Social Impact Pioneers

Business Fights Poverty

Hello, and welcome to the Business Fights Poverty podcast, where we bring you engaging conversations with social impact trailblazers. Dive into a wealth of insights, diverse perspectives, and valuable advice, all designed to enlighten and inspire. Gain first-hand understanding of how businesses and thought leaders are addressing the world's most pressing social challenges, empowering you to make well-informed decisions and take meaningful action. So, sit back and join us as we explore the frontiers of business-driven social impact.

  1. 4d ago

    Scaling brilliant ideas and social innovation, with Bill Shaw

    What happens when brilliant ideas are overlooked because their creators do not know what they are worth, or lack the systems needed to bring them into the world? Meet Social Impact Pioneer Bill Shaw, a three-time founder, intellectual property lawyer and professor, and Executive Vice President of Britebound, a national nonprofit whose platforms reach more than 15 million young people each year. Bill has made himself an expert in scaling brilliant ideas, social innovation: funding them and nuturing the talent behind them. Bill’s career has crossed some of America’s leading centres of science, technology and education. After studying engineering and completing a placement at NASA, he discovered that his real interest lay not in working inside the laboratory, but in championing inventors and helping promising ideas succeed. He went on to spend seven years licensing scientific discoveries at Massachusetts General Hospital, an institution investing around $1 billion a year in research and development. Later, as the first Executive Director of the Martinos Center, he helped grow the organisation from $38 million to $62 million, while co-founding three venture-backed biotechnology and artificial intelligence companies. Bill traces his entrepreneurial instincts back to an unlikely starting point: his family’s campground in rural Massachusetts. Serving customers from every background taught him the realities of running a small business, and the enduring value of being able to “talk to strangers”. He explains why curiosity, apprenticeship and understanding how different sectors define success have become central to his leadership. The conversation explores Bill’s idea of “Brilliance Capital”: valuable human potential and creativity that too often remain unidentified or unsupported. He argues that businesses and institutions must get better at recognising talent earlier and building structures that allow ideas to generate both financial and social value. Importantly Bill makes an urgent case for greater intellectual property literacy. As artificial intelligence, automation and digital creation reshape the economy, he believes young people must understand how to value and protect what they create before someone else captures it. If that wasnt enough, listen in and hear Bill examine the artificial divide between profit and purpose. Drawing on acquisitions, spin-outs, impact investing and founder advisory work, Bill explains why mission-driven entrepreneurs should begin with the problem, not the legal structure, and then choose the right combination of capital, governance and talent. So what is next for Bill? building systems through Britebound that prepare young people to flourish in careers and industries that may not yet exist, in a rapidly changing world shaped by technological and profound social transformation. Check out the links below for more information. Links: 1. Britebound VC: www.britebound.org 2. Brightbound, Lab4U: www.lab4u.co 3. NAF: www.naf.org 4. The Athinoula A. Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging: www.martinos.org 5. Tufts University, Gordon Institute, School of Engineering: https://gordon.tufts.edu 6. Tufts University, Innovation Hub for Food and Materials: https://solutions.tufts.edu/tufts-university-innovation-hub-food-and-materials 7. Eikonizo Therapeutics: www.eikonizo.com 8. BlinkAI: https://www.therobotreport.com/roadsight-blinkai-enhance-autonomous-vehicle-night-visioni-ai/ 9. Deco Labs: www.decolabs.org And if you enjoyed this conversation, take a listen to: INSIDE THE MARS IMPACT FUND WITH MICHELLE GROGG: https://businessfightspoverty.org/inside-the-mars-impact-fund-with-michelle-grogg/

    Scaling brilliant ideas and social innovation, with Bill Shaw

  2. Sep 23

    Why menstrual health means the power to shape your own future, with Beatrice and Megan of ZanaAfrica

    Menstrual health is often treated as a question of access to sanitary pads. But for ZanaAfrica, it is also about education, health, gender equality, environmental sustainability and the power to shape your own future. Social Impact Pioneers, Megan Mukuria, founder and CEO ZanaAfrica and the organisation’s Kenya Executive Director, Beatrice Wanjiku Jane explain how a campaign launched in 2006 developed into an ambitious social enterprise and nonprofit working to improve menstrual health and reproductive health education in Kenya. Megan recalls the conversations with young people that convinced her products alone would not be enough. She charts ZanaAfrica’s evolution through policy advocacy, sanitary pad innovation, consumer brands and a rights-based curriculum for girls and boys. She also introduces the idea of a “Fast Moving Educational Good”: an everyday product that can carry trusted information into homes and communities. Beatrice describes what she has brought to ZanaAfrica after nearly two decades in international development. Drawing on her experience in child protection, public health, gender-transformative programming and community participation, she makes the case for solutions shaped by those closest to the challenges. That means involving not only girls, but boys, parents, teachers, faith leaders and wider communities. The discussion also examines a persistent problem in social impact funding. Hybrid organisations such as ZanaAfrica can struggle to fit conventional categories: too commercial for some grant-makers, yet unable to offer the returns sought by venture capital. Megan and Beatrice argue for impact-based funding, longer-term partnerships and measurement frameworks co-designed by funders, grantees and communities. Megan reflects on ZanaAfrica’s collaboration with the Gates Foundation and what relationship-based funding can make possible. There is also a candid exploration of leadership: adapting to constant change, hiring people with different strengths, sharing power and combining a founder’s long-term vision with locally rooted operational leadership. As ZanaAfrica works with the Kenya Institute of Curriculum Development, expands its Nia Healthlink platform and looks towards reaching millions more people, Megan and Beatrice consider what it will take to move proven ideas from research into implementation and scale. It asks how governments, philanthropists, businesses and communities can work together to give adolescents reliable knowledge, practical support and greater agency, while building models capable of lasting change across Africa. This is a conversation about period poverty, social entrepreneurship and systems change—and why listening, trust and partnership may be as important as the product itself. Links: Zana Africa: https://zanaafrica.org/ Megan Mukuria: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mwmukuria/ Beatrice Wanjiku Jane: https://www.linkedin.com/in/beatrice-jane-3338561b6/ And if you liked this, take a listen to: TURNING BUSINESS INTO A FORCE FOR WATER AND HYGIENE WITH PHILIPP KÜST: https://businessfightspoverty.org/business-water-sanitation-philipp-kust-reckitt/

    Why menstrual health means the power to shape your own future, with Beatrice and Megan of ZanaAfrica

  3. Sep 15

    How to communicate and build trust, with Charlotte West

    How can global businesses turn corporate purpose into lasting social impact, and communicate that work without losing public trust? Meet social impact pioneer: Charlotte West. Charlotte has spent more than three decades navigating that challenge. As Vice President of Global Corporate Communications at Lenovo and a Board Director of the Lenovo Foundation, she works at the intersection of technology, business leadership, reputation and positