PIIS2589-5370(22)00050-5/ • Alok’s LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/dr-alok-i-ranjan-a8805310/ • Maniza’s LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/maniza-ntekim
What is climate justice and why should business put people at the heart of their climate action? Tara Shine, Co-CEO at Change By Degrees, Chris Coulter, CEO at GlobeScan, and Javier Aliaga, the Director of Fairtrade’s Center of Excellence in Climate and Environment joined together live during COP27 on Twitter Space and this is what they shared. If you want to know simply what Climate Justice is and why your business should start caring and promoting climate action, you’ve come to the right place. But don’t miss a moment, cause the #ClockisTicking.
Tara, Chris, and Javier are leading experts in climate justice and business action across three continents. Together they share practical insights, articulate the business case for climate justice and tell first hand stories of the impacts of climate action by business.
Tara: “If you look at developing states, or the least developed countries in the world, the amount of carbon pollution they produce is still to this day miniscule. So it's not their fault, this problem. And so that's the great unfairness that lies the injustice that lies in climate change. And that's why we have to find a just and fair solution.”
Who needs to step up? Chris says: “We did a study in July across 31 markets in the world, 30,000 interviews, trying to track the evolution and perceptions and responses to the two big massive challenges the climate change crisis and the inequality crisis.”
What’s remarkable now, is that this is the highest level of concern people are registering around climate change in 20 years of tracking. And the growth of that concern has been consistent across all parts of the world and has grown steadily in the last 8 years through the pandemic, which would have traditionally been one of those things that knocked off the agenda, and now through the cost of living crisis and the war in Ukraine. So we’re breaking new ground on levels of engagement and concern around climate change worldwide and one of the reasons for that is the immediacy of impact. Almost 4 in 10 people across the world say that they have been greatly affected by climate change.”
Shedding light on business engagement with climate justice, Javier says: “The first step is investing to protect the most vulnerable ones, and creating resilience. And next probably is creating capacities and skills, transferring knowledge to these vulnerable people. And maybe last but not least, to promote a clear and transparent accountability. I think this is the framework for great use to promote in order to move forward.”
Palm oil and climate justice – what is the story? Social impact pioneer, Anita Neville, helps us unpack this complex topic. This podcast forms part of a series - examining how business addresses climate justice.
Together, we hear how businesses are working to put people at the heart of their climate action. Listen to this conversation to find out how one major agricultural business is working to remove deforestation from its business; where green washing and green hushing collide; and why supporting workers and farming communities, both big and small, is essential in creating a just transition in a low carbon future.
Palm oil is a contentious topic. On the one hand its high yields and efficient land use provides a highly sustainable product vital to the global food chain as well as much needed income for small farmers in rural Indonesia. On the other, vast areas of tropical forest have been cleared to make way for palm plantations and these plantations are often monocultural. Listen to this podcast to find out the goings on within of one of the world’s biggest palm oil companies and how it is moving to address the urgent need for more sustainable practices.
Anita Neville is the Chief Sustainability and Communications Officer for Golden Agri-Resources, the Singaporean palm oil company with over 170,000 employees, primarily working out of Indonesia.
Anita’s career journey includes ten years with the Rainforest Alliance working to conserve tropical forests, time spent with WWF, and several years with E3G, the environmental politics think tank specialising in climate diplomacy and energy policy. Anita talks from the fringes of the climate COP27, in Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt. She shares the impressions she has from her first climate conference and why bringing together organisations from across sectors can help drive deeper social and environmental impact.
Links: Golden Agri Resources: https://www.goldenagri.com.sg LinkedIn, Anita Neville: https://www.linkedin.com/in/anitaneville/
If you liked this, try: Business Fights Poverty Climate Justice Summit 2022: businessfightspoverty.org/climate-just…it-register/ Business Fights Poverty Climate Justice Resource Library: businessfightspoverty.org/climatejustice/
How do climate conferences work? Hear from social impact pioneer Obed Koringo, part of the CARE delegation at COP27 in Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt. Obed shares how governments, negotiators, civil society, businesses and other stakeholders all work together to help move along global climate commitments and drive actions towards better climate outcomes for all.
This podcast forms part of a series – examining how business addresses climate justice. Together we hear how business puts people at the heart of the climate action. This conversation is recorded live from within the climate change COP27. Obed has more than a decade’s experience in technical and advisory roles – analysing policies, advocating, and lobbying on the behalf of those most vulnerable to climate change, at local, national, and global levels. Obed has practical advice for all of us, including businesses in helping ensure a just transition to a green economy for all. Obed is excited about the innovation emerging to tackle climate change and how private sector finance can really accelerate impact.
Get ready to hear the real inside line from COP27 and the emerging trends he is seeing. Obed explains:
“We actually do not want to engage in more talk shows. We want now to go to actual implementation on the ground - translating commitments and pledges into action. But unfortunately, here this COP we are seeing lack of progress, especially on loss and damage, and finance for adaptation, which is key in supporting vulnerable communities who are already suffering from the impact of climate, as well as suffering from losses and damages associated with climate change.”
Links: CARE, COP27 Positioning: https://careclimatechange.org/care-cop27-position/ Obed Koringo, Linked In: https://www.linkedin.com/in/obed-koringo-29b97956/
If you liked this, try:
Regenerative farming and climate change: https://businessfightspoverty.org/regenerative-farming-and-climate-justice/
Business Fights Poverty Climate Justice Summit 2022: businessfightspoverty.org/climate-just…it-register/ Business Fights Poverty Climate Justice Resource Library: businessfightspoverty.org/climatejustice/
How can fairtrade help create climate justice? This podcast forms part of a series – examining how business addresses climate justice. Together we hear ways companies can put people at the heart of their climate action. We record this podcast from the climate conference - COP27, in Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt.
During this conversation, hear from Social Impact Pioneer - Juan Pablo Solís Víquez. Juan Pablo is Costa Rican born. He now lives in Germany, working for Fairtrade International as a Senior Advisor on Climate and Environment.
This is Juan Pablo’s sixth climate change COP and he says: “I keep returning because of my optimism and stubbornness – the clock is ticking.” he goes on, “We don’t have time, the climate emergency is everywhere.”
During our conversation you will hear Juan Pablo’s insights into the important role civil society and NGOs play in developing global climate policy and holding countries up to their agreed action. In addition, Juan Pablo stresses that: “Trade can lead to decarbonisation.” And he wants to help farmers and big business alike to deliver the climate action.
Juan Pablo’s day job sees him turning global climate commitments into policies, actionable standards and then tangible actions that farmers around the world can act on. Juan Pablo explains how Fairtrade minimum prices are a minimum safeguard. If businesses want to maintain their value chains, they will need to actively help producers to build climate resilience and develop climate adaptation strategies. Juan Pablo leaves us with a great message from Christiana Figueres: “Maintain your positive stubbornness.”
*During the interview Juan Pablo talks about 8 hours...this should have been 8 years.
Links:
Juan Pablo Solís Víquez Linked In : https://www.linkedin.com/in/jpsolisv/
Fairtrade International, Climate and the Environment: https://www.fairtrade.net/issue/environment and https://files.fairtrade.net/FINAL_COP27-position-paper.pdf
Fairtrade International Twitter: https://twitter.com/FAIRTRADE
If you liked this, try:
Farmers pioneer climate action explain Kate Nkatha Ochieng, Bismark Kpabitey and Rachel Banda: https://businessfightspoverty.org/rachel-bismark-kate-fairtrade-from-cop26-glasgow/
Business Fights Poverty Climate Justice Summit 2022: businessfightspoverty.org/climate-just…it-register/
Business Fights Poverty Climate Justice Resource Library: businessfightspoverty.org/climatejustice/
How can regenerative farming create climate justice? This podcast forms part of a series – examining how business addresses climate justice. Together we hear how business puts people at the heart of the climate action. And in particular this podcast looks at food security, regenerative farming and climate resilience.
Our social impact pioneer today is Patrick Nyaga. Patrick coordinates Farm Africa’s regenerative agriculture project in Kenya. Their aim is to support smallholder farmers to increase agricultural productivity and build resilience to climate change risks. During our conversation Patrick explains what regenerative agriculture means and how farmers can benefit from diversified crops and land uses that can benefit the climate, biodiversity and their incomes.
Patrick is an agronomist with more than 19 years’ experience. Patrick’s expertise is deployed to help: small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs) develop new agricultural business opportunities; he works with agricultural community groups to share best practice in regenerative and diversified farming techniques; and he also helps to shape local, regional and national agricultural policy to help more people build their resilience and adapt to climate change.
Patrick paints a vivid picture of what climate change looks like in the locations he’s working in Kenya.
“Climate change is real and it is affecting the communities we are working with.” Explains Patrick.
Patrick describes how the duration and shifting seasonal weather patterns – including frequent extreme weather events and droughts - are causing household level disasters. Patrick explains how the ecological boundaries have shifted and how farming communities are walking further for water and incurring conflict over limited resourses.
Patrick’s insights aren’t all gloom. During our podcast conversation you will hear inspiring regenerative and diversified agricultural processes and practices. Ideas that could be translated all around the world. Patrick goes on to share practical suggestions for bigger businesses to better support the farmers in their supply chains, better incentivise farmers to develop more climate resilient farmer techniques and help create deeper links to markets.
Links:
To find out more on Patrick’s work: https://www.farmafrica.org/kenya/regenerative-agriculture-
If you liked this try listening to:
Farmers pioneer climate action explain Kate Nkatha Ochieng, Bismark Kpabitey and Rachel Banda: https://businessfightspoverty.org/rachel-bismark-kate-fairtrade-from-cop26-glasgow/
Business Fights Poverty Climate Justice Summit 2022: https://businessfightspoverty.org/climate-justice-summit-register/
Business Fights Poverty Climate Justice Resource Library: https://businessfightspoverty.org/climatejustice/
What does gender equity mean? How far have we progressed towards gender equality? And how can we sensitively transfer learning from one region to another when tackling gender equity? These are just some of the questions this podcast tackles.
Social pioneers Rani Pooran and Deepika Yadav, both work for the International Finance Organisation (the IFC) which is part of the World Bank join us to unpick these complex questions. Together they are fundamental to the IFC’s diversity, equity and inclusion work.
Equity means recognising that we do not all start from the same place and must acknowledge and make adjustments to imbalances. The path to gender equity is different depending on where you are in the world. Rani and Deepika are working hard across a number of regions to progress the gender equality agenda. They join us in this podcast to shine a light on some of the key milestones that have been made in gender equality and delve into practical actions that individuals, businesses, and regulatory bodies can take in delivering gender equity.
During our conversation Rani and Deepika take us on a whistle stop journey around the world – looking the progress and in some case stagnation of gender equity activities in places ranging from Australia to Iceland.
Rani focuses us on the benefits and costs of remote working for women, regulatory disclosures on gender disaggregated pay gap reporting on gender and other groups. As she implores: “I'd like to reinforce the importance of equal pay for equal work.”
Whilst Deepika talks about the links to career progression for women and the role paternity leave. She explains why shared parental responsibilities can offer pathways towards gender equity – sharing why “It is so important to have men as allies in the fight for gender equality and the importance of men taking parental leave is part of this.”
Links: Articles Rani and Deepika chose to talk about:
The Guardian – Julia Gillard and remote working: https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2022/jun/02/julia-gillard-says-covid-led-shift-to-remote-working-could-render-some-female-employees-invisible
The Globe and Mail – Iceland ranks 1st in Gender Equality: https://www.theglobeandmail.com/arts/books/article-iceland-ranks-first-in-gender-equality-its-first-lady-tells-you-why/
Rani Pooran’s LinkedIn profilehttps://www.linkedin.com/in/rani-pooran/?originalSubdomain=ca
Deepika Yadav’s LinkedIn profile https://www.linkedin.com/in/deepikayadav/
EDGE website https://edge-cert.org/
EDGE Q&A with Rani Pooran https://edge-cert.org/article/expert-pov-rani-meerabi-pooran-program-manager-for-diversity-equity-and-inclusion-at-ifc/
OECD overview of pay reporting legislation https://www.oecd.org/gender/data/pay-transparency.htm
How can business better support people with disabilities and access issues? There are an estimated 1 billion people globally experiencing some form of disability. Though accessibility issues are inherently personal, with so many people face extra challenges to navigate our world – how can we all better support each other?
Ceri Davies is an accessibility campaigner and social impact pioneer. She joins this podcast to talk about her lived experience so that we can all better understand. Ceri says: “I decided to get involved in lived experience because I was fed up of repeated discrimination by employers judging me due to my disability.” Ceri has cerebral palsy, tethered cord syndrome and scoliosis. But as you’ll hear in this conversation – these diagnoses aren’t holding her back. Ceri is a force of nature. Ceri has founded and runs the social enterprise More Mascots Please. She has a Masters in Youth and Community Work. When she isn’t running her youth programmes, she advises and advocates for those with access issues. In 2021 Ceri was award the British Empire Medal, from her Majesty the Queen; for all of the charitable work she has done to support disabled, disadvantaged and life limited children and families. During our conversation get ready to hear Ceri’s first-hand experiences of what organisational prejudice systematically holding someone back feels like; why paying carers less than the living wage enrages her; and how Germany was a breath of accessibility fresh air. Listen in to hear Ceri sharing her suggestions on how businesses and other organisations can better support those with mobility, access and other disability issues. Ceri concludes: “I want to help to prevent discrimination. We live in a very ableist world.” If you want to find out more about Ceri, her work and other practical guides please take a look at the links below:
Links:
A Case for Living Wages: https://businessfightspoverty.org/new-report-the-case-for-living-wages-how-paying-living-wages-improves-business-performance-and-tackles-poverty/
Ceri Davies: https://ceridaviescampaigner.co.uk
A vision for the future of social care: https://socialcarefuture.org.uk/a-vision-for-the-future-of-social-care/
IMPACT – Good support isn’t just about ‘services’ – it’s about having a life: https://more.bham.ac.uk/impact/
Think Local Act Personal: https://www.thinklocalactpersonal.org.uk
Community Navigator Services CIC: https://www.communitynavigatorservices.org
Better Lives Alliance | Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/501999287075766/
Sustainable finance; blended finance; and green loans are just a few terms that we will be unwrapping in this podcast. Get ready for a 101 in sustainable finance – the tools financial experts are using to accelerate the money we need to fund commercially viable social and environmental impacts. And in particular, we will be deep diving into how to unlock finance for a green transition – so that no one is left behind in the transition to a green economy.
Meet sustainable finance and ESG pioneer Namita Vikas, and our guest in today’s podcast. Namita’s accolades range from “Sustainability Leader of the Year” to “Asia’s Top Sustainability Superwomen”. She’s been featured in the list of “India’s Top 100 Women in Finance” and is on a mission to accelerate sustainable finance and climate transition.
With 30 years of experience, in organisations ranging from the Yes Bank to the Microsoft Corporation, Namita is now the Founder & Managing Director, auctusESG and an Advisory Board Member for the Climate Bonds Initiative in the UK and Digital Green, USA.
Namita champions the deeper understanding of the climate finance nomenclature and jargon. Explaining the differences in financial instruments and the impacts they can deliver, Namita comes full circle by explaining the challenges which are holding back the full benefits of climate finance opportunities: From the lack of classification and taxonomy uniformity across markets to; to the need for regulation in these emerging financial classes; and the requirement for better examples of successful sustainable business models.
As Namita explains: “Finance is the is the fuel for economic growth. We need finance for everything. We need finance for climate action. More and more financial institutions are looking to deploy capital towards projects that not only deliver on a return on investment but will also deliver on environmental or social impact.”
Listen in to this podcast to find out more.
And if you liked this try:
Andrew Howard, Schroders and ESG investing:https://businessfightspoverty.org/andrew-howard/ and Climate Risk, Adaptation & Resilience with Swenja Surminski:https://businessfightspoverty.org/swenja-surminski-contributing-author-to-the-ipcc/ Links:
auctusESG: https://auctusesg.com
Salt Pan Farmers case study: https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.thehindubusinessline.com/money-and-banking/yes-banks-blended-finance-facility-to-the-rescue-of-rann-of-kutchs-salt-farmers/article25843484.ece/amp/
auctusESG projects to create the blueprint of a women and youth focused clean energy climate finance facility for Zimbabwe (part of the UN Joint SDG Fund 2022): https://unsdg.un.org/latest/announcements/joint-sdg-fund-doubles-its-portfolio-114-million-catalytic-impact-investments
Financing water access in India: https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2021/05/4-ways-to-scale-up-finance-for-indias-water-sector/
Green fintech and creating access to green finance for populations: https://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007/978-981-19-2662-4_16
Leveraging digital finance menstrual hygiene: https://www.yesbank.in/digital-banking/tech-for-change/healthcare/women-are-given-subsidy-for-sanitary-napkins-through-digital-methods-in-maharashtra
How do you unlock the social impact potential of small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs)? And how can development entrepreneurs maximise their success?
Meet social impact pioneer Richenda Van Leeuwen. Richenda is the Executive Director of ANDE - The Aspen Network of Development Entrepreneurs. Richenda and her team are dedicated to helping smaller businesses and the entrepreneurs who run them to succeed and to develop lasting social impact.
There are approximately 400 million SMEs globally. SMEs make up the backbone of economies around the world. During this podcast, Richenda shares practical ways social entrepreneurs, anywhere in the world can access tools and support to grow.
Richenda and ANDE help to create access to capital and access to technical assistance for smaller businesses and their leaders. Whether the businesses are at the incubation stages or accelerating and scaling. Working in ten different countries, with eight chapters across much of Asia, Africa, Latin America, and Central America – Richenda explains:
“My vision, is that you could be an entrepreneur anywhere in the world and have the access to finance and have the tools to help support you to have the best possible chance to succeed.”
In addition to practical advice for SME leaders, Richenda also delves into the challenges holding us back from achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and why getting local capital in locally denominated currencies is vital to unlocking the social impact potential of SMEs. She highlights the importance of engaging smaller businesses in the Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) – as countries work out their climate action plans to cut emissions and adapt to climate impacts.
Ultimately Richenda is hopeful, listen in to hear more.
Links:
ANDE: https://www.andeglobal.org
If you liked this, try:
Partnering to go far with Clive Allison, Unilever and social entrepreneur: Nivedha RM: https://businessfightspoverty.org/clive-allison-and-nivedha-rm/
And
Delivering inclusive growth with micro and small enterprises (MSEs) featuring Payal Dalal, Mastercard Center for Inclusive Growth and Ha Evelyn Nguyen, CEO of Canal Circle: https://businessfightspoverty.org/payal-dalal-2/
How to become a social entrepreneur? Meet social impact pioneer today is Kevin Mutiso. Kevin is a serial entrepreneur, whose businesses repeatedly get selected as top start-ups across Africa.
During this conversation learn from Kevin about how to develop a good idea, why really understanding what the problem is you’re trying to solve for is vital and how to choose the best people to be a part of your team.
Kevin’s businesses are becoming increasingly focused on delivering not just a commercial gain but a social impact – Kevin explains why tackling a true problem and creating solutions that people really need is the winning formula. Kevin explains: “The entrepreneur has to have a positive impact in society of some kind, and it has to be that entrepreneur’s mission.”
Kevin’s businesses haven’t always been successful, he talks candidly with us about his mistakes, why some businesses struggle to scale and how to recharge and try again when things go wrong. Kevin shares with us a true masterclass in how to build a successful business and become a successful entrepreneur.
And if that wasn’t enough, Kevin’s insights into how survive the poverty tsunami we are experiencing and how to win during the global downturn. Kevin shares the skills he thinks will help us all to be successful and how to manage our budgets during hard times.
If you want to find out more about tackling the poverty tsunami, do join us during the Business Fights Poverty Global Goals Summit: https://businessfightspoverty.org/global-goals-summit-2022/ You can join all the virtual sessions for free using the promotional code: SDG22
Links:
OYE: www.oye.ke
Financial inclusion research and insights: https://businessfightspoverty.org/futuremakers-forum-2022-resources/
If you liked this conversation, do listen to:
Developing your sustainability strategy with Mario Elias Gonzalez : https://businessfightspoverty.org/mario-elias-gonzalez/
Eric Ressler is a social impact pioneer – listen to Eric’s expert insight into why social impact communications needs to up its game and how we can go about this. Eric is the Founder and Creative Director at Cosmic, a Social Impact Creative Agency.
Eric packs this podcast with his expert experience in developing highly impactful communications on social and environmental issues. You will gain a practical guide on developing a branding and communications campaign that spurs on action. From strengthening your businesses brand through values and actions to reframing the climate catastrophe to one that we can all take positive action towards today – to alleviate negative impacts now.
If that wasn’t enough for one podcast Eric also lifts the lid on his personal experiences of growing up, living, and working in California. Eric provides us with a deeply honest assessment of how California experiences environmental and social issues – from drought and fire to homelessness and drug addiction.
Eric shares his thoughts on the challenges of tackling Federal inertia and the opportunities State and local led action can provide. Get ready to hear about how state level progress on climate and social issues could be tackled – through fronting up to the need for collective support not just promoting individualism….and the power of voting with our choices.
Links:
LGCA Campaign case study: https://designbycosmic.com/work/lets-green-california/ Live Site: https://education.greencal.org/ Cosmic’s Insights tab: https://designbycosmic.com/insights/ Cosmic’s Manifesto: https://designbycosmic.com/manifesto LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/cosmiceric/
Ben Jeffreys is a social impact pioneer – he is dedicating his life to bring clean cooking to everyone around the world. Ben believes that this is one of, if not the world’s biggest social and environmental challenge … and he has the statistics to back it up.
Listen to this podcast to hear Ben share why helping the 4 billion people around the world who currently cook with polluting and dangerous cooking stoves is so important to him. How he is working to create solutions to polluting, harmful cooking stoves – through biodigesters and efficient stoves. His aim is to address the direct health and welfare issues harmful cooking stoves cause - whilst reducing greenhouse gas production by over a giga-ton. Current estimates suggest that de-carbonising cooking could reduce carbon emissions equivalent to grounding the whole aviation industry.
In addition, Ben shares expert insights into putting the consumer at the heart of solutions. For clean cooking stoves to reach those who need them and to scale requires new business models. Ben talks pay-as-you-go models, digital e-commerce, carbon credits and how the proliferation of essential services and mobile phones are transforming emerging markets.
Ben throws the preconceptions that making a social impact is a cottage industry of do-gooding – get ready for a whistle stop into business models, equity raises and lasting positive results for billions of people living round the world.
