The middle Road: Recent Episodes

The middle Road

The middle Road is a platform enabling social change and impact in the social and development sector, along with art and wellbeing. The platform features leading social change enablers, business and social leaders, policymakers within the social ecosystem. The website of the platform https://themiddleroad.org/

Join Nishant Malhotra on a journey through the economic landscapes and historical narratives of two global giants: the United States and China. This unique episode of The Middle Road serves as both a wrap-up to 2024 and an introduction to 2025, combining discussions on economics and the captivating history of significant figures like Alexander Hamilton and Benjamin Franklin from America, along with Venerable Hongzong and Emperor Taizong from the Tang Dynasty of China.

Explore the contrasting economic needs of these two nations, with the US focusing on supply-side economics and the importance of infrastructure, while China seeks to boost demand through significant economic stimulus. Gain insights into Hamilton's and Franklin's monumental contributions to American history and learn about the cultural and historical preservation efforts led by Huang Zong in China.

This episode not only highlights the intertwining of history and economics but also delves into the roles of development actors like the IFC Startup Catalyst in promoting global entrepreneurship and development. Tune in to deepen your understanding of the past, present, and future trajectories of these leading world economies.

Welcome to the first episode in our series on climate finance. I'm Nishant Malhotra, the sole founder of The Middle Road, a platform focusing on global development and financial services. In this episode, I explore how climate finance is reshaping our global ecosystem.

Lets begin by defining climate finance and discussing its importance in climate action, including investments in clean technologies and climate resilience projects. I also look into innovative financial tools such as sustainable development bonds and carbon pricing mechanisms.
Key actors in the climate finance sector, such as governments, public institutions, and asset managers, are highlighted, along with the role of multilateral development banks like the World Bank and its divisions.
Discussion about a milestone in the ESG sector, the MSCI KLD 400 Social Index, and its impact on sustainable finance. Additionally, I introduce my business consulting initiative, focusing on ESG and sustainable investment strategies.
Finally, discuss the rapid growth of renewable energy capacities worldwide, driven by significant investments and subsidies. Stay tuned for more insights in upcoming episodes!

In this inspiring episode of "The Middle Road" podcast, host Nishant Malhotra engages in a thought-provoking discussion with one of the winners of the inaugural Kusum Social Impact Award - Dr O.P. Bhalla Foundation. This prestigious award, sponsored by the Center for Theory of Change in New York, recognizes individuals and organizations making significant strides in various sectors, including healthcare, education, and environmental conservation.

Nishant takes a moment to acknowledge the passion and dedication of all the participants, including those who did not win, emphasizing that their efforts are equally valuable and appreciated. The spotlight then turns to the inaugural winners: Dr. Simi Mishra from Connecting Dreams, Shruthi Iyer from FMCH India, and the Dr. O.P. Bhalla Foundation.

A captivating interview with Dr. Vishali Mathur from the Dr. O.P. Bhalla Foundation delves into the organization's impressive work, including health camps, philanthropic initiatives, skill development programs, and environmental projects. Dr. Mathur shares valuable insights into the challenges and taboos faced while working in the social impact sector, as well as the heartening outcomes and milestones achieved through their tireless efforts.

Throughout the episode, listeners gain a profound understanding of the dedication and perseverance required to drive social change. The winners' stories serve as a powerful reminder that, despite obstacles, it is possible to make a meaningful difference in society. As the episode concludes, Nishant expresses sincere appreciation for all the participants, winners, and sponsors, underscoring the collective spirit of social good that underpins the Kusum Social Impact Award.

Tune in to this uplifting episode of "The Middle Road" podcast and be inspired by the incredible work being done by changemakers across various fields. Don't forget to subscribe to the podcast for more engaging discussions on social impact, and join the conversation on social media using the #SocialImpactAward

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Today, I (Nishant Malhotra) welcome Sandeep Rai, CEO & Founder of The Circle India, and Sayed Mohammad Shoeb, Founder & Project Head of The Panaah Communities, for an insightful discussion about their impactful work in the education sector.

A brief introduction:
Sandeep Rai - An alumnus of Columbia University's School of International and Public Affairs, Sandeep has worn multiple hats within the global development sector, serving in leadership roles at Teach For India, where he currently serves on the advisory board. He is the author of the book 'Grey Sunshine,' which explores the existential education crisis in India. The Circle India, founded by Sandeep, is revolutionizing the country's education system with best-in-class pedagogy, preparing less privileged students for the future.

Sayed Mohammad Shoeb - A chemical engineer turned educator and social entrepreneur, Sayed has over 7 years of experience transforming educational outcomes in underserved communities. As the founder and project head of The Panaah Communities, his work focuses on providing quality learning through community mobilization, parental literacy, and employability skill-building.

Welcome, Sandeep and Shoeb. I look forward to our meaningful conversation about your impactful work. Let's begin with Sandeep's initiatives at The Circle India.

Sandeep, your journey in the global development sector, culminating in your book 'Grey Sunshine,' has been remarkable. The book delves into the existential education crisis in India, where, according to a 2019 UNICEF report, around 30 percent of students drop out before reaching upper primary levels (Grade 8). UNESCO's data further reveals that India has over 6 million children aged 6-13 who are out of school, accounting for a quarter of the global out-of-school population in that age group.

Could you share what prompted your journey from Columbia to Teach For India and ultimately inspired you to author this eye-opening book?

While India has made remarkable progress in reducing extreme poverty to less than 3 percent in 2022, as per the World Bank Poverty Clock, millions still live on less than $6.85 per day, the benchmark for upper-middle-income countries. The Circle India strives to bridge this educational gap by providing quality K-12 education to underprivileged students nationwide. I am keen to learn more about your impactful undertakings and the pathways you are addressing to drive this transformative change.

You are building a community focused on educating and uplifting underprivileged sections of society, including establishing after-school training centres and empowering teachers. Could you elaborate on the initiatives and approaches you have adopted to create a sustainable educational ecosystem?

Sandeep, your book 'Grey Sunshine' sheds light on the existential education crisis in India. According to UNICEF, around 30 percent of students drop out before reaching upper primary levels, and UNESCO data reveals that over 6 million children aged 6-13 are out of school, accounting for a quarter of the global out-of-school population in that age group.

➢ Share with audience what prompted your journey from Columbia to Teach For India and ultimately inspired you to author this thought-provoking book.

Inequality remains one of the biggest drivers of poverty and social discontent globally. According to the World Bank, nearly 700 million people worldwide live in extreme poverty, earning less than $2.15 per day. Additionally, almost half of the world's population subsists on less than $6.85 per day – the measure used for upper-middle-income countries. While India has made remarkable progress in reducing extreme poverty to less than 3 percent in 2022, as per the World Bank Poverty Clock, millions still remain below the poverty line, especially when measured against the $6.85 per day benchmark. The Circle India is striving to bridge this educational gap by providing quality K-12 education to underprivileged students across the country.

Sandeep, we would be keen to learn more about the impactful work you are undertaking and the strategies you have implemented to address this pressing issue sustainably.
Now, Shoeb, let's turn our attention to your wonderful work at The Panaah Communities. Your venture is addressing inequality in formative quality education through The Panaah Communities. Could you share how The Circle India has supported your endeavor and provide examples of how you are invigorating the K-12 learning experience?

With 4 centers, 11+ programs, and over 2,500 enrolled students, your venture significantly impacts its target audience. You've achieved an impressive 80.06 percent average attendance and 75.27 percent average mastery across programs for students.

• How did you manage to have such a profound impact within these communities? • I like your idea of involving parents within the community. Speak about the parental education. • What motivated you to work on this idea? Could you share some of the struggles you faced while setting up the venture?
Shoeb, I know you have a focus on STEM education. Speak more about this initiative.

• Sandeep, could you share any poignant experience from your book that left a lasting impression on you?
Finally, an "Aha!" question for both of you: Could you share an experience, either personal or professional, that brightens your life and serves as a source of inspiration?

I thank you both for sharing your time and insights about your remarkable work. The Middle Road offers highly discounted products and services to development organizations, and honored to explore potential collaborations.

Nishant Malhotra interviews Dr. Sathyeshwar Subbakrishna, Principal of Jyothy Institute of Commerce and Management. The Middle Road briefly interacted with the institute for the paid inaugural roll-out of the corporate subscription package. The interview follows the "Jobs to Be Done" methodology and uncovers the utility desired by the academic institute. In this thrilling conversation, Dr. Sathyeshwar shares his experience with Middle Road, an online educational platform. As the Principal of the Institute of Commerce and Management, he discusses how his institution integrates Middle Road to better align with its educational objectives and ultimate aspirations. The conversation reveals how Middle Road, with its targeted course offering, meets the unique needs of commerce and management students, providing the much-needed solution to enhance their learning capabilities.

Examining the pedagogical gap experienced by students in accessing online platforms, the conversation underscores the potential of Middle Road in delivering specialized, affordable, and high-value courses. A major highlight is the discussion around students' career progression and Middle Road's potential role as a 'finishing school'- bridging the gap between academic learning and practical job-sensitive skills.

Dr. Sathyeshwar's frank, insightful perspective showcases the effectiveness of Middle Road not just as an online course platform, but a significant partner in revolutionizing commerce and management education. Tune into this inspiring conversation to explore the intersection of commerce and education, and the transformative role of digital learning platforms like Middle Road.

In this episode of The Middle Road, host Nishant Malhotra talks with Peter Fusaro, a renowned leader in green energy and environmental finance. The conversation offers a deep insight into the evolving landscape of sustainable finance and the transition to green energy. Fusaro, with his extensive experience in clean tech startups, discusses the vital role of innovative financial solutions like impact and catastrophic bonds in contributing to global development.

The episode explores the transformative potential of microgrid projects in providing electricity to billions and facilitating resilience against catastrophic events. Peter underlines the critical role of energy storage in empowering renewable energy sources and talks about new technologies in the Advanced Battery field. The critical spots in decarbonizing the global economy, such as the hydrogen industry and sustainable agriculture, are also highlighted.

The dialogue delves into future prospects of sustainable practices worldwide, like reforestation, agroforestry, sustainable fishing, and vertical farming. In the backdrop of climate change, the need for adaptation and innovation in energy, food, and water sectors is emphasized. Discussing the emerging significance of impact investing, the conversation highlights the role of venture capital, sovereign wealth funds, startups.

The talk concludes with the importance of measuring carbon footprints and reducing them and a vibrant discussion on the prospects of the carbon credits market. This episode provides listeners an inside look into the sustainable initiatives globally, including carbon markets, sustainable finance, and green technology. The role of public-private partnerships in driving innovative solutions to address climate change issues gets a notable mention.

Exploration of alternative sustainable energy sources like hydrogen, prospects in the mobility and transportation space, and the lack of standardization and benchmarking in sustainable finance are some of the many points discussed. The vision for a greener future where clean energy, education, and water are accessible to all closes the conversation on a hopeful note. This episode serves as a comprehensive guide to the potential of green energy and environmental finance globally.

Hello Everyone,

I hope you're all doing well. I'm Nishant Malhotra, the Solo Founder & CEO of Middle Road OPC Pvt Ltd – The middle Road platform, which focuses on upskilling in the social impact sector. While my startup is a for-profit organization, The middle Road is deeply committed to driving sustainable social impact on a global scale. Learn more at www.themiddleroad.org. Now, I'm excited to introduce the inaugural Kusum Social Impact Awards from The middle Road.

----more----First and foremost, I'm thrilled to announce that The Center for Theory of Change is sponsoring the Kusum Social Impact Awards. This partnership marks a significant milestone in my organization’s journey, and I'd like to express my sincere gratitude to Dr. Helene Clark for her generous support. Dr. Helene was a podcast guest and discussed the Theory of Change framework, as well as promoted her organization's theory of change online course through advertising on The middle Road. These awards are a remarkable initiative, and it's an honor to be associated with The Center for Theory of Change for these awards.

The middle Road warmly welcomes nominations from diverse individuals and entities worldwide for this prestigious award. The goal is to cast a wide net, ensuring that this recognition reflects the global tapestry of individuals and initiatives making a difference. Anyone can apply for this award if they can showcase how their work is enabling social change and impact within society. While I prefer applicants from the international development sector, this award provides an excellent opportunity to articulate the importance of your work and why you deserve to be a winner. The middle Road will award a nominal amount total of $70 to the winner/s. In the case of multiple winners, the prize money (likely transfer through PayPal for international winner/s) will be divided equally among them. The winner/s will be interviewed and featured in videos and podcasts, which will be shared globally through my startup's social media channels, community groups, and newsletter. This offers a fantastic opportunity for global outreach, as the podcasts are uploaded on platforms like Spotify, Apple, Google, etc. My startup has various social media followers in excess of 2400.

