Do One Better with Alberto Lidji in Philanthropy, Sustainability and Social Entrepreneurship
Alberto Lidji
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Weekly podcasts on philanthropy, sustainability and social entrepreneurship, hosted by Alberto Lidji, former Global CEO of the Novak Djokovic Foundation. Insightful interviews with the leaders who are achieving remarkable change. Be inspired!
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2 days ago
David Laws, Executive Chairman of the Education Policy Institute and former UK Schools Minister, on narrowing the education gap between rich and poor
Between 2010 and 2015, David served in the UK’s Coalition Government as Chief Secretary to the Treasury, Schools Minister, and Cabinet Office Minister. Whilst Schools Minister he was responsible for policy areas including all capital and revenue funding, the Pupil Premium, accountability and policy on teachers and leadership. Since 2015, David has been Chairman of the Education Policy Institute.
In this episode we focus on narrowing the education gap between rich and poor and delve into various areas, including creating and communicating a strong evidence base, engaging with policymakers and the media, the possible introduction of Value Added Tax to independent schools, and quite a bit more.
As someone who served as Schools Minister, David has key insight on how to engage with policymakers effectively and ensuring research reaches decision-makers at the right time.
Translating and summarising complex research, and boiling it down to the policy impact, is actually not the challenging part. The bigger challenge is in ensuring policymakers take note of the research even when it doesn’t align with their own views and, also, in ensuring research cuts right through policymakers’ busy diaries and grabs their attention.
Narrowing the education gap between rich and poor is one of David’s key focus areas. He explains how in the UK we have some of the best universities in the world, but there is a tail of underachievement which is very long and highly associated with income and social class, which is the weakness of the UK education system. If we can close the gap between rich and poor we’d have an education system that would genuinely be one of the very best in the world.
Thank you for downloading this episode of the Do One Better Podcast. Visit our Knowledge Hub at Lidji.org for information on 200+ case studies and interviews with remarkable leaders in philanthropy, sustainability and social entrepreneurship.
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Sep 25, 2023
Enver Solomon, Chief Executive of the Refugee Council, on universal values and engaging with policymakers, the media, and the public
The Chief Executive of the Refugee Council, Enver Solomon, joins us to discuss the refugee crisis and shed light on the work of the Refugee Council and the context in which they operate.
Every day, refugees are risking their lives by coming on boats from Continental Europe to the UK, and we see a political response of building walls and enforceability.
We explore the realities on the ground and the electoral challenges faced by policymakers, within a backdrop of heightened economic insecurity which often drives xenophobia.
Enver Solomon provides specific tips on how to be an effective advocate for refugees and universal values, and explains why engaging with policymakers and the public is essential for an effective communications strategy.
The Refugee Council was founded in 1951, following the creation of the UN Refugee Convention. They exist to support and empower people who have fled conflict, violence and persecution in order to rebuild their lives in the UK. They work with more than 13,000 women, men and children each year.
Thank you for downloading this episode of the Do One Better Podcast. Visit our Knowledge Hub at Lidji.org for information on 200+ case studies and interviews with remarkable leaders in philanthropy, sustainability and social entrepreneurship.
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Sep 18, 2023
Vicky Fox, CEO of the UK Supreme Court, provides a fascinating glimpse into the Court’s work in community outreach, education, diversity and accessibility
The UK Supreme Court’s CEO, Vicky Fox, sheds light into her fascinating work and a range of initiatives focused on community outreach, education, and driving forward more diversity, accessibility and transparency.
Many people do not know the UK Supreme Court has a CEO and, indeed, many other countries' top courts also have CEOs. The Court does much international work and Vicky has met her counterparts in the USA, Canada, France, and Germany.
Vicky is in charge of all the non-judicial functions of the Court, including the running of an effective and efficient court, taking into account the lifecycle of a case – from the minute it enters their doors to the minute it leaves.
The Court runs a range of programmes to engage with communities. One such programme is called ‘Ask a Justice’ where a justice shows up in a classroom virtually and answers questions from students for an hour, leading to thoughtful, challenging, provocative interactions.
We also learn of their drive to encourage more diversity in the legal profession. The Court’s initiatives address the entire career pipeline, from schools and universities to very senior, experienced judges. They work in partnership with many organisations, including a charity called ‘Bridging the Bar’, focusing on helping underrepresented groups into the legal profession.
Listen to this episode for some great insight and inspiration!
Thank you for downloading this episode of the Do One Better Podcast. Visit our Knowledge Hub at Lidji.org for information on 200+ case studies and interviews with remarkable leaders in philanthropy, sustainability and social entrepreneurship.
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Sep 11, 2023
World Food Programme’s Martin Frick on the global food crisis, climate change and empowering people to drive forward positive change
Martin Frick is the Director of the World Food Programme’s Global Office in Berlin. We look at the global food crisis, how it relates to climate change and biodiversity, and explore how to move social drivers to empower people to make a positive difference.
The World Food Programme is the world’s largest humanitarian organisation with 24,000 colleagues all over the world, particularly in the toughest regions of the planet – working with almost 1,000 NGOs and active in places where often times no other agencies are on the ground.
Thank you for downloading this episode of the Do One Better Podcast. Visit our Knowledge Hub at Lidji.org for information on 200+ case studies and interviews with remarkable leaders in philanthropy, sustainability and social entrepreneurship.
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Sep 4, 2023
Martin Allen Morales, CEO of the Institute of Imagination, on transforming our education system
The CEO of the Institute of Imagination, Martin Allen Morales, joins us to discuss creativity and imagination.
Imagination is a critical life skill and in this episode we explore how to unlock imagination in our children, encourage teachers to embrace this topic, and inform policy-makers so we transform an education system that often stifles imagination.
The Institute of Imagination is a pioneering education charity, working with parents, teachers, youth and community leaders, and academics, designing and delivering creative workshops across the arts, sciences and digital technologies (STEAM) for children aged 5-11 years old.
Thank you for downloading this episode of the Do One Better Podcast. Visit our Knowledge Hub at Lidji.org for information on 200+ case studies and interviews with remarkable leaders in philanthropy, sustainability and social entrepreneurship.
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Aug 28, 2023
Bhawani Singh Shekhawat of the Akshaya Patra Foundation on tackling classroom hunger
The Akshaya Patra Foundation is one of the world’s largest and perhaps most celebrated school meals programmes, currently serving 2.5 million children every day, in India and the UK, having served nearly 4 billion meals.
Bhawani Singh Shekhawat sits on the Board of the Akshaya Patra Foundation, advocates for cross-sector collaboration and provides insight into his personal journey, transitioning from corporate success to non-profit social impact.
This episode focuses on nutrition and education, UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) 2 and 4 respectively, and the conversation provides an inspirational example of transformative change at scale.
Thank you for downloading this episode of the Do One Better Podcast. Visit our Knowledge Hub at Lidji.org for information on 200+ case studies and interviews with remarkable leaders in philanthropy, sustainability and social entrepreneurship.
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Aug 21, 2023
Rachel Sandby-Thomas on skills and social mobility
Rachel Sandby-Thomas sits on the UK Labour Party’s Council of Skills Advisors and is the Registrar of the University of Warwick. This episode focuses on skills and social mobility and explores resilience, soft skills, the impact of AI, the power of mentorship, and more.
Rachel has had a long career in the UK Civil Service, the last 8 years of which were as a Director General in the Department of Business, Innovation and Skills where she covered legal, corporate services and policy (skills, regulation, large and small businesses, local growth). She joined the UK Civil Service as a lawyer from Linklaters.
Skills are essential to productivity and growth, and this episode is for everyone who wishes to understand the broader context and specific opportunities.
Thank you for downloading this episode of the Do One Better Podcast. Visit our Knowledge Hub at Lidji.org for information on 200+ case studies and interviews with remarkable leaders in philanthropy, sustainability and social entrepreneurship.
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Aug 14, 2023
Liesel Pritzker Simmons (Co-Founder) and Corina Gardner (CEO) of the IDP Foundation, on building a sustainable education ecosystem
Liesel Pritzker Simmons brings us into the origins of the IDP Foundation, which she co-founded with her mother, Irene Pritzker.
The foundation’s mission: To participate in building a sustainable education ecosystem that embraces a mixed economy of provision, and caters for all children through access to finance for low-fee private schools, quality interventions and advocacy in Africa and beyond.
Corina Gardner joined the IDP Foundation as its CEO in 2020 and she starts by providing a broader context on the state of global education (SDG4) and how they’re driving systemic change.
The IDP Foundation is an active funder and champion for the complementary role that the non-state education sector plays in supporting national education systems.
Governments are responsible for providing quality free education for all children, however in many developing countries this is not happening, despite often meeting, or exceeding, recommended UNESCO benchmarks on budget allocation.
As a funding partner and champion of the affordable non-state education sector (ANS), the IDP Foundation believes that low-fee private schools play a crucial role in increasing access to education and improving learning outcomes in low and lower-middle income countries.
They call for the global recognition, integration and support of this sector as part of a centrally-governed mixed economy of provision that embraces all hands on deck to build resilience into national education systems.
This episode will inform and inspire you, from education and policy to philanthropy and innovative finance, there is something for everyone.
Thank you for downloading this episode of the Do One Better Podcast. Visit our Knowledge Hub at Lidji.org for information on 200+ case studies and interviews with remarkable leaders in philanthropy, sustainability and social entrepreneurship.
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Aug 7, 2023
George Richards, Director of Community Jameel, on J-PAL and advancing science and learning for communities to thrive
Community Jameel’s Director, George Richards, talks about their support of the Abdul Latif Jameel Poverty Action Lab (J-PAL) and numerous other initiatives supporting bright talent beyond the lab and across the globe.
In 2019, the Nobel Prize for Economics was awarded to J-PAL’s co-founders, Esther Duflo and Abhijit Banerjee, and long-time J-PAL affiliate Michael Kremer, for their experimental approach to alleviating global poverty. Community Jameel has supported and partnered with J-PAL since 2005.
George explains how Community Jameel supports scientists, humanitarians, technologists and creatives to understand and address pressing human challenges. An inspiring conversation shedding light on the power of philanthropy.
Thank you for downloading this episode of the Do One Better Podcast. Visit our Knowledge Hub at Lidji.org for information on 200+ case studies and interviews with remarkable leaders in philanthropy, sustainability and social entrepreneurship.
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Jul 31, 2023
Katy Talikowska, CEO of the Valuable 500, on ending disability exclusion
The CEO of the Valuable 500, Katy Talikowska, advocates for synchronised collective action; using the power of business to drive lasting change for the 1.3 billion people around the world who are living with a disability.
The Valuable 500 is a collective of 500 businesses, representing 22 million employees, chaired by Paul Polman, who are innovating for disability inclusion.
Through synchronised collective action, they are tackling three systems barriers:
(1) Lack of representation
(2) Lack of disability reporting
(3) Lack of disability in leadership
On 3rd December 2025, in Tokyo, they will host the Valuable 500 Accountability Summit, where they’ll convene their 500 companies to report on their progress against the above three synchronised collective actions.
At the Valuable 500, they won’t stop until everyone is seen and valued equally.
Thank you for downloading this episode of the Do One Better Podcast. Visit our Knowledge Hub at Lidji.org for information on 200+ case studies and interviews with remarkable leaders in philanthropy, sustainability and social entrepreneurship.
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Jul 24, 2023
Mallory Dwinal-Palisch, Chancellor of Reach University, on their innovative apprenticeship route to becoming a teacher
The Chancellor of Reach University, Mallory Dwinal-Palisch, joins us to discuss teacher shortages in the USA and their innovative apprenticeship route helping those from minority and disadvantaged backgrounds join the teaching profession.
Reach University’s approach addresses and tackles the hurdles that often stand in the way of people’s dreams of studying to become a teacher. From a lack of childcare and high costs, to geographic distances and poor alignment between subjects studied and local school districts’ needs.
Mallory dedicates her life's work to building equity-focused educational models. She is a Rhodes Scholar; holds a BA in Economics from Northwestern University, an MBA from Harvard Business School, and a PhD from Oxford University.
Whether you are passionate about education, care deeply about social mobility, or are curious to understand how economics can be leveraged to drive social impact, this episode is for you.
Thank you for downloading this episode of the Do One Better Podcast. Visit our Knowledge Hub at Lidji.org for information on 200+ case studies and interviews with remarkable leaders in philanthropy, sustainability and social entrepreneurship.
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Jul 17, 2023
Paige Murphy, Head of the Wimbledon Foundation, on improving lives through sports and innovative partnerships
The Head of the Wimbledon Foundation, Paige Murphy, talks with Alberto Lidji, former CEO of the Novak Djokovic Foundation, about the charitable work of the Wimbledon Foundation, their key partnerships and the invaluable role of sports in providing essential skills for education and employment.
The Wimbledon Foundation is the official charity of the All England Lawn Tennis Club and the Championships. Their mission is to champion opportunity for all, and they aim to leverage the resources of the Club and the Championships to make a positive difference in people’s lives.
As the Wimbledon Foundation approaches its 10th Anniversary, we learn about their trajectory; their COVID response work; and their current support of 100 local charities in the London boroughs of Merton and Wandsworth, key partnerships with WaterAid and the British Red Cross, and their support of ‘Set for Success’ – an initiative delivered by the Youth Sport Trust that is also supported by Barclays – the offic…
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Jul 10, 2023
Rupert Abbott, Executive Director of GiveOut, on LGBTI advocacy through a human rights lens
GiveOut’s Executive Director, Rupert Abbott, joins us to discuss the LGBTI movement through a human rights lens, and GiveOut’s work enabling the LGBTI community and its allies to give in one place to support this cause.
We also explore GiveOut’s drive to increase philanthropic funding and the increasing importance of corporate support.
GiveOut is an international LGBTQI community foundation working closely with many grassroots organisations.
Rupert Abbott qualified as a lawyer at the global firm Baker & McKenzie and was awarded a high commendation by the Law Society for his pro bono human rights work. He studied law at the University of Sussex and holds a BA and MA in modern history from the University of Oxford.
Thank you for downloading this episode of the Do One Better Podcast. Visit our Knowledge Hub at Lidji.org for information on 200+ case studies and interviews with remarkable leaders in philanthropy, sustainability and social entrepreneurship.
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Jul 3, 2023
Paul Ronalds, CEO of Save the Children Global Ventures, on impact investing and unlocking capital
The CEO of Save the Children Global Ventures, Paul Ronalds, joins us to talk about the impact investing side of Save the Children – unlocking capital and backing truly interesting initiatives around health, education, child protection and climate.
Save the Children Global Ventures complements traditional grant-making and philanthropy with an increased use of innovative financing instruments, including loans, guarantees and blended finance funds. They work with a wide range of start-ups and investors, and are establishing a family of impact funds to crowd-in private sector investment to help achieve the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
Paul has served as a senior advisor to two Australian Prime Ministers; was Deputy CEO of World Vision Australia and, for the last nine years, served as CEO of Save the Children Australia.
Thank you for downloading this episode of the Do One Better Podcast. Visit our Knowledge Hub at Lidji.org for information on 200+ case studies and interview…
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Jun 26, 2023
Krish Kandiah, Founder of the Sanctuary Foundation, on welcoming refugees with open arms
The founder and director of the Sanctuary Foundation, Krish Kandiah, talks about the importance of welcoming refugees into our communities. He describes the work of the Sanctuary Foundation and shares his own personal experience of opening his home and welcoming refugees to live with his family.
Despite what the negative headlines might suggest, the British public has demonstrated great warmth and generosity, opening their homes to complete strangers who seek refuge from war and conflict in Ukraine and elsewhere.
The pendulum of public attitudes is moving in the right direction and there’s much we can do to build on this momentum. Just days after marking World Refugee Day on 20th June 2023, this episode will inform, inspire, and prompt you to do more.
Thank you for downloading this episode of the Do One Better Podcast. Visit our Knowledge Hub at Lidji.org for information on 200+ case studies and interviews with remarkable leaders in philanthropy, sustainability and social entrepre…
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Jun 19, 2023
Emma Cherniavsky, UK CEO of the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) on World Refugee Day and Changing the Narrative of how Refugees and Displaced Persons are Perceived
Ahead of World Refugee Day on 20th June 2023, Emma Cherniavsky, UK CEO of the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) joins us to discuss the refugee and displaced persons crisis.
Emma explains that World Refugee Day is a time to celebrate what refugees have brought to our countries, societies and communities. It’s a time to celebrate the courage, resilience, and extraordinary contributions of refugees and displaced persons.
This episode provides context of the refugee and displaced persons crisis across the globe and highlights the importance of changing the negative narratives often projected in the media.
We shed light on the work of the UNHCR, both on the front lines and in host countries -- ranging from emergency, humanitarian aid to long-term initiatives focused on education, employability, and inclusion.
Our conversation also explores the wide range of partnerships with NGOs, government and other sectors in support of UNHCR’s work, and we pay specific attention to the increasing impor…
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Jun 12, 2023
Hilary Cottam, Professor at the Institute for Innovation and Public Purpose at UCL (University College London) and author of Radical Help, on social design and rethinking our vertical post-war systems
Hilary Cottam joins us to explore the field of social design and rethinking our vertical, post-war systems so as to ensure that we are not simply putting 1950s systems online, but rather are actually embracing a digital mindset with collaboration and sharing that are front and centre, being mindful that today’s challenges are vast and urgent and we need to think about them differently and rethink how we design new social systems that are fit for purpose.
So, whether you’re a policy maker, a corporate strategist or want to glean what the future of our society could look like, today’s episode is for you.
Thank you for downloading this episode of the Do One Better Podcast. Visit our Knowledge Hub at Lidji.org for information on 200+ case studies and interviews with remarkable leaders in philanthropy, sustainability and social entrepreneurship.
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Jun 5, 2023
Sophie Otiende, CEO of the Global Fund to End Modern Slavery, on creating a survivor-led environment
The CEO of the Global Fund to End Modern Slavery, Sophie Otiende, advocates for a survivor-led environment, enabling those with lived experience to have space, use their voice and become leaders in tackling modern slavery.
Sophie was trafficked as a child and is herself a survivor-leader; she knows what it feels like to be in a policy discussion where she’s the only person in the room who’s actually experienced human trafficking and to realise that the others in that room are observers of this problem.
At the Fund, they have developed a unique toolkit to help organisations understand themselves better and develop a roadmap enabling them to bring survivors into decision-making leadership positions. You can’t just tell people that something is wrong. You need to provide them with tools and roadmaps that lead to the meaningful inclusion of those who have lived experience.
There are many facets to this, from being mindful of the language that is used so that it’s accessible to e…
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May 29, 2023
Priya Naik, Founder & CEO of Samhita, on sustainable livelihoods in India
Samhita’s Founder and CEO, Priya Naik, talks with us about sustainable livelihoods in India, social inclusiveness, gender, returnable grants and much more.
Their initial funders include the Omidyar Network and the Michael & Susan Dell Foundation; their partners include the likes of Unilever, Google and Kimberly-Clark.
Samhita embraces an ecosystem mindset, and they work closely not just with individual organisations but also with a range of collectives and collaboratives who engage diverse audiences and stakeholders.
Thank you for downloading this episode of the Do One Better Podcast. Visit our Knowledge Hub at Lidji.org for information on 200+ case studies and interviews with remarkable leaders in philanthropy, sustainability and social entrepreneurship.
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May 22, 2023
Nitzan Pelman, CEO and Founder of Climb Hire, on the value of networks and leveraging social capital
Nitzan Pelman, CEO and Founder of Climb Hire, joins us to talk about the value of networks and leveraging social capital. So often, those who come from the most marginalised backgrounds don’t have the connections and don’t benefit from the social introductions that can prove invaluable in the labour market and in developing a successful career.
In this episode, we explore the innovative programmes run by Climb Hire, the social capital mindset they’re embracing, their innovative funding model and the value of their alumni network.
Nitzan Pelman founded Climb Hire in 2019 as a way to generate upward mobility for people earning below livable wage. Climb Hire’s programme model is based on Nitzan’s first-hand research as an Entrepreneur in Residence at LinkedIn, where she studied the powerful role that social networks can play in securing living wage jobs.
Thank you for downloading this episode of the Do One Better Podcast. Visit our Knowledge Hub at Lidji.org for information…
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May 15, 2023
Gemma Mortensen, Founder and Co-Creator of New Constellations, on imagining and creating better, more beautiful futures
New Constellations’ Founder and Co-Creator, Gemma Mortensen, joins us to advocate the value of big ideas, unconventional thinking, convening diverse stakeholders and imagining better futures.
New Constellations was created to hold and grow new, experimental spaces for people to examine the moment of upheaval we are living through, and to imagine and begin shaping the better futures that can emerge from it; futures in which humanity and the planet flourish together.
If you appreciate the power of creative thinking that is not constrained by preconceptions or overly concerned with convention, this episode is for you.
Thank you for downloading this episode of the Do One Better Podcast. Visit our Knowledge Hub at Lidji.org for information on 200+ case studies and interviews with remarkable leaders in philanthropy, sustainability and social entrepreneurship.
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May 8, 2023
International Rescue Committee’s (IRC) UK Executive Director, Laura Kyrke-Smith, on supporting refugees in the UK
Laura Kyrke-Smith is the IRC’s Executive Director in the UK and she joins us to discuss their work in supporting refugees and asylum seekers in the UK who come from Syria, Afghanistan, Ukraine, Iraq, Sudan and beyond.
This episode follows the earlier interview with David Miliband, President and CEO of the IRC, which aired in April 2021 and provided a global outlook of the IRC’s work.
The IRC in the UK provides support through various activities, including orientation for newcomers, employment counselling, peer mentorship and leadership training.
They have five key outcome areas including health; education; economic wellbeing and empowerment; safety (including child and women’s protection); and power (helping their clients be part of the decision-making on matters that impact their lives).
This episode is for anyone who is interested in the humanitarian space and who would like to learn of key initiatives that are helping refugees achieve a better life.
Thank you for download…
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May 1, 2023
John May, Chief Executive of Cats Protection, on the Power of Volunteering
Join us as we sit down with John May, Chief Executive of Cats Protection, one of the largest animal welfare organizations in the UK.
Our conversation focuses on the power of volunteering and its evolution in today's world. Whether you're a people person or prefer the company of animals, whether you have a lot of time or just a little, there's likely a volunteering role out there for you.
Drawing on his extensive experience as the former Secretary General of the Duke of Edinburgh's International Award Foundation, John shares his insights into how volunteering can transform lives and improve our world.
Don't miss this inspiring episode where we learn about the incredible work of Cats Protection and how anyone can make a difference through volunteering.
Thank you for downloading this episode of the Do One Better Podcast. Visit our Knowledge Hub at Lidji.org for information on 200+ case studies and interviews with remarkable leaders in philanthropy, sustainability and social entreprene…
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Apr 24, 2023
Gary Haugen, CEO & Founder of International Justice Mission (IJM), on Protecting People Living in Poverty from Violence
Gary Haugen is the CEO & Founder of International Justice Mission (IJM), a global human rights organization that works to protect the poor from violence.
The context here is not one of war, conflict or mass atrocities but, rather, the everyday violence present in many low-income and marginalized communities around the globe, such as gender violence, forced labor, human trafficking, sexual violence, police abuse and land theft.
The issue is multifaceted, and so is our conversation. Are the proper laws in place to protect a country’s citizens? Is there political will to protect those who are most marginalized? Are laws being enforced? Are social norms exacerbating the problem?
IJM was founded 26 years ago and today has around 1,500 staff based in 30 offices across the globe. IJM works with national governments and local stakeholders. Their teams are local and include lawyers, criminal investigators, trauma social workers and local advocates.
This episode looks at poverty from an an…
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Apr 17, 2023
President and CEO of Women’s World Banking, Mary Ellen Iskenderian, on women’s financial inclusion
Mary Ellen Iskenderian, President and CEO of Women's World Banking joins us to discuss the importance of women's financial inclusion.
We look at the topic of women’s financial inclusion from various angles, including digital literacy, social norms and impact investing, and we also look at some of the research that tells us that this is not just a moral imperative but also an objective that makes commercial sense.
Women’s World Banking is a 44-year old global non-profit organisation and they currently work with 65 partners in 36 countries. Their partners include a range of organisations, such as mainstream banks, FinTechs, mobile money provides and non-bank financial institutions that recognise the commercial potential of serving low-income women in a responsible and sustainable way.
Thank you for downloading this episode of the Do One Better Podcast. Visit our Knowledge Hub at Lidji.org for information on 200+ case studies and interviews with remarkable leaders in philanthropy,…
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Apr 10, 2023
Chairman of the JDRF T1D Fund, Sean Doherty, on driving cures for type 1 diabetes through venture philanthropy
Sean Doherty is the Chairman of the JDRF T1D Fund — a venture philanthropy fund aimed at creating a market in type 1 diabetes (T1D) by using capital and expertise to convince venture capital, biotech and pharma to make the investments needed to cure T1D.
In 2015, there was virtually no private investment in T1D; there was a gap between scientific advancements and the delivery of solutions to the people who need them.
Today, the JDRF T1D Fund is one of the largest disease-focused venture philanthropy funds in the world, with $175m in assets and their philanthropic dollars are spurring private investment to ultimately secure the billions needed to generate cures.
This episode showcases venture philanthropy and impact investment; it provides an overview of the funding and technologies being focused to tackle type 1 diabetes; and provides much insight on how philanthropy can catalyse private investment.
Thank you for downloading this episode of the Do One Better Podcast. Visit our Kn…
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Apr 3, 2023
Director at the Centre for Charity Effectiveness at Bayes Business School, Alex Skailes, on mergers within the charity space
Alex Skailes heads the Centre for Charity Effectiveness at Bayes Business School (formerly known as Cass) and, on this episode, we explore the nature and drivers of mergers within the charity and non-profit world; we dive into the opportunities, challenges, incentives and research.
Whether you’re based at a non-profit organisation, a for-profit commercial venture or both (or neither!), this episode will inform you and equip you as you ponder mergers.
Thank you for downloading this episode of the Do One Better Podcast. Visit our Knowledge Hub at Lidji.org for information on 200+ case studies and interviews with remarkable leaders in philanthropy, sustainability and social entrepreneurship.
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Mar 27, 2023
Executive Director of data.org, Danil Mikhailov, on building the field of data for social impact
Danil Mikhailov is the Executive Director of data.org — a nonprofit organization that is a platform for partnerships and is helping to build the field of data for social impact. They work with organizations from all over the world to increase the use of data in order to improve the lives of millions of people.
At data.org they embrace a socio-tech perspective and appreciate that it’s not just about the tech... it’s also about the humans… those who collect the data, those who use the data, those from whom the data is collected.
We look at the work of data.org, explore how data can be leveraged by small and large organizations alike and consider the implications of artificial intelligence, such as the recently-launched ChatGPT AI tool.
If you’d like to understand how to leverage data for social impact and to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) this episode is perfect for you!
