Impact Journey with Julia S: Recent Episodes
Julia S
Conversations with hidden heroes making big societal change.
Many of us want to make life better for others and the planet. Few people devote their life to it. Even fewer try to tackle the big systemic issues, like climate change and inequality.
In years working at the intersection of impact and strategy, Julia has been fascinated by these hidden heroes. Beyond what they’re doing, we explore how they got here, how they keep going, what they’re still learning.
Join the conversation, and inspire your own impact journey.
What did we learn in our 3-month experiment to face privilege with care?
No, we didn’t solve capitalism. We are not now doing money perfectly ethically forever. But we sure learned a lot. And phew, how our lives are already different.
Some highlights for me:
- Our three original questions: seeing clearly (what are my resources and needs?), sitting with what's hard (is this money even mine?), and moving forward (what is mine/ours to do?). All three are still alive, not “solved.”
- From “is this mine?” to “what do I do with access to this?” We moved from an anxious, binary ownership question toward practical redistribution. For example, getting out of the stock market and letting resources circulate to people and community who need them now.
- Rejecting all-or-nothing thinking. A recurring insight: people assume confronting capitalism means either full compliance or total withdrawal / go live in the woods. Instead, we already live by multiple economic logics (capitalist, communal, hierarchical) simultaneously within our relationships. We can apply this to work and money too!
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“There's more than two options here, friends.”
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Privilege named systemically, not individually. Learning to name privilege openly (rather than downplay it as personal “bravery”) and to hold it “with care and joy rather than shame and blame.” More and more, we can see our privilege as a structural condition, not a personal trait.
- “This idea of me, mine, ownership, accumulation, possession... I can be a bit closer to why some of that feels problematic.”
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“It's not good nor bad, it just is.”
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Holding shame with care. Being witnessed while sitting with painful shame (rather than being judged or someone turning away) was one of the most powerful parts of the process, enabled by a small trusted container, and coaching from our mentor Miki Kashtan.
- Ripple effects into family relationships. The together work made it possible for Elena to approach money conversations with her parents more honestly, separating assumptions and projections from what was actually true, moving toward co-holding decisions with them.
- Collective/communal investing. Inspired by guest Morgan Curtis's resource library, we both want to move from individual financial decision-making toward more collective, community-based approaches to investing and resource-sharing.
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“Even me not making a choice – like keeping things invested in a retirement fund – is absolutely still making a choice.”
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What's next. Rather than a tidy conclusion, this is an ongoing spiral: next steps include our "purpose partnership," making needs more visible, and maybe even another experiment with new and different questions.
And we're curious: What questions are still open for you? What feels new and illuminated?
As always, follow along on…
video on LinkedIn (visible if you’re connected to me or Elena)
blog on Medium: https://juliash.medium.com/
In the last episode, our mentor Miki Kashtan took us through some harsh - and needed - perspectives on privilege and how to work with it.
Now, we take a moment to process it together.
This podcast is part of a series called Confronting Complicity in Capitalism.
As Elena and I come toward the end of this phase of confronting our complicity in capitalism, there is one loop we keep getting stuck in - shame, specifically the shame of privilege. And there is one person we wanted to speak to, a mentor of ours: Miki Kashtan.
Miki is the seed founder of the Nonviolent Global Liberation (NGL) community where Elena and I met, the author of many books, and importantly she walks the talk of nonviolence - including offering her entire body of work entirely on the gift economy.
And in this conversation - the longest and most vulnerable podcast I’ve ever published - she helps me and Elena make sense of what she calls the ‘moral anguish’ of privilege, and move through it in a way that’s soft, practical, transformative.
THE IMPACT. Miki Kashtan:
- is a practical visionary pursuing a world that works for all
- applies the principles and tools of Nonviolent Communication (NVC) to social transformation
- is the seed founder of the Nonviolent Global Liberation (NGL) Community
- is the author of The Highest Common Denominator and Reweaving Our Human Fabric, and The Little Book of Courageous Living. Miki also writes at The Fearless Heart
- holds a Ph.D. in Sociology from UC Berkeley
THE JOURNEY. Some gems of wisdom that Miki takes us into:
- Judgment. We judge people relative to where we are. Anyone who is further outside the system is a radical fanatic, anyone more within the system is complicit. Anybody who recycles more is a fanatic; anybody who recycles less doesn't care about the Earth.
- Systemic shame. What is leading me to shame? Who is benefiting from my shame? The shame makes it look individual. So I had a good job, I am a problem. I have family intergenerational wealth, that is something wrong about me.
- Our place in the system. A system designed to benefit the fewer and fewer with each passing century at the larger and larger cost of the more many. I am just a cog in a system that no one knows how to stop. Understand the shame where you are positioned systemically, to see the values you hold dear that the shame is a distorted expression of.
- Means and ends. My deepest commitment is to aligning means with ends. If I treat myself poorly and do all these amazing things, the seed of non-love is there in what I do. The line of should, must, have to, shame, will not bring about a foundational shift to the system.
- Attachment. How attached people are to privilege is one of the core dilemmas of humanity, how to undo that attachment, what to replace it with that isn't done through internal or external imposition.
- From shame to grief. Shame is not gonna get us anywhere. Grief will.
- Moral anguish. This particular kind of pain, I call it moral anguish. It points to care. The more you can be with the pain, the more you're touching your care.
- Shit and bullshit jobs. That you have access to this money means that you don't have to do either shit or bullshit jobs. It's up to you what you do with your attention and energy. That is one angle of the privilege.
- Privilege and attention. No one is going to benefit from you taking on a regular full-time job. No one benefits from you suffering, from you feeling shame. From there, asking yourself : what is the most aligned pathway with where I'm situated, my sphere of influence, my skills, my strengths, my limitations?
- Modeling the change. You cannot change the systems. You're trying to model something. Rather than thinking about your privilege, think instead about what is yours to do given that you have the option to choose.
- A daily practice. Rather than looking for what is yours to do, review the day hour by hour. What felt on purpose, what was that purpose? What didn't feel on purpose, what do you wish you had done instead? Do that for a few weeks and see what you learn.
- Purpose. Some people have a very simple definition of what your purpose: that which you can't not do.
Is it my job to make sure a collaborator is financially comfortable? This week, I got a verbal smackdown about my privilege. Instead of fighting (how dare you) or giving in (fine I’ll just pay for everything), I explore with Elena our responsibility to others when we’re entangled.
In week 11 of confronting complicity in capitalism, we come upon the reality that changing how we do money is a relational practice, not just an individual one. What happens when money is unspoken? When needs are not met? When the reality changes and agreements aren’t working any more?
This week, I face tension with a collaborator about a shared project:
- Responsibility. What is my responsibility to someone I collaborate with? It’s not my job to pay their rent and make sure they’re comfortable… It’s not nothing… What’s the middle ground?
- Agreements. This thing we agreed to isn’t working any more. One phase has ended, another is beginning. What does it mean to re-shape agreements? I’m different, you’re different, let’s review.
- Openness. Not jumping to conclusions, assuming that I have to fix it all. But something isn’t working. What is possible?
- Spoken and unspoken. With money, some things we discussed. But so much is implied. What happens when needs are unmet?
- Decentering humans. What’s important to both people, AND what’s important to the space and the ecosystem?
And Elena tries to engage her parents about their shared privilege:
- Slow and tender. When we first started this project, I thought I would have regular conversations with my parents. This isn’t quick, it may not be as far along, and that’s ok. Any movement forward is all grist for the mill. If I try to move too quickly, I risk triggering people and taking steps back.
- Creating conditions. I want to disentangle… but that’s not where they are coming from. It’s on me to create conditions that don’t trigger shame and blame. How do I not get caught up when shame and blame does come up?
- Preparation and resourcing. So many of my stories are entangled with what I think they’re thinking. When I have the conversations, I want to meet them as they are. This takes a lot of prep work.
- Nonviolent communication. The root of how we approach our lives and work. Centering human needs. We can disagree about strategy… but what is the deeper need for each of us that we can’t disagree with?
- Choice. Recognizing interdependence, AND it doesn't always mean that we do everything together or need to be financially intertwined.
As always, follow along on…
- video on LinkedIn (visible if you’re connected to me or Elena)
- blog on Medium: https://juliash.medium.com/
I just hosted a post-capitalist birthday party with my neighbors. Elena just returned from a local Burning Man event.
In week 10 of confronting complicity in capitalism, both of us are in awe of the ABUNDANCE that emerges when we gather with dear ones… not just to have fun and celebrate… but to do life together, in interdependence rather than individualism / transaction / accumulation.
So it’s no surprise that our theme this week is COMMUNITY, and all the ways in which we are living and learning about joyful alternatives to capitalism, including:
- Sharing resources.
- Sharing capacity.
- The challenge of complicity.
- Seasonality.
- Lightness.
As always, follow along on…
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video on LinkedIn (visible if you’re connected to me or Elena)
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blog on Medium: https://juliash.medium.com/
This podcast is part of a new series called Confronting Complicity in Capitalism.
Our second special guest in the series helps us build the spiritual ground for this tricky work of confronting complicity in capitalism.
Erin Selover is a ‘spiritual strategist’ who connects decades of Buddhist practice and teaching with nonviolence and collective liberation. She helps me put words to why my time in meditation retreat is not just a nice thing I do to stay sane, but a core practice for slowing down enough to see grasping and suffering, and to tap into our natural possibility for creativity and collaboration.
THE IMPACT. Erin Selover:
- is a Dharma teacher with over 20 years of Buddhist practice and teaching, including at Spirit Rock Meditation Center in Northern California
- works with individuals as a spiritual strategist
- has studied and experimented with Miki Kashtan and the Nonviolent Global Liberation community
- as a white settler of Irish descent on indigenous lands, is in deep inquiry about the way power and privilege function within modern societies, and the complex history of her Irish ancestors
- co-stewards a meditation community integrating the Celtic Wheel of the year and Buddhism within needs-based gift economics and distributive governance systems
- is a Licenced Marriage and Family Therapist with training in Somatic Experiencing and Dialectical Behavioral Therapy
THE JOURNEY. In this conversation, we cover:
From domination to collaboration. “ I get competitive when my needs aren't met. But when my needs are met, I'm not competitive. When my needs are met, I'm generous, and that's what I see with the thousands of people that I've worked with over the years. When our needs are met, we're generous, we're creative, we're collaborative.”
Slow down, wake up. ”When we slow down, our natural awake heart, unfolds and reveals all these tendencies. It just reveals it to us. We don't have to actually effort. In a way. It's like just slowing down and being in nature and eating food slowly. It shows us, oh, I'm being urgent in this particular way, or I'm actually judging myself so hard, or some of this action is driven by my own unworthiness.”
From the individual to the systemic. “What are the systems that we live in that have reinforced this judgment? What are you struggling with that isn't actually personal? But it's collective. What's the context that we live in that in part inform this? And can you direct that energy, that anger that you're feeling at yourself, can you direct that energy at the system?”
