Are you wondering why things have been quiet over here at The Great Full podcast? It is because we have been working on an exciting new podcast for you! It is called Emotions of Change and here is what you can look forward to: Changemaking isn’t just strategy, indicators, or mission statements. It’s deeply emotional. In this show, we dive into the emotions behind doing work that tries to make the world a better place. From anger to compassion, anxiety to joy—we’re here to share things we don’...
My guest in this episode is Rirhandzu Marivate, a regenerative food systems practitioner and socioecologist currently based in the Western Cape of South Africa. Rirhandzu leads the Living Soils Community Learning Farm initiative, which aims to empower young black women through jobs in regenerative farming to grow nutrient-rich produce, strengthen local community food security and create sustainable livelihoods. In this episode we talk to Rirhandzu about how she collaborates with the team and ...
This week we are tackling a big topic together – your personal resilience and what it means for planetary resilience! I dive into lessons I have learned working with this topic personally and professionally over the last decade and dig out key insights and practical tools that will help you on your journey to create a more just, generative and joyful life for yourself and others. Before you jump in – there is a free workbook that accompanies this episode. You can download it here! Liste...
My guest today is Kylie Flanagan, the author of a brand new book called “Climate Resilience - How we can keep each other safe, care for our communities and fight back against climate change”. “Climate Resilience brought me to tears of recognition, relief, solidarity, and hope. It’s the book we need to survive this human moment together.” (Lily Diamond - author of Kale & Caramel and coauthor of What’s Your Story?) It was a pleasure to sit with Kylie on the release of her important book a...
This week I am delighted to chat with Nina Simons, co-founder of Bioneers and social entrepreneur passionate about reimagining leadership, restoring balance to the feminine and masculine, and helping to heal relations with ourselves, each other and the Earth. In this episode we talk about how Nina experienced her call to purpose, how healing imbalances in the world and within systems starts with healing imbalances in ourselves, and Nina’s evolving understanding of leadership that is increasin...
My guest this episode is Mona Mijthab, social entrepreneur, international speaker and designer with a focus on circular design and social innovation. Mona founded Mosan, a social enterprise improving living conditions in low-income communities with circular sanitation systems, offering safe sanitation to people while also transforming human excreta into nutrient-rich biochar for soil health in agriculture. Mosan currently offers its services in indigenous communities in the Lake Atitl...
On today’s episode I am joined by Sarela Herrada, co-founder of SIMPLi foods. Born and raised in Lima, Peru, with a background in industrial engineering and food supply chain management, she and her husband Matt have now founded SIMPLi - a food business that wants to do things differently. In this episode we chat about her journey to bring SIMPLi to life and how they are trying to simultaneously tackle big complex topics like climate change, biodiversity loss and farmer livelihoods through th...
In this episode we gathered in a small circle of The Great Full community members to chat about what community means to us and our work. We discuss how we have experienced community in our own personal and professional lives and what impact it has had on us. We explore how communities are built, run and sustained and in what ways they help people on their journeys of driving, and responding to, change and transformation. The topics we cover are: How we each define community and how that under...
My guest this week is Dr. Ana Pantelić, Executive Director of MIT D-Lab. Ana is an international development professional who has guided and grown social impact organizations working at the interface of systems change, innovation, and economic opportunity for women and girls. As the Executive Director of MIT D-Lab she leads a group that works with people around the world to develop and advance collaborative approaches and practical solutions to global challenges. In this episode we tal...
This episode is a space for you to reflect on the relationship between your own wellbeing and your well-doing in the world. In other words, the connection between your self-care, systems of care and ability to make sustainable change. Join me for a chat about: What led me to start caring so deeply about this topicThe wellbeing and contribution feedback loopWhy it’s not your fault - how burnout and wellbeing are about self care AND systems of careThe irony that social and environmental impact ...
