Benevolent Disruptors

BNVT Capital
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"Benevolent Disruptors” is a new podcast series, co-hosted by the Managing Partners of BNVT Capital, Rory Mounsey-Heysham and Chris Corbishley. In this series we interview leading founders, investors, allocators, and regulators on the role of business and technology in society. As individuals, business and governments grapple with the implications of a rapidly evolving technological landscape, Benevolent Disruptors provides a more optimistic view on how technology changes lives. We learn from the inspirational stories of those building big businesses tackling our most pressing challenges.

Episodes

  1. Episode 7 | Andrew L. Cohen, Executive Chairman of J.P. Morgan Global Private Bank

    5 FEB

    Episode 7 | Andrew L. Cohen, Executive Chairman of J.P. Morgan Global Private Bank

    In this episode, Rory speaks with Andrew L. Cohen, Executive Chairman of J.P. Morgan’s Global Private Bank and leader of 23 Wall, J.P. Morgan’s Institutional Wealth Management practice serving many of the world’s most influential families and institutions. Drawing on insights from J.P. Morgan’s Principals Report and decades at the heart of global finance, Andrew offers a rare perspective on how capital is allocated, how risk is understood, and how the world’s most powerful decision-makers think about the future. The conversation explores why geopolitics has become the defining risk for global families, the accelerating shift from public to private markets, and the rise of direct investing with governance involvement. Rory and Andrew also unpack the realities of AI adoption beyond the hype, the traits that distinguish resilient multi-generational families, the growing role of sport as an asset class, and why benevolent capital and disruption must work together to drive long-term progress in an increasingly complex world. Key TakeawaysHow global families are using capital to shape markets, not just access themWhy geopolitics is now the single biggest risk facing wealthy familiesWhat the shift from public to private markets means for founders and investorsWhy direct investing with governance involvement is acceleratingHow multi-generational operating experience adds unique value to growth companiesWhere AI adoption is creating real advantage and where it still lagsWhat differentiates resilient multi-generational familiesWhy governance, communication, and shared values matter as complexity growsHow sports has become a fast-growing global asset classWhy innovation is increasingly global, not geographically confinedHow benevolence and disruption can coexist as forces for good 👉 Subscribe to Benevolent Disruptors for more conversations with founders, investors, and thinkers turning big problems into better business. 👉 Check out more about Benevolent Disruption here: https://www.benevolentdisruptors.com/

    22 min
  2. Episode 6 | Jodok Betschart, Co-Founder of Cloover

    21 JAN

    Episode 6 | Jodok Betschart, Co-Founder of Cloover

    In this episode, Chris Corbishley speaks with Jodok Betschart, co-founder and CEO of Cloover, one of BNVT Capital’s earliest investments. Cloover has announced a $1.2B financing commitment to scale a new kind of software-led renewable energy infrastructure across Europe. The conversation covers Cloover’s breakout year, including around 8x revenue growth while remaining profitable, and why energy independence is becoming a critical consumer need as grids strain and household costs rise. Jodok explains Cloover’s mission to connect 1 billion people to renewable energy by making installations accessible through simple monthly payments and by empowering local SME installers, not replacing them. Chris and Jodok explore why climate and energy investing is regaining momentum, why many climate tech startups fail when software-style expectations collide with physical infrastructure, and how Cloover’s asset-light platform model reduces risk while accelerating adoption. Key TakeawaysWhy Cloover’s mission is energy independence at mass-market affordabilityHow local installers sit at the centre of the energy transitionWhat has shifted to unlock more institutional capital for clean energy in EuropeWhy many climate tech startups fail when venture logic meets infrastructure realityHow an asset-light platform model enables faster, lower-risk scalingWhy culture, commitment, and execution matter as much as technology 👉 Subscribe to Benevolent Disruptors for more conversations with founders building enduring companies by solving deep systemic problems 👉 Learn more at https://www.benevolentdisruptors.com/