Gift economics. ”I live as much in gift as I can. Drawing on a deep trust in life that if I continue to give in this way, I'll be able to bear whatever the consequences are of the choices that I make with dignity, with an open heart, with care, for myself and others.”
What is ‘work’? Is it the thing that gives me money? Or the thing I spend time and energy on? And what if those two were … separate?
In week 8 of Confronting Complicity in Capitalism, Elena and I unpack and repack ‘work.’
It turns out there are MANY ways to do ‘work.’
For anyone aware of ‘relationship anarchy,’ this may sound familiar. Just like there are more ways to have a relationship than “traditional marriage with house and kids and everything with one partner,” there are more ways to work than “job description with fixed hours and a salary.”
In fact, it’s a whole smorgasbord of choices!
And they don’t just apply to me as an individual.
We are coming up with our own model of a “purpose partnership.” Not a startup or business venture, not just project collaborators, not friends helping each other out. But with new-to-me interdependence – shared risk, mutual exchange and development, co-creation, making decisions together, a deep commitment. With money and way beyond money.
We are curious what comes up for you as you unpack and re-pack this idea of ‘work’:
Could ‘relationship anarchy’ apply to work?
Could we uncouple what is considered ‘work’?
How could we put it back together in new creative ways?
Resources on topics mentioned:
On Miki Kashtan and NGL
On relationship anarchy: manifesto, smorgasbord, history
As always, follow along on…
- video on LinkedIn (visible if you’re connected to me or Elena)
- blog on Medium: https://juliash.medium.com/
“I made my bed… Do I need to lie in it? Or can I make a different bed?”
In Week 6 of our inquiry to confront complicity in capitalism, we explore CHOICE, especially the places in work and money where it feels like the choice is all-or-nothing: full financial independence not relying on anyone, or complete merging of finances; everything separate or everything in common.
We refuse to believe that… and try to find our way into the middle ground.
This week, we dive into the choice and middle ground in:
- How we work. Beyond “entirely dependent employee” or “fully independent freelancer.”
- How we do money. Playfully choosing what ways we interlink our finances, money, resources, needs.
- Beyond the project. It’s easier when there’s a project and budget and start/stop. What about in between projects?
- Opening possibilities that weren’t there. For example, applying for one job as two people.
- Material limitations. Not all options are always on the table.
- Choice in relationship. What if others aren’t in the same relationship to choice, and see it as more fixed.
We’re curious:
Where do you get caught in ‘all-or-nothing’ ?
How did you break out of it?
What beds have you made that can be made differently?
This is part of a new series called Confronting Complicity in Capitalism. This special series is a season of experiment to really look at money and privilege with care & joy rather than shame & blame.
As always, follow along on…
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video on LinkedIn (visible if you’re connected to me or Elena
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blog on Medium: https://juliash.medium.com
“When I accumulate, resources don’t flow.”
In Week 5 of our inquiry to confront complicity in capitalism, we reconnect to FLOW – how this inquiry flows beneath the surface even when life happens, how we are complicit in not flowing resources where we really want, how we can be choice-ful in how we live and work and spend.
This week, we dive into:
- Life happens. This conscious inquiry in the forefront … AND seeping in the background.
- The point is flow … YET accumulation is the opposite of flow.
- Privilege in capitalism. We are still complicit … WHILE we’re trying to create something new.
- The full range of options. Nurturing a multiplicity of alternatives… NOT just one logic: where to be in gift economy, in conscious exchange, in mutual aid, in other ways we don’t even know yet.
- How to be in this system … WHILE weakening capitalism from the inside out. Is that even possible?
We’re curious: How are you flowing resources in your world to subvert harmful systems?
This is part of a new series called Confronting Complicity in Capitalism. This special series is a season of experiment to really look at money and privilege with care & joy rather than shame & blame.
As always, follow along on:
- video on LinkedIn (visible if you’re connected to me or Elena)
- audio in the Impact Journey podcast: https://creators.spotify.com/pod/profile/impact-journey
- blog on Medium: https://juliash.medium.com/
Could I ever give away everything I’ve earned or inherited? What leads someone to make that choice?
In week 3 of Confronting Complicity in Capitalism, we take in the wisdom of someone who’s been doing this work — for herself, with her family, with others with privilege — much longer: Morgan Curtis at Solidaire Network.
I interviewed Morgan on this podcast, where she shares what led her to question the origins and impact of her family’s wealth, and to ultimately to give away all of her financial inheritance (before the birth of her first child, no less!).
As we listen to Morgan’s insights, Elena and I may not end up at the same conclusions, but are certainly challenged to dive into tough questions for ourselves:
- What does it mean to question whether ‘my’ money is ‘mine’?
- How have I fallen prey to capitalist conditioning to replace relationships with transactions?
- What would it take to ‘invest’ in a safety net that’s NOT based on accumulating money?
This is part of a new series called Confronting Complicity in Capitalism. This special series is a season of experiment to really look at money and privilege with care & joy rather than shame & blame.
Follow along…
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video on LinkedIn (visible if you’re connected to me or Elena): https://www.linkedin.com/posts/ugcPost-7445803475755499520-zQnc
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blog on Medium: https://medium.com/@juliash
This podcast is part of a new series called Confronting Complicity in Capitalism.
I cannot think of a better first special guest on this series as we confront our privilege: Morgan Curtis, who supports people with wealth and class privilege toward redistribution and repair, starting with herself.
THE IMPACT. Morgan Curtis:
- Supports people with wealth and class privilege toward redistribution, atonement, and repair.
- Does this herself: redistributing 100% of her inherited wealth to Black- and Indigenous-led movements and land projects, and 50% of her coaching income.
- And supports others: as a facilitator, money coach, organizer and ritualist, both with individuals and with collectives like Solidaire Network and Resource Generation.
- Lives in a multi-racial, cross-class, intergenerational intentional community: Canticle Farm.
- Holds a Masters in Theological Studies from Harvard Divinity School, where she focused on the spiritual dimension of reparations work for white descendants of colonizers and enslavers.
Mentioned resources:
- Article by Iris Brilliant: How to create safety and security without accumulating wealth
- The NPR podcast with Morgan challenging her dad and generations of inherited family wealth.
- The spectrum of allies.
- Morgan’s extensive resource library on ancestors, money and redistribution.
THE JOURNEY. In our conversation, highlights that stand out from Morgan:
- Seeing complicity. "Capitalism: both my grandfathers worked on Wall Street. White supremacy: no one has ever taught me about race, but I'm coming to see that I am white. Colonialism: that's those creepy ancestors on the wall. I see that the pain I felt from what was happening on our planet this time couldn't be separated from the family history that I was born into, and the choices my ancestors made to extract so much from people and the planet."
- Capitalism and privilege. "What capitalism conditions us to do, those of us that have privilege, access, wealth, is to replace relationships with transactions. This vicious cycle: we need help, we turn to money. We use money to buy a good or a service that we think is gonna help us meet our needs, then it doesn't. And we feel alone again. And we think we need more money to get a different strategy to meet that need. We are stuck thinking that we need more. The way our bodies know, our ancestors know, is that we meet needs through relationship with one another, with the earth, with place, with ancestors, with intergenerational community.”
- On finding her role. “People started finding me and whispering in the hallway ‘I secretly have a trust fund and I've never told anybody; can we talk?’ This might be the thing that I do: walk with, accompany, love the people that find themselves in this tension between the resources they inherited and the values they now hold."
- On accumulation and extraction. "Part of our responsibility is to [see that] no story of accumulation can be disentangled from a story of extraction. We live on a zero sum earth. When we have more than we need, others have less than they need."
- Not needing to convince everyone. "The only strategic move is to work with your passive allies to get them to take action. Your opposition: bless them. May they change, may they see something different, if that's their path. For me, that was such a relief. My role is to support the people who feel disempowered, overwhelmed, confused, alone, but already have a longing within them to step onto this path."
- Parenting. "I could choose. Am I gonna accumulate money, save money to buy all the stuff and care and education that my children need? Or can I lean into strengthening the ties of community? I feel clear that's my path. And it definitely still involves money.”
- Who decides. “ Wait, am I really the right one to figure out how to change this world? I came out of the system that produced this mess. I can't ever really take it off, as much as I try to unlearn and learn.”
Confronting Complicity in Capitalism, Week 2: Stories We Tell
Week 2 of our experiment – and this week, we are physically in the same place!
Which means… lots of rich inquiry into the stories that have been keeping us stuck in traditional patterns of money and privilege.
We notice how many of our stories are false binaries:
- Spending less is better … yet accumulation is problematic
- Accumulation gives me safety and security … yet it means money doesn’t flow where it’s needed
- I’m only “legitimate” if I do paid work with a title and salary … or I reject it completely and stand alone
- I’m either dependent on others (and thus not in choice) … or independent (and thus separate)
- I’m either an “enslaved employee” … or an “entitled spoiled brat”
Follow along on video (LinkedIn) or audio (this podcast) and blog (medium).
As you listen, we’d love to hear:
What stories or binaries do you hold?
What did you learn - or unlearn - about legitimacy?
This is part of a new series called Confronting Complicity in Capitalism. This special series is a season of experiment to really look at money and privilege with care & joy rather than shame & blame.
Our experiment has begun, and our first step is seeing clearly the privilege that makes our lives possible.
We start by taking honest inventory of what we have and where it comes from — diving into financial history, talking to family members. Without looking away. Without getting lost in shame or guilt. Naming what’s uncomfortable.
We recorded our conversation, and are sharing it here and video on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/posts/activity-7442988454805827584-FtCe
Some big themes start to emerge:
- Accumulation and having more than I need
- Reconnecting to family history
- Security and the fear of losing it
- What is my money doing when I don’t see it
As we keep this conversation going, we wonder:
What comes up for you? What can you relate to?
This podcast is part of a new series called Confronting Complicity in Capitalism.
This special series is a season of experiment to really look at money and privilege with care & joy rather than shame & blame.
On this first episode, I will share what this series is, and why it feels relevant now.
In future episodes, you’ll hear me and my colleague Elena working through this week by week.
And I’ll be inviting special guests to help us make sense of it all.
We’ll also be sharing video on LinkedIn and written notes on Medium
In the latest episode of The Money Reckoning series, I speak with a next-gen wealth holder about the uncomfortable journey of questioning privilege and purpose.
THE IMPACT. Patrick Knodel:
- Is the founder of impact investing fund Innovation for Impact
- Is the CEO of the philanthropic Chancemaker Foundation
THE JOURNEY. In our conversation, we explore:
- Working for purpose and not for money. "I want to feel useful for the world, not just for myself. Let's be honest, in the current system, the best paid jobs are the ones that ruin the world. That's a systemic problem at the moment."
- Next gen wealth. "The baseline is always how can you keep the wealth in your family over generations? That's the bottom line. The standard is: can we accumulate and keep it? There's not even a question whether that's a good thing to do. That's just a given."