My guest this episode is Liz Ogutu, Policy, Advocacy and Regional Coordinator for Africa at HarvestPlus. Liz has dedicated her career to tackling malnutrition in Africa and currently focuses on using biofortification to improve nutrition while also giving agency back to smallholder farmers. In this episode, Liz and I talk about what biofortification is and how it can help tackle food system challenges, and explore how she has navigated tradeoffs and power structures to find a career that nour...
In this episode, Michelle Grant (Founder of The Great Full) explores meditation as a leadership practice. Michelle integrates meditation into her leadership trainings and uses this episode to answer common questions participants have around what meditation is and what makes it a leadership practice. The aim is to help you explore how mediation might be a tool that supports you on your journey to lead change, and help you get started with your own practice. In this episode, Michelle shares: Wh...
My guests this week are Corinna Hawkes, Shu Wen Ng and Rebecca Namara from the Next Gen(D)eration Leadership Collective. Food presents a huge opportunity to improve the health of people and the planet while also supporting the livelihoods of millions. Yet, despite growing calls to reform our food systems for the sake of human and planetary health, things aren’t getting better. What is missing is the bold and courageous leadership needed to put solutions to work. The Next Gen(D)eration ...
We are happy to be back with Season 3 of The Great Full podcast! In this episode, Michelle Grant (Founder of The Great Full) chats with participants of Lead the Change to dig deeper into their experience in the program. Lead the Change is a 6 month leadership and facilitation training for women wanting to lead sustainable change. It was created to support you to lead with intention, empower others and facilitate change. So that you can make a contribution in a way that is both purposeful and ...
This week I am chatting with Nabeeha and Yumna, two incredibly inspiring high school students who are on a mission to make healthy food accessible to all children in the UK through their engagement with Bite Back 2030. Founded by Jamie Oliver but fully youth-led, Bite Back 2030’s mission is to enable better access to healthy food for everyone and to create more sustainable food systems. Yumna and Nabeeha are on the youth board and in this episode we hear their inspiring stories of yout...
My guest this episode is Jerusha Klemperer, the Director of FoodPrint.org, a media platform dedicated to helping people understand the impact of what they eat on animals, planet and people. Prior to leading FoodPrint, Jerusha was a Co-Founder of FoodCorps, an organization that works with local communities around the US to serve healthy food in schools, and before that led campaigns at Slow Food USA. She has a 15+ year career working for places with “food” in the title, to support a foo...
My guest this week is Dr. Jessica Hernandez (Maya Ch’orti’ & Binnizá), the author of the new book “Fresh Banana Leaves - Healing Indigenous Landscapes through Indigenous Science”. Jessica is a postdoctoral research fellow at the University of Washington Bothell, a Climate Justice Policy Strategist at the International Mayan League and the Environmental Justice Representative of the City of Seattle Commission of Urban Forestry. In this episode, Jessica helps us understand how indigenous a...
This episode is a special / unusual one. Instead of sharing the inspiring story of a human being leading sustainable change, I am sharing some wisdom for a little puppy named Polly! This last year we were foster parents or “puppy raisers” for a guide dog puppy. That meant volunteering our home, time and energy to socialise a little Labrador puppy before she goes off to school where she is trained as a guide dog for the blind or as an assistant dog for people who use wheelchairs. This adorabl...
My guest in this episode is the inspiring Jacquie McGlade, a professor of sustainability and resilience at University College London and Strathmore University in Kenya. She was formerly the Chief Scientist at the United Nations Environment Program and the Executive Director of the European Environment Agency for 10 years. Though originally from the UK, Jacquie now lives in the Masai Mara with her husband and their community. In the episode, Jacquie shares meaningful insights into her life and...
This episode I chat with Beccie D’Cunha, founder of the Courage Lab. Beccie has extensive experience in leadership roles in the not for profit sector and as a professional facilitator and conflict mediator. At Courage Lab, Beccie offers coaching to enable courageous conversations, strengthen relationships and create the leadership we need for a positive change in our organizations and in the world around us. In this conversation we explore the role of courage in leading change, how it...