Links:
ATEC: https://www.atecglobal.io/team Twitter: https://twitter.com/atecglobal1 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/atecglobal1
Ben Jeffreys – LinkedIn: https://au.linkedin.com/in/btjeffreys
World Bank, 2020. The State of Access to Modern Energy Cooking Services: https://www.worldbank.org/en/topic/energy/publication/the-state-of-access-to-modern-energy-cooking-services
Futuremakers. 2022. Lifting Youth participation through financial inclusion. https://www.sc.com/en/sustainability/investing-in-communities/futuremakers-forum/insights-paper/
About ATEC: ATEC exists to decarbonize cooking at scale in Asia & Africa. Through ATEC’s patented electric and biogas stove technology, households access paygo debt to affordably finance the stove purchase while simultaneously generating data-validated carbon credits for sale on international carbon markets.
Meet Eric Meade, social impact pioneer and deep thinker about what poverty really means. During this conversation be prepared to rethink what poverty means to you and to others. Discover ways to better understand poverty, how others might be experiencing poverty. Apply this understanding to make better decisions and deliver deeper poverty alleviating impacts.
Eric Meade is a futurist, leadership coach and comes with a reputation, as one reviewer of his new book ‘Reframing Poverty’ warns us: “Eric avoids simple answers.”
Get ready to explore questions such as ‘Why are people poor and what should be done about it?’
Eric argues that there are four views of poverty that can each cast a shadow on how we engage with the issues that make up poverty. Eric takes us through these four views: structural, behavioural, cultural and contextual; and shares practical questions to help us all understand the differing views. Do take a look at the four views 2x2 matrix link below for more help.
In addition our conversation spans population growth, Newtonian laws and the challenges of cognitive reduction!
As Eric Nee, Editor-in-Chief, Stanford Social Innovation Review warns us in his book review for ‘Reframing Poverty’…listen to this podcast and be ready to “upend conventional thinking and think deeply about what poverty is."
Links:
Reframing Poverty: https://www.amazon.com/dp/0578426927/ Eric Meade: www.wholemindstrategy.com The Survival of the Wisest by Jonas Salk: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2621481-the-survival-of-the-wisest "What if we loved the poor?": https://www.wholemindstrategy.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/Meade_WhatIfWeLovedThePoor.pdf Another book by Eric Meade, Whole Mind Facilitation: How to Lead Workshops That Change People, Organizations, and the World: https://www.amazon.com/dp/0578677016 https://www.linkedin.com/in/ericmeade/ Questions to better understand and apply the four views of poverty – 2x2 matrix: https://www.wholemindstrategy.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/Applying-the-Four-Views-of-Poverty-low-res.jpg Whole Mind Strategy Group: https://www.wholemindstrategy.com Business Fights Poverty – The Poverty Tsunami: https://businessfightspoverty.org/poverty-tsunami/
Sandra Granath and Aleksandra Lasota discuss the challenges and opportunities of better supporting migrant workers through great training and learning and also help business better look after their workers’ human rights whilst complying with due diligence requirements.
The ILO estimated that in 2019 there were 169 million international migrant workers in the world (accounts for approximately 4.9 per cent of the global labour force). If you are working abroad, travelling and away from home, you might be working in a foreign language, vulnerable to changes in currency, contracts and perhaps without a permanent home address. All reasons that could mean you aren’t able to get the training and development you need.
If you’re in a business employing people from other locations – training and supporting your workers properly across language and cultural barriers is vital. Helping your workers in supply chains that cross borders – essential.
Listen in to hear Aleksandra and Sandra share their leading thinking on how to best support migrant workers; what business need to do to adhere to the new EU directive on Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence; and why training doesn’t need to stop when workers have differing languages or low literacy.
Aleksandra Lasota is the Migration, Business and Human Rights Lead at the International Organization for Migration (IOM) and based in Thailand. Her expertise lies in working with businesses to support them in upholding the rights of migrant workers in international supply chains; as well as broader migration and displacement issues in locations ranging across the Middle East, Asia and the Pacific.
Sandra Granath is Head of Learning for Quizrr the digital training platform which focuses on helping people across boundaries and supply chains to learn. Sandra and her team at Quizrr have been developing worker centric training programs on workers’ rights and together they are here to share their experiences with us.
Links:
Links: International Organisation for Migration (IOM): https://www.iom.int IOM Migrant worker guidelines for employers: https://publications.iom.int/books/migrant-worker-guidelines-employers Quizzr, Worker Centric Digital Training: https://www.quizrr.se Linked In: Aleksandra Lasota: https://www.linkedin.com/in/aleksandra-lasota-16572589/ Sandra Granath: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sandra-granath-423a30103/ Global Initiative to Eradicate Forced Labor in Supply Chains https://www.quizrr.se/news/global-initiative-to-eradicate-forced-labor-in-supply-chains/ ILO (2021), Global Estimates on International Migrant Workers, Results and Methodology:https://www.ilo.org/wcmsp5/groups/public/@dgreports/@dcomm/@publ/documents/publication/wcms_808935.pdf EU directive on Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence: https://ec.europa.eu/commission/presscorner/detail/en/ip_22_1145
Three of the globe’s heavy weights in sustainable business and social impact pioneers join together to share how sustainable business can be done.
David Grayson CBE is Emeritus Professor of Corporate Responsibility at Cranfield School of Management and Chair of the Institute of Business Ethics, in the UK. Mark Lee is the Director of the SustainAbility Institute by ERM, based in Berkeley, California. And Chris Coulter is the CEO of GlobeScan, from Toronto, Canada. Each has devoted and dedicated their lives to creating positive social and environmental impact, particularly with business.
Listen in to hear three fascinating stories of careers that have woven together to deliver impact. David, Mark and Chris provide us with frank updates on where business social and environmental impacts have gotten to. And together they share their insight into how we can all help businesses to take impact.
David, Mark and Chris have recently launched ‘The Sustainable Business Handbook’ – they join us to provide insights from the research that went into it. Providing strong business arguments as to why to take action and then unpick how you too can take action from within your organisation.
They stress that this practical, step-by-step guidance isn’t just for businesses leading the sustainability journey, but are vital for organisations at every level. So whatever stage your business sis at – this podcast is for you.
If the reviews of their Handbook are anything to go be ready for an important conversation:
Siddharth Sharma, Group Chief Sustainability Officer – Tata Sons, India says "The Sustainable Business Handbook is required reading for executives who are looking to better understand and respond to one of the most important issues facing business today, sustainability (or ESG)."
Whilst Mark Cutifani, most recent Chief Executive of Anglo American states the book provides practical measures for companies of all sizes and from all geographies.
And Alan Jope, CEO of Unilever plc calls the book a “comprehensive, step-by-step guide has the answers, skilfully navigating business through the big questions of our time."
Links:
The Sustainable Business Handbook; A Guide to Becoming More Innovative, Resilient and Successful: https://www.google.co.uk/books/edition/The_Sustainable_Business_Handbook/qeFZEAAAQBAJ?hl=en&gbpv=0
David Grayson: https://www.linkedin.com/in/david-grayson-039a67/
Chris Coulter: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chriscoulter1/
Mark Lee: https://www.linkedin.com/in/markpeterlee/
All In; The Future of Sustainable Leadership: https://www.google.co.uk/books/edition/All_In/ov1cDwAAQBAJ?hl=en&gbpv=0
The All In podcast on Sustainable Business – https://www.sustainability.com/thinking/all-in-podcast/
Reaching a point where our world is sustainable – where people and our planet are safe and secure is arguably the toughest journey we face.
The saying goes – ‘If you want to go fast go alone, but if you want to go far, go together.’ My social impact pioneer guests know all about partnering to go far… meet Clive Allison and Nivedha RM.
Clive Allison is the Global Sustainability Director at Unilever. He is a social and environmental business leader; working with Unilever for 25 years with a particular emphasis on new business models that deliver sustainable social and environmental impact.
Nivedha RM has invented the World’s first completely automated, mixed, municipal waste, segregation unit and recycling technologies. As the CEO and Founder of Trashcon and based in Karnataka, India, she is an accomplished and recognised entrepreneur on a mission to make our waste systems safe, separating streams for recycling.
Through Unilever’s TRANSFORM programme - Clive and Nivedha are partnering. During our conversation they dive into how this partnership is working across multiple sectors.
“With less than 10 years to deliver the SDGs, no one organisation will do it.” Clive explains; “TRANSFORM isn’t a short term pilot, or a scheme or a fund but it’s a new type of public private partnership model, based on the need for long term profitable sustainable business that drives towards the SDGs (sustainable development goals).”
Listen in to understand how partnerships can work to benefit many, innovate and unlock new business opportunities. Hear Nivedha’s infectious enthusiasm for her breakthrough innovations. Whilst gathering practical tips from these two social impact pioneers along the way - from the benefits of involving your value chains, to creating commercially viable new business models.
Links:
LinkedIn: Clive Allison: https://www.linkedin.com/in/clive-allison-8bb1b62/ Nivedha R.M: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nivedharm/ Transform: https://www.transform.global Trasncon: https://trashcon.in/
Meet social impact pioneer Ashley Onyango, who joins us to share a decade of insights into mobile money and explain how mobile technology is helping people move from being unbanked to utilising technology for payments, saving and security.
As the Head of Financial Inclusion and AgriTech (Agriculture technology) at GSMA Ashley works for the global organisation which brings together the mobile ecosystem, representing mobile operators, organisations and adjacent industries.
Prior to joining GSMA – Ashley spent over a decade living and working in East Africa championing financial inclusion, designing and managing funds for Root Capital and working with the likes of Mastercard Foundation and Financial Sector Deepening Africa (FSDA).
During our conversation Ashley unpicks the recently released data from the GSMA on mobile money. She reveals how this relatively nascent industry processed $1 Trillian in 2021 and what has changed in the 10 years since their first Mobile Money report. Listen in to hear Ashley explore the positive impacts of mobile money and examine the challenges that remain.
Get your pens and notepads (or should I say mobile note taking app!) ready – the data is rich.
Links:
GSMA: www.gsma.com/sotir/
GSMA 2022 State of the Industry Report on Mobile Money: https://www.gsma.com/newsroom/press-release/mobile-money-industry-processes-record-1-trillion-in-2021/
GSMA on the value of solar pay-as-you-go: https://www.gsma.com/mobilefordevelopment/digitalutilities/the-value-of-payg-solar-for-mobile-operators/
Meet the social impact pioneer Mario Elias Gonzalez. Mario’s expertise reaches from chemical engineer and wind farm community engagement, to 10 years spent with CEMEX working on their Social Impact and Shared Value programmes.
Mario joins our podcast to share his expertise on social innovation and the strategy of driving responsible and inclusive business deep into the core of companies. He provides a solid case for business to do good for shareholders, people and planet.
If you are looking for first hand advice on how to build a sustainability strategy for a business – from someone with deep experience – look no further. Mario provides us, during this conversation, with much of what you need. Mario shares how this has changed over the time he has been leading sustainability, social and environmental impact programmes, as well as the key trends he thinks we all need to be aware of….I’ll give you a hint…we’re not doing enough for people.
Links:
World Benchmarking Alliance:
https://businessfightspoverty.org/inequality-kills-but-only-1-of-companies-show-social-responsibility/
https://businessfightspoverty.org/how-to-use-the-world-benchmarking-alliances-social-and-just-transition-indicators/
WEF Global Risks Report 2022: https://www.weforum.org/reports/global-risks-report-2022/digest/
IPCC special report: Sustainable Development, Poverty Eradication and Reducing Inequalities: https://www.ipcc.ch/sr15/chapter/chapter-5/
Climate 100 metrics: https://www.climateaction100.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/Climate-Action-100-v1.1-Benchmark-Indicators-Oct21.pdf
Meet social impact pioneer Swenja Surminski as she joins us to break down climate adaptation, resilience and the importance of accounting for climate change risk across all business decisions. “This is not a future issue. This is something that requires action today.” Implores Swenja.
As a contributing author to the IPCC, and the lead author of the UK's Climate Change Risk Assessment, Swenja is aware of the horrifying statement embedded within the report “… that up to 3.6 billion people are highly vulnerable to climate change.”
So, to make her impact on the world, she is Chair of the Munich Climate Insurance Initiative and Head of Adaptation Research at the Grantham Research Institute on Climate Change and the Environment, part of the London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE). If that wasn’t enough, Swenja is now taking up a new role as Managing Director Climate and Sustainability at Marsh McLennans and has been appointed by the UK Government to join the UK Committee on Climate Change - Adaptation Committee. And to top it all off, Swenja is a mother of four and all-round social impact hero.
Listen to our conversation to determine if you too find it an awkward awakener as Swenja explains why the urgency of “understanding climate change as a threat multiplier.” Swenja goes on to provide practical ways for businesses and all organisations to embed climate risk properly across business decision-making. As a frequent collaborator with business and cities who are often managing multi risks and challenges, Swenja encourages cross pollination of risk skills within business practitioners. “Every sort of dollar invested now in adaptation, saves at least $5, in some cases, up to $10, or even more in costs that you avoid.”
Swenja goes on to explain how we must overcome our inherent reactive natures to plan in and account for future climate impacts now. With an average of 86% of climate disaster money being spent after a disaster and only 14% preventatively, she concludes: “Being prepared and becoming more resilient should really be seen as an investment in our future.”
Listen in to find out much more.
Links: IPCC report: https://www.ipcc.ch/report/ar6/wg2/
Business Fights Poverty, Climate Justice, resources and support: https://businessfightspoverty.org/climatejustice/
Best selling author, social enterprise founder, CEO and social impact pioneer: Shawn Askinosie shares the true benefits of understanding your supply chain.
Shawn setup Askinosie Chocolate 16 years ago with his daughter Lawren and was recently named by Forbes “One of the 25 Best Small Companies in America.” He’s been named by O, The Oprah Magazine, “One of 15 Guys Who Are Saving the World” and has an Amazon #1 bestselling book titled “Meaningful Work: The Quest To Do Great Business, Find Your Calling, and Feed Your Soul.”
In this podcast discussion, Shawn sheds light on the efforts and rewards of knowing who his cocoa growers are; how he’s making globalisation work for him; and why now is the time for good cash flow management.
He dives candidly into how his father’s death spurred an innate desire to “deep work,” triggered his abandonment of a 20 year legal career and paved the way to his true calling: chocolate.
From working across his value chains, Shawn cites a key takeaway: “I aspire to continue to learn from them about this notion of ‘enough’ – how farmers demonstrate the joy of what seems so small.” To the big businesses, he says: “there is a way for your big business, to engage in the supply chain in a way that will change your life.”
“If we're not at the tip top levels asking how much is enough, then nothing will be enough. I think that we have runaway greed that forgets why we're doing this, what our purpose is. And I'm fearful of this. But by the same token, I'm very optimistic for the future of capitalism, because I believe that we're in the midst of a sea change.”
Listen to the full podcast here.
Links:
Meaningful Work, Shawn’s book: https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/547277/meaningful-work-by-shawn-askinosie-with-lawren-askinosie/
The Prophet, by Khalil Gibran: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Prophet_(book)
What Should I Do with My Life? By Po Bronson:: https://www.amazon.com/What-Should-Do-My-Life/dp/0345485920
Estimating the economic incentives necessary for eliminating child labor in Ghanaian cocoa production, by Jeff Luckstead, Francis Tsiboe & Lawton L. Nalley: https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0217230
This podcast is a 101 on development finance institutions. Social impact pioneer Andrew Palmer joins us to examine what development finance institutions are, how they came into being, what they do and how they create lasting sustainable impact.
Andrew is the Director of Global Affairs at the UK’s development finance institution. During our conversation he peels back the curtain for us, explaining why the UK’s development finance institution is going through a rebrand. From CDC to British International Investment (BII) and what the plans are going forward. Before sharing with us just how we can all get involved, partner and help shape their work.
Prior to joining the UK’s development finance institution, Andrew has worked in private business, think tanks and in the UK Houses of Parliament as an adviser on international development. He is a member of the Impact Investing Institute’s Public Affairs Panel, the Department of International Trade’s Africa Investors Group and the Commonwealth Enterprise and Investment Council Advisory Council.
Links:
British International Investment (BII) (CDC): ww.cdcgroup.com Partnering with us BII: https://www.cdcgroup.com/en/partner-with-us/ 2x Challenge: https://www.2xchallenge.org
Rosa Wang, social impact pioneer, examines how mobile technology frontiers are providing financial access, connectivity, identity and empowerment for people across the world – from Kenya to India.
Rosa is the Senior Advisor and former Global Director for Digital Financial Services at Opportunity International. She joins us to share stories from her global journey. Where she has collating first hand insights of resilience from the far reaches of the mobile phone revolution. From bank voice messages in rural dialects to the challenges for women in accessing mobile phones.
Rosa unpacks the uncomfortable question of what being poor really means... both the fundamental realities of living on less than $2 a day, and the positive connections these circumstances can forge.
Rosa shares why she is championing human stories and making the voices of those less heard – loader. The result… Rosa has compiled the stories she has collected on mobile technology frontiers into her book – Strong Connections: Stories of Resilience from the Far Reaches of the Mobile Phone Revolution.
Rosa says: “I wrote this because one day, hopefully soon, I believe that every person on the planet will have their own mobile phone, and when that day arrives, and historians document this remarkable revolution, I want the untold stories of the women in this book to be part of the written record. I want there to be an account of innovative village practices, the rich tapestry of their successes and failures, tales of their resilience and of their dogged hard work.”
Listen in to hear more.
Links:
Website: https://rosawang.com/ LinkedIn profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rosa-wang-9206b
Links to Rosa’s book on Amazon: US link: https://www.amazon.com/dp/1632994828/ UK link: https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/1632994828/
Digital Finance Services at Opportunity International: here: https://opportunity.org/what-we-do/innovative-programs/digital-financial-services
Will it take the 136 years to reach gender equality predicted by the World Economic Forum in 2021? In many parts of the world, women currently fall far behind. Just look at educational achievement, earning differences, ownership of property, access to the internet or mobile phones or participation in decision making for proof.
But how do we go about levelling things up for women?
Meet social impact pioneers: Cesar Maita Azpiri and Jiselle Steele.
During this podcast Cesar and Jiselle share some of their 30 plus years of experience working on women’s empowerment. Together they have recently been working on ‘gender transformative approaches.’
Cesar and Jiselle deep dive…not only into what this means, but the practicalities of implementing gender transformative approaches – for businesses everywhere, across value chains.
You will hear practical advice on how to build your business case for gender transformation; why the very women who most need support need to be in the decision-making roles; and what a difference gender disaggregated data will make to business impacts.
Cesar heads the global gender unit at IDH -The Sustainable Trade Initiative. He’s a business-oriented gender expert with hands-on experience in private and non-profit organizations active in impact investing & sustainable value chains. Cesar having studied for a masters and MBA degree he is now following a PhD in Anthropology focused on gender equality in cocoa and coffee value chains.
Whilst Jiselle, is the Private Sector Gender Advisor, for Oxfam’s Business Advisory Service (OBAS). She has led corporate sustainability and consultancy programmes in partnership with the private, public and third sector in Brazil, India, UK, and Sri Lanka. Jiselle’s experiences range beyond corporate sustainability – to include start up incubators, refugee and migrant support – always with a focus on gender and social inclusion.
Links: Oxfam business advisory service: https://www.oxfam.org.uk/about-us/private-sector/business-advisory-service/ Oxfam valuing women’s work campaign: https://www.oxfam.org.uk/about-us/how-oxfam-changing/how-to-make-valuing-all-womens-work-a-reality/ International Women’s Coffee Alliance: https://www.womenincoffee.org Ghana Cocoa Board: https://cocobod.gh International Coffee Organisation – Gender Transformative Strategies:https://issuu.com/internationalcoffeeorg/docs/ico_cpptf_gender_transformative_strategies IDH Gender: https://www.idhsustainabletrade.com/publication/idh-gender-brochure/ And more on gender transformative approaches from IDH: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wLVPKs-ywfM
And to contact the brilliant: Jiselle Steele: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jiselle-steele/ Cesar Maita Azpiri: https://www.linkedin.com/in/cesar-maita-azpiri-8921a7/
What does fair trade really mean in practice? And why could it help in tackling climate change?
During this podcast conversation you will hear two global experts in fair trade examine why investing properly in the producers and growers within supply chains can create the resilience and capacity required to fight our globe’s greatest challenge.
Emily Pearce is the Senior Sustainable Sourcing & International Development Manager, withing the Co-op’s Ethical, Sustainability and Policy team. Co-op is one of the world’s largest consumer co-operatives, owned by millions of members. They are the UK’s fifth biggest food retailer.
Kubasu Agapeters is part of Fairtrade Africa. The independent non-profit umbrella organisation representing all Fairtrade certified producers in Africa, which currently tallies to over 1 million.
Emily and Kubasu have formed a partnership between the Co-op and Fairtrade Africa. Together they are supporting farmers’ climate mitigation and adaptation activities. To find out more about the partnership: 'The Future of Programmes’ – look at the links below.
During the conversation we explore why anchoring climate change as a humanitarian disaster is essential; how our producers and farmers are climate mitigation and resilience pioneers; and what you can do next to better partner for impact.
This practical conversation will help many, including business decision makers to make deeper, more saleable climate action programmes – listen in to find out more.
As Emily says: “Producers and farmers deserve a better deal. They deserve likelihoods that sustain and empower them and their communities. The key to this partnership is listening to producers. To listen, to take responsibility and take action.”
This conversation is part of Fairtrade Fortnight 2022.
Links:
To find out more about the partnership: https://www.coop.co.uk/our-suppliers/fairtrade & https://www.fairtrade.org.uk/media-centre/news/co-op-commits-international-aid-investment-and-launches-climate-change-commitments-for-fairtrade-producers/
Fairtrade Fortnight 2022: https://www.fairtrade.org.uk/choose-the-world-you-want/
Justin Perrettson shares a masterclass in why business needs to be listening and participating in public and international decision making; whilst providing us with behind-the-scenes access into the challenges and mechanisms of multi-lateral decision making.
Justin Perrettson is the Head of Sustainability Partnerships at Novozymes. The industrial biotechnology company and world leader in enzymes and microorganisms. Justin has been central to Novozymes’ longstanding sustainability commitments and activities as part of his 20-year career working at the interface between business and policy.
During this time Justin has advised on and led Novozymes’ international engagements with the G20, the UN General Assembly and the UNFCCC COP Climate Negotiations. He is the Chair of the Environment and Energy Commission of The International Chamber of Commerce (ICC). Who are the world’s largest business organization with over 45 million members in over 100 countries. And he is the co-chair of the Environment Committee of The United States Council for International Business (USCIB).