- "I only have one life. There is an exchange between time and additional accumulation of money. "
- The inner fight. "How much do I wanna accumulate, to provide a safety net for my own family. And to what extent do I just wanna spend my time working so that it doesn't happen."
- Planning for the future. "You can have all those scenarios, own property and land in different parts of the world that you can reach anytime. And that's what rich people do. Do I want to be like that? No. Let's work really hard toward community and togetherness, so this doesn't happen."
- Wealth redistribution. "Climate change, biodiversity loss. You go to the root cause then you have to talk about wealth and about wealth distribution, and nobody who really looks at the world from an outside perspective without taking his own privileged position can deny that the accumulation of wealth is the main root cause of all our problems."
This podcast is part of the Money Reckoning series.
THE IMPACT. Kazu Haga:
- Is a trainer, educator, student and practitioner with over 25 years of experience in nonviolence and restorative justice.
- Weaves in lessons from decades of Buddhist practice and trauma healing work to advance social change and collective healing.
- Is a core member of the Fierce Vulnerability Network, a founding member of the Ahimsa Collective, a Jam facilitator and author of the books Healing Resistance and Fierce Vulnerability.
- Teaches nonviolence, conflict reconciliation, restorative justice, organizing and mindfulness in prisons and jails, schools, faith communities and activist movements.
- Has worked on the gift economy for over 15 years. I particularly recommend his Substack, and the article about how the “gift economy is not free.”
THE JOURNEY. In our conversation, we explore:
Early influences
”Depending on the causes and conditions in our lives, we could be so many different people. We could be Trump supporters, we could be prison guards, we could be an incarcerated person… just based on just the factors in our lives.“
Big questions
“The point isn't to figure it out. The point is to just be with the question, and have faith that at some point, if we listen deep enough, we'll be guided to the most skillful next step. And that's perhaps all we need to know.”
The healing work of nonviolence
“ What would happen if, in a nonviolent direct action, instead of yelling and chanting, we held a public grief ritual for everyone to witness? What would happen if, instead of leading with our anger, we led with our heartbreak?”
Fierce vulnerability
“Can we have the spiritual maturity and the capacity to really see the world for what it is and to not collapse under the weight of it?”
“The amount of spiritual energy that it takes to constantly suppress a deeper truth that I think all of us are feeling that something is so deeply wrong with our society … it is sapping us. You see the impact, the mental health epidemics, the depression, the sense of isolation. We're constantly using our energy to, to live in this delusion of everything's fine. Don't look, don't look.”
Spaces safe enough to look at the reality of this moment
“ In a lot of the spaces that I facilitate, we do this activity where we do like check-ins and the first prompt is, how are you doing? And then the second prompt is, how are you really doing? And then the third prompt is, how are you really, really doing? We so rarely have an opportunity to slow down enough, just to say, how am I actually doing, in the midst of post pandemic and war and genocide and polarization and the rise of authoritarianism, and ecological collapse?”
Reckoning with capitalism
”People are slowly realizing more and more how unsustainable the capitalist system is. Those are scary moments. Because capitalism is all we've ever known. A lot of us believe that if capitalism fails, there'll be complete lawlessness. So just to create space for people to be with that fear, let them know that the fear is real, it's legitimate. And at some point I think there'll be openness to hear that there are other ways that we can organize society.”
The gift economy
“The gift economy is one way to really imagine: how do we share resources, distribute resources, manage our shared resources in a way that understands that we are a communal species. It's not through individualism and competition and hoarding that we thrive. We are at our best when we are communal.”
“It’s not about how do I make more money so that I can thrive, but how do I make less money so that I have time to invest in the relationships that will really help me thrive?”
Running an organization on the gift economy
“ I started a nonprofit. We barely did any fundraising. We barely worked with foundations and somehow managed to become sustainable. Partly because we're committed to simple living. But so many things happened that gave me a sense this could work.”
I have been writing The Money Reckoning blog, untangling money at work, following a groundbreaking team change how they pay themselves.
I didn’t expect that I’d be tested.
I was recently asked to “value my time.”
I've been questioning transactional vs gift nonviolent approaches.
Before, I would have responded with a rate.
Now, here’s a chance to actually try something different. But what, and how?
So I turned to a mentor, Roni Wiener, a brilliant nonviolent facilitator, who is walking the talk – moving from highly-paid consulting to offering their work as a gift – and sustaining much of their life through gifts.
I was fascinated – how would that even work?
So I asked Roni for a call, and we recorded our conversation.
Follow The Money Reckoning blog series.
Watch the video interview with Roni here.
THE IMPACT. Roni Wiener teaches groups to make decisions that care for everyone, on transforming collaboration and in partnership with nonviolence organizations like NGL.
THE JOURNEY. Roni has moved from highly-paid consulting in the traditional capitalist model to offering their work as a gift – and sustaining their life with gifts.
Here are the lessons I learned from Roni about the critical steps toward working in a gift economy:
We’re not in a gift economy – but we might be preparing
“We cannot actually operate in a gift economy, it is not possible for us to have enough access to gifts to meet needs.”
In an exchange culture, money is needed, but money is not a need
“Technically, money is not a need. What I really need is food and housing. You could gift me food to care for me. Sadly, our culture is not set up that way.”
Knowing my audience: where and who matters
“Sometimes it just doesn't make sense. At the local grocery store, I'm not going to start a conversation with them about: are you willing to gift me the groceries?”
Before talking to a client, I need to talk to myself
“It really helps to have that clarity, because the conversation might already be uncomfortable because we're talking about money, or because we're talking about quite a change from the mainstream.”
Getting to numbers – knowing my limits
“Am I willing to receive zero? Is that an option? Hold clear limits. Otherwise, you may appear open to receiving nothing – that leads to friction and conflict.”
Getting to numbers – not my value, but my needs
“I'm not interested in ‘how much is my time worth’? I'm interested in ‘what would be sustainable for me to be able to offer this time as a gift to you?’”
Getting to numbers – not yes or no, but getting creative
“With one organization, their financial situation fluctuates. This didn’t come from me, they proposed it: what if we just look at the end of every month, and we just send you what we have left? Let's try it and see. I don't even know how much money that's gonna be. It was a complete mystery.”
Getting to numbers – my tolerance for risk
“ These are real consequences if we are not able to pay for things we have committed to paying, like housing. Really think through and not overstretch.”
Find the right amount of stretch
“If you try to do too much too fast, and you end up not receiving enough money, you may get discouraged with the whole thing. And then you just stop trying.”
De-linking giving and receiving
“In a true gift economy, there is no link between gifting and receiving. I would gift you something, and receive from somewhere, not from you. That's not possible yet. I'm working to make that link less strong.”
Connecting to my privilege and class status
“Privilege in some ways makes it easier to have these experiments, because you have financial resources to lean on. And in some ways it's harder, because you're so used to leaning on money as a solution to all problems.”
This shift is a lifelong project
“ It's a big transition. This touches so many things: scarcity thinking; getting reconnected with generosity, with trust in life; increasing our risk tolerance; engaging with our addiction to comfort.”
THE IMPACT. Elspeth Jones:
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- Is a non-profit leader, advisor and coach at the intersection of law, leadership and environmental and social impact.
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- Was born and grew up Wales, is a Welsh speaker, and now lives in Wales with her family, where she enjoys going on adventures and exploring the outdoors.
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- Initially practiced as a barrister in London and in law firms in Ghana, Hong Kong and Shanghai.
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- Most recently, was Deputy CEO at the environmental law NGO, ClientEarth, using the power of the law to drive systemic change.
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- Was Executive Director of the climate change and sustainable development charity Size of Wales.
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- Was a trustee for the Sumatran Orangutan Society, and is currently a trustee at the Esmee Fairbarn Foundation.
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- Now has her own advisory called Wild Counsel, where she supports those working at the critical intersection of law and environmental and social change with thought partnership
THE JOURNEY. In our conversation, we explore:
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- The evolution of what the law is for: From traditional commercial law to using law for environmental impact, from focus on clients' interests to representing the planet and ecosystems.
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- Organizational growth and leadership: The challenges of scaling a nonprofit like Client Earth, balancing freedom and creativity with coordination, governance, and risk management, and the leadership challenges in guiding a growing team of lawyers.
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- The complexities of measuring impact: How to assess success in systemic change when outcomes are often indirect or long-term, and the challenge of defining impact in a field where wins are not always immediately visible.
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- Lessons from failure and loss: How losing cases can still drive progress by sparking critical conversations and shifting mindsets around the law and environmental responsibility.
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- The mycelium in her new role: The importance of creating resilient networks and support structures within the legal and nonprofit ecosystems, and exploring the role of coaching, mentoring, and peer learning to amplify collective impact.
I recently completed a 3-day training with Al Gore’s Climate Reality Project, where 1000 people came together to train and mobilize toward a net zero future. I didn’t quite know what to expect, but two things stand out: 1) being faced with all the facts is intense and overwhelming, there’s no shortage of data on the challenges or on the solutions; 2) to process the intense overwhelm, we need spaces and tools to make sense of the pain and the possibility. So I was thankful that the project leaders put me in touch with Liliane, a climate-aware consultant and trauma-informed facilitator.
THE IMPACT. Liliane Mavridara:
-is a Climate Reality Leader, a Climate Cafe Facilitators trainer with CPA-NA, a Climate For Health Ambassador
-synthesizes an eclectic cultural, educational and interdisciplinary background with hands-on professional expertise in transpersonal psychology, personal and spiritual development, women’s empowerment, mind-body health, and planetary health
-consults and educates on the impact of the climate emergency on community holistic health and wellbeing, and leads peer support circles that nurture relational and social capacity for sense making and purposeful co-transformation of our complex polycrisis
THE JOURNEY. In our conversation, we explore:
-Climate overwhelm: "We don’t have a solution problem; we have a nervous system coregulation challenge"
-Community connection: "Connecting back to our cultural roots, creating spaces where people can come together, is the most healing thing we can offer as a service to humanity"
-Reconnecting to what matters: "We don't want to live on a miserable planet. We are here to enjoy life, our environment, our friends, our families."
I’ve noticed that activism is having a moment in places I was not used to seeing it - inside companies. Back in my corporate days, I kept your head down and did my activism at home. Serial rebel Tessa Wernink has been shaking things up since co-founding Fairphone. I met her in her new role at The Undercover Activist. We get deep into employee activism: the dissonance about staying in a job and staying true to values, the role of power, and activism as a spiritual practice.
THE IMPACT. Tessa Wernink:
-leads The Undercover Activist, an education and research platform that coaches and emboldens young professionals to take constructive action to change their organisations from within
-was part of the founding team of Fairphone, turning a campaign for fairer electronics into an impact-driven business model
-is co-founder and host of the podcast series, What If We Get It Right?