While I appreciate the contributions of experienced professionals in the global development sector, it's important to note that this award is inclusive and open to all fields and professions. The middle Road enthusiastically encourages nominations from various sectors, including corporate, entrepreneurial, and humanitarian realms. I wholeheartedly invite artists representing various themes to apply, recognizing that art, culture, and well-being are at the core of our startup's ethos. Nominees have the opportunity to showcase how their work catalyzes social change and has a universal impact. This can manifest through efforts to uplift underprivileged segments of society or by contributing to humanitarian causes. Individuals who breathe life into the world of creativity are equally encouraged to participate. To apply for the award, please use the link mention in the read.

Shortlisted candidates will be interviewed to determine the final winner/s for this award. Thank you once again for watching this video, and I urge you to apply and become part of a community dedicated to enhancing society's well-being.

Welcome to The middle Road podcast where Nishant Malhotra your host dives deep into the stories and experiences of individuals who are shaping a brighter future through their work in impact investing and social innovation. I'm your host, Nishant Malhotra, and today, I have a remarkable guest whose journey
embodies the spirit of positive change and innovation. Kingsley Godwin is a seasoned professional with over a decade of experience across diverse sectors, from development to blockchain, and he's been at the forefront of driving impact on both local and global scales. Tune into this podcast as I uncover how
Kingsley, as a Country Ambassador at Impact Market Nigeria and Chairperson of the Commonwealth Youth Peace Ambassadors Network (CYPAN), is not just participating in change but driving it. His journey serves as a beacon of hope, illuminating the path for those who aspire to create positive change in Africa and beyond. So, if you're curious about the intersection of finance and social
good, and if you believe in the immense potential of Africa to lead the way in impact investing, you're in the right place.

Get ready for an inspiring and eye-opening conversation that promises to unveil the true essence of impact investing in Africa.

Check out The middle Road cart here.

Hello Kingsley welcome to the podcast show.

Let’s begin with a Global Impact Investing Overview before I dive into impact investing in Africa.

Apply for The middle Road Kusum Social Impact Awards here.

According to a GIIN report titled “Sizing the Impact Investing Market 2022” supported by Nuveen, the global champion of impact investing, the worldwide market size of impact investing stood at $1.164 trillion. This is figure of direct invested AUM (Asset Under Management) reported as of December
2021. Keep in mind, this analysis includes Green Bonds and other specialised bond issuance.

Kindly refer to the report for more details. For this report GIIN’s research team rigorously screened and analysed data from over 3,000 public and private market asset owners and managers screening is based on their criteria. However, only 2 percent of the impact investing AUM is allocated to Middle East and North Africa and 1percent to the sub-Saharan Africa. 1 This is to share a holistic perspective on the present state of impact investing in Africa.

✓ Let’s begin with your work experience. You have a very varied and diverse experience within the social impact sector in Africa. How did your work shape your interest in impact investing example as a Regional Program Officer at the West Africa Civil Society Forum (WACSOF).

Howdid this build your interest and your approach for impact investing sector?

✓ How do you perceive the stage of impact investing in Nigeria and its impact within the development sector compared to other countries in Africa example Kenya or other regions example commonwealth nations globally? Speak about the limitations you perceive example low impact driven investment within the region and how to enhance the inclusion through impact investing.

✓ Impact Market uses a community driven model to crowd source for generating capital for your members. As a Country Ambassador at Impact Market Nigeria, speak about how web3 drives financial solutions keeping in mind blockchain especially among the underprivileged section of the society?

o Also, how it differs from competitors example Kiva platform?

You are test marketing your product in microcredit in Uganda and Brazil. Do share the similarities and differences between consumers in both these countries?
Finally, kindly share a Aha moment that you want to share with the audience that brings happiness to you.

I thank you for sharing time and speaking with me. Keep in touch.

References:
1. Sizing the Impact Investing Market 2022 by GIIN
ImpactMarket.com

"The Middle Road: Enabling Social Change and Impact"Welcome to "The Middle Road" podcast with Mrinal Kapadia. "The Middle Road" is a thought leader upskilling platform within the social impact sector that blends media with edtech to promote affordable quality higher education.

Ladies and gentlemen, I am Nishant Malhotra, your host for The Middle Road podcast, and today I am delighted to have Mrinal Kapadia with us. Mrinal is a connoisseur of art and history with a particular interest in chronicling the history of Mumbai. He is an alumnus of the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, US where he studied and researched various aspects of Indian art and history, and nearly completed a minor degree in classical European archaeology.

After a short stint as a business management consultant, he is now involved across different business verticals, including film production. In 2020, he formalized his interest in history by founding the India Visual Art Archive, a collection of antique art and images that endeavors to link visuals through history and vice-versa. Through independent research, the archive is currently focused on colonial works from the erstwhile Bombay Presidency.

Mrinal's passion for exploring the rich cultural heritage of Mumbai has led him to undertake several projects and initiatives aimed at preserving and promoting the city's history. Through his extensive knowledge and research, he has developed a deep understanding of Mumbai's evolution, from its early days as a fishing village to its present-day status as one of India's most vibrant and dynamic cities.

Today's chat is to understand Mrinal's interest in art, culture, and heritage as both a hobby and work. We'll start with his academic learning at the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, where he took a minor in history and how it fostered his work as a researcher and collector of historical collectibles. We'll also discuss the areas of global history that inspired him to take up history, archaeology, and culture as a keen aspect of his work.

Check out the Online Courses on The middle Road here.

As a resident of Mumbai, Mrinal grew up in the city and is a keen connoisseur of its art and history. He has been researching this topic for many years and has conducted sessions on the British and Portuguese maritime connection with Mumbai, we explore the British and Portuguese maritime connections with Mumbai, tracing the city's history from a fledgling village to Bombaim and finally to Mumbai. Mrinal delves into the significant events and developments that have shaped Mumbai's history, including the story behind the iconic Chowpatty in Marine Drive. Learn more about the origins of the word "Mumbai."

Check out the Podcasts on The middle Road here.In terms of his professional career, Mrinal plans to continue his work as a researcher and collector of history. He encourages others to develop their hobbies into the highpoint of their lives. He also shares an "aha moment" that brings a smile.

Check out the Cart to buy Subscriptions, Stand alone Online Courses and Advertising Services.Check Cart here. Image: Chowpatty

Thank you, Mrinal, for sharing your time and insights with us. Art and history are some of my favorite topics, and it's always good to be connected to one's roots. To learn more about Mr. Kapadia's work, check out his newspaper articles or visit "The Middle Road -www.themiddleroad.org" website, where you can find publications, articles, online courses, podcasts, and more. A lot of material is free, so register and access the free material, including many online courses. You can also buy a monthly subscription plan, purchase a couple of stand-alone courses, and advertise on "The Middle Road

This is the full episode of the conversation of Dr Ed Cohen. Combines both episodes 34 and 33 as listed on The middle Road website - The middle Road podcast link here.

In episode 2, Dr. Ed Cohen discusses the economics of medicine with a focus on multiple frameworks for healing. The discussion is on various facets of healing, significant healing counsel therapy of Ed, chat about Ed's recent book On Learning to Heal or What Medicine Doesn’t Know. An interesting note on Dr. Franz Anton Mesmer on animal magnetism, the origins of single-blind test i.e., the first blind experiment conducted to investigate the claims of mesmerism and field effect. One of the research papers cited is listed below. Nishant highlights the positive attitude of Americans toward many aspects of healing and the Aha question.

It's important to listen to episode 1 of Nishant Malhotra’s discussion with Dr. Ed Cohen and then listen to this podcast.

Q). Nishant Malhotra Your paper The Placebo Disavowed: Or Unveiling the Bio-Medical Imagination is articulate and eloquent written with artistic flair exploring the scholarly topic of the efficacy of interventions example placebo, a key concept for understanding clinical trials and attitude towards alternative medication. In the Impact Evaluation Online Course, I have taught and introduced the concept of Randomized Controlled Trials. In the mentioned research piece, you mentioned positively about alternative medicines. According to Precedence Research, the global complementary and alternative medicine market size was valued at $92.65 billion in 2021 and is expected to reach over $411.4 billion by 2030, poised to grow at a CAGR of 18% from 2021 to 2030.

Dr. Ed Cohen website ✓ Department of Women’s, Gender and Sexuality Studies |Rutgers University ✓ On Learning to Heal or What Medicine Doesn’t Know by Dr. Ed CohenThe Placebo Disavowed: Or Unveiling the Bio-Medical Imaginationwww.precedenceresearch.com

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The middle Road is a thought leader platform enabling social change and impact. The startup blends Media with EdTech to promote and upskill the audience through publications, articles, online courses, podcasts, and videos across various topics example Economics & Development Economics, Finance & Sustainable Finance, Impact Evaluation & Statistics, etc. The mantra of the company is to spread affordable quality higher education.

Check out The middle Road.

Check out The middle Road podcast section for a detailed read with embed video podcast of the full episode here.

Nishant Malhotra fireside chat with Dr. Ed Cohen. This podcast has two episodes. In the first episode with Dr. Ed, Nishant discusses his struggle and triumph over Crohn’s illness. Ed discusses the self-awareness he developed due to the ailment, his role model especially Michel Foucault, who influenced his thinking. In this first riveting episode, understand Modern Thought and its practical implications.

Foucault’s wisdom according to Dr Ed Cohen “what’s the point of writing a book if you are the same person when you finished writing the book and when you started writing the book.”

Dr. Ed Cohen, is a Professor at Rutgers University and a Psychagogue at Healing Counsel, a therapeutic practice for healing. An accomplished author, Ed’s recent book On Learning to Heal or What Medicine Doesn’t Know talks draws on fifty years of living with Crohn’s to consider how Western medicine’s turn from an “art of healing” toward a “science of medicine” deeply affects both medical practitioners and their patients. Ed has a Ph.D. from the Stanford University in Modern Thought, A.B. summa cum laude, and Honors from English and Mathematics, Georgetown University.

Hello Dr. Ed Cohen, thank you for joining The middle Road platform.

Nishant: First, Ed lets first understand the term Psychagogue. I loved the way you have described the term in your LinkedIn profile. How is psychagogue different from pedagogy?

Second episode covers the topic of healing and much more.

Hello this is Nishant Malhotra, Solo Founder of The middle Road, a thought leader platform enabling social change and impact. The startup promotes, educates and provides upskilling within the social impact sector through publications, online courses, podcasts and videos. Check out www.themiddleroad.org to subscribe and buy a couple of stand-alone courses.

Listen to an engaging conversation with students of Centre for Social Entrepreneurship and Development (CSED) club from Vellore Institute of Technology, India. The conversation is on student led activities that accelerate social entrepreneurship and impact.

Today Nishant chats with students from Vellore Institute of Technology (VIT), India, a leading academic institute in India. Its engineering college ranks among the best in India. Nishant had judged an event for Centre for Social Entrepreneurship and Development (CSED). The discussion with members of CSED is about their journey as part of this club. Founded in 2010, the Centre for Social Entrepreneurship and Development (CSED) is a student-led organization based at Vellore Institute of Technology, Vellore, India.

The discussion is on CSED activities with a focus on social entrepreneurship.

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Nishant Malhotra is the Solo Founder of The middle Road platform a thought leader online learning platform enabling social change and impact globally. The startup fuses Media and Edtech to spread affordable education through comprehensive publications, articles, online courses, podcasts and much more. Refer to the site here.

Nishant Malhotra’s Discussion with Surabhi Yadav, Sajhe Sapne, Founder & CEO The middle Road, a thought leadership and online learning platform enabling social change and impact

In this episode from The middle Road, I chat primarily with Surabhi Yadav, Founder & CEO of Sajhe Sapne, a nonprofit that’s empowering rural women through quality education and catalysing livelihood for the underserved section of the society.

Q). Hello, Surabhi I thank you for chatting with me about your work. You have had a tremendous journey both personally and professionally. You went to IIT, Delhi, one of the best engineering colleges in India for your under and a post-graduate degree in engineering. You also did a master's in development practice from the University of California, Berkeley, US. Today as Founder & CEO of Sajhe Sapne, your organization is empowering rural women in India through quality education. An overwhelming majority of India’s rural population works in the unorganized sector. Kindly share your journey highlighting the motivation in setting up your nonprofit.