    24 min
  3. Episode 5 | Thomas Wolf, Co-Founder of Hugging Face

    08/12/2025

    Episode 5 | Thomas Wolf, Co-Founder of Hugging Face

    In this episode, Chris Corbishley speaks with Thomas Wolf, co-founder and Chief Science Officer of Hugging Face, the open-source AI platform now powering millions of models and researchers worldwide. Thomas shares the unlikely origins of the company from a teen chatbot to the central hub of the global machine learning community sparked by a research codebase for BERT and GPT-2 that unexpectedly went viral and reshaped the company’s trajectory. He discusses how Hugging Face now incubates internal “mini-startups” across open science, small on-device models, robotics and AI for science, and how this mirrors his work angel-investing in over 100 AI companies. The conversation explores the cultural differences between European and US founders, the importance of mission and openness, the limitations of today’s large language models, and why Thomas believes multiple research paths, not just those pursued by frontier labs, are essential for the field’s long-term progress. Key TakeawaysHow Hugging Face evolved from a teen chatbot into the backbone of the global open-source AI ecosystemWhy an open-sourced research codebase for BERT and GPT-2 became the catalyst for a full company pivotHow Hugging Face incubates internal “startups” such as BigScience, small on-device models, robotics, and AI for scienceWhy Thomas believes mission, culture, and long-term orientation are essential and how they emerged over time rather than being predeterminedHow European founders can overcome self-censorship and think bigger, and why Thomas encourages a more American-style approach to ambitionWhy he sees AI as a dual-use technology, the limitations of current LLMs, and the importance of multiple research paths beyond today’s frontier labsHow regulatory cycles swing between under- and over-correction, and why this matters for innovatorsWhere Thomas sits on the spectrum between benevolent and disruptor—and how that shapes his work today 👉 Subscribe to Benevolent Disruptors for more conversations with the founders and thinkers turning big problems into better business. 👉 Check out more about Benevolent Disruption here: https://www.benevolentdisruptors.com/

    43 min
  4. Episode 4 | Colin le Duc, Founding Partner of Generation Investment Management

    25/11/2025

    Episode 4 | Colin le Duc, Founding Partner of Generation Investment Management

    In this episode, Rory Mounsey-Heysham speaks with Colin le Duc, Co-Founder and Partner at Generation Investment Management,  the sustainability-focused investment firm created alongside former US Vice President Al Gore and David Blood of Goldman Sachs Asset Management. Generation was founded on a bold premise: that sustainability and long-term financial performance reinforce each other rather than compete. Two decades later, the firm manages more than $40 billion and has become one of the most respected voices in mission-driven investing. Colin shares Generation’s origin story, the serendipitous alignment that brought its founders together, and how the firm set out to integrate sustainability into every stage of investing. He reflects on building both public and private market strategies, the moments of luck and timing that accelerated their success, and what it means to stay mission-driven while scaling a global investment platform. The pair also discuss the advantages mission-driven companies have, why founders with genuine purpose outperform, and how political headwinds shape (and fail to derail) climate and sustainability investing. Colin explains why resilient, long-term fundamentals still guide Generation’s approach and why this is an unusually compelling time to invest in sustainable solutions. Key Takeaways How Generation Investment Management was founded on integrating sustainability into capital marketsWhy timing, luck, and early market conditions accelerated their first decadeHow mission and investment performance reinforce each other, not competeWhy sustainability became a source of alpha long before the market recognised itHow being mission-driven helps attract the best entrepreneurs, teams, and shareholdersWhy short-term political shifts don’t change long-term sustainable investing fundamentalsHow climate and sustainability cycles create opportunities for specialist investorsWhy Generation focuses on returning capital, not just raising it 👉 Subscribe to Benevolent Disruptors for more conversations with the founders and thinkers turning big problems into better business. 👉 Checkout more about Benevolent Disruption here https://www.benevolentdisruptors.com/

    16 min
  5. Episode 3 | Matthew Oppenheimer, Co-Founder of Remitly

    10/11/2025

    Episode 3 | Matthew Oppenheimer, Co-Founder of Remitly

    In this episode, Chris Corbishley speaks with Matt Oppenheimer, Co-Founder and CEO of Remitly - the global payments company reshaping how money moves across borders. Matt shares how his time in Kenya sparked the idea for Remitly and how the company grew from a small startup in Seattle into a platform now trusted by millions. What began as a response to an unfair, outdated system of money transfers became a mission to make financial services more affordable, transparent, and human. The pair talk about the highs and lows of entrepreneurship from the early “nerve-sited” days to running a listed company and what it means to stay mission-driven while scaling globally. Matt also reflects on why purpose has been Remitly’s biggest advantage, how regulation can build trust, and why AI and stablecoins could open up the next chapter of financial inclusion. Key TakeawaysHow a frustrating personal experience in Kenya inspired Remitly’s founding ideaThe emotional rollercoaster of building a fintech from scratchWhy being “too mission-driven” once scared investors, and why that’s now a strengthHow purpose creates resilience, attracts great teams, and builds better businessesWhat really allowed Remitly to challenge giants like Western UnionWhy regulation can be a competitive advantage, not a roadblockThe opportunities AI and stablecoins bring to global financeMatt’s vision for serving the 300 million people still left out of fair financial systems 👉 Subscribe to Benevolent Disruptors for more conversations with the founders and thinkers turning big problems into better business.