-studied English Literature and International Development, Journalism, Deep Democracy, Non-Violent Resistance and Communications
-grew up in Hong Kong, and now lives in Amsterdam with her partner and their three boys
THE JOURNEY. In our conversation, we explore:
-Tessa’s international upbringing: “there is more than one truth”
-Starting Fairphone: a rebel questioning systems
-Roots of The Undercover Activist: action research, a learning hub
-Befriending conflict: “resistance is the energy, not the enemy”
-The dissonance: “Should I stay in this job and try to kind of be that person I want to be”
-A learning journey: knowing our rights, safe spaces to be uncomfortable, making it personal
-Activism and power: the “power shadow” of leaders, “do we need power to have influence?”
-Activism as a spiritual practice: “how we get there is where we’ll arrive”
What do you get when you cross a bestselling novelist with a masters in regenerative economics and a healthy dose of shamanic practice? This fascinating conversation with the brilliant Manda Scott, creator of Accidental Gods and the Thrutopia Masterclass.
THE IMPACT. Manda Scott:
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Has been, variously, a veterinary surgeon, veterinary anaesthetist, acupuncturist (people and animals), crime writer, columnist, blogger, economist, and author
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Teaches shamanic dreaming, creative writing and concept-based dog training
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Is the bestselling author of many books, including the Boudica series, and most recently of the upcoming thrutopia novel Any Human Power, to be released in 2024
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Created Accidental Gods, a podcast and membership program for people and ideas at the edge of regenerative change
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Teaches the Thrutopia Masterclass for writers to create inspiring stories that shape our futures
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Holds a Masters in Regenerative Economics from Schumacher College
THE JOURNEY. In our conversation, we explore:
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A different childhood. How a unique upbringing on a rehabilitation center for birds of prey in rural Scotland meant that “being normal was never an option”
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A spiritual journey. As a young child, getting curious about pre-Roman shamanic cultures of her land
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Listening. Asking “what do you want of me?” and following the answer, creating Accidental Gods
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Writing Thrutopia. Writing a future beyond capitalism and extraction, challenging the publishing world
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What are we here for? Not to pay bills and die. What something new and different could look like
For any of us working in sustainability, land guardianship is crucial to climate action. Yet the ways to support stewards of the land - Indigenous peoples and local communities - are not obvious. I learned so much from Nonette Royo from the Tenure Facility: she grew up seeing violence and land grabs in her home in the Philippines, and became a human rights lawyer to protect the protectors of land.
THE IMPACT. Nonette Royo:
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Is a human rights and environment lawyer, committed to supporting the aspirations of Indigenous and local peoples and helping forest communities protect their people and land
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Is currently Executive Director at The International Land and Forest Tenure Facility, an organization focused on securing land and forest rights for Indigenous Peoples and local communities
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Gave a TED talk on why Indigenous forest guardianship is crucial to climate action
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Has over 30 years experience advising funds dedicated to Indigenous Peoples and local communities in forest and climate programmes
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Co-founded and led the Samdhana Institute and set up several NGOs focusing on advancing Indigenous Peoples and women’s legal rights, helping design and implement funding portfolios for local communities and Indigenous Peoples in the global south
THE JOURNEY. In our conversation, we explore:
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Origins of Nonette’s life and work in the Philippines: a "land of promise" and broken promises
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Becoming a lawyer and the challenge for Indigenous communities: traditions that don’t believe in land ownership in a capitalist system that demands deeds and titles
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Bringing alternative law solutions to bridge the two worlds: through basic human rights, ancestral domain law, and Indigenous People’s Collective Titles
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The hardest part of this work: bringing communities together to heal stories and land
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The key to climate change: land rights in conversation with stewards of the land
As always, send any feedback and ideas to impactjourneypodcast at gmail dot com.
What did it take to start a first-of-its-kind sustainable business section at The Guardian? And why leave the big city life to live in a monastic community? Journalist Jo Confino describes his journey from covering finance and business to the next frontier in this time of crisis: mindfulness, compassion, feeling our suffering. As the podcast Jo hosts says: the way out is in.
THE IMPACT. Jo Confino:
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Bridges many worlds: executive coach, facilitator, journalist, and sustainability expert.
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Was Executive Editor of What's Working at HuffPo, executive editor of The Guardian and chairman and editorial director of Guardian Sustainable Business
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Is a Partner at Leaders’ Quest, partnered with UN Development Programme on a consciousness and systems change initiative, and sits on the Boards of various climate organizations.
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Is a mindfulness advocate, has worked closely with Zen Master Thich Nhat Hanh and his monastic community in France Plum Village, and now hosts their podcast The Way Out Is In.
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Gained his MSc in Responsibility and Business Practice at the University of Bath.
THE JOURNEY. In our conversation, we explore:
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Early influences: the desire to make sense of the world
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Changing things at the edge: how he did that at Guardian Sustainable Business
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The next edge for anyone working on the climate and social crises: consciousness
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What does climate have to do with mindfulness: getting personal, feeling the feelings
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The wisdom of Thich Nhat Hanh: connecting to our own suffering and the suffering of the world
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The thousands of choices we can make every day
Since I've joined the board of Action Against Hunger, I've been on a learning journey. How big of a deal is the global food crisis? Why hasn't it been solved? What can we do about global hunger? Of course, my preferred way to learn is to call up experts and together explore tough questions on the podcast.
THE IMPACT.
- Cathryn Dhanatya, PhD, works at the intersection of health and research and advocacy, and sits on the Advisory Board of Action Against Hunger. She leads Growing Good, was the Chief Scientific Administrative Officer for Stand Up To Cancer, and held leadership research positions at UCLA and USC.
- Michelle Brown has a career in advocacy and development. After many years as the UN representative for Refugees International, she is now the Associate Director of Advocacy for Action Against Hunger.
- Get more information on the work of Action Against Hunger and support via my fundraising page.
THE JOURNEY. In our conversation, we explore:
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Influences: what led both Cathryn and Michelle to work in international development and advocacy
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Listening to communities: getting close means learning as much as helping
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Hunger: there isn't a lack of food; there is a lack of distribution that's fair and equitable
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Proximity: understanding hunger close to home and around the world, and how all of it affects us
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Beyond hunger: not just about food, it's about access to health, clean water, education, livelihoods and income
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The climate crisis: and how it is inextricably linked to the hunger crisis
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Systemic change: transferring power to local communities
In my attempts to connect with people on some of our most important issues like climate change, I have been missing a huge pathway - faith. These issues need hard conversations, and hard conversations need us to tap into more than facts and fears. My conversation with Dekila opens the door to bringing the sacred back into science.
THE IMPACT. Dekila Chungyalpa:
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is the founder and director of the Loka Initiative, an interdisciplinary capacity building and outreach platform at the University of Wisconsin - Madison for faith leaders and culture keepers of Indigenous traditions who work on environmental and climate issues. Its mission is to support faith-led environmental and climate action efforts, locally and around the world, through collaborations on project design and management, capacity building, training, media and public outreach. Their vision: that inner, community, and planetary resilience are interdependent and that we cannot achieve any one of these goals without working on the other two. To sign up for their quarterly newsletter: https://go.wisc.edu/lokanewsletter
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founded and led Sacred Earth, a faith-based conservation program at the World Wildlife Fund; at WWF-US she was also Director for the Greater Mekong Program
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serves as the environmental adviser for His Holiness the 17th Karmapa, head of the Karma Kagyu School of Tibetan Buddhism.
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received the prestigious Yale McCluskey Award in 2014 for conservation innovation
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recently published in Psychology Today on how to cope with eco-anxiety
THE JOURNEY. In our conversation, we explore:
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Her path to wholeness: bridging her spiritual heritage growing up in Sikkim in a Tibetan Buddhist community and her environmental conservation background, after being “an environmentalist by day and a person of faith by night”
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Eco-anxiety amidst success: her own path through the urgency and panic while being externally “successful” at the World Wildlife Fund
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People and planet: why faith leaders are uniquely positioned to lead us in spiritual truth-seeking on some of our toughest issues
THE IMPACT. Dr. Rita Sambruna:
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Is an astrophysicist working on black holes in galaxies, and the Deputy Director of the Astrophysics Division at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Maryland. She was awarded the NASA Extraordinary Achievement Medal in 2019 for her work at NASA and service to the profession.
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At Goddard, she Leads the DEIA (diversity, equity, inclusion, accessibility) activities of her Division to improve diversity in astrophysics, connected to a broader new NASA program called Mission Equity
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Previously was a professor of Physics and Astronomy at George Mason University, in Fairfax, Virginia
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Is a certified yoga teacher, with specialization in Yoga for Cancer
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Is trained in Applied Behavior Analysis and its applications to non-human animals, and lives with 5 parrots
THE JOURNEY. In our conversation, we explore:
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Two merging inspirations from childhood: discovering the universe, and a humanitarian focus
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A take on billionaires going into space when we have other problems on Earth
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Planning in decades vs. bridging near-term needs
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The biggest challenge: changing culture, not only policies and numbers
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We are all made of star stuff: that is social justice
From the Brundtland Report in the 1980s to the Super Bowl in 2021, Norway has led on sustainability. How does this small country have such a big impact? Hege Barnes takes us behind the scenes at Innovation Norway and one country’s sustainable focus.
THE IMPACT. Hege Barnes:
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Is Regional Director Americas for Innovation Norway, the Norwegian government's entity for trade and industry, where she assists Norwegian companies and entrepreneurs enter and grow successfully in the Americas, and promotes Norway as a travel destination.
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Sits on the board of Nordic Innovation House-New York and the Norwegian American Chamber of Commerce.
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Has a Masters in International Business and a love for all aspects of creative development, innovative thinking and working with people and companies.
THE JOURNEY. In our conversation, we explore:
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Growing up in Norway: wanting to leave yet wanting to take the pride and values
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A holistic sustainability focus: in tourism, industry, and investment
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Protecting nature: a good place to live is a good place to visit
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The Super Bowl ad with Will Ferrell: a rivalry with Norway and reactions
In sustainability, we’re trying to make the world better... but a better world by whom and for whom? Heather Mak asks these uncomfortable yet instrumental questions with co-founding Diversity in Sustainability.
THE IMPACT. Heather Mak:
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Is co-founder ofDiversity in Sustainability, a membership organization aimed at increasing diversity, equity, and inclusion within the field of sustainability.
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Has spent almost 15 years consulting on sustainability issues and previously held sustainability roles at Deloitte, Tim Hortons, Retail Council of Canada, SustainAbility, and Canadian Business for Social Responsibility.
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Has lectured at the MBA level at the Schulich School of Business, York University, and regularly mentors students and new immigrants who are interested in the field.
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Holds a B.Com with Distinction in Marketing from McGill University, and an MBA with Honours in Sustainability from Schulich School of Business, York University.
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Is a mom, wife, sister, and daughter to two Chinese immigrants to Canada.
THE JOURNEY. In our conversation, we explore:
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Early influences: following environmental crises in school
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Early barriers: not seeing people like herself in the field
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The many needs for diversity in sustainability: supporting career paths, addressing historical social issues, gathering data and stories, creating better outcomes
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Challenges and learnings in the last year: creating a network of networks, creating a tent across cultural and country differences
From teen magazines to fashion to sustainability, Jessica Marati Radparvar brings her diverse background to make the emotional case to sustainability.