Thank you for downloading this episode of the Do One Better Podcast. Visit our Knowled…
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Mar 20, 2023
Bernhard Kowatsch, Head of the Innovation Accelerator of the UN World Food Programme, on embracing innovation and technology to solve the world’s biggest social impact challenges
Bernhard is the Head of the UN World Food Programme Innovation Accelerator, which he created in 2015.
We explore the work of the Innovation Accelerator and the World Food Programme (WFP) more broadly. The WFP is the world’s largest humanitarian organization, with 20,000 staff worldwide, working in more than 120 countries — saving lives in emergencies and using food assistance to build a pathway to peace, stability and prosperity, for people recovering from conflict, disasters and the impact of climate change.
The Innovation Accelerator sources, nurtures and scales start-ups and nonprofits working to achieve Zero Hunger, and has run 18 accelerator programmes for external partners, including the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Humanitarian Grand Challenge, and other UN Agencies, with more planned.
This is a great episode for anyone who has an entrepreneurial spirit and is eager to tackle social impact challenges by leveraging innovation and technology.
Thank you for downloading…
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Mar 13, 2023
Rocket Learning: Unlocking the Potential of Early Childhood Education with Digital Solutions
Co-founder of Rocket Learning, Namya Mahajan, joins us to share an extraordinary journey and remarkable work.
Rocket Learning is a non-profit organization on a mission to revolutionise early childhood education (ECE) and early childhood development (ECD) in India by working closely with governments, parents and caregivers to create strong digital content that helps children develop during their early years.
In this episode, we explore Rocket Learning's remarkable journey, from their idea to the impact they have today. Namya Mahajan's personal and professional journey is compelling: growing up in India, gaining both an undergraduate degree in applied mathematics and an MBA from Harvard University, followed by a return to India to work at McKinsey & Co and then venturing into the social impact space, first at the Self Employed Women's Association (SEWA) and then co-founding Rocket Learning.
With a mission to help children aged 3 to 8 years, Rocket Learning creates strong digital conte…
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Mar 6, 2023
Founder & CEO of Maanch, Darshita Gillies, on mobilising capital towards sustainability
Darshita Gillies is Founder and CEO of Maanch, an impact management platform. They inform asset managers, corporations, philanthropists and funders on impact tracking and impact management within an ESG and sustainability context.
Maanch is a B Corp that is leveraging technology for good and embracing an innovative approach. The focus in this episode is on mobilising capital towards sustainability and the conversation is of interest to a wide audience.
Thank you for downloading this episode of the Do One Better Podcast. Visit our Knowledge Hub at Lidji.org for information on 200+ case studies and interviews with remarkable leaders in philanthropy, sustainability and social entrepreneurship.
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Feb 27, 2023
Founder and CEO of Hello Tractor, Jehiel Oliver, on leveraging technology to help Africa’s farmers
Jehiel Oliver, Founder and CEO of Hello Tractor explains how they’re leveraging technology and innovative financing to help Africa’s farmers close the yield gap between what they grow versus what the global averages are across key commodities.
Hello Tractor is an agricultural technology company connecting small-holder farmers to farm equipment owners with excess capacity.
Their technology involves a small tracking device that goes onto the tractor; it gives the farm equipment owner the ability to remotely monitor and manage all aspects of their tractor, including location, how much the tractor is being used, fuel consumption, theft protection —which is a big issue — and maintenance needs of the tractor.
Farm equipment owners can opt into entering their equipment into a marketplace and improve efficiencies for all concerned.
This is a fascinating episode shedding light on how business can be a force for good and address a range of issues from more efficient food production t…
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Feb 20, 2023
Co-Founder and CEO of Sanku, Felix Brooks-Church, on small-scale food fortification in East Africa
Felix Brooks-Church is Co-Founder and CEO of Sanku, a social enterprise and non-profit focused on combatting malnutrition through food fortification in East Africa. They operate out of Tanzania and Kenya.
Sanku works with local stakeholders in rural and marginalised communities to fortify staple foods by adding nutrients, vitamins and minerals; aiming to improve health outcomes in the process.
In this episode we get behind-the-scenes insight into Sanku’s work and the value of food fortification. We learn how they’re able to reach the ‘last mile’ in rural settings through a ‘small-scale’ food fortification approach; we look at their business model, and the technology and logistics that underpin the work they do.
Thank you for downloading this episode of the Do One Better Podcast. Visit our Knowledge Hub at Lidji.org for information on 200+ case studies and interviews with remarkable leaders in philanthropy, sustainability and social entrepreneurship.
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Feb 13, 2023
CEO of Habitat for Humanity International, Jonathan Reckford, on tackling housing poverty
Habitat for Humanity International’s CEO, Jonathan Reckford, sheds light on their efforts to tackle housing poverty in more than 70 countries by looking at the challenge through both equity and climate lenses.
Jonathan provides insight on how former US President Jimmy Carter became a key supporter of their work and gives us a behind-the-scenes overview of this transformative non-profit with $2 billion in annual revenues.
Habitat’s work involves innovative finance, extensive volunteering, philanthropy, advocacy and much more. They work with families who can’t get a conventional bank mortgage and who are often in highly marginalised communities.
We learn about volunteering and the concept of “sweat equity”; we get an overview of the ethical investments that support Habitat’s work; and we are presented with the dynamics of today’s global housing crisis.
Housing affordability has become shockingly out of reach for many and this episode is for anyone who wishes to understa…
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Feb 6, 2023
Caroline Fiennes, Director at Giving Evidence, on the need for more research on how to give
There is a robust body of research on 'what' donors fund. However, many questions around ‘how’ to fund need to be researched and explored more thoroughly.
If you have $100 million available to fund a cause, do you give it all in one grant, do you make a handful of large grants or do you make a high number of small grants?
In this episode we explore some of the big questions on how to fund; consider a range of dynamics, such as transaction costs and grantee perceptions; and call for more research in this field.
Thank you for downloading this episode of the Do One Better Podcast. Visit our Knowledge Hub at Lidji.org for information on 200+ case studies and interviews with remarkable leaders in philanthropy, sustainability and social entrepreneurship.
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Jan 30, 2023
CEOs of the Duke of Edinburgh’s International Award in Canada (Stephen De-Wint) and Australia (Peter Kaye) on the power of non-formal education to transform lives
Peter Kaye AM ESM and Stephen De-Wint, CEOs of the Duke of Edinburgh’s International Award in Australia and Canada respectively, talk about the work of the Award locally and across more than 100 countries.
They provide first-hand insight into how the Award embraces non-formal education and transforms lives. This broad conversation looks at diversity, equity and inclusion; volunteering and mentoring; alumni engagement and connecting with the corporate world.
Thank you for downloading this episode of the Do One Better Podcast. Visit our Knowledge Hub at Lidji.org for information on 200+ case studies and interviews with remarkable leaders in philanthropy, sustainability and social entrepreneurship.
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Jan 23, 2023
Chief Executive of the British Red Cross, Mike Adamson, on systems leadership and strategic partnerships
Mike Adamson is Chief Executive of the British Red Cross, an organisation with 4,000 employees, 15,000 volunteers and an annual income in 2022 of £400M.
In this episode we explore the British Red Cross’ key focus areas, their roll in systems change and their approach to driving forward strategic partnerships.
We also explore the importance of fostering trust between diverse organisations and stakeholders so as to create strong, collaborative impact.
Thank you for downloading this episode of the Do One Better Podcast. Visit our Knowledge Hub at Lidji.org for information on 200+ case studies and interviews with remarkable leaders in philanthropy, sustainability and social entrepreneurship.
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Jan 16, 2023
CEO of the NASSCOM Foundation, Nidhi Bhasin, on tech for good and digital literacy in India
Nidhi Bhasin, CEO of the NASSCOM Foundation, joins us to talk about tech for good in India and initiatives to drive digital literacy. The NASSCOM Foundation is part of the NASSCOM ecosystem — the biggest industry body representing the tech industry in India.
Much of their focus is on going deep into rural areas and reaching that ‘last mile’. Inclusion is at the core of their strategic thinking.
Digital literacy is a broad area and is of relevance to a range of segments including the elderly, girls and women, and those of limited resources. Many elderly individuals in rural India don’t know how to use a smart phone or make online payments. And, many women from marginalised communities are poorly informed about their rights and have a limited understanding of government information and schemes designed to help them.
This episode provides insight into how technology and philanthropy come together in India to improve digital literacy and social outcomes.
Thank you for downloadi…
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Jan 9, 2023
Nick Grono, CEO of the Freedom Fund, on modern-day slavery and human trafficking
This episode looks at modern-day slavery and we host Nick Grono, CEO of the Freedom Fund — a collaborative fund tackling slavery and human trafficking globally.
Many people think of slavery as something from 200 years ago but, in reality, it is a serious problem plaguing our world today — not just in developing countries but in the UK and US as well. The scale and prevalence of the problem is eye-opening.
Nick Grono shares insight on key trends and statistics, and causes and solutions to this problem -- indeed, slavery takes many forms and we explore some of the most common issues.
We also look at how the Freedom Fund works with grassroots organisations, collaborates with diverse stakeholders, and fosters knowledge-sharing to raise awareness, improve advocacy and encourage effective policy.
Thank you for downloading this episode of the Do One Better Podcast. Visit our Knowledge Hub at Lidji.org for information on 200+ case studies and interviews with remarkable leaders in phila…
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Jan 2, 2023
Shonali Banerjee of the Centre for Strategic Philanthropy at Cambridge Judge Business School on the Global North / South power imbalance
We discuss the power dynamics of Global North / Global South philanthropy and explore the Centre’s work and research.
Shonali leads the Centre’s research agenda on philanthropy in global growth markets, specifically Africa, Southeast Asia, and the Middle East. She is an expert in global philanthropy for development, and her previous work focused on the implications of new financial instruments in philanthropy and giving.
The Centre for Strategic Philanthropy (CSP) within the University of Cambridge Judge Business School is dedicated to enhancing the impact of strategic philanthropy both within and from global growth markets.
Thank you for downloading this episode of the Do One Better Podcast. Visit our Knowledge Hub at Lidji.org for information on 200+ case studies and interviews with remarkable leaders in philanthropy, sustainability and social entrepreneurship.
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Dec 26, 2022
Celebrating our 200th episode with insights from Siya Kolisi, David Lynch, David Miliband, Paul Polman, Julia Gillard, Bob Moritz, Cherie Blair and Keith Barr
As we celebrate our 200th episode we bring you insights from Siya Kolisi, David Lynch, David Miliband, Paul Polman, Julia Gillard, Bob Moritz, Cherie Blair and Keith Barr.
Let’s not be daunted by the scale of the challenge. Things are only unmanageable if we don’t manage them. We should find purpose and work for more than just ourselves.
Thank you for downloading the 200th episode of the Do One Better Podcast. Visit our Knowledge Hub at Lidji.org for insightful case studies and interviews on philanthropy, sustainability and social entrepreneurship.
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Dec 19, 2022
Phyllis Kurlander Costanza, Co-founder and President of OutcomesX, on building a marketplace to buy and sell social outcomes
OutcomesX is transforming social impact into an investible asset. They’re creating the infrastructure to standardise, price, trade and verify social impact credits, and building a marketplace to buy and sell social outcomes.
We explore their innovative work and also take a look at the disconnect between growth in ESG funds and stagnation in the drive to achieve the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
Thank you for downloading this episode of the Do One Better Podcast. Visit our Knowledge Hub at Lidji.org for information on nearly 200 case studies and interviews with remarkable leaders in philanthropy, sustainability and social entrepreneurship.
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Dec 12, 2022
CEO of Generation, Mona Mourshed, on supporting adults to achieve economic mobility
Generation is a global non-profit supporting adults to achieve economic mobility; they provide training and placements into careers that individuals would normally find inaccessible.
They operate in 16 countries across the globe, have helped more than 70,000 individuals and support those who are unemployed, underemployed or need to learn new skills.
In this episode we also take a close look at the challenges faced by those in their mid-careers who constitute a disproportionate number of the long-term unemployed. We look at the misconceptions and opportunities to unlock real value.
Thank you for downloading this episode of the Do One Better Podcast. Visit our Knowledge Hub at Lidji.org for information on nearly 200 case studies and interviews with remarkable leaders in philanthropy, sustainability and social entrepreneurship.
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Dec 5, 2022
President and CEO of International Crisis Group, Comfort Ero, on conflict prevention and resolution
This episode focuses on global conflict prevention and resolution and we are joined by Comfort Ero, President and CEO of the International Crisis Group.
The International Crisis Group provides independent analysis and advice on how to prevent, resolve and better manage deadly conflict, combining field research, analysis and engagement with policymakers across the world in order to effect change in crisis situations.
Thank you for downloading this episode of the Do One Better Podcast. Visit our Knowledge Hub at Lidji.org for information on nearly 200 case studies and interviews with remarkable leaders in philanthropy, sustainability and social entrepreneurship.
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Nov 28, 2022
CEO of New Philanthropy Capital (NPC), Dan Corry, on the impact agenda
On this episode, Dan Corry sheds light on the work of New Philanthropy Capital (NPC) and we explore the impact agenda from a range of angles, including:
(1) How does the impact agenda relate to trust-based philanthropy?
(2) Is impact measurement is too top-down?
(3) Are randomised control trials (RCTs) preferable to quicker, more iterative alternatives?
(4) Is there enough risk-taking in philanthropy and what can policymakers do to incentivise it?
Thank you for downloading this episode of the Do One Better Podcast. Visit our Knowledge Hub at Lidji.org for information on nearly 200 case studies and interviews with remarkable leaders in philanthropy, sustainability and social entrepreneurship.
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Nov 21, 2022
CEO of Asthma + Lung UK, Sarah Woolnough, on managing a large-scale merger
We explore the merger between Asthma UK and the British Lung Foundation, which resulted in the creation of Asthma + Lung UK.
We look at the pros and cons, the opportunities and the headaches that Sarah Woolnough has been coping with and driving forward as CEO of Asthma + Lung UK.
Sarah provides a truly candid view and this episode is particularly useful for anyone contemplating, managing or wishing to learn about mergers within the non-profit space.
From branding and governance to CRM systems and auditing, you’ll find this interview informative and full of actionable suggestions.
Thank you for downloading this episode of the Do One Better Podcast. Visit our Knowledge Hub at Lidji.org for information on nearly 200 case studies and interviews with remarkable leaders in philanthropy, sustainability and social entrepreneurship.
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Nov 14, 2022
CEO of Thrive at Five, Aida Cable, on driving forward early childhood development in the UK
Thrive at Five supports parents and communities through collective action across the public, private and voluntary sectors, so every child reaches a good level of development at age five.
Aida Cable brings a wealth of experience in the early childhood development space. Prior to joining Thrive at Five she worked at The Royal Foundation of the then Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, and now Prince and Princess of Wales.
We explore the state of affairs in early childhood development in the UK and how Thrive at Five is convening and mobilising diverse stakeholders to drive forward this field. Aida shares key statistics and explains why now more than ever we need to focus on children’s early years.
Thank you for downloading this episode of the Do One Better Podcast. Visit our website at Lidji.org for information on nearly 200 case studies and interviews with remarkable leaders in philanthropy, sustainability and social entrepreneurship. Please leave us a rating and a review to help others…
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Nov 7, 2022
CEO of Charity Navigator, Michael Thatcher, on evaluating and rating thousands of charities
Charity Navigator is an organisation that evaluates charities and provides in-depth, objective ratings and analysis of the financial health, accountability and transparency of 200,000 charities. They also facilitate the giving process.
Charity Navigator is a household name for many leaders in the philanthropy and non-profit space.
They have just launched a new website and new functionalities. Michael Thatcher provides excellent insight on how they work and how their rating and analysis can help you improve the world and ensure donor funding goes to higher-performing organisations.
Charity Navigator aims to democratise philanthropy and make it easier for anyone to give irrespective of their means.
Thank you for downloading this episode of the Do One Better Podcast. Visit our website at Lidji.org for information on nearly 200 interviews and case studies with remarkable leaders in philanthropy, sustainability and social entrepreneurship. Please leave us a rating and a review to help o…
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Oct 31, 2022
CEO of the British Asian Trust, Richard Hawkes, on impact investing, development impact bonds, risk-taking and more
The British Asian Trust was founded in 2007 by His Majesty King Charles III and a group of British Asian business leaders, to tackle widespread poverty, inequality and injustice in South Asia.
Richard Hawkes sheds light on the work of the British Asian Trust, especially around development impact bonds across a range of thematic areas including skills and employability, and girls’ education in South Asia.
The British Asian Trust is entrepreneurial and happy to embrace sensible risk-taking in the international development space. We learn about how they’ve innovated and how they’ve embraced impact investing to help drive forward the UN Sustainable Development Goals.
The British Asian Trust focuses on five thematic areas: education, livelihoods/jobs, mental health, child protection and conservation.
Thank you for downloading this episode of The Do One Better Podcast. Visit our website at Lidji.org for information on nearly 200 interviews with remarkable leaders in philanthropy, s…
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Oct 24, 2022
Ewan Kirk, Co-Founder of the Turner Kirk Trust and former Partner at Goldman Sachs, on philanthropy and risk-taking
Ewan is a philanthropist with a head for numbers and we look at the interaction between philanthropy and risk. The question: Is the world of philanthropy too risk averse?
Ewan is the Chairman of the Management Committee of the Isaac Newton Institute for Mathematical Sciences, Chairman of DeepTech Labs, and a Non-executive Director of BAE Systems.
He argues that philanthropic capital should have the highest risk tolerance. It's important to encourage grantees to take risks, to let them know it’s ok to experiment and to give them permission to fail.
We look at a specific case study and encourage others to consider how they embrace risk in their philanthropy.
Thank you for downloading this episode of The Do One Better Podcast. Visit our website at Lidji.org for information on nearly 200 interviews with remarkable leaders in philanthropy, sustainability and social entrepreneurship. Please leave us a rating and a review to help others find this show.
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Oct 17, 2022
Mustafa Kudrati, President and CEO of Plan International USA, on the state of the world’s girls and supporting girl-led organisations. Celebrating International Day of the Girl Child 2022!
The State of the World’s Girls 2022 Report has just been launched by Plan International and Mustafa Kudrati sheds light on its key findings.
The report is focused on girls’ and young women’s political participation, based on a survey of close to 29,000 girls and young women ages 15-24 from 29 countries. How girls perceive their ability to participate in the political process might surprise you.
Mustafa also introduces Plan International’s initiatives in Guatemala and Brazil; going beyond grant-making by supporting girl-led organisations on the ground, elevating local voices and co-designing.
We learn about Plan International’s “We are the Girls” campaign and also delve into the relevance of women’s economic empowerment in influencing girls' expected life outcomes.
This episode is for anyone who is interested in tackling gender inequality and learning about the latest thinking in this field.
Thank you for downloading this episode of The Do One Better Podcast. Visit…
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Oct 13, 2022
World Sight Day Special! CEO of VisionSpring, Ella Gudwin, announces a $15M gift from MacKenzie Scott and talks about their work helping people in low-income countries access eye glasses
MacKenzie Scott’s donation to VisionSpring is the largest single private donation helping to tackle the challenge of uncorrected blurry vision in the developing world.
We look at VisionSpring's work and learn about the low levels of access to corrective eye glasses in the developing world and low-income segments.
Ella Gudwin remarks: the market for eye glasses is broken. It’s a 700-year-old technology; it has failed to disperse to the low income segment.
Uncorrected blurry vision isn’t simply a health issue; it’s also an economic issue. Much of VisionSpring’s advocacy has been focused on raising awareness and quantifying the economic cost to national governments derived from workers who are unable to perform to full capacity due to their inability to see clearly. This is a problem that impacts farmers, commercial truck drivers, artisans and many others.
We learn the key stats underpinning the arguments for supporting this thematic area and hear of the alliance of diverse…
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Oct 10, 2022
CEO of Action Against Hunger UK, Jean-Michel Grand, on tackling acute malnutrition on a global scale
Action Against Hunger is active in 51 countries, they have 8,000 staff and assist around 26 million people annually; their turnover is around half a billion euros.
In the UK, they are part of the DEC (Disasters Emergency Committee), which brings together 15 leading UK aid charities to raise funds quickly and efficiently at times of crisis overseas.
They are focused on prediction, prevention and treatment of severe malnutrition — especially within a Global South / developing world context.
Encouragingly, there is a treatment for acute malnutrition called “Ready to Use Therapeutic Food” (RUTF) — a treatment that has evolved considerably during the past 20 years — no longer requiring clinical settings nor refrigeration — and today can cure most severely malnourished children around the world.
However, the challenging logistics of reaching remote geographic locations and engaging within armed conflict areas present serious problems.
These problems are exacerbated by the fa…
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Oct 3, 2022
Dr Asyia Kazmi OBE, Gates Foundation’s Global Education Policy Lead: the challenges we face in education are a solvable problem!
We hear from the Gates Foundation’s Dr Asyia Kazmi on what the state of global education looks like, the work they’re doing in tackling literacy and numeracy challenges, and why achieving our education targets for Sustainable Development Goal 4 is a solvable problem.
If you are born in a high-income country, 9 out of 10 children can read by the age of 10. If you are born in a low-income country, 9 out of 10 children cannot. This is a shocking statistic and an equity issue.
Learn about the Gates Foundations’ work with global organisations, such as the World Bank and UNICEF, how they interact with national governments, what philanthropists should keep in mind when aiming to fund education and much more.
Thank you for downloading this episode of The Do One Better Podcast. Visit our website at Lidji.org for information on nearly 200 interviews with remarkable leaders in philanthropy, sustainability and social entrepreneurship. Please leave us a rating and a review to help others…
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Sep 26, 2022
Shaady Salehi, Executive Director of the Trust-Based Philanthropy Project. What’s trust-based philanthropy all about and what are the big misconceptions?
Shaady Salehi joins us from San Francisco to discuss the work of the Trust-Based Philanthropy Project and pretty much cover every angle around trust-based philanthropy.
We hear of trust-based philanthropy’s origins, how the pandemic and racial reckoning helped thrust trust-based philanthropy into the spotlight, and we look at the different interpretations and misinterpretations of what trust-based philanthropy is all about.
The journey has seen a move from transactional philanthropy to a more relational, partnership-oriented approach. Will this trend continue or will we revert back to the old ways? This episode will answer many of your questions and prompt many new ones.
Thank you for downloading this episode of The Do One Better Podcast. Visit our website at Lidji.org for information on nearly 200 interviews with remarkable leaders in philanthropy, sustainability and social entrepreneurship. Please leave us a rating and a review to help others find this show.
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Sep 19, 2022
Prof Mamokgethi Phakeng, Vice Chancellor of the University of Cape Town and winner of the inaugural Africa Education Medal
In September 2022, Prof Mamokgethi Phakeng was awarded the inaugural Africa Education Medal, awarded by T4 Education to “an outstanding individual who has demonstrated impact, leadership, and advocacy in the field of education”.
Hear the truly remarkable personal and professional story of Prof Mamokgethi Phakeng -- overcoming great adversity in poverty and South Africa’s apartheid, and reaching the pinncale of academia and becoming Vice Chancellor of the top university in Africa.
Thank you for downloading this episode of The Do One Better Podcast. Visit our website at Lidji.org for information on nearly 200 interviews with remarkable leaders in philanthropy, sustainability and social entrepreneurship. Please leave us a rating and a review to help others find this show.
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Sep 12, 2022
Nick Hanauer, Founder of Civic Ventures and signatory of the Giving Pledge, on tackling income inequality through philanthropy, policy and politics
Nick Hanauer is one of the world’s most provocative thinkers about our society’s growing inequality, the dire consequences that increasing inequality creates for our democracies, and how to fix the system.
An engaging conversation on income inequality that is full of economic and political arguments on the merits of increasing wages and ensuring income inequality doesn’t lead to widespread social unrest.
Nick is a billionaire philanthropist who recognises the severity of the income inequality problem and philanthropy’s relatively small size in relation to the sums involved.
On this episode you’ll learn how Nick is tackling the issue of income inequality and how philanthropists can genuinely make a difference on this front. As a point of interest, Nick is also the podcast host of Pitchfork Economics, which is worth checking out.
Thank you for downloading this episode of The Do One Better Podcast. Visit our website at Lidji.org for information on nearly 200 interviews wit…
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Sep 5, 2022
Henri van Eeghen, former CEO of Synergos, on working with networks of philanthropists and social entrepreneurs – connecting to purpose and building trust and collaboration
If you are keen on exploring the collaborative space within philanthropy and the broader sustainability agenda, this episode is for you.
We explore collaborative networks, new voices from next generation philanthropists, identifying local leaders, building trust and the importance of listening.
Synergos was founded in 1986 by Peggy Dulany and has staff and representatives in Africa, Asia, the Arab World, Europe, Latin America, and the United States.
In 2001, Peggy Dulany co-founded Synergos’ Global Philanthropists Circle with her father, David Rockefeller, to support philanthropic families.
Synergos identifies and incubates collaborations that shift power and resources to proximate leaders, enabling the solutions to our greatest human challenges to reach scale.
Thank you for downloading this episode of The Do One Better Podcast. Visit our website at Lidji.org for information on nearly 200 interviews with remarkable leaders in philanthropy, sustainability and social entrepren…
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Aug 29, 2022
Should private schools be allowed to operate as registered charities? Two experts, Julie Robinson and Francis Green, exchange opposing views and find some common ground. Where do you stand?
Charitable status within the independent / private school sector in Britain is one of the most emotionally-charged and contentious topics. Some private schools operate as registered charities while others do not.
Alberto Lidji moderates a robust and civilised debate with Julie Robinson, CEO of the Independent Schools Council (ISC), and Francis Green, Professor of Work and Education Economics at the Institute of Education, University College London's (UCL) Faculty of Education and Society.
Julie Robinson and Francis Green hold opposing views and yet manage to identify some common ground and fruitful area for future education policy exploration.
This episode will inform you about one of the most debated topics in education reform in Britain today. It may strengthen your existing views, or tempt you to view counter arguments more favourably, or even make you appreciate this topic is not as clear cut as you may have thought.
Thank you for downloading this episode of The Do One Better P…
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Aug 22, 2022
Chair of the Board at Refuge, Hetti Barkworth-Nanton, on tackling domestic abuse. 1 in 4 women in England and Wales will experience domestic abuse in their lifetime
A wide-ranging conversation on the topic of domestic abuse. Hetti sheds light on sobering statistics, attitudes and behaviours and describes the challenges presented by COVID lockdowns and how new technologies are impacting the field.
In England and Wales, around 2 women a week are killed by a current or former partner, and 1 in 4 women will experience domestic abuse at some point in their lifetime.
The problem goes beyond domestic violence. As Hetti points out, coercive control is the dark side of domestic abuse and often leads to the worst outcomes.
Refuge is an organisation helping those who experience domestic abuse. They run the National Domestic Abuse Helpline and also have deployed a Tech Abuse Team, who support women who are experiencing online abuse and other tech-related abuse.