In addition to the masterclass, Justin also shares with us why he thinks public-private partnerships need a makeover; proposes ways we can accelerate collaboration; and urges us all to better understand the 3Cs: contexts, content and consequence.
Justin lays out simply, why businesses need to understand their social and environmental impact and take action on them, if they want a future. And how business leaders need to show up, not show off at international forums - only by bringing voices from across sectors and with different perspectives can lasting positive decision making be made.
Links:
Larry Fink's Annual 2022 Letter to CEOs | BlackRock - https://www.blackrock.com/corporate/investor-relations/larry-fink-ceo-letter
2022 Edelman Trust Barometer - https://www.edelman.com/trust/2022-trust-barometer
India and COVID response – https://businessfightspoverty.org/india-and-covid-response-article/
Task Force on Climate-Related Financial Disclosures | TCFD - https://www.fsb-tcfd.org/
Taskforce on Nature-related Financial Disclosures | TNFD - https://tnfd.global
“Society created this hierarchy and unproductive definition of what a leader is.”
Meet Ayan Said – this one-woman whirlwind. Part women’s rights activist, education advocate, poet and business development consultant. Ayan is on a mission to change the narrative of how we all talk to each other – by better understanding one another.
Ayan’s personal journey spans sectors, geography and socio-economic divides. During this podcast conversation Ayan takes us on a journey, her journey. From school days, volunteering as a translator for mothers in her East End London community, through to teaching in the Middle East and now working with senior leaders to better communicate.
Ayan provides practical tools and tips to help us all, and particularly business decision makers to create the spaces for better communication. She explores why ethical leadership is increasingly vital; the impacts that a workforce made up of 75% young people under 30 will have (note: this will be the case by 2025); and the need to design spaces where we can all thrive.
If you ever felt you didn’t properly understand or weren’t being heard. This podcast is for you. Ayan’s honed expertise in deepening understanding and focus on changing narratives about our differences – will help us all bridge the intersections within us and between us. Unlocking new strengths and new opportunities.
Links:
Voicing Voices: https://www.voicingvoices.com
Bridging the Gap programme: http://bridging-the-gap.org (is it this one)
Snigdha Ali and Maria May, of the Gates Foundation examine the opportunities digital and mobile finance create in empowering women.
Gender equity is still a long way off. The World Economic Forum estimates that global pandemic has set the gender gap back 36 years. Is digital finance one of the ways that gender equity might be boosted?
The global pandemic has sped up the use of digital – in no bigger way than in digital and mobile finance. According to the World Bank, pre-pandemic, in 2017, around 230 million people working in the private sector globally were getting paid in cash. People who are effectively, unbanked or underbanked. Snigdha and Maria explain why being unbanked is a serious inequality issue and how digital financing can create economic empowerment, particularly for women in emerging markets.
Snigdha Ali is the Program Officer for Bangladesh at the Gates Foundation and manages the country portfolio for advancing financial inclusion with a special focus on increasing women’s access to financial products and services. Prior to joining the Foundation, she worked as a senior gender and research consultant at the World Bank, led teams pushing for organizational gender mainstreaming at BRAC and co-authored the book titled “Voices to Choices: Bangladesh’s Journey in Women’s Economic Empowerment” published in 2019.
Maria May, leads the Gates Foundation’s efforts to accelerate impactful usage of digital financial services by unbanked and low-income people globally. She spent seven years with BRAC in Bangladesh, where amongst other things she led the R&D team for the microfinance program and oversaw the launch of BRAC’s innovation fund for mobile money, which incubated pilots such as digitizing school fees, emergency cash transfers and savings deposits.
During our conversation – Snigdha and Maria deep dive into all things digital finance and economic empowerment for women, with a particular focus on Bangladesh. Together they explore: Why digital payments have been a lifeline for some of the most vulnerable people during lockdown; How mobile payments can unlock opportunities for women to be a part of the formal economy; whilst highlighting challenges that remain in creating gender equity.
This podcast is packed full of statistics, first-hand insights and real-life examples.
If you would like to be a part of the solution or find out more about ways to support gender equity, do join The Business Fights Poverty – Gender Summit 8th and 9th March 2022. More information: https://businessfightspoverty.org/
Links:
WEF Global Gender Gap Report 2021: https://www.weforum.org/reports/global-gender-gap-report-2021
Financial Inclusion Index: https://globalfindex.worldbank.org/
Social Protections/Government Payments and Digital Financial Services: https://www.worldbank.org/en/programs/g2px
World Bank on digital finance: https://blogs.worldbank.org/allaboutfinance/why-such-robust-evidence-isnt-digital-finance-more-ubiquitous-across-poor-countries
Gates Foundation, The Impact of Mobile Money on Poverty:
https://www.gatesfoundation.org/our-work/programs/global-growth-and-opportunity/financial-services-for-the-poor/research-brief-the-impact-of-mobile-money-on-poverty
ILO, Wage digitization: https://www.ilo.org/empent/areas/social-finance/WCMS_775553/lang--en/index.htm
Within Reach How Digital Wages That Work for Women Can Support Bangladesh’s Economic Future: https://herproject.org/insights/view/how-digital-wages-for-women-can-support-bangladeshs-economic-future
Digital Wages: Positive Impact for Women and Business: https://herproject.org/insights/view/digital-wages-positive-impact-for-women-and-business
Karen Simmonds explores whether travel and tourism can be a part of a sustainable future and details how we might be able to achieve this.
The World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC) estimate that pre-pandemic Travel & Tourism accounted for 1 in 4 of all new jobs created across the world, 10.6% of all jobs (334 million), and 10.4% of global GDP (US$9.2 trillion).
Founder of Travel Matters and the ‘Make Travel Matter’ campaign – Karen Simmonds has been within the travel industry her entire career and joins us for this podcast to share how there could be benefits to the traveller, business, economies, the environment and to local communities if we consider travelling a bit differently.
During our conversation Karen takes us on a journey – sharing her insights into why the travel industry provides important socio-economic development opportunities for communities around the world and examines why our current travel patterns aren’t sustainable.
Karen has been thinking a lot about how we can travel better, more cleanly and more thoughtfully. Karen explains ideas that have gone into the Guide to Responsible Travel - suggesting practical actions, nudges and tips of ways to reduce travel impacts.
Whether you travel as an individual, with your organisation or you’re in the travel industry – Karen has something for you.
And our podcasts wouldn’t be complete without a bit of personal advice - Karen is passionate about travel and as a busines founder, entrepreneur and leader generously lends the learning she has done on how to be a business and campaign leader.
Links:
Make Travel Matter – https://www.travelmatters.co.uk/make-travel-matter
Make Travel Matter: The Guide to Making Travel Matter - https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5cc45faab10f25fda1792c6b/t/606eca8b60f9db0f144ee71e/1617873550641/The+Guide+to+Making+Travel+Matter+Website+Version.pdf
Make Travel Matter toolkit – https://www.travelmatters.co.uk/our-travel-tips
Future of Tourism Coalition- https://www.travelmatters.co.uk/blog/future-for-tourism
UNWTO: How to travel sustainably - https://www.unwto.org/sustainable-development
Tourism Declares a Climate Emergency Declaration - https://www.tourismdeclares.com/
WTTC statistics - https://wttc.org/Research/Economic-Impact
The Travel Foundation - https://www.thetravelfoundation.org.uk/
What does climate resilience mean and why does it need to be a vital part of business and community activities as we get ready for the full impacts of climate change?
Meet Peter Hall. He is the Vice President & Global Director for Climate Resilience & ESG at Woodplc. Peter is a specialist in all things resilience. Whether building climate resilient cities; homes; and infrastructure; or investing in climate resilience and developing frameworks to help navigate resilient actions.
During our conversation Peter will reveal why we need to join his mission to shift infrastructure to be climate resilient whilst creating opportunities and positive impacts for the people that rely on their services.
Peter shares his insiders’ views on the COP process and how COP 26 is finally starting to really talk about people, adaptation and resilience. Though still not enough in Peter’s opinion. Peter talks about how business can practically put people at the heart of their climate actions and begin to ensure their value chains are ready and resilient to climate change. And how he is already planning for COP 27 which will be a whole of Africa conference with a greater focus on people and resilience – listen in to hear more.
He warns us - given the speed of change we are going to be experiencing, we need to be prepared to re-learn everything we thought we knew.
Peter is on the UNFCCC Race to Resilience Climate Champions team. He is on the Advisory Board for the Resilience First Organization; a member of the World Economic Forum Global Future Council (GFC) and the Ambassador for Climate Resilience at the Stimpson Center along with supporting the Wood Microsoft and International Coalition for Sustainable Infrastructure (ICSI) partnerships.
Links:
Race to Zero & Race to Resilience (unfccc.int) : https://racetozero.unfccc.int/join-the-race-to-resilience/
Wood – ADAPT for resiliency and ESG performance: https://www.woodplc.com/solutions/expertise/a-z-list-of-our-expertise/adapt-for-resiliency-and-esg-performance
Wood – Responding to urgency – the importance of climate adaptation: https://www.woodplc.com/insights/articles/responding-to-urgency-the-importance-of-climate-adaptation
Wood – enabling a flood resilient future for the British Virgin Island: https://www.woodplc.com/insights/articles/enabling-a-flood-resilient-future-for-the-british-virgin-islands-in-support-of-sdgs-no-13-14-and-15 Smart Cities - REV 2 on Vimeo
Urban Resilience fund - Meridiam, The Rockefeller Foundation and the Private Infrastructure Development Group (PIDG) : https://www.rockefellerfoundation.org/news/meridiam-the-rockefeller-foundation-and-the-private-infrastructure-development-group-pidg-announce-the-closing-of-the-catalytic-capital-fund/
Announce the Closing of the Catalytic Capital Fund - The Rockefeller Foundation: https://www.rockefellerfoundation.org/blog/urban-resilience-infrastructure-imperative-climate-uncertain-world/
Business Fights Poverty – Climate Justice: https://businessfightspoverty.org/cop26-highlights/
This podcast goes to the very roots and heart of Business Fights Poverty – we are going to deeply examine poverty. What it is, where it occurs, to whom, why and what we can do about it.
Global exert and leading thinker Sabina Alkire who directs the Oxford Poverty and Human Development Initiative (OPHI) at the University of Oxford - shares her lifelong research into poverty. During our conversation Sabina explains how measuring multidimensional poverty can incorporate different dimensions, or aspects of poverty, to create measures tailored to each context. With colleagues at OPHI this has been applied and implemented empirically to produce a Multidimensional Poverty Index (MPI).
Sabina shares how the world has experienced poverty over the past years, where this is changing, including some rays of hope that we can build from. In addition Sabina shares deeply practical ways to use this data and successfully address poverty.
Links: For the full set of resources about the new report for the global Multidimensional Poverty Index produced by OPHI and UNDP: https://ophi.org.uk/global-mpi-2021/ Sabina Alkire: https://ophi.org.uk/sabina-alkire/
This conversation is recorded from Glasgow during the COP26 and the Business Fights Poverty Climate Justice Summit.
Gib Bulloch, intrapreneur, business influencer and founder of Craigberoch Business Decelerator joins us in Glasgow at COP26 to share his thoughts on why business needs to care more deeply about their people, how connecting with our environment and slowing down will create the energy and space for the breakthrough innovations much needed to solve the climate crisis.
Gib grew up a stone’s through from Glasgow on the small island of Bute. After 25 years in business, including setting up the award winning Accenture Development Partnerships, a corporate social enterprise that provides development sector organisations access to Accenture’s top people, knowledge and assets on a not-for-profit basis, and which delivered quarter of a billion dollars’ worth of services across 70 countries in its first decade – Gib returned to Bute to decelerate. Craigberoch Decelerator creates a platform for social innovation, operating at the nexus of business, the arts, the environment and well-being.
During our conversation Gib reflects on what COP26 means to Glasgow and shares why he doesn’t think we have yet created the conditions required to step into a sustainable future – before sharing what it will take.
As Gib explains: “Slowing down helps us to tap into our innate creativity and desire for purpose—to drive transformation in ourselves, within organisations and in the world around us.”
To find out more:
Gib Bulloch: https://gibbulloch.com
Craigberoch Business Deccelerator: https://craigberoch.org/events/decelerator-lab/decelerator-launch-lab/
Business Fights Poverty Climate Justice Summit: https://businessfightspoverty.org/climate-justice-summit-2021-register/
This conversation is recorded from Glasgow during the COP26 and the Business Fights Poverty Climate Justice Summit.
During this conversation Devika Gopal Agge, Chief Development Officer and Charlotte Fraiberg, Board Advisor from Health In Harmony share their insights from Glasgow. They talk the day after the COP26 Global Forest Finance pledge is made, during which more than 100 world leaders promised to end and reverse deforestation by 2030 and US$12 billion was pledged for forest-related climate finance between 2021-2025.
Charlotte and Devika share their joys of hearing these commitments and having the biggest turn out of indigenous leaders ever present during a COP. Whilst raising questions and concerns around how the commitments will be delivered and the challenges of getting the money to the people who actually need it. What they do know are ways to protect forests with ideas for ways business can make a real difference.
As they explain: “There is no point in planting trees for planting trees – we have got to support the communities…Monocultures can do more harm than good.”
To find out more:
Business Fights Poverty Climate Justice Summit: https://businessfightspoverty.org/climate-justice-summit-2021-register/ COP26 Global Forest Finance pledge: https://ukcop26.org/the-global-forest-finance-pledge/ Health in Harmony: https://healthinharmony.org
This conversation is recorded from Glasgow during the COP26 and the Business Fights Poverty Climate Justice Summit.
During this conversation we hear from: Kate Nkatha Ochieng, Commercial Director, Fairtrade Africa; Bismark Kpabitey – cocoa farmer, Ghana, and climate change project lead; and Rachel Banda – sugar farmer, Malawi, and young co-operative official.
They share why being in Glasgow for COP26 and raising the voices for farmers is a vital part of the climate change decision making process. They explain how they will continue to bring business leaders and farmers closer so that good farming and trading practice continues to expand. Before revealing their hopes that COP26 will result in real actions not just big promises - urge us to ensure all people are incorporated into climate change decision making.
To find out more:
Business Fights Poverty Climate Justice Summit: https://businessfightspoverty.org/climate-justice-summit-2021-register/ Fairtrade voices of farmers’ letter to COP26: https://www.fairtrade.org.uk/cop26-be-fair-with-your-climate-promise/fairtrade-farmers-letter-to-cop26-politicians/
What do farmers really think about regenerative agriculture and what does it mean in action?
During this podcast Evalyne Akoth, whose farm is in Kisumu County, Kenya – shares her perspectives on mixed regenerative farming; climate change; and getting young people into farming for the future.
During our conversation we are joined by Practical Action’s CEO, Sarah Roberts and Oliver Furechi – the project manager who has been working with Evalyne in Kenya. Together they discuss why innovations in finance and payments for conservation are needed; how NGOs such as Practical Action can help bridge the gaps between bigger businesses and small holder farmers; and what advocating for those hardest hit by climate change really means.
This conversation is not about handouts or aid. Evalyne challenges herself and other farmers to step up to the challenges of diversifying and deepening her resilience. She is positive and determined and should be listened to.
This podcast forms part of a short series on putting people at the heart of climate action and what Climate Justice can mean for business. Join Business Fights Poverty - Climate Justice Summit: 3-5th November 2021 to hear more. Register: https://businessfightspoverty.org/climate-justice-summit-2021-register/ with the promo code to gain free access to the Summit: BFPCJW2021
Links:
Practical Action: http://practicalaction.org The Regenerative Agriculture Hub: https://practicalaction.org/superyear-2021/growing_pains/
By one estimate the demand for photovoltaic installers (or solar energy electricians) is projected to grow 52 percent from 2020 to 2030. Carol Weis and Neha Misra - both part of Remote Energy examine how we train up a new global workforce of solar installers. Remote Energy is a team comprised of electricians, educators and innovators in the photovoltaic industry who share a vision to catalyse change in the developing world.
During our conversation Carol and Neha take us on a journey of why the biggest opportunities are in training women; how to drill in a lockdown; and what you can do to be a part of creating thousands of new, green, quality jobs around the world.
This podcast forms part of a short series on putting people at the heart of climate action and what Climate Justice can mean for business. To find out more join the Business Fights Poverty - Climate Justice Summit: 3-5th November 2021. Register here: https://businessfightspoverty.org/climate-justice-summit-2021-register/ with this promo code and you will get free access to the Summit: BFPCJW2021
Links: Remote Energy: https://remoteenergy.org Remote Energy Programs for Women: https://remoteenergy.org/programs-for-women Remote Energy Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/RemoteEnergyWA Remote Energy LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/remote-energy
- International Renewable Energy Agency Resources
Renewable Energy: A Gender Perspective, 2019 - https://www.irena.org/publications/2019/Jan/Renewable-Energy-A-Gender-Perspective
Gender Equality for an Inclusive Energy Transition: Women Leading the Way in Solar Energy https://www.irena.org/events/2021/Mar/Gender-Equality-for-an-Inclusive-Energy-Transition
Renewable Energy and Jobs - Annual Review 2021 - https://www.irena.org/publications/2021/Oct/Renewable-Energy-and-Jobs-Annual-Review-2021
See an interactive story on How Renewables Power Jobs Globally - https://www.irena.org/DigitalArticles/2021/Oct/How-Renewables-Power-12-Million-Jobs-Globally
- The U.S. Solar Industry Diversity Study 2019
https://irecusa.org/programs/solar-industry-diversity-study/
52% stat reference: https://www.bls.gov/ooh/construction-and-extraction/solar-photovoltaic-installers.htm
How do you tell a man not to cut down a tree in order to pay for a c-section for his wife?
Saving, preserving and revitalising forests is complicated.
Kinari Webb has devoted her life and work to tropical forests. She is the founder of Health In Harmony, the author of “Guardians of the Trees” and winner of the UN Momentum for Change Climate Action Award in 2020. During our conversation Kinari powerfully advocates for solutions to rainforest logging and degradation to be generated by the people who live, work and obtain their livelihoods from them.
She talks candidly about the positive ways businesses can take action to remove deforestation from their value chains and put people at the heart of their climate action. Before sharing why local communities within forests might simply be asking for health care access and organic farming practices to regenerate and protect forests.
This podcast forms part of a short series on putting people at the heart of climate action and what Climate Justice can mean for business. To find out more join the Business Fights Poverty - Climate Justice Summit: 3-5th November 2021. Register here: https://businessfightspoverty.org/climate-justice-summit-2021-register/ with this promo code and you will get free access to the Summit: BFPCJW2021
Links:
Health In Harmony: https://healthinharmony.org “Guardians of the Trees”: https://www.guardiansofthetrees.org UN Momentum for Change Climate Action Award: https://unfccc.int/news/winners-of-the-2020-un-global-climate-action-awards-announced
Let's talk about climate justice and last mile supplies for farmers.
Meet Madam Pariyar, member of Nepal’s delegation to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change and iDE’s Senior Adviser and iDE’s Nepal in country director Corey O’Hara.
Together they are going to share ways we can better support remote farmers in their last mile supplies and why this provides sound business opportunities.
iDE works with rural entrepreneurs to better access markets and adapt to climate change – amongst other things. During our conversation we will deep dive into what is working in Nepal and how to develop better ways of getting farming supplies to those working in remote areas. And together we discuss what COP means to Nepal and how business needs to be a part of climate action solutions.
This podcast forms part of a short series on putting people at the heart of climate action and what Climate Justice can mean for business. To find out more join the Business Fights Poverty - Climate Justice Summit: 3-5th November 2021. Register here: https://businessfightspoverty.org/climate-justice-summit-2021-register/ with this promo code and you will get free access to the Summit: BFPCJW2021
Links:
iDE: https://www.ideglobal.org iDE’s Market Systems Resilience Index: Assessing Market Systems in Mozambique: https://s3.amazonaws.com/www.ideglobal.org/files/public/iDE-Market-System-Resilience-Index-MSRI-Mozambique.pdf?mtime=20211006011227
What is climate justice and why should we care about it? Meet Edward Cameron. Edward has dedicated his career to understanding, delivering, and advocating for climate justice. He has a PhD in the topic and is the founder of the International Institute for Climate Justice.
During this podcast Edward shares pragmatic ways to catalyse low-carbon inclusive actions and why he believes business engagement will be the secret to the success to climate action.
Edward is a genuine thought leader – be prepared for analytical perspectives on the case for climate justice; direction on how to become a leader; and a forensic assessment of the drivers, challenges, barriers, and conditions that can incentivise or undermine public and private ambition on climate change.
You are also invited to join Edward in person – as he is joining us to lead an interactive session during the Business Fights Poverty - Climate Justice Summit: 3-5th November 2021. Register with this promo code and you will get free access to the Summit: BFPCJW2021
Links:
Climate Justice Summit: https://businessfightspoverty.org/climate-justice-summit-2021-register/
The New Corporate Climate Leadership: https://www.foyles.co.uk/witem/business/the-new-corporate-climate-leadership,edward-cameron-emilie-prattico-9780367458836
A New World Made: https://www.amazon.co.uk/World-Made-New-low-carbon-resilient/dp/1605714984
Climate Justice Leadership Training Programme: https://www.cameronclimate.com/institute
Hashtags:
There are an estimated 525 million smallholder farmers globally – producing one third of the world’s food. Helping farmers and agribusinesses to be as professional as possible could increase incomes, create resilience to shocks and provide access pathways for smallholder famers to bigger business supply chains. Forming cooperatives can be a successful way to help make this happen.
Mark Blackett and Hileena Eshetu, from Agribusiness Market Ecosystem Alliance (AMEA), share insights into what makes up successful cooperatives, where the difficulties are in ensuring their success and sustainability whilst sharing practical ways to scale and support. Mark is AMEA’s Network Director whilst Hileena is their Ethiopia Regional Network Facilitator.
During this conversation Mark advocates for better collaboration between agribusinesses, finance, NGOs and the public sector – sharing practical examples and advice for successful, sustainable agribusiness. “AMEA exists because the current approaches are very fragmented” explains Hileena. “Bringing everyone together and formulating solutions collectively must be the way forward.”
Together they dive into what needs to be in place for smallholder farmers to become climate change resilient and suggest ways for agri-businesses of all sizes to build the fundamentals of climate preparedness.
Links:
An integrated food system to ensure sustainable rice for all: https://www.rikolto.org/en/news/integrated-food-system-ensure-sustainable-rice-all?utm_source=Global&utm_campaign=1ba68b62e2-EMAIL_CAMPAIGN_2021_10_13_08_17&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_7d037d7e4d-1ba68b62e2-443869681
How do you effectively spend billions of dollars of taxpayer’s money to help fight global poverty? And how do you invest for climate resilience and account for the unknown such as the risks of pandemics?