THE IMPACT. Jessica:
- Is the founder of Reconsidered, a boutique social impact consultancy that publishes a curated sustainable business newsletter and jobs board
- Led content for the Fashion for Good Experience; managed corporate responsibility at PVH
- Founded a social enterprise selling artisan goods made in Cambodia
- Worked as a freelance consultant and travel writer across nearly 60 countries
- Has a degree in History from Princeton and an MBA from NYU’s Stern School of Business
THE JOURNEY. In our conversation, we explore:
- The origins of three paths that came together: media, fashion, sustainability
- Learning from media: the power of artful and vulnerable storytelling
- Learning from fashion: the potential for positive impact with small artisans and corporate scale
- Learning from sustainability: making the business case AND the emotional case
- Creating Reconsidered: filling gaps for people working in the impact space
We often hear about tradeoffs in impact investing - impact or profit, people or planet. Cecile’s journey to lead impact at Israel's largest VC shows that it’s not either or. It's interconnected.
THE IMPACT. Cecile:
- Is Head of Impact and Sustainability at Pitango Venture Capital, Israel’s largest VC fund, where she merges technology, profit and social impact
- Co-founded GITA, the Global Impact Tech Alliance, a new organization to empower tech innovations to achieve the SDGs
- Previously founded Impact First Investments, Israel’s first impact investing company; managed the Noaber Foundation’s Israeli investments for over 14 years, and held executive positions at several companies
THE JOURNEY. In our conversation, we explore:
- Early influences - martial arts, entrepreneurship, rebalancing capital and values
- Impact investing, from 20 years ago to now - from its own asset class to a mindset shift
- False tradeoffs in impact investing - profit vs. impact, people vs. planet, incremental vs. systemic
- Two types of companies - impact natives and impact migrants
- A surprise on the people side - you don’t need to convince companies or investors
In business, how much is beauty in your life? What about art, music, science, activism? Tim Leberecht co-founded the House of Beautiful Business as a space for this unexpected mix, to challenge us to be more human.
THE IMPACT. Tim Leberecht:
- Is co-founder and co-CEO of the House of Beautiful Business, a global think tank and community bringing together leaders and changemakers to make humans more human and business more beautiful
- Was chief marketing officer of NBBJ, a global design and architecture firm; and chief marketing officer of product design and innovation consultancy Frog Design
- Has several popular TED Talks, including “3 Ways to (Usefully) Lose Control of Your Brand” and most recently “4 Ways to Build a Human Company in the Age of Machines”
- Is the author of the book The Business Romantic, and most recently, The End of Winning
THE JOURNEY. In our conversation, we explore:
- Early influences - art, creativity, curation, creating spaces and experiences
- Creating the House - a secret society, an experiment to put beauty at the center of business
- A challenge to bridge - words / ideas and action / specificity
- Thinking about our role - a thought leader vs. a critic and challenger
- Adapting - creating experiences and intimacy from a physical space to a metaphorical space
From being a changemaker at a very early age, through 17 years at Greenpeace, Femke walks through the modern day tensions of leadership, and makes the case for this new type of leadership - a creative, complex, and collective leadership.
THE IMPACT. Femke Bartels:
- Is Managing Director of THNK School for Creative Leadership, a purpose-driven social enterprise with transformative programs to develop leaders to solve the world’s greatest challenges
- Worked for Greenpeace for 17 years in many roles, including Campaign Director, Global Forest Network Director, Global Director of Strategy and Planning, and Executive Director of Greenpeace Mexico
- Served as a policy advisor to the European Parliament and the Dutch Ministry of Environment
- Studied Political Sciences and International Relations at the University of Amsterdam, and has a Master of Public Administration at the University of Twente
THE JOURNEY. In our conversation, we explore:
- Origins as a changemaker: “chicken is chicken?”
- Joining Greenpeace as a campaigner: “they were looking for me”
- Societal change: “what are your motivators?”
- Collective leadership: “ordinary people doing extraordinary things”, “connection over polarization”
- Complex leadership: “comfortable not knowing”, “courage is not the absence of fear”
In this second episode in a Synergos series, Tarlin Saye takes us from Liberia to the US, from traveler and writer to event organizer, as she creates spaces and shares stories with a long term view on uncomfortable topics like racial equity.
THE IMPACT. Tarlin:
- Leads Global Programs and Experiences at Synergos for the Global Philanthropists Circle (GPC), a network of leading philanthropic families committed to becoming more effective social investors
- Has led Synergos’ series on Dismantling Systemic Racism (first and second sessions, and videos one two and three)
- Spearheaded leadership roles in youth organizations on issues like income inequality, racial divides, and societal stigmas against the homeless and/or terminally ill
- Has spent time on 6 continents, exposed to many cultural backgrounds and schools of thought
- Holds a B.A. in Theology from the University of St. Thomas
THE JOURNEY. In our conversation, we explore:
- Early influences - storytelling and travel, from theology to events to philanthropy
- Racial equity - creating a space to challenge assumptions and share stories
- How to hold a strong space - allowing for discomfort while bringing in positive touchstones
- A long-term view on systemic racism - making a commitment and acknowledging privilege
In a beautiful personal story, Swati Chaudhary of Synergos shares insights on the power of listening, from her ancestors in Bihar India to fighting injustice today.
THE IMPACT. Swati:
- Is Managing Director of Synergos Advisory, where she advises foundations, philanthropists, and companies around the world. Synergos is a global non-profit that brings people together to solve complex problems of poverty.
- Was a Manager at PwC Advisory, where she advised clients on topics like payments and banking, financial inclusion, and anti-corruption
- Worked with the UN Global Compact on developing Compass, a guide for companies to align their strategies with the Sustainable Development Goals and assess their contributions
- Brings experience in investing from Acumen Fund, and growth equity at General Atlantic
- Receive a BA from Franklin and Marshall College, and a Master of International Affairs from Columbia University
THE JOURNEY. In our conversation, we explore:
- Early influences - a story of ancestors in Bihar, India
- Seeing injustice - in childhood, in being an immigrant, in the private sector, in COVID
- Listening to the most vulnerable - a key ingredient for moral leadership and systemic change
- Investing in people - the radical potential for philanthropy to create a more just world
What are your savings doing for the climate? Duncan Grierson, founder and CEO of Clim8 Invest, brings together his two lives as an investor and cleantech entrepreneur to help us all invest in the climate.
THE IMPACT. Duncan:
- Is a cleantech and sustainability entrepreneur and venture investor
- Is founder and CEO of Clim8, a digital platform for sustainable investment, focused on themes including clean energy, clean technology, electric mobility, sustainable food and clean water
- As Founder CEO raised over $100m as he built cleantech companies in biofuels, plastics recycling, batteries, smart composites
- Started in venture capital with top tier venture fund TCVC in London, Silicon Valley and Paris
- Has a Master of Laws degree from Cambridge University, and an MBA from INSEAD
THE JOURNEY. In our conversation, we explore:
- Bringing two lives together -- investing and sustainable cleantech
- Good business sense -- investing in sustainability and starting environmental businesses
- Putting our savings to work -- how we can all make a difference on climate with our money
- The awareness challenge -- starting with savings and pensions to influence trillions
How can we better connect with each other, now that we need it most? Veronica Marquez of Dinner Confidential shares what she’s learned about having confident AND compassionate conversations.
THE IMPACT. Veronica:
- Is co-founder of Dinner Confidential, a brave space in over 25 cities worldwide, from NYC to Berlin to Tokyo, for women to talk confidentially about topics like fear and control. They recently launched their approach as a course on confident and compassionate conversations.
- Is a Certified Professional Coach with Guided and with her own practice, Neuro-Linguistics Programming (NLP) Practitioner, and Reiki Practitioner.
- Has traveled the world as a researcher at ?What If! Innovation, Flamingo, and The Wellbeing Project.
- Is from Venezuela, has a BS in business from Universidad Metropolitana, and a MA from Emerson College.
THE JOURNEY. In our conversation, we explore:
- Curiosity about people - growing up in Venezuela, seeing different religions and cultures
- Seeking intimacy and belonging - creating Dinner Confidential in a moment of seeking connection
- Ingredients for connection - a safe structured space, stories not opinions, no judgment or advice
- What we need now - harder conversations and lighter joy, expressing and listening, confident and compassionate conversations
Chris Marquis, Professor at Cornell and author of Better Business: How the B Corp Movement is Remaking Capitalism has dedicated his academic career to studying how business can do good. In this crisis, as we ask what does it mean to be a better business, Chris lays out how B Corps give us a model.
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THE IMPACT. Christopher Marquis:
- Is SC Johnson Professor in Sustainable Global Enterprise at Cornell University; has a PhD in sociology and business administration from the University of Michigan, and a background in financial services, including as VP and technology manager at J.P. Morgan Chase
- Is author of the new book, Better Business: How the B Corp Movement is Remaking Capitalism
- Recently published the cover story of the Stanford Social Innovation Review article called “The B Corp Movement Goes Big”
THE JOURNEY. In our conversation, we explore:
- A circuitous path - from history to financial services to academia, focused on social impact
- Two advantages of B Corps - solving the measurement challenge and the legal challenge
- Going mainstream - the B Corp model expanding to big companies, impact investing, consumers
- Better business - long-term orientation, easier hiring, working together on our toughest challenges
A big thanks to Chris. You can follow his recent writings on business and society on Forbes and Medium.
What’s the hardest part about creating meaningful systemic change? Globally recognized youth leader Nora Wilhelm walks the talk in doing the inner work to do the outer work.
THE IMPACT. Nora Wilhelm:
- Co-founded collaboratio helvetica, an initiative that catalyses systemic change towards the societal renewal of Switzerland
- Has a background in youth engagement and active citizenship, including with the European Youth Parliament as president for Switzerland, with the World Economic Forum as a Global Shaper, and with UNESCO as a Youth Catalyzer
- Was recognised for her outstanding achievements by various awards, the Swiss government, and spoke at events such as the Conference of Swiss Development Cooperation and TEDx
- Was the youngest participant of Presencing Institute Advanced Program on Ecosystem Leadership
- Is pursuing a Master’s degree in Political Science at the University of Bern, and holds a Bachelor’s degree in International Affairs at the University of St. Gallen
- Speaks English, French, German, and Spanish
THE JOURNEY. In our conversation, we explore:
- From anger to action: being useful by starting close to home
- Working at different levels: local, national, international
- Inner work and outer work: asking the hard questions of the self, the organization, the system
- Seeing blind spots to see results: applying the inner work to listen better in the Gender Lab
How do you tackle a massive challenge like plastic pollution? Dopper CEO Virginia Yanquilevich talks about all the ways that Dopper is creating a “wave” to change people’s behavior.
