In this episode we’re joined by Andrew Voysey, Chief Impact Officer at Soil Capital, where he’s helping farmers take practical steps to improve soil health, cut carbon emissions, and build a more sustainable food system. Since 2020, Andrew’s programme has worked with nearly 2,000 farmers across the UK, France, and Belgium, paying them for the real climate benefits their farming creates. Before Soil Capital, Andrew spent a decade at the Cambridge Institute for Sustainability Leadership, where he grew and led their sustainable finance programme. He brings a unique mix of farming knowledge, finance, and innovation to the fight against climate change. 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 like Paul Ronalds, Mikela Druckman, Nick Temple, Matthew Gould and more. We explore how people-powered systems change is transforming the social and environmental sectors. We also examine how technology, from Greyparrot's AI waste management to VectorCam's disease-fighting tool, is being used to innovate for impact. Finally, we look at new funding models, reshaping how we fund and scale solutions for a better world. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
We’re joined by Sunny Patel, biomedical engineer, co-founder of VectorCam, and one of the driving forces behind a breakthrough that’s turning heads across global health and even on Bill Gates’s personal blog. Developed at Johns Hopkins, VectorCam is an AI-powered mosquito identification tool that works straight from a smartphone. It can tell you a mosquito’s species, sex, and even where it is in its reproductive cycle - vital intel for tackling diseases like malaria, dengue, and Zika. Before VectorCam, this kind of surveillance needed a microscope and years of training. Now, thanks to Sunny and his team, tens of thousands of community health workers can do it in real time, helping health systems act faster and smarter. This conversation is the next in our series with our friends at Fast Forward. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
This episode we’re joined by Sayyeda Salam, a remarkable leader whose career has spanned humanitarian aid, international development, and philanthropy.In September 2024, Sayyeda became Executive Director of Concern Worldwide (UK), bringing her wealth of experience to the fight against extreme poverty. Previously, as Director of Partnerships and Philanthropy at Save the Children, she secured £300m+ for children’s rights, building transformative collaborations with philanthropists, foundations, and the private sector. Her journey has taken her from Jordan and Lebanon to Egypt, Tanzania, and the Gulf; always with a focus on empowering local operations and partners across Africa, Asia, and Latin America. Beyond her executive leadership, she also serves as a Trustee of the Refugee Council, underscoring her lifelong commitment to supporting marginalised communities. This episode is a powerful conversation about leadership, global development, and what it really takes to create systemic change for the world’s most vulnerable. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Nick Temple OBE is at the forefront of the UK’s social economy as CEO of the Social Investment Business. Nick leads an organisation backing charities and social enterprises with the capital and support they need to grow and thrive. His contributions were recognised last year when he was awarded an OBE for services to social enterprise. In this conversation, Nick shares his journey, his philosophy on what makes social investment work, and his vision for the future of the sector. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
In this episode we’re joined by Paul Ronalds - lawyer, founder, policymaker, NGO leader, and now CEO of Save the Children Global Ventures. Paul’s career has been anything but conventional: Advising on M&A at a top-tier law firm, Co-founding one of Australia’s first e-commerce start-ups, Serving two Australian Prime Ministers at the highest level of government, Leading Save the Children Australia for nearly a decade. Now, at Save the Children Global Ventures, he’s on a mission to rewire how the world funds and scales solutions for children. From edtech and e-health to impact investing and innovative finance, Paul is bringing entrepreneurial energy to one of the world’s oldest NGOs. This is a conversation about how to build systems that last, and what it takes to marry innovation with impact at global scale. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Mikela Druckman is the visionary Co-Founder and CEO of Greyparrot - a groundbreaking company transforming waste management through cutting-edge AI and waste analytics. Under Mikela’s leadership, Greyparrot has earned global accolades, making the World Economic Forum’s “Tech Pioneer” list, the Global Cleantech 100, and Fast Company's "Most Innovative Companies" of 2025 all while accelerating progress toward a more sustainable and circular future. Mikela has roots in both business and technology. She was a founding leader at Blippar where she shaped the landscape of computer vision and augmented reality. Named among the UK’s top women digital leaders Mikela has consistently championed diversity, mentorship, and the possibilities of ethical tech. Fluent in multiple languages and a dedicated mentor to emerging startups, Mikela proves that entrepreneurship can be a force for environmental good. Join us as we explore her journey; from building bridges between technology and sustainability to inspiring the next generation of changemakers. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