We hear from Alicia Phillips Mandaville who is the Vice President of the Department of Policy and Evaluation at The Millennium Challenge Corporation (the MCC) – as she takes as through the MCC’s leading-edge thinking on investing for global growth and poverty reduction.
The MCC is a bilateral United States foreign aid agency established by the U.S. Congress in 2004.
During our conversation Alicia explores how to spend money to fight global poverty – explaining and providing examples of why focusing on a small number of well-governed countries; selecting infrastructure investments; and requiring accountable transparency are three critical factors that determine successful economic growth and poverty reduction. Alicia provides advice on business decision making, investments and policy shifts that could also help.
In addition, Alicia looks into the future of impact investing - unpacking why putting people at the heart of climate action and understanding risk is essential to fighting climate change and preparing us all for an uncertain world.
Alicia’s background and experience spans data-driven tools and qualitative research. She has worked at the intersections of governance, economic development, and technology – for tech start-ups, for NGOs, for the Deputy Secretary of State in the US as well as for the MCC.
Links:
• MCC Climate Strategy: https://www.mcc.gov/resources/doc/climate-change-strategy • Malawi Energy Infrastructure Development – Evaluation Brief: https://www.mcc.gov/resources/doc/evalbrief-032521-malawi-idp • Malawi Power Sector Reform – Evaluation Brief: https://www.mcc.gov/resources/doc/evalbrief-070720-mwi-power-reform • Malawi Environmental and Natural Resource Management – Evaluation Brief: https://www.mcc.gov/resources/doc/evalbrief-041620-mwi-enrm-cs • Alicia Phillips Mandaville Bio - https://www.mcc.gov/about/profile/bio-phillips-mandaville-alicia
Parag Khanna explores our future, providing us with a cutting-edge guide to the megatrends shaping humanity's next decades. He dives into questions such as: where will we be living in 2050 and how will we get there?
Dr. Parag Khanna is a leading global strategy advisor, world traveller, and best-selling author. What that really means is he’s a geography geek and thinker about the future. He holds a PhD in international relations from the London School of Economics. He has been named one of Esquire’s “75 Most Influential People of the 21st Century,” and featured in WIRED magazine’s “Smart List.” He’s been a fellow at organisations ranging from the Brookings Institution to the Lee Kuan Yew School at the National University of Singapore. During our conversation he takes us on a journey, explaining how fiscal spending and tech tools can prepare society for disruptions ranging from labour automation to climate change; where digital passports can unlock talent mobility and resolve tensions over immigration; before examining how we can evolve beyond sovereignty towards stewardship over the crucial habitats and resources essential to sustain human civilization. Links: Parag Khanna: https://www.paragkhanna.com Move, Parag’s new book: https://www.paragkhanna.com/move/
How do you ignite your inner drive? My guest today has dedicated much of his life and thinking to this question – Sharath Jeevan. From business leader, Founding Head of eBay for Charity to education CEO – Sharath candidly shares why unlocking the motivation of his teams as well as for himself is so important.
During our conversation Sharath takes us on a journey exploring the drivers of motivation: “Purpose, autonomy and mastery,” he explains. Before sharing practical ways to tap into these three elements. He explains why our problems today are wicked and how we need to think differently in order to solve them. Before delving into ways we can motivate our businesses and those within them to do more good.
For more information of Sharath and his work, do check out his new book: Intrinsic – the link is below.
Links:
Intrinsic: https://linktr.ee/intrinsiclabs Intrinsic the book: https://linktr.ee/intrinsicamazon Intrinsic Labs: https://www.intrinsic-labs.com Wicked Problems: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wicked_problem McKinsey: https://www.mckinsey.com/business-functions/organization/our-insights/help-your-employees-find-purpose-or-watch-them-leave
Join the Business Fights Poverty community and connect with others working in this space: https://businessfightspoverty.org/community/
What does inclusive growth really mean and how can supporting micro and small enterprises (MSEs) help achieve this?
These are just some of the questions my guests in this podcast are dedicating their work to.
Meet Payal Dalal, Senior Vice President for Social Impact of International Markets at the Mastercard Center for Inclusive Growth and Ha Evelyn Nguyen, CEO of Canal Circle who are building financially inclusive ecosystems for the underserved.
The World Bank estimates that more than 50% of employment worldwide is within smaller businesses. Payal reveals that more that 40% of these businesses were at risk of failing during the pandemic.
Our conversation delves into how we can better support these businesses to create not simply exponential growth but genuine resilience. Hear Payal and Evelyn explain the opportunities digital tools and technology can provide to MSEs; why partnering is essential; and reveal how the Mastercard Center for Inclusive Growth is partnering with Caribou Digital to launch Strive Community.
The Strive Community is the new $19 M global programme with the aim of helping 5 million MSEs digitize their operations, access and use finance and enter new markets. Listen in to find out more and how you could get involved.
Links:
Mastercard Center for Inclusive Growth - https://www.mastercardcenter.org/
Canal Circle - https://www.canalcircle.com
Strive Community - https://www.StriveCommunity.org
LinkedIn: @Strive-Community - https://www.linkedin.com/company/strivecommunity
Twitter: @StriveBusiness - https://twitter.com/StriveBusiness
This podcast is stuffed with data and information on the impact climate change will and is having on children. This is because UNICEF has recently compiled The Children’s Climate Risk Index. The Index provides the first comprehensive view of children’s exposure and vulnerability to the impacts of climate change. It ranks countries based on children’s exposure to climate and environmental shocks, such as cyclones and heatwaves, as well as their vulnerability to those shocks, based on their access to essential services. The tool helps you to prioritize action for those most at risk.
My guests in this podcast are Maria Pia Bianchetti, Senior Specialist, Child Rights and Business, at the UK Committee for UNICEF and Nicholas Rees, Climate and Environment Specialist, at UNICEF.
During our conversation Maria-Pia and Nick share insight and data from this new index. Revealing that “More than 1/3 of children globally are exposed to four or more (severe environmental hazard).”
Whilst suggesting practical ways all of us, and in particular businesses, can take action that could reduce children’s vulnerability to climate change and environmental shocks.
Nick and Maria Pia talk passionately about why “every child has the right to a healthy environment.” Advocating strongly that we need to put people, and in particular children, at the heart of our climate action.
Links:
Children Rights and Business Atlas: https://www.childrensrightsatlas.org/ Children’s Climate Risk Index: https://data.unicef.org/resources/childrens-climate-risk-index-report/
Gender Based Violence, or GBV as you will hear it referred to during this podcast, is something that according to the UN affects an estimated 736 million women worldwide. That’s almost one in three.
Shabnam Hameed is the Global Lead for Workplace Responses to Gender-Based Violence with the International Finance Corporation (IFC), part of the World Bank Group. She has dedicated more than a decade of her work to create support to those affected by gender-based violence through workplace programmes.
During our conversation Shabnam talks about the newest research she has been leading - to understand the impacts of GBV programmes in the workplace. The research results demonstrate the positive impacts of addressing GBV as a workplace issue. Shabnam reveals the key requirements of programmes and organisations before GBV interventions result in significant impacts. In addition, Shabnam shares practical tools on how to support staff and reveals where she plans to take the work next - on her never-ending quest to address violence.
Shabnam has specialised in employment for over 20 years. Her experience spans the public, private and not-for-profit sectors. She leads the IFC’s Respectful Workplaces Program which seeks to enhance business value by addressing gender-based violence and harassment. The program supports the private sector in emerging markets to create safe and resilient workplaces.
Links:
IFC Respectful Workplaces Program: https://www.ifc.org/wps/wcm/connect/topics_ext_content/ifc_external_corporate_site/gender+at+ifc/priorities/employment/respectful+workplaces+program
Meet Zubair Junjunia, he is an educational activist, social entrepreneur, and founder of ZNotes – the online learning platform which shares revision notes democratically for students by students.
During our conversation Zubair talks with us about why he is so passionate about education equality and how he is on a mission to create access to high quality learning for young people around the world.
As a person recently out of full-time education and the founder of an education social enterprise Zubair has some great advice on how to get the best from your education. He shares his advice about how to get your foot in the door of job you want and importantly how to get through it.
In addition to being a social entrepreneur Zubair was awarded the Diana Award, he is a One Young World & STEM UK ambassador and is on the advisory board of DEFI at Cambridge University.
Someone with these credits isn’t just a successful entrepreneur - Zubair has something to say. During our conversation, Zubair delves into why more thinking is needed in the maximisation of social impact through business and the key questions he is asking himself to be successful.
Links:
ZNotes: https://www.znotes.org
Zubair Junjunia: https://www.linkedin.com/in/zjunjunia/
What is invisible labour and why should businesses care about it?
Meet Pins Brown, Head of Responsible Procurement at Natura &Co – the parent company which includes the brands Avon, Natura Cosmeticos, The Body Shop and Aesop. Pins and her team work to address global inequalities through trade and employment.
During our conversation Pins talks about work and opportunities for women. In partnership with the UK Government’s Work and Opportunities for Women (WOW) programme they have recently published: “Unpaid and unrecognised: How business can realise the benefits of tackling women’s invisible labour.” Pins explains how this set of tools and examples can assist business in tackling invisible labour. For Pins, this is as much about understanding what invisible work is, where its propping up supply chains, as well as how to support those invisible labourers. Pins stresses that invisible labour is so often done by women and that better support for these people is good for bottom line business.
Pins own background stretches across sectors ranging from agriculture to oil and gas, garments, NGOs, trade unions and international organisations. Our conversation explores Pins’ advice on how to make a difference and where to find new inspiration.
She says: “My working life has involved suits and muddy boots and has focussed on improving labour conditions in supply chains especially for the least powerful.”
Links: Unpaid and unrecognised report: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/989022/Unpaid-and-Unrecognised.pdf
Unpaid and unrecognised article: https://businessfightspoverty.org/unpaid-and-unrecognised-tools-and-examples-on-how-business-can-tackle-invisible-labour/
The global COVID-19 pandemic has many down sides. One is the elimination of opportunities for young people to get work experience, learn skills on the job and build important relationships with potential and existing work colleagues.
The knock-on effects to the cohort of young people early on in their work journeys won’t be known for many years to come. However, Joseph Kolapudi – my guest today has been leaning in heavily to tackle these challenges.
Joseph shares a plethora of practical ways to gain work experience and access skills training. Joseph is the Project Director for ReachAcross, the charity supporting refugees; a Youth Ambassador for People against Poverty engaging young people; as well as being a World Economic Forum Global Shaper. He also serves as part of the Youth Advisory Council for the U.S. Consulate General.
We are recording this shortly before the UN World Youth Skills day in 2021 during which Business Fights Poverty is teaming up with Standard Chartered to deliver the virtual Futuremakers Forum 2021 (13 to 15 July). 50 speakers across three days share their experiences and insights into getting the skills you need to get on. The aim: to unleash the potential of young people to succeed in the future world of work.
Links:
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ReachAcross : https://www.reachacross.org.au
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World Economic Forum Global Shapers Hub : https://www.globalshapers.org
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SolveSquad : https://www.solvesquad.co
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Olive Technology : https://olivetech.com
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People against Poverty : https://peopleagainstpoverty.com/get-involved/become-a-youth-ambassador/our-youth-ambassadors/
If you are interested in understanding more on women’s empowerment; sustainable coffee or what it takes to lead impact in business this podcast is for you.
Melanie Landthaler has over a decade of experience working on coffee sustainability. She has worked on global standards in the sector and joined the UN International Trade Centre to support small and medium sized enterprise competitiveness in developing countries.
In 2015 Melanie joined up with Nespresso to work on their ambitious gender strategy.
During our conversation Melanie explores why gender equality is vital for future business prosperity as well as social impact. And shares her very personal advice on how to get on and make impact through work.
Links:
Working Together for Gender Equality: https://nestle-nespresso.com/sites/site.prod.nestle-nespresso.com/files/NespressoAAAGender_MultimediaFile_180911.pdf
Catalysts for Gender Transformative Change: https://kit.exposure.co/catalysts-for-gender-transformative-change
Gender Equality in Coffee: https://www.sustainability.nespresso.com/gender-equality-in-coffee
Melanie Landthaler: https://www.linkedin.com/in/melanie-landthaler-5a925b11/
E-commerce growth in Africa has consistently been 50 per cent above global averages in recent years. This is anticipated to continue over the next decade despite the region’s connectivity, payments, and logistics challenges.
During our conversation, Charlotte Ntim, Disruptive Technology Officer with IFC’s Gender and Economic Inclusion Group, shares with us how the pandemic has disproportionately impacted on women-owned businesses, and why achieving gender parity on e-commerce platforms could be a $15 billion opportunity.
Charlotte and her team have been researching e-commerce with the aim to plug knowledge gaps on how women use technology and close gender gaps. During this podcast Charlotte deep-dives into this new research, zooming in on the opportunities that appear in a number of regions in Africa for women owned businesses.
Whether you are part of a women owned businesses or tech company, a policy maker or a funder Charlotte has practical insights and ideas for you to further grow your impact.
Key links would be: Digital2Equal: https://www.ifc.org/digital2equal Report: Women and E-commerce in Africa: https://www.ifc.org/wps/wcm/connect/topics_ext_content/ifc_external_corporate_site/gender+at+ifc/resources/women-and-ecommerce-africa Report: Women and E-commerce in Southeast Asia: https://www.ifc.org/wps/wcm/connect/topics_ext_content/ifc_external_corporate_site/gender+at+ifc/resources/women-and-ecommerce-sea
“In a recent survey by YouGov more men between the ages of 18 and 24 viewed masculinity in a negative light than those who viewed it positively.” – meet Craig Wilkinson.
Bestselling South African author, award winning social entrepreneur and Dad Coach, Craig is on a mission to amplify the importance of positive masculinity, to champion men and fathers.
This podcast isn’t some vague, highbrow observation of a societal issue. Craig shares his personal journey as a single dad and deep understanding of why certain male role models are creating devastatingly negative impacts – which at the extremes include domestic violence and rape. Whilst suggesting simple and practical ways, men, women and organisations can take action to enable positive masculinity and healthier, better functioning relationships and societies.
From young adulthood to fatherhood and mature manhood Craig works to encourage and equip men to be a powerful force for good in the world. Whilst providing sage advice for women too. Listen on to find out more.
Links:
The Six Pack of Masculine Virtues (book and course): https://beingman.life/p/6pack Being Man: https://www.beingman.life/ Father A Nation: www.fatheranation.co.za. ‘It’s a Dad’: www.thedadbook.co.za No Excuse for Abuse is available as a free online course: www.fatheranation.co.za/noexcuse
Zahid Torres-Rahman is the co-Founder and CEO of Business Fights Poverty. This conversation looks at ways that we can harness the power of collaboration to drive social impact.
During this podcast you hear the very personal journey of Zahid – why being born in Pakistan, growing up in the UK and now living in Spain with mixed heritage drives him to create connections as part of his core purpose.
You will hear why Business Fights Poverty is a BCorp, what a clear social mission means and where the organisation is likely to be going in the future. From creating effective collaboration, tapping into collective insight and creating intentional spaces to forge trust.
The Business Fights Poverty is a global community of people and organisations passionate about building an equitable and resilient future. On a mission to unlock the power of business to help improve the lives, livelihoods and learning opportunities for the most vulnerable people and communities. Everyone is welcome to be a part of the 30,000 strong community – it is open and free to join.
Zahid here is talking to the Sungkyunkwan University in South Korea. He is in conversation with Magdalena Seol, part of the Department of Political Science and Diplomacy.
Link: https://businessfightspoverty.org
Antony Karanja is part of pan-African organisation The Youth Café. Listen in to hear him passionately share why helping young people from across Africa is important to him, as he champions a vision of creating your own positive future.
Antony is 24. He has grown up and lives in Kenya. In 2016, because of the leadership he showed in his High School, he was selected to attend the World Bank’s Youth Summit. Antony is now a researcher, designer and project development associate for The Youth Café.
During our conversation Antony shares what he has been working on with The Youth Café – in order to empower, amplify and connect young people to positive futures. From tackling poverty and inequality to creating enabling environments for young people to access education and build resilience.
This podcast reminds us why we need to be positive and take action. Get ready for passion, vision and empowered optimism. And why young people are going to make change.
Links:
Antony Karanja’s Linked In: https://www.linkedin.com/in/antony-karanja-b1b982134/
The Youth Café: https://theyouthcafe.com
World Bank, Doing Business 2020 https://www.doingbusiness.org/en/doingbusiness
USAID’s Youth Excel Project: https://www.theyouthcafe.com/updates/the-usaids-youth-excel-launch-leverage-youth-led-research-and-learning-in-international-development
During this conversation – I talk with Sophie Faujour as she demystifies what corporate social investment is, why it provides significant opportunities for businesses to try and test new ideas, ways of working and deliver long term social impact.
Depending when and how you have engaged with the idea of business doing good for society – you may have come across the idea of corporate giving under a plethora of terms, from charity giving, community investment and philanthropy. This podcast zooms in on the new kid on the block: corporate social investment.
If you want practical insights and ideas of ways to get this going for your business and understand how your Foundation or VC impact funds can contribute to the purpose business journey of your company – this podcast is for you.
Links:
Danone Communities: https://www.danonecommunities.com C&A Foundation – now part of the Laudes Foundation: https://www.laudesfoundation.org EVPA Guidance and events: https://evpa.eu.com
This podcast talks with Dr Tara Shine. Tara was formerly an international climate change negotiator and adviser to governments & world leaders on environment & development policy. During our conversation, Tara shares how business can ensure people are at the centre of climate action.
Tara was a Special Adviser to the Mary Robinson Foundation-Climate Justice and Climate Adviser to The Elders. Tara is co-founder and Director of Change by Degrees, which provides global sustainability and climate expertise to businesses and organisations to help them maximise their benefits to society. She is also Chair of the Board of Trustees of the International Institute of Environment and Development (IIED) and delivered the 2020 Royal Institution Christmas Lectures. She is also author of ‘How to Save Your Planet One Object At A Time’ hailed as a 'an unpreachy guide’ to sustainability by The Times.
During our conversation, Tara covers the reasons why we should be thinking about climate change and social impact at the same time, before sharing practical ways business can make good decisions and take positive action. Tara tackles the tricky question of social and environmental trade-offs before highlighting the leading-edge trends she thinks we should all be aware of.
Tara has been working with us here at Business Fights Poverty. Joining up with Jane Nelson from Harvard Kennedy School and our own CEO and co-Founder Zahid Torres-Rahman. Together they have launched: Business and Climate Justice. We would love to invite you to be a part of this too. Please do check out the link below for more information and to sign up to be a part of this.
Links: Business and Climate Justice: https://businessfightspoverty.org/climatejustice/
What would you do if your entire role, for one of the globe’s most prestigious organisations – the UN - was dedicated to supporting and encouraging gender equality?
“COVID-19 is predicted to push 47 million more women and children into poverty” – explains Blerta Cela, the Deputy Regional Director of UN Women’s Regional Office in Istanbul, Turkey and this podcast’s thought leading interviewee.
A native of Albania, Blerta brings over 20 years of experience to her work. Prior to joining UN Women Blerta was with the UNDP is New York, Bangladesh and the Ukraine. Working extensively on gender equality.
During our conversation Blerta shares how the Women’s Empowerment Principles (WEPs) are making real impact with powerful practical business examples: from digital training schools to procurement policies from across Europe and Central Asia.
In addition, Blerta introduces us to the UN Women in Europe and Central Asia virtual Women’s Entrepreneurship Expo that will take place in April. Links below. Blerta wants to invite you all to join this and be a part of it. Listen in to find out more.
Links:
Women’s Empowerment Principles: https://www.weps.org
UN Women in Europe and Central Asia, including updates on the virtual Women’s Entrepreneurship Expo: https://www.facebook.com/unwomeneuropecentralasia/
To get in touch with Blerta: https://www.linkedin.com/in/blerta-cela-768b5532
And to find out more about the Expo please contact: Contact.expo@unwomen.org and www.linkedin.com/in/umranavni
Elizabeth Vazquez is a world leader in women’s economic empowerment. Through her role as CEO and Co-Founder of WEConnect International she is on a global mission to increase supplier diversity and inclusion.
To say that Elizabeth is well connected and influential is an understatement. She advises the likes of Walmart, Proctor and Gamble and the UN – including being part of the Secretary-General’s High-Level Panel on Women’s Economic Empowerment from 2016-2017.
The title of the book that Elizabeth co-authored arguably sums up her mission: “Buying for Impact: How to Buy from Women and Change Our World.”
During our conversation Elizabeth shares with us why she thinks we should join her on the mission to include women owned businesses in the supply chains of large businesses and Governments - only 1% of corporate supplier spend is on women owned business. Elizabeth’s insight on why the pandemic lockdown might be helping smaller women owned businesses.
If you are thinking about how a business can make a bigger positive social impact this podcast provides one very simple step that could make a real difference. Elizabeth encourages you all to rise to the challenge and commit to supporting women owned businesses. Links below.
Links:
WEConnect International: https://weconnectinternational.org/ COVID survey results: https://weconnectinternational.org/covid/
Rise to the Challenge: https://weconnectinternational.org/rise2thechallenge/
Scaling Women Owned Business: https://weconnectinternational.org/about-women-owned-businesses/council-on-scaling-women-owned-businesses/
“Excellence knows no gender.” This quote from Rupa Dash’s most recent passion project: World Woman Hour #SheSMyHero sums her up. Rupa Dash is the UN Award-Winning media entrepreneur turned philanthropist, whose sixty, 60-secs films highlight the power of women, first-hand.
During our conversation, Rupa shares why she and her World Woman Foundation are on a mission to unlock the power of women and why investing in women-led enterprises will unlock huge potential. Whether you are an entrepreneur, working for a bigger business, or a funder, wherever you are in the world– there is advice in this podcast for you. From business case to motivation to practical actions.
Links:
World Woman Foundation: https://www.worldwomanfoundation.com
World Woman Hour #SheSMyHero: https://www.instagram.com/worldwomanhour/?hl=en
From industrial engineering in Colombia to communication director, sustainability leader and corporate foundation creator – our guest today is Cata Garcia.
Cata, who is now based in New York, is the Global Director of Corporate Affairs with brewing giant AB InBev, and the Board Director of their Foundation.
Cata is a leader who gets things done. She not only led the formation of this global Foundation, but she and her team were awarded the Grand Prix of Cannes Price for the gender-based violence social marketing campaign called #NoExcuse with the Carling Black Label beer brand. In addition, Cata worked to secure the largest partnership agreement ever made by the company with United Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR) – with the aim to build capacity in governments across the world to improve road safety and reduce drinking & driving.