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THE IMPACT. Virginia:
- Is CEO of Dopper, the Dutch B Corp the mission to reduce plastic pollution in our oceans and bring clean drinking water where it's needed. Their initiatives include Dopper Wave, a pledge against single-use plastic, and working on access to clean water in Nepal.
- Was CMO at Fresh & Rebel and Sitecom
- Started her career as a journalist and editor at Caras magazine in Argentina
- Has a degree in Communication Science from Universidad de Ciencias Empresariales y Sociales
- Speaks Dutch, Spanish, along with English
THE JOURNEY. In our conversation, we explore:
- Growing up in Argentina: bringing supplies to at-need regions and telling the stories
- Combining passion and career: coming back to a childhood interest after 17 years in marketing
- The multi-part mission of Dopper: reducing plastic and providing access to clean drinking water
- How all Dopper efforts are interlinked: from Cradle2Cradle certification to “best place to work”
- The challenge of behavior change and what we’ve learned from solidarity in the coronavirus crisis
- Positioning a big challenge: communicating both what you’re “for” and what you’re “against”
These days, we are all rethinking how we work. But beyond remote work and hand sanitizer, what could a true revolution look like where work goes from drudgery to fun? Pim de Morree started Corporate Rebels to answer this exact question, and has been traveling the globe for years to learn from the most inspiring organizations. And he’s found something so basic it’s radical: treating people like humans and like adults.
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THE IMPACT. Pim:
- At Corporate Rebels, he and his cofounder Joost quit their frustrating corporate jobs and set out to travel the globe to visit the world’s most inspiring organizations.
- Is checking off a Bucket List of pioneers and sharing learnings through their blog, talks, and consultancy work around the world.
- Is the author of a new book called Corporate Rebels: Make Work More Fun.
THE JOURNEY. In our conversation, we explore:
- The origins of Corporate Rebels: both a frustration with work and a possibility to make it better.
- Observers and storytellers: Corporate Rebels’ dual role in exploring pioneering companies.
- Eight trends in better working: including Purpose, Network of Teams, Freedom & Trust.
- How to get there from here: experimentation, internal reflection, authenticity in not being perfect.
What does it take to lead a movement and challenge the whole electronics industry? Fairphone CEO Eva Gouwens shares what she’s learned leading from the front by creating an example, as well as leading from the back by empowering her team and partners.
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THE IMPACT. Eva Gouwens is:
- CEO of Fairphone, which is leading a movement for fairer electronics, and making a positive impact across the value chain in mining, design, manufacturing and life cycle, while expanding the market for products that put ethical values first
- Was First Lady of Chocolate at Tony’s Chocolonely, the iconic chocolate brand on a mission to make 100% slave-free chocolate
- Is a veteran of the food industry in marketing at brands like Sara Lee and Mars
- Has a degree in Economics from Wageningen University in the Netherlands
THE JOURNEY. In our conversation, we explore:
- A career theme: working to create tangible products, from food to electronics
- Bridging worlds: bringing multinational business experience to a social enterprise
- Challenging the electronics industry step by step: how it’s made, who makes it, how we use it
- The metrics of success for a movement: phones sold, as well as with industry followers
- Leadership: from the front by example, and from the back empowering a team
You’ve heard of food waste. Too Good To Go is actually doing something about it by giving value to unsold food, and CEO Mette Lykke Mette shares their model where doing good IS growing the business.
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THE IMPACT. Mette:
- Is CEO of Social Impact Company Too Good To Go, leading a team of 600 Waste Warriors in the fight against food waste, and an app with over 22M users in Europe, saving 36+M meals to date
- Was co-founder of the fitness community and app Endomondo, with the mission of making fitness fun again, which was sold to American sportswear brand Under Armour in 2015
- Previously worked at McKinsey & Co
- Has a master's degree in political science from Aarhus University
THE JOURNEY. In our conversation, we explore:
- Early influences: entrepreneurship and being open to unlikely opportunities
- The right combo for Too Good To Go: a real problem to solve plus a viable business model
- Two types of impact: direct with the app and marketplace, indirect with a movement to create awareness
- Managing tradeoffs in a growing impact business: a win-win business model, finding mission-aligned investors, hiring mission-aligned people
- How coronavirus has changed food: rocked food supply chains, yet increased respect for food
Lauren Sorkin of the Global Resilient Cities Network shares lessons from the frontlines to show what resilience means beyond cities for all our organizations -- including joining environment and community, uniting strengths and weaknesses, not having all the answers, convening and creating spaces, looking across functions and across time.
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THE IMPACT. Lauren Sorkin:
- Is Acting Executive Director of the Global Resilient Cities Network, supporting cities and their Chief Resilience Officers in the face of complex challenges, where she has built upon the legacy of the 100 Resilient Cities Program
- Leads a speaker series, Cities on the Frontlines, sharing knowledge for city responses to the COVID-19 crisis
- Worked with the Asian Development Bank to develop its first climate change investment plan
- Led knowledge management for two USAID programs: the Eco-Asia Clean Devt and Climate, and the Initiative for Conservation in the Andean Amazon
- Worked with the Worldwatch Institute on their State of the World series and published work on biofuels, climate change, infant mortality and HIV/AIDS
- Holds a BA in International Relations from Tufts, and a MS in Environment and Development from the London School of Economics
- Is a trained yoga instructor and health counselor
THE JOURNEY. In our conversation, we explore:
- Integrating early influences: a family focus on community and a passion for the environment
- The challenge of building coalitions to solve complex challenges: there’s no such thing as the smartest person in the room
- Chief resilience officers: investing in people who see holistic strengths and weaknesses
- The value of resilience in a city: a cross-functional view, a senior ability to convene, and a medium term view removed from politics
With Regina Gwynn, we explore a key need for our economy to recover, and what it takes to support big untapped opportunity: creating spaces. Physical spaces, virtual spaces, safe spaces, honest spaces.
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THE IMPACT. Regina:
- Is co-founder of Black Women Talk Tech, a collective of black women tech founders focused on building billion dollar startups, which has now hosted four Roadmap to Billions conferences to give voice and provide strategy and opportunities.
- Is CEO and founder of TresseNoire, the first beauty booking platform designed for time-starved multicultural professionals, also called the “Uber of black natural hair”
- Spent about a decade in retail merchandising and marketing at Macy’s and The Apparel Group, and was a consultant at Monitor
- Has an MBA in marketing and entrepreneurship from Kellogg School of Management
THE JOURNEY. In our conversation, we explore:
- Early influences: entrepreneurship, fashion & beauty, and Jem & the Holograms
- Making the leap to start a business: making money for others vs. yourself
- Seizing a systemic opportunity in the market: creating a community, network, and safe space
- The opportunity in investing in black women entrepreneurs: a big market, solving deep-rooted problems, better innovation
- The strengths of a community during this crisis: resources and funding, plus support and self-care
Katrin Muff has helped redefine the role of business schools and responsible leadership. The secret? Taking multiple perspectives to capture the many strengths in the room and outside.
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THE IMPACT. Katrin Muff:
- Is Director of the Institute for Business Sustainability, Partner at the Int’l Center for Corporate Governance, President of the Association at Positive Impact Rating
- Is Professor of Practice of sustainability and leadership at LUISS Business School
- Author of books including the Five Superpowers of Co-Creators
- Was Dean of Business School Lausanne, and led research in sustainability and responsibility
- Has two decades of international strategy and management experience at ALCOA, Procter & Gamble, Schindler Lifts and Yupango
THE JOURNEY. In our conversation, we explore:
- Redefining the MBA: the role of business school and responsible leadership
- The secret of success to co-creating a vision: collaborative global stakeholder engagement
- The SDGs for companies: both an opportunity for innovation and a risk of greenwashing
- Learning from the superpowers of co-creators: our tensions and conflicts are actually overstretched strengths
In this time of upheaval, social change makers are at risk of overwhelm and burnout. At the Wellbeing Project, Aaron and Sandrine study how we take care of ourselves so that we can take care of others.
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THE IMPACT. Sandrine and Aaron are co-leads of the Wellbeing Project, a global initiative co-created with Ashoka, Esalen, Impact Hub, Porticus, the Skoll Foundation and Synergos, catalysing a culture of inner wellbeing for all changemakers.
- Aaron Pereira is an Ashoka Fellow, a Skoll Scholar, and a WEF Young Global Leader. He has been involved in social change for over 20 years spanning work from engaging people in their communities, to social finance, to urban development. He loves living between France and India.
- Sandrine Woitrin worked for over ten years in the retail and restaurant business. She was part of the opening team of Starbucks in Spain and France, then helped create the CSR department of Grupo Vips and Starbucks Spain and France. She studied Naturopathy and is passionate about alternative therapies.
THE JOURNEY. In our conversation, we explore:
- Backgrounds in volunteering and community orientation leading to social entrepreneurship
- Aaron’s personal story of burnout, and the connection between inner and outer work
- Creating a culture of wellbeing - individually and collectively
- One outcome is awareness - choosing what wave to catch instead of taking every wave
A big thanks to Aaron and Sandrine. You can follow The Wellbeing Project on Facebook, Twitter, Insta, LinkedIn.
In difficult times, we turn to outlets where words aren’t yet available. Artist and activist Kely Nascimento DeLuca shows how sports and arts can help us process emotions and have difficult conversations.
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THE IMPACT. Kely:
- Was born in Brazil and raised in NYC, as the oldest daughter of soccer legend Pelé
- Attended the Parsons School of Design and has worked as an editorial, portrait and social commentary photographer, creative director and producer of multi-media and art projects
- Is President and Founder of the Nascimento Foundation, the family foundation with the mission to harness the potential of sports and the arts to build and promote sustainable peace
- Is director of Warriors of a Beautiful Game, a documentary film and collaborative project in support of the global movement of women in football
- Is a proud Ambassador for the Global Goals World Cup, the women’s activist tournament turning the 17 UN SDGs into a sport
THE JOURNEY. In our conversation, we explore:
- Growing up seeing the impact of both sports and arts as an emotional connector to people’s lives
- One story of one girl trying to play soccer that led to the making of a documentary film
- Shifting public opinion through bottom-up and top-down influence toward transparency
- Advocating for equal treatment to grow an entire sport globally
A big thanks to Kely. You can follow her work in the links and on Twitter @CasaKely
For these uncertain times as we look to support local government in some of their toughest challenges, James Weinberg, CEO of Fuse Corps, shares his insights on making people the levers of change.
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THE IMPACT. James:
- Is CEO of FUSE Corps, a US nonprofit placing professionals into local governments to address the biggest challenges facing urban communities
- Was co-founder of AchieveMission, a consulting firm increasing impact by improving leadership development
- Served as the national development director at BELL, a tutoring and mentoring program
- Was the founding executive director of the Homeless Children’s Education Fund, working to ensure that children who are homeless have increased access to educational opportunities
- Has an M.S. in public policy and management from Carnegie Mellon, and a bachelor’s in psychology and classics from Tufts
THE JOURNEY. In our conversation, we explore:
- Family and early figures: influences that led to a career in the public sector
- A multi-generational view to big societal challenges: we may not solve them in our lifetime
- A human-centered theory of change: the right person in the right place at the right time
- The birth of Fuse Corps: tearing down silos and supporting local communities
- Innovating in local government: finding humble adaptable leaders and giving them room to maneuver
Ryan Gellert, GM EMEA at Patagonia, challenges all of us on what we truly believe and what we’re doing to stand behind it.