Q). You have a flagship program in Management and Rural Development where you train, skill, and provide jobs to rural women between the age of 18-24 years. Please speak about this ground-breaking residential program that is enabling social change and impact within the Indian ecosystem. Q). Surabhi - 65 percent of the Indian population resides in the rural area with a literacy rate of 73.5 percent as of 2021. 1

However, the quality of education is not good. The Indian government has initiatives example Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalaya, Beti Bachao Beti Padhao, and Digital Initiatives that facilitate education for women. How do you think these policies are bettering your organization's mission and vision? What are the qualitative insights you would like to share that you encounter in your effort to educate rural women? Describe roadblocks and impediments and the steps you take to overcome these challenges.

For full list of questions, refer to The middle Road podcast section

Podcast Questions from The middle Road

Nishant Malhotra is the Solo Founder of The middle Road platform a thought leader online learning platform enabling social change and impact globally. The startup fuses Media and Edtech to spread affordable education through comprehensive publications, articles, online courses, podcasts and much more. Refer to the site here.

Nishant Malhotra’s Discussion with Surabhi Yadav, Sajhe Sapne, Founder & CEO The middle Road, a thought leadership and online learning platform enabling social change and impact

In this episode from The middle Road, I chat primarily with Surabhi Yadav, Founder & CEO of Sajhe Sapne, a nonprofit that’s empowering rural women through quality education and catalysing livelihood for the underserved section of the society.

Q). Hello, Surabhi I thank you for chatting with me about your work. You have had a tremendous journey both personally and professionally. You went to IIT, Delhi, one of the best engineering colleges in India for your under and a post-graduate degree in engineering. You also did a master's in development practice from the University of California, Berkeley, US. Today as Founder & CEO of Sajhe Sapne, your organization is empowering rural women in India through quality education. An overwhelming majority of India’s rural population works in the unorganized sector. Kindly share your journey highlighting the motivation in setting up your nonprofit.

Q). You have a flagship program in Management and Rural Development where you train, skill, and provide jobs to rural women between the age of 18-24 years. Please speak about this ground-breaking residential program that is enabling social change and impact within the Indian ecosystem. Q). Surabhi - 65 percent of the Indian population resides in the rural area with a literacy rate of 73.5 percent as of 2021. 1

However, the quality of education is not good. The Indian government has initiatives example Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalaya, Beti Bachao Beti Padhao, and Digital Initiatives that facilitate education for women. How do you think these policies are bettering your organization's mission and vision? What are the qualitative insights you would like to share that you encounter in your effort to educate rural women? Describe roadblocks and impediments and the steps you take to overcome these challenges.

For full list of questions, refer to The middle Road podcast section

Nishant Malhotra's riveting conversation with Bhargav Sri Prakash.

A brief about Bhargav Sri Prakash.

Bhargav is an alum of the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, and is passionate about using technology to solve complex problems governing society. Bhargav is the recipient of the world’s first digital vaccine patent. He is the Founder & CEO of Friendslearn, a biotech and medical technology company and pioneer of neuropsychology-based digital vaccines to prevent lifestyle diseases. He has worked in collaborative roles in research with leading global research and think tank institutes.

Refer to the questions below.

Nishant Malhotra: Bhargav thanks for joining The middle Road for an informative conversation with regards to your work at Friendslearn. You received the patent for the world’s first digital vaccine. The digital vaccine uses technology to nudge people towards positive behaviour using a tool called neurocognitive training. Tell the audience about this wonderful invention.

· The vaccine was developed as part of Carnegie Mellon University’s digital vaccine project. Richard King Mellon Foundation awarded the grant for the digital vaccine project. Share the journey that brought you to the Carnegie Mellon University project.

· How impactful is your vaccine for adults? It’s easy to modulate the behaviour of children through games and neurocognitive training but tell us what kind of results have you achieved in altering the behaviour pattern for adults for the better.

· Cass Sunstein and Richard Thaler have written about how nudging can be used in public policy for societal good. Although nudging is used for productive behaviour, Facebook has come under universal criticism for its adverse cognitive practices on Facebook customers. How do you think the cognitive field is going to evolve for the better as we advance? o How will practitioners of cognitive science respond to the growing concern from the society?

· Share an Aha Aha experience with the audience. I thank you and wish you the very best in your journey ahead

I am Nishant Malhotra, Solo Founder of Middle Road OPC Pvt Ltd, a for-profit social impact startup enabling social change and impact within the global arena. The middle Roadis a SAAS-based global thought leader platform – that synergizes Media with EdTech to spread affordable quality higher education and thought leadership globally within the parlance of the social impact sector.

In this special episode, Nishant Malhotra, Solo Founder of The middle Road platform and for-profit social impact startup Middle Road OPC Pvt Ltd, chats about various product offerings. The discussion is about various Online Courses offered by the thought leader platform The middle Road (www.themiddleroad.org) especially in impact evaluation, sustainable finance, economics etc. The middle Road platform recently moved into a subscription based model, listen to the various online courses, learn about Insights the flagship publication of the startup, guest feature, global bytes and much more.

The middle Road (www.themiddleroad.org) is a SAAS-based global thought leader platform – that synergizes Media with EdTech to spread affordable quality higher education and thought leadership globally within the parlance of the social impact sector. Inspired by the seventeen sustainable development goals, The middle Road's mission is to make a holistic change within society. The startup promotes finance & economics, sustainable development, art, culture, and well-being supported by well-rounded and comprehensive online learning initiatives. Known for its intense and educativereads, insightful and informative podcasts, webinars and videos, and comprehensive onlinecourses, the company is a refreshing change from any of its peers, youthful yet measured, enlightening yet lively, creative yet simplistic, thought-provoking, multifaceted, and instructional. Check out www.themiddleroad.org.

Insights are educational reads with about 2000 to 4000 research focussed scholarly reads many times with embedded videos on topics related to the mission of The middle Road. These publications are integrated through podcasts and online courses to educate the audience on topics example developmental economics, sustainable finance, impact evaluation etc. There is a guest feature wherein guest authors can publish on the platform. Global bytes are terse posts that talk about the latest form the development sector or add on to the learning within the mission of The middle Road.

The startup recently started a subscription model to access online courses, publications, and selected reads of podcasts on The middle Road. Keep listening to podcasts from The middle Road. Subscribe and read on The middle Road to know more. Thank you listening to my latest podcast. Keep tuned to the latest from The middle Road, reach out to me at nishant@themiddleroad.org if you would like to a guest author and publish under Insights or Global Bytes or a podcast host. Further feel free to get in touch for queries or problems with subscription.

Hello Everyone, very happy to introduce Paola Cyment, a senior project manager at Women in Migration Network, a nonprofit that promotes women’s human rights for all migration and development policy. Paola wears many hats professionally and has worked across many organizations and profiles within the international development sector. She is presently based in Buenos Aires, Argentina and has a master’s in international affairs from the School of International and Public Affairs, Columbia University. In today’s splendid discussion, I chat with Paola on many issues governing society including women's rights. Its good to watch the video interview along with the podcast, so you can visually watch the dashboard of the research work. You Tube link here.

Hello, Paola great to have you for a podcast with The middle Road.

Paola, you work in a fascinating country, Argentina. I am a diehard fan of Diego Maradona, Messi, and Argentina’s soccer team. Delighted to feature someone from the Argentina on The middle Road platform.

Paola, kindly discuss your present work at the Women in Migration Network. You are an advocate of women's human rights. Do share your views both globally and in Argentina on how women's rights are evolving. Are they getting better?

The situation for migrants has been very bad. Algeria expelled over 17,000 migrants last year mostly Sub-Saharan African, between January and October 10 last year, including hundreds of women and children and some registered asylum seekers. This continued even during COVID-19 lockdown, included violations of women’s dignity. 1 Women trafficking is increasing, according to human rights watch at alarming levels in some countries globally. On the other hand, Armenia ratified the Council of Europe’s Convention on Protection of Children against Sexual Exploitation and Sexual Abuse (“Lanzarote Convention”). 1

The middle Road is proud to feature and showcase the Theory of Change Certification Course on the thought leader platform. This is a highly curated feature designed to promote the work of selected actors within the global social impact arena whose work lies within the mission of The middle Road. Nishant Malhotra, Sole Founder & CEO of the venture, reached out to Dr. Helene Clark to highlight the Theory of Change certification course offered by her nonprofit Center For Theory of Change.

Refer to the podcast with Helene on Theory of Change.

Welcome to another scintillating podcast with The middle Road, a global social impact platform. In today’s episode Nishant Malhotra, Sole Founder of The middle Road platform chats with Simranpreet Singh Oberoi, Co-Founder of an equitable educational driven nonprofit enabling social change and impact at the grassroots level within the Indian ecosystem. The middle Road is a thought leader startup, that fuses Media and EdTech for a measurable impact. The venture features research-driven publications & articles, online courses, videos & podcasts in a community-led model across diverse themes and topics. Simranpreet Singh Oberoi great to e-meet you for a video podcast to discuss your work and career transition within the development sector. Today’s discussion’s prime purpose is to share with the audience your story in enabling social change and impact within the primary public education system in the Punjab region in India through Sanjhi Sikhiya.

Sanjhi Sikhiya is a platform that supports diverse development initiatives across Punjab. Sanjhi Sikhiya’s flagship initiative Punjab Youth Leaders Program (PYLP), a two-year leadership program aims to build a cadre of young leaders across Punjab to innovate and create systemic and sustainable solutions that address the pressing issues of Punjab.

Simranpreet is the co-founder of Sanjhi Sikhiya Foundation, a community based nonprofit that works through a collective effort to transform Punjab into a land of hope, courage and possibilities. Simranpreet has worn many hats at multiple organizations within the development sector in India. He has led key strategic initiatives as a part of Genpact’s CSR efforts. Example Genpact Social Impact Fellowship (GSIF), Genpact Centre for Process Transformation (GCPT), and School Centred Community Development (SCCD). He is playing a transformative role within the education sector in Punjab and his present venture is backed by leading philanthropists like Amit Chandra, Deep Kalra, BK Kalra and Suman Munjal.

Hello, Simranpreet great to have you here.

Before we begin, a brief yet invigorating snapshot of Punjab province/state. Punjab, is a popular, multicultural and dimensional province/state in India, known for world class artistic urban locations, green agricultural belt, amicable and diverse culture that defines the fabric of Indian diaspora. Its capital Chandigarh, also the joint capital of Haryana (a state in India) and a Union Territory, is one of the most elegant & urban cities in the world known for its architectural and visual splendour. Chandigarh’s master plan was designed by the world-famous architect Le Corbusier, (Lu Corbosieer) and the city is home to the iconic Rock Garden and Capitol Complex. Famous architects like Albert Mayer, Pierre Jeanneret (Pier Jenhai), Jane Drew and Maxwell Fry have designed city’s housing and buildings based on information shared by WHC UNESCO.

Chandigarh Capitol Complex is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and the city was the first planned city post-Indian independence. Chandigarh leads in the human development index in India and has the highest capital per person in the country. Amritsar, a spiritual city for many especially Sikhs, is a major city in Punjab and houses The Golden Temple (also known as the Harmandir Sahib). Ludhiana is the most populous and the commercial capital of the state of Punjab. The World Bank rated Ludhiana with the best business environment in 2009 and 2013, the city is an industrial powerhouse, producing more than 50 percent of Indian bicycles.

Q). Simran, how did your experience at various places and your education at Ashoka University prepare for your work at Sanjhi Sikhiya Foundation? I also had a chat with Anu Prasad here who played a fundamental role in setting up Ashoka University.

Q). You worked in diverse roles at various foundations including the present CSR work at Genpact. How did it enable and facilitate a transition as a cofounder of your present non-profit? Let’s begin with your Genpact experience and as a chief project officer at Shoshit Samadhan Kendra (SSK), what were your observations and learnings in schooling for children in the underserved Musahar community. You wore multiple hats in this profile. Share your story.

Q). How did the idea of invigorating and educating the youth in the rural region of Punjab occur to you? The Indian primary education system needs an overhauling. 15% of the students in grade 8 could not read grade 2 text. India spent 3.8% of its GDP on education in 2019 compared to a Global average of 4.8% according to UNDP Human Development Report 2019. The figure for Nepal was 5.1%, US 5%, Finland 7.1% for 2019. Finland is a world leader in inventiveness in K12 education.

Q): At present you are in 850 schools and plan to reach all the 12,000 primary schools in Punjab by 2025. What strategies are you looking to scale up your operation in terms of partnerships, community driven models etc. for a common social good?

A more detailed version refer to The middle Road under Podcast section.