During our conversation Cata generously shares the insights and experience that she has gained on her journey. Partnering, scale, stakeholder insight, measurement and campaigns are all hot topics for sustainability and the SDGs – Cata gives us a masterclass in how to activate against each of them and what it takes to make a good plan.
We talk in detail about supporting women – on the impacts of COVID, what it’s like to be a female leader and a mother of boys. She follows this with her candid thoughts on how she stays motivated and why empowering her team helps to keep her going.
Links: AB InBev https://www.ab-inbev.com/what-we-do/smart-drinking/
AB InBev Foundation: https://www.ab-inbev.com/what-we-do/smart-drinking/ab-inbev-foundation/
AB InBev https://www.ab-inbev.com/what-we-do/road-safety/
Blog: www.garciacatalina.com
AB InBev https://www.ab-inbev.com/news-media/news-stories/neighborhood-shops-remain-open-during-pandemic-thanks-to-tienda-cerca.html/
What does it take to scale and grow social innovations? And how does a mobile phone company come to be leading the way business can tackle gender-based violence.
Andrew Dunnett, the Group Director of SDGs and Sustainable Business at Vodafone and the Director of their Vodafone Foundation explains all.
Vodafone is the largest mobile and network operator in Europe, and the world’s largest Internet of Things connectivity provider. Operating and partnering in 48 countries.
It is still rare for a social innovation to be successfully incubated, scaled and then embedded into core business activities. Vodafone has a clutch of them. During our conversation Andrew shares his vision of scaling impact for lasting good and how to make it happen. From partnering and incubating through to stakeholder engagement and influencing.
Our conversation also focuses on the leading work Vodafone has been doing to tackle domestic violence. Why this issue is so important, and practical advice on how to activate other businesses to take positive action.
Links: TecSOS-enabled mobile phone device: https://publicsector.vodafone.co.uk/services/Vodafone-tecsos/ Learnings from Vodafone’s Global Policy on Domestic Violence and Abuse: https://www.vodafone.com/news/vodafone-foundation/learnings-vodafones-global-policy-domestic-violence-and-abuse
How the Bright Sky app from the Vodafone Foundation and Hestia can help people suffering from domestic abuse: https://newscentre.vodafone.co.uk/features/bright-sky-blog/
Connected Living, Improving the lives of people needing care using technology: https://www.vodafone.com/business/why-vodafone/vodafone-business-ventures/connected-living
Vodafone’s DreamLab: https://www.vodafone.co.uk/mobile/dreamlab
Korn Ferry, The rise of the Chief Sustainability Officer: https://infokf.kornferry.com/the-rise-of-the-CSO.html?utm_source=linkedin&utm_medium=social&utm_content=whitepaper&utm_campaign=2021-02-global-riseofcso
Listen to this podcast to hear from Lisa Manley, Global Vice President of Sustainability at Mars as she shares her insights and ideas on key trends spanning the business social impact space.
If you’re working on delivering social impact within any organisation, you need two things over and above anything else. A deep understanding of the trends and a good plan. Lisa gives us a masterclass in both of these. Lisa then zooms in on her really practical implementation advice about how to deliver and create impact.
During our conversation Lisa provides us with insights into the work she and colleagues at Mars are focused on: human rights, supply chain collaboration and next generation sourcing; farmer incomes, including insight into their Farmer Income Lab, their platform for action on addressing poverty in global agriculture supply chains; and the opportunities for women, through their Full Potential Mars Platform on Gender.
Interestingly Lisa shines a light on the pressing emerging trends she is getting super focused on – get your pens and paper ready to take notes as she covers topics including: Climate justice; elevating the S in ESG and the role of business in addressing economic inequity.
“Poverty is the elephant in the room in addressing sustainable development.” Explains Lisa.
Lise then rounds off this podcast by sharing the secret sauce of how to deliver impact. Ranging from how to build resilience and why her sustainability team is now sitting in procurement.
Listen to hear more.
Links:
Farmer Income Lab: https://www.farmerincomelab.com
Full Potential Mars Platform on Gender - https://www.mars.com/sustainability-plan/thriving-people/unlocking-opportunities-for-women
How do you predict, plan for and make the future you want become reality? Ask Cat Tully.
Cat is the founder of the School of International Futures. During our podcast Cat explores with us what the future will be and how we can get there, providing practical guidance so that we can all get ready for the future we want.
Cat’s day job is to quite literally to get governments, civil society and businesses ready for the future. Her CV includes: Strategy Project Director at the UK Foreign and Commonwealth Office, and Senior Policy Adviser in the Prime Minister’s Strategy Unit under Tony Blair and Gordon Brown. She is a member of United Nations Learning Advisory Council for the 2030 Agenda and has worked in strategy and international relations with organisations ranging from Christian Aid, to Procter and Gamble, the EU Commission, United Nations (UN) and the World Bank.
During our conversation Cat shares with us her thoughts on the future, the things she thinks we should all be preparing for. Get ready to hear about issues ranging from: the energy, dynamism and confidence with the African continent; intergenerational fairness; and movement towards a post carbon economy.
In addition Cat shares how we can better understand the future and challenge the official view on the future. She provides practical steps to help individuals and organisations better plan and prepare for the future.
To further explore ‘what now?’ join us for the Business Fights Poverty ReBuild Summit on 21st January 2021: https://businessfightspoverty.org/articles/where-now-2021/
Links:
School of International Futures (SOIF): https://soif.org.uk
Get in touch with Cat directly: https://www.linkedin.com/in/catarinatully/
If you are wondering why risk getting the COVID-19 vaccine; how to decipher the fake news on the immunizations; or curious why businesses should be thinking about COVID-19 vaccines…this podcast is for you.
Prof Scott Ratzan and Prof Heidi Larson are two of the most experienced thinkers on the topic of vaccines that the world has. Their entire careers have arguably been leading up to this point.
Scott has dedicated his work to the communication of health issues – he is founding Editor-in-Chief of the Journal of Health Communication: International Perspectives. His CV includes organisations ranging from Johnson & Johnson to co-chairing the UN Secretary General’s Innovation Working Group for Every Woman Every Child and Harvard Kennedy School. He is on the Board of Global Health for the U.S. National Academies of Science, Engineering and Medicine
While Heidi has focused much of her career on global health, human rights, and social mobilization, she is currently Professor of Anthropology, Risk and Decision Science at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, and is the Clinical Professor of Health Metrics Sciences, University of Washington. She has headed Global Immunisation Communication at UNICEF and served on the World Health Organisation’s SAGE Working Group on vaccine hesitancy.
Scott and Heidi are on a mission to try to share the realities and truths on the vaccines and bring organisations together to ensure as many people as possible globally have access to the vaccines.
Together they are spearheading CONVINCE (COVID-19 New Vaccine Information, Communication, and Education), a global communication and education campaign to advance vaccine literacy. Scott also leads Business Partners to CONVINCE (BP2C), an initiative of The USCIB Foundation. BP2C aims to support the global CONVINCE initiative through private sector engagement.
To find out more take a listen to Scott during our recent the Business Fights Poverty ReBuild Better Summit which took place on 21 January 2021. Full recordings and summarised insight papers are available through the Digital Pass. Link below.
Links: https://www.vaccineconfidence.org/convince
Business Fights Poverty ReBuild Better Summit – Where Now?: https://businessfightspoverty.org/articles/where-now-2021/
During our conversation, Daniella Foster, VP & Global Head of Public Affairs, science and sustainability, at Bayer’s Consumer Health organisation, examines how self-care can do so much more than just make us feel a little better.
This podcast will help you understand better what self-care for your own personal benefit is and why creating self-care systems for public and private sectors is vital in our attempts to rebuild better from the global pandemic.
“Self-care can potentially break the cycle of poverty,” explains Daniella. Daniella and her team, in partnership with Business Fights Poverty have recently undertaken research to develop a toolkit exploring how self-care can help health systems rebuild better during COVID-19. During this podcast Daniella shares the insights from the research and provides practical ways we can make self-care work for everyone.
COVID-19 has placed huge pressures on an already faltering global health system. This is leaving many millions of people vulnerable to illness and further impeding their abilities to lead fulfilling and prosperous lives.
“In the wake of COVID it has become apparent that access to self-care needs to be a key solution when we think about health care and the health care continuum,” Daniella says. Before examining why virtual tele-health solutions, health ownership and better pharmaceutical services are vital trends we need to see more of, if we want to be healthier, and alleviate pressures on our health care systems.
To find out more take a listen to Daniella during our recent the Business Fights Poverty ReBuild Better Summit which took place on 21 January 2021. Full recordings and summarised insight papers are available through the Digital Pass. Link below.
Links:
Business Fights Poverty ReBuild Better Summit – Where Now?: https://businessfightspoverty.org/articles/where-now-2021/
Bayer Self-Care programme: https://www.bayer.com/en/consumer-health/consumer-health-division
How Can Self-Care Help Health Systems Rebuild Better During COVID-19? - report download: https://businessfightspoverty.org/how-can-self-care-help-heath-systems-rebuild-better-during-covid-19/
Unilever have been named number one sustainability company worldwide for eight years straight. They manage to balance being one of the globe’s largest consumer goods companies, with products sold in around 190 counties, alongside being regularly called leader and pioneer.
So what is the secret sauce that makes this really work and keep working?
Meet Hanneke Faber – Unilever’s President of Foods & Refreshment and part of their Executive team – as she reveals all.
During our conversation Hanneke shares her personal journey with Unilever and why they have chosen to launch their ‘Future of Foods’ commitments now.
Grounded in the hard truth that food systems are broken, Hanneke and her teams are on a mission. Their aim is to:
• Deliver €1 billion for annual plant-based meat and dairy alternative sales
• Halve food waste in their direct global operations
• Double the number of products that deliver positive nutrition globally
• Whilst continuing to lower calorie, salt and sugar levels across all products.
Of the commitments Hanneke says: “They are a little bit scary; I am not sure how we will get there, but we will figure it out.”
Listen to find out more.
Links: Unilever Future Foods’ commitments: https://www.unilever.com/news/press-releases/2020/unilever-sets-bold-new-future-foods-ambition.html).
Sustainability Leaders Report: https://www.unilever.com/Images/globescan-sustainability-leaders-survey-2019-report_tcm244-540644_en.pdf
Supporting farmers and producers at the base of supply chains in emerging markets can be challenging. With many farmers leaving for cities, the effects of climate change building and the global pandemic – the challenges are deepening. And often the ones that suffer most are women. Listen to this podcast for first hand experiences and ideas that you can take into your companies so that you can better support farmers and in particular women farmers.
Meet Rudrani Oza. She is senior manager of farm innovations for CottonConnect. Based in India, Rudrani is a gender expert, with over 16 years of experience in the areas of gender, HIV/AIDS, reproductive health, water & sanitation, and children’s rights.
During our conversation, Rudrani shares her first hand insight and the research CottonConnect has been doing with the cotton farmers they work with in India, Bangladesh, Pakistan and beyond. You will hear how climate change is already seriously impacting women farmers in particular; how supporting farmers to learn new skills, manage their family planning and better supporting their families is good for busines throughout the value chain. Rudrani shares the practical ways that CottonConnect have been reaching farmers and delivering programmes to help farmers.
Rudrani believes we must do in order to rebuild better: “We must always listen to the farmers first,” she explains. Listen to hear more.
Links:
CottonConnect: http://cottonconnect.org
Women in Cotton Report - Listening to women's voices on the effects of climate change: http://cottonconnect.org/wp-content/uploads/cc_women-in-cotton_listening-to-womens-voices-on-the-effects-of-climate-change_report2020.pdf
Business Fights Poverty - Gender Summit: https://businessfightspoverty.org/articles/gender-summit-2020-schedule/
Whether you have been working on the topic of gender investing deeply for years or you are new to the idea. Whether you are an investor, entrepreneur, development finance institution or corporate – take a listen to Jessica Espinoza Trujano.
Jessica has a decade of experience in banking, with a particular focus on emerging and frontier markets. Now she part of the German international development investment team at DEG, she is studying for her PhD in gender lens investing, and she is also the Chair for the 2x Challenge.
During our conversation Jessica lays out the case for investing with an eye on gender, why it pays and how to do it. Jessica shared her advice on how take embed a gender lens throughout your organisations – whether women on boards, female leaders, promotion of women through the business, gender pay gap and beyond.
Jessica shines a light on how to get internal buy in and lasting impact, before sharing the new announcement from the 2x Challenge – they are launching a new industry body and everyone is welcome.
There is an increasing body of evidence, toolkits and data, take a look at the links below to access them for yourself:
• Business Fights Poverty Gender Summit Learning Resources (scroll half way down the page): https://businessfightspoverty.org/articles/gender-summit-2020/ • Summary of the ripple effects: https://www.deginvest.de/DEG-Documents-in-English/About-us/What-is-our-impact/DEG_Gender-Lens-Investing-Paper_Final.pdf • IFC Report on the Business Case in Private Equity / Venture Capital: https://www.ifc.org/wps/wcm/connect/topics_ext_content/ifc_external_corporate_site/gender+at+ifc/resources/gender-balance-in-emerging-markets • CDC- IFC Fund manager’s guide to gender-smart investing:https://www.cdcgroup.com/en/news-insight/insight/articles/moving-the-dial-on-gender-smart-investing-why-our-new-guide-focusses-on-the-how/ and https://www.ifc.org/wps/wcm/connect/topics_ext_content/ifc_external_corporate_site/gender+at+ifc/resources/gender+smart+investing+guide • Business Case Data from Financial Institutions: https://financialallianceforwomen.org • Women Deliver Infographics: https://womendeliver.org/infographics/
2X Framework & Impact/Business Case:
• Recent EDFI Journal Article: https://issuu.com/objectif-developpement/docs/pro-revue_20h-s-finance_20publique-uk
Gender Smart Investing Journeys:
• Jen Braswell, CDC : https://www.gendersmartinvesting.com/gendersmart-blog/2020/10/my-gender-smart-investing-journey-jen-braswell-cdc
• Jessica Espinoza, DEG: https://www.gendersmartinvesting.com/gendersmart-blog/2020/9/29/my-gender-smart-investing-journey-jessica-espinoza-deg
2X Investment Examples:
https://www.2xchallenge.org/stories
Other resources: • COVID-19 and Gender Equality: Six Actions for the Private Sector. This is a new IFC guidance note for the private sector on how to prevent gender gaps from widening during COVID-19. • IFC/We-Fi Case Study on Gender-lens investing with Sarmayacar, a VC in Pakistan • IFC and FMO’s study on non-financial services to women and the benefits for both the female entrepreneurs as well as the financial institution: • https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kkfgw6UbyFk&t=4s • EIB SheInvest for Africa: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1dWvMjTX2xDtzRS3rnAEDns_H6KQt_Ag9/view • EIB 2X Challenge video: https://www.eib.org/en/videos/challenge-invest-in-women-invest-in-the-world
If you are working on delivering social change or trying to address social norms, digital technology seems like a good way to scale, influence behaviours, deepen impact, collect and analyse data – and so much more. Doing this in practice is another thing.
Jocelyn Williams, Director for Business Development at Every1Mobile, shares 10 years of experience that they have built up implementing programmes in 17 African and Asian countries. Every1Mobile design and implement digital solutions that help people improve their quality of life such as: access to good health advice, encouraging people to create savings and helping young mums get information on motherhood – in countries including Kenya, Nigeria, Zambia, and Uganda.
During our conversation Jocelyn shares some key methods to ensure digital is working at its best. She explains that social impact programmes need to be designed ‘Digital First’ – embedding digital solutions and capabilities in from the start to deliver real world change. Before revealing why digital can be a useful tool particularly when the topics are sensitive and personal. It is apt that we record this conversation during '16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence.
Jocelyn suggests we should all be thinking about: the depth of digital engagement, how we are driving and monitoring real world behaviour change through digital as well as why multi-platform digital interventions will be essential in the future. Listen to hear more.
Links: Every1Mobile: https://www.every1mobile.com/
UJoin:https://www.every1mobile.com/our-work/ujoin/
NaijaCare: https://www.every1mobile.com/our-work/naijacare/
UAfya: https://www.every1mobile.com/our-work/uafya/
Every1Mobile’s COVID-19 response: https://www.every1mobile.com/rapidly-responding-to-covid-19-using-mobile-technology/
Business Fights Poverty Gender Summit: https://businessfightspoverty.org/articles/gender-summit-2020/
During this conversation I talk with Fred Brown. There aren’t many people who I might call a visionary – but it’s the word that comes to mind as Fred his thoughts. Fred inspires, shares leading edge ways for organisations to be more effective and shows us how to lead.
Fred is the President and CEO of The Forbes Funds. A capacity builder and catalyst for non-profits in the Pittsburgh area, USA. The work Fred is leading goes far beyond simply helping NGO’s up their performance. Fred has been creating innovation labs, frameworks to ensure anti-racism within organisations and impact measurement tools, among other things.
During our conversation, you will hear what Fred expects to be the big themes for not just the next five years, but the next 30! Get your pens and paper out, it is worth taking notes.
Fred shares candidly his experiences and actions surrounding creating equality and equity. How he, as a black male leader, leads, in a city notable for some of its less equitable actions.
The list of links below just shows the breadth of Fred’s work and interests. Happy listening.
And I would love your feedback on this conversation and hear who else you would like to hear from. Please do drop me a line here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/katiehyson/
Links:
The Forbes Funds: https://forbesfunds.org Forbes Funds Anti-Racism Framework: https://forbesfunds.dev/anti-racism-framework/ Social Innovation Learning Cohorts: https://forbesfunds.dev/innovate/learning-cohorts/ Cancer Free Economy: https://www.cancerfreeeconomy.org/ Omplexity, Systems Map for the Cancer-Free Economy Network: https://www.omplexity.com/cancer-free-economy-network.html Pittsburgh Business Times - Letter, ‘We need to stop holding on to the past’: https://www.bizjournals.com/pittsburgh/news/2020/07/31/browns-viewpoint-stop-holding-onto-the-past.html Franklin Covey, The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People: https://www.franklincovey.com/the-7-habits/ Jim Collins, Good to Great: https://www.jimcollins.com/article_topics/articles/good-to-great.html O’Reilly – The Art of Leadership: https://www.oreilly.com/library/view/the-art-of/9781492045687/ Leap of Reason: https://leapofreason.org/
Merten Sievers leads value chain and enterprise development with the International Labour Organisation (ILO). During our podcast conversation Merten shares his insights on the effects COVID-19 is having on small and medium sized enterprises, in particular the impacts on decent work. Merten then deep dives into the practical ways businesses of all sizes can help create and capitalise upon quality jobs.
Merten introduces the new toolkit that he has been supporting Business Fights Poverty on. The aim of the toolkit is to stimulate thinking and exchange within companies and external partners about what business models for more decent jobs should look like and how to mainstream these into business practice. The toolkit provides practical case studies and a framework for both evaluating the quality of jobs and also enhancing them. It includes examples from leading companies including Hermes, Anglo American, Unilever, and others.
Merten champions that all types of organisations can be more strategic in improving job quality. He explains: “There are multiple examples where fundamental changes can be made to improve job security, equality, health and wellbeing without impacting business competitiveness, growth and profitability.”
Links: Building back with better jobs action toolkit: https://businessfightspoverty.org/articles/action-toolkit-building-back-better-with-jobs/ Business models for descent work: https://www.ilo.org/empent/Projects/the-lab/WCMS_716906/lang--en/index.htm ILO The Lab: https://www.ilo.org/empent/Projects/the-lab/lang--en/index.htm
Meet Chris Anderson and David Nash. They are instrumental within the Zurich Floods Resilience Programme. With floods affecting more people than any other natural hazard. They are 8 years into a 10-year programme. Their aim: to enhance flood resilience. With a focus on pre-event risk reduction.
What is interesting about this conversation is the openness and willingness of Chris and David to share the insights into their partnership. Chris works for the development organisation Practical Action, whilst David works within the Z Zurich Foundation – the private foundation, funded by the Zurich Insurance Group. Together they reveal practical tips to make a collaboration work, ideas on deepening impact and leading edge thinking on emerging trends which will deeply affect the ability to end poverty.
As Chris explains: “I’m driven by a sense of injustice that poverty isn’t inevitable...I have learnt to put people at the heart of decision making.”
Whilst David says: “Three things that make a strong partnership: Give up power; accept change is inevitable so be flexible; and focus on the end goal, shift away from output reporting and thinking.”
Listen to hear more.
During the conversation David and Chris mention the following useful resources: • Zurich Alliance Floods Resilience Portal introductory video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EMAkfr3lkFM&feature=emb_logo
• The Zurich Flood Resilience Measurement for Communities (FRMC), including the framework and approach: https://floodresilience.net/frmc
• Lessons from year two report: https://www.i-s-e-t.org/zfra-ii-lessonfromy2
• The Flood Resilience Measurement for Communities (FRMC) “Inviting others” brochure: https://floodresilience.net/resources/item/the-flood-resilience-measurement-for-communities-frmc
• The Partnering Initiative (TPI): https://thepartneringinitiative.org
• To find out more about Practical Action’s work please click here: https://practicalaction.org/our-work/
This podcast conversation with Samie Al-Achrafi explores why, more than ever, we need to bring our humanity to business.
If you feel in need of a coaching session, to deepen your understanding of others or to expand your leadership skills, then this podcast episode is for you.
Samie’s career spans the public and private sectors and now he leads his own values and culture consultancy, Marmalade Fish. He has captured his journey and lessons along the way in his new book #Time4Humanity.
During our conversation, Samie shares some of the insights from this thought-provoking book that lays out the roadmap on how to bring greater consciousness to leadership. Samie challenges us to explore new business paradigms, and offers practical questions that we can ask ourselves to help drive better decision-making, leadership and business impact.
Samie says: “We have everything that we need, but we can unmask ourselves to connect back to our finer nature."
Links:
Time4Humanity
www.samiealachrafi.com @samiealachrafi
This podcast interview hears from Vic Van Vuuren, the Director, of the Enterprises Department at the International Labour Organization (ILO) in Geneva. Vic is also the Chairman of The Committee for the Promotion and Advancement of Cooperatives
and he Chairs the Partnership for Action in the Green Economy. He is a member on the United Nations Task Force of the Social and Solidarity Economy and a member of the Capitals Coalition Supervisory Board. This puts him as a vantage point to understand the deeper impacts of COVID19 on enterprises – globally - big and small.
During our conversation Vic shares his insights into the effects of the global pandemic on enterprises. Particularly focusing on smaller enterprises in emerging markets and the ways that bigger global businesses can support them.