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THE IMPACT. Ryan Gellert:
- Is General Manager EMEA at Patagonia, overseeing sales, marketing, sustainability and operations through the region
- Previously spent 15 years at Black Diamond Equipment, in roles including Brand President, VP of Supply Chain Management and Managing Director of Black Diamond Asia
- Holds a J.D. from the University of Utah; an M.B.A. from Florida Institute of Technology; and a B.S.B.A. in Finance from the University of North Carolina Charlotte
THE JOURNEY. In our conversation, we explore:
- Ryan’s early influences of sports and social justice
- Adapting global issues to local markets in Europe
- The story of Patagonia from reducing impact to becoming an activist company
- The challenge for other companies wanting to follow Patagonia’s lead: figure out what you believe, and what you’re willing to do
- Practical ways Patagonia engages and empowers employees to be part of the change
You can follow Patagonia’s work of Patagonia online, Action Works, Worn Wear, and 1% for the Planet.
How can cities help us understand the internet? Nick Grossman of Union Square Ventures applies his work with cities to show how we can make both physical and digital spaces more safe and thriving.
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THE IMPACT. Nick Grossman:
- Is partner at Union Square Ventures, the venture capital firm, where he invests in internet applications and infrastructure
- Led an incubator for startups at the intersection of cities and data at OpenPlans, with a focus on cultivating open source communities, building open data platforms, and supporting open standards efforts
- Was a project manager at the Project for Public Spaces, a nonprofit to create public spaces and stronger communities
- Co-founded Streetsblog, NYC’s hub for transportation, which helped catalyze the movement to reform policies to make the city more walkable, bikeable and transit-friendly
- Has a degree in Urban Studies from Stanford, and was a visiting scholar at the MIT Media Lab
THE JOURNEY. In our conversation, we explore:
- The parallels between the physical and the digital worlds we move in
- The tradeoff between top-down and bottom-up planning, aka the Robert Moses vs. theJane Jacobs approach in cities and online
- The opportunity to use the internet to make life better in education and healthcare
- The challenge of mission-driven companies executing in a for-profit context
- The hope and energy in supporting startup founders
A big thanks to Nick Grossman. You can follow his work on twitter @nickgrossman and on his personal website and blog nickgrossman.is
We designed this economy, we can redesign it. Ecological economist Dr. Mairi-Jane Fox, professor at Regis College, challenges the assumptions behind our economic systems.
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THE IMPACT. Dr. Mairi-Jane Fox:
- Is Professor at Regis College, where she is Director of SEED Sustainable Economic and Enterprise Development Institute
- Has a Ph.D. in Natural Resources and Environment from the University of Vermont and a M.S. in Ecological Economics from the University of Edinburgh
- Researched sustainable impact investing, regenerative business and entrepreneurship, and ecological economics
- Presented a new perspective on the economy in her TedX talk called “the answer is more car accidents and cancers”
- Has worked as a sustainability consultant for the extractive and finance industry and mentored entrepreneurs
- Taught at K-12 Colorado charter schools, Colorado State University and Champlain College
THE JOURNEY. In our conversation, we explore:
- The advantages of being an outsider and not belonging to have a new perspective
- What is ecological economics, and how it’s different to the neoclassical economics we know
- The nature of the economy and GDP - we designed it, we can redesign it
- Our role in this moment: “hospicing” the old way and “midwifing” the new
What impact does your money have? How does an environmentalist end up at BlackRock and then in sustainable investing? Chad Spitler, Founder and CEO of Third Economy, shares his journey.
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THE IMPACT. Chad:
- Is on a mission to make sustainable investing mainstream
- Founder and CEO of Third Economy, a sustainable investment advisory
- Helped establish BlackRock’s Investment Stewardship and Sustainable Investing teams, as a Managing Director at the world’s largest asset manager
THE JOURNEY. In our conversation, we explore:
- How an environmentalist went into investing
- The difference between ESG and impact investing, and a framework to analyze sustainable investments
- The responsibility of large asset managers like BlackRock, and the origins of the CEO letter
- The challenge of disclosure to understand the impact of big vs. small companies
A big thanks to Chad. You can follow his work on @eco4ces.
How can we be resilient? Julia Novy-Hildesley Hildesley of Stanford and Resilience in Action shares her wide-ranging journey, from Madagascar to the Peruvian Amazon, to find the simplicity on the other side of complexity.
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THE IMPACT. Julia:
- Is Professor of Practice at Stanford University and Executive Director of Stanford's Change Leadership for Sustainability Program.
- Is Founder and CEO of Resilience in Action, where she helps 21st century leaders cultivate resilience in their lives, organizations and sectors, leading resilience journeys to dynamic natural environments like the Peruvian Amazon.
- Was Executive Director of the Lemelson Foundation, a nonprofit guiding investment in technology, inventors and social enterprises in the U.S and developing countries.
- At World Wildlife Fund, collaborated with Unilever and WWF to develop and launch the Marine Stewardship Council, a global partnership for certification of fisheries and sustainable seafood.
- Holds a B.A. in Human Biology and a minor in African Studies from Stanford, and a Masters from the University of Sussex in International Development Studies
- Was a Fulbright and Marshall Scholar, and speaks French, Spanish and Kiswahili.
THE JOURNEY. In our conversation, we explore:
- Where it began - growing up in nature and a challenging family history
- A breadth and depth of interests - from environment and ecology to social science and business
- The CAN framework for resilience - Connect, Adapt, Innovate - learning from ecology, psychology, and the military
- Managing complexity in a world tuned to simple solutions
What does it mean for communication to have purpose? Andrea Ciulu of Arkage bridges multiple worlds as philosopher, political scientist, and creative strategist.
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THE IMPACT. Andrea is:
- Head of creative strategy at Arkage, a “post-digital agency” and B Corp in Italy, which creates innovative campaigns for companies like Fiat and BNL bank
- Host of the Bernoccolo podcast, and frequent philosopher on trends in digital and beyond
- A graduate in Political Science of Rome’s La Sapienza University
THE JOURNEY. In our conversation, we explore:
- How political science and communication are two sides of the same coin
- Responsibilities of communication to reflect and also elevate society
- Bridging and bringing trends from abroad to Italy
A big thanks to Andrea.You can follow his work at arkage.it, ilbernoccolopodcast.com and @andrea_ciulu
How do you find champions from the local city council to the UN? Simon Leiva of the FAO Global Alliance for Climate Smart Agriculture shares his unlikely journey.
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THE IMPACT. Simon:
- Is Coordinator of the Global Alliance for Climate Smart Agriculture at the UN Food and Agriculture Organization in Rome, a multi-stakeholder platform to improve food security, nutrition and resilience in the face of climate change
- Worked in Australia for local and federal government on sustainability in water and natural resources.
- Has a Masters in Environmental Science at the University of Sydney, and a Bachelors degree in Mathematics and Statistics from the Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile.
THE JOURNEY. In our conversation, we explore:
- How he got from Chile to Australia to Italy
- Working in the private sector to the federal government to the local council to now for an inter-governmental agency
- Being yourself in a serious organization to create trust and find champions
Coming from the annual gathering of sustainability leaders at BSR19, this bonus episode brings highlights of the state of sustainable business and words of inspiration from the most compelling hidden heroes.
Why does a PhD physicist design fashion and graphic novels? Dr. Kitty Yeung of Microsoft Garage looks to understand our world and bring people together to create a more beautiful world.
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THE IMPACT. Kitty:
- Is physicist, artist, maker, fashion designer and musician
- Manager of the Bay Area Microsoft Garage, a program that drives a culture of innovation
- Has a Ph.D. in Applied Physics from Harvard University and a M.Sci., B.A. and M.A. in Natural Sciences from the University of Cambridge where she worked at the famous Cavendish Lab
- Has worked on quantum computing, AI and machine learning, wearable technology, silicon photonics, quantum mechanics, open-source hardware, 3D printing
- Also pursues the arts like painting, music, graphic novels, and fashion design (she even presented her collection at San Francisco Fashion Week and recently launched her fashion brand Art by Physicist)
THE JOURNEY. In our conversation, we explore:
- Her why: Pursuing science and art to understand the world and create a more beautiful world
- Her growth: Balancing breadth and depth as a multidisciplinary professional
- Her proudest moments: Bringing people together to solve problems, open-sourcing innovations to make fashion more sustainable
What does one see in nearly 20 years at the World Bank? Head of Investor Relations Heike Reichelt recounts the human side as investors move from evolution to revolution in considering impact.
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THE IMPACT. Heike:
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Is Head of Investor Relations and New Products at the World Bank, which she joined in 2000
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Most recently celebrated the 10-year anniversary event of the green bond market that the World Bank helped start, with the theme: ‘from evolution to revolution’ to highlight the pace of change
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Previously worked at the German development agency Kreditanstalt fuer Wiederaufbau (KfW)
THE JOURNEY. In our conversation, we explore:
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The unique role of the World Bank, an international development organization owned by 189 countries, bridging capital markets and global needs
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The human side of investor relations, how talking to investors is talking to people
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Observing change over the long term, from evolution to revolution
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Finding champions in different organizations to create tipping points
A big thanks to Heike. You can follow her work at worldbank.org and find the projects referenced here:
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Bonds for Sustainable Development - newsletter and website
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Beyond Green: Building Sustainable Capital Markets
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10-year green bond anniversary
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Videos, including project videos
How do we stay calm and balanced while having intense conviction, especially with something as urgent as climate change? Bruno Sarda, CEO of CDP North America, shares his experience and what’s possible.
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THE IMPACT. Bruno is:
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North America CEO at CDP, a nonprofit that runs the global environmental disclosure system for investors, companies, cities, states and regions to manage their environmental impacts
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Previously Chief Sustainability Officer for NRG, a leading integrated power company, and director of sustainability and social responsibility at Dell
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Professor and senior sustainability scholar at Arizona State University
THE JOURNEY. In our conversation, we explore:
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Developing an appreciation for balance in nature and in organizations
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How the 90’s disruption of the internet is similar to the current disruption of sustainability
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Going from a reactive change management role to proactively intentionally guiding change
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Having a long lens that shows what’s possible in every sector and geography
A big thanks to Bruno. You can follow his work at cdp.net and on Twitter @bruno68
From getting locked out of buildings to convening leaders on global challenges, BSR CEO Aron Cramer recounts his impact journey through the past decades in sustainable business.