Today, I (Nishant Malhotra - Sole Founder of The middle Road thought leader platform) will be covering a brief overview of the Biodiversity Ecosystem. In this educational video/podcast, you will know the origins of the Convention on Biological Diversity, the risks facing the global environment landscape, and the social and economic importance of nature-based systems. It's prudent to know about the Strategic Plan for biodiversity from 2011 to 2020 with a peek at the Global Status of Aichi Biodiversity Goals. The module focuses on the financial tools & metrics to achieve biodiversity goals with a brief overview of Sustainable Finance as an enabler.

Convention of Biological Diversity CBD, is the apex body overlooking the biodiversity sector and is the apex body enabling social change and impact within biological diversity globally. CBD was formed in 1992 during the Foundation United Nations Conference on Environment and Development also known as the Rio "Earth Summit". An international legal instrument, CBD's mandate is to drive the Global Framework of Biodiversity. Today 194 countries have ratified the agreement. The mission of CBD is to Encourage actions that lead to a Sustainable Future, its governing body termed COP or Conference of Parties, CBD has authority over all the signatories.

So, what do we mean by Biodiversity?

In a broader sense Convention on Biological Diversity represents a dramatic step forward in the Conservation of biological diversity, the Sustainable use of its components, and the Fair and Equitable Sharing of benefits arising from the use of genetic resources.”

The areas under biodiversity are broad- divided into Ecosystems, Species, and Genetic Resources. It operates in all these domains and much more. The convention of Biological Diversity is under the umbrella of the United Nations Environment Program. Listed names of some important actors/entities and initiatives within this space. Example of few entities/actors within this space are as follows. The Nature Conservancy is the largest environmental nonprofit in the world with World Wide Fund for Nature dominating conservation of natural habitat. ICMA is the driver of sustainable bonds principles, Iceberg Data Lab is one of the drivers of metrics for estimating Biodiversity footprint.

Why is preserving, nurturing, and enhancing Biodiversity so important? To begin with we have a looming Global Environmental Crisis. According to a report, the natural ecosystem has declined by 47% from the earliest recorded state. According to the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES), human actions have significantly altered the natural environment. About 75% of the land-based environment and roughly 66% of the marine environment. With one million species under threat of extinction, the loss of biodiversity has a significant impact on the wellbeing and wellness of society. To top it all, The Biodiversity Finance Initiative (BIOFIN) estimates annual funding needs between $150 to $440 billion but $52 billion is spent per year. This translates into a gap of $98 billion to $388 billion per year. Further, WEF estimates more than half of the world’s GDP is exposed to the risk of nature loss.

Nature-Based Solutions and Transitions not only solves the equation of ecological imbalances enabling sustainable wellbeing for everyone but also have significant quantifiable achievements. Business for Nature and ICC estimates nature-based transitions will lead to $10 trillion in the business opportunity, generating 395 million jobs by 2030. For countries example India where a majority of jobs are in the unorganized sector, nature-based solutions are a panacea for enabling social change and impact for the less privileged people of the society. Nature Based Solutions can lead to one third of the net reductions in greenhouse gas emissions required to meet the Paris Agreement’s goals based on the Global Biodiversity Outlook 5.

The graph of alternative and nuclear energy as a percentage of total energy for the World, OECD member countries and the US is increasing at a steady rate. Note: Clean energy is noncarbohydrate energy that does not produce carbon dioxide when generated. It includes hydropower and nuclear, geothermal, and solar power, among others. The figure for the world has shot up to about 13.35% in 2015 from 8.26% in 2010 as percent of total energy. The value for OECD member countries is similar with US is roughly 11.87%. This confirms that over the period the world is moving towards sustainable living.

To have a fantastic overview of how the world performed during the last decade on key performance indicators, let’s look at the multilateral treaty Strategic Plan for Biodiversity 2011-2020. Under this treaty, Aichi Biodiversity Targets were set for the decade, the United Nations decade of Biodiversity. Aichi Biodiversity Targets are set of 20 Targets under 5 Strategic Goals set to achieve over the decade 2011-2020. Many of these targets overlap the United Nations' seventeen sustainable goals. For example, Target 1 focuses on spreading high awareness about the biodiversity agenda. According to Global Biodiversity Outlook 5, a recent survey reveals that only more than a third of the population living in biodiverse countries have a high awareness of the values of biodiversity and steps needed for its conservation and sustainable use. Sadly, the target is not met.

Herein, we can see the global status of Aichi Biodiversity Targets. Out of 196 countries, about 67.35% i.e. 132 countries have not reported data on the Aichi Biodiversity Targets. There is a mismatch between national and the Aichi Biodiversity Targets. Only 10% of the national targets will be met and are also similar to Aichi targets. This means 90% of the Aichi targets are not aligned to national targets, a divergence between global and local push towards achieving biodiversity goals. 15.31% of the countries covered i.e. is 30 countries have an insufficient rate towards achieving designated Aichi targets. Only 10.71% or 21 countries are meeting the global framework targets. But all is not lost. There has been limited progress since 2000. Over the two decades since 2000, there has been an increase in protected area estate. Key biodiversity areas have increased from 29% to 44%, marine areas from 3% to at least 7%, and territorial areas from 10% to at least 15%.

Selected milestones are as follows.

Almost 100 countries have incorporated biodiversity values into the national accounting system, Aichi Target 2.
The rate of deforestation has fallen by a third or 33.3% over the previous decade i.e. 2000 – 2010 with financial resources doubling for biodiversity.
Nagoya Protocol on Access to Genetic Resources and the Fair & Equitable Sharing of Benefits is operational in at least 87 countries. Although the Nagoya Protocol was adopted on 29 October 2010 in Nagoya, Japan, it is only in the previous decade it entered in force.
A quick look at the financial tools and metrics to achieve Biodiversity Goal. In recent years, sustainable finance is emerging as a key differentiator in invigorating the sustainable development ecosystem. There is an in-depth presentation and webinar on this topic. Kindly go to www.themiddleroad.org and check out the webinar and online courses section. Refer to articles on financial innovation example blended finance that has been within the mainstay finance for a while but common within the development sector in the previous decade. Check out the publication on the Sustainable Finance, know more about asset backed securities and stay tuned for more. Blended Finance has been within mainstream finance for some time but its use within the development sector has gained over the last decade. Asset backed securities are not a major portion of the overall sustainable issuance market globally. US leads this segment with China and Europe share growing.

An article of Responsible Investor mentions that OECD estimates green ABS annual issuance could reach USD 84bn by 2035 in Europe i.e. 37% of green securities against a global tally of USD 280-380 billion in ABS by 2035 for renewable energy, energy efficiency and low-emission vehicles (LEVs) alone.

According to Credit Agricole and Bloomberg, Sustainable issuance in 2021 stood at € 782 billion /~ $893 billion for data until 19 November 2021. (Exchange figures used as of 15-01-2022). The figure does not cover US Municipals & US Mortgages and there are a few selections here as well. The total sustainable issuance is expected to grow to ~1.37 trillion. In 2022 with Green issuance leading at 52%. Sustainability Linked Bonds will grow to 20%, it registered a 10% share in 2021 the highest percentage increase among green, social, and sustainability categories. According to Credit Agricole, both Social and Sustainability would have a 14% share in 2022 of the over $1.37 trillion markets. Going forward, one key financial tool could be the sovereign sustainability linked bonds, a more in-depth tutorial will be coming out from The middle Road.

For the educational video and publication refer to the link here.

Hello,

A very warm welcome to a very insightful and informative podcast from The middle Road platform. This is Nishant Malhotra, your host discussing a special social impact story on Biodiversity.

In today's educational podcast, I will share an overview of the biodiversity sector, why the persevering biodiversity sector is key to a more equitable future, its impact on the society observed through the financial sector, sustainable finance, tools, metrics used to measure the impact of human interaction and policies on nature conservation and restoration. Recently, The middle Road became a member of the European Union Business @ Biodiversity platform, a global thought-leading platform enabling social change and impact within the biodiversity-ecosystem. The middle Road is a thought leadership terminal blending Media and EdTech for a more sustainable and equitable future. Key sources of references are Finance for Biodiversity Guide on biodiversity measurement approaches, Positive Impact Finance for Business & Biodiversity, EU Biodiversity Strategy for 2030 among others.

Why is Biodiversity so important and what do we mean by the term Biodiversity?

Biodiversity is defined as ‘the diversity of species, variation of genes and different ecosystems’ (Term used by the Convention on Biological Diversity, CBD).

About a million species are under threat of extinction, and based on World Economic Forum more than 50 percent of the World’s Global GDP are dependent on nature and exposed to the risk of alteration of the natural habitat. This analysis forms the bedrock of the importance of nature for the social development of humanity. International Monetary Fund, World Economic Outlook Database, October 2021, estimates global GDP for selected countries to be $95.6 trillion approximately. According to World Bank national accounts data, and OECD National Accounts data files, the top five countries the United States, China, Japan, Germany, and the United Kingdom’s combined GDP accounted for 52.2 trillion approximately, accounting for 55.2% of the World GDP. The inequitable distribution of national wealth shows the increasing responsibility of a few nations to drive the sustainable development agenda. Based on a report by Business for Nature & ICC, a nature-based transition could lead to $10 trillion in business opportunity creating 395 million jobs by 2030.

The pandemic has shown the importance of preserving nature for bettering humans’ response to the wellbeing of society. One of the major reports to be published on the economic impact on this subject matter is Das Gupta’s The Economics of Biodiversity: The Dasgupta Review. The above analysis underpins the importance of biodiversity, both social and economic importance to the world. United Nations Conference on Environment and Development (popularly known as Rio "Earth Summit") started the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) on 22 May 1992 where the adoption of the agreed text of Convention on Biological Diversity took place. The proliferation of worldwide drive towards sustainable development led to an accelerated focus towards facilitating policies for enhancing thought leadership for biodiversity.

In the words of CBD “It represents a dramatic step forward in the conservation of biological diversity, the sustainable use of its components, and the fair and equitable sharing of benefits arising from the use of genetic resources.” Looking at the enormity of the social and economic problem, multiple actors came together to work out a comprehensive plan to develop a framework for understanding positive biodiversity impact within the financial parlance. To devise policies, measure social and economic loss: - policymakers, social impact practitioners, financial intuitions and corporates need to understand the positive impact for financial institutions. To understand more about biodiversity and financial institutions let’s look at Finance for Biodiversity Pledge group. Finance for Biodiversity Pledge launched by a group of six financial institutions on 25 September 2020 , today has 84 members. The members have set minimum standards to achieve by 2024 ( reverse and conserve nature loss) example collaboration among various actors within the business and social ecosystem, set targets, engage with companies, access impact, and report publicly making the process more transparent.

Positive Impact Finance is defined in UNEP-FI’s Positive Impact Finance Manifesto as “that which verifiably produces a positive impact on the economy, society or the environment once any potential negative impacts have been duly identified and mitigated”.

Understanding of positive and negative net gain is the key to deriving biodiversity net gain, a measurement that incorporates Environmental, Social, and Governance aspects within its methodology to evaluate social impact. This forms the backbone for implementing investment strategies for financial institutions with biodiversity and natural habitat as the central tenet for investing. Corporates could focus on increasing biodiversity gain from projects in CSR or innovating products or processes that can lead to a positive biodiversity gain. For example, prioritizing products or suppliers of raw material from the sustainable agricultural sector. Biodiversity lies within the climate change agenda to increase carbon storage through preservation and restoration of forestry example mangroves. Listen to the podcast with Alfredo Quarto for a more nuanced overview of Mangroves. EU through its financial perspective program has started various programs to advance biodiversity. Example LIFE program shares grants within biodiversity, a common agricultural policy that finances green infrastructure among others. Grants are donations that are part of concessionary or better philanthropic funding that focuses on social return rather than economic return. An innovative manner of amplifying and crowding private sector capital for development projects is through blended finance.

IFC defines blended finance as the use of relatively small amounts of concessional donor funds to mitigate specific investment risks and help rebalance risk-reward profiles of pioneering investments that are unable to proceed on strictly commercial terms. Structured as co-investments with private capital, the purpose is to fund sustainable development projects along with the financial return. Blended finance instruments vary across asset classes from equity, debt, risk-sharing or guaranteed products like first loss guarantee wherein donor capital forms the first layer of loss of capital to absorb initial losses in a project or a program. This form of funding is designed to fund projects targeting underserved or underprivileged sections of the society that otherwise do not attract capital due to market failures within the economy. Refer to online courses on The middle Road | www.themiddleroad.org. Look at microeconomic modules to know more about market failures. Eco-Business Fund is an excellent example of an entity using blended finance. Eco-Business Fund provides technical and financial assistance to entities in Latin America, the Caribbean, and sub-Saharan Africa. The fund focuses on sustainability in four economic sectors: agriculture and agri-processing, fishery and aquaculture, forestry, and tourism. Financed by both public and private investors and donors, the fund uses both concessionary and non-concessionary funds to fund target groups or intermediaries providing funding and technical assistance. For example, the fund provided a $30 million loan to an entity in Mexico to finance sustainable agricultural products. Since its launch in 2014, the fund has $430 million sub-loans outstanding, financed 120,000 hectares under agroforestry systems, enabled 4.5 million m3 litres of water savings through water-efficient technologies, etc.