Vic explains: “We haven’t yet got out of COVID. We haven’t even seen the light at the end of the tunnel…We have seen closure, after closure, after closure and now we have to reactivate those business.”
Listen to this podcast to hear Vic’s thoughts on the nuggets of opportunity he sees which could help businesses in the future, from a green recovery to the possibilities in business model innovation. He expands on his mission to ensure all workers are respected as individuals; and how businesses can measure their success beyond a simple measure of financial profits.
Links:
The Enterprises Department, ILO: https://www.ilo.org/empent/lang--en/index.htm
Meet Dr. Nicky Black, Director at the International Council on Mining and Metals (ICMM). During this podcast we talk with Nicky about the work she has been leading in helping the mining sector respond to COVID-19 and the newly released, Building Forward Better Framework.
The Framework provides practical tools and resources for use by the mining industry and other sectors to help guide them through the initial stages of the pandemic and to lay the pathway for building forward to a more resilient future post COVID-19.
Nicky, explains how this framework has been developed with the aim of encouraging learning and thinking about mining’s collective role in supporting communities through the immediate and long-term phases of COVID-19. She says: “it is a practical action and learning tool for mining companies to use as they address each phase of the pandemic. My hope is that it also provides inspiration and encouragement for closer collaboration and engagement across sectors to both inform short-term recovery and response efforts, and longer-term community and economic resilience.”
The framework has been developed by the ICMM, working with Business Fights Poverty and The Partnering Initiative, in consultation with the Harvard Kennedy School’s Corporate Responsibility Initiative.
Links: ICMM, Building Forward Better Framework: https://www.icmm.com/en-gb/news/2020/build-forward-better Business Fights Poverty: https://businessfightspoverty.org The Partnering Initiative: https://thepartneringinitiative.org
Peg Willingham is the Executive Director of Fairtrade America. Fairtrade’s mission to work with businesses, farmers and workers certifying products as ethically and sustainably sourced is more important than ever.
Listen to this podcast to hear Peg share her insights of the compounded effects of COVID-19 on many of the world’s poorest farmers; As a health and livelihood issue. She shares why we may need to reassess the value placed on our food:
“You think about a banana,” explains Peg. “It’s the most exported food in the world, it might have travelled thousands of miles and yet it’ll be cheaper than an apple grown 40 miles away.”
And how the private and public sectors play vital roles in ensuring a future we want.
Our conversation with Peg takes us around the world. Her own personal journey as U.S. Foreign Service officer, with tours in Costa Rica, Saudi Arabia and Colombia, saw her receive five Superior Honor Awards. But it was on one of these tours that her commitment to fair trade was cemented. Find out why a stop in Banana Company Town in Costa Rica would fuel her passionate support of people working in tough circumstances.
Find out about Peg’s personal journey – why Banana Company Town in Costa Rica – the ghost town that was left behind after corporate sort cheaper labour else where triggered her passionate focus on supporting people on the front line.
This conversation takes place during the UN General Assembly 2020, as part of Business Fights Poverty NYC Online 2020.
Links:
Business Fights Poverty NYC Online 2020: https://snipbfp.org/BFPNYC2020
Fairtrade America: https://www.fairtradeamerica.org
During this podcast we hear Alexis Geaneotes and Kathy Mignano from IFC share the latest thinking on inclusive business.
There are an estimated 2.7 billion people who live on less than $2.50 a day (Ref. UNDP, 2014) and 6 billion people live on under $8 a day. This is half the world’s population, but due to their low-income levels they are often overlooked in terms of products, services, and support from business and investors.
This podcast gives you a starter guide on how to address the needs of those that are underserved, also known as inclusive business. Informed by a new study: Leveraging Inclusive Business Models to Support the Base of the Pyramid during COVID-19, Kathy and Alexis provide insight into why businesses and investors should be developing inclusive business models, and provide real-world examples. They also share some new areas they will be focusing on to advance inclusion: Advancing digital solutions in health, developing inclusive supply chains, and engaging more diverse groups.
Listen to find out more.
Kathy and Alexis work for the International Finance Corporation (IFC) – which is a part of the World Bank Group.
Links:
Leveraging Inclusive Business Models to Support the Base of the Pyramid during COVID-19: https://www.ifc.org/wps/wcm/connect/publications_ext_content/ifc_external_publication_site/publications_listing_page/leveraging+inclusive+businesses+models+to+support+the+base+of+the+pyramid+during+covid-19
Alexis Geaneotes: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alexis-geaneotes-41545b2/
Kathleen Mignano: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kathymignano/
Blockchain is banded around as a silver bullet to solving transparency and traceability challenges. This podcast reveals what this means to reality. Meet award winning serial entrepreneur Ashish Gadnis – as he demystifies blockchain, shares the trends he thinks we should all be thinking about and why his father said to him – “If you want to get out of poverty you can either programme or you can beg.”
During our conversation Ashish explains how his company BanQu is utilising blockchain technology “This is not a pilot or proof of concept” he says, sharing live examples of how they are using the technology to help some of those most vulnerable around the world. Examples ranging from support to smallholder farmers who are supplying produce into bigger business; tracing recycling and adding value to waste pickers; reducing child labour within the tobacco industry and; how the Islamic development bank are ensuring COVID relief funding is reaching those in need.
Our podcasts want to know about the people behind the innovations and impact – this conversation is no different. Ashish shares his personal journey with us, from immigrant to the US from India, coder, founder, Congo volunteer and now impact entrepreneur. And his advise to others: “No pity, don't own poor peoples data and meet where people are.”
Link:
BankQu: https://banqu.co
If you need some motivation and inspiration today – meet Sizakele Marutlulle. South African born Sizakele is a marketing and brand leader, entrepreneur and influencer.
Her personal experiences and career have seen Sizakele part of the team working on the ANC campaign as South Africa emerged from apartheid. She has led businesses big and small to deliver their brand purpose.
But our conversation today is all about FENTREPRENEURS - those female entrepreneurs who are critically three years into their business journey - which as Sizakele reveals, is a pivotal moment for any organisation.
With the world overly focused on start-ups, there is a missing middle explains Sizakele: “I am concerned the numbers of women coming to me with five-year-old business who are still being subjected to incubator and start-up culture.”
After deep research, Sizakele shares the key characteristics of a FENTREPRENEUR – the ‘Five G’, before exploring what’s holding women back and how to best get female led businesses growing and prospering. Sizakele is on a mission to find and support 100 FENTREPRENEUR. Listen to find out more, to get involved and to access Sizakele’s amazing wisdom.
Links:
https://sizakelemarutlulle.com/
There is a huge gender gap in technology – 17% fewer women compared to men have access to the internet globally and only 5% of leadership positions in the technology sector are held by women.*
Natalia Cano and her team at Google are on a mission to change this. During this podcast hear from Natalia as she shares her story and expand on why it is so important to close the gender gap in technology.
“Women are missing out on the fastest growing jobs of the future [and] women don't have access to information.” Explains Natalia.
Through programmes like #IamRemarkable and ‘Women Will’* – Natalia and others have already helped over 50M people grow their digital skills, careers and businesses. Yet Natalia is keen for more to be done: “We need to all work together, to inspire and motivate young women into technology.”
Our podcasts always delve into key social challenges and what business can do to help. This one is no different. During this podcast you will hear more about the complex challenge of helping more women have access to technology and practical ways of helping more women into the tech sector.
In addition, our podcasts also care about the people working on these important social issues, getting to know more about their motivations and what advice they would share with others. During this conversation, Natalia Cano, who is Head of Brand and Reputation at Google across the Asia Pacific region encourages you to: “Fight for your cause, persevere and don't give up.” Before explaining that: “It takes a village to create change, but if you champion change, others will follow.”
Links:
- ITU, 2019, Bridging the gender divide. https://www.itu.int/en/mediacentre/backgrounders/Pages/bridging-the-gender-divide.aspx PWC, 2017, Women in Tech – Time to close the gender gap. https://www.pwc.co.uk/who-we-are/women-in-technology/time-to-close-the-gender-gap.html #IamRemarkable - https://iamremarkable.withgoogle.com *** Women Will - https://www.womenwill.com
If you want to find a partner, there is no better person than Darian Stibbe. Partnering for a sustainable future that is.
Darian was once a quantum physicist for NASA, with a PhD from London and Harvard. 16 years ago, his career pivoted, and he hasn't looked back.
Today he is one of the leading thinkers and practitioners on delivering sustainable development through partnership. During our conversation, Darian explains what he has learnt from partnering over this time and then the new learnings that have taken place as the world has come together during 2020 to fight COVID-19.
The key success factors to partnering in general include: a common vision between partners; commitment between organisations; trust and; communication. During COVID-19, Darian explains “The threat is too urgent. We have seen an accelerated process, without necessarily having a base of trust. In addition, COVID-19 organisations have come together to partner for the common good, with much less requirement to gain personal benefit.”
And the future? How can we rebuild better? Darian shares his thoughts on why the UN Sustainable Development Goals already provide a blueprint to a sustainable and just future. Listen to find out his learnings on just how this can happen.
This podcast forms part of Business Fights Poverty Online 2020. To find out more and join the movement to rebuild better, check out: www.BusinessFightsPoverty.org
Links:
Partnering for Rapid Innovation: https://snipbfp.org/C19_TKs_W2
The Partnering Initiative Toolkit to Partnerships:https://thepartneringinitiative.org/publications/toolbook-series/the-sdg-partnerships-guidebook/
Meet two global experts on gender equality and addressing gender-based violence (GBV) at home and work – Jane Pillinger and Alice Allan. This is a tough podcast to listen to, but vital. As Alice explains: “Sadly COVID-19 is exacerbating gender inequality.” Prior to the pandemic evidence shows that one in three women experience gender-based violence. During the lockdown the estimates are that globally there is a 20% increase in that number. Jane and Alice not only address this difficult subject head on during our podcast conversation, but they share their practical insight from years working on the issue. They explain why in 2019 the ILO convention 190 raised the important question of duty of care of businesses on their employees. Recognising that not only workplace harassment but also that businesses are affected by and have a duty of care when violence takes place in the home.
With so many people working remotely, from home due to the COVID-19 global pandemic, this convention has become so much more important and many businesses are stepping up to address domestic violence and support their employees.
“And what we are seeing is that businesses aren’t just thinking about how to support survivors. But more and more businesses are working on ways to address the perpetrators.” Explains Jane. “We want to stop the perpetration of abuse. We have to look at this in relation to men and boys and prevention in the long term.”
And what are their recommendations: “We would want to see all businesses implementing policies and procedures, for prevention and resolution. To build spaces for women to talk and to build trust.” To hear more detail of Jane and Alice’s advice, please do take a listen.
Links:
· Business Fights Poverty: Action Toolkit: How Business Can Address GBV During COVID-19: https://snipbfp.org/C19_TKs_W1 · ILO convention 190: https://www.ilo.org/dyn/normlex/en/f?p=NORMLEXPUB:12100:0::NO::P12100_ILO_CODE:C190
· Barclays Banking on Change: https://www.careinternational.org.uk/sites/default/files/Banking%20on%20Change%20Partnership.pdf
· How Can Business Tackle Gender Based Violence in the World of Work: A Toolkit for Action: https://businessfightspoverty.org/articles/how-can-business-tackle-gender-based-violence-in-the-world-of-work-a-toolkit-for-action/
· Gender is Everyone’s Business: https://businessfightspoverty.org/articles/gender-equality-is-everyones-business-engaging-men-as-allies-to-advance-gender-equality-across-the-value-chain/
· UN Women 16 Days of Activism against Gender Based Violence: https://www.unwomen.org/en/what-we-do/ending-violence-against-women/take-action/16-days-of-activism
· IFC Addressing Gender-Based Violence and Harassment, Good Practice Note for the Private Sector : https://www.ifc.org/wps/wcm/connect/topics_ext_content/ifc_external_corporate_site/sustainability-at-ifc/gpn-gbvh-external-peer-review
What are the skills we need for the future? Meet Joyce Mbaya-Ikiao, founder and CEO of Zydii – the digital learning platform contextualized for the African learner. Joyce is a former star of The Apprentice Africa, 2008, acclaimed author and now business leader focused on skills and Standard Chartered Futuremakers Alumni. During our conversation Joyce reveals that she really believes the future of work is multi skilled. Being able to use and engage with technology, harness your personal skills and work productively remotely will be vital if we are manage our time and stay useful for the companies of the future.
Joyce explores with us what she would like to see as a result of COVID-19: “The pandemic has taught us that parents need more support. Employers need to be more understanding about letting people work from home.”
And what the death of George Floyd has meant to her: “For me personally it was a recognition that something so sad and painful can bring humanity together.”
Listen to Joyce’s honest thoughts on how business funding is allocated in Kenya and what we can do to change it.
Joyce’s resounding sentiment – “I’m an optimist! We must rebuild better. Embrace the challenges we are facing and believe in yourself.”
Our conversation forms part of Standard Chartered Futuremakers Forum and Business Fights Poverty Online 2020. To find out more and join the programme please do follow the links below.
Links:
Zydii: https://zydii.com
Standard Chartered Futuremakers: https://www.sc.com/en/sustainability/investing-in-communities/futuremakers-forum/
Business Fights Poverty Online 2020: https://snipbfp.org/BFPOnline2020
To get in touch with Joyce, find her here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joycembaya/
The Power of Nutrition estimates the more than more than 45% of children’s deaths are linked to undernutrition and the cycle of undernutrition continues to prevail – 40% of pregnant women are anaemic, increasing the likelihood of their child being undernourished.
Why is nutrition still such a problem? What’s the impact of COVID-19 on these already frightening statistics? And what can we do about it?
Michelle Thompson, Director, Head of Partnerships and Brands at The Power of Nutrition, examines and provides insights on each of these questions and more during our conversation.
With expectations that the COVID-19 global pandemic will trigger a new global nutrition crisis, what would it take to rebuild better?
Yes, funding explains Michelle, but she calls for “new and innovative models and approaches to nutrition funding” that have “built upon proven long-established interventions yet moved away from traditional aid models.”
Join Business Fights Poverty Online 2020 to explore more ways than business and society can team up to rebuild better.
Links: Power of Nutrition: https://www.powerofnutrition.org
Business Fights Poverty Online 2020: https://snipbfp.org/BFPOnline2020
Meet Alexa Roscoe. Alexa leads a team exploring disruptive technology for the International Finance Corporation’s (IFC) Gender and Economic Inclusion Group. Part of the World Bank.
During our conversation Alexa deep dives into the latest research on ride hailing, the gig economy and the transport ecosystem. Explaining that better understanding of these topics can help women access jobs, support their families and close the gender gap.
Alexa shares her insight into those using ride-hailing services, the few women drivers and others working in the system:
“Women face quite substantial barriers.” Explains Alexa, “Some obvious ones around safety, but also less understood reasons such as access to finance. Not getting a loan to buy a care can really hold women back.”
Our podcast interview with Alexa reveals some exciting innovations within the ride hailing economy. From safety programmes – such as improved screening, safety and security driver training, location tracking, as well as gender segregated services. IFC’s latest research: Gender-Segregated Transportation in Ride-Hailing explores this last topic in depth. Deepening our understanding of where and when this works well and how to better support women.
Alexa’s advice: “If you are a private business – consider how your workers are getting to work; if you are a ride hailing company, I urge you to understand your consumers and drivers better, and this means by gender.”
Join the conversation with both the IFC and Business Fights Poverty on Thursday 16th July 2020. Find out more here, Business Fights Poverty Online 2020: https://snipbfp.org/BFPOnline2020
Links:
Driving Toward Equality: Women, Ride-Hailing, and the Sharing Economy, IFC: https://www.ifc.org/wps/wcm/connect/topics_ext_content/ifc_external_corporate_site/gender+at+ifc/drivingtowardequality
Gender-Segregated Transportation in Ride-Hailing, IFC: https://www.ifc.org/wps/wcm/connect/topics_ext_content/ifc_external_corporate_site/gender+at+ifc/resources/gender-segregated+transportation+in+ride-hailing
Follow: @WBG_Gender @IFC_Org @FightPoverty
Even the most active people have gone into lockdown and perhaps started to support their local community or gotten involved in a wider social movement. The most proactive may have even written a book.
Dr Myriam Sidibe has done all of these things! Myriam is the woman behind the multi award winning and UN recognized Global Handwashing Day. She has focused her professional life’s work on handwashing, leading Unilever’s Lifebuoy programme and is a senior Fellow at the Mossavar Rahmani Center for Business and Government at Harvard Kennedy School.
During our podcast Myriam shares how she has set up the national business response coalition in Kenya. The National Business Compact on Coronavirus is bringing together businesses from across Kenya, the UN family and NGOs supporting their Ministry of Health by amplifying hygiene messages, distributing handwashing facilities and raising funds for those most vulnerable and in need during the pandemic. Their mission is to apply and share global best practice in cross sector collaboration and partnering.
“In parallel the rest of everything else I am working on hasn't stopped either.” Explains Myriam. “I am a public health worker. I have spent 20 plus years thinking about handwashing and most of it from the private sector, now is the time to accelerate these learnings to the world.”
Myriam shares why she has written her new book: ‘Brands on a Mission.’ A guide and plethora of practical examples highlighting the importance of creating a performance culture that is built on driving impact through purpose, and the type of talent required to drive these transformational changes within companies - from CEO to brand developers.
During this podcast you will hear Myriam’s predictions for how things will change post COVID and how she hopes that we rebuild better businesses. Listen in to hear what she thinks about the way we travel, how we will be connecting through simple behaviours and what she means by compassion capitalism.
Myriam’s advice to us all: “Dig deep and stay true to your purpose.”
Links:
National Business Compact on Coronavirus, Kenya: https://www.covid19businessresponse.ke
Brands on a Mission: https://www.waterstones.com/book/brands-on-a-mission/myriam-sidibe//9780367428334
Business Fights Poverty: https://businessfightspoverty.org
Business and COVID-19 Response Centre: https://businessfightspoverty.org/articles/covid-19-response-centre/
If you want to hear first-hand insight of the impact of COVID-19 on factory workers in emerging markets, this podcast is for you.
Meet Dominic McVey; Entrepreneur, Board member and adviser with companies, INGOs and governments in Sri Lanka, Ethiopia and Kenya. During our conversation Dominic provides candid insights of the effects of COVID-19 on vulnerable workers, value chains and the systems that support them.
Though Dominic doesn't shy away from the potential for things to get much worse for vulnerable workers, his practical recommendations on how safe trade can continue are invaluable. He talks about the realities of cross border trade, logistics, and the need to keep people in jobs for as long as possible. He urges business to be adaptable and search out repurposing opportunities.
“We all need to play our part in keeping our economy going.” Stresses Dominic.
This podcast isn’t all doom and gloom though, Dominic’s suggestions of ways we can rebuild better could mean that more people from emerging markets get access to markets through digitalisation; he suggests why contactless trade could revolutionise commerce; and how this could have a positive impact on reducing the need for carbon intensive transport.
His final call to action: “Look beyond the numbers. Think about the compassionate elements of your business. As we come out of COVID we will look to the businesses who did the right things.”
Links: Business of COVID-19 Response Centre: https://snipbfp.org/C19_ResponseCentre
Business Fights Poverty: https://businessfightspoverty.org
Sasha Dichter is co-founder of the impact data-focused social enterprise 60 Decibels. During our conversation Sasha explains why, during the COVID-19 crisis, understanding the social impact this is having on people globally is vital but more difficult to do in practice.
Most impact data is collected during times of lockdown via the internet. This is massively limited. 40% of the global population is not online. 60 Decibel are experts in audio, phone surveys conducted in more than 35 countries. This means that they have access to insight from many of the currently unheard voices, often in emerging markets. What they are finding: people around the world, regardless of their location, are scared, which perhaps is unsurprising.
“What I didn’t expect” Says Sasha, “Is that the primary concern of 92% people talked with, is their or their family’s health, not economic issues. Whether this changes over time will be important to know.”
This podcast explores Sasha’s experience and expertise in social impact data.
“No one is mystified about what we need to measure.” He explains: “But people are mystified about how we can measure this.” Sasha and his founding team at 60 Decibels stepped into this gap. After a career spanning Booz Allen, IBM and GE Money before spending 12 years with patient capital investors Acumen – Sasha talks candidly about being a first time social entrepreneur and shares his advice on how to be successful….”Be wary of advice!”
Links:
• 60 Decibels: https://www.60decibels.com
• To stay connected with 60 Decibels, sign up for The Volume, their monthly collection of things worth reading. (Link to https://bit.ly/60dB-newsletter)
• For resources on transitioning to remote surveys, download the 60dB Remote Survey Toolkit (link to https://60decibels.com/user/pages/03.Work/_remote_survey_toolkit/60_Decibels_Remote_Survey_Toolkit_March_2020.pdf)
• And to find out more about how business can support those most vulnerable during COVID-19 and to explore what rebuilding better could look like: https://snipbfp.org/C19_ResponseCentre
Dan Neale heads up social transformation within the World Benchmarking Alliance (WBA). With money, time and energy flowing in all directions at an unprecedented scales during the COVID-19 crisis – Dan explains why data and measurement are vital to ensure business impact is positive, real and lasting.
The WBA are on a mission to boost companies’ motivation and efforts towards achieving the UN sustainable development goals. They are accelerating change in the way that business impact is measured.
Developing transformative benchmarks that will compare companies’ performance on the Sustainable Development Goals.
During our conversation with Dan he reveals the correlation between business sustainability performance and how well businesses are performing during the crisis. Environmental, social and governance business activities prior to the COVID-19 crisis appear to be key indicators for their preparedness during this severe shock to the system.
In addition, Dan explains why wider thinking about environmental and social issues are vital for long term business success and global economic prosperity – the vulnerability of just in time supply chains; the knock-on effects of poor biodiversity; and the dangers of ignoring business impacts on human rights.
This podcast then tuns to COVID-19 recovery, resilience and re-building. Dan explores practical ways data and information can assist with ensuring we rebuild better. Data lead suggestions and evidence based decisions to positively impact people and planet.
To find out more about the World Benchmarking Alliance: https://www.worldbenchmarkingalliance.org
To find out more about how your business can respond to COVID-19 and rebuild better: https://snipbfp.org/C19_ResponseCentre
For more podcasts like this one: https://businessfightspoverty.org/community/spotlight/
Neil Fleming shares his first-hand insight into what it’s like supporting small and medium sized businesses globally during the COVID-19 pandemic; highlighting the vital importance of SMEs in job creation now and in the future and the real risk of many businesses going under. Neil is Director at The Challenges Group, working across 66 countries, with five offices in sub-Saharan Africa.