    18 min
  6. Episode 2 | Greg Jackson, Founder & CEO of Octopus Energy

    06/11/2025

    Episode 2 | Greg Jackson, Founder & CEO of Octopus Energy

    To open this conversation, Rory Mounsey-Heysham sits down with Greg Jackson - founder and CEO of Octopus Energy - one of Europe’s most successful tech companies and a driving force in the energy transition. Greg shares how Octopus grew from humble beginnings into a global energy and technology leader, serving millions of customers and managing billions in renewable assets. From challenging incumbents to redefining regulation, Greg embodies the spirit of “benevolent disruption”: building big businesses that make the world better. In this wide-ranging discussion, Greg reflects on his journey from Halifax to leading a multi-billion-dollar company, the philosophy behind Kraken (Octopus’s proprietary tech platform), the importance of capital and agility, and why he believes clean energy must be cheap, fast, and fair. Key TakeawaysEnergy as a tech problem: Octopus was founded on the belief that modern software could transform an outdated, inefficient energy industry.Capital and resilience: Greg emphasizes raising funds before you need them - “no one ever went bust because they had too much cash.”Agility as a superpower: Proprietary technology allows Octopus to innovate faster and outpace incumbents in integrating renewables and new products.Purpose with pragmatism: Energy should be fairer, cheaper, cleaner but it must also deliver returns to scale impact.Regulation reform: Greg advocates for “refactoring” outdated regulation halving timelines and simplifying systems to unlock innovation.Energy transition politics: Clean energy must be reframed as a cost-reducing, prosperity-driving movement, not a cultural wedge issue.The benevolent disruptor mindset: “The Good Samaritan couldn’t have helped anyone if he didn’t have the cash.” Scale and success are prerequisites for meaningful good.

    22 min
  7. Episode 1 | Harley Finkelstein, President of Shopify

    17/09/2025

    Episode 1 | Harley Finkelstein, President of Shopify

    To open the series, Rory Mounsey-Heysham and Chris Corbishley are joined by Harley Finkelstein, President of Shopify. Shopify is often seen as an e-commerce platform, but Harley describes it as something bigger: an entrepreneurship company. By lowering the barriers to starting and scaling a business, Shopify has helped millions of people turn ambition into independence. In this conversation, Harley reflects on Shopify’s journey, why more entrepreneurs make the world stronger and more colourful, and how technology is reshaping what’s possible for founders. From lessons learned from iconic business leaders, to the right role for government, to the promise and pitfalls of artificial intelligence - this episode is full of ideas on how “big problems” can become “big business.” Key TakeawaysWhy Shopify thinks of itself as an entrepreneurship company, not just a tech platformHow reducing barriers to entry has changed who gets to build businessesWhy small businesses, not large corporations, are the true drivers of economiesThe two forces behind entrepreneurship: passion and survivalWhat Harley has learned from great founders across industriesWhy government should set “guardrails, not gates” for businessHow AI is giving entrepreneurs new tools and levelling the playing field

    24 min
  8. Introducing Benevolent Disruptors

    TRAILER

    Introducing Benevolent Disruptors

    In this short teaser, hear the vision behind Benevolent Disruptors - a new podcast from BNVT Capital exploring how solving the world’s biggest problems can also deliver the biggest financial returns. Hosted by managing partners Rory Mounsey-Heysham and Chris Corbishley, the series features candid conversations with founders, executives, and investors from leading companies, funds, and endowments. Together, they reveal how tackling systemic global challenges with lasting technological innovation transforms big problems into big business. Subscribe now and be the first to hear full episodes when they drop.

    1 min

Trailer

About

"Benevolent Disruptors” is a new podcast series, co-hosted by the Managing Partners of BNVT Capital, Rory Mounsey-Heysham and Chris Corbishley. In this series we interview leading founders, investors, allocators, and regulators on the role of business and technology in society. As individuals, business and governments grapple with the implications of a rapidly evolving technological landscape, Benevolent Disruptors provides a more optimistic view on how technology changes lives. We learn from the inspirational stories of those building big businesses tackling our most pressing challenges.

Information

  • Creator
    BNVT Capital
  • Years Active
    2025 - 2026
  • Episodes
    8
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Copyright 2026 BNVT Capital
  • Show Website
    Benevolent Disruptors