Blended finance is an important aspect of sustainable finance. A riveting example in sustainable finance is the recent largest blue bond for ocean conservation issued by the Nature Conservancy (TNC) and Credit Suisse. The Blue Bond proceeds enabled TNC to provide loans to the Belize government to retire outstanding Eurobonds at a steep discount to the face value. Blue Bonds are fixed income or debt instruments that target marine and ocean-based projects. The structure of this financial instrument is more complicated and will be discussed, at a later date. A good read on this subject is Belize’s Big Blue Debt Deal: At last, A Scalable Model? By Clemence Landers and Nancy Lee, a highly recommended read. A brief about Eurobonds. Eurobonds are external market bonds that are issued in a foreign currency underwritten by an international syndicate. An example is a Euro Dollar Bond or Euro Yen bond. The first Euro bond was in 1963 by Autostrade in Italy.

For full read (transcript of the podcast) click the link here.

I thank you for listening to this session on biodiversity. More will be posted on The middle Road platform so keep checking the site. Cheers, see you around. This is Nishant Malhotra, Sole Founder of The middle Road platform a global leader in enabling social change and impact for a better tomorrow. Have a good one.

This is a special feature on 2021, kickstarts the first podcast on Social Impact Update from The middle Road. Do refer to the add on educational publication following this podcast. This is going to be a regular feature from The middle Road.

First a bit about The middle Road platform. Inspired by the seventeen sustainable development goals, and keeping the model simple yet elegant, The middle Road’s mission is to make a holistic change within the world. The startup promotes themes on sustainable development, art, culture, well-being supported by well-rounded and comprehensive online learning initiatives. Despite being a one-person company, The middle Road platform has a global audience with readers and learners from across the globe. Known for its intense and educative reads, insightful and informative podcasts, webinars and videos, and educational online courses, the company is a global thought leader in social impact. The startup is a refreshing change from any of its peers, youthful yet measured, enlightening yet fun, creative yet simplistic, thought-provoking, multifaceted and, instructional. Within a short period, the startup has interviewed leading social enablers across continents, posted research focussed futuristic publications on topics related to the social and development sector artistically leading the way. This read captures some significant news from 2021, especially the reads covered on The middle Road platform.

GRAPH DATA SOURCE UNESCO | THE MIDDLE ROAD

Note: GERD figures are in PPP$ (constant 2005 prices). Many of the underlying data are estimated by the UNESCO Institute for Statistics for developing countries, in particular. Furthermore, in a substantial number of developing countries data do not cover all sectors of the economy.

The Ongoing Pandemic

2021 will go down as the fastest vaccine rollout, yet the vaccination against the novel coronavirus is riddled with vaccine inequality. The share of fully vaccinated people in low income countries still hovers around 4 percent. Compare this to ~70% fully vaccinated population in high-income countries and 72% in Upper Middle-Income countries as per data shared by Our World in Data as of 30 December 2021. As of today, the cumulative cases exceed 284 million, registered deaths overtaking 5.4 million with actual figures much higher than the reported figures.

The emergence of Omicron further exacerbated the problem of global recovery. Omicron is now the most dominant strain in the US and has exploded in Europe. First reported in South Africa on 24 November 2021, the new variant accounts for 73% of cases as per the CDC report for mid-December. CDC’s national genomic surveillance efforts are statistically powered to detect a variant that is circulating at 0.1% with 99% confidence and can monitor changes over time. To know more confidence intervals, refer to the online courses’ statistics modules on The middle Road. Both the World Bank and IMF took out packages to fine-tune the global asymmetries caused to the pandemic. The World Bank Group has committed $157 billion since the beginning of the pandemic while IMF proposed a $50 billion plan in 2021 enabling social change impact within the global arena. This pandemic has seen upwards of $16 trillion stimuli, the largest amount in modern history to fight the novel coronavirus. African Development Bank and Asian Development Bank are other multilateral that stood out for their work during the pandemic. Asian Development Bank announced a $20 billion dollar to support its developing countries in April 2020 and the $9 billion APVAX vaccine initiative announced in December 2020 offers support for its member countries for an equitable and safe rollout of COVID-19 vaccines. According to many estimates, the COVID-19 crisis has caused the worst recession since World War 2 with Global Debt standing at $296 trillion by Q3, 2021, according to the Institute of International Finance.

SOURCE: WORLD BANK | IMAGE THE MIDDLE ROAD

WORLD BANK AND UNESCO DEFINE LEARNING POVERTY AS CHILDREN UNABLE TO READ AND UNDERSTAND A SIMPLE TEXT BY THE AGE OF 10. BASED ON A WORLD BANK STUDY, OUT OF 720 MILLION PRIMARY SCHOOL CHILDREN, 382 MILLION OF THEM ARE LEARNING POOR. POOR LEARNING SKILLS ARE ONE OF THE MOST SIGNIFICANT BARRIERS TO ERADICATING POVERTY. THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC COULD INCREASE AN ADDITIONAL 72 TO 454 MILLION STUDENTS INTO LEARNING POVERTY. WITH PROLONGED SCHOOL CLOSURES, LEARNING POVERTY WOULD PREVAIL IN ABOUT 70 PERCENT OF LOW- AND MEDIUM-INCOME COUNTRIES.

2021 saw continued refugee crisis According to UNHCR 35,000 refugees are uprooted in Sudan; Afghanistan faces an economic collapse Inflation Mother of All Headaches Inflation is one of the major concerns facing the world today. The middle Road was one of the first publications to point out inflation risk and has a detailed education video on this topic. Refer to Understanding Stabilization in Macroeconomics tutorial ==> Online Courses on The middle Road.

Poor countries are the worst hit with food inflation rising due to supply disruptions. Example, sub Saharan region. Based on the IMF article, food accounts for 40 percent of the region’s CPI index, any increase in food prices increases inflation drastically. Food inflation was 11 percent from April this year till October. High oil prices, supply disruption due to the pandemic, export restriction by countries and stockpiling are the reasons that contributed to an increase in food prices. According to the IMF report, the percentage of undernourished people increased by 20 percent in 2020. Check online courses for educational videos on Macroeconomics, Central Banks and Inflation.

Sustainable Finance- Emergence of ESG

Climate Change and Action is a huge global issue, and sustainable finance is one of the enablers within this segment. Recently, the European Union, a leader in implementing policies for a sustainable economy designated a corpus of EUR 100 billion under the Multiannual Financial Framework (2021 to 2027) and Next GenEU (NGEU) for biodiversity projects. +

As global urbanization increases to ~50%, humanity is fast losing its touch with mother nature. The social costs associated with loss of the biodiversity-ecosystem are difficult to measurable with IMF estimates of global subsidy from undercharging for energy and its environmental costs in 2017 alone a staggering $5.2 trillion, or 6.5 percent of world GDP.

The Sustainable Debt is expected to be ~$1.5 trillion in 2021 based on the Institute of International Finance. Sustainable Bonds that are a subset of Sustainable Debt stood just shy of the $1 trillion mark. According to ING, in 2021 €875 billion (approximately $994 billion) of bonds were issued in all currencies where the use of proceeds was linked to green, social, sustainable, and SDG frameworks. Climate Bonds Initiative estimates green bonds issuance will trillion in annual issuance by 2023. The green bond market remains the most dominant within this segment, a key innovative feature to emerge in recent times is SDG linked bond. Transition bonds are another class of debt instrument used to finance decarbonization among high carbon-emitting industries. The SARS-Cov-2 has enhanced the issuance of social bonds as a vehicle to deliver social change and impact for the underserved and less privileged segment of society.

GRAPH: SOURCE CLIMATE BONDS INITIATIVE : THE MIDDLE ROAD Asian Development Bank estimates that Asia and the Pacific will need to invest $1.7 trillion per year to support climate and sustainable development goals.

Enel, a European multinational is a pioneer in issuing SDG-linked bonds, with coupon payments linked to sustainable development goals. Enel established a Sustainability-Linked Financing Framework to aid issuance of Sustainability-Linked Financing instruments for its Euro Commercial Program. The financing instrument targets Sustainable Development Goal 7 on Affordable and Clean Energy (SDG 7). These bonds have a step-up coupon feature i.e. they have to pay a penalty for missing the key performance indicator mapped to coupon payment. Refer to publications and articles on Sustainable Finance on www.themiddleroad.org to get in-depth knowledge on Sustainable Bonds.

If Denmark is a champion of implementing best sustainable practices example promoting cycling as a mode of transport, then Singapore’s 2030 Green Plan is an inspiration for thought leadership within the sustainable development sector. The middle Road envisions Singapore’s 2030 Green Plan to a bell weather effort comparable to the Finland’s or better Nordic countries holistic foray in bettering K-12 education globally. The little Asian dynamo, Singapore plans to invest 50 percent more (200 hectares) of land for nature parks as part of its biodiversity drive. The fact that every household will live within 10 minutes of walk to a park, has numerous positive externalities example healthier life, lower healthcare costs, better wellbeing, more productivity at work, etc. The country is increasingly deploying circular economy solutions and by 2030, expects to reduce waste to landfills by 30 percent. Many ground-breaking initiatives like expanding the cycling network to 1320 km and raising the share of public transportation to 75 percent by 2030 can serve as a beacon for other countries in implementing and understanding impact evaluation to foster a greener tomorrow.

Listen Notes

COP26

The 2021 UN Climate Change Conference; Conference of Parties known as COP26 took place in Glasgow this year. The conference committed to limit the temperature increase to 1.5 °C above pre-industrial levels understanding the impact of climate change would be much lower at these levels compared to the 2 °C agreed under Paris Agreement.

At the summit, leaders from more than 120 countries representing about 90 percent of the world’s forest pledged to halt and reverse deforestation by 2030. The $100 billion climate finance contribution pledged every year at COP9 held at Copenhagen summit, Denmark is puny when compared to the $5.2 trillion post-tax energy subsidies roughly (0.37 percent of Global GDP in 2017) based on IMF estimates. The coming together of more than 500 global financial services firms to commit $130 trillion roughly 40 percent of the world’s financial assets for climate change aligned with the Paris agreement and limiting global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius helps to override the financial gap discussed earlier in implementing sustainable development goals per year. COP26 emphasized collaboration and the importance of civic societies in limiting loss due to climate change and promoting the Paris agreement through various actors’ example indigenous people and local people for effective implementation of the climate change agenda.

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Science & Technology

In 2021, the United States and China landed a rover on MARS, a fantastic achievement in the realms of space exploration. Space travel got a boost this year with space exploration by Virgin, SpaceX, and Blue Origin. UNESCO is a leading publication that discusses the interaction of science, its transition towards a greener, digitally connected society and public policy? In the last few years, the world has made critical progress as digitalization and technology penetrate our lives. But has the technology created an inclusive society? How has gender parity been measured over these years? How are different countries measuring comparatively on the research and innovation parameters?

UNESCO Science Report: the race against time for smarter development tries to address these questions. The framework of seventeen sustainable development goals is a critical enabler for social change and impact catalyzing far-reaching synergies between multiple actors within the global arena. UNESCO report targets —- policymakers, intergovernmental and non-governmental entities, academicians, media, and other actors to understand the pathways of different geographical regions in their journey for a better- networked tomorrow. These pathways include asymmetries and distortions leading to prevailing inequalities within the global ecosystem. For example, 80% of the countries covered spend less than 1% of their GDP on Research and Development. A sound R&D is the backbone of a more responsive and just society but only 32 countries raised their research spending by 0.1% of GDP or more between 2014 and 2018. As technology sophistication increases over time, a more prudent approach for wellbeing and economic growth is to increase focus on R&D, quality education, and equitable healthcare. These initiatives drive gender equality, reduce the unemployment rate and increase productivity over the long run.

Gender Equality is one key area where a lot of progress has been made in many countries covered. Globally, women have achieved parity (45–55%) at the bachelor’s and master’s levels of study and 44% at the Ph.D. level but the parity reduces as women pursue their careers. Women are also gaining in research as a profession; women researchers were one-third of all researchers in 2018, up from 28.4% in 2013.