As an international NGO – Neil’s experience shows the need for deep understanding of the social and economic impacts of this pandemic alongside immediate crisis response action. For him this means listening hard to those on the ground, deeply understanding what is needed and how resources can be deployed to create real positive impact.
Neil explains that: “Now there is an opportunity to re-evaluate how we do business. Look at our supplychains. The global community needs to take stock, the role of money, who has it and who doesn't. It’s time to rip up the rule book.”
For more information on how business can help both NGOs and MSMEs during the COVID-19 crisis, do take a look at the Business Fights Poverty Response Center, where you will find Action Toolkits on these and other important topics: https://snipbfp.org/C19_ResponseCentre
Links:
Business Fights Poverty: https://businessfightspoverty.org
The Challenges Group: https://thechallengesgroup.com
The COVID-19 global pandemic leaves people and systems vulnerable to bribery and corruption. Rachel Cooper, Director of Transparency International’s Health Initiative is a leading expert in understanding the causes and cures of ethically dubious bad practice.
In normal times it is estimated that $75 Trillion is spent globally on healthcare, of which, approx 7% is lost to corrupt practices. For procurement, the money lost to corrupt practices is estimated at 25%. During our conversation, Rachel reveals some of the real global examples of the appalling bribery and corruption taking place right now, during the COVID-19 pandemic, that are diverting vital resources away from saving lives.
Rachel shares her thoughts on how to apply transparent business practice in order to address bribery and corruption – now and in the future. Rachel suggests very practical steps for business to take: “follow your normal anti-bribery and corruption processes; conduct your due diligence; understand your risks; and don't profiteer from this crisis.”
Rachel says: “We are going to be judged by retrospective accountability. Companies will ultimately be judged by shareholders, the public and governments on who they want to partner with in the future.”
For more information on the important work Rachel is doing, please take a look at the Transparency International Health Initiative link below.
For support and practical advice on business action during COVID-19 and to take action please join Business Fights Poverty's COVID-19 global challenge. This link is also below.
Links:
Transparency International Open Business Report: https://www.transparency.org.uk/publications/open-business-anticorruption-governance-disclosure-guidance/
Transparency International Health Initiative go to https://ti-health.org/
Business Fights Poverty COVID-19 Resource Centre: https://businessfightspoverty.org/articles/covid-19-response-centre/
During this podcast we hear from Sinead Duffy. Sinead is the Head of NGO Engagement at one of the world’s major life science companies focused on health and agriculture, Bayer.
Sinead shares with us how business can support those most vulnerable during the COVID-19 global crisis. She talks about the support to people across the world through their medicines, livelihoods and food security through their support for small farmers and value chains.
Sinead believes in the importance of business standing up and making a positive difference, not just during the COVID-19 crisis but all of the time.
She implores CEOs and leaders from across sectors to speak up and use their voice for good.
During this podcast Sinead also provides a masterclass in how to communicate. She has a passion for communication of science – sharing her insights from a career translating complex science and creating connections with people. She explains how she and Bayer’s leaders are keenly trying to listen and understand what is needed and expected.
Sinead always advocates for deep listening. She says: “We have only one mouth but two ears for a reason; so we can listen twice as much as we speak.”
Links: Bayer: https://www.bayer.com Business Fights Poverty: https://businessfightspoverty.org Take action, help business support those most vulnerable in the face of COVID-19:https://businessfightspoverty.org/articles/challenge-161-tackling-coronavirus-register/
How does a business like Avon – the multinational ‘more than beauty’ compony, deal with coronavirus? Hear first-hand from Natalie Deacon, Avon’s Executive Director Corporate Affairs and Sustainability and the President Avon Foundation for Women.
During our conversation Natalie talks about Avon’s responsibility to help their representatives to maintain their livelihoods, and also the importance of supporting women during throughout the global COVID-19 crisis. Natalie explains how women are disproportionately negatively impacted by the COVID-19 crisis. She explains how Avon are working to help women living with domestic violence, raising awareness of these issues and creating refuge, support and empowerment for women around the world.
Natalie and others are leading work exploring how business can respond to an increase in gender based violence during the COVID-19 outbreak. If you would like to know more about this or would like to share your insights and get involved, please follow this link: https://forum.businessfightspoverty.org/t/how-can-business-respond-to-an-increase-in-gender-based-violence-during-the-c-19-outbreak/2323
In addition, Natalie shares her thoughts on sustainability’s rise up the business ladder and why she thinks green cosmetics, gender equality and changing work patterns are three key trends we should all be following.
Join the conversation and take action.
Key links:
How can business respond to an increase in gender based violence during the C-19 outbreak: https://forum.businessfightspoverty.org/t/how-can-business-respond-to-an-increase-in-gender-based-violence-during-the-c-19-outbreak/2323
How can business help those most vulnerable in the face of COVID-19: https://businessfightspoverty.org/articles/challenge-161-tackling-coronavirus-register/
Avon Worldwide: https://www.avonworldwide.com
Refuge, for women and children. Against domestic violence: https://www.refuge.org.uk
Andrew Means is at the leading edge of social impact data. A self confessed: “cynical optimist. “ This podcast interview with Andrew explores why data is everything - only with good impact measurement can real scalable and lasting social change be made.
Andrew is the Senior Director of Global Impact Data Strategy for Salesforce.org – the social enterprise arm of digital giant Salesforce. He is also co-founder of social sector data infrastructure firm BrightHive and founder of professional development organization Data Analysts for Social Good.
Andrew challenges every one of us to be really rigorous and cynical about your own impact.
“It’s easy to caste yourself in the role of hero saving people. [Instead we all need to] go out and collect evidence of your impact.” Explains Andrew.
Our conversation is recorded during the first few weeks and months of the coronavirus pandemic and so Andrew also talks to businesses first reactions and how we will all need to change, adapt and help.
For more information please check out:
How can business help those most vulnerable to COVID-19: https://snipbfp.org/coronavirus
Salesforce.org : www.salesforce.org
Data Analysts for Social Good : http://www.dataanalystsforsocialgood.com
BrightHive: https://brighthive.io
Meet award winning social business founder, radical thinker and business model disrupter Andrew Hunt.
Andrew joins us during the first few weeks of the coronavirus pandemic to share his insights on supply, demand; and what it is to be a small business with a value chain in the global south during the crisis.
Andrew generously shares his very personal life story with us, taking us from nervous breakdown and clinical depression to Africa-inspired co-founder of Aduna.
Aduna connects small producers in rural Africa with the global market, specialising in ethically sourced, plant-based and sustainable African superfoods like baobab fruit, moringa leaf and fonio grain. Learn how Aduna's innovative model flips the incumbent aid model on its head by focusing on the creation of demand, with the goal of creating long term sustainable markets and livelihoods.
Links:
Aduna: https://aduna.com
Business Fights Poverty, What's the role of business in tackling coronavirus: https://snipbfp.org/coronavirus
As the globe continues to grapple with the coronavirus epidemic, we hear from an expert in frontline healthcare data – Jon Jackson.
The technology Jon and his company Dimagi have created has already helped during the Ebola crisis. During this podcast we explore how data can assist us today. Whether it is contact tracing, data collection, decision support, and information dissemination – Jon explains why this information can make a real difference but also why COVID-19 is very different from Ebola.
This podcast may help you, as the technology Jon is talking about isn’t just for national governments, but can be used by all frontline health professionals, as well as potentially businesses who want to assist during the global emergency. In fact, Dimagi has developed template applications to help organizations get started quickly and will be offering CommCare for free on these projects for the duration of the crisis. In addition, you’ll hear Jon provide pragmatic, practical advice on how to get technology working for you as quickly and efficiently as possible.
Dimagi: https://www.dimagi.com
To find out more and take action in the fight on COVID-19: https://snipbfp.org/coronavirus
Long live collaboration. This podcast hears from Paul Skinner, award winning marketeer, leadership coach and author of: ‘Collaborative Advantage: How collaboration beats competition as a strategy for success.’
Paul eloquently explains why the paradigm of competitive advantage in the world of business may be blinding us and holding back business success. He advocates for human purpose and our innate desire to collaborate to get the most out of our businesses – delivering collaborative advantage.
“Competitive advantage can most hold us back when we aren’t thinking about it. It has infiltrated our core assumptions. So, we need to actively overcome these cognitive biases. We need to ask new questions – not – what do we do best, but how do we enable people and the world to do better.” Explains Paul.
Paul challenges us around future trends that should be on our agenda. He suggests that the question should be “what is missing?”
He views an absence of understanding that profits are not always created equally as dangerous. If money is generated at the expense of people or planet, they shouldn't be valued so highly. He highlights the opportunity for SMEs to deliver societal impact and would like to see MBA courses teaching the learnings from charities and social enterprises.
Links:
Pimp My Cause: https://www.pimpmycause.org
The Agency of the Future: https://www.theaof.com
Collaborative Advantage: How collaboration beats competition as a strategy for success: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Collaborative-Advantage-Paul-Skinner/dp/1408710749
Professor Colin Mayer CBE has devoted his life, learning and career to the role of business in society – from governance and taxation to responsible and ethical business decision making.
Listen to this podcast and learn from Professor Mayer’s experience and expertise as one of Oxford University’s Saïd Business School core MBA leaders, a Fellow at the British Academy and adviser to the UK government’s Natural Capital Committee.
During this interview Professor Mayer explores the Principles of Purposeful Business, the report he has recently worked on with the British Academy. Professor Mayer takes listeners on a journey of how leading academics have moved from thinking of a business’ sole purpose being to maximise the returns for its shareholders towards a model where a business must take into account multiple stakeholder considerations.
Professor Mayer’s explains: “Business is really there to solve problems profitably – to provide profitable solutions to people or the plant’s problems. But not to profit from producing problems for people or planet.”
Listen to this podcast for your own mini MBA module into purposeful business.
For more on how we can embed purpose authentically into business, check out the Business Fights Poverty Challenge exploring this question alongside Visa, Unilever and GSK.
Links:
The Principles of Purposeful Business: https://www.thebritishacademy.ac.uk/publications/future-of-the-corporation-principles-for-purposeful-business
Professor Colin Mayer CBE: https://www.sbs.ox.ac.uk/about-us/people/colin-mayer-cbe
Natural Capital Committee: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Natural_Capital_Committee
The British Academy: https://www.thebritishacademy.ac.uk
How can we embed purpose authentically into business? https://businessfightspoverty.org/articles/challenges/how-can-we-embed-purpose-authentically-into-business/
The title of University Professor is bestowed on less than 30 people at Harvard University. Cass Sunstein is one of them.
Professor Sunstein is the former Administrator of the White House’s Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs during the Obama administration 2009 to 2012. He regularly testifies before congressional committees on many subjects, and he has been involved in constitution-making and law reform activities in a number of nations.
His writing is prolific. Professor Sunstein has published nearly a book a year since 2001. Books such as: Republic.com; The World According to Star Wars; and Nudge: Improving Decisions about Health, Wealth, and Happiness.
Professor Sunstein’s behavioural economics and Nudge theory have become world renowned – with Nudge units being set up around the world at the national level (UK, Germany, Japan and others) as well as at the international level (e.g. World Bank, UN, and the European Commission).
During our conversation – hear Professor Sunstein explain why we are all too optimistic and what to do about it. Learn about why he became fascinated in behavioural economics and his advice about how to become a successful academic and influencer.
As he explains: “People hate losses more than the equivalent gains. Understanding these human behaviours are thrilling to me.”
During our podcast Professor Sunstein also delves into what it will take for us to address climate change. “We need to shift our default behaviours” he explains before diving into practical examples. Sharing Obama’s mantra: “Better is good.”
Links:
Professor Cass Sunstein: https://hls.harvard.edu/faculty/directory/10871/Sunstein
The World According to Star Wars: https://www.amazon.co.uk/World-According-Star-Wars/dp/0062484222
Nudge: Improving Decisions About Health, Wealth, and Happiness: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nudge_(book)
Activist innovators and intrapreneurs’ inspiration, thought leader and all-round cheerleader is our podcast interviewee this week - Maggie De Pree.
Maggie is the co-founder of The League of Intrapreneurs, co-author of The Social Intrapreneur: A Field Guide for Corporate Changemakers. Intrapreneurs, she says: “are people working for a better world from inside business and other organisations.”
Maggie has spent over a decade harnessing the innovation potential of business to address issues ranging from climate change to healthcare, working with companies such as GSK, BMW and Nike.
During our conversation, Maggie shares some of the stories of the people behind the innovations emerging from big business.
Hear about:
Miriam Sidibe, who went from a PhD exploring handwashing into the depths of the soap business, working for producer and distruster Unilever;
Miriam Turner, who inspired carpet manufacturer Interface, to utilise the ghost nets that pollute oceans – engaging coastal communities along the way to become part of the solution and value chain and;
Jake Hirsch-Allen who is leveraging LinkedIn’s Learning Solutions to close skills gaps through their workforce development and higher education systems.
This podcast interview is a shout out to all those heroes within businesses and other organisations, courageously turning their ideas into reality and creating societal positive impact by doing so. It is also a thank you to all those leaders creating space and agency for their employees and teams to innovate and be creative.
And for those just starting out, with the nugget of an idea, Maggie’s sage advice: “Just start [and] don't keep it to yourself.”
For those managers of people, supporters and leaders listening, Maggie explains: “Intrapreneurs need mentors, fairy godmothers and champions – ask yourself, are you creating space for people to be successful?”
Links: The League of Intrapreneurs: https://www.leagueofintrapreneurs.com The Social Intrapreneur: A Field Guide for Corporate Changemakers: https://sustainability.com/our-work/reports/the-social-intrapreneur/
Meet Payal Dalal, Vice President for Global Programs at the Mastercard Center for Inclusive Growth. The Center is the philanthropic hub of Mastercard and is focused on developing new partnership models and activating Mastercard assets.
During this podcast Payal shares the latest thinking in groundbreaking partnerships and highlights some of the Center’s key partnerships including with Accion to modernise and digitise financial service providers and CARE USA to support female entrepreneurs in emerging markets; she also flags a new model of partnership: private-private partnerships and cites two examples of private-private partnerships with the garment and FMCG sectors. Links to more information about these partnerships can be found below. She also talks about the role partnerships play in delivering the SDGs.
This podcast is also really useful if you are newly exploring the potential of business to deliver social or environmental good. Payal takes us on a succinct journey through the evolution of this agenda. From businesses simply giving away money to local charities forty years ago through to the latest thinking about shared growth and commercially sustainable social impact.
And finally hear Payal’s career advice. She is someone who has successfully moved across sectors, from NGO, to political, to multinational business. Two words – “Be flexible.” I hope you enjoy this podcast as much as I do.
Meet Siamak Sam Loni – a man on a mission to deliver the UN Sustainable Development Goals through the power of young people and their global expertise.
Sam is part of The Sustainable Development Solutions Network (the SDSN) and founder of their Youth programme.
Sam shares how he and the SDSN are championing and supporting young people’s innovations tackling some of the world’s toughest challenges. Providing insight into how you too could get involved with their Youth Solutions Program.
During this podcast Sam shares his second aim: to transform learning environments globally and make schools the hubs of education and leadership on the SDGs through the SDSN Global Schools Program.
“If we want to tackle some of the greatest challenges of our time, we need our citizens around the world to have the knowledge, skills and values that are consistent with sustainability.” Explains Sam.
This revealing conversation delves into Sam’s first-hand insight into what great leadership looks like; thanks to the time he has spent with Greta Thunberg, the Pope and Ban Ki-Moon. As well his argument for the organisation of the UN and the importance of business in reaching global sustainability.
The SDSN Youth Solutions Program: http://youthsolutions.report The SDSN Global Schools Program: https://www.globalschoolsprogram.org
Katie Hyson, Director of Thought Leadership at Business Fights Poverty, interviews Natalia Pshenichnaya, Head of GSMA’s AgriTech programme.
It’s tough enough to keep up with mobile technology innovations in developed markets, where there are multi-million-pound marketing budgets to promote them. Listen to this podcast to learn about the cutting-edge mobile technology developments taking place in emerging markets. Technology that is not only providing connectivity but is lifting people out of poverty and saving lives.
Natalia Pshenichnaya from the mobile industry association - GSMA takes us on a whistle stop tour of the innovations in mobile agricultural technology.
Hear how: • Mobile operator Telenor in Pakistan is helping 8.5 M farming customers with access to agricultural advice in their local language via voice messages and a dial in agri show; • The newest innovations in big data are enabling weather tracking in emerging areas; • And how the latest payment models are creating access to irrigation in rural Africa.
Natalia stresses that for her the guiding principles are about taking action on things you care about and how climate change is the biggest factor we must all act on. She says: “If we don't address the climate crisis all other things we are doing to try to help the poor will be short lived and wasted.” Calling on us all to ask ourselves: “How can I integrate environmental thinking into the work I am doing?”
This podcast takes us to the edges of trends, opportunities and innovations in the mobile technology agri space. Listen now to find out more.
Further links mentioned in this podcast include:
GSMA CleanTech programme: https://www.gsma.com/mobilefordevelopment/cleantech/
GSMA Innovation Fund for the digitisation of Agricultural Value Chains: https://www.gsma.com/mobilefordevelopment/agritech/innovation-fund/
Yvon Chouinard’s Let my people go surfing: https://eu.patagonia.com/gb/en/product/let-my-people-go-surfing-revised-paperback-book/BK067.html
Katie Hyson, Director of Thought Leadership at Business Fights Poverty interviews Hilary Cottam.
From a Guerrilla army in Ethiopia to leading welfare social entrepreneur – Hilary Cottam joins our podcast to share her wisdom. Hilary’s career may be varied, but her understanding of the welfare reform challenge is far-reaching. During this podcast Hilary explains the problems facing modern society and the mounting challenges of reducing poverty. An estimated 14.2 million people live in poverty in the UK today, and this number is growing. Hilary shares the ugly truth that these large numbers include many people in work within the private sector. Hilary calls on us, through this podcast and her new book: Radical Help, to re-examine poverty. Understanding that having a job should mean that you aren’t in a financial crisis. Hilary challenges us that government and the public sector alone cannot solve these problems, that fixing blunt welfare instruments designed in the 1950s simply won’t work. Instead says Hilary, we all need to be part of the solution. She’s on the hunt for people with big ideas and new industrialists to re-think welfare and the future of work: “We need to join up social action, bringing thinking and action together in new ways.”
If you would like to know more or get in touch with Hilary, you can do so through her website: http://www.hilarycottam.com or contact Hilary on twitter: @hilarycottam
Katie Hyson, Director of Thought Leadership at Business Fights Poverty interviews Ravinol Chambers, Founder, Producer and Director at Be Inspired Films.
Have you ever considered setting up a social enterprise or pondered how to deliver really impactful communications? If the answer is yes, then this podcast is for you. Ravinol Chambers, Founder of the B Corp, Be Inspired Films, takes listeners on his journey from aspirational stockbroker, to monk, to award-winning filmmaker and social entrepreneur; whilst arguably providing 25 minutes of free coaching. This succinct podcast is packed full of helpful tips and provides insight from someone who walks the walk as well as talks the talk. Ravinol explains that to be a successful social entrepreneur he must create excellent work above all else, learn to track the numbers and go all in. Whilst he requires a hero, clarity of purpose and a keen BS sensor to make great films! During our conversation, Ravinol also reveals details about his newest and most exciting project to date: His first feature-length documentary – Road to Vrindavan. The film explores the challenges girls in India face fulfilling their potential and the importance of engaging men as allies to help make a difference. If you feel inspired to support the documentary, check out the crowdfunding campaign and help bring the film to the world - http://bit.ly/roadtovrindavan. To enquire about hosting a private screening, partnership opportunities or anything else, you can contact Ravinol on ravinol@beinspiredfilms.com / 0208 123 1183 Listen to learn more about the film and to hear Ravinol’s advice on running a business with a purpose beyond profit and how to create great films for social impact.
Katie Hyson, Director of Thought Leadership at Business Fights Poverty, interviews Naureen Hyat, Co-Founder and Business Head at Tez Financial Services and Visa Everywhere Initiative: Fintech Challenge Winner.
During this week’s Spotlight interview podcast, we speak with Naureen Hyat. Naureen is a serial entrepreneur ranked on the Women in FinTech Powerlist 2017.
She is co-founder of Tez Financial Services – the first fully digital financial institution in Pakistan, providing frictionless financial access to the unbanked and underbanked. She has been an Assessor of the SMART Campaign – with the aim to accelerate financial inclusion. She is also a Pakistan Credit Rating Agency alumnus.
During our conversation with Naureen she explains how technology can provide the missing pieces to the financial inclusion business case by speeding up access, creating efficiencies and reducing risk. However, says Naureen, the challenge is that the formal sector so often isn’t ready to adopt technological innovations, either due to their legacy mindsets or lower prioritisation in the budget ladder.
Listen to Naureen’s top three trends she foresees revolutionising the future of inclusive finance: Artificial Intelligence and robotics for acquisition, growth and risk reduction; Sharing Economy with partnerships driving the new business model and Blockchain for more customer centric use cases. Naureen is a young woman on a mission, to make finance inclusive and accessible to all. As she explains, “It’s empowering.” She believes in the importance of purpose-centricity – businesses with purpose at their heart, but isn’t convinced many she sees are really moving beyond customer acquisition.
And how does she run her own businesses and be successful? “Stay focused and stay strong. Be flexible enough to pivot when the need arises.”
“Be the change you want to see in the world” Mahatma Gandhi
This podcast marks the 150th birthday of Mahatma Gandhi. On this day, 2nd October 2019, India will begin a nationwide ban of single use plastic.
Prathyusha Parakala, Hydrabad millennial, radio DJ and climate ambassador, joins us to share her first-hand experiences – about the wave of social and environmental actions sweeping across India.
To provide some background: in 2014 India became the first nation to make it mandatory for all companies with a net worth over US $70 million to spend a minimum of two percent of their average three year net profits on CSR. This sits alongside the ‘extended producer responsibility’ or EPR – where sellers of plastic and e-waste have a responsibility for collecting and recycling it. Both of these laws have since been tightened, with fines and possible imprisonment for non-compliance with the former and tighter monitoring and targets for the latter.
During this interview Prathyusha explains why she cares about environmental impact and how her Antarctic expedition has set her on a journey to do everything she can to tackle climate change. And as the founder of the social impact trust Praana, which means Life, Prathyusha explores, during this podcast, how business and civil society are taking action and where this is being driven grassroots up.
As Prathyusha says: We should never under estimate the power of like-minds coming together to tackle problems.