Innovations in technology present serious challenges – innovations leading to the miniaturisation of surveillance technology, for instance, or software that can compromise WiFi connectivity and r…
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Aug 15, 2022
CEO of the Veddis Foundation, Murugan Vasudevan, on trust-based philanthropy in India and the importance of deploying 100% heart + 100% head to solving problems through philanthropy
The Veddis Foundation is based in India and is both a grant-maker and an operating foundation. They make unrestricted, multi-year grants and approach programs with a view to pilot, scale, institutionalise and exit. They’re keen on investing at the intersection of policy, technology and impact.
We explore their approach to trust-based philanthropy and learn how they go about building trust among all stakeholders. We get an insider’s look at how they operate and what success looks like at the Veddis Foundation.
Before venturing into the world of impact and philanthropy, Murugan spent 20 years working at Cisco in India, and he takes the opportunity to shed light on corporate philanthropy in India and identifies gaps that present opportunities for improvement.
Murugan notes that “the future is looking bright for India” and we get a glimpse of why the philanthropy sector in India is so vibrant, exciting and full of opportunity right now.
Thank you for downloading this episode of…
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Aug 8, 2022
Global Head of the Macquarie Group Foundation, Lisa George, on leading a corporate foundation, maximising employee engagement, matched-giving, impact-tracking software and Australian philanthropy
This episode provides insight into a dynamic corporate foundation and sheds light on the growth of philanthropy in Australia.
Macquarie Group is a diversified financial srvices organisation with 18,000 employees; working in 33 markets around the world. Interestingly, the foundation was established at the same time and alongside the company itself.
Employee engagement is a key aspect of their philanthropic work. Their matched giving program is generous (matching each employee’s giving up to AUD $50,000 annually) and they also encourage engagement through volunteering, mentoring and sharing of expertise.
Last financial year, the foundation and its employees contributed AUD $44 million to community organisations. We explore their strategic grant-making program, which is focused on economic and social mobility, and which ranges from education and employment of young people in Australia, to higher education access and career attainment in the United States. Their philanthropic work fee…
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Aug 1, 2022
CEO of the IKEA Foundation, Per Heggenes: a wide-ranging conversation on climate, impact, collaboration, refugees, Ukraine and optimism
Per joins us back on the show after last having been with us on 6th September 2020. We continue where we left off and start by looking at the Global Energy Alliance for People and Planet (GEAPP), which the IKEA Foundation set up with the Rockefeller Foundation and the Bezos Earth Fund.
GEAPP is working in partnership with countries across Africa, Asia, Latin America, and the Caribbean to operationalise renewable energy transitions and expansions, which will reduce greenhouse gases, extend clean power to underserved people, and enable green jobs. As Per notes, we need to embrace radical collaboration – it’s the way to get to Net Zero.
We also look at the IKEA Foundation’s approach to measurement, learning and evaluation; the importance of using evidence to guide grant-making, and the importance of funding research to build such bodies of evidence when they don’t exist. Evidence is key for achieving systems change, and philanthropy needs to take risks, innovate and collabor…
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Jul 25, 2022
Shannon Elizabeth & Simon Borchert on protecting rhinos, strengthening the conservation workforce, leveraging the celebrity angle, engaging with legislators + the Shannon Elizabeth Foundation
Shannon Elizabeth is an actor who is passionate about animal conservation. She has starred in over 50 films and television shows, including American Pie, Scary Movie, Love Actually and That 70’s Show. Simon Borchert has a strong family history of animal conservation in South Africa. Together, this dynamic husband and wife duo are protecting rhinos and strengthening the field of conservation through the work of the Shannon Elizabeth Foundation.
We learn about the foundation’s operations, programs, advocacy with legislators and we gain insight into leveraging the celebrity platform to drive forward positive change and get the message across.
Thank you for downloading this episode of The Do One Better Podcast. Visit our website at Lidji.org for information on nearly 200 interviews with remarkable leaders in philanthropy, sustainability and social entrepreneurship. Please leave us a rating and a review to help others find this show.
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Jul 18, 2022
Siddhi Aryal of Vital Strategies introduces us to the Children’s Environmental Health Indicators Initiative (CEHI) and explores public health, the environment and climate change
Unhealthy environments have been linked to a range of significant health risks to children, including premature birth, stillbirth, increased lifelong risk for brain and behavioural problems, respiratory disorders, cardiovascular disease, cancers, dysfunction of hormonal and reproductive systems, and more.
Globally, more than 1 in 4 childhood deaths under 5 years of age are attributable to unhealthy environments—a statistic that will continue to rise as climate change magnifies the world’s most important environmental risk factors.
While environmental health risk factors are clearly leading causes of child illness and death in Asia, country-specific, systematic data needed to develop approaches to improving children’s health and reducing, minimising, and preventing environmental risk factors is often lacking.
We learn how Children’s Environmental Health Indicators (CEHI) can fill the data and knowledge gap in children’s environmental health; enabling tracking, assessment…
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Jul 11, 2022
CEO of Atlas Corps, Bidjan Nashat, on building a talent pool from the Global South and breaking down the barriers to diverse talent.
If you ever wondered how to create a truly diverse talent pool and intentionally attract the next generation of leaders from countries not usually represented in senior management teams, this episode will inform you and show you how some of the world’s leading organisations are embracing this challenge.
Atlas Corps was founded in 2006. They are a non-profit, a social enterprise and a registered 501(c)(3) in the United States.
Their Fellowship program identifies strong talent and human capital potential from the Global South and they act as a matchmaker by placing Atlas Corps Fellows with leading organisations such as SAP, Save the Children and the Hilton Foundation.
Thank you for downloading this episode of The Do One Better Podcast. Visit our website at Lidji.org for information on nearly 200 interviews with remarkable leaders in philanthropy, sustainability and social entrepreneurship. Please leave us a rating and a review to help others find this show.
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Jul 4, 2022
CEO of the Elton John AIDS Foundation, Anne Aslett, on tackling the stigma around HIV/AIDS, changing social norms and reaching the most marginalised
Great advances in medical treatments enable most people with HIV to live lives with life expectancy comparable to the general population. Unfortunately, stigma and negative social norms persist and must be tackled.
The Elton John AIDS Foundation is a global grant-making foundation focused on ending the AIDS epidemic. They’re based in London and New York, they fund services on the ground and organisations that are working in the field in up to 50 countries in Sub-Saharan Africa, South East Asia, Eastern Europe and Central Asia; they are also active in the UK and US. They are the fifth largest AIDS foundation in the world and were founded in 1992.
Anne shares her very touching personal story that brought her to the field of HIV/AIDS; she speaks with passion about the innovative ways they’re leveraging new technologies to reach those most marginalised individuals and communities; and she gives us a glimpse of what it’s like to work with Elton John to improve lives and change min…
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Jun 27, 2022
How to tackle the food crisis? Lawrence Haddad, Executive Director of the Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition (GAIN) on what philanthropists, corporates + policymakers can do about the food crisis
In light of so many indicators pointing in the wrong direction, what can we do with the resources and powers at our disposal to tackle the food crisis and drive forward improved nutrition?
This conversation provides clear suggestions and insight for philanthropists, business leaders and policymakers alike -- the case for improved nutrition has never been stronger.
Thank you for downloading this episode of The Do One Better Podcast. Visit our website at Lidji.org for information on nearly 200 interviews with remarkable leaders in philanthropy, sustainability and social entrepreneurship. Please leave us a rating and a review to help others find this show.
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Jun 20, 2022
Zane Wilemon, Co-Founder of the Ubuntu Life Foundation, shares his personal story of self-discovery, faith and social entrepreneurship. Inspirational work helping children with special needs in Kenya
In this episode we bring you a heart-warming interview with Zane Wilemon – an ordained priest from Texas who embraced social entrepreneurship in Kenya and improved the lives of children and women through philanthropy and commerce.
We hear how Zane’s philanthropic work led to the creation of Ubuntu Life, a successful social enterprise that is backed by social investors and whose products made it into Whole Foods and were recognised by Oprah Winfrey on her 2020 ‘Favorite Things List'.
Proceeds from the social enterprise go to the Ubuntu Life Foundation, whose work in Kenya supports children with special needs in education and health.
This episode highlights how anyone, anywhere, can make a positive difference to improve our world.
Thank you for downloading this episode of The Do One Better Podcast. Please visit our website at Lidji.org for information on more than 150 interviews with remarkable leaders in philanthropy, sustainability and social entrepreneurship.
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Jun 13, 2022
What if you left your career in investment banking in London to become a farmer in South Africa? We speak with ‘Farmer Angus’ McIntosh — a leading voice in regenerative agriculture
In this episode we focus on the power of regenerative agriculture and why you, as a consumer, can literally eat your way to a better world.
We speak with Angus McIntosh, who is better known in South Africa as 'Farmer Angus'. He grew up on a cattle ranch in Kwa-Zulu Natal. Studied Management Accounting at Stellenbosch University before stockbroking for Goldman Sachs in London. Declined the offer of promotion, left his job and moved to South Africa. Built a clay home with inspiration from various people on the way leading to him to eventually become a biodynamic student, grass farmer and carbon sequestrator.
Thank you for downloading this episode of The Do One Better Podcast. Visit our website at Lidji.org for information on more than 150 interviews with remarkable leaders in philanthropy, sustainability and social entrepreneurship. We invite you to follow us and leave us a review to help others find this show.
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Jun 6, 2022
Shane Ryan, Global Executive Director of the Avast Foundation, on equity and inclusion within the digital space; trust-based philanthropy, inclusive co-design and much more
On this episode, we are talking with Shane Ryan, Global Executive Director of the Avast Foundation. Many of you who use a computer day in and day out will recognise the Avast brand — they are one of the world’s leading antivirus software providers.
We are going to be talking with Shane about equity and inclusion within the digital space, and to kick things off, here’s a sobering statistic:
According to the United Nations, nearly 3 billion people, or 37% of the global population, have never been online despite a rise in Internet use during the pandemic. And, here’s another statistic: 96% of those nearly 3 billion people who have never been online, live in the developing world.
Today’s conversation is well-rounded and spans equity and inclusion within the digital space, trust-based philanthropy, inclusive co-design and much more.
Shane himself has overcome much adversity during his childhood, having been in care and coming from humble beginnings in West London; and subseque…
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May 30, 2022
Cath Dovey, Co-Founder of the Beacon Collaborative, on what stops people from giving more philanthropically in the UK and what can be done about it.
The Beacon Collaborative exists to encourage more private assets to be used for public good. It is a focal point where philanthropists can come together, share ideas and learn from each other – and where organisations can collaborate to support them on their donor journeys.
We explore the barriers and opportunities in giving philanthropically; the intergenerational dynamics within families; the regulatory environment; the value of relationships between donors and charities and ways in which government can foster more philanthropy.
This episode looks at philanthropy from a UK context but will inform and inspire an international audience.
Thank you for downloading this episode of The Do One Better Podcast. For information on more than 150 interviews with remarkable leaders in philanthropy, sustainability and social entrepreneurship, visit our website at Lidji.org
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May 23, 2022
Olivia Leland, Founder and CEO of Co-Impact, on their new Gender Fund and the importance of keeping equity, inclusion and justice at the core of systems change thinking
Prior to founding Co-Impact in 2017, Olivia served as Founding Director of the Giving Pledge, an effort launched by Bill and Melinda Gates and Warren Buffett.
Co-Impact, brings together partners from around the world to drive forward just and inclusive systems change. They’re operating in 13 countries in Africa, Latin America and Asia.
Funding comes from philanthropists, institutions, corporates and social change leaders; and their program partners are locally-rooted organisations that are working to transform government and market systems to be more effective and more equitable.
They are focused on education, health and economic opportunity; and they have recently launched a new Gender Fund, which advances gender equality and is focused on women’s leadership in law and economics. The Gender Fund has a 10-year horizon and aims to invest $1 billion, of which they have already raised a third.
This episode provides a candid look at one of the most innovative and substantive collab…
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May 16, 2022
CEO of Porticus, Melanie Maas Geesteranus. Porticus is perhaps the biggest philanthropic organisation that you have never heard of! We delve into their philanthropic work and rich history
In this episode, we learn about Porticus’ global operations and explore the importance of participation, building networks, developing programs from the ground up and driving systems change.
Since 1995, Porticus has coordinated the philanthropic endeavours of the Brenninkmeijer family, continuing a tradition of social engagement stretching back as far as 1841.
Porticus works in 65 countries and has offices around the world. They have 1,500 partners with whom they aim to improve the world.
Despite their size and reach, they’ve kept a low profile and traditionally the family said they wanted to focus on their partners, rather than have the spotlight on themselves — let our partners shine.
Now Porticus is changing to a more transparent approach. As Melanie notes, when you’re focusing on systems change, you need to get involved in advocacy, you need to be able to influence policy, so there are good reasons for taking a more public and transparent role. It also helps to get new…
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May 9, 2022
Caroline Casey, Founder of the Valuable 500, on leveraging the power of business for disability inclusion
The Valuable 500 is using the power of business to drive lasting change for the 1.3 billion people around the world who are living with a disability.
They are a collective of 500 businesses and CEOs, chaired by Paul Polman (former CEO of Unilever), who are innovating for disability inclusion, and who include some of the most recognised firms and brands around the world: Google, Microsoft, Apple, Deloitte and Barclays, to name a few.
These 500 companies represent 22 million employees around the world, in 64 sectors, with $8 trillion in revenue power. Caroline is unequivocal that this is an initiative that comes from the heart; if we can make business good, we can change the world.
We also learn about Caroline’s personal challenges and disability: being legally blind (having been diagnosed with ocular albinism, a genetic condition that severely impairs vision), having to remortgage her house in order to get the Valuable 500 off the ground and going to great lengths to get Paul Polma…
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May 2, 2022
Let’s leverage data to drive forward the Sustainable Development Goals! Claudia Juech on helping non-profits embrace and leverage data
Learn how the Patrick J. McGovern Foundation is making an impact; helping non-profit organisations by advancing AI and data solutions to create a thriving, equitable, and sustainable future for all.
Claudia Juech is Vice President of Data and Society at the Patrick. J. McGovern Foundation and was Managing Director for Strategic Insights at the Rockefeller Foundation.
Her career has been all about using data for decision making – first in the financial sector in Germany and more recently at the Rockefeller Foundation, where she and her team used foresight approaches and innovation methodologies to identify the most promising ideas that could be shaped into the next $100M initiative.
This episode will stimulate your thinking and provide you with tangible examples of how data can be leveraged to drive forward social good.
Thank you for downloading this episode of The Do One Better Podcast. For information on more than 150 interviews with remarkable leaders in philanthropy, sustainab…
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Apr 25, 2022
James Chen: Moonshot philanthropy and providing access to affordable eye care
James Chen has dedicated the last 20 years to addressing the issue of poor vision. He founded Clearly, a global campaign to educate the public and world leaders and raise the profile of the issue — championing innovation and spreading best practices that help make sight tests and affordable glasses available to all, as well as connecting people committed to tackling this issue so we can all be a catalyst for change.
As part of this work, James convinced 52 countries at the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) to pledge affordable eye care for all, created the first UN working group on poor vision and completed research which found glasses had the largest productivity increase of any other health intervention.
He is creating a tipping point in how poor vision is viewed on the global health agenda, culminating in the unanimous UN ‘Vision for All by 2030’ resolution in the summer of 2021.
In this episode, James also explains his passion for moonshot philanthropy and w…
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Apr 18, 2022
Gemma Bull and Tom Steinberg on modern grantmaking and positive change
Grantmaking is imperfect and full of opportunities for improvement. We explore a range of topics, including (1) trust-based philanthropy; (2) power imbalances; (3) participatory grantmaking; and (4) striving to make grantmaking more accessible, equitable and empathetic.
Tom and Gemma are authors of the book ‘Modern Grantmaking’, which provides useful tips for professionals in this field and instils a belief that better is possible.
Thank you for downloading this episode of The Do One Better Podcast. For information on more than 150 interviews with remarkable thought leaders in philanthropy, sustainability and social entrepreneurship, visit our website at Lidji.org
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Apr 11, 2022
Let’s eliminate poverty in India within our lifetime! Atul Satija, Founder & CEO of The/Nudge Institute, tackles a grand ambition
Let's transform India into a poverty-free country within our lifetime. A fascinating conversation full of ambition to improve the lives of millions of people.
The/Nudge Institute is an action institute that works with governments, markets, and civil society to build resilient livelihoods for all.
Over 364 million Indians live below the poverty line. At The/Nudge Institute, they believe that it is within our collective means to ensure that every Indian lives a life with dignity out of poverty. They work to create livelihood opportunities at scale, and in doing so, build resilience in society to withstand economic shocks.
The/Nudge Institute has strong foundation partners, including the Gates Foundation, Rockefeller Foundation, Skoll Foundation and Tata Trusts. Corporate partners include Unilever, Cisco, Morgan Stanley, LinkedIn Social Impact and KPMG.
Thank you for downloading this episode of The Do One Better Podcast. Please leave us a rating and a review since it he…
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Apr 4, 2022
Social Investing at scale in Australia: a conversation with Michael Traill AM
Michael Traill is Chair of Australia’s largest foundation, the Paul Ramsay Foundation, and co-founder of For Purpose Investment Partners. Michael also co-founded Macquarie Group’s private equity arm, was Chief Executive of Social Ventures Australia and holds a Harvard MBA.
This episode provides key insight and detail for anyone who wishes to leverage private capital for social good. We explore a range of topics including:
(1) An overview of philanthropy in Australia today. (2) Going beyond grant-making and ensuring endowments are invested for impact. (3) Do investment professionals genuinely value impact investing? (4) How does a non-profit, impact investment manager actually work? (5) How do you go about deal flow origination, and what does a deal look like? (6) How do you go to market with an impact investment proposition? (7) How will the impact investing market evolve in the coming years? (8) Do most impact investment opportunities arise from private equity houses, philanthro…
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Mar 28, 2022
In defence of charities: an interview with Debra Allcock Tyler, Chief Executive of the Directory of Social Change (DSC)
We explore the world of charities and delve into key questions, such as:
(1) What’s the state of affairs with charities today? (2) Why are so many charities struggling for funding when many foundations and major donors saw their endowments, net worth and equity portfolios grow so much in 2021? (3) What’s the public perception of charities and is it well-founded? (4) Are there too many charities and do they overlap with each other? (5) Are there parallels to be drawn between the private sector and non-profit sector? (6) Is it right for charity CEOs and their boards to focus on growth?
Thank you for downloading this episode of The Do One Better Podcast. For information on more than 150 interviews with remarkable thought-leaders in philanthropy, sustainability and social entrepreneurship, visit our website at Lidji.org -- Please leave us a rating and a review since it helps others find this show. Thank you!
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Mar 21, 2022
CEO of Ella’s Kitchen, Mark Cuddigan, on driving sustainable business at the UK’s No.1 baby food company
A candid conversation where opportunities are fleshed out; where tensions between mission and sustainability are identified; and where a belief in doing better is underscored.
Should you use plastic packaging instead of glass? How do you tackle the tension between having organic protein food products that help children grow and the high carbon output that accompanies such protein?
We also explore the broader business landscape; delve into the merits of becoming B Corp certified; and consider the legislative agenda, such as the drive for the Better Business Act in the UK, which aims to ensure every company in the UK aligns their interests with those of wider society and the environment.
Ella’s Kitchen leads the way in organic baby food in the UK, is B Corp certified, operates in 35 markets and is mission-driven to improve children’s lives through developing healthy relationships with food.
Thank you for downloading this episode of The Do One Better Podcast. For information on mo…
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Mar 14, 2022
Deval Sanghavi, Co-Founder of Dasra, joins Alberto Lidji to discuss strategic philanthropy in India
Deval Sanghavi, Co-Founder of Dasra, joins Alberto Lidji to discuss strategic philanthropy in India. Dasra began as a venture philanthropy fund to invest in early stage non-profit organizations in India.
After listening to this episode you will have better insight into the philanthropic landscape in India; understand how grant-making foundations are including the voices of NGOs into their grant-making decisions and how NGO leaders are being supported.
Thank you for downloading this episode of The Do One Better Podcast. Visit our website at Lidji.org for information on more than 150 interviews with remarkable thought leaders in philanthropy, sustainability and social entrepreneurship.
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Mar 7, 2022
Let’s transform education systems by reigniting intrinsic motivation! The Chair and CEO of STiR Education, Jo Owen and Girish Menon, explain why motivation is key to success
Let’s transform education systems by reigniting intrinsic motivation! The Chair and CEO of STiR Education, Jo Owen and Girish Menon, explain why motivation is key to success.
STiR Education operates in India and Uganda, they’ve recently started a program in Indonesia and are currently in discussions with the education ministry in Ethiopia. Brazil is being explored.
They’ve been funded by some of the world’s leading foundations, including MacArthur Foundation, IKEA Foundation, Dubai Cares, ELMA Foundation and UBS Optimus.
We hear how intrinsic motivation needs to run across entire education systems and without it even the most targeted education interventions are at increased risk of failure.
Jo Owen and Girish Menon provide excellent insight and vivid examples to inform, inspire and help you make a bigger impact.
Thank you for downloading this episode of The Do One Better Podcast. For information on more than 150 interviews with thought leaders in philanthropy, sustainabil…
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Feb 28, 2022
Transforming lives by setting up kids’ operating rooms and training paediatric surgeons in low and middle income countries. Garreth Wood, Chair of KidsOR, talks about need, solutions + economic impact
Transforming lives by setting up kids’ operating rooms and training paediatric surgeons in low and middle income countries. Garreth Wood, Chair of KidsOR, talks about need, solutions + economic impact.
KidsOR is operating in 20 countries; they’re focused on building centres of excellence for children's surgery; dramatically increasing capacity and access for safe surgery; and they’re doing it in government hospitals, creating safe spaces and the right tools. They are training a local healthcare workforce so they can care for their own nation’s children.
Beyond the moral imperative to support children, there’s a strong economic argument as well: Countries face a staggering difference in economic benefit between a child who spends their entire life living with a disability versus a child who’s able to contribute fully to the country as they grow up.
In this conversation we explore a range of relevant issues, from the need to train paediatric surgeons, biomedical engineers…
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Feb 21, 2022
Jay Weatherill, CEO of Thrive by Five and former Premier of South Australia, discusses Early Childhood Development within an Australian context and introduces an exciting new parenting app
Jay Weatherill, CEO of Thrive by Five and former Premier of South Australia, discusses Early Childhood Development within an Australian context and introduces an exciting new parenting app.
Thrive by Five is an initiative of the Minderoo Foundation — a philanthropic outfit founded by Nicola and Andrew Forrest that has grown to AU$2.5 billion and is today one of the largest foundations in Australia and the region.
We explore the Early Childhood Development landscape; the work of Thrive by Five and the Minderoo Foundation; and their new parenting app.
As a former Premier of South Australia, we hear how James is able to draw on his experience and expertise to create a social movement and change political realities in the drive to put Early Childhood Development front and centre on the agenda.
Thank you for downloading this episode of The Do One Better Podcast. For information on more than 150 interviews with remarkable thought leaders in philanthropy, sustainability and social entre…
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Feb 14, 2022
What if we loved politicians? Lisa Witter, CEO of the Apolitical Foundation, joins us to explore investing in new types of political leaders who will help us achieve the Sustainable Development Goals
What if we loved politicians? Lisa Witter, CEO of the Apolitical Foundation, joins us to explore investing in new types of political leaders who will help us achieve the UN Sustainable Development Goals.
A great conversation on empowering democracy for the 21st Century; supporting and training policymakers and political leaders; closing the gap between evidence and informed political action; and encouraging citizens to participate throughout the political process.
Thank you for downloading this episode of The Do One Better Podcast. For information on more than 150 interviews with remarkable thought leaders in philanthropy, sustainability and social entrepreneurship, just visit our website at Lidji.org
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Feb 7, 2022
Fran Perrin, Chair of 360Giving, calls for more data transparency in philanthropy and explains how grant-makers, charities and beneficiaries can benefit from sharing data
Fran Perrin, Chair of 360Giving, calls for more data transparency in philanthropy and explains how grant-makers, charities and beneficiaries can benefit from sharing data.
360Giving is about making better grant decisions by having more information, and fitting funding to where it’s most needed and has the most impact. They are a charity helping organisations publish open, standardised grants data, and empowering people to use it to improve charitable giving.
Through data sharing they also help lower the barriers to entry for small charities that are fundraising, so they know where to apply and, in the process, stop wasting time applying for money that’s never going to be given.
In this episode we go beyond data transparency and also explore how COVID has shifted philanthropic thinking; the need for increased focus on diversity, equity and inclusion; power imbalances; and the increased prominence of trust-based philanthropy.
Thank you for downloading this episode of The Do One B…
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Jan 31, 2022
Let’s ensure education policymakers rely on evidence! Dr Randa Grob-Zakhary is Founder and CEO of Education.org and is making big, positive waves as a start-up foundation
Dr Randa Grob-Zakhary, Founder and CEO of Education.org, is unequivocal about the need to reduce the gap between the existing body of evidence in education and the small amount of that evidence that’s actually being used by policymakers.
Education.org is a young foundation making big, positive waves within the world of education. Early stage investors and partners supporting it include the Oak Foundation, Dubai Cares, Porticus, Chan Zuckerberg Initiative and Echidna Giving.
Randa brings innovative thinking to the table and, as she points out, “it’s very hard being a start-up in the education sector because the sector is so oriented towards the status quo”.
Prior to founding Education.org, Randa held various roles, including CEO of the LEGO Foundation; Board Member with the Global Partnership for Education; and Global Head of Education at Porticus. She holds an M.D. and PhD in neuroscience from Johns Hopkins University.
Thank you for downloading this episode. For information…
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Jan 24, 2022
Let’s talk collaborative philanthropy! Anna Hakobyan (Chief Impact Officer at CIFF), Deepali Khanna (MD for Asia at the Rockefeller Foundation) and Anurag Banerjee (Co-Founder & CEO of Quilt.AI)
Let’s talk collaborative philanthropy! We are joined by Anna Hakobyan (Chief Impact Officer at CIFF — the Children’s Investment Fund Foundation), Deepali Khanna (Managing Director for Asia at the Rockefeller Foundation) and Anurag Banerjee (Co-Founder & CEO of Quilt.AI) for a candid and thought-provoking conversation.
This is an in-depth episode with views from three influential and consequential thought-leaders in philanthropy and social good, who bring a breadth of experience and expertise ranging from grant-making and impact measurement to data-sharing and artificial intelligence for good.
Collaboration in the world of philanthropy is not only increasing in prominence but is also becoming ever more sophisticated and innovative.
We take a look at collaboration across numerous dimensions, including funder to funder; funder and grantees; grantee to grantee; Global South to Global South; private and non-profit sectors; and large/experienced organisations to small/inexperienced…
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Jan 17, 2022
Celebrating our 150th Episode! Tania Bryer of CNBC fame interviews Alberto Lidji to explore insights from The Do One Better Podcast’s 150 episodes. A candid look at podcasting, philanthropy and more
Celebrating our 150th Episode! Tania Bryer of CNBC fame interviews Alberto Lidji to explore insights from The Do One Better Podcast’s 150 episodes. A candid look at podcasting, philanthropy and more.
Alberto Lidji launched The Do One Better Podcast in early 2019, shortly after stepping down as Global CEO of the Novak Djokovic Foundation.
He has also been a Senior Advisor to the Goldie Hawn Foundation and Director of Development at the Duke of Edinburgh's International Award Foundation.
The purpose of The Do One Better Podcast is to inspire a global audience to be more philanthropic, to act more sustainably and to embrace social entrepreneurship.
Guests over the past three years have included Paul Polman, Siya Kolisi, David Lynch, Julia Gillard, David Miliband, Cherie Blair and Ricardo Lagos.
On this episode we explore:
(1) What it was like in the early days of the podcast.
(2) Advice for up-and-coming podcasters and those who want to create a podcast.
(3) The move from privat…
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Jan 10, 2022
Ari Simon, Pinterest’s Head of Social Impact and Philanthropy, joins Alberto Lidji to discuss their work supporting emotional wellbeing and mental health -- leveraging scale with half a billion users!
A must-listen episode that will inform and inspire. Learn how Pinterest is leveraging its scale and reach of 444 million global, monthly active users to change narratives and drive forward social change around emotional wellbeing and mental health.
Pinterest is one of the most inspirational destinations online and, indeed, their mission is to help people discover the things they love, and inspire them to go do those things in their daily lives.
However, there’s an appreciation that life isn’t always so inspiring, and things on the internet aren’t either. Real-life feelings and experiences can carry over to our lives online.
Pinterest is focused on emotional wellbeing and they’re leveraging their product, scale and philanthropic network to make a difference to millions of people across the globe.
Thank you for downloading this episode of The Do One Better Podcast. For information on nearly 150 interviews with remarkable thought leaders in philanthropy, sustainability and soc…
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Jan 3, 2022
Nicola Galombik, Executive Director of Yellowwoods Holdings (owners of Nando’s restaurants, Hollard insurance, Spier wines and many others), joins Alberto Lidji to discuss achieving ESG impact
A must-listen episode for anyone who is interested in integrating ESG (Environmental, Social & Governance) into their investments and taking an active, strategic approach to ensuring investee and portfolio companies drive forward the Global Sustainability Agenda.
Yellowwoods is an investment firm and business-builder. They are driven by purpose and we explore how they’re leveraging a range of tools, including procurement, supply chains, youth and inclusive employment initiatives, and regenerative agriculture to drive impact across entire industries.
All of Yellowwoods’ businesses were born in South Africa and many are now global multinationals and household names.
This episode inspires, informs and serves as a call to action for investors and grant-makers alike to leverage commercial models and multi-sectoral partnerships for good.
Thank you for downloading this episode. For information on nearly 150 other podcast interviews, we invite you to visit our website at Lidji.org
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Dec 27, 2021
Prof Jennifer Davidson, Executive Director of Strathclyde University’s Institute for Inspiring Children’s Futures discusses how to translate research on children’s rights so policymakers understand it
We explore the importance of making the latest evidence on children's rights and wellbeing accessible to a broad audience, strengthening and framing key arguments by using the most engaging language and communicating with policymakers and politicians so they make informed budgetary and voting decisions.
The Institute for Inspiring Children’s Futures works with diverse partners, including the OECD, Unicef and the UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, and engages with policymakers and politicians internationally.
They aim to ensure children facing adversity have what they need to reach their full potential, and much of their focus is on children who come into contact with the justice system.
Despite the fact that the wellbeing of children is an important indicator of the future stability of society and prosperity of the economy, there is still far to go to ensure children’s rights are realised.
Thank you for downloading this episode. For information on nearly 150 o…
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Dec 20, 2021
Beth Breeze, Director of the Centre for Philanthropy at the University of Kent, joins Alberto Lidji to discuss her latest book “In Defence of Philanthropy” — we explore the arguments and opportunities
It’s been said that philanthropy is under attack. In this episode we explore key arguments in favour and against philanthropy and highlight opportunities for the road ahead.
No matter your views on philanthropy, you will find this episode informative and thought-provoking.
Beth worked as a fundraiser and charity manager for a decade before co-founding the Centre for Philanthropy at the University of Kent in 2008.
She researched and wrote the annual Coutts Million Pound Donor Report from 2008-2017, co-authored Richer Lives: why rich people give (2013), The Logic of Charity: Great Expectations in Hard Times (2015) and co-edited The Philanthropy Reader (2016).
Her last book The New Fundraisers: who organises generosity in contemporary society? won the AFP Skystone Research Partners book prize for 2018, and her new book, published in Autumn 2021, ‘In Defence of Philanthropy’, is a timely response to growing critiques of private giving.
Thank you for downloading this episode. For…
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Dec 13, 2021
Naghma Mulla, CEO of the EdelGive Foundation, talks about philanthropy in India and their new GROW Fund — supporting 100 NGOs in India and backed by the likes of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation
This episode provides clear insight into how the EdelGive Foundation developed, structured and executed a highly collaborative fund to support 100 NGOs in India, securing funding from the likes of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, the MacArthur Foundation, Rohini Nilekani Philanthropies and the Chandra Foundation.
The EdelGive Foundation is a grant-making organization, helping build and expand philanthropy in India by funding and supporting the growth of small to mid-sized grassroots NGOs committed to empowering vulnerable children, women, and communities.
This approach has enabled the foundation to be a go-to partner of choice for Indian and foreign funders wanting to engage with the Indian development ecosystem.
The Grassroots, Resilience, Ownership and Wellness (GROW) Fund is aimed at building the capabilities, resilience and future readiness of grassroots organisations.
The GROW Fund aims to strengthen 100 high impact grassroots organisations over 24 months, through capacity…
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Dec 6, 2021
Matt Hyde, CEO of the Scouts UK, and volunteer Andrew Bollington join Alberto Lidji to discuss ‘the Squirrels’ — a new Early Years provision for 4 and 5 year olds
Get a behind-the-scenes look at how ‘the Squirrels’ came about and how the programme is providing 4 and 5 year olds with skills for life when it matters most by promoting key skills like working together, communication and language, as well as creativity and community awareness.
Gain insight from an in-depth conversation covering the entire journey of how the Squirrels went from initial concept to successful funding, evidence-based piloting, execution and meaningful scale.
We hear of the many challenges that had to be overcome, the funding sources that were tapped and the diverse stakeholders who were brought on board to make this initiative a success.
Thank you for downloading this episode. For information on nearly 150 interviews with remarkable thought-leaders in philanthropy, sustainability and social entrepreneurship visit our website at Lidji.org
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Nov 29, 2021
Simon Sommer, Co-CEO of the Jacobs Foundation, and Sharath Jeevan, Founder of Intrinsic Labs, join Alberto Lidji to explore motivation in the world of foundations
A great conversation on how foundations are able to nurture the organisations they fund and support. We look at the power dynamic between grant-maker and grantee, delve into fostering trust and explore how foundations are able to provide support that goes beyond financial grants.
Simon Sommer is Co-CEO of the Jacobs Foundation, which has 7 billion Swiss Francs in assets (roughly USD $7 billion), granted out nearly 90 million Swiss Francs in 2020 and is a strong backer of education, internationally.
Sharath Jeevan is the Founder of Intrinsic Labs, which helps leaders and their organisations tackle deep motivation challenges. He is the author of the recently-published book “Intrinsic”.
Thank you for downloading this episode of The Do One Better Podcast. For information on nearly 150 interviews with remarkable thought leaders in the world of philanthropy, sustainability and social entrepreneurship visit our website at Lidji.org
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Nov 22, 2021
Let’s get “out-of-school girls” back into school! Safeena Husain, Founder of Educate Girls, talks about their work in 20,000 villages in India and launching the first development impact bond (DIB)
Safeena Husain founded Educate Girls in 2007 and today they operate in more than 20,000 villages across three states in India.
They’re mobilising communities in the most marginalised and remote areas to get out-of-school girls back into school and ensure they stay in school and are actually learning.
They’ve grown at a fast pace and today have a team of 2,200 full time employees and 15,000 volunteers.
Under Safeena’s leadership, and in conjunction with the UBS Optimus Foundation and Children’s Investment Fund Foundation (CIFF), they launched the first development impact bond (DIB). This was a highly innovative approach to align performance with funding.
Educate Girls was the service provider; CIFF was the outcome payer (who were purchasing two results: (1) getting out-of-school girls back into school and staying in school, and (2) ensuring learning outcomes); and the UBS Optimus Foundation was the social investor.
We hear the ins and outs of what turned out to be a highly…
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Nov 15, 2021
Let‘s recycle everything! Tom Szaky, Founder and CEO of TerraCycle, on managing waste to minimise climate impact.
Tom founded TerraCycle 20 years ago when he was a student at Princeton. Today, TerraCycle is the world’s leader in the collection and reuse of non-recyclable post-consumer waste.
They work with more than one hundred major brands — including Tesco, Heinz and Coca-Cola — in twenty countries across the globe to collect used packaging and products that would otherwise be destined for landfills.
Through their ‘Loop’ initiative, they are changing the way we shop by creating sustainable new packaging solutions and enabling consumers to enjoy their favoruite products from popular consumer brands in refillable containers.
A fascinating and thorough exploration of the world of recycling, with key insight into the economics, solutions, opportunities and challenges. We can all make a difference.
Thank you for downloading this episode. Visit The Do One Better Podcast website at Lidji.org for information on around 150 interviews with remarkable guests in philanthropy, sustainability an…
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Nov 8, 2021
Let’s harness the power of global diplomacy and interfaith dialogue to tackle climate change! UK Ambassador to the Vatican, Chris Trott, joins Alberto Lidji during COP26
On 4th October 2021, Pope Francis and leaders from other faiths gathered to appeal for robust commitments from political leaders in the run up to COP26 (2021 United Nations Climate Change Conference).
Chris Trott, the UK's ambassador to the Holy See, shares his views on the significance of this extraordinary gathering and its highly consequential nature.
The Pope has been a long-standing voice on matters pertaining to sustainability. In 2015, he issued an encyclical called Laudato si’ in which he called for care for our common home and decried environmental destruction.
On 25 September 2015, Pope Francis addressed the UN General Assembly and he made the appeal for a common plan for our common home. On that day, world leaders adopted Agenda 2030 and the 17 UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
The UK is hosting COP26 right now and Chris Trott shares a unique insight into the importance of faith communities in helping drive positive change by advocating for responsible behaviour…
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Nov 1, 2021
Let’s decarbonise one million hotel rooms! Keith Barr, CEO of InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG), joins Alberto Lidji to discuss how they’re improving and innovating to become more sustainable
With a presence in more than 100 countries, IHG has 6,000+ hotels, employs 350,000 staff and caters to many segments across 17 brands, from Holiday Inn to Crowne Plaza, InterContinental and Six Senses. They recognise the tremendous opportunity to drive positive change.
We learn what Keith and his team are doing to reduce their carbon footprint, improve operations and reduce waste. They’re embracing artificial intelligence (AI) and new technologies to fluctuate energy utilisation more effectively and are challenging every aspect of their supply chains to innovate for more sustainable solutions.
Annually, IHG disposes of around 2% of their hotel properties, which is a significant number when one considers they have more than 6,000 hotels. Many of these properties are removed because they are older, no longer commercially viable and are often high energy inefficient.
Reducing the carbon footprint of their existing hotel portfolio is key. This is complemented by a focus on designing t…
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Oct 25, 2021
Let’s transform food systems! COP26 Special. President of WWF Int’l & CEO of GIST, Pavan Sukhdev, and Executive Director of the Global Alliance for the Future of Food, Ruth Richardson, call for action
COP26 starts this Sunday and the world’s attention is focused on climate. Food systems are an integral component and we need to recognise their hidden costs and positive benefits.
Traditional accounting often fails to account properly for negative externalities, such as habitat destruction, soil erosion and water contamination, or positives such as carbon sequestration, insect pollination and resilience to natural disasters.
True-value accounting and true-cost accounting paint a much more holistic, comprehensive view which, in turn, helps inform food pricing, policy documents and balance sheets. If we are serious about sustainability, we need to account for the whole picture.
Pavan and Ruth provide insight, call for action and shed light on the invaluable work of WWF (World Wide Fund for Nature), GIST Impact and the Global Alliance for the Future of Food. The evidence is robust and the arguments are clearly laid out in this podcast episode.
Ruth delves into their recently-publish…
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Oct 18, 2021
Dr Sanford “Sandy” Greenberg shares his philanthropic ambition to end blindness. Sandy is blind, highly accomplished and talks with passion about adversity, hope and driving medical breakthroughs
Sandy lost his eyesight in 1961 from glaucoma while he was a student at Columbia. At that point, he promised God that he’d do everything he could for the rest of his life to make sure no one else should go blind — he has led a successful life full of purpose.
Just days ago, Johns Hopkins Medicine’s Wilmer Eye Institute established the Sanford and Susan Greenberg Center to End Blindness.
Sandy sheds light on the Center’s drive to support the next generation of researchers who have high risk, high reward ideas but lack funding and mentorship. The Center aims to raise $100 million and they have already secured half that amount.
Sandy also shares fascinating anecdotes, including how his college roommate (music legend) Art Garfunkel would read to him when he lost his sight; his emotions as he wrote his book ‘Hello Darkness My Old Friend”; and his relentless pursuit of education at Columbia, Harvard and Oxford.
If you want to hear a touching, personal story where optimism ove…
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Oct 11, 2021
Charmaine Griffiths, CEO of the British Heart Foundation, joins Alberto Lidji to talk about the challenges posed by the pandemic, the immense value of partnerships and why a sense of urgency matters
The British Heart Foundation (BHF) is at the forefront of funding cardiovascular research, with £447m in active research commitments across the UK, powered by 4,000 staff and 20,000 volunteers. They are celebrating their 60th birthday in 2021.
Every year the BHF funds around £100m in new research, backing the best talent and a wide range of projects, from data science and new AI technology to genetics and regenerative medicine.
They embrace a strong sense of urgency in support of the 7.6m people who have cardiovascular disease in the UK and we hear of the pressing need to tackle patient waiting lists, which pose a real threat to many people in serious medical need.
The BHF relies on strong, diverse partnerships with key stakeholders from the private sector, government, academia, other charities and many other sectors — both nationally and locally. Partnerships are crucial to the BHF and we explore some specific partnerships during this episode.
Charmaine also provides much insi…
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Oct 4, 2021
Caroline Anstey, President & CEO of Pact, explores how the NGO sector is accounting for its own carbon emissions and argues the sector isn’t always practising what it preaches
Caroline had an 18-year career at the World Bank, where she worked as Managing Director in charge of Operational Policy; Chief of Staff; and Vice President for External Affairs.
She subsequently joined UBS as Group Managing Director to spearhead the firm’s sustainability policy and investment products.
Today, despite being part of the NGO sector herself, she expresses her views candidly and notes that NGOs can improve how they manage their carbon emissions, report on their carbon footprint and provide visibility on their path to net zero.
She is cautious not to generalise and, indeed, mentions that NGOs directly working on environmental issues tend to be ahead of the curve in having robust climate commitments; but many others in the NGO sector are behind the curve.
Caroline references the United Kingdom's FCDO (Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office) and their recent mandate requesting to know the carbon footprint of organisations that are implementing their projects. In her…
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Sep 27, 2021
Shami Nissan, Head of Responsible Investment at Actis, joins Alberto Lidji to discuss ESG investing from a practitioner’s perspective — exploring key questions and highlighting the latest trends
We start off by delving into the differences in approach and expectations between traditional investing, ESG investing and impact investing. Today, the broad view is that it is perfectly viable to seek competitive, risk-adjusted returns, while pursuing best practice in ESG (environmental, social and governance). While, on the more philanthropic side of the spectrum, there are those who are happy to accept concessionary rates of return, trading off some financial return in favour of an improvement in social good.
We look at the Net Zero movement and decarbonisation. And, we explore some areas of contention among those who seek a net zero world. For instance, should one divest from fossil fuels immediately or could one have more leverage by staying engaged?
By divesting immediately, some argue that you lose your voice as an investor to help those firms transition into net zero. Within public equity companies, if one divests it simply means that someone else is buying these stocks, and…
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Sep 19, 2021
Philanthropists Laurence Lien, Kathlyn Tan and Dominic Scriven are all collaborating on the launch of Asia Philanthropy Circle’s new Climate Collective, which is launching now!
Asia Philanthropy Circle’s (APC) new climate collective is launching now and we hear from three philanthropists who have very different experiences and expertise — from long track-records to NextGen perspectives — who share a passion for tackling the climate crisis.
APC is about learning, exchanging ideas and collaborating. It’s about taking joint action to do more and to do better. Climate is one of their key philanthropic areas of interest; others include education, healthcare, the ageing population and mental health. By working together they can drive philanthropy on climate and have more impact. Only 2% of global philanthropy goes towards climate.
Kathlyn Tan is a next generation philanthropist and leads the environmental portfolio of her family’s philanthropy, the Rumah Foundation, in Singapore. They do impact investing, philanthropy and are also looking at how best to integrate ESG in their business interests. Kathlyn’s passion stems from the ocean and her love of d…
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Sep 13, 2021
John Rendel of the Peter Cundill Foundation joins Alberto Lidji to talk about trust-based philanthropy and the value of long-term, unrestricted funding provided by grant-makers
A strong case is made by John Rendel in support of unrestricted funding, encouraging grant-makers to embrace this approach to giving and calling on recipient organisations to fight for the cause of unrestricted funding as well.
John’s advice is that if you, as a grant-maker, don’t trust the organisation you’re supporting, then don’t trust a restricted grant to that organisation. And, if you do trust them, then give them unrestricted funding.
We need to build the understanding of how restricted grants undermine impact and reduce the efficacy of the organisations grant-makers are trying to empower.
While the philanthropy sector has seen a move towards more unrestricted funding during the COVID-19 pandemic, the Peter Cundill Foundation has been arguing for this approach since before the pandemic was a fact of life.
The Peter Cundill Foundation grants out around USD $9 million annually. They are based in Bermuda and operate internationally, including in the UK, Canada and Sub-S…
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Sep 5, 2021
Stefan Flothmann, Global Director of Mindworks — the cognitive science lab of Greenpeace — joins Alberto Lidji to discuss the use of neuroscience + behavioural science to make campaigns more effective
Learn what one of the world’s great campaigning organisations is doing to engage with its audiences more effectively, in a manner that is inclusive and empowering.
Stefan has been with Greenpeace since 1993 and has been driving Mindworks over the past few years. He describes Mindworks as a bit of a garage project within Greenpeace, with freedom to innovate and create new ways of working.
At Mindworks, they dig into the latest cognitive science and social psychology to develop new ways and tools to engage people, to do audience research and to shift mindsets that, in turn, help to transform systems.
Their latest project is called ‘The Disrupted Mind’, which they started in response to COVID-19 and it aims to find out what opportunities can arise from a crisis; looking at how to change mindsets and explore how a given crisis can be used to drive positive change.
Insight coming out of this research shows that crises are actually a good time to change mindsets. In normal life, mo…
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Aug 29, 2021
Mary Abdo, Managing Director at the Centre for Evidence and Implementation, joins Alberto Lidji to discuss evidence-based philanthropy
The Centre for Evidence and Implementation (CEI) is a global not-for-profit advisory organisation set up in Australia in 2016 with offices in Singapore, the UK and Australia. They are a social enterprise subsidiary of Save the Children.
CEI is a mission-driven organisation dedicated to seeing the best evidence implemented in policy and practice to improve the lives of vulnerable people. They work with a range of clients, including governments, foundations and social sector agencies by supporting them to use evidence well and to implement it well.
In order to help organisations accelerate the use of evidence on what works to improve the lives of vulnerable people, the folks at CEI do three things: (1) they support organisations to make sense of the evidence; (2) they work with them to trial, test and evaluate approaches; and (3) they work in ‘Implementation Science’ — if we think of evidence-based interventions as the ‘what’, then Implementation Science is the ‘how’.
Du…
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Aug 22, 2021
Ricardo Lagos, former President of Chile, joins Alberto Lidji to discuss Chile’s transition to democracy, his vocal stance against Augusto Pinochet, the climate crisis and the work of his foundation
A warm conversation with Ricardo Lagos, a towering figure of Latin American politics who played a highly consequential role during Chile’s transition to democracy in the 1980s and later on as President of Chile in the 2000s.
Ricardo Lagos was President of Chile from 2000 to 2006. He left office with a remarkably high approval rating of c. 70%. He served for the centre-left Concertación de Partidos por la Democracia coalition, championing reforms to the healthcare system, enacting free-trade agreements whilst reducing economic inequality.
We hear of his — now famous — live TV interview in 1988 where he pointed an accusatory finger directly at the camera challenging General Pinochet’s attempt to extend his rule by plebiscite.
This was a key moment in Chile’s transition to democracy and, at the time, led many viewers to fear Ricardo Lagos was unlikely to see another day. Interestingly, he didn’t quite realise the impact of what he said during that TV interview until afterw…
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Aug 15, 2021
Naina Batra, Chairperson and CEO of AVPN (Asian Venture Philanthropy Network), joins Alberto Lidji to discuss donor collaboration in Asia and increasing the flow of capital into the social sector
AVPN is a platform and network of investors and social funders who deploy capital for impact across Asia. Members deploy resources across a wide continuum of capital, from grant-making to impact investing, ESG and other variations. Members are both based in Asia and, also, some are global but have an interest in Asia. AVPN is based in Singapore.
We hear of the drive for scale and the importance of working with governments. AVPN started the Policy Forum, bringing private sector capital to work together with public sector money, collaborating around social issues. Much wealth in Asia comes from business and, traditionally, we hear how there is some trepidation about working with government. But, in the social space these unlikely collaborations are key.
Thematically speaking, Gender, COVID-19, Climate Action and Health have been very pronounced within AVPN. Also, about 60% of AVPN’s members fund Education and about 50% are interested in Health.
Naina mentions how in matters pertaini…
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Aug 8, 2021
Carmine Di Sibio, Global Chairman and CEO of EY, joins Alberto Lidji to discuss ESG, diversity & inclusion and how being a child immigrant to the US influenced his sense of belonging and world view
In many ways, Carmine is part of the American dream. He was born in Italy and when he was just three years old his family moved to the US. With no prior family history of higher education, Carmine completed his MBA at NYU, joined EY in 1985 and rose through the ranks to lead one of the world’s largest professional services organisations that employs around 300,000 people and operates in more than 150 countries.
This conversation ranges from the personal to the professional. We hear a remarkable childhood story that led to great success and a desire to make a positive difference.
We focus on ESG factors (environmental, social, governance) and explore what EY is doing on this front, and what they’re encouraging their clients and suppliers to do as well. There is a need for standardisation in ESG accounting, a recognition that sustainability needs to be front and centre in corporate strategy and an appreciation that the time is now.
Visit The Do One Better Podcast website at Lidji.…
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Aug 2, 2021
Lisa Pearce, Chief Executive of British Wheelchair Basketball, talks about parasports, the new Women’s Premier League and considers whether one could integrate the Paralympic and Olympic Games
Great Britain is very strong on the global stage of wheelchair basketball. The men’s team are currently the reigning World Champions and European Champions, and the women’s team are the Silver World Medalists and European Silver Medalists. The teams are very excited about the prospects and opportunities at the Paralympic Games in Tokyo.
In the UK there are around 17,000 people who play wheelchair basketball. And there is a new campaign, called Inspire a Generation, aimed at doubling participation with a strong emphasis on working across communities in the UK, upskilling community leaders to bring wheelchair basketball to their communities, along with developing school packs and resources for teachers so that everyone can get involved no matter where they live.
Interestingly, out of the 17,000 people who play wheelchair basketball, 21% are non-disabled — therefore it’s truly an inclusive sport for all. And, there is demand for another 70,000 new players.
The global audience f…
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Jul 25, 2021
Lord Jack McConnell, former First Minister of Scotland, joins Alberto Lidji to discuss recent cuts in UK foreign aid, international sustainable development and the McConnell International Foundation
We start the conversation by getting Jack’s views on the cut in UK foreign aid from 0.7% of National Income to 0.5% and this month’s House of Commons vote on the matter.
He notes that every other G7 country is increasing its foreign aid this year, not decreasing it, and if there was ever a case for the UK to decrease its foreign aid it's not in the year of a global pandemic and the most important climate change summit since 2015. It's terrible timing and it's in the wrong direction.
We also discuss the leading role of the private sector in embracing the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) these days and broaden out the discussion to explore the future of Scotland within the Union, the importance of global education and even delve into the world of single malts for a lighter touch.
For a full transcript of this conversation visit The Do One Better Podcast website at Lidji.org
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Jul 18, 2021
Baroness Helene Hayman, Member of the UK House of Lords and Co-Chair of Peers for the Planet, and Senator Mary Coyle of the Senate of Canada, join Alberto Lidji to discuss climate and political action
In this episode we talk about the climate crisis and learn about ‘Peers for the Planet’ which is the House of Lords’ Climate and Biodiversity Action Group, launched in 2020 — bringing together more than 120 Members of the House of Lords who want to put the need for an urgent response to climate change and biodiversity loss at the top of the political agenda.
We also look at international knowledge-sharing on climate action between the UK’s and Canada’s upper houses of parliament and hear how Senator Mary Coyle in Canada and Baroness Helene Hayman in the UK are collaborating and learning from each other in order to leverage their respective platforms to tackle the climate crisis.
For anyone who is interested in driving forward legislative change to tackle the climate crisis and fostering international collaboration in this field, this episode will be of particular interest to you.
For a full transcript of this conversation please visit The Do One Better Podcast website at…
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Jul 11, 2021
Shloka Nath, Executive Director of the India Climate Collaborative and Head of Sustainability at the Tata Trusts sheds light on India’s first major philanthropy collaborative focused on climate change
The India Climate Collaborative (ICC) is an India-led platform founded in 2018 by a group of philanthropies interested in continuing to accelerate India’s development, while also exceeding its climate goals. The Tata Trusts is one of India’s leading philanthropic foundations and an instrumental actor in driving the ICC forward.
In this episode, we learn of the fight against climate change within an Indian context and the collaboration between philanthropists and diverse stakeholders that is leading to innovative thinking and additional funding in this field.
For a full transcript of this episode, visit The Do One Better Podcast website at Lidji.org
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Jul 4, 2021
Jo Swinson, Director of Partners for a New Economy and former Leader of the Liberal Democrats in the UK, joins Alberto Lidji to discuss transforming traditional economics to tackle the SDGs
Partners for a New Economy is a donor collaborative founded by the Oak, MAVA, Marisla and KR foundations, and today also includes the Ford Foundation and Laudes Foundation.
This conversation is for anyone who believes existing economic systems need to be improved if society is to achieve the UN Sustainable Development Goals and meet the challenges of the 21st Century.
Jo Swinson is the former leader of the Liberal Democrats in the United Kingdom. From 2012-2015, she served as Business Minister in the UK, and in 2009, she co-founded a cross-party group of MPs to work collaboratively on new economic thinking and well-being economics.