2021 WILL ALSO GO DOWN IN HISTORY BOOKS, AS THE YEAR SCIENTISTS DISCOVERED THE FIRST MILLIPEDE IN THE WORLD HAVING 1306 LEGS IN AUSTRALIA. A SOFT YET SIGNIFICANT DISCOVERY. Did you know, according to the World Bank, 1 million out of the present 8 million animal and plant spices are facing extinction.

Person of the Year 2021 – Art of Subtlety

The middle Road awarded Simone Biles and Naomi Osaka as Person of the Year, for their tremendous contribution in defining the Art of Subtlety, a metaphor for measuring substance and character. Allison O’Donnell’s role in Shetland or Carey Mulligan’s role in Collateral exemplifies this attribute. As social upheaval continued in many parts of the world, the Art of Subtlety emerged as the central Tenet of 2021.

citation needed

Welcome to another smashing episode from The middle Road. In this episode, Nishant Malhotra welcomes Dr. Helene Clark for the thought leadership podcast series. In today’s podcast, Nishant chats with a leading global expert and social change maker within the International Development Sector.

Dr. Helene Clark is the Founder and Director of ActKnowledge, and Board Chair of The Center for Theory of Change, a global thought leader in enabling social change and impact within the social impact sector. ActKnowledge is a social enterprise that connects social change practice with rigorous study of how and why initiatives work. ActKnowledge is the founder of Center For Theory of Change, a nonprofit focusing on outcome-driven intervention based strategic framework tool called Theory of Change (ToC). Theory of Change is a valuable tool to understand the impact of policies/interventions/programs (measures) connected to understand the outcomes linked to these measures.

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Listen Notes: https://www.listennotes.com/podcasts/the-middle-road/episode-24-the-middle-road-cNKEO0Vxrot/

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Cast Box: https://castbox.fm/episode/Episode-25%3A-The-middle-Road-interviews-Dr.-Helene-Clark-Founder-and-Director-of-ActKnowledge%2C-and--Board-Chair-of-The-Center-for-Theory-of-Change-id2208219-id450273781?country=gb

Theory of Change

Theory of Change is today ubiquitous within the international development sector to understand, analyze, plan and implement long-term change through backward mapping of interventions to define the sustainable outcome. Theory of Change technique/program logic can be implemented in any organization or within our lives to bring about a more holistic change for the better. The conversation focuses on the development and importance of the Theory of Change program logic within the international development sector.

Helene breaks down the Theory of Change framework to explain the causal intervention-linked outcome-based methodology and shares a snapshot of its evolution. Helene, highlights key concepts in ToC, for example, the difference between outcome and output, backward mapping of interlinked interventions for the desired outcome etc. We discuss at length how ToC can be used in the educational institutes with real-time examples to foster a long-term strategic change including embedding the concept in the curriculum and about the prestigious Theory of Change certification.

Dr. Helene, I thank you for taking time for a fabulous chat about your work.

You are a leading authority on the Theory of Change (ToC) framework. Theory of Change is one of the most critical program logic for evaluating Impact Evaluation, made famous by the Aspen Roundtable for Community Change, ActKnowledge initiatives, publications and outreach on this topic.

Helene, as the Founder and Director of ActKnowledge, and Board Chair of The Center for Theory of Change, do share the evolution of this multi-stakeholder community-driven outcome focused framework for measuring the impact of projects/ interventions especially from the early 90s.

But first, for the benefit of the audience, since we would be speaking about interventions repeatedly, please explain in your parlance, how would you define interventions. Do elaborate on your definition of strategy.

Theory of Change concept came through a collaborative movement among multiple actors/entities. ASPEN, ActKnowledge, and other global actors/entities played a monumental role in designing the Theory of Change framework.

How did these partnerships evolve over time?

In your paper Theory of Change Technical Papers (Dr. Dana H. Taplin, Dr. Heléne Clark, Eoin Collins, and David C. Colby) and Basics, A Primer on Theory of Change, (Dr. Dana H. Taplin, Dr. Heléne Clark), you mention the importance of long-term goals and back mapping a series of interconnected interventions in the short, medium, and long term to achieve outcomes. This concept was revolutionary and counterintuitive to the prevailing thought of following forward-looking indicators to make a long-term change. Please, explain the process of enunciating a simple example to understand the idea better? *
How does the qualitative framework of the Theory of Change facilitate a change in the outcome through casually linked interventions? Can you explain through a simple example?

In the PACE Theory of Change: Discussion Paper Prepared by Zabi Rahat and Eoin Collins, highlights the importance of driving long-term outcome-driven change within the civic societies significantly through universities. United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) has identified ways in which universities can engage in sustainable development goals. 1

How and in what ways should universities use Theory of Change as a tool to implement a holistic mindset change among students. How can ToC engage sustainable development goals as part of the curriculum in educational institutes?

Helene chat about your flagship course, the certification course in Theory of Change. How does the course educate people on the theory?

How will the certification help in catalyzing a successful and effective career for people within the international development sector? Theory of Change is an important part of impact evaluation, to understand the impact of interventions in accelerating outcome change.
Helene, as a leading expert on ToC, how do you think the Theory of Change will evolve not only within the global development sector but also in organizations and civic societies as a strategic tool in driving long-term change in the future. You think it's even more critical especially during the time of the pandemic
Before we go to the last question, please share any message for professionals and students who want to make a career in social impact
Finally, share with everyone any Aha moment that brings happiness to you.

Helene, I deeply appreciate for sharing your thoughts and time as an expert on a strategic tool and technique for understanding, planning, and implementing a long-lasting change within our work and lives. Thank you and hope to keep in touch.

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References

Theory of Change Technical Papers
Theory of Change Basics, A Primer on Theory of Change: Helene Clark and Dana Taplin
ActKnowledge Presents Theory of Change Online – YouTube video
The Community Builder’s Approach to a practical guide to theory development Andrea A. Anderson, Ph.D
PACE Theory of Change: Discussion Paper Prepared by Zabi Rahat and Eoin Collins

Nishant Malhotra is the Sole Founder of The middle Road platform and host of podcast series The middle Road.

This the audio version of the video interview series - Illumo.

Nishant Malhotra has an MBA from China Europe International Business School, Shanghai, China and from Symbiosis Institute of Business Management, (SIBM) Pune, India. nishant has a MPA from Ford School, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor. A slight correction. Nishant mentions about impact measurement, the framework is SROI.

SIBM is a leading business school in India.

SIBM Team: "SIBM Pune is delighted to have hosted Mr. Nishant Malhotra, Founder and CEO, The Middle Road OPC Pvt Ltd. and our dear alumnus from the Batch of 2002 as a part of the video interview series - Illumo. 'Sustainable Finance' has emerged as the new buzz word but it has also unfurled new career paths for future corporate leaders.

While the interview did revolve around the scope and trends related to Sustainable Finance, by leveraging his experience and knowledge, Mr. Malhotra also explained other topics such as Impact Investing, Green Bond Market Development, Partnership for Action on Green Economy and more. This was a wonderful opportunity to have learnt lessons from an industry leader in the field of finance. We are grateful to Mr. Nishant Malhotra for his time and guidance and will continue to have more such knowledgeable conversations as a part of the Illumo series."

Highlighted section is message from the SIBM team.

Muhiddin Tojiev is from the Devashtich district of Tajikistan. He earned his BA in Translation in 2004 and Higher Education Diploma (equivalent to MA) of English Teacher in 2005 from Khujand State University. Muhiddin wore many hats and his work experience includes position as an Independent Contractor for the BBC World Monitoring Service, Central Asia Unit (2003-2005), Press and Public Affairs Officer at the British Embassy in Dushanbe (2005-2007), and Public Education Specialist at the International Finance Corporation Tajikistan (2007-2009).

Mr. Tojiev joined the NGO Sadoqat as a Fundraising and Partnerships Volunteer in 2019 and has successfully raised funds for the construction of two additional classrooms in Secondary School No 51 in Ghazantarak Village. Furthermore, the list of his accomplishments includes the refurbishment of surgery and intensive care units of Devashtich District Central Hospital, as well as the Project on Support of Hospitals in Istaravshan, Shahriston, and Devashtich districts with COVID-19 response through crowdfunding. Muhiddin is full of desire to continue this work to improve the rural population's access to quality education and healthcare services in Tajikistan.

NGO Sadoqat, is a nonprofit and non-commercial organization established in 2000 and officially registered with the Ministry of Justice of Tajikistan. Sadoqat is committed to improving rural lives through thoughtful partnerships and sustainable practice. The organization implemented about 25 projects in various fields, including but not limited to women and youth empowerment, reproductive health, healthy lifestyle among the youth, prevention of STDs, support of persons with disabilities, English skills improvement, and education and healthcare infrastructure with the support of various donor institutions during 20 years of its operation. Currently, the NGO has been raising funds through the Global Giving Crowdfunding Platform to implement projects on the improvement of the rural population's access to quality healthcare and education services.

Hello Muhiddin Tojiev great to have you for another riveting conversation about your work at NGO Sadoqat based in Tajikistan. NGO Sadoqat, is a nonprofit and non-commercial organization established in 2000 and officially registered with the Ministry of Justice of Tajikistan. This is the first podcast with an entity/actor from Tajikistan, a fascinating country in Central Asia. First, a bit about NGO Sadoqat.

Sadoqat is committed to improving rural lives through thoughtful partnerships and sustainable practice. The organization implemented about 25 projects in various fields, including but not limited to women and youth empowerment, reproductive health, healthy lifestyle among the youth, prevention of STDs, support of persons with disabilities, English skills improvement, and education and healthcare infrastructure with the support of various donor institutions during 20 years of its operation. Currently, the NGO has been raising funds through the Global Giving Crowdfunding Platform to implement projects on the improvement of the rural population's access to quality healthcare and education services.

Q). Tajikistan joined the World Bank in 1993, the International Development Association (IDA) in 199 and Multilateral Investment Guarantee Agency (MIGA) in 2002. (MIGA has not, so far, provided any political risk guarantees for investment projects in Tajikistan). During this time, the World Bank invested over $1.4 billion to support Tajikistan’s efforts to reduce poverty and improve people’s lives. Between 2000 and 2018, the poverty rate fell from 83 percent of the population to 27.4 percent, while the economy grew at an average rate of 7 percent per year.

For a detailed overview refer to the read on The middle Road here.

“Human Nature Needs Nature” Alfredo Quarto In this episode, Nishant Malhotra, Sole Founder of The middle Road platform has an animated chat with Alfredo Quarto, Program & Policy Director/ Co-founder of Mangrove Action Project (MAP), a thought leader US-based nonprofit enabling social change and impact by conserving, and restoring our world’s mangrove forests. Mangrove Action Project is educating coastal communities on many aspects of Mangroves trees significantly one of the positive externalities of attracting bees leading to beehives for processing honey and honey-based products.

How did this idea about preserving and nurturing Mangroves and coastal habitats originate? ✓Mangrove Action Project is educating coastal communities on many aspects of Mangroves trees significantly one of the positive externalities of attracting bees leading to beehives for processing honey and honey-based products. Do talk about your splendid work in Thailand, Sri Lanka, and other countries using the Community-Based Ecological Mangrove Restoration (CBEMR) technique.

How does the community-building model work through the CBEMR model? What is hydrology technology and why is it important in preserving the coastal ecosystem. Do talk about the resistance and acceptance you find from the local communities when you speak about how preserving Mangroves rather than cutting them for shrimp farming will help in increasing their incomes through such alternative, sustainable livelihoods as beekeeping in the mangroves, the sale of honey and honey-based products?

With climate change as a central global agenda among all actors within the sustainable development sector, how do you think the future of Mangroves will work out within this climate change tenet? Please share your vision going forward?

Describe why MAP’s CBEMR program is so important in ensuring a more effective approach to mangrove restoration, avoiding the serious failures of past tree plantation methods.

You have an academic degree in Aero and Astro engineering. How has been your journey and transition been within the social impact sector? What message would you share with people who want to venture into this sector?

Do share any Ah Ah moment with the audience. Any experience you cherish? Alfredo, I thank you for sharing time and chatting about your work at Mangrove Action Project (MAP).