We're joined by Matthew Gould, CEO of the Zoological Society of London (ZSL), whose career journey reads like a masterclass in strategic leadership across diverse global challenges. From serving as British Ambassador to Israel and holding diplomatic postings in Tehran, Islamabad, Washington, and Manila, to directing the UK's cyber security strategy and leading NHSX through its digital transformation, Matthew has consistently demonstrated how personal passion, public service, and strategic thinking can intersect to make an impact. Now, at the helm of ZSL, he's uniting world-class zoos, cutting-edge science, and global conservation efforts in the fight to protect our planet's wildlife. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Matt Hyde OBE started out as a young Scout and went on to lead the student movement as Chief Executive of NUS. He then returned to his roots by taking the helm of The Scout Association. Under his stewardship, Scouting grew to record numbers, reached into new communities through the pioneering Squirrel Scouts programme, and placed inclusion and civic duty at the heart of youth engagement. From co-founding The Big Help Out, which mobilised millions into volunteering, to now leading the Lloyds Bank Foundation in support of small and local charities, Matt’s career is a masterclass in creating and growing people-powered movements. He also serves as a trustee at Comic Relief and a patron of UNLOCK, helping people with convictions move forward with dignity and hope. 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 like Sir Ronald Cohen, Sam Freedman, Louisa Mitchell, and more. We explore how personal resilience fuels public leadership, why breaking down silos is key to lasting change, and how markets must evolve from the invisible hand to the invisible heart. From decentralising government to reimagining healthcare, housing, and childhood itself, this episode distills the big ideas that have defined the series so far. Whether you’ve listened to every episode or are just jumping in, this is the perfect place to catch the highlights. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
In this episode we’re wrapping up our Scaling Social Unicorns series with a special episode alongside the brilliant team at 100x Impact Accelerator - Fan, Chief Investment Officer, Amelia who leads 100x’s partnerships and Shanzeh who heads up strategy. 100X exists to back ventures that can change the world, and to learn and share what it really takes to scale. From Uganda to India to Pakistan, we’ve heard from founders reshaping health, education, finance, and justice.We met Labhya’s cofounder Richa, scaling social-emotional learning across Indian public schools; Batya from Chancen International, pioneering income-linked education finance for underserved students in Africa; Taleemabad’s Haroon, making quality education accessible to millions in Pakistan through EdTech; Intelehealth co-founder Neha, delivering AI-powered healthcare where doctors are scarce; and Nick from One Day Health, launching ultra-low-cost rural clinics in Uganda and beyond. In this episode, we reflect on the breakthroughs, trade-offs, and bold bets it takes to reach millions. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
In this episode we are joined by four of the most insightful voices shaping the future of nature: Tony Juniper CBE – Chair of Natural England, veteran campaigner, and author of Just Earth, shares his views on nature recovery and economic reform. Eva Zabey – CEO of Business for Nature, outlines how leading companies are embedding nature into their strategies, and why policy ambition is essential. Merlin Hanbury-Tenison – Founder of The Thousand Year Trust and author of Our Oaken Bones, speaks from the frontlines of Britain’s rainforest restoration efforts. Jessica Smith – Head of Nature at UNEP FI, explains why finance is the hidden lever and how Earth observation, insurance, and regulation can shift global capital. #TheImpactEquation #NatureRecovery #Biodiversity #BusinessForNature #ClimateAction #Sustainability #Leadership #PodcastDrop Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
We're joined by Sam Freedman - writer, policy advisor, education reformer, and the writer of the UK’s most popular politics Substack. Sam’s career spans the frontline and the engine room of public policy. From lobbying on education reform to advising Michael Gove at the Department for Education, to senior roles at Teach First and Ark, he’s always been focused on making systems work better, especially for those with the least power. Now, as a Senior Fellow at the Institute for Government and co-author of the brilliant Comment is Freed newsletter with his father Lawrence Freedman, Sam brings clarity, honesty, and pragmatism to a political climate that too often lacks all three. This is a conversation about influence, impact, and what it takes to drive change that actually sticks. Sam doesn’t pull punches. #ImpactEquation #Leadership #PublicPolicy #Education #Podcast #SystemChange #SamFreedman #Politics #CommentIsFreed Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