In this fascinating conversation, Jo sheds light on her current work, political experience and her personal narrative.
For a full transcript of this episode visit The Do One Better Podcast website at Lidji.org
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Jun 27, 2021
Mike Barry, former Director of Sustainable Business at M&S and founder of Mikebarryeco, joins Alberto Lidji to discuss the latest trends in sustainable business and their numerous social implications
This is a conversation full of fascinating details, insight and observations that present the listener with invaluable context on what’s required if we are to avoid a climate catastrophe, achieve the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and ensure we don’t leave large segments of society behind.
We hear how, ultimately, no matter how good the policymaking, nor how innovative the new technology, we won’t achieve success if we don’t entice the world’s citizens to change their behaviour — with sustainability front and centre — and ensure mass global engagement.
From traditional beef burgers, to plant-based burgers and even laboratory-grown meat; from the Race to Net Zero to the invaluable role of efficient cities in tackling the SDGs — you will thoroughly enjoy this episode and gain much useful information in the process.
A full transcript of this interview is available by visiting The Do One Better Podcast website at Lidji.org
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Jun 20, 2021
Bob Moritz, Global Chairman of PwC, joins Alberto Lidji to discuss stakeholder capitalism, ESG (environmental, social, governance) and how the corporate world is embracing the sustainability agenda
If you want a front-row seat to see and understand how large corporates are approaching stakeholder capitalism and ESG, this episode is most certainly for you.
On 15th June 2021, PwC announced a massive ESG push. They’ll be investing $12bn and creating 100,000 new jobs to boost ESG expertise for clients. So, this podcast interview isn’t just theoretical; there’s real consequence to everything you’ll hear in this episode.
PwC spans 155 countries and includes more than 284,000 people — a professional services network, providing audit, tax, consulting, and deals services around the world, in order to build trust and contribute to productive solutions for the world’s most pressing problems.
For a full transcript of this interview, visit The Do One Better Podcast website at Lidji.org
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Jun 13, 2021
Charles Delingpole, Founder and CEO of ComplyAdvantage, joins Alberto Lidji to discuss how to leverage technology and data to tackle ESG risk
A must-listen episode for anyone who is interested in social entrepreneurship and combining for-profit activities with social good.
ComplyAdvantage is a market leader in the use of technology, machine learning and big data to automate and scale solutions that help organisations and individuals mitigate ESG (environmental, social, governance) risk; in the process helping to tackle money laundering, human trafficking and other crimes. The firm is a commercial venture with a strong social purpose at its core and they have secured over $100 million in funding from the likes of Goldman Sachs, the Ontario Teachers' Pension Plan and Index Ventures.
We discuss a range of topics, from international sanctions and political exposure to adverse media and reputational risk. Charlie provides insight into the company, their solutions and his own trajectory and personal narrative.
Charles Delingpole has a strong entrepreneurial track record, having previously co-founded MarketFinance, a corporate f…
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Jun 6, 2021
Cameron McCollum, Director of the Sudreau Global Justice Institute, joins Alberto Lidji to discuss access to justice for vulnerable populations in the Global South
We discuss access to justice in developing countries; the current state of affairs in specific countries in Africa and opportunities for improvement. The Sudreau Global Justice Institute ("SGJI") is an international human rights organization NGO based out of Pepperdine University. SGJI partners with governments around the world to advance the rule of law and provide access to justice to vulnerable populations. They believe that a healthy justice system is key to eradicating systemic suffering and unlocking a community's potential. A well functioning justice system not only protects the vulnerable, it is also the foundation upon which it becomes possible for all other forms of community development to flourish. They currently have an active partnership with the Ugandan government to pilot the nation's first Public Defender's Office, and they continue to train and provide strategic assistance in Uganda's implementation of plea bargaining into its criminal justice system. In addition, the…
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May 30, 2021
Cecilia Conrad, CEO of Lever for Change and Managing Director at MacArthur Foundation, joins Alberto Lidji to discuss multi-million dollar competitions, philanthropy markets and funder collaboratives
A must-listen episode for anyone who seeks truly innovative and collaborative thinking in philanthropy.
Lever for Change is a new nonprofit affiliate of the MacArthur Foundation, created to accelerate large-scale social change around the world. The organization develops and manages customized, open and transparent competitions that connect donors with bold solutions to global challenges, while strengthening the most highly rated ideas emerging from these competitions and catalyzing big investments through its Bold Solutions Network.
In addition to her role at Lever for Change, Cecilia oversees the MacArthur Fellows and 100&Change, MacArthur’s competition for a $100 million grant to help solve a critical problem of our time.
For a full transcript of this interview visit The Do One Better Podcast website at Lidji.org Please click that subscribe button on your favourite podcast app and share widely with others. Thank you.
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May 23, 2021
Chair of EY Foundation, Patrick Dunne, joins Alberto Lidji to discuss the dynamics of corporate and governance boards. Great insight from Patrick’s book, “Boards”, and nearly 30 years experience at 3i
If you have to work with boards this episode is for you. We tackle highly topical questions:
• What are some of the main challenges with boards?…
• What’s the relationship between the chief executive and the board?….
• Is there much of a difference between board members within a for-profit context vs a nonprofit context?…
• What about recruiting new board members?…
• More...
Patrick is an experienced Chair and serial social entrepreneur who has extensive experience of working with boards in Europe, Asia and North America. Early on in his career at 3i he built a resource of over 600 experienced directors who were appointed to over 2,000 boards for 3i across numerous countries. The programme he established became widely recognised as a model of adding value and a leader in best practice.
For a full transcript of this interview, visit The Do One Better! Podcast website at Lidji.org Please subscribe and share widely with others. Thank you.
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May 16, 2021
David Lynch, filmmaker and creative genius, joins Alberto Lidji to talk about Transcendental Meditation, consciousness, his foundation’s work and the ups and downs of his personal journey
This episode is an absolute must-listen for fans of David Lynch and those craving wellbeing through meditation. David speaks from the heart, with abundant passion and an infectious self-assuredness about consciousness and the power of Transcendental Meditation to do away with the negatives in one's life while letting in boundless positivity.
We learn about the work of the David Lynch Foundation, helping bring TM to the world, and also hear about David's creativity, successes and failures -- and how he has overcome the most challenging times.
David lets us in on those earlier moments in his life when he felt unsatisfied with a success he perceived as hollow, and we also hear of challenging moments in his career, such as following the film Dune — a “giant failure” by his own account — where he notes that had it not been for that “inner strength from meditation, from transcending every day, I might have wanted to check out.”
Since 1973, David has been practising Transcenden…
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May 9, 2021
Facebook’s Head of Social Impact & Health Partnerships, Anita Yuen, joins Alberto Lidji to discuss their initiative to connect billions of people to authoritative information on COVID-19 vaccines
Anita sheds light on Facebook’s COVID Information Center, where people can access authoritative information about COVID-19 vaccines, and she goes on to explain how they have been partnering with the World Health Organisation (WHO), non-profit organisations and governments around the world to make sure there is accurate and credible information for people about COVID-19 vaccines.
The discussion also delves into Facebook’s work around blood donations in more than 29 countries and how the platform has facilitated $5 billion in donations for good causes. Anita provides a candid look at social good campaigns at truly global scale.
Visit The Do One Better! Podcast website at Lidji.org for a full transcript of this episode. Please click the subscribe button on your favourite podcast app and share widely with others — thank you!
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May 2, 2021
Sir Peter Gluckman, former Chief Science Advisor to the Prime Minister of New Zealand and Director of Koi Tū, joins Alberto Lidji to discuss the interaction between science, policymaking and diplomacy
Sir Peter was Chief Science Advisor to the Prime Minister of New Zealand from 2009 to 2018, serving three Prime Ministers: John Key, Bill English and Jacinda Ardern. He’s also the Director of Koi Tū — the Centre for Informed Futures — a New Zealand based think tank looking at some of the most pressing issues impacting our world.
In this episode we talk about the role of chief science advisors, how science and policymaking work together and the interaction between science and diplomacy — a discussion that takes place within a backdrop of declining public trust, increasing misinformation and the devastating effects of the COVID-19 pandemic.
For a full transcript of this episode visit The Do One Better! Podcast website at Lidji.org — please click the subscribe button on your favourite podcast app and share widely with others. Thank you!
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Apr 25, 2021
Executive Director & CEO of Together for Girls, Daniela Ligiero, talks about their work in tackling violence against children and their invaluable, national Violence Against Children and Youth Surveys
Together for Girls is a global, public-private partnership dedicated to ending violence against children, especially sexual violence against girls.
The partnership includes five UN agencies, the governments of the United States and Canada, several private sector organisations and more than 20 country governments in Africa, Asia, Latin America and the Caribbean, working together to generate comprehensive data and solutions to this public health and human rights epidemic.
Together for Girls, in partnership with the CDC — the US Centers for Disease Control — has conducted their Violence Against Children and Youth Surveys in 24 countries. They now have data for over 10% of the world's population under 24 on this issue and are the single largest repository on sexual violence data for children, adolescents and youth.
This is a fascinating conversation on a sobering topic, underpinned by optimism and a sense of urgency. Daniela sheds light on the global context of violence against chil…
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Apr 18, 2021
Denis Mizne, CEO of the Lemann Foundation, joins Alberto Lidji to discuss how to achieve quality public education in Brazil for every child
This episode is of particular interest to anyone who cares about driving forward quality education at scale in a global context. While the Lemann Foundation is based in Brazil, its work is of interest to philanthropists, NGOs and social entrepreneurs across the globe.
Denis sheds light on the Foundation’s work, ranging from operations to grant-making, and provides a solid overview of the current state of affairs in Brazil’s education system and the opportunities for improvement.
The Lemann Foundation was launched in 2002 by self-made Brazilian entrepreneur Jorge Paulo Lemann, who is one the world’s most prolific private investors and philanthropists. Lemann’s private equity firm, 3G Capital, boasts a portfolio that includes the likes of Anheuser-Busch, Burger King, Heinz, Kraft, SABMiller, and Tim Hortons.
Visit The Do One Better! Website at Lidji.org for a full transcript of this conversation. Please click the ‘subscribe’ button on your favourite podcast app and share w…
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Apr 11, 2021
David Miliband, President & CEO of the International Rescue Committee (IRC) and former UK Foreign Secretary, joins Alberto Lidji to discuss the plight of refugees and displaced persons globally
David served as the youngest UK Foreign Secretary in three decades, driving advancements in human rights and representing the UK throughout the world. His accomplishments have earned him a reputation, in former President Bill Clinton's words, as "one of the ablest, most creative public servants of our time.”
David talks candidly about the invaluable work of the International Rescue Committee (IRC), the plight of refugees and displaced persons, and sheds light on the differences between being the foreign minister of a permanent member of the UN Security Council and leading one of the worlds most impactful NGOs.
The IRC was founded by Albert Einstein, who was in Princeton, in the USA, when Hitler came to power. And he founded the International Rescue Committee, the Emergency Rescue Committee at the time, in the 1930s, and he founded the organisation out of a burning sense that while he was safe, so many others were not safe from the Nazis.
The IRC is an organisation whose purpose is…
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Apr 4, 2021
Amy Klement, Managing Partner of Imaginable Futures — a venture of the Omidyar Group, Founded by Pierre and Pam Omidyar of eBay fame — discusses unleashing human potential through learning
If you ever wondered how a Silicon Valley mindset rooted in social entrepreneurship can improve global education, then this episode is for you. A fascinating look at an organisation that is quite different from traditional philanthropy.
Imaginable Futures is a philanthropic investment firm that combines impact investing and foundation grant-making in order to unleash human potential through learning.
Imaginable Futures spun out of the Omidyar Network a little over a year ago, where they were previously the Education initiative of Omidyar. They were founded and are funded by Pam and Pierre Omidyar — who is also the Founder of eBay.
Amy worked for eBay, where she served as VP of product strategy and operations, and was previously one of PayPal’s earliest employees in the late 1990s. Today, she leads Imaginable Futures. She provides great insight and projects very positive energy.
Visit The Do One Better! Podcast website at Lidji.org for a full transcript of this episode. Please c…
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Mar 28, 2021
Paul Polman, Co-Founder of IMAGINE and former CEO of Unilever joins Alberto Lidji to discuss CEO engagement in sustainable business and creating ‘tipping points’ in specific industries to drive change
"Redesigning how business could be and should be, to the benefit of society, is a very important thing."
We tackle a diverse range of topics, from climate change and inequality to his outlook on life and the observation that some people think greed is good but, longer term, generosity will always win.
This is a multifaceted and candid conversation. We hear how his potential to drive forward greater change in global development is actually stronger now than it was when he was still at Unilever.
We also get a glimpse into his youth, where he notes without any hesitation that: "I wanted to be first a priest and then I wanted to be a doctor, I ended up with serendipity in business, I wouldn't do it again, today, I wouldn't go into business, necessarily, but I always felt more of an urge to help other people."
Paul Polman sheds light on his efforts to engage leading corporate CEOs and to bring key industries to a 'tipping point' whereby they start to embrace sustainable business. He spe…
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Mar 21, 2021
Tackling global hunger and malnutrition. Lawrence Haddad, Executive Director of the Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition (GAIN), presents a sobering picture and a clear path forward
On this episode we focus on global hunger and malnutrition, which is UN Sustainable Development Goal 2 (Zero Hunger).
We address key questions and explore the subject in depth:
• Should anyone be dying from hunger in this day and age?
• Must we embrace a vegetarian lifestyle?
• What is the impact of childhood stunting on long-term economic development?
• What's the connection between food systems and the climate crisis?
• What can policymakers, corporates and citizens do right now?
We explore global hunger from various angles and present a clear, actionable path for policymakers, business leaders and citizens around the world to consider as we approach 2030, the target year for the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
Visit The Do One Better! Podcast website at Lidji.org for a full transcript of this episode.
Please click the subscribe button on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or your favourite podcast app. Thank you for listening and for sharing with others…
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Mar 13, 2021
Rugby star Siya Kolisi and Rachel Kolisi join Alberto Lidji to share their inspiring philanthropy journey and ambition to change narratives of inequality in South Africa through the Kolisi Foundation
Siya came from a challenging and humble background and, in 2018, became the first Black test player appointed Captain of the Springboks — South Africa’s national rugby team. In 2019, Siya led his team to Rugby World Cup victory.
Rachel brings a long-standing passion to serve individuals and communities across South Africa. From as early as 1990, Rachel has been involved in charitable and community development projects which have brought about transformation for many different communities.
Siya and Rachel co-founded the Kolisi Foundation exactly a year ago and are already making a huge impact in South Africa, tackling gender based violence, alleviating the hardships caused by COVID-19 and convening diverse stakeholders.
The Foundation has provided sustainable food parcels to more than 25,000 families and provided hygiene products to front-line health workers nationally, in partnership with The Nelson Mandela Foundation.
In this candid and warm conversation, both Siya and Rachel…
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Mar 7, 2021
Cherie Blair and Helen McEachern join Alberto Lidji to discuss closing the gender gap in entrepreneurship, why mentorship matters and reaching 175,000 women via the Cherie Blair Foundation for Women
We hear Cherie’s personal story, from the positive influence of her mother and grandmother, to starting out as a lawyer in the 1970s when it was still rare for women to be actively involved in the workforce, to her time living in 10 Downing Street where she was lucky enough to travel the world and meet many great women across the world.
Cherie felt that there was a gap in women's economic independence — women and girls — and if they could fill that gap by giving women skills, networks and the mentoring that they needed they could really make a difference. She set up the foundation in 2008 and now have reached approximately 175,000 women and girls in over 100 countries.
We hear how if women had the same opportunity to be entrepreneurs as men, global GDP could rise by about $5 trillion dollars.
Helen McEachern, the Foundation’s CEO, explains why they focus on low and middle-income countries, where the lack of economic parity is particularly pronounced. We also learn how they l…
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Feb 28, 2021
Every woman must be given a chance to succeed. Vice Chancellor of the Asian University for Women (AUW), Prof Nirmala Rao, shares the impact of Bangladesh’s (and region’s) only liberal arts institution
An inspiring conversation for anyone interested gender equality. The Asian University for Women (AUW) was first established in Bangladesh in 2008, with a specific mission to recruit young women who have promise and potential, regardless of their background, and to offer them high quality education.
It's a liberal arts institution — the only one of its kind in the region. It's very global in outlook and rooted in the context and aspirations of the young people of Asia, designed to address some of the inequalities endemic to the region.
The idea for the university grew out of the World Bank and United Nations Task Force on Higher Education and Society.
For a full transcript of this podcast, visit The Do One Better! Podcast website at Lidji.org where you’ll discover more than 100 thought-leadership podcast episodes in philanthropy, sustainability and social entrepreneurship. Please subscribe and share widely — thank you!
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Feb 22, 2021
Julia Gillard discusses her work at the Global Partnership for Education, sheds light on her journey to become Australia’s first woman Prime Minister and argues for quality education for everyone
An insightful and candid conversation with a true champion for quality education for every girl and boy across the globe.
Born in Wales, UK, Julia migrated with her family to Australia as a very small girl. She was educated at local government schools, literally at the end of her street.
Her father had grown up in a coal-mining village and he left school at 14. He found his way in Australia as a psychiatric nurse. Her mother worked as a cook in a care home.
Julia has always been conscious that her life chances have been defined by coming from a loving stable family, but also by going to great schools. Fortunately, those government schools at the end of her street were fantastic schools. And if they hadn't been fantastic schools, her entire life would have been different.
Today, Julia is Chair of the Global Partnership for Eduction (GPE), which can be thought of as a shared commitment to ending the world's learning crisis.
It is the only global partnership and fund that focuses sol…
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Feb 21, 2021
President of the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation, Larry Kramer, shares his candid views on tackling climate change, adaptation vs mitigation, the merits of divesting from fossil fuels and more
Larry has been President of the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation since 2012. Before joining the foundation, Larry served from 2004 to 2012 as Richard E. Lang Professor of Law and Dean of Stanford Law School.
The Hewlett Foundation has an $11 billion dollar endowment and this conversation focuses on their work tackling climate change. Larry delves into the difference between the different approaches of adaptation vs mitigation — and he explains his preferences.
We learn of the key players in this field today and different collaborations in place to drive change forward. Only around 2% of global philanthropic funds are focused on climate, so there is a pressing need for more action from funders around the globe.
Larry speaks candidly about the importance of unrestricted funding where appropriate and provides his views on whether divesting from fossil fuels is the right thing for the Hewlett Foundation right now. The focus, ultimately, being about achieving most impact.
For a fu…
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Feb 14, 2021
CEO of Bond, Stephanie Draper, sheds light on the work of the UK’s network for organisations working in international development and discusses the challenges and opportunities to build back better
An insightful conversation that delves into the UK Government’s changes to its foreign aid budget, the termination of the Department for International Development (DFID), and co-ordinating with UK and international organisations during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Stephanie Draper has spent more than 20 years working to accelerate a just and sustainable future, with a focus on sustainable development. She brings extensive international experience of bringing sectors together to collaborate and shape a better future.
For a full transcript of this conversation visit The Do One Better! Podcast website at Lidji.org, where you’ll also be able to download guest bios, useful links and 100+ episodes on philanthropy, sustainability and social entrepreneurship.
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Feb 7, 2021
Dr Charlie Teo, renowned Australian neurosurgeon, talks about his foundation’s work in driving forward brain cancer research, the latest medical advances and his sense of urgency to find a cure
An insightful conversation with a highly passionate and respected practitioner and advocate. Charlie provides an overview of the state of affairs in brain cancer research today, sheds light on the medical advances he has witnessed since his days as a medical student and shares his optimism for much less invasive and much more effective treatments in the not too distant future.
From founding the Charlie Teo Foundation to helping set up a pro bono hospital in India, Charlie’s story will inspire and inform you.
Charlie was, and remains, instrumental in the development, dissemination and acceptance of the concept of keyhole minimally invasive techniques in neurosurgery. He runs a fellowship program that attracts over 600 applicants yearly and has trained many of the world’s leading figures in neurosurgery at distinguished centres such as the Barrow Neurological Institute and Johns Hopkins, Duke, Stanford, Vanderbilt and Harvard Universities.
He has raised over $20 million that has b…
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Jan 24, 2021
Social entrepreneur, Chris Robson, is Founder & CEO of Living With — a digital health company focused on remote condition & patient management. A conversation on success, failure + making a difference
Chris shares his insight on the social entrepreneurial journey and his current venture, “Living With”, which helps patients, doctors and researchers to manage conditions remotely and derive valuable data in the process.
Chris has 20 years’ experience of building fast growth, multinational companies and products, from £0 to £50m turnover. Among other ventures, he built and floated digital agency, Syzygy, on the German Stock Exchange and co-founded Ink Publishing, the world’s largest publisher of inflight media. He holds an MBA from London Business School and a degree from Oxford University.
Visit The Do One Better! Podcast website for a full transcript of this podcast episode, guest bios and useful links. Please click the subscribe button on your favourite podcast app and share widely with others. Thank you!
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Jan 17, 2021
Director General of the MAVA Foundation, Lynda Mansson, discusses the strategic challenges of winding down a foundation that’s granting around $100m annually and will cease to operate in late 2022
The foundation will sunset in a couple of years’ time, and the dynamics are much more complicated than one would expect. From ensuring the foundation’s key staff are motivated until the end to sharing institutional knowledge with others and helping partners and beneficiaries thrive in the long-term.
The MAVA Foundation is a family philanthropic foundation based in Switzerland. They were founded about 25 years ago by Dr Luc Hoffmann, who is the grandson of the founders of Hoffmann-La Roche.
The foundation will be closing and will stop their grant-making after 2022. Over their lifetime, they have granted out more than one billion dollars.
Visit The Do One Better! Podcast website for a full transcript, guest bio and useful links. Please click the subscribe button on your favourite podcast app and share widely with others. Thank you!
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Jan 10, 2021
Charlize Theron Africa Outreach Project (CTAOP) Executive Director, Ashlee George, talks about their work in support of youth in South Africa through the lens of HIV/AIDS prevention
Learn how Charlize Theron, one of Hollywood’s biggest names, founded CTAOP in 2007 and is today driving a strong network of charitable partners, supporting youth in diverse ways and working with a team of professionals to help improve young people’s lives as we approach the UN Sustainable Development Goals for 2030.
Ashlee George has been part of Charlize Theron’s team for 15 years and over the past decade has been leading CTAOP’s efforts to oversee dramatic growth, including increasing the foundation’s grant making, communities served and youth engaged — underscoring CTAOP’s vision of a future where all youth are empowered to live healthy, HIV-free lives.
Visit The Do One Better! Podcast website for a full transcript, guest bio and useful links. Please click the subscribe button on your favourite podcast app and share widely with others. Thank you!
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Jan 3, 2021
CEO and Co-founder of the EkStep Foundation, Shankar Maruwada, explains how they’re leveraging technology, big data and mobile platforms to drive forward education at scale in India
Infosys Chairman and Co-founder, Nandan Nilekani, and Rohini Nilekani, are the other two Co-founders of the EkStep Foundation. Both Nandan and Rohini are signatories of The Giving Pledge — a commitment made by billionaires to giving the majority of their wealth to philanthropy.
Infosys is one of the world’s largest IT firms and Nandan Nilekani’s involvement places the EkStep Foundation in a strong position to leverage technology in pursuit of education — the UN’s Sustainable Development Goal 4 (SDG4).
The EkStep Foundation was set up in 2015. The idea was to think big: they aimed for a big goal to reach 200 million children in India and improve their access to learning opportunities and help them achieve improved learning outcomes.
At EkStep, they have a sense of urgency and believe that social good can be done at the scale of the entire population. Time is of the essence since every single year there are 20 million children in India who enter and exit the education system…
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Dec 27, 2020
New Year’s Special with Alberto Lidji - Key Takeaways from 2020. Philanthropy, Sustainability and Social Entrepreneurship
A New Year's special episode featuring key takeaways from some of the fascinating guests who joined us on The Do One Better! Podcast during 2020, including:
• Fran Perrin - Chair of 360Giving
• Sir David King - Former UK Government's permanent Special Representative for Climate Change
• Per Heggenes - CEO of the IKEA Foundation
• John Goodwin - CEO of the LEGO Foundation
• Ben Davies - Executive Director of the Johnson & Johnson Foundation
• Tony Nader - CEO of Transcendental Meditation organisations
• Craig Silverstein & Mary Obelnicki - Co-founders of Echidna Giving and signatories of the Giving Pledge. Craig was Google's first-ever employee
• Tariq Al Gurg - CEO of Dubai Cares
• Sandro Giuliani - Board Trustee of the Roger Federer Foundation
• Brian Gallagher - President & CEO of United Way Worldwide
• Howard Taylor - Executive Director of the Global Partnership to End Violence Against Children
• Anurag Banerjee - Co-Founder of Quilt.AI
• Matt…
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Dec 20, 2020
Executive Director of the Centre for Strategic Philanthropy, Clare Woodcraft, discusses philanthropy in emerging markets, the Global South / Global North power imbalance and the need for collaboration
The Centre for Strategic Philanthropy was founded by Badr Jafar and is based at Judge Business School at the University of Cambridge. It was launched in June 2020 and is focused on emerging markets, with particular concern for the Middle East, Africa and Southeast Asia. Its geographic focus is something that sets the Centre apart from other academic outfits in the field of philanthropy.
They have three core pillars of activity: (1) they are a research centre, (2) will provide executive education commencing in early 2021, and (3) are a convening platform bringing together diverse voices, especially from the Global South.
Clare provides insight into philanthropy in emerging markets and delves into some of the findings from their recently-published report Philanthropy and COVID-19: Is the North-South Power Balance Finally Shifting?
There is tremendous growth of philanthropy in the Global South and Clare explains how young philanthropists are increasingly moving away from establish…
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Dec 13, 2020
CEO of the FrameWorks Institute, Nat Kendall-Taylor, discusses the science of framing + how best to translate evidence-based research into effective communications for mass audiences and policymakers
The FrameWorks Institute has been around for 20 years and they currently have a staff of around 25 professionals, comprised largely of PhD-level social scientists. Nat describes the team as a motley crew of disenchanted academics. Interestingly, they really don’t have folks in the team who come from a communications background, which is a bit ironic considering they focus on communications.
Nat describes FrameWorks as a non-profit, communications, social science research think tank. They are mission-driven to use social science research to support the communications capacity of the non-profit sector.
They do this by focusing on three areas:
1) they study, and are interested in, how people think about complicated social and scientific issues — it’s not about what people say or how they answer polling questions but, rather, it’s about how people use common cultural ways of understanding to make meaning of complicated social issues;
2) they look at ‘framing’ and explore ho…
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Dec 6, 2020
President and CEO of World Vision International, Andrew Morley, talks about their work in supporting the most vulnerable children across 100 countries, with 37,000 staff and 100,000 volunteers
In 2020, they are celebrating their 70th birthday. World Vision International operates in most countries across the world and is a $3 billion organisation focused on ending violence against children in all its forms and supporting children, particularly in some of the most challenging countries, such as the DRC and Syria.
While World Vision is a Christian organisation, they serve those of all faiths and of no faith at all. They’re structured globally by setting up separate legal entities in the countries where they operate (such as World Vision South Africa) — these entities all agree to work in partnership with all the other World Vision entities around the world. They also work with delivery partners in local settings. Many of World Vision’s in-country team leaders come up from local communities, as opposed to being expats placed there from overseas.
Andrew sheds light on World Vision International’s funding. Their primary funding is derived through their child sponsorship…
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Nov 29, 2020
CEO of the Scouts UK, Matt Hyde, talks candidly about painful decisions taken on restructuring, redundancies and disposing of assets in the face of COVID-19. Invaluable insight on weathering the storm
Scouting prepress young people with skills for life. It has been around for 113 years and is active in 190 countries. There are 53 million scouts worldwide and 460,000 in the UK. Moreover, there are 160,000 adult volunteers in the UK and 60,000 young people who are waiting to join the Scouts.
In the UK, the Scouts are a federation of 8,000 Scout charities. The organisation has numerous income streams and areas of operations.
Matt sheds light on the dynamics of how the Scouts operates in the UK and we discuss how different parts of the organisation have been impacted by the coronavirus pandemic. He describes in detail the painful realisation over the late summer, 2020, that this pandemic wasn’t going to be going away quickly and, therefore, they needed a decisive plan.
Consequently, the team has been reduced from approximately 390 staff to around 260, and many property assets, including Baden-Powell House in central London, are being disposed.
This has been painful for the entire…
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Nov 22, 2020
CEO of United World Schools, Tim Howarth, joins Alberto Lidji to discuss strategic exit planning, transitioning schools to local education authorities and expansion into new geographic regions
UWS is an educational NGO, based in the UK, with an international approach and a presence in Cambodia, Myanmar and Nepal.
Through education, UWS transforms the lives of some of the poorest children in the world who would otherwise have no access to education. They work with local communities to build and nurture schools and, then, to transition these schools into the government system.
They have launched 226 schools and learning sites in Cambodia, Myanmar and Nepal. Each school typically serves 150 children.
UWS looks to build schools in places where there is a good fit. They identify regions where there are large populations of out of school children, which are remote, difficult to reach and are marginalised for various reasons.
They identify these communities by liaising with local government and by working closely with teams on the ground. Importantly, UWS engages with local ethnic minorities who have key insight on where needs are greatest.
Each school is different and has its…
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Nov 15, 2020
President of Rotary International, Holger Knaack, discusses the importance of attracting more female members and young professionals; ensuring diversity within their 36,000 clubs and 1.2m members
We discuss Rotary International’s charitable work in local and global settings. They are the largest service club organisation in the world and operate in more than 200 countries. While clubs are independent they all follow core values.
Holger is looking to increase the number of female members who join Rotary International as well as the number of young professionals. Diversity is vital and much progress has been achieved on this front in recent years.
Rotary International supports a wide range of charitable activities. Holger specifically references polio eradication, a successful initiative they started decades ago in the Philippines, which has led them to collaborate with key global partners, such as WHO, UNICEF and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.
Holger also talks about Rotary International’s support of peace initiatives and notes they’re currently partnering with seven universities in the world to run peace projects; where people are conducting masters studies in pe…
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Nov 8, 2020
CEO of Gorongosa Trust, Matt Jordan, joins Alberto Lidji to discuss social enterprise + wildlife conservation at Gorongosa National Park in Mozambique. One of the most biodiverse places on the planet
This conversation provides great insight into a public / private partnership with a strong philanthropic underpinning that simultaneously drives forward human development and wildlife conservation at scale — within a challenging context that in recent years has included conflict, local fighting, a commodities crash, a currency devaluation and a massive cyclone.
A focus on forestry, ecotourism and agribusiness has resulted in robust social enterprise activities that incorporate local communities while helping tackle climate change.
There are 200,000 people around Gorongosa National Park and 80% of them are subsistence farmers living on under $2 a day. They are vulnerable to malnutrition, poor education and other challenges.
Creating small businesses, helping with skills and fostering greater access to finance helps establish the ‘enabling’ conditions that transform livelihoods for the long term.
Matt’s key takeaway: Be part of something that creates a world where people and…
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Nov 1, 2020
Co-Founder of Quilt.AI, Anurag Banerjee, joins Alberto Lidji to discuss the power of artificial intelligence, big data and the Internet to drive forward the global development agenda
A fascinating and thought-provoking conversation for anyone who's looking to understand attitudes and drive behaviour change at scale for the betterment of society.
What drives misogynistic attitudes? How do you know whether your philanthropic intervention is making a difference? Can AI and big data help improve girls' education and expected career outcomes? What about privacy considerations when analysing mass behaviour online? We discuss these questions and many more.
Quilt.AI is a mission-first technology company, seeking to increase empathy in the world. Using the Internet as a source of knowledge, inspiration and communication, Quilt.AI works on issues including climate change, gender equity and health across the world. Their work has focused on a range of thematic areas across the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
The firm’s clients include some of the world’s most recognised for-profit and non-profit organisations. They’re headquartered in Singapore with a presen…
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Oct 25, 2020
Co-Founder & CEO of the Geanco Foundation, Afam Onyema, talks about transforming lives in Nigeria, working with A-list celebrities and taking the plunge into philanthropy straight after Stanford Law
We hear how Afam’s father, and his dream to improve lives in Nigeria, was the inspiration that led to the creation of the Geanco Foundation – a charity based in Los Angeles. His father is originally from Nigeria and Geanco is very much a family story; they led with a dream and figured everything else from there.
Afam studied at Harvard and Stanford Law, yet his calling to serve guided him to the world of philanthropy and development work, and he co-founded the Geanco Foundation in 2007 right after completing his law degree.
He explains how declining numerous corporate law job offers in order to launch a foundation was not an easy choice – and indeed his mother certainly raised an eyebrow when she learned of this – but the decision simply felt right and Afam has never looked back.
Even though Afam had no experience in fundraising – an essential ingredient for any nascent charity – he was incredibly fortunate to get immediate financial backing from some of his classmates w…
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Oct 18, 2020
Executive Director of the Johnson & Johnson Foundation, Ben Davies, joins Alberto Lidji to discuss the importance of supporting frontline healthcare workers
Ben Davies provides great insight into the work of the Johnson & Johnson Foundation, their support of frontline healthcare workers, their $250 million investment and their aim to reach 100 million people... and much more.
Highly consequential work, especially in light of the COVID-19 pandemic. This conversation sheds much light on corporate philanthropy and how the private sector plays a role in driving forward the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
Visit The Do One Better! Podcast website for full episode notes, guest bios and useful links. Please click the subscribe button on your favourite podcast app and share widely with your family, friends and colleagues -- thank you!
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Oct 11, 2020
Executive Director of Concern Worldwide UK, Danny Harvey, joins Alberto Lidji to discuss their strategic thinking, ambitions for the future and how management has coped with COVID-19
Danny Harvey has more than 20 years' experience in the humanitarian aid and development sector, working with a number of organisations, including Concern. She has lived and worked in a number of countries including Cambodia, East Timor, Uganda and Indonesia.
Visit The Do One Better! Podcast website for full episode notes, guest bios and useful links. Please click the subscribe button on your favourite podcast app and share widely -- thank you!
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Oct 4, 2020
Sir David King, Founder & Chair of the Centre for Climate Repair at Cambridge University, joins Alberto Lidji to discuss innovative technologies to tackle the climate crisis
A fascinating discussion on the urgency of the climate crisis, including insight into some highly innovative technologies being pursued to capture carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and to refreeze the polar regions.
Sir David King was the UK Government's permanent Special Representative for Climate Change from September 2013 until March 2017 and was previously the Government’s Chief Scientific Advisor from 2000 to 2007, during which time he raised awareness of the need for governments to act on climate change and was instrumental in creating the Energy Technologies Institute.
He also served as the Founding Director of the Smith School of Enterprise and Environment at Oxford; was Head of the Department of Chemistry at Cambridge University 1993-2000 and Master of Downing College at Cambridge 1995 -2000.
For full episode notes visit The Do One Better! Podcast website. Please subscribe to the show on your favourite podcast app and share widely with others. Thank you!
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Sep 26, 2020
Vikas Pota – former Chairman of the Varkey Foundation, and education policy expert – joins Alberto Lidji to talk about the inaugural World Education Week taking place on 5th-9th October 2020
Vikas is a repeat guest on The Do One Better! Podcast. He first came on the show in 2019 when he was heading the Varkey Foundation – the organisation behind the one million dollar Global Teacher Prize.
He is an education policy expert and in this episode Vikas talks about the upcoming inaugural World Education Week, taking place 5th to 9th in October, virtually. The event is organised by T4 and Vikas is driving it forward.
Vikas notes how the biggest lever of change we have in education is the teacher, so they’ve decided to have the inaugural World Education Week commence on 5th October, which is World Teacher Day.
A key driver behind all this is the need to accelerate progress in achieving UN Sustainable Development Goal 4 (SDG4), which focuses on education. The exciting thing is that digital platforms, such as Zoom and Microsoft Teams, allow for new voices of folks to share experiences and share perspectives. It enhances debate and discussion.
Vikas explains that teachers tru…
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Sep 20, 2020
Executive Director of the Impact Fund and Forum at GESDA (Geneva Science and Diplomacy Anticipator), Sandro Giuliani, discusses future scientific breakthroughs and international development
Sandro notes that the world is experiencing breakthrough scientific discoveries at unprecedented pace. He asks: if we can anticipate these emerging technologies, can we then unlock their potential to improve our world for the benefit of society?
GESDA was started by the Swiss government, who provided approximately 50% of the initial funding; this was matched by philanthropy. The organisation is now an independent foundation.
GESDA aims to bring in key multilateral stakeholders, mixing science and diplomacy, to anticipate what future technologies could look like. Information technology, quantum computing, bio-inspired computing, artificial intelligence, human augmentation, eco-regeneration – what will be the impact of these technologies for the future of humanity and our planet?
GESDA has reached out to the best researchers on these topics and has created an academic forum; essentially, they’re identifying some of the world’s best researchers who are in their labs developing th…
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Sep 13, 2020
Vodafone’s Head of Sustainable Business, Dorothée D’Herde, joins Alberto Lidji to discuss building a digital society that leaves no one behind and protects the planet
Vodafone Group is one of the world’s leading telecoms and technology service providers – covering such things as connectivity, convergence and the internet of things. They also have strong expertise in mobile financial services and digital transformation in emerging markets. They mainly operate in Europe and Africa, with mobile operations in 24 countries.
Dorothée explains how the role of the sector in society is crucial. The nature of the products and services they’re involved with means they have the potential to leverage digitisation to enable the speed and scale needed to deliver the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
At Vodafone, their drive is about connecting for a better future; it’s about building a digital society that leaves no one behind and protects the planet.
We explore what it takes to embed a sustainability mindset within the organisation. Dorothée notes that it’s very helpful that, at Vodafone, sustainability is a CEO-led agenda and it can be foun…
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Sep 6, 2020
CEO of the IKEA Foundation, Per Heggenes, joins Alberto Lidji to discuss their focus on climate change, improving children’s lives and helping refugees become self-sufficient
IKEA was founded in Sweden, in 1943, by Ingvar Kamprad, whose vision was to improve everyday life for the many. The IKEA Foundation is independent from the retail business with a sole focus on creating brighter lives on a liveable planet through philanthropy and grant-making
They work to create more family wealth; to enable families to afford a better life. When families have a sustainable income they will invest it in their children’s health and education. They also focus on protecting the planet and reducing greenhouse gas emissions because if nothing is done urgently there won’t be a planet for the children they’d like to help.
They support work around five themes: 1) Employment and entrepreneurship; 2) Regenerative Agriculture; 3) Climate Action; 4) Renewable Energy; and 5) Special Initiatives and Emergency Response.
Per delves into the huge challenges posed by COVID-19 and notes that for many of the people they help, the medical side of COVID-19 hasn’t been as much of a…
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Aug 30, 2020
Director of the Prenatal-to-3 Policy Impact Center, Cynthia Osborne, discusses how to engage with elected officials and policymakers on the topic of early childhood development
Cynthia will be hosting the 'National Prenatal-to-3 Research to Policy Summit' on 15th September 2020. A virtual event open to everyone which will feature Prof Jack Shonkoff of Harvard’s Center on the Developing Child, Gov DeWine of Ohio, Gov Lujan Grisham of New Mexico and various other experts and policymakers.
The Summit is presented by the Prenatal-to-3 Policy Impact Center at The University of Texas at Austin LBJ School of Public Affairs.
During the podcast, we hear how early childhood is a period of incredible importance. It is the time when brain development is happening most rapidly. Cynthia notes how children who are exposed to early adversity have higher rates of lung disease, heart disease, cancer and they engage in more risky behaviour – the earlier years really do shape the development of our brains and our body’s systems. In the USA, children who are exposed to extreme adversity early in life have a life expectancy that is 20 years shorter than children who are ex…
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Aug 24, 2020
Transcendental Meditation and philanthropy come together as we hear Jeffrey Abramson discuss his Foundation’s work and his support of Maharishi International University and the David Lynch Foundation
Jeffrey is a Washington DC-based philanthropist who’s been practising Transcendental Meditation (TM) for more than 40 years and he’s a Co-Founder of the Rona and Jeffrey Abramson Foundation.
He started thinking about improving the world when he was just 8 years old. He knew he wanted to end suffering and he wanted the solution to be one thing that could be given to people everywhere to change their circumstances, so they were the ones who lifted themselves up, and it needed to make them self-sufficient; not dependent on others.
Many years later, when Jeffrey was 20 years old, he learned TM and experienced the benefits from meditating. He realised that maybe TM was the one gift that could deeply effect and empower everyone.
A key goal of his philanthropy is to expand the research into TM and give people around the world access to their potential; to unleash their drive so they can impact their own lives and their own communities.
Jeffrey sheds light on his experience working wit…
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Aug 16, 2020
CEO of Practical Action, Paul Smith Lomas, joins Alberto Lidji to discuss market-based solutions for improved water sanitation and systemic change in Bangladesh
Practical Action is an innovative international development organisation; their Patron is Prince Charles, HRH The Prince of Wales, and they partner with diverse organisations including the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, the IKEA Foundation and DFID – the UK’s Department for International Development.
The organisation is comprised of various entities, which include a charity running projects internationally, a publishing company and a consulting company as well – together they work hard to find ingenious solutions, capture and share learnings, and to bring about big change.
Practical Action works in about 12 countries at any one time. In total they have 600 staff and partner with many organisations. Their operating budget for charitable actives is about £30m annually.
They’re a very practical organisation and focus on farming that works; energy that transforms people’s lives; helping to build resilience; and making urban centres safer places for people to live in – par…
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Aug 10, 2020
President & CEO of United Way Worldwide, Brian Gallagher, joins Alberto Lidji to discuss digital transformation, “Philanthropy Cloud” and helping millions of donors connect with great causes
United Way is the world’s largest privately funded non-profit organisation. It is 133 years old, has 3 million volunteers, 8 million donors and operates across 40 countries – including the UK where they’ve had a presence since 2014. Last year it raised around $5 billion.
United Way Worldwide is a social franchise; it owns the brand and sets rules on financial reporting, governance, ethics and inclusivity across 1,800 communities globally. It also manages relations with the United Nations (UN), the World Economic Forum (WEF), corporates and governments.
Brian sheds light on his background. He formally joined United Way as a trainee back in 1981 and has thoroughly enjoyed the journey. A word of wisdom he likes to share with folks who are just starting out on their careers is simply ‘be prepared to say yes’ – we’re so wired to say no. So, just say yes.
Last year United Way generated around $5 billion in income, which is a remarkable sum. Brian notes the breakdown of this…
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Aug 3, 2020
CEO of Humanity & Inclusion UK, Aleema Shivji, joins Alberto Lidji to discuss disability inclusion in crisis settings – One in seven people in the world live with disability
Humanity & Inclusion exists to support people with disabilities and vulnerable people who are affected by poverty, conflict, disaster and exclusion to achieve their rights and live in dignity.
They were founded in 1982, initially supporting victims of landmines who were fleeing to Thailand from Cambodia.
Today, Humanity & Inclusion is active in 60 countries. It is a federated network with members around the world. They work in partnership with diverse stakeholders – including UNICEF, the WHO and the UK Government – and their work is a combination of advocacy and operations.
Ninety per cent of their staff are local to the countries they work in, so they’re closely embedded at the community level, which then also makes it much easier to identify good local delivery partners.
Aleema notes the importance of their work by highlighting that 1 in 7 people in the world live with a disability, and their problems are exacerbated in settings of crisis and poverty. Those with disabilitie…
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Jul 27, 2020
CEO of Plan International UK, Rose Caldwell, joins Alberto Lidji to discuss children’s rights; equality for girls; and how to build back better post-pandemic
Plan International is a global charity operating in more than 50 countries. It was established in 1937 and strives to ensure the rights of children and equality for girls. Several decades ago, it established the ‘sponsor a child’ model, which successfully supports the local communities where these children live.
We hear how Plan International engages with a truly broad and global range of partners, from small, local NGOs, to the likes of the LEGO Foundation, Unilever and AstraZeneca.
Rose grew up in a farm in Northern Ireland – one of five children – and didn’t even know what international development was back then. She grew up in a country that was in conflict, and that had an impact on her.
Northern Ireland at that time was quite inward looking and Rose could never envision as a child that she’d end up travelling the world and running international development endeavours. She started off in the private sector but once she ventured into the international development wor…
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Jul 20, 2020
President of the Oak Foundation, Doug Griffiths, joins Alberto Lidji to discuss the Foundation’s $300m annual grant-making + their collegial approach to partnerships + fostering transformative change
The Foundation focuses on global, social and environmental concerns, particularly in helping the most disadvantaged. In 2019, the Oak Foundation made 377 grants, to 342 organisations in 37 countries, totalling around $300m.
The Foundation backs a wide range of initiatives focused on the environment, housing and homelessness, international human rights, issues affecting women, learning differences, preventing child sexual abuse; and special interest areas such as health, humanitarian relief, education and the arts. They also have four national programmes in Brazil, Denmark, India and Zimbabwe.
Doug sheds light on the Foundation’s main programme areas and provides insight on their transformative work on the environment and climate justice – aiming to strengthen the ecosystem of climate funding.
We hear of the Climate Leadership Initiative hosted by Climate Works, for instance, where the focus is on helping individual philanthropists identify where they can enter the climate space.…
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Jul 16, 2020
Dr Christian Busch, author of 'The Serendipity Mindset: The Art & Science of Creating Good Luck', joins Alberto Lidji to discuss how there’s much more to success than blind luck
An insightful conversation on serendipity, success and leveraging opportunities to improve the world. We explore how to breakdown the barriers to serendipity, spotting opportunities, connecting the dots, and turning serendipitous encounters into opportunities for success.
Christian Busch is an expert in entrepreneurship, social innovation, and purpose-driven business. He teaches at New York University (NYU) and at the London School of Economics (LSE), and directs the NYU Global Economy Program.
The conversation provides real-life examples and behavioural tweaks that are both thought-provoking and entertaining. A must-listen for anyone who’s open to framing the world in a slightly different light and appreciating that one can be proactive when it comes to luck.
Visit The Do One Better! Podcast website for guest bios, episode notes and useful links. Please click the subscribe button and share widely. Thank you!
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Jul 12, 2020
Roger Federer Foundation: great insight on Roger’s philanthropic work and the Foundation’s support of education in Africa and Switzerland, from Board Trustee Sandro Giuliani
The Foundation was founded in 2003 and focuses on school readiness; they invest approximately 10m Swiss Francs (roughly US $10m at the time of writing) annually supporting children to transition into school.
UN Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 4.2 is a key reference for their work, aspiring to ensure that by 2030: all girls and boys have access to quality early childhood development, care and pre-primary education so that they are ready for primary education.
Geographically, the Foundation works across six countries in Africa – Botswana, Malawi, Namibia, South Africa, Zambia and Zimbabwe – and also in Switzerland. Roger’s mother is South African and his father is Swiss.
When asked what it’s like to work with Roger, Sandro replies that it’s pretty cool. Roger is running the Foundation strategically and is very hands on. For Sandro, it’s not just about working with someone who’s very high profile, it’s also a matter of working with a philanthropist who truly wants to…
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Jul 6, 2020
Peter Jones Foundation's Managing Director, Bill Muirhead, joins Alberto Lidji to discuss instilling enterprise skills and a social entrepreneurial spirit in today's youth
Peter Jones is one of the UK's best known entrepreneurs and in 2005 he founded the Peter Jones Foundation to improve the socio economic outcomes for young people by helping them develop enterprise skills. They aim to ensure at least 60% of the young people they work with come from disadvantaged backgrounds.
This wide-ranging conversation introduces listeners to the Foundation's various initiatives, including their Tycoon Programme, which aims to back children's and young people's business ideas by lending money to them that is risk free and encourages them to develop and execute innovative business plans.
The Foundation currently works with approximately 700 schools and has supported 12,000 young people to set up and run their businesses.
Bill Muirhead delves into the question of what, precisely, are enterprise skills and underscores the importance of learning through doing. There is room for the UK's school system to embrace enterprise skills more robustly and, indeed, Bill notes h…
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Jun 29, 2020
Refugees and access to university education. Executive Director of World University Service of Canada, Chris Eaton, joins Alberto Lidji to discuss support for refugees and work with UNHCR + UNESCO
World University Service of Canada (WUSC) is a Canada-based organisation dedicated to expanding education, economic and empowerment leadership opportunities for youth in Canada and around the world, with a particular focus on refugees, displaced youth and young women.
WUSC has its origins in the 1920s and today has a team of approximately 15 staff in Canada and a strong presence in the frontlines of the developing world. They’re actively supporting refugees from eastern Africa – Uganda, northern Kenya, Malawi – and the Middle East – Syria and Iraqi refugees based in Jordan and Lebanon. They’ve done some work in Myanmar and are exploring needs in Latin America.
We also hear how their current operations are being negatively impacted by the global COVID-19 pandemic. For instance, they were due to assist 140 refugees to come to Canada for the start of the 2020/2021 academic year but that’s on hold for now due to the spread of the novel coronavirus.
Chris provides useful insi…
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Jun 22, 2020
Thinking strategically about scaling up impact. CEO of Spring Impact, Dan Berelowitz, joins Alberto Lidji to talk about helping charities scale up while ensuring quality and impact
Spring Impact is a registered charity in the UK and a 501(c)(3) in the USA. They help other charities and innovative organisations of various sizes and degrees of experience to scale up, replicate and increase their impact.
Dan sheds light on his professional trajectory and highlights how he learned a great deal by observing the likes of McDonald’s and Oxfam.
Unlike many commercial advisory firms, Spring Impact is happy to share their intellectual property (IP) so that others can learn from their processes and strategies. They publish a ‘Social Replication Toolkit’ that is publicly available and transfers insight to anyone who’s interested in learning more.
Interestingly, Spring Impact often works with organisations that are already well on their scalability journey – not just nascent ventures. For instance, Dan noted Spring Impact works with several Skoll Awardees.
Spring Impact is also deploying much attention to drive forward the field of early childhood development (E…
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Jun 15, 2020
CEO of ACEVO – Association of Chief Executives of Voluntary Organisations – Vicky Browning, joins Alberto Lidji to discuss leadership networks + ACEVO’s upcoming report on racism in the charity sector
ACEVO is a network of more than 1,400 CEOs and aspiring chief executives based in the UK. They represent members from organisations across all sizes. They are a charity themselves and aim to ensure the leaders they serve are able to make the most impact possible. They support leaders and, in turn, these leaders inspire their own organisations. ACEVO helps CEOs be the best they can be.
Vicky sheds light on how ACEVO’s members are responding to COVID-19 – a crisis that is stretching many charities to the limit. She notes there are serious concerns and, indeed, demand for charities’ services has gone through the roof. At the same time, many fundraising and income streams have been negatively impacted. Yet, there is much hope and much consideration in the sector for how we can build back better.
ACEVO has actually weathered this pandemic quite well. They have had to shift all their events on to digital platforms but that has led to good engagement. Whereas before they were convenin…
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Jun 7, 2020
Head of the Sage Foundation, Debbie Wall, joins Alberto Lidji to discuss corporate philanthropy, supporting local communities across 23 countries and launching a corporate foundation from scratch
Debbie sheds light on how Sage – a business solutions company and accounting software developer – launched the Sage Foundation five years ago. She was instrumental in launching the foundation which, today, entices more than 13,000 Sage colleagues to volunteer their time (last year, they volunteered an aggregate of 31,000 days), works with 300 charities at any given time, and supports local communities through grants, resources and innovative initiatives.
Debbie notes that philanthropy and volunteering are a great way to create happiness and her passion is unmistakable. We hear how the Sage Foundation focuses on young people, women and military veterans and engages around work-readiness, education and entrepreneurialism.
Each Sage colleague is granted 5 days per year to volunteer for a charitable cause close to their heart. This can take many forms and today, with the pandemic and COVID-19 impacting the world, they’re doing a great deal of remote volunteering – such as online…
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Jun 1, 2020
CEO of Coram, Carol Homden, joins Alberto Lidji to discuss the charitable work of this 280-year-old children’s charity in support of children’s rights, welfare and education
Carol became Chief Executive of Coram in April 2007 and was awarded a CBE in 2013 for her contribution to services for children and families.
Carol sheds light on the charitable work of Coram in supporting the rights, welfare and education of children throughout its 280 year history. She speaks of its Founder, Thomas Coram, describing his life and passion to help children.
The conversation explores a wide range of topics, from Carol’s professional trajectory and Coram’s impact to COVID-19 and pressures on funding.
The key takeaway Carol would like listeners to keep in mind: quoting Thomas Coram, carol notes that everyone ought in duty to do any good they can, and she prompts us to ask how each of us is serving. She concludes by quoting Anne Frank: How wonderful it is that nobody need wait a single moment before they start to improve the world.
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May 25, 2020
CEO of ShelterBox, Sanj Srikanthan, joins Alberto Lidji to discuss disaster relief in the face of Super Cyclone Amphan and COVID-19 in Bangladesh and eastern India
Sanj starts off by providing an overview of ShelterBox’s origins; from a small outfit conceived 20 years ago in Cornwall, UK, to a global NGO providing disaster relief on the ground and via remote technical assistance.
It has only been a few days since super cyclone Amphan made landfall in Bangladesh and eastern India, and the latest estimates are that 10 million people have been impacted and 500,000 have lost their homes; this is on top of already being in an incredibly precarious situation as they grapple with COVID-19 in extremely densely populated areas where coronavirus is present.
It’s worth noting that a Rohingya refugee camp in Bangladesh has 40,000 people per square kilometre, whereas Wuhan, China, where the novel coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) started has 6,000 people per square kilometre.