Naghma Mulla “ Women’s right movement one of the strongest in India”

In this episode, Nishant Malhotra has a candid chat with Naghma Mulla, a thought leader and CEO of EdelGive Foundation, a leading grant-making organization in India. EdelGive mission is to build and expand the philanthropic ecosystem by funding small and medium-sized grassroots nonprofits (NGOs) committed to empowering vulnerable children, women, and communities. EdelGive Foundation is enabling social change and impact within the social sector in India through many initiatives including UdyamStree campaign accelerating women entrepreneurship for more nuanced socio-economic equity among the marginalized section of the society for a better tomorrow.

Inspite of thoughtful policies for the upliftment of women, a lot needs to be done in this sector. Indian women's contribution towards GDP is only 18 percent versus the global average of 37 percent sadly due to the asymmetries within the system India has 48 percent women population but only 14 percent of women are entrepreneurs. 2 To share a perspective, Vidya Shah Executive Director of EdelGive Foundation, pointed out the importance of equal opportunity for women in India - out of 432 million working-age women in India, ~ 80 percent work in the informal sector with limited financial and social support. According to McKinsey Global Institute, equal opportunity for women would add $770 billion to the GDP by 2025. a Questions 1.

For a more detailed version visit the podcast section on The middle Road here.

Questions

Naghma good to have a candid chat with you. You have worked for some time with the EdelGive foundation. Do share your experiences at the EdelGive foundation with the audience that has had a transforming effect on you?

✓ What changes have you seen in the Indian social sector landscape especially concerning women empowerment in the last decade?

✓ How has the experience changed you for the better both as a person and as a social change leader?

According to World Economic Forum, India ranks at a woeful 140 out of 156 countries covered in the Global Gender Gap Report in 2021. In a country that has had a systemic problem of gender inequality for generations, how do you think the class divide is impeding women entrepreneurship in India. 3
According to WEF, in 2018 globally 40.6% of women and 35.6% of men in the world were enrolled in tertiary education but only 88.2% of girls enrolled for primary education in comparison to 90.5% for boys. In India, the situation is far worse for women with a lack of inclusive quality education despite the Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education Act. 3
What steps is EdelGive taking to drive equitable education among the underserved section of girls in our country?

✓ EdelGive conducted an in-depth study on women's entrepreneurship. Do share key insights from the report A Landscape Study on Women Entrepreneurship: Its challenges and impact on health, socio-economic security, and family wellbeing outcomes of Women Entrepreneurs that you find helpful in driving UdyamStree initiative.

✓ One aspect highlighted in the report is about serotyping women within society. How do you think we can overcome this misgiving perception change in the long term? If so how?

Do speak how the UdyamStree is making a sustainable change within the women startup ecosystem in India? o What policies at the federal level do you feel can help bridge the gap in women entrepreneurship? Enunciate a couple of these policies.
The philosophy of EdelGive Foundation is based on collaboration as you along with other foundations are correcting a market failure within the system. Do articulate how through UdyamStree, you plan to collaborate with other foundations example Milaan for a better tomorrow.
Anu Prasad discussed Pay What It Takes Philanthropy, a welcome initiative during my conversation with her for The middle Road platform. Pay What It Takes Philanthropy, is an impact-driven giving framework that EdelGive along with other leading foundations and The Bridgespan Group are promoting in India. How does EdelGive plan to use this value-focused Grantmaking approach for uplifting underprivileged women for entrepreneurship? Example more streamlined microlending methodology.
For the final question, do share the Aha moment with the audience that brings a smile to your lips. Feel free to share any message with the youth out there.

References

https://www.edelgive.org/udyamstree/
https://udyamstree.in/about-udyamstree/
World Economic Report Global Gender Gap Report 2021 a Vidya Shah Times of India blog

In this episode, I will have an in-depth conversation with Dr. Chandrakant Lahariya, one of the foremost healthcare experts and thought leaders in Asia. Our conversation covers various aspects of the pandemic and a must for anyone interested in understanding the efforts of global actors within the healthcare ecosystem in fighting the COVID-19 pandemic. Learn more about mRNA vaccines, difference between Mucormycosis and Black Fungus, Remdesivir divergent results, overview of the randomized double-blind controlled trial, steroids as a COVID-19 response, Delta variant and much more.

Dr. Chandrakant is a leading epidemiologist, public policy and health systems expert based in India. He is also the co-author of the book Till We Win, an extremely insightful, informative, and fluid book on COVID-19 and India’s fight against the COVID-19 pandemic. Dr. Gagandeep Kang and Dr. Randeep Guleria are the other co-authors of the book. Dr. Chandrakant Lahariya is the youngest fellow ever to be elected to the Indian Public Health Association (IPHA), that works with leading healthcare experts to design healthcare policies and programs at the state and national level in India. He is presently focusing on universal and primary healthcare in India.

Viruses stand at 1031 compared to the human population at 8 billion i.e. 8*109, a telling figure of how dangerous our ecosystem can become.

Hello, Dr. Chandrakant delighted to have you for a thought-provoking conversation.

First, I highly recommend people to read Till We Win for getting an excellent perspective about viruses, drugs and therapies, and the evolving COVID-19 response significantly in India during the pandemic. Let’s go top-down and understand a bit about viruses. Edward Jenner developed the first vaccine using the cowpox virus against smallpox. From Black Plague to the Spanish Flu to the COVID-19, humans have been ravaged by pandemics for a long time. Till We Win shares a vivid history about viruses so we being our discussion with the coronavirus. Till We Win begins with stunning reality. How viruses dwarf the count of humans on our planet.

Read the full question list.

Nishant Malhotra Chats with Anu Prasad, a thought leader in the international development sector about her work at India Leaders for Social Sector (ILSS). Anu Prasad is the Founder & CEO of India Leaders for Social Sector (ILSS), a leading non-profit in India that builds and nurtures capacity and talent in India’s social sector. Before setting up ILSS in 2017, Anu was the founding Deputy Dean of the prestigious Young India Fellowship (YIF) and a founding member of Ashoka University, India’s first liberal arts university.

The video version can viewed here.

List of questions below.

Q1. Anu, you have a very diverse and rich experience as a leader both in the business and India’s social sector. Your work experience includes stints at multinational companies in leadership positions and as a Deputy Dean, Young India Fellowship at Ashoka University. You also set up India Leaders for Social Sector. So please do share with the audience your transformative journey as you channelled across various facets of life and work.

Also, do share your experience as a woman entrepreneur in the development sector.

Q2. The ILSS Leadership Program is the flagship world-class initiative of your non-profit. In one of the ILSS videos, you briefly mentioned, “ILSS has been designed as a bridge between senior corporate talent to repurpose their work and to attract talent to the dynamic and expanding social sector.” As a thought leader within India’s social sector, and with your background within the higher education space, please discuss how the ILSS Leadership Program positioned your cohort/ alumni to tackle challenges as potential leaders in the everchanging social sector ecosystem?

ILSS Leadership Program attracts actors from various sectors within the business and development arena. How does your leadership program coalesce your participants’ different experiences and thinking processes for a common purpose and social impact?

⮚ What gaps do you see among the leadership talent in India’s social sector viz a viz the global space significantly in advanced and high-end emerging economies?

How much of this gap can be attributed to soft skills or lack of investment in Leadership development

⮚ Impact evaluation plays a pivotal role in driving the social impact sector today. Going forward, how much importance would you assign to quantitative skills to succeed as a leader.

Q3. Fundraising is the most crucial aspect for social purpose organisation, especially during the early days. Therefore, speak about your much-needed fundraising program in a country lacking a sound ecosystem that nudges actors within the development sector.

⮚ Do touch upon the tools within this learning program that enables multiple entities to succeed in their holistic endeavours.

Finally, we come to one of my favourite topics, quality education and learning for all. For full version please visit The middle Road podcast section here.

This is the first podcast episode from Africa, a continent of unmatched pristine beauty, wildlife and origins of modern human race. In this episode Nishant Malhotra chats with Dr. Robert co-founder of Villgro, Africa. Robert has a Ph.D. and Masters in Medical Parasitology & Entomology, Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology, Bachelors in Biology. Before setting up Villgro Africa, Dr. Robert wore multiple hats as a professional within the development sector in Africa.

Villgro Africa is inspiring a new wave of innovative thinking to address deep rooted global health challenges in Africa through market-led solutions. We provide seed funding, technical assistance and business development support to global health innovators to take their innovations to the market. Working at the interface of science and industry.

Dr Robert chats about his experience in starting Villgro Africa, his game changing and defining experience in a one-month training program on innovation in Sweden. One of the major partners of the program is Sweden’s government agency for development cooperation, that works through a multifaceted collaborative partnership model enabling social change and impact within the sustainable development sector in emerging markets. His experience at the training session changed the perspective on the innovation sector with a feel-good understanding on drivers guiding a knowledge focussed economy.

The discussion delves into how technological innovation can transform Africa from an extractive driven model of natural resources to an innovation focussed mobile platform enabled economy. Example Microfinance, Fintech, Telemedicine etc. Villgro Africa has made a deep impact on the lives of the underprivileged in Africa, impacting more than 1 million lives, with investment of over $800K across 24 startup’s. One very interesting startup is Rescue, the largest network of first Kenya’s best first responders. Wheels for Life enables expectant mothers to reach the hospital during curfew hours. The inventiveness is a significant success during the pandemic as all mothers who have used this service have survived.

The major part of the discussion is on healthcare sector. According to Alt Network, in Africa, fewer than 50% have access to modern healthcare facilities but 25% of the global disease burden. With health coverage ~ 4% in Africa and government expenditure less than 10% of their GDP, the region faces major acute healthcare crisis. According to the Africa Business Community, 11% of Africans experience catastrophic spending for health care every year, 38% delay or forgo healthcare because of high costs. Dr Robert shares an excellent perspective on this aspect. Africa has only a 3 to 4 percent share of global pharmaceutical industry and 2 to 3 percent share of global medical devices. Yet many countries with Africa are ahead of the curve in fighting the pandemic. Another troublesome statistic is African DNA is only 2.3 percent of the global genome database.

Robert proposes a universal healthcare plan for the citizens in Kenya and a universal tax to sponsor the initiative. Listen to the in-depth interview to understand the African development ecosystem especially Kenya. The podcast is available on Podbean director, Spotify, iTunes, iHeart directory etc.

In this episode, Nishant Malhotra chats with Brooke Burton, Founder of The People's Club.

Brooke is enabling social change and impact by focusing on building communities. Based in Chicago, Illinois, US, Brooke completed her MBA from ROSS Business School, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, and BA from Vanderbilt University. This is the first podcast from The middle Road wherein a free flow strategy is deployed. In this mode of the podcast, no set of questions are decided beforehand rather than a brief outline of the fireside conversation is discussed. The informal talk begins with the theme question with follow-up questions based on the flow of conversation that is directly related to the subject at hand or can be tangential.

In this episode, Brooke will discuss her journey through time articulating her thoughts as an entrepreneur, facilitating social impact through community events. In this exciting, insightful, and refreshing podcast, Brooke shares stellar insights example only 3% of the venture capital goes to women entrepreneurs in America or 30% of the millennials feel lonely always or often. Why only 4% of the non-profits led by Black/Latinx leaders receive only 4% of the philanthropic money?

A top-gun podcast, listen to Brooke as she shares a game-changing perspective of her motivation in launching her start-up, enablers, and key performance indicators for her business going forward, key statistics concerning the entrepreneurship ecosystem in the US and much more. A must listen for everyone esp. Millennials and Gen Z, the podcast is also the recorded as a video chat and free available on The middle Road YouTube channel. Brooke shines out as a brand ambassador of her generation, eloquent, charismatic in this thought provoking and riveting episode from The middle Road.

The podcast is also available on Spotify, iTunes, iHeart directory.

In this podcast episode, Nishant Malhotra chats with Erica Mills Barnhart, founder of Claxon Marketing and Claxon University. Erica Mills is an internationally recognized expert on how to use words to make the world a better place. The discussion entails the finer points of marketing, messaging, and mission statement for enabling social change and impact within the sustainable development sector.

Snapshot of questions with a brief note of introduction of Erica Mills. Erica wears many hats that of a Consultant, Professor, Speaker, and Researcher. She works with purpose-driven organizations significantly nonprofits in amplifying their work through marketing, messaging, and fine tuning their mission statement. A pioneer in understanding the impact of language used within the social sector, Erica Mills is a podcast host and inventor of The Wordier, an online tool to accelerate better usage of words for articulating communication for the greater good. Her 1,2,3 Marketing tree and Claxon Method have been used effectively by numerous mission-driven organizations with measurable impact.

Nishant: Let's begin with your academic journey. You are a Professor at Evans School of Public Policy and Governance, the University of Washington at Seattle. You have worked at multiple universities in the US and with the University of British Columbia. How would you explain the transformation within the development sector focusing on nonprofits, philanthropy, and social innovation in your more than two decades of experience?