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THE IMPACT. Aron is:
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Recognized globally as an authority on sustainable business
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CEO of BSR, the long-running sustainability network and consultancy, where he advises senior executives on social and environmental issues
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On advisory boards at Marks & Spencer and SAP, and previously also at AXA, Shell, and Nike
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Director of the Natural Capital Coalition, the International Integrated Reporting Council, and We Mean Business
THE JOURNEY. In our conversation, we explore:
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How sustainability in business has evolved in the last 25 years
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A shift in business, from sitting on the sidelines to taking a stand on global challenges
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Balancing urgency and patience
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Leading from the head and the heart
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Overcoming fear with faith in the future
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Transforming the individual vs. the organization
A big thanks to Aron. You can follow his work on BSR.org and on Twitter @aroncramer
How does a social impact activist end up at the world's largest social network? How do we balance being a big fish in a small pool vs. a small fish in a big pool? Joanne Sprague channels what she's learned in her journey, from international development and social justice to the big pool at Facebook.
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THE IMPACT. Joanne Sprague has a deep background in social impact, from the Peace Corps to international development to LGBT-ally-ship at Friendfactor (that’s how we met!). She now manages social impact partnerships with Facebook, where her work includes initiatives from making the platform more effective for nonprofits to leveraging VR as a medium for empathy and connection.
THE JOURNEY. In our conversation, we explore …
- The link between business and social change
- Changing minds and hearts online and offline
- Being a big fish in a small pool vs. a small fish in a big pool
- The importance of staying uncomfortable
Systems thinker and lifetime activist Margot Brandenburg has worked to scale the global impact investing movement, launched her own climate resilience startup, and everything in between. She connects the dots of her journey and shares what she’s learned, and what she’s passing on to her kids.
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THE IMPACT. Margot:
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Is founder of My Strong Home, a benefit corporation that uses insurance-based financing to fund climate resilience
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Is a former Senior Associate Director at The Rockefeller Foundation, where she focused on economic development program initiatives, and literally wrote the book on impact investing
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Received her Masters in Public Affairs from the Woodrow Wilson School at Princeton, and her BA in International Relations from Stanford University
THE JOURNEY. In our conversation, we explore:
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Becoming an activist in middle school after watching the movie Dirty Dancing
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Toggling between the 40,000-foot and the 3-inch view of impact
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Finding satisfaction in playing the “inside-outside” game simultaneously
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How two activists raise kids in this urgent time
From facing mental illness to changing the culture around mental health and wellness, Dr. Megan Jones Bell, Chief Science Officer at Headspace, shows how our vulnerability can be our greatest strength.
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THE IMPACT. Megan:
- Is Chief Science Officer at Headspace, the meditation app now used by almost 60 million people
- Was previously chief science officer and founding team member at Lantern
- Focuses on making mental healthcare more effective, more affordable, and more accessible while changing the culture around mental health and wellness
- Is consulting assistant professor at Stanford University
- Has a master’s degree and doctorate in clinical psychology from PGSP-Stanford University
THE JOURNEY. In our conversation, we explore:
- Integrating both positive and challenging forces of childhood into a career
- Balancing the certainty of knowing the direction and the uncertainty of not having a paved path
- The freedom of letting go of expectations and being yourself
- How we could create more mindful organizations and societies
We’re used to celebrating one superstar who saves the day, but we forget that lasting change needs many groups to come together. And someone helps those groups come together, work together, and keep working together for years -- what we call “field building”. It’s a big tough role, but Jen Splansky Juster of the Collective Impact Forum finds energy in the small victories.
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THE IMPACT. Jen:
- Is Executive Director of FSG’s Collective Impact Forum, an initiative of FSG and the Aspen Institute Forum for Community Solutions
- Advises foundations, NGOs, and partnerships on collective impact initiatives
THE JOURNEY. In our conversation, we explore:
- Being a generalist: going from human biology to consulting to field-building
- Finding joy and satisfaction in small victories on multi-generational change
References from our conversation:
- The Stanford article about Collective Impact
- The research study When Collective Impact Has An Impact
- Collective Impact case studies
Some have heard of “impact investing”. Fewer talk about the importance of the very unsexy business of “plumbing” to connect money in our economy from the people who have it to the people who need it. Jennifer is on a mission to change the game, so that each of us can be an impact investor.
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THE IMPACT. Jennifer:
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Is President and CEO of Calvert Impact Capital, a nonprofit investment firm moving money into communities, where she is an advocate for making impact investing more accessible to retail investors like you and me.
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Started off in the Peace Corps in Africa, where she was exposed to the frustrating limited flows of capital to lower income communities.
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Worked for major banks in New York and London before focusing on investing in a socially responsible way supporting underserved communities.
THE JOURNEY. In our conversation:
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We zoom in quite a bit on what impact investing is, and specifically how an investment at Calvert Impact Capital works.
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We zoom back out on the importance of the very unsexy business of what we call plumbing - connecting money in our economy from the people who have it to the people who need it.
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We hear about how Jennifer’s experiences, including biomedical engineering and the Public Theater, prepared her for this role.
A big thanks to Jennifer Pryce. You can follow her on Twitter at @JennPryce
A day at the beach on Lampedusa in Italy changed Pamela Kerpius’ life and career. Seeing how migrants were treated and finding herself complicit, she began the humanitarian storytelling organization Migrants of the Mediterranean to help humanize the migration crisis.
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THE IMPACT. Pamela is:
- Founder of Migrants of the Mediterranean, a humanitarian storytelling organization working to document and humanize today’s migration crisis.
- A journalist and copywriter, with a M.A. in Cinema Studies from New York University and B.A.s in History and English from the University of Colorado.
THE JOURNEY. In our conversation, we explore:
- How a trip to Lampedusa island changed Pamela’s life and career.
- The simple power of a conversation with another human, especially when that human is a migrant at the margins of society.
- How telling the stories of others helped her connect to and write her own story
A challenge most of us face in sustainability is getting people to care. This is especially difficult in supply chains, where companies are buying products & raw materials from halfway around the world. Tara Norton has focused her career on supply chain sustainability, and helps answer how to get regular people in regular companies think about how something is made.
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THE IMPACT. Tara:
- Leads the global supply chain sustainability practice at BSR, the global nonprofit sustainability network and consultancy
- Directed supply chain work at 2degrees, the sustainability collaboration platform
- Was general manager of Sedex, the world's largest nonprofit sustainable supply chain membership organization and database
THE JOURNEY. In our conversation, we explore:
- Growing up in consumerism yet becoming curious where things come from
- The head, heart, hands - awareness doesn’t mean people will care; you have to build the process
- Managing knowns and unknowns… and could blockchain be the bridge?
- Raising the next generation of sustainability leaders
LINKS:
Tara’s blog posts on supply chains as connections between people, knowns and unknowns
The books Tara referenced: No Logo by Naomi Klein, Children’s book Where did my clothes come from
After decades in traditional corporate roles, Robert Nuttall found himself creating a groundbreaking sustainability program at Marks & Spencer. He shares what he's had to learn and unlearn.
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THE IMPACT. Robert is:
- My colleague at Fortitude Partners, helping ambitious companies create real value for society.
- At Marks & Spencer, on the pioneering team that created Plan A, the groundbreaking sustainability program.
- Founder of the Corporate Responsibility & Sustainability practice at the communications group Engine.
- Formerly in Corporate Communications leadership roles at companies like the BBC and GSK.
THE JOURNEY. In our conversation, we explore:
- No one of us knew what we were doing: starting a sustainability program in the early days, and how sustainability is similar to the internet
- Years of fairly pointless work: coming to sustainability later in the professional life
- This feels fundamentally different: sustainability as a secret superpower for org transformation
- Having no fear: later in the career, speaking truth to power, calling out CEOs
- Learning and unlearning: humility, the best ideas coming from people half your age
From his perspective on the sustainable transformation of the fashion industry, Baptiste reflects on the growing role of all of us as citizen-customers.
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THE IMPACT. Baptiste is:
- VP Europe at the Sustainable Apparel Coalition, the industry’s leading alliance for sustainable production, where he leads transparency and government engagement
- On the Steering Committee at the Global Fashion Agenda, the leadership forum to make sustainability fashionable, which organizes the annual Copenhagen Fashion Summit
- Formerly Head of Sustainability at Decathlon, the largest sporting goods retailer in the world
THE JOURNEY. In our conversation, we explore:
- Dystopian fiction and winemaking as inspirations to enter sustainability
- Changing corporate behaviors by changing the view from customers to citizens
- The difference between storytelling and systemic change, how it all collapsed in Rana Plaza, and how transparency is key to getting back on track
How does a history professor end up in sports sustainability? And what can history, and intersecting different fields like sports and academia, teach us about how to move the needle on issues like race and identity?
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THE IMPACT. Steve is:
- Associate Professor of History at Simmons University, where he focuses on trans-national contact, helping students see beyond traditional notions of geography and identity, and think critically and creatively about both local and global challenges. https://www.simmons.edu/academics/faculty/stephen-ortega
- Director of the Global Sports Initiative at Harvard, where he brings sports figures and academics together from around the world to discuss issues such as identity, gender relations, race, borders and the desire for greater social welfare. https://wigh.wcfia.harvard.edu/global-sports
THE JOURNEY. In our conversation, we explore:
- Creating a link between academia and sports, where sports as an indicator of the issues that society is struggling with, and athlete’s stories are the stories of the world
- Taking the strengths from both disciplines -- the visibility of sports and the rigor of academia -- to bring people together and advance the conversation
- Seeing our place in history, which allows us to take personal responsibility, even if we may not see change in our lifetime, and then pass the baton to the next generation
Kamael Sugrim has been at the intersection of business, technology, and social change. She has also had a front-row seat to the dynamics of discrimination. We explore her personal experience tackling bias and discrimination from the inside and the outside.
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THE IMPACT. Kamael has been at the intersection of business, technology, and social change.
She opened Stanford SEED (the institute for innovation in developing economies) in Africa, founded mPowering (an app to direct donations to alleviate poverty in India and Nepal), ran operations as managing director at Impact Hub (the largest social impact incubator in the world), and serves as chairwoman of the board at EcoEnergy Pakistan.
She is now COO at People First, a software startup to fight discrimination in the workplace, and founder of Nafasi Ventures, an advisory to help companies deliver social impact.
THE JOURNEY. In our conversation, we explore Kamael’s personal experience observing, calling out, and looking to systematically change bias from the inside and outside, including:
Growing up in diversity vs. the rude wake-up call of Wall Street
Having a seat at the table vs. having a voice to make decisions
Tackling discrimination from the inside and from the outside
There’s gender, there’s race, and there’s culture
Letting go of fear and making space to think
Discrimination as the enemy of innovation
International eco-educator Julie Beretta is making it fun to care for the environment. We explore a different form of leadership, one that includes getting more done by taking less credit.
Filippo Bozotti is a social and environmental activist from the global to the local level. We explore the beauty of thinking big picture with your hands in the dirt, and how to stay motivated while being (sometimes ruthlessly) realistic.
Melissa Alvarado from UN Women works to end violence against women. We explore an inevitable tension: how to sustain and care for ourselves while doing the hard work of caring for others.