Sanj remarks that when the cyclone hits people are losing their homes and then moving into even more crowded settings for shelter, which then adds to the risk of coronavirus transmission.…
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May 18, 2020
CEOs of Aga Khan Foundation in UK and India, Matt Reed and Tinni Sawhney, join Alberto Lidji to provide insight from the front lines; gender equality, women’s economic empowerment and more
This episode follows from an earlier episode of The Do One Better! Podcast featuring Matt Reed, which aired in October 2019. It is worth listening to that episode in conjunction with this one.
This conversation sheds light on the Aga Khan Foundation and the Aga Khan Development Network at a global level and provides tangible insight to their work in India.
Matt Reed is CEO of the Aga Khan Foundation in the UK (and was formerly CEO in India between 2013 and 2016) and Tinni Sawhney is the current CEO of the Aga Khan Foundation in India. Together, they provide a multifaceted account of how they’re helping the most marginalised communities and individuals.
The Aga Khan Foundation is one of 10 development agencies that together form the Aga Khan Development Network, founded by His Highness the Aga Khan. They work across all 17 UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and aim to:
* Improve the quality of life, in all its dimensions, in all the communities where they are active
* Pro…
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May 10, 2020
Founder and CEO of Home for Good, Krish Kandiah, joins Alberto Lidji to discuss philanthropy, the global orphanage crisis, family-based care, fostering and adoptions
Home for Good is the charity Krish founded 5 years ago, which came out of his own family’s experience of fostering and adopting.
We hear how in the UK there’s a shortage of foster carers and adoptive parents; in the USA there are over 110,000 children who are in the care system waiting to be adopted and are ready for families. Globally, there’s a whole issue on how we care for children.
In the UK, the government is the corporate parent of every child that’s in the care system. There has been a huge upturn in the number of kids who are in care in England with 75,000 kids in care at present. The government is struggling to find carers.
Krish works very closely with the UK Department for Education and, also, he is increasingly working with the UK Home Office, since there is a pressing need for unaccompanied asylum seeking children who have fled war and terror in places like Syria, Afghanistan and Eritrea.
Krish notes that asking someone to become an adoptive parent or foster c…
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May 4, 2020
CEO of the European Venture Philanthropy Association (EVPA), Steven Serneels, joins Alberto Lidji to discuss how venture philanthropy is manoeuvring in light of COVID-19
We hear how five venture capitalists met in London approximately 15 years ago and explored how philanthropy could embrace more of an entrepreneurial spirit, and how venture capital assets could blend with philanthropy assets. Those were the origins of the EVPA.
There are many ways of defining venture philanthropy, and Steven likes to think about it along three dimensions: 1) yes, giving is good but it’s even better if you can measure your results and you know what you’re after; 2) as in venture capitalism, you need to go beyond the funding by exploring the value that one can provide by opening one’s networks, by providing capacity-building etc; and 3) being creative enough to provide tailored financing that is flexible and fits best with a given situation.
We hear how the EVPA is active in over 30 countries and has more than 300 members. They are an ecosystem builder and provide diverse services, from peer group convening to research and working closely with all stakeholders.…
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Apr 26, 2020
Executive Director of the Global Partnership to End Violence Against Children, Howard Taylor, joins Alberto Lidji to discuss their work and the increased risk COVID-19 presents to children globally
The organisation was founded in 2016 by the Secretary General of the United Nations; its Board includes the head of UNICEF and the head of the World Health Organisation (WHO). It is a public-private collaboration that includes UN agencies, governments, industry and others. They have more than 400 members.
Collectively, they want to raise awareness, catalyse leadership commitments, mobilise resources, promote evidence-based solutions and support those who are working on the front line to tackle all forms of violence, abuse and neglect of children.
Early on in the podcast, we delve into the large amount of useful information they’re curating, which is available on their website, to help ensure children are protected during this period of uncertainty with the COVID-19 backdrop.
The Global Partnership to End Violence Against Children acts as a focal point of evidence-based information that is of relevance across many sectors, such as health, education and social services. We are remin…
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Apr 20, 2020
Corporate strategy and COVID-19. Dalberg Advisors’ Global Managing Partner, Edwin Macharia, joins Alberto Lidji to discuss their advisory work in the global south during this pandemic
Dalberg is a strategic advisory firm serving a wide range of clients, from foundations and NGOs to private firms and governments. The firm was founded in 2001 and aims to create a world where all people everywhere are able to reach their full potential. In this episode we discuss how they're tackling COVID-19 implications and advising their clients accordingly.
Development and impact is key for Dalberg and, today, they are a group of companies with 30 offices globally and interests in a wide range of activities, including: human-centered design, data analytics, on-the-ground research, transaction advisory, media and advocacy, and increasingly implementation capacity.
Edwin started his career at McKinsey & Co in New York in 2001. He notes how 9/11 was actually his second day at work and it was a defining moment in his life that helped shape his outlook and appreciation of impact and the importance of things besides traditional shareholder value maximisation.
Dalberg works closely wit…
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Apr 13, 2020
COVID-19 in crisis settings and the power of play. CEO of Right To Play, Kevin Frey, joins Alberto Lidji to discuss how they’re preparing for the pandemic in 52 refugee camps across 22 countries
COVID-19 in crisis settings and the power of play. CEO of Right To Play, Kevin Frey, joins Alberto Lidji to discuss how they’re preparing for the pandemic in 52 refugee camps across 22 countries.
This episode looks at Right To Play’s work and how it impacts lives in diverse ways – we frame the whole conversation within the coronavirus context and the challenges for their workforce and beneficiaries alike.
Right To Play is an international organisation that was founded in 2000 by Johann Olav Koss – a former Norwegian Olympian. They’re working in 22 countries – mainly in Africa, Middle East and Asia – and reach over 22 million children every year. They work in 52 different refugee camps and have extensive experience in crisis settings.
Kevin and Right To Play Internatiponal are based in Toronto, Canada, and the organisation has offices in many countries, from New York and London, to Amsterdam, Norway, Sweden and Germany. They use all forms of play, from gamified learning…
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Apr 6, 2020
Founder of Canopy, Nicole Rycroft, joins Alberto Lidji to discuss the greening of the Harry Potter series; making industry more eco-friendly + working with the likes of Stella McCartney, H&M and Zara
Canopy is focused on protecting the world’s forests, species, climate and helping advance community rights. They do this by harnessing the power of the marketplace.
Nicole launched Canopy 20 years ago with a small budget of $1,800. Today, they work with 750 large corporate customers, including H&M, Zara and Kimberly-Clark by helping them to develop and implement environmental policies.
They aim to change behaviours at a societal level. They approach this by working with the top 1,000 to 2,000 senior decision-makers who work within clothing companies, e-retailers and publishers.
The sheer size and purchasing power of the companies these individuals work for means they have incredible economic and political influence to incentivise forestry companies and governments to change business-as-usual practice.
Nicole notes that Canopy is probably best known for ‘greening’ the Harry Potter series, which we hear was a lot of fun to do.
Back in the early 2000s, they were working with Ra…
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Mar 29, 2020
COVID-19 threatens to decimate the developing world. CEO of ActionAid UK, Girish Menon, joins Alberto Lidji to discuss strategic preparations as the novel coronavirus spreads into the Global South
COVID-19 threatens to decimate the developing world. CEO of ActionAid UK, Girish Menon, joins Alberto Lidji to discuss strategic preparations as the novel coronavirus spreads into the Global South.
Girish notes: "We have no idea how it's going to unfold, we have no idea when it's going to end, we have no idea of how the new normal will be defined."
ActionAid is an international charity and human rights organisation that works with women and girls living in poverty and aims to end violence, foster women's economic empowerment and protect girls' and women's rights. They work in approximately 40 countries in the Global South, in Asia, Africa and Latin America and have a keen interest in helping girls and women in humanitarian crises.
The conversation with Girish focuses exclusively on the devastating impact this global pandemic could have in the developing world and is framed in light of "The Global Impact of COVID-19 and Strategies for Mitigation and Suppre…
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Mar 22, 2020
CEO of Transcendental Meditation organisations, Dr Tony Nader, joins Alberto Lidji to discuss the TM movement, how to start practising TM and why it can benefit your mental and physical wellbeing
CEO of Transcendental Meditation organisations, Dr Tony Nader, joins Alberto Lidji to discuss the TM movement, how to start practising TM and why it can benefit your mental and physical wellbeing.
Tony sheds light on his personal journey, from PhD research on cognitive sciences at MIT to leading the Transcendental Meditation Programme across the globe. He explains how this simple technique can give you energy, strength and make you feel rejuvenated.
We hear what makes TM unique and learn some of the overarching principles that underpin it. For those who are curious, there is an explanation of what practising TM actually looks like and why it has the potential to improve mental and physical wellbeing.
Tony is clear that TM is not a religion, nor a philosophy, nor a belief system and, indeed, there are individuals from all faiths who practise TM.
Transcendental Meditation was launched in the mid-1950s by Maharishi Mahesh Yogi. And, while many people may associate TM with celebrities,…
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Mar 15, 2020
CEO of the Social Investment Business, Nick Temple, joins Alberto Lidji to discuss their quest for impact and the various ways in which they support social enterprises and charities
The Social Investment Business (SIB) has been around for approximately 20 years. From 2002 to 2010 they did £320m worth of investments into a whole range of organisations. More recently, they’ve added grant-making and business support to their range of activities.
Their world has changed over the past 20 years, with many new players active in this field compared with just a handful that were active when they first launched. Nick notes that this is a good thing – the space is more mature and there are a higher number of specialist funds out there and more support available that is better targeted and specialised, based on things such as geography and thematic areas of operation.
The Social Investment Business provides debt/loans, grants and business support – they always try to find the right blend. While, traditionally, most of their investments have been in the form of debt, more recently they’ve been doing grants, including grants for business support.
Nick sheds light on…
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Mar 8, 2020
Chair of 360Giving and member of the Sainsbury family, Fran Perrin, joins Alberto Lidji to discuss the importance of data-sharing and transparency in the world of philanthropy
Fran explains how working on 360Giving has been an absolute joy and a bit of a roller coaster. It came out of her experience both as a philanthropist, starting off at quite a young age, and from her experience as a technology nerd. She is a massive video game fan and has always been fascinated by the Internet and the potential for knowledge to change lives.
In her earlier career, she worked as a civil servant in the UK government and was in the Prime Minister's strategy unit under Tony Blair and then Gordon Brown. Back in 2007, she was lucky to be put on a project reviewing the power of information and how the government can use information and data.
This hugely inspired her and got her thinking about future trends in data and where that could be used for public services and public good; not just for commercial ventures.
She set up her foundation when she was just 18 and at that time she knew very little about how to give well and what other donors were doing. So, she wanted to lear…
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Mar 1, 2020
Founder of Girls Not Brides and Vow, and serial entrepreneur for social change, Mabel van Oranje, joins Alberto Lidji in the run-up to International Women’s Day to discuss eliminating child marriage
Founder of Girls Not Brides and Vow, and serial entrepreneur for social change, Mabel van Oranje, joins Alberto Lidji in the run-up to International Women’s Day to discuss eliminating child marriage.
Mabel sheds light on the issue of child marriage and the two organisations she has founded: Girls Not Brides and ‘Vow’ – the Vow to End Child Marriage. She provides great insight into the causes and consequences of child marriage, underscores how it is very much a global problem and expresses her dream to see child marriage eliminated from the globe by 2030.
Girls Not Brides is active in 100 countries and has around 1,300 member organisations – all of who aim to eliminate child marriage. It’s an umbrella organisation open to every non-governmental and civil society organisation working to tackle and eliminate this problem.
Girls Not Brides was launched in 2011 with just 50 member organisations. Today, they provide many services to their member organisations, including inform…
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Feb 24, 2020
CEO of Dubai Cares, Dr Tariq Al Gurg, joins Alberto Lidji to discuss the global education agenda, the RewirED global summit on education in Dubai 2021 and much more
CEO of Dubai Cares, Dr Tariq Al Gurg, joins Alberto Lidji to discuss the global education agenda, the RewirED global summit on education in Dubai 2021 and much more.
Dubai Cares is playing a key role in helping achieve the UN’s Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 4 , which aims to ensure inclusive and quality education for all and promote lifelong learning by 2030, by supporting programs in early childhood development, access to quality primary and secondary education, technical and vocational education and training for youth as well as a particular focus on education in emergencies and protracted crises.
Dubai Cares is a global force driving forward the education agenda. It was founded in 2007 by His Highness Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai.
Since its inception, Dubai Cares, part of Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Global Initiatives, has been working towards providing children and young people in developing coun…
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Feb 16, 2020
Twitter’s ex head of EMEA, Bruce Daisley, joins Alberto Lidji to discuss succinct messaging on climate crisis; workplace culture; and insights from the ‘Joy of Work’ & ‘Eat Sleep Work Repeat’
Twitter’s ex head of EMEA, Bruce Daisley, joins Alberto Lidji to discuss succinct messaging on climate crisis; workplace culture; and insights from the ‘Joy of Work’ & ‘Eat Sleep Work Repeat’.
A spontaneous conversation full of energy and insight. We start by hearing how Bruce has recently left Twitter to explore a future that is quite the opposite of highly prescriptive.
His passion for the environment shines through early on. We hear how he was involved with Greenpeace at the age of 15 and how tackling the climate crisis is a key focus for him as he explores how best to leverage his skills post-Twitter.
We also gain insight into his 8 years at Twitter, growing operations in Europe from zero to £500m. His three focus areas were: (1) the reputation of Twitter; (2) growing the audience; and (3) ensuring growth in advertising revenue. If you get the first two right, the third naturally follows.
Messaging is key and Bruce’s skills on this front are well honed. He notes th…
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Feb 9, 2020
CEO of The Fore and The Bulldog Trust, Mary Rose Gunn, joins Alberto Lidji to discuss seed funding for small non-profits and transforming the funding landscape and processes involved
CEO of The Fore and The Bulldog Trust, Mary Rose Gunn, joins Alberto Lidji to discuss seed funding for small non-profits and transforming the funding landscape and processes involved.
The Fore is a collective of individuals and businesses coming together to enhance the philanthropy market. The Fore is a seed funder for small organisations in the charity sector in the UK and, if one were to draw parallels with the private sector, one could say they align themselves with the angel investor and venture capital world. The Fore is part of The Bulldog Trust.
Mary Rose notes that at The Fore, they wish to empower people who have come up with great ideas to address a pressing social need and to provide them with funding and expertise to help them create real change.
The Fore only has two criteria to identify those organisations that are eligible to apply for funding:
(1) Applicant organisations need to have an annual turnover of under £500,000
(2) And, they need to be registered in the U…
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Feb 2, 2020
Director of LSE’s Marshall Institute, Stephan Chambers, joins Alberto Lidji to discuss research on philanthropy, social entrepreneurship; their Masters in Social Business & Entrepreneurship and more
Director of LSE’s Marshall Institute, Stephan Chambers, joins Alberto Lidji to discuss research on philanthropy, social entrepreneurship; their Masters in Social Business & Entrepreneurship and more.
The Marshall Institute is a research centre, a place for teaching and a driving force for convening diverse stakeholders.
They tackle hard problems such as how to make our world sustainable and how to cultivate altruism. Stephan provides context for these challenges: we misallocate resources, we don’t understand the real effect of incentives on human behaviour, we don’t price bad things properly, and we don’t reward good things properly.
During the podcast, we have a fascinating and wide-ranging conversation, ranging from Stephan’s career trajectory and personal drivers, to the Marshall Institute’s Executive Masters in Social Business and Entrepreneurship and their key research focus areas: altruistic capital and the hybrid economy.
Many interesting questions are explored,…
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Jan 27, 2020
CEO of LEGO Foundation, John Goodwin, joins Alberto Lidji to talk about $100m grants in support of young children in refugee settings; the value of learning through play; and achieving systemic change
CEO of LEGO Foundation, John Goodwin, joins Alberto Lidji to talk about $100m grants in support of young children in refugee settings; the value of learning through play; and achieving systemic change.
A fascinating episode taking listeners from the LEGO Foundation’s origins in the 1980s to the present day. We hear how the LEGO Group supports the Foundation and how the Foundation is focused on redefining play and re-imagining learning.
Learning through play is increasingly gaining traction. It is important that the activity in learning through play is meaningful for the child, that it is iterative, that it actively engages the child, and that it is socially interactive and joyful.
The LEGO Foundation's grants are impressive. Over the past two years, the LEGO Foundation has made two grants of $100 million, each in support of early childhood in refugee settings.
In late 2018, the LEGO Foundation made a $100 million grant to Sesame Workshop to bring the power of learning through pla…
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Jan 19, 2020
Google's first employee, Craig Silverstein, and Mary Obelnicki, join Alberto Lidji to talk about philanthropy, Echidna Giving (their Foundation) and signing The Giving Pledge
Google's first employee, Craig Silverstein, and Mary Obelnicki, join Alberto Lidji to talk about philanthropy, Echidna Giving (their Foundation) and signing The Giving Pledge.
We hear how Echidna Giving looks at educating girls in the developing world. It’s the main vehicle to do Craig and Mary’s philanthropy. They aim to invest their money over the course of their lifetime and make a real difference in this field. They are not looking to set up a foundation in perpetuity.
Craig and Mary look at foundations that try to live in perpetuity and they see that many issues arise when those foundations’ Founders are no longer around. Other people then try to interpret what the Founders’ wishes were.
In the case of Echidna Giving, Craig and Mary believe very much in being focused in girls’ education and they’re sticking with this for the next 40 years. They note that they want to be personally responsible for Echidna Giving’s work during their entire lifetimes. They hope to be…
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Jan 13, 2020
Chief Executive of UnLtd, Mark Norbury, joins Alberto Lidji to discuss social entrepreneurship and ways of backing social ventures and entrepreneurs
Chief Executive of UnLtd, Mark Norbury, joins Alberto Lidji to discuss social entrepreneurship and ways of backing social ventures and entrepreneurs.
UnLtd is a UK-based organisation that supports social entrepreneurship. They’ve helped out about 20,000 social entrepreneurs since 2002; they have an endowment of £150 million, a turnover of £8 million and a team of 75 staff.
They support social entrepreneurs in a variety of ways, including advice, networking, coaching, practical support and financing.
It’s important for them to find and back individuals who are very rooted in the issue each one of them is trying to address – this is something Mark calls ‘lived experience’. People who have lived through, discrimination, poverty and other issues.
When asked to define what social entrepreneurship means to UnLtd, Mark notes that they’re very relaxed about the actual type of legal structure one may have and rather, for them, it’s about whether your organisation has social…
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Jan 5, 2020
Executive Director of B Lab UK (B Corp), Chris Turner, and Co-Founder of Grantbook and UnWrapit, Peter Deitz, join Alberto Lidji to discuss the B Corp movement and social entrepreneurship
Executive Director of B Lab UK (B Corp), Chris Turner, and Co-Founder of Grantbook and UnWrapit, Peter Deitz, join Alberto Lidji to discuss the B Corp movement and social entrepreneurship.
B Lab UK is the non-profit organisation in the UK behind B Corp. The B Corp movement is a global movement of more than 3,000 businesses that are all acting as a force for good around the world. There are 250 B Corps in the UK, and the movement has been around for 10 years.
At the heart of the movement is the ‘Certification’ process, which involves two commitments:
1) to score highly on a B Impact Assessment (80 points or more are required) – this means a candidate company has taken a deep look at governance, workers, environment, community and customers. Those companies being assessed accumulate points for the positive impact they’re creating.
2 the second commitment is more symbolic and relates to the governance of the business – it differs depending on the jurisdiction, but in the UK…
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Dec 30, 2019
New Year's Special with Alberto Lidji - Key Takeaways from 2019. Philanthropy, Sustainability and Social Entrepreneurship.
New Year's Special with Alberto Lidji - Key Takeaways from 2019. Philanthropy, Sustainability and Social Entrepreneurship.
Handpicked takeaways for your reference as you embark on improving the world around you in the New Year and beyond.
Thank you for making The Do One Better! Podcast such a success in 2019. Please subscribe and share with others -- your support, feedback and engagement are invaluable and truly very much appreciated.
Visit Lidji.org to get involved. Happy New Year!
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Dec 22, 2019
Chief Executive of the Association of Charitable Foundations (ACF), Carol Mack, joins Alberto Lidji for a wide-ranging conversation on the dynamics facing foundations today
Chief Executive of the Association of Charitable Foundations, Carol Mack, joins Alberto Lidji for a wide-ranging conversation on the dynamics facing foundations today.
The Association of Charitable Foundations (ACF) represents UK-based foundations and grant-making charities, it has 380 organisational members that represent £50bn in assets and annually grant out £2.5bn.
ACF is a member of DAFNE (Donors and Foundations Networks in Europe) and Carol explains how she interacts regularly with her counterparts in other countries across Europe and globally.
Carol explains how it’s an increasingly challenging context for foundations. Whereas in the past foundations were met with civic gratitude, today we’re increasingly seeing, globally, a rising trend for distrust of institutions and growing scrutiny of philanthropy and of foundations.
Society is in general asking more questions of philanthropy. People want to know where a foundation’s money comes from, where a foundation is inves…
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Dec 15, 2019
CEO of Mercer (Sweden), Johan Ericsson, joins Alberto Lidji to discuss diversity and inclusion within the corporate space
CEO of Mercer (Sweden), Johan Ericsson, joins Alberto Lidji to discuss diversity and inclusion within the corporate space.
Johan has been with Mercer since 2001, a global human resources advisory firm with 25,000 employees operating in 130 countries.
Johan notes that diversity and inclusion have been gaining importance in recent years. There are also more jobs in this field and those jobs are to be found in more senior levels within organisations. Diversity and inclusion is now often a function in its own right, as one would find a head of legal or head of IT; it is no longer a sub-role in the margins.
Mercer have 30,000 clients globally; many of these clients are multinationals with subsidiaries in a large number of culturally diverse countries. In essence, some clients approach Mercer because, for instance, they might be operating in Sweden where auditing for diversity and inclusion is often required. However, in other instances, clients come up to Mercer simply because they take…
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Dec 8, 2019
Co-Founders of JustSpace Alliance, Lucianne Walkowicz and Erika Nesvold join Alberto Lidji to discuss space ethics and an inclusive and ethical future in space; and implications here on Earth
Co-Founders of JustSpace Alliance, Lucianne Walkowicz and Erika Nesvold join Alberto Lidji to discuss space ethics and an inclusive and ethical future in space; and implications here on Earth.
Lucianne and Erika start by dispelling the notion that space is a ‘blank canvass’. Humans bring their own perspective and history into the equation. However, when people think about systems here on earth, these can often feel very entrenched. By contrast, when one thinks about space, much more creative thinking can prevail.
JustSpace Alliance is a new organisation and has just celebrated its first anniversary in November 2019. During this time, they have partnered with likeminded thinkers, convened diverse stakeholders and organised insightful events.
In one such recent event, they explored governance in space, looking at existing legal frameworks for space and considering how these might need to be changed or expanded.
As the conversation progressed, more and more ethical issues started…
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Dec 1, 2019
CEO of Grantmakers for Effective Organizations (GEO), Marcus Walton, joins Alberto Lidji to discuss inclusive grant-making, racial equity and the sharing of best practice across 600 organizations
CEO of Grantmakers for Effective Organizations (GEO), Marcus Walton, joins Alberto Lidji to discuss inclusive grant-making, racial equity and the sharing of best practice across 600 organizations.
GEO is a 20-year old organization based in the US, which helps grant-makers make better decisions and be more effective. They have 600 members and are supported by some of the world’s best-known foundations, such as the Ford Foundation and Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.
It’s a membership organization creating a space for funders to come together and build their network, learn of the latest philanthropic trends and engage with each other.
At GEO they consider how philanthropic practice actually translates into the impact grant-makers are aspiring to achieve with their investments. They catalogue case studies, publish great insights and convene thought leaders. Every year they publish a ‘smarter grant-making’ publication.
But Marcus notes that having access to this information isn…
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Nov 24, 2019
Facebook’s head of Social Impact (EMEA), Anita Yuen, joins Alberto Lidji to discuss how they’ve raised $2 billion for good causes, connected blood donors to those in need and innovated at global scale
Facebook’s head of Social Impact (EMEA), Anita Yuen, joins Alberto Lidji to discuss how they’ve raised $2 billion for good causes, connected blood donors to those in need and innovated at global scale.
The conversation explores how Facebook is using its tremendous global scale to drive forward social impact and social good.
There are more than 2bn people on the Facebook platform, which in many respects can be viewed as a global community of advocates, volunteers and donors. Combined with the fact that there are millions of non-profits active on Facebook, this provides a great opportunity for these organisations to engage with their community in a genuine and authentic way.
Anita explains how there are various tools on Facebook, such as Groups and Blood Donations, that are being effectively used by non-profits and those in need.
The Blood Donations product was developed in 2018 and it came out of what Facebook were observing in India. They noticed that when people where due to h…
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Nov 17, 2019
IHG (InterContinental Hotels Group) VP for Global Corporate Responsibility, Catherine Dolton, joins Alberto Lidji to discuss sustainability and value creation across 5,800 hotels in 100 countries
IHG (InterContinental Hotels Group) VP for Global Corporate Responsibility, Catherine Dolton, joins Alberto Lidji to discuss sustainability and value creation across 5,800 hotels in 100 countries.
IHG has 400,000 team members, numerous brands and their biggest market is the USA, followed by greater China.
Over 75% of their hotels are run by third party franchisees; they have a broad and diverse international stakeholder base and it is important for IHG to work very closely with all of them.
Sustainability can align very well with strategic objectives and, as Catherine points out, if you cut waste you cut costs. Sustainability and good performance go hand in hand.
Plastic waste is a major consideration and IHG recently announced they’re getting rid of all the mini amenity products across all their hotels – single use toiletries, such as the individual shampoo bottles and conditioners one is accustomed to finding in hotel bathrooms.
Food waste is another key area being tackled b…
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Nov 11, 2019
San Francisco 49ers and Golden State Warriors ex-head of philanthropy and community relations, Joanne Pasternack, joins Alberto Lidji to discuss the power of athletes and sports to improve the world
San Francisco 49ers and Golden State Warriors ex-head of philanthropy and community relations, Joanne Pasternack, joins Alberto Lidji to discuss the power of athletes and sports to improve the world.
The conversation is wide-raging, from Joanne’s initial foray into figure skating and her introduction to the Special Olympics when she was just 14 years old, to her work leading the philanthropy and community relations and outreach at the San Francisco 49ers and Golden State Warriors – two of America’s best known professional football (National Football League – NFL) and basketball (National Basketball Association – NBA) teams.
We discuss philanthropic engagement at the individual level, the team level and the league level and explore specific case studies, such as an instance when the San Francisco 49ers worked closely with the New Orleans Saints following a devastating natural disaster in Louisiana.
We hear of individual players who demonstrate high degrees of generosity. Jo…
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Nov 3, 2019
Chair of the Children’s Movement of Florida, Dave Lawrence, joins Alberto Lidji to discuss advocacy, politics and coalitions in support of children in Florida and beyond
Chair of the Children’s Movement of Florida, Dave Lawrence, joins Alberto Lidji to discuss advocacy, politics and coalitions in support of children in Florida and beyond.
