The Impact Equation

In our latest episode of The Impact Equation, we’re joined by Dominic Hofstetter and Ivana Gezibeara from the Transcap Initiative, an NGO focused on developing and scaling systemic investing. Most of us start with a pool of capital and ask: what can this money do? Dominic and Ivana flip it: start with the challenge, diagnose the system, then “reprogramme” how money flows to multiple initiatives at once, so capital can actually shift outcomes, not just fund isolated projects. We talk about why “single-asset” investing struggles to deliver systems change, why place-based investing is close (but not always transformative), and their big idea: the “financial backbone”; an actor designed to orchestrate coalitions across philanthropy, public finance, investment capital, insurance and corporate commitments. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode, we go deep into chemistry and mining with Paul Needham, CEO of ARCA, a company using carbon mineralisation to turn mine waste into giant, permanent carbon sponges. In 2025, Arca signed a 10-year deal with Microsoft to remove 300,000 tonnes of carbon from the atmosphere. Certain rocks naturally react with CO₂, pulling it out of the air and locking it away forever as stone. ARCA has found a way to massively accelerate that natural process, transforming mining tailings from an environmental liability into a climate solution. Paul's no stranger to scaling impact: he previously built Simpa Networks, bringing pay-as-you-go solar to hundreds of thousands of people in rural India. In this episode we learn about scaling pay-as-you go solar in India and how carbon mineralisation turns mining waste into carbon removal at scale.   Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Carbon markets tend to trigger strong reactions. For some, they’re a vital bridge - a way to fund climate action at scale while the harder work of reducing emissions catches up. For others, they feel like a distraction, or worse, a way of outsourcing responsibility. So rather than arguing for or against them, we wanted to ask a different question: What would it take for carbon markets to actually work - with credibility and scale? In our latest Impact Equation roundtable, we brought together three people working on different parts of the system: Alastair is focused on data and transparency, Shannon is building projects on the ground, and Erika is making the sector investable for serious capital. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What if the way we think about money is fundamentally wrong? In our latest episode of The Impact Equation, Rafi and Adam sit down with Hans Stegeman, Chief Economist at Triodos Bank - one of the few banks where sustainability isn’t a bolt-on, but the organising principle. Hans’s central critique is this: we haven’t just chosen economic growth - we’ve hard-wired it into everything. Our markets, financial returns, debt system, pensions, and public budgets all depend on the assumption that the economy must keep expanding. The problem is that this version of growth is material by design, and material growth always comes with ecological and social costs. His argument isn’t that progress is bad - it’s that we’ve confused progress with GDP. No amount of “green” investing can fix a system that structurally requires ever-greater extraction, consumption, and future growth just to stay standing. So what does he want to change? Hans calls for an economy, and a financial system, that is less dependent on growth, and that fundamentally success ought to be measured in wellbeing, resilience, and social outcomes, not just economic output. In this episode, Hans challenges us to question our assumptions and what we’ve accepted as “just how the world works”. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode, GSG Impact CEO Elizabeth Boggs Davidsen joins the show to share her journey from being mentored by Madeleine Albright to leading global efforts in impact investing. Drawing on her formative years working in conflict zones like Sudan and Afghanistan, Elizabeth explains how those experiences shaped her belief that traditional aid isn't enough and that we need new models to drive change. She dives into her work pioneering a $1 billion "blended finance" fund in Latin America and her time in the Biden administration, before looking ahead to the 2026 launch of the "Impact Economy Index"—a new tool designed to spark a "race to the top" for countries prioritizing people and the planet. It’s a fascinating look at how capital can be a force for good, wrapped in some great advice for anyone starting a career in social justice. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This podcast episode features Gaia Vince, a trailblazing journalist, broadcaster, and award-winning author, discussing the profound intersections of climate change and human migration. In this episode, Rafi explores Vince’s career shift from science journalism to documenting the "front lines" of our changing planet, culminating in the urgent thesis of her latest book, Nomad Century. You can buy her book here: https://amzn.to/49b8ltk Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Across the previous seven episodes of The Impact Equation, we spoke with Charlotte O'Leary, Nick Wise, Lucy Heller, Stephen Cowan, Lord Browne, participants in the Mining Roundtable, and Tiffany Yu, exploring how lasting impact is built at scale across finance, oceans, education, cities, energy, extractives, and disability rights. Together, these conversations examined the tension between idealism and pragmatism, showing how commercial rigour, financial ingenuity, and institutional design are essential to sustaining impact; why policy alone is insufficient without deep cultural and mindset shifts; and how leaders must commit to the long game amid political, economic, and social volatility. From pensions as a powerful lever for climate action, to AI-driven enforcement against illegal fishing, inclusive urban growth, realistic energy transition pathways, responsible mining for clean energy, and reframing disability through culture rather than charity, the episodes collectively argue that systemic change happens when values, incentives, technology, and human dignity are deliberately aligned - and relentlessly pursued over time. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode, Rafi is joined by Tiffany Yu—a fierce disability advocate, entrepreneur, and changemaker whose work is reshaping how the world understands disability. As the founder and CEO of Diversability, Tiffany has built a thriving global community empowering disabled voices and fostering real inclusion. From a life-changing injury in her childhood to becoming a powerful force on the global stage, including speaking at the World Economic Forum and authoring the groundbreaking book "The Anti-Ableist Manifesto," Tiffany’s journey is one of resilience, vision, and transformative impact. In this episode, we’ll hear how she’s smashing stereotypes, forging change, and challenging us all to build a disability-inclusive world. Check out her book here: https://amzn.to/4qeCFKi Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This episode on The Impact Equation, we dive into one of the biggest tensions of the clean energy transition: the world wants an affordable, renewable future - yet achieving it requires a massive increase in critical minerals like copper, lithium, nickel and cobalt. So how do we mine what we need responsibly, safely and sustainably?To explore this, we bring together Ro Dhawan (CEO, ICMM), Kirsten Hund (Director of Climate & Nature, Vale Base Metals), and Professor Tim Biggs (Camborne School of Mines). We discuss why the energy transition is impossible without new mines, the trade-offs around coal and critical minerals, the innovations reshaping the sector, the rise of nature-based and “circular” mining, and why trust and social licence will ultimately decide the industry's future. A challenging, timely, and essential conversation for anyone who cares about climate, energy or the materials that underpin modern life. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Lord John Browne was born just after the war in Hamburg to a Hungarian mother who survived Auschwitz and a British father who was a professional soldier. His parents met because his father needed an interpreter; she spoke six languages because, as she said, “in Hungary no one spoke your language, so you learned many.” From that unlikely beginning came a child who travelled the world, was pushed into self-sufficiency, and absorbed the lessons of survival, resilience, and ambition. From that childhood, he rose from a university apprentice at BP to its Chief Executive - leading the mega-mergers that turned it into a global super-major. And in a defining moment, he became one of the very first oil CEOs to say publicly that climate change was real, urgent, and demanded action from his own industry. Long before “net zero” entered the mainstream, he acknowledged the scientific risks, committed BP to measuring and reducing its emissions, and put Beyond Petroleum on the map - a deeply controversial move at the time that forced competitors, regulators, and investors to rethink the role of big energy in the transition.Since leaving BP, Lord Browne has shifted from running hydrocarbons to funding the transition beyond them, co-founding BeyondNetZero to back high-growth companies in decarbonisation, efficiency, advanced materials, and climate technology. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This is our second live podcast at EdCity, with our friends at Ark. Stephen Cowan, Leader of the London Borough of Hammersmith & Fulham, has been a force in local public service since 1998, when he was first elected as councillor for Grove Ward. Since becoming Leader in 2014, he’s driven some of the most ambitious, people-centred policies anywhere in the UK - from free adult social care, to free breakfasts for every primary school child, to an industrial strategy that’s brought billions in investment into the borough. And where better to have this conversation than at EdCity - the £150 million regeneration project jointly shaped by Ark and H&F Council. EdCity blends new schools, affordable homes, community spaces and innovation hubs, standing as a living example of what bold public-third sector partnership can achieve. This is a fascinating, live, and candid conversation with a leader determined to change the world - starting with a small bit of West London. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The first of two podcasts recorded live at EdCity. We kicked it off with an amazing guest, Lucy Heller, CEO of Ark and the architect behind one of the most influential education transformations in the UK. Ark began in 2002 with a bold ambition: change life chances for children who need it most. Under Lucy’s leadership, that ambition has become a movement — growing from a single turnaround school to 39 schools, 30,000+ pupils, and a network of 20+ ventures reshaping the wider education system.In this live conversation, we go into: Lucy’s unexpected path into education, the original spark behind Ark, what really drives school improvement, how Ark scaled impact across communities without losing its soul, and what the future of education looks like. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode we speak to Nick Wise, Founder & CEO of OceanMind, an organisation using AI and satellite analytics to protect our oceans. Nick is a pioneer in applying advanced technology to build more sustainable food systems, tackle illegal fishing, and bring transparency to some of the world’s most complex supply chains.Before founding OceanMind, Nick spent his career at the intersection of internet security, satellites, and data, and it was during his time at the UK’s Satellite Applications Catapult that a partnership with leading NGOs opened his eyes to the scale of illegal fishing - and the potential of AI to fight it. OceanMind now works with governments, industry, and NGOs globally, bringing visibility to an often hidden world. In this episode, we dive into: How AI and satellite data can protect vulnerable marine ecosystems; The hidden risks inside global seafood supply chains; What it takes to deliver measurable impact where sustainability, technology and international policy collide. Listen in for a fascinating, urgent conversation about the future of our oceans. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this conversation, Rafi sits down with Charlotte O’Leary, CEO of Pensions for Purpose; the collaborative network helping pension funds become a real force for good.Charlotte’s vision is bold: a world where pensions drive a fairer, more sustainable economy. In this episode, she unpacks how psychology, governance and finance intersect - from fiduciary duty and systemic incentives to the need for new narratives around value, care and human motivation. Their conversation explores how we can shift from being consumers to citizens, and why aligning money with meaning might just be the key to fixing capitalism. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this wash up episode, Rafi and Adam reflect on our seven most recent conversations, featuring pioneers Andrew Voysey, Michelle Brown, Alex Stephany, Phil Burton, Dame Ann Limb, Stephen Muers, and Anna Swaithes. We explore how change is driven by people and the push for local solutions and why social services must leverage AI to be human-centered. We cover an array of topics from Common Lit's edtech bringing reading access to millions and OttoCar decarbonising transport, to using data for regenerative farming to build more resilient food systems. Finally, we look at new ways to fund solutions, exploring how strategic giving from philanthropists is essential to tackling social inequality , and the critical need to connect private, public, and charity funds (what Stephen Muers calls 'trilingual' finance) to scale solutions for impact at scale. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week, we talk to Anna Swaithes, Chief Sustainability Officer at The Crown Estate, a true champion of change and collaboration. Her journey into sustainability began with a powerful realisation in her early career that profits couldn't come at the expense of people and the planet. This core belief led her to pioneering roles at Cadbury and SAB Miller. Now, Anna uses the unique position and statutory basis of the new Crown Estate Act 2025 to ensure the Estate's management of its vast assets—from rural land to the seabed—delivers vital environmental and social value, especially by focusing on deep, meaningful nature recovery. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week we are joined by Stephen Muers, CEO of Better Society Capital, a leading UK impact investment institution. Stephen takes us on a journey from his early life in Rugby and his Quaker roots to his distinguished career as a civil servant and his pivotal role at Better Society Capital where he is revolutionising the UK's social impact investment landscape. Together we explore the intricate dance between impact investing and government policy, the vital importance of long-term vision, and the immense potential of place-based investing. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

ANNOUNCEMENT: Join our live Impact Equation podcast with Ark, exploring their journey, impact on education and social innovation and the vision behind the exciting EdCity project in West London. Thurs Nov 13th 2025, sign up here: https://tinyurl.com/tiearkThis episode features Dame Ann Limb, a powerhouse in education, philanthropy, and regional growth. From becoming the UK's youngest college principal at 34 to chairing prestigious organizations like the Lloyd's Bank Foundation and City & Guilds, Dame Ann shares insights on purpose-led living, leadership, and inclusion. Discover what drives her extraordinary capacity for service and her vision for the future of philanthropy and technology. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Phill Burton is Co-CEO of Otto Car, a company quietly reshaping how London moves. Otto is now Europe’s largest provider of electric vehicles to private-hire drivers, helping over 20,000 drivers get on the road and accelerating the city’s transition to clean transport. Before Otto, Phil helped scale one of the UK’s great consumer success stories - Bloom & Wild - from £2m to £100m+ in revenue, leading across eight countries and every major function from Operations to Marketing. Today, he’s combining that experience with purpose, investing in ventures like Lune, Maeving, Climate X, and Shellworks, mentoring founders through Seedcamp, Tech Nation, and Carbon13, and proving that climate innovation and commercial success can go hand in hand. In this conversation, we dive into: What it takes to scale responsibly; How to build ventures that make systems better; Why purpose and profit don’t need to be opposites. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Alex Stephany is rethinking welfare for the 21st century. As Founder & CEO of Beam, Alex has built a platform that partners with 100+ government bodies to help thousands of people experiencing homelessness and long-term unemployment into stable homes and jobs. Combining expert caseworkers with smart AI software, Beam’s Magic Notes, is cutting admin for frontline staff and freeing them to do what they do best: supporting people. It’s why Beam has been named one of LinkedIn’s Top 15 UK Startups, with backing from the Mayor of London and some of the UK’s leading tech entrepreneurs. Now, Alex is scaling Magic Notes across the UK and US. Before Beam, Alex scaled JustPark as CEO, raising investment from Index Ventures and closing what was then the UK’s largest equity crowdfunding round. He’s also the author of The Business of Sharing and a mentor to the next wave of social entrepreneurs. His insights have been featured on the BBC, Bloomberg, The Guardian, and NPR, shaping the conversation on tech, homelessness, and social impact. This episode is about leadership, talent, and how to build companies that matter. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.