Nishant: Keen to understand how policy-making can accelerate social innovation and philanthropy through better messaging of mission and vision of nonprofits. I ask this question since I have a master’s in public administration degree from the Gerald R Ford School of Public Policy, University of Michigan and keen to focus on qualitative aspects of policies aiding nonprofits.

Based on Giving USA report, the philanthropy in the US hovers around 2% of the GDP spread over decades. (Refer Eight Myths of US Philanthropy | SSIR). How can messaging increase the giving pie in America as a percentage of GDP?

How do you think the pandemic will change philanthropy in the US?

Nishant: In your article published in SSIR, you emphasized the importance of linguistic repertoire as part of official communication for nonprofits. As per your article, research has shown that words that are used less often make a more measurable impact on the audience. Example Betters or using verbs. Please elaborate on your thoughts here.

Nishant: Take an example of the tagline of The middle Road- Enabling social change and impact. Taking this as an example, based on your book “PitchFalls why bad pitches happen to good people” do share an example of how a tagline can be better represented as a pitch to investors.

Nishant: You have mentioned five steps for a good pitch in your above-mentioned book. Would you like to share in detail examples from the industry on how to implement them in real life?

Nishant: You are a podcast host. As a fellow podcast host, I am keen to understand from your perspective what you feel are key attributes for an excellent podcast host? What excites you about the experience.

Finally, share any ah ah moment and message with nonprofits/social entrepreneurs out there.

Nishant Malhotra, welcomes Larry C Johnson, a thought leader in relational fundraising and philanthropy. A graduate of Yale University, Larry is the author of the award-winning book “The Eight Principles of Sustainable Fundraising” and based on The Wall Street Business Network ranked among the top 15 Fundraising consultants in the United States. Larry specializes in nonprofit development, fundraising, and philanthropy and serves on multiple nonprofit and corporate boards significantly The Philanthropy Council of The Carter Center, the philanthropic arm of Jimmy Carter, the 39th President of United States. This podcast focusses on the importance of relational fundraising and philanthropy within the social ecosystem and shares tips for everyone.

Music by DreamHeaven from Pixabay

Nishant Malhotra, interviews Ronald Abraham, Founding Partner, and India Director IDinsight. IDinsight is a global advisory, data analytics, and research organization that uses data and evidence to help leaders maximize their social impact. Its collaborations deploy a large analytical toolkit, including machine learning and randomized evaluations, to help clients design better policies, rigorously test what works, and use evidence to implement effectively at scale. IDinsight works with multiple sets of actors from the social and business sector and works in all major sectors significantly in health, education, agriculture, governance, digital ID, financial access, and sanitation. They have offices in Dakar, Lusaka, Manila, Nairobi, New Delhi, and San Francisco.

Ronald has led several projects at IDinsight’s unit at NITI Aayog supporting the Aspirational Districts Programme, the State of Aadhar Initiative, learning partnerships with Governments of Bihar and Andhra Pradesh, and education projects with STiR, Akanksha, and Going to School. He holds a BA (Honors) from St. Stephen’s College, Delhi University, and a Master of Public Administration in International Development from Harvard Kennedy School.

The podcast is a deep dive into the International Development Sector to understand the best business and sustainable practices governing the sector. The chat revolves around Ronald's work experience in research and as an entrepreneur with a discussion on emerging various impact and data driven methodologies and tools for impact evaluation including use of machine learning and randomized control trials, new social innovation instruments example impact bonds, work during the pandemic, etc. The discussion shares a well-rounded view on how innovation is driving the development sector with a message on key enablers driving the global development arena.

Nishant Malhotra, founder of the platform The middle Road interviews Gireendra, founder of Ideas2 Impacts Innovation Pvt Ltd, an upcoming technology company based in India. He is also the founder of Ideas 2 Impact Innovation Center, a leading accelerator/incubator for technology start-ups in India and Pentathlon Ventures funds, which supports early B2B Tech Start-ups.

The chat focuses on how technology is enabling a sustainable social impact within society and the social ecosystem. The podcast features a detailed discussion on the impact of technology accelerators especially in the B2B sector, and social impact of disruptive technology including Artificial Intelligence, Block chain, Machine Learning among other technologies. The podcast is an excellent source to understand how various technologies are evolving globally and in India.

An excellent overview of the Sustainable Finance with a focus on the Sustainable Bonds. The chat takes through a few selected milestones which led to the rise of Environment, Social and Governance ESG theme becoming mainstream. ESG here implies Sustainable Finance. Sustainable Bonds include Green, Blue, Social and Sustainable Development Bonds/ Sustainability Bonds.

In this webinar, Pranav Khanna and Nishant Malhotra talk about Circular Economy and Evolving Sustainable Finance, respectively. Pranav is founder of Make Circular and Nishant Malhotra founder of Middle Road OPC Pvt Ltd. Nishant is founder of The middle Road platform and this podbean channel.

In his first webinar, Nishant talks in-depth about the evolving sustainable finance with a focus on sustainable bonds. Listen to how green, social and sustainable development bonds are emerging as a pivotal force in the development sector, and enabling fundraising to fight the ongoing pandemic.

Check out www.themiddleroad.org and The middle Road YouTube channel for the video.

Mr Ramanan Ramanathan is the Mission Director at Atal Innovation Mission, the flagship initiative set up by Niti Aayog to promote innovation and entrepreneurship in India. He is also on board of directors at Defense Innovation Organization and Indo US Science and Technology Forum and Chairman NZTE Beachhead India Advisory Board. Ramanan had an illustrious career in the private sector in technology and worked in leadership positions with multinationals including CMC Ltd and presently serves as a Senior Vice President at Tata Consultancy Services (TCS). TCS is the largest Indian company by market capitalization and one of the most innovative technology companies in the world.

Atal Innovation Mission (AIM) is the driving force in promoting start-up ecosystem along with boosting policy implementation for micro, small and medium enterprises (MSME). Formed under the aegis of Niti Aayog, the premier think-tank of Government of India, AIM generates innovation within all actors in the society, including academia, non-profits, research organizations, Agri and Medical research to boost socio-economic wellbeing for all. It works as a collaborator and single point of contact in enabling socio-economic reforms generating measurable social change and impact. To foster world-class development and kick-start an entrepreneurship revolution, Atal Innovation Mission (AIM) works through a collaborative model of enabling social change and impact. To nurture the seed of innovation, entrepreneurship and start-up ecosystem, AIM has lunched five critical programs.

Nishant met and interviewed Dr Taslimarif Saiyed, CEO and Director of C-Camp at Bangalore. Centre for Cellular and Molecular Platforms (C-CAMP), established in 2009, is a non-profit organization driving cutting-edge research and innovation in the life sciences in India. Conceptualized by the Department of Biotechnology, Government of India, C-Camp works in a collaborative model bringing together academia, start-ups and industry on a single platform. Fostering a culture of entrepreneurship, the incubator has over the years enabled some very innovative deep-science startups both across India. Supported by the Biotechnology, Government of India, BIRAC, Meit Y Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology, Atal Innovation Mission under Niti Aayog and the Karnataka State Government, it forms an integral part of Bangalore Life Sciences cluster along with Institute for Stem Cell Science and Regenerative Medicine (inStem) and The National Centre for Biological Sciences NCBS. C-Camp is the only life sciences and healthcare innovation hub across the Government and private sectors to be selected under the Niti Aayog's Atal Innovation Mission for their flagship Atal Innovation Incubation program.

In Episode 8, Mr Manoj Kumar chats about his work at Social Alpha, a leading social entrepreneurship enabler in India in Science & Technology sector and as a CEO at India Health Fund. Manoj is a senior advisor at the prestigious Tata Trusts, where he is responsible for managing the innovation portfolio, promoting entrepreneurship and nurturing the academic/R&D relationships globally. An alumnus of Harvard Business School, he is also the founding trustee of Tata Institute for Genetics and Society (TIGS) and serves on the board of advisory for multiple organizations. Manoj has worn many hats professionally with stints in investment banking, financial technology, startups and social sector with a penchant for social innovation.

Manoj also manages the India Health Fund, a collaborative venture between Tata Trusts and the Global Fund to fights AIDS, malaria and tuberculosis. The fund aims to catalyze all the resources within the global ecosystem to eliminate tuberculosis (TB) by 2025 and malaria by 2030 from India. In this podcast, Manoj discusses how they are collaborating with partners to address and fill in the gap for catalyzing a positive change.

Nishant Malhotra, Founder and CEO of The Middle Road chats with Ms Shilpa Pophale at her office Electronica Finance Ltd. Our discussion covers gamut of topics from Electronica's rise in green machine lending, foray into other micro-lending sectors, prudent risk management system in keeping non-performing assets less than 2%, tie-up with SIDBI within the Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSME) sector, tapping capital markets for fundraising through first Green Masala Bond issue for NBFC in India and investment of $14M from New York-based impact investor Encourage Finance Ltd. and their Customer Social Responsibility initiatives specially Udaan project in catalyzing equality education for less privileged women including women for disabilities and Meeta project for enabling social entrepreneurship.

Nishant Malhotra, Founder & CEO of The Middle Road chats with Mr. Tom Adlam at Sankalp Summit 2019. Tom talks about blended finance esp. impact investing, different instruments used esp. social impact bonds, experience in Africa and future plans in India.

Dr Premnath Venugopal is the Co-founder and Director of the Venture Center, the largest inventive enterprises incubator in India. He is also Head NCL Innovations, NCL and Head IP group. A leading global technocrat, entrepreneur and inventor, Dr Premnath is a technology development and innovation “Guru” with speciality in commercialization of high-end technological products and entrepreneurship. Well-read and educated, Dr Premnath has a PhD from Massachusetts Institute of Technology, US, and B.Tech. from the Indian Institute of Technology – Bombay. He is also served as a Chevening Technology Enterprise fellow for a year at the Center for Scientific Enterprises, London Business School, and Cambridge University.

We chat about various initiatives taken by the world-class incubator in enabling social change and impact, critical Indian government reforms in the startup sector, the influence of US and UK universities in fostering innovation, among others.

In this mini-podcast, Nishant Malhotra has a riveting conversation with Prof Thomas Finholt, Dean of Information, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor. We chat about e-Privacy laws in the US and Europe and ethics in social computing. He has a doctorate in social and decision sciences from Carnegie Mellon University.

Nishant Malhotra talks to Mr. Jagdish Kini for Podcast Episode 3 on The Middle Road.

The following is an excerpt of my conversation with Jagdish and not a substitute for the Podcast. Listen to the Podcast here.

Mr. Jagdish Kini is an ICF certified global executive coach who trained under Marshall Goldsmith and also in processes developed by the Neuroleadership Group and Dr. David Rock. Jagdish wore many hats professionally and was the executive director and CEO of Bharti Airtel Limited, Managing Director Gillette, India and Sales Director L'Oreal, India, a coach, consultant, and an entrepreneur. An alumnus of Bombay University, Symbiosis Institute of Business Management, Pune and INSEAD (Fontainebleau France). Jagdish loves sports and a travel enthusiast. His "Expect More, Achieve More" coaching is highly regarded and has coached many senior and middle-level executives including CXOs, entrepreneurs and leaders from small and medium enterprises and nonprofits. Our conversation has deep social impact issues especially those impacting youngsters and wannabe entrepreneurs.

Nishant chats with Ms. Ruchi Mathur, CEO Pune City Connect, a leading nonprofit transforming the lives of less privileged people in Pune, India. She discusses leading initiatives in education, digital literacy, and sustainable livelihoods by the nonprofit working in a collaborative role with multiple stakeholders including Government (Pune Municipal Corporation), Corporates, Foundations and Civic Societies working within the social ecosystem. Listen to the impactful chat.

Nishant Malhotra talks to Ms Anu Aga for Podcast Episode 2 on The Middle Road.

The following is an excerpt of my conversation with Anu Aga and not a substitute for the Podcast.. Listen to the Podcast here.

Ms. Anu Aga is an iconic businesswoman, social change enabler whose contributions to the society are a harbinger of goodness and uprightness. A philanthropist and successful businesswomen, Anu led Thermax into a global engineering company focused in energy and environment. She strongly supports initiatives in the social sector, especially in advancing equitable and quality education for less privileged people of the society in India.

Anu is an alum of the well known St. Xavier's College and the prestigious Tata Institute of Social Sciences. She is a person of prominence known for her business acumen, philanthropy and sense of humour. She has featured in leading publications including Forbes. For full article click here.