During the episode we speak about Dave’s efforts to drive forward legislative change and mobilise individuals at local and national levels to encourage investments in children’s early years and improve their outcomes.
Dave retired from his role as publisher of the Miami Herald 20 years ago to focus on children’s ‘early years’. He is Chair of the Children’s Movement of Florida which aims to make children the number one priority for investment in Florida – the 3rd biggest state in the US, and the 17th largest global economy, if it were a country.
We hear how there has been much progress in Florida over the past 20 years and how, today, every 4-year old in Florida is entitled to a high quality kindergarten experience. There has been support from voters, the Governor’s office and city mayors across th…
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Oct 27, 2019
CEO of World Child Cancer, Jon Rosser, and paediatric oncologist Prof Lorna Renner in Ghana, join Alberto Lidji to talk about their UK Aid Match campaign and work in the developing world
CEO of World Child Cancer, Jon Rosser, and paediatric oncologist Prof Lorna Renner in Ghana, join Alberto Lidji to talk about their UK Aid Match campaign and work in the developing world.
World Child Cancer supports and helps children with cancer in low and middle-income countries. Jon Rosser notes there’s a large disparity in childhood cancer survival rates in the developed world – where it’s approximately 80%-85% -- versus the countries they work in, where childhood cancer survival rates are closer to just 10%. In many cases children die without even getting a diagnosis.
At the time of this podcast’s airing (27 October 2019) World Child Cancer were running a UK Aid Match campaign up until 21 January 2020, whereby every £1 donated by UK-based donors was being matched 1:1 by UK Aid.
World Child Cancer was founded 11 years ago and today works in approximately 12 countries in the developing world, including Cameroon, Ghana, Mexico, the Philippines, Indonesia and Kenya.
They…
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Oct 20, 2019
CEO of Aga Khan Foundation UK, Matt Reed, joins Alberto Lidji to talk about the Aga Khan Development Network, its $5.5bn of annual operations and relationships with 40,000 civil society organisations
CEO of Aga Khan Foundation UK, Matt Reed, joins Alberto Lidji to talk about the Aga Khan Development Network, its $5.5bn of annual operations, relationships with 40,000 civil society organisations and much more.
The Aga Khan Foundation is one of 10 development agencies that together form the Aga Khan Development Network, founded by His Highness the Aga Khan. They work across all 17 UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and aim to:
* Improve the quality of life, in all its dimensions, in all the communities where they are active
* Promote pluralism
* Enhance self-reliance and civil society
They’re active in approximately 20 countries across central and south Asia, east and west Africa, and the Middle East. They focus on the poorest of the poor, in some of the most remote regions of the countries where they’re active.
Across the Network, they employ between 80,000 and 90,000 people – excluding the communities and volunteers they work with – and the Foundation itself w…
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Oct 14, 2019
CEO of Giving Compass, Stephanie Gillis, joins Alberto Lidji to discuss how combining philanthropy and technology can help a broad audience learn, connect and take action
CEO of Giving Compass, Stephanie Gillis, joins Alberto Lidji to discuss how combining philanthropy and technology can help a broad audience learn, connect and take action.
Giving Compass is a philanthropy knowledge hub. Its origins were driven to a great extent by Jeff and Tricia Raikes – two early Microsoft employees who were fortunate to accumulate considerable wealth. As Jeff and Tricia were exploring how best to give away their wealth, they realised there was a lot to learn about philanthropy.
Jeff subsequently became CEO of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation (2008-2014) – a period which Stephanie light-heartedly describes as Jeff getting his PhD in philanthropy.
As they embarked on their own philanthropic journey, they noticed many people were approaching them for advice. However, they realised that this approach was not scalable and that maybe there was an unmet need for philanthropy expertise and content to be disseminated through innovative technology.
As they were res…
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Oct 6, 2019
Founder & CEO of Co-Impact, Olivia Leland, joins Alberto Lidji to discuss the global collaborative she launched and how it aims to achieve impact at scale in education, health and economic opportunity
Founder & CEO of Co-Impact, Olivia Leland, joins Alberto Lidji to discuss the global collaborative she launched and how it aims to achieve impact at scale in education, health and economic opportunity.
Co-Impact’s core partners include Bill & Melinda Gates, the Rockefeller Foundation, Rohini and Nandan Nilekani, Jeff Skoll, the ELMA Foundation and Richard Chandler.
Olivia explains that Co-Impact is a global collaborative focused on systems change to improve the lives of millions by advancing education, improving people’s health, and providing economic opportunity. It connects philanthropists and social change leaders from around the world who share a vision of driving change at scale.
Their grants are typically USD $10-25 million over 5 years, accompanied by non-financial support, and are customised to provide programme partners with the operational flexibility needed to achieve impact.
Rather than scaling the direct service work of individual NGOs, Co-Impact supports systems c…
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Sep 29, 2019
President and CEO of CASE (Council for Advancement and Support of Education) joins Alberto Lidji to discuss their support of 3,600 academic institutions and 92,000 advancement professionals globally
President and CEO of CASE (Council for Advancement and Support of Education) joins Alberto Lidji to discuss their support of 3,600 academic institutions and 92,000 advancement professionals globally.
CASE was founded in 1974 and has its origins in alumni relations and public affairs. Today, it supports schools, colleges and universities across their external engagement work advancing education to transform lives and society. CASE’s scope is much broader than fundraising; focusing also in marketing, communications, alumni engagement and even government relations – they drive forward integrated advancement.
Sue notes that CASE is heavily involved in research and have launched a resource called ‘AM Atlas’ that provides educational advancement-related metrics, benchmarks and analytics. It’s comprised of several member-based surveys, as well as custom and funded research on specific topics.
Among some of the trends Sue is witnessing, she specifically references that philanthrop…
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Sep 23, 2019
Executive Director of Compassionate Atlanta, Leanne Rubenstein, joins Alberto Lidji to talk about the Charter for Compassion and what it means to be a compassionate city, business and individual
Executive Director of Compassionate Atlanta, Leanne Rubenstein, joins Alberto Lidji to talk about the Charter for Compassion and what it means to be a compassionate city, business and individual.
Leanne’s professional experience has a strong footing in the refugee resettlement space and she notes that she’s in her comfort zone when working with people who came from all over the word.
The Charter was the wish of Karen Armstrong – winner of the 2008 TED Prize – and aims to bring people to the centre of morality; to treat others as you would like to be treated. It has been endorsed all over the world, including by Desmond Tutu and the Dalai Lama.
Leanne notes that the Charter encourages people to ‘teach your children about other religions, traditions and cultures’. Because once we know each other it’s much harder to dislike one another – it’s about finding a common humanity.
Globally, there is an international charter office and approximately 500+ different chapters…
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Sep 16, 2019
The Clerk (CEO) of the Worshipful Company of Coopers, Stephen White, joins Alberto Lidji to shed light on the world of livery companies, the history of the Coopers’ since 1298 and their philanthropy
The Clerk (CEO) of the Worshipful Company of Coopers, Stephen White, joins Alberto Lidji to shed light on the world of livery companies, the history of the Coopers’ since 1298 and their philanthropic work.
The Coopers’ livery company has a long history, first mentioned in a public record back in 1298. Today, they have approximately 350 members and are very much open to everyone. They have a strong focus on fellowship, charitable work and business activity.
Many people outside of the UK are not familiar with the world of livery companies and, even within the UK, there is often a lack of understanding on what livery companies do, how they’re governed and the process to join one. Stephen does a wonderful job of taking listeners through a multi-faceted exploration of the livery company world and the Coopers’ in particular, of which he is CEO.
Today, there are 110 livery companies in England and, since the 1970s, approximately 30 new livery companies have been…
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Sep 8, 2019
CEO of United World Schools (UWS), Tim Howarth, joins Alberto Lidji to shed light on their 200 schools in Cambodia, Myanmar and Nepal and to celebrate their 2019 WISE Award for educational innovation
CEO of United World Schools (UWS), Tim Howarth, joins Alberto Lidji to shed light on their 200 schools in Cambodia, Myanmar and Nepal and to celebrate their 2019 WISE Award for educational innovation.
UWS is one of 2019’s WISE Award Winners (World Innovation Summit for Education). They were presented a WISE Award for their innovative approach and scalable model; they have had 30,000 schoolchildren through their schools in the past 10 years; they have strong public/private partnerships; and they’re extremely focused on empowering local communities.
UWS started off as a small family charity in the UK and over the past decade has built 200 schools in communities across Cambodia, Myanmar and Nepal that previously had no access to education – they embrace a model that is low cost, scalable, replicable and simple; a typical school has approximately 150-200 children and is located in remote areas of their respective countries, where local communities are often ethnic minorities that d…
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Sep 1, 2019
Executive Director at Innovation Edge, Sonja Giese, joins Alberto Lidji to discuss their impact investment platform and innovative strategies in support of Early Childhood Development in South Africa
Executive Director at Innovation Edge, Sonja Giese, joins Alberto Lidji to discuss their impact investment platform and innovative strategies in support of Early Childhood Development in South Africa.
Sonja joined the podcast from Cape Town, South Africa. Innovation Edge is focused on early childhood development (ECD) investments in South Africa. They’re a platform designed to promote innovation in ECD (ages 0 to 6) set up to try to bring innovation in to tackle the multiple challenges preventing children from thriving.
Sonja notes that the reality in South Africa is that more than half of children are starting school without the right learning foundations in place.
Innovation Edge was originally set up by a group of funders who had a shared interest in ECD and had been investing in this field in a traditional grant-making way. But they were facing intractable problems and were interested in finding new ways to tackle them. They each put funds into a pooled fund and Sonja was task…
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Aug 27, 2019
CEO of Özyegin Social Investments, Ayla Goksel, sheds light on challenges and opportunities in driving philanthropic operations in Turkey, and dynamics between international and local organisations
CEO of Özyegin Social Investments, Ayla Goksel, sheds light on challenges and opportunities in driving philanthropic operations in Turkey, and dynamics between international and local organisations.
Özyegin Social Investments is a group of different organisations started or supported by the Özyegin family. These include: ACEV (the Mother Child Education Foundation); the Özyegin Foundation; Özyegin University; and then various other smaller initiatives.
Their investments are 90% in education. And, approximately 70% to 80% of Özyegin Social Investments’ funding comes from the Özyegin family.
The organisation was founded by Hüsnü Özyegin, who’s a highly philanthropic, self-made billionaire in Turkey. They have deployed $525m in philanthropic funds in Turkey and directly impacted 1.5m lives.
Ayla explains how she’s very fortunate to manage both an international foundation and local charitable activities on the ground as well. She sheds light on the contrast and peculiar…
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Aug 20, 2019
President of J.B. & M.K. Pritzker Family Foundation, Janet Froetscher, joins Alberto Lidji to discuss investing $1 Billion to achieve dramatic change; and why no one is interested in marginal change
President of J.B. & M.K. Pritzker Family Foundation, Janet Froetscher, joins Alberto Lidji to discuss investing $1 Billion to achieve dramatic change; and why no one is interested in marginal change.
The J.B. & M.K. Pritzker Family Foundation was founded by J.B. Pritzker, who’s the current Governor of the State of Illinois, and his wife M.K.
The Foundation aims to invest $1 billion in the coming years to improve the realities in three key thematic areas. They have clear and highly ambitious goals for each one:
(1) Pritzker Children’s Initiative focuses on prenatal to age 3. The goal: in the next 5 years a million more children will have access to high quality services.
(2) Pritzker Community Health Initiative. The goal: in the next 5 years they’ll reduce the number of uninsured children in the City of Chicago by half; and will reduce unintended teen pregnancies by half in the next 5 years.
(3) Human and Civil Rights. The goal: in the next 7 years they aim to reduce the numbe…
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Aug 12, 2019
President of the Buffett Early Childhood Fund, Jessie Rasmussen, joins Alberto Lidji to discuss their investments in support of children's Early Years
President of the Buffett Early Childhood Fund, Jessie Rasmussen, joins Alberto Lidji to discuss their investments in support of children's Early Years.
Approximately 20 years ago, Warren Buffett decided to give a substantial amount of his Berkshire Hathaway stock to his three children, as well as to the Gates Foundation, to be used for philanthropy.
His Daughter, Susie, subsequently launched the Buffett Early Childhood Fund and, today, they are a leading force investing in early childhood (1) practice, (2) policy and (3) research.
Jessie Rasmussen is President of the Fund and she explains how they believe these three key investment areas are essential to help achieve their goal of ensuring every child in the youngest years and months of their lives has access to effective quality services – and it is the interaction between these investments that makes a difference.
The Fund is a strong financial backer of two leading thinkers who drive forward research and arti…
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Aug 5, 2019
British Ambassador Designate to South Sudan, Chris Trott, joins Alberto Lidji to discuss conflict resolution, power sharing agreements, Ebola and working in the frontlines
British Ambassador Designate to South Sudan, Chris Trott, joins Alberto Lidji to discuss conflict resolution, power sharing agreements, Ebola and working in the frontlines.
Chris talks about his career trajectory and the rewarding challenges of being posted to South Sudan, Afghanistan and other precarious settings. He explains why this is important to him and provides advice to others who may be drawn to similar postings while having to juggle family commitments. Chris is motivated by wanting to make a difference in a conflict environment.
He is quick to note that despite the challenges of being posted to South Sudan, these pale in comparison with the hardships the South Sudanese population has to endure.
Chris sheds light on the state of affairs in South Sudan and the region. He provides statistics on the death toll from the conflict, along with staggering numbers pertaining to refugees and internally displaced persons (IDPs).
He then proceeds to discuss the…
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Jul 30, 2019
Founding Executive Director of the Center for High Impact Philanthropy, Kat Rosqueta, joins Alberto Lidji to discuss social impact, strengthening democracy through philanthropy and knowledge sharing
Founding Executive Director of the Center for High Impact Philanthropy, Kat Rosqueta, joins Alberto Lidji to discuss social impact, strengthening democracy through philanthropy and knowledge sharing in philanthropy.
Kat speaks passionately about the power of philanthropy and notes that high impact philanthropy is not about how much you give but, rather, it’s about how you give.
She sheds light on her career trajectory and the origins of the Center for High Impact Philanthropy, at the University of Pennsylvania’s School of Social Policy & Practice.
Her team at the Center is highly multi-disciplinary, which Kat notes is essential. You need the best thinking from diverse actors and disciplines to improve and change the world.
At the Center, they focus on different thematic areas. An interesting – and highly topical – area of research they’re currently pursuing looks at how philanthropy can strengthen democracy.
At the Center, they decide which the…
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Jul 20, 2019
General Manager of PBS America in the UK, Richard Kingsbury, joins Alberto Lidji to discuss educational TV, impartial reporting and the value of public media
General Manager of PBS America in the UK, Richard Kingsbury, joins Alberto Lidji to discuss educational TV, impartial reporting and the value of public media.
PBS America (Public Broadcasting Service) was founded in 1969. There are more than 300 PBS channels in the US and 85% of their income comes direct from philanthropic donations; 15% comes from the government.
In the US, PBS has been voted the most trusted institution for 10 consecutive years running.
PBS is a non-profit organisation, with a strong focus on educational TV. In the UK, some of the more prominent programs are Nova (science), Frontline (current affairs) and the American Experience (history), alongside high-quality documentaries.
Viewers of PBS in the UK tend to be intellectually curious and have a desire to learn -- not just relax -- as they watch TV. Richard notes that PBS programming is dense with information and insight.
PBS also serves a cultural exchange function, bringing programming with a strong American f…
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Jul 14, 2019
Chief Executive of the Scouts UK, Matt Hyde, joins Alberto Lidji to discuss inclusivity, growth and why Scouting transforms lives in 193 countries
Chief Executive of the Scouts UK, Matt Hyde, joins Alberto Lidji to discuss inclusivity, growth and why Scouting transforms lives in 193 countries.
Matt Hyde introduces listeners to the global Scout movement and to the Scouts in the UK. Scouting was set up in 1907 and today has approximately 50 million Scouts in 193 countries. The organisation aims to prepare young people, aged 6 to 25 (exact ages vary in different countries), with skills for life.
In the UK, there are 460,000 young people participating in the Scouts and 160,000 adult volunteers. Interestingly, there are currently 60,000 young people waiting to join the Scouts in the UK – this waiting list is due to a need for additional adult volunteers.
Matt sheds light on how to join the Scouts, what it entails and how it transforms lives. He gives listeners visibility into his own personal journey in the Scouts. He got into the Scouts as a young child, which set him on a leadership development path and, no…
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Jul 8, 2019
Grant Gordon, philanthropist and Founder of the Reekimlane Foundation, joins Alberto Lidji to discuss high-net-worth (HNW) family philanthropy and responsible stewardship of wealth
Grant Gordon, philanthropist and Founder of the Reekimlane Foundation, joins Alberto Lidji to discuss high-net-worth (HNW) family philanthropy and responsible stewardship of wealth.
Grant encourages global listeners who are interested in philanthropy to take the first step and connect with likeminded individuals who are attracted by philanthropy.
Grant founded the Reekimlane Foundation, which grants out approximately $1m annually. The foundation is a grant maker and also acts as a conduit for various other philanthropic endeavours launched by Grant.
Child poverty and community regeneration are two thematic areas close to Grant’s heart. Currently, he’s also exploring early childhood development as a potential area for more philanthropic engagement.
When asked about what prompted him to get into philanthropy, he notes that, for him, it’s about values. Grant grew up in an affluent family and he was brought up knowing that there are certain responsibilities associated with having…
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Jun 30, 2019
Club Director at Wimbledon's All England Lawn Tennis Club, Martin Guntrip, joins Alberto Lidji to talk about their Foundation and the inner workings of this prestigious Grand Slam tennis tournament
Club Director at Wimbledon's All England Lawn Tennis Club, Martin Guntrip, joins Alberto Lidji to talk about the Wimbledon Foundation and the inner workings of the world's most prestigious Grand Slam tennis tournament.
The Wimbledon Foundation was founded in 2013, and the All England Lawn Tennis Club has been involved in charitable work for many years prior. One could say the Foundation was a way of formalising a philanthropic undercurrent that has been an important part of the Club’s ethos for many years.
Wimbledon wholeheartedly embraces gender equality and every aspect of the tournament is equal irrespective of gender. Interestingly, over 50% of those coming through the gates to watch the Championships in person are women. About 40,000 visitors per day come in to watch the Championships during the two weeks.
Martin speaks candidly about the inner workings of the world’s most prestigious Grand Slam tennis tournament – we hear how tennis stars’ entourages are getting larger…
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Jun 25, 2019
CEO of the Smollan Group, David Smollan, joins Alberto Lidji to share his thoughts on managing a global workforce of 80,000 in a caring and sustainable manner
CEO of the Smollan Group, David Smollan, joins Alberto Lidji to share his thoughts on managing a global workforce of 80,000 in a caring and sustainable manner.
Being a mindful employer is important. David wants large-scale employers to think about “how mindful are we about the sustainability of human capital, and how we treat people, and how we develop them?”
The Smollan Group employs 80,000 people in 50 countries. The firm was founded in South Africa back in 1931 and has grown from modest beginnings into a successful venture representing some of the world’s best-known brand owners. David joined the firm in the early 2000s and he spotted an opportunity to deliver services around the world – not just in South Africa.
When the firm ventured into India, they noticed that in that market everything was being handled by manpower companies that provide labour to brand owners – these brokers simply charged a fee to brand owners and handled payroll. But, there was no cons…
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Jun 17, 2019
Chairman of the Varkey Foundation, Vikas Pota, joins Alberto Lidji to discuss the Global Teacher Prize, Ed-Tech and universal access to quality education
Chairman of the Varkey Foundation, Vikas Pota, joins Alberto Lidji to discuss the Global Teacher Prize, Ed-Tech and universal access to quality education.
Vikas is passionate about quality education, advocacy, education technology (Ed-Tech) and political engagement. The Varkey Foundation is the driving force behind the Global Teacher Prize, which awards $1 million every year to an outstanding teacher. They have made five annual awards thus far.
Moreover, the Varkey Foundation also convenes key stakeholders via their high-profile Global Education & Skills Forum in Dubai, where last year around 50 education ministers from around the world were in attendance.
The $1 million award was presented by the well-known actor, Hugh Jackman, and is aimed at inspiring and increasing the status of teachers in every country.
Advocacy is key and Vikas feels the philanthropy sector does a terrible job at communicating. As a sector he feels there’s a need to step up and ask how do we…
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Jun 10, 2019
Executive Director of the Bernard van Leer Foundation, Michael Feigelson, joins Alberto Lidji to discuss political engagement, diversity of leadership and support for Early Childhood Development
Executive Director of the Bernard van Leer Foundation, Michael Feigelson, joins Alberto Lidji to discuss political engagement, diversity of leadership and support for Early Childhood Development.
Michael speaks passionately about engaging with global policymakers and diverse stakeholders in support of Early Childhood Development. We hear of Michael's early days as a consultant at McKinsey & Co, his non-profit work in Mexico and his subsequent rise to lead one of the world’s earliest and most effective advocates of Early Childhood Development -- the Bernard van Leer Foundation has been active in this field since the 1960s.
When asked about the tension between scalability and high quality in Early Childhood Development programs, he quickly points out that this tension isn’t confined to the world of Early Childhood Development exclusively; it is a general theme in life, in business, and in philanthropy.
Michael goes on to talk of their high scale work in Brazil, in conjunction with…
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Jun 3, 2019
Founder of Ethical Angel, Alex Fahie, joins Alberto Lidji to discuss social entrepreneurship and his platform connecting corporates & employees to good causes around the Sustainable Development Goals
Founder and CEO of Ethical Angel, Alex Fahie, joins Alberto Lidji to discuss social entrepreneurship and his platform connecting corporates and employees to good causes around the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)
Alex is a social entrepreneur and regular listener of The Do One Better! Podcast.
He explains how Ethical Angel aims to create valuable experiences for individuals, and to mobilise the private sector and employees in ways to find challenges and causes that are trying to make the world a bit better. In the process, providing them with an easy conduit with ways to action them.
Ethical Angel is a young firm and recently went to market at the start of 2019. Their almost 20 clients are currently based mainly in the UK but, out of their 190 prospects, there’s a wide global footprint. Ethical Angel aims to serve a global client base.
They’ve raised approximately £230,000 from angel investors thus far. Alex talks candidly about the invaluable nature of his peer network…
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May 27, 2019
Secretary General of the Duke of Edinburgh’s International Award Foundation, John May, joins Alberto Lidji to discuss international growth, non-formal education & their 1.3 million global participants
Secretary General of the Duke of Edinburgh’s International Award Foundation, John May, joins Alberto Lidji to discuss international growth, non-formal education and their 1.3 million global participants.
John May became a head teacher in the UK at the age of 28 and he is passionate about the value of non-formal education. He’s quick to note that what happens in the classroom is only half the story and believes the Award provides young people with many of the things employers are looking for: resilience, communication skills, the ability to plan and to commit to things. He explains how the Award recognises and celebrates young people’s achievements outside the classroom.
The Award is growing quickly. While it has a presence in virtually every Commonwealth country, some of its most robust growth is in eastern Europe and the former Soviet republics. It is also offered in the USA and most recently there was interest expressed from people wishing to set up the Award in Uzbekistan. J…
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May 19, 2019
Director at Galileo Watermark, Kenny Harmel, joins Alberto Lidji to discuss sustainability in the airline industry, ocean plastics, the Waste Hierarchy and more
Director at Galileo Watermark, Kenny Harmel, joins Alberto Lidji to discuss sustainability in the airline industry, ocean plastics, the Waste Hierarchy and more.
Galileo Watermark is a sustainability-focused firm that supplies British Airways, Cathay Pacific, United Airlines, Air New Zealand and other leading airlines with ‘aviation product’ – all the items one finds in an airplane cabin that are neither bolted on nor edible. They manufacture cutlery, blankets, cosmetic amenities and various other products – from economy to first class cabins – and focus their efforts on making these products more sustainable.
Kenny Harmel notes from the outset of the conversation that “sustainability is an obligation rather than a choice”.
Airlines are exploring how best to achieve affordable sustainability and we hear of innovation and successes, including Qantas Airways’ recent ‘zero waste’ flight – the first ever commercial flight to produce no landfill waste.…
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May 14, 2019
CEO of UBS Optimus Foundation, Phyllis Costanza, joins Alberto Lidji to discuss social finance, philanthropy, blockchain, innovation, the SDGs and more
CEO of the UBS Optimus Foundation, Phyllis Costanza, joins Alberto Lidji to discuss social finance, philanthropy, blockchain, innovation, the SDGs and more.
UBS Optimus was founded 19 years ago in Switzerland, and today it is overseeing about 175 projects in approximately 20 countries. The Foundation started off supporting children and now has broadened its portfolio to include a range of thematic areas, from slavery to health and innovative finance. In 2019, it expects to grant out $80m and next year is aiming for $100m.
Phyllis thinks this is only “scratching the surface”. She notes that UBS, the bank, has roughly $2.5 trillion assets under management, so “even if we could just get half a percentage point [deployed for philanthropy], that’s $12.5 billion”.
UBS Optimus does not have an endowment, nor does it wish to establish one; 100% of the money that is donated by clients is deployed for programs. Phyllis notes that UBS Optimus’ strategy has not been to grow…
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May 6, 2019
CEO of the Sutton Trust, James Turner, joins Alberto Lidji to discuss their work in improving social mobility and tackling inequality in the UK.
CEO of the Sutton Trust, James Turner, joins Alberto Lidji to discuss their work in improving social mobility and tackling inequality in the UK.
The Sutton Trust was founded in 1997 and is focused on improving education, social mobility and fighting inequality. They have a wide portfolio of research and program activity, focused on children from their very early years all the way up to young adults in university, workplace and access to the professions.
The Sutton Trust differs from many others by combining research and policy advocacy work alongside practical programmatic work. These two aspects build on each other and help inform and establish credibility. The Sutton Trust reach circa 6,000 people each year, and through policy and working with government they have a much bigger impact beyond that.
They’re particularly interested in social mobility on the high end; looking at who are the future leaders in society and who are taking the top jobs, the most prestigious and influenti…
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Apr 29, 2019
CEO of ELMA Philanthropies, Tom McPartland, joins Alberto Lidji for a broad discussion on their impact in Africa, strategy formulation, co-funding platforms and much more
We explore how ELMA manages its investment portfolio, embraces partnerships and transforms the landscape in the areas in which it operates. ELMA is a low profile organisation but its philanthropy is right up there with household names in this space. They have a strong collaborative spirit and Tom is unequivocal that partnership is key to success.
Much of ELMA was built by successful business entrepreneurs, so they embrace a financial and investment management approach that very much adheres to private sector standards.
Tom argues that one needs to assess potential grantees in a holistic way, analysing beyond program activity and giving due consideration to core functions such as operations, accounting, and command and control processes.
At ELMA they do everything from funding very small community organisations to very large, multi-year, multi-million-dollar grants that seek to engender some kind of systems change at a national or multi-country level. ELMA is perfectly able to make…
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