In this special edition of The Impact Equation, we hear from three insiders turned truth-tellers: Rizwan Naveed, former McKinsey energy strategist, who helped advise the world's biggest companies, and challenged McKinsey’s climate position. Holly Alpine, former sustainability lead at Microsoft, who built global green programmes while grappling with how tech services were being used in the fossil fuel sector. Jo Alexander, former BP executive, who believed in the energy transition, but witnessed the company adjust its boldest climate commitments. These three leaders have left the corporate world behind but not quietly. Now they’re shaping a different kind of change, from the outside in. #TheImpactEquation #CorporateSustainability #ClimateAction #Leadership #ImpactPodcast #Greenwashing #EnergyTransition Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
We’re thrilled to announce a brand new series of The Impact Equation in partnership with Fast Forward, the leading accelerator backing tech nonprofits solving humanity’s greatest challenges We kick off with Alysia Garmulewicz, Co-Founder and Co-CEO of Materiom, whose open platform is pioneering regenerative biomaterials from locally abundant resources. A Rhodes Scholar and systems thinker, Alysia isn’t just reimagining packaging - she’s reimagining the economy. Tune in as we explore what it takes to build for impact at scale, why open data and community matter, and how the tech nonprofit model is changing the rules. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
We’re joined by Sir Ronnie Cohen - a man whose vision has shaped two industries: European venture capital and global impact investing. Born in Egypt and forced to flee as a child, Sir Ronnie arrived in the UK with little more than resilience and hope. He went on to become President of the Oxford Union, earn an MBA from Harvard, and co-found Apax Partners, one of Europe’s leading private equity firms. But that was only the beginning. Driven by a deeper mission, Sir Ronnie turned his focus to social investment - founding Social Finance, Big Society Capital, and spearheading a global movement that’s redefining how capital serves humanity. He now serves as Chairman of the Global Steering Group for Impact Investment, and his new book “On Impact: A Guide to the Impact Revolution” is a bold call to action for us all - investors, entrepreneurs, business leaders, citizens - to place impact at the heart of everything we do. This is a conversation about money, meaning, and what it truly takes to change the world. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
We’re joined by someone who’s quietly but powerfully changing how we support children and families across the UK. Louisa Mitchell started her journey seeing up close how the system was letting families fall through the cracks. In 2014, she was part of the team that founded All Child, a pioneering organisation focused on early intervention and holistic, community-based care. Today, All Child is rethinking support from the ground up - from schools to policy - and putting children’s wellbeing where it belongs: at the heart of the system. Louisa’s work earned her an MBE in 2023. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
In this wash up episode, Rafi and Adam discuss their reflections and take aways from our most recent 7 guests. We've had some incredible conversations, these are some of our highlights. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
This week we’re joined by Joel Makower, one of the original architects of sustainable business. As co-founder of the Trellis Group, Joel has built the world’s go-to platform for people making capitalism work for people and planet. He’s advised Fortune 500s, authored more than a dozen books, and helped shape the global conversation on sustainability. He is equal parts journalist, strategist, and movement builder. Listen in to the conversation to hear his reflections and lessons over the past 40 years. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
In this episode, we’re joined by one of the most influential voices in sustainable finance: Catherine Howarth, Chief Executive of ShareAction.For nearly 20 years, Catherine has been reshaping how pensions and investments serve people and planet - not just profit. Under her leadership, ShareAction has turned quiet shareholder voices into powerful agents for climate action, social justice, and accountability. Before ShareAction, Catherine founded West London Citizens, building power through community organising. Since then, she’s been named a World Economic Forum Young Global Leader, served on the board of the Scott Trust (owner of The Guardian), and advised the UK government on green finance. She’s been recognised by Yale, the BBC, and was awarded an OBE by King Charles III. In this episode, we unpack: How to challenge financial systems from the inside, what it takes to turn investors into activists, and why finance might be the most underused lever for building a fairer, greener world. #ImpactEquation #SustainableFinance #Leadership #ClimateAction #SocialImpact #ESG #Podcast Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.