To find out more, Prathyusha can be found on twitter and instragram using the handle: @PrathyushaCFA18
Katie Hyson, Director of Thought Leadership at Business Fights Poverty interviews Hannah Green, Director of Corporate Responsibility at GSK.
During this podcast Hannah explores the importance of business purpose to GSK. Why it helps to bring the business together, drive strategy and create focus. And also, why ensuring authenticity behind business purpose is essential. Hannah examines the importance of GSK’s own business purpose: to help people do more, feel better, live longer and how Emma Walmsley, GSK’s CEO, set the tone from the top.
During our conversation with Hannah, she unpacks why it is possible for big business to do more than deliver shareholder returns. A case example: the potential for huge social impact with GSK’s new malaria vaccine and the knock-on effects this is having to GSK’s commercial business.
Listen to this podcast to hear Hannah’s personal journey and her thoughts on the opportunities to create societal impact by working within big business. Click on the link below to find out more about the Business Fights Poverty Challenge exploring: How can we embed purpose authentically into business?
https://businessfightspoverty.org/articles/challenges/how-can-we-embed-purpose-authentically-into-business/
Katie Hyson, Director of Thought Leadership at Business Fights Poverty, interviews Joan Bohan, Executive Director Finance - Retail (France, Benelux & French Speaking Africa) and Founder of Dysnie Intrapreneur Venture at The Walt Disney Company.
This week, Katie Hyson, Business Fights Poverty’s Director of Thought Leadership talks with Joan Bohan. During this podcast you’ll hear Joan explain how she can be both Executive Finance Director and the founder of Dysnie Intrapreneur Venture at The Walt Disney Company.
The conversation explores how a purpose led company, one inspirational senior leader talk and an intrapreneur challenge competition unlocked Joan’s nascent power to innovate and launch an entire new business proposition for the company.
Products and services designed specifically for the 10% of our global population with dyslexia is Joan’s target. During this podcast Joan explains the missed opportunity – why current popular media materials for children and young people are missing those with hidden differences and disabilities. Joan wants to change that.
Joan shares that designing dyslexia inclusive e-books and magazines are just her first step. She would like to hear from anyone who is interested in understanding better how to support those with dyslexia through their organisations. From inclusive recruitment and in role support to wider development of products and services for those with dyslexia - the business opportunities are great, the social impacts, enormous.
Katie Hyson, Director of Thought Leadership at Business Fights Poverty, interviews Hamzah Sarwar, Global Insight Lead at RB Health.
If you are innovating propositions from within business to create social and commercial value – this podcast is for you. If you are trying to scale the success intrapreneurs have across your organisation – this podcast is for you.
Meet Hamzah Sarwar. By day he is Global Insight Lead for RB looking at infant nutrition. By night he is driving social innovation across the business. RB is well positioned to deliver large socially positive impact, being a leading consumer health, hygiene and home company, owning brands such as: Clearasil, Dettol, Durex and Nurofen. And so far, Hamzah has instigated the launching of a wave of purpose-led initiatives.
During this podcast you’ll hear Hamzah explain how businesses can create the systems for intrapreneur success, unlocking the potential of societal and commercial propositions.
Hamzah highlights four key areas that intrapreneurship at a system level can do: turn people into burning advocates of your business purpose; em-powers people to own their decision making; initiatives pipelines of innovation from all corners of a business; and develops people’s talent, maximising their potential. For more information check out the Intrapreneur Systems research which Hamzah references during the podcast. The research forms part of the Inclusive Business Boost knowledge sharing activities series funded by the UK Department for International Development
From advice on developing intrapreneurship systemically across a business to insight into individual intrapreneur success. Listen to the podcast to learn from Hamzah’s experience and why: speaking the language, mentorship, prioritisation and pacing yourself can help your success. As well as his professional insight into future trends which we should all be thinking about.
This Spotlight interview is a must for all embedding societal impact into business innovations: practical, actionable, insightful.
Intrapreneur research link: https://businessfightspoverty.org/articles/challenges/how-can-companies-develop-systems-that-drive-commercial-innovation-with-social-impact/
Katie Hyson, Director of Thought Leadership at Business Fights Poverty interviews Influence and Leadership Coach, Marcus Druen.
Marcus Druen, part strategic advisor, part executive coach, with experience supporting senior execs at the likes of Telefonica O2, Lidl, KPMG and Microsoft shares all through this informative podcast. Marcus is normally found deep within multi-nationals, helping senior leaders to experiment with more fluid ways of working, alternative leadership models, and capability building.
During this Spotlight Interview Marcus shares his expert and practical insight on how to influence and be influential. Listen to this podcast to understand why Marcus recommends three key actions: change the story, find more allies and vote with your feet.
Regardless of the size or shape of your organisation this podcast will be useful. It will help you to be more effective at influencing and deepen your insight into what is shaping executive decision making. If you are trying to deepen the societal impact of your business and you need your stakeholders to take action listen here.
Katie Hyson, Director of Thought Leadership at Business Fights Poverty interviews Helen McEachern, CEO, Cherie Blair Foundation.
This week our spotlight interview meets with Helen McEachern, CEO of the Cherie Blair Foundation for Women. Listen to this podcast to find out the latest developments in gender equality and what businesses can do to encourage greater women’s economic empowerment and why it’s hard to keep Cherie Blair’s attention.
With over 20 years’ experience working for international NGOs including Greenpeace, ActionAid UK and ActionAid International, Helen has increasingly focused her energy on the gender agenda.
On leading the Cherie Blair Foundation for Women, Helen says: “We’re on a mission to change the world for women – make it more equal and economically just.”
We hear Helen’s insights on important questions such as: What are men’s roles in encouraging women’s economic empowerment? How can business take action? And, what can we do when nationalistic geo-political agendas are on so many occasions moving against women’s rights?
During this interview you will hear Helen’s thoughts on the future trends affecting women’s equality.
Helen explores why the digital revolution and the access to information could be the greatest equaliser for women, but with 12% more men than women online; 200 million women currently excluded from mobile phone access; and predominantly men writing and creating the code behind decision making algorithms that drive the digital revolution there is a distinct risk to women’s economic empowerment if not tackled.
Helen reveals what it is like working with Cherie Blair – how she has to stay on her game to keep up with the former UK Prime Minister’s wife and internationally renowned human rights barrister. And why Cherie gives such good career advice.
Before wrapping with her own advice to those working on their development and impact careers: “Be open and ready to learn, try new things that aren’t necessarily in plan [and] understand what your contribution is.”
Katie Hyson, Director of Thought Leadership, interviews Henning Ringholz, Senior Executive at the Small Foundation.
Meet Henning Ringholz, Senior Executive for the Small Foundation and the focus of this week’s Business Fights Poverty Spotlight podcast. Henning and the Small Foundation are on a mission to help end extreme poverty in sub-Saharan Africa by supporting initiatives that improve the business ecosystems that proliferate income opportunities.
As part of this, Henning is one of the Core Group leading the Business Fights Poverty Challenge: ‘What can large business do to strengthen small business ecosystems in frontier markets?’
Henning’s experience in small businesses is personal – having set up and run his own companies and strategically advised others. Whilst his insight into the development space spans 15 years, including time at Cambridge, Harvard and MIT exploring innovative approaches to combat poverty through market-based means.
During this podcast conversation, Henning shares his insights about why: thinking on corporate-enterprise partnerships need to move beyond linear value chain formulas to an ecosystem approach; the requirement of complex understanding and simple actions in order to create lasting social change; before exploring how the role of donor organisations is evolving.
Henning share’s his hope that the Challenge will lead to real understanding of how large business and small businesses can work together for mutual benefit in frontier markets.
Henning’s closing words provide wise advice for those looking to make real societal changes. He explains that the ways we might make lasting change are different depending on which sector or background we come from. Before concluding that engaging deeply is a key to success: “Try to understand the world from others’ perspectives. Take time to know people on a personal level.”
For more information and to sign up to follow the Business Fights Poverty Challenge: ‘What can large business do to strengthen small business ecosystems in frontier markets?’ please follow the link:
https://businessfightspoverty.org/articles/challenges/what-can-large-businesses-do-to-strengthen-sme-ecosystems-in-frontier-markets/
Katie Hyson, Director of Thought Leadership at Business Fights Poverty, interviews Neil Gaught, Author of "Core: How a Single Organising Idea Can Change Business for Good".
This podcast with management consultant and author Neil Gaught provides insight into what it takes to deliver business purpose authentically and embed it meaningfully and consistently across business.
During our Spotlight interview, Neil explains why he was driven to write: ‘CORE, How a single organising idea can change business for good’ and the difficulties businesses find in focusing around a purpose authentically. Realising the business need for practical applications Neil then explains why he developed Single Organising Idea (SOI®) as a management tool to generate embed business purpose.
Hear from Neil, warts-and-all as he explores why slow progress is being made on the Sustainable Development Goals; the positive rays of light such as the student actions on climate change; and how staying curious can drive a career.
This Spotlight podcast is a continuation of the conversation Business Fights Poverty is having around how to embed purpose authentically into business. To find out more, and sign up to the Challenge, click here: https://businessfightspoverty.org/articles/challenges/how-can-we-embed-purpose-authentically-into-business/
Neil Gaught is former design agency founder; creative director for WPP; and RSA Fellow.
Katie Hyson, Director of Thought Leadership at Business Fights Poverty interviews Shabnam Hameed, Operations Officer - Gender at the International Finance Corporation.
During this week’s spotlight interview you will hear from one of the globe’s most experienced thought leaders in developing, implementing and evaluating workplace responses to domestic, family and sexual violence – Shabnam Hameed.
Located in Sydney, Shabnam’s journey to this difficult subject took her from artist and filmmaker to union worker and community organiser. Ten years ago, her work began to become more and more focused on gender issues. Today she is supporting the International Finance Corporation (the IFC), which is part of the World Bank. Their aim: the effective development and delivery of resources for the private sector on gender-based violence.
During this interview you will hear Shabnam’s first-hand experience, explaining why the business case for organisations to take gender-based violence seriously is strong; what the impacts can be; and how companies can take action. This is set in a background of increasing expectations from donor organisations and the ILO gender harassment convention which is due to be debated and possibly come into force –resulting in businesses being required to take action. This spotlight interview forms part of the wider Business Fights Poverty Challenge: What role can business play in tackling gender-based violence? In partnership with the IFC, Care and Anglo American. To find out more and get involved, sign up to the Challenge and login to our online written discussion here to share your own thoughts and insights.
Challenge link: https://businessfightspoverty.org/articles/challenges/what-role-can-business-play-in-tackling-gender-based-violence/
Online discussion: https://forum.businessfightspoverty.org/t/what-role-can-business-play-in-addressing-issues-around-gender-based-violence/1462
Katie Hyson, Director of Thought Leadership at Business Fights Poverty, speaks with Paul Polak, Co-Founder and CEO of Windhorse International.
Paul is perhaps the godfather of social enterprise in emerging markets. He has dedicated the past 35 years of his life as well as his money and considerable entrepreneurial talents on find lasting scalable solutions for those living on less than $2 a day.
Non-profits and businesses launched under Paul’s guidance have helped an estimated 2.2 million people. His attention to detail, focus on scale and time spent with those he is trying to serve have arguably enabled this huge impact.
During this candid interview, Paul shares with us, how his insight and approach has changed in those past 35 years, why a simple donkey cart launched a lifelong passion and how in his 80s he is more excited than ever to be seeking out business solutions to climate change for those in emerging markets.
Paul’s advice to those within business is invaluable, finding solutions to big problems is an opportunity, not a philanthropic gift. Listen in to find out more.
During this podcast – Katie Hyson, Director of Thought Leadership, talks with Anna Johnson – Business Fights Poverty’s new editor in chief. Anna, who has just turned thirty, gives her perspective on why collaboration is essential to addressing big social and environmental issues; her surprise by how much positive impact big business can deliver; and how younger people entering the workforce are looking for more engagement on business purpose, opportunities to innovate and permission to fail.
Anna joined Business Fights Poverty in the summer of 2018, after ten years in the events management industry and an Environment and Resource Management MSc in Amsterdam. Listen to this podcast to hear Anna’s advice on getting into the sustainability space and how you too can share your impact stories, ideas and challenges through the Business Fights Poverty network.
Amanda Gardiner, Vice President of Global Sustainability & Social Innovation at the world’s largest education company Pearson joins us for this week’s Spotlight interview.
During this personal and insightful podcast we get an insider’s perspective on the opportunities Amanda is seeing for Pearson and other businesses to integrate sustainability into core business. Amanda shares details as to why she is excited about growing investor interest in social and environmental issues, but frustrated by the legacy of philanthropic donations.
During our conversation Amanda gives her personal advise on balancing a core drive to make a lasting societal difference - with being a wife and mum. And her advice at the end of our conversation on how to get going in your career is invaluable: “don't always listen to all the advice you are given; take risks; and get stuck into the business.”
Amanda leads the global team at Pearson responsible for integrating social, economic, and environmental issues into business strategy and operations, with a key focus on innovating and delivering value to underserved communities. Prior to this Amanda was Pearson’s Director of Global Advocacy & Partnerships - working closely with organisations such as the UN and the World Economic Forum. She has been on the Board of the Global Partnership for Education, a programme specialist for the United Nations’ Development Program’s Business Call to Action and a consultant for UNESCO – the United Nations Educational, Scientific, & Cultural Organization.
Katie Hyson, Director of Thought Leadership at Business Fights Poverty, speaks with Zahid Torres-Rahman, Founder and CEO, Business Fights Poverty
During the podcast, Zahid explains how his time working abroad and as a specialist adviser and civil servant for the UK Government drove him to set up his first social business in 2005.
This candid interview reveals what motivates and inspires Zahid, as he takes us on a journey through his own childhood as a migrant to the UK and his feelings of disconnection – which have driven him ever since to foster connections with and between others.
Before he explains why, with his unique insight into businesses social agendas, he is optimistic about businesses standing up to advocate on social issues, why business|NGO partnerships are reaching new heights and how intrapreneurs are changing the world.
Listen to find out more, we hope you enjoy the podcast.
Katie Hyson, Director of Thought Leadership at Business Fights Poverty, speaks with Yvette Torres-Rahman, Co-Founder and CFO, Business Fights Poverty.
What does it take to leave the security of full-time employment with a big business to setting up your own social business? This week Katie Hyson, Director of Thought Leadership interviews our very own Business Fights Poverty co-founder Yvette Torres-Rahman and explores this very topic.
Born in Ibiza, Yvette met Business Fights Poverty co-founder and life partner Zahid whilst at University in Bath, UK. After eight years with multi-national pharmaceutical, GSK, as a Brand Marketeer she and Zahid took the bold life decision to set up one of the UK’s founding B’Corps – Business Fights Poverty.
Business Fights Poverty will be celebrating its 14th year in 2019, and during our interview Yvette explains why the network was set up to help support people in business who are trying to make more positive social impact and that she is convinced that the tipping point is in reach – so long as we just ask for help.
During our interview Yvette shares her top trends: Purpose, Social enterprise, and intrapreneurism, whilst elaborating on the benefits of the B’Corp movement as she and Zahid push the boundaries of creating an impact business, balancing home-life and maintaining great relationships whilst being based in Ibiza.
Katie Hyson, Director of Thought Leadership at Business Fights Poverty, speaks with Careen Abb, leader of the UN’s Positive Impact Initiative.
During this podcast, Careen explains why addressing the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and their large financing gap, requires an impact analysis implementation framework to be applied up front. Careen highlights how a holistic approach to impact analysis, i.e. understanding both positive and negative effects, across the three pillars of sustainable development (social, environmental and economic), could not only help us to collectively develop new solutions to achieve the SDGs, but also reduce the costs involved in their delivery.
With many organisations already mapping back their societal impacts to the SDGs during reporting season, Careen and her team are now creating useful tools to conduct impact analysis that can be applied ahead of programme or proposition delivery.
Developed via the UN Environmental Programme’s Finance Initiative (UNEP FI) – the Positive Impact Initiative already has signatories that include financial organisations such as: ABN-AMRO, Aviva, BNP Paribas, ING Bank, Hermes Investment Management, Societe Generale, Triodos Bank and many others. Now Careen is on a mission to engage organisations from other sectors. As she says: ‘Only by working collaboratively will the Global Goals be achieved.’
At a time when many are calling for consolidation across the impact management space, with The Impact Management Project and The Corporate Reporting Dialogue amongst others exploring the topic – Positive Impact could also be an ideal way to deliver this consolidation and provide consistency – for businesses, financiers, investors and impact specialists.
If your organisation is interested to know more about how the analysis and measurement of its positive and negative societal impacts could help deliver business and social value, then we would love to hear from you. Simply contact me directly on Katie@businessfightspoverty.org
More can be found on the Positive Impact Initiative in the link below. In addition look out for Rethinking Impact to Finance the SDGs, a new positioning paper and call to action launching at the UNEP FI Global Roundtable in Paris on 26-28 November 2018, where Careen and her team will also be launching a set of tools for holistic impact analysis including a model framework for various financial instrument and asset classes, and the accompanying Radar tool.
Useful links: UNEP FI, Positive Impact: https://www.unepfi.org/positive-impact/positive-impact/ Impact Management Project: https://impactmanagementproject.com Corporate Reporting Dialogue: https://corporatereportingdialogue.com
If you are looking for the 101 on ESG investing and the latest trends in sustainable finance – look no further than this podcast. Katie Hyson, Director of Thought Leadership at Business Fights Poverty interviews Andrew Howard, Head of Sustainable Research within the Sustainable Investment team at Schroders, the asset management company.
Andrew began his career as a mining analyst; before moving to the NGO sector, leading Global Witness’s finance campaign; after a brief stint with McKinsey as a management consultant, Andrew moved to lead Goldman Sachs’ GS SUSTAIN strategy – which sought to incorporate environmental, social and governance (ESG) factors into the company’s long term investment plans, before moving, via his own start up, to Schroders.
During the interview Andrew deftly takes listeners on a journey of what ESG investing is, why folks across the financial system are increasingly taking it seriously and updates us on the latest in financial trends.
Andrew provides insights into why financiers care about transparency, and how ESG data provides critical information into businesses’ long-term performance and strategy, before sharing the challenges of measuring societal impact. Andrew’s views on emerging social challenges, such as video game addiction highlights the challenges of creating robust societal measurements; the impacts of policy and legislation changes and how these can influence company share prices.
We hope you enjoy the podcast.
Katie Hyson, Director of Thought Leadership at Business Fights Poverty, catches up with Sue Garrard, former Unilever SVP for Sustainable Business Development and Communications. During the interview Sue explores the development and convergence of PR, employee engagement and societal impact within business; before sharing her career advice, providing insight into what motivates and inspires her.
Listen to the interview and you’ll also hear from Sue on her career journey, including moving from the public sector – she was previously the Director General, Customer Strategy, Marketing and Communications at the Department for Work and Pensions; and Non-executive Director of the Serious Organised Crime Agency - to the private sector.
During our interview Sue also explores the development and convergence of PR, employee engagement and societal impact within business; before sharing her career advice, providing insight into what motivates and inspires her.
This week Katie Hyson, Director of Thought Leadership at Business Fights Poverty interviews Sizakele Marutlulle, Founder and CEO of communications strategy company: Marutlulle +CO. Sizakele talks to us about purpose, business and social impact in Africa.
Sizekele’s experience as a brand builder, strategist and purposeful business champion has seen her rise from being the first university graduate in her South African family to corporate leader. Her CV stretches from MD of HerdBuoys McCann-Erickson, via CEO of Grey Advertising in South Africa and Head of Marketing for the bank Absa Africa to now founding and leading her own strategy consultancy.
This candid interview explores what being a black female leader means in to Sizekele. How purposeful business drives everything she does and why she has embarked on a PhD to explore society’s expectations of women to have children.
Sizekele is passionate about the integrity with which business couple’s its purpose and societal impact. She shares some of this during this interview and will be sharing more during her keynote at our Oxford conference on 18th July.
The tourism industry already accounts for 10.4% GDP and employs 313 million people; find out why Hilton is on a social and environmental mission to ensure its future. Katie Hyson, Director of Thought Leadership at Business Fights Poverty interviews Daniella Foster, Senior Director of Global Corporate Responsibility at Hilton Hotels and Resorts.
Katie Hyson, Director of Thought Leadership at Business Fights Poverty, speaks with Henriette Kolb, Head of the Gender Secretariat at the International Finance Corporation. Henriette takes listeners on a journey through the challenges of addressing gender inequality, before explaining why the IFC is focusing on balancing the roles of carers, creating access to finance for female entrepreneurs and understanding how women can get ahead in the sharing economy.
Why is gender equality so important and how can businesses, in practical terms, take action?
With insight from Henriette’s vast experience as former CEO of the Cherie Blair Foundation for Women, UN representative in the Middle East Quartet team advising Tony Blair in Jerusalem, member of the UN Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process (UNSCO) and Governance advisor with the European Commission Delegation to Tanzania, Henriette takes listeners on a journey through the challenges of addressing gender inequality, before explaining why the IFC is focusing on balancing the roles of carers, creating access to finance for female entrepreneurs and understanding how women can get ahead in the sharing economy.
Henriette’s understanding of why gender equality isn’t happening in both developing and developed regions provides practical advice on actions to take.
We also get to find out what motivates and inspires Henriette as she leads gender equality for the IFC at the World Bank.
Katie Hyson, Director of Thought Leadership at Business Fights Poverty, talks with Emeritus Professor David Grayson, CBE, about his book, “All In: Why Sustainability is the Future of Business". David shares his perspectives on business purpose, values and collaboration.
David’s experience delivering and advising on purposeful business includes being the founding CEO of the Prince's Youth Business Trust, he has served as managing-director of Business in the Community, is former chairman of one of the UK's larger social enterprises and largest eldercare providers, Housing & Care 21. David is currently chairman of the national charity Carers UK championing the role of 6.5million Britons caring for a loved one. David received an OBE for services to industry in 1994 and a CBE for services to disability in 1999.
During the interview David shares his thoughts on why business plays such a vital role in delivering societal impact, what has changed and why these are real business opportunities, quoting the late and great Peter Drucker, who in 1973 stated: “Every single social and global issue of our day, is a business opportunity in disguise.”
David also explains how the 20 years of research generated from the Globescan Sustainability Leaders survey and numerous leader interviews has shaped the new book he has co-authored with Chris Coulter and Mark Lee: The Future of Business Leadership.
David, during this interview summarises the key findings from the book, including his practical advice to business CEOs; explaining authentic business purpose, forward looking innovation, openness to partnering and willingness to stand up and be counted through advocacy are vital elements for the long term success of big business.