Mission Driven Podcast

Collective Responsibility

Driven by the belief that change begins with a single step, Richard Brubaker has spent the last 15 years in Asia working to engage, inspire, and equip those around him to take their first step.Acting as a catalyst to driving sustainability, Brubaker works with government, corporate, academic and non-profit stakeholders to bring together knowledge, teams, and tools that develop and execute their business case for sustainability. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

  1. Building a National Framework for Innovation and Entrepreneurship

    5 jun

    Building a National Framework for Innovation and Entrepreneurship

    In this episode of the Mission Driven Podcast, I speak with Rogerine Miguel-Irvine, former Chief for Strategic Policy and Innovations at the National Economic and Development Authority , about her work to build a national framework for innovation and entrepreneurship. Rogerine shares her journey from building a social enterprise supporting indigenous weaving communities to helping shape national innovation policy in the Philippines. We explore why governments often struggle to support entrepreneurs, the barriers startups face navigating bureaucracy, and why innovation policy frequently fails at the implementation stage. We also discuss the role of procurement in supporting startups, the challenge of fragmented systems, why human capital and R&D investment matter, and what it was like bringing an entrepreneurial mindset into government itself. This conversation is a candid look at the realities of building innovation ecosystems — and why governments must evolve if they want entrepreneurs to help solve the major economic and social challenges ahead. Key Takeaways: 1. Governments should support innovation ecosystems — not control them. 2. The Philippines has strong talent and innovation output, but struggles with implementation and commercialization. 3. Bureaucracy and outdated procurement systems remain major barriers for startups and innovators. 4. Policy making improves when entrepreneurs and private-sector voices are directly involved in the process. 5. Procurement reform could become one of the most powerful tools governments use to support startups and innovation Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    42 min.
  2. Human-Centered Regenerative Farming in Thailand

    15 mei

    Human-Centered Regenerative Farming in Thailand

    In this episode of the Mission Driven Podcast, Damien Masselis reflects on one of the most important lessons behind building Pai Seedlings Foundation: that solving complex social and environmental problems is not just about having the right technical solutions — it’s about trust, listening, and understanding the fears that prevent change from happening. After years of trying to help farming communities transition away from chemical agriculture, Damien realized that pushing harder wasn’t working. The breakthrough came when his team slowed down, stopped trying to convince people, and focused instead on what he calls “radical listening” — creating the time and trust necessary for communities to define what a better future meant for themselves. The conversation explores Damien’s unconventional path from MBA graduate to regenerative agriculture leader in Northern Thailand, the realities of rebuilding degraded farmland, why “small is beautiful,” the challenge of scaling human-centered work, and how long-term, values-aligned partnerships have allowed Pai Seedlings to grow without compromising its mission. Key Takeaways - Trust matters more than technical solutions - Regeneration must work within real economic constraints - Human-centered work is difficult to scale - Values-aligned funding creates different possibilities - Entrepreneurship is more sustainable when rooted in service Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    51 min.

Info

Driven by the belief that change begins with a single step, Richard Brubaker has spent the last 15 years in Asia working to engage, inspire, and equip those around him to take their first step.Acting as a catalyst to driving sustainability, Brubaker works with government, corporate, academic and non-profit stakeholders to bring together knowledge, teams, and tools that develop and execute their business case for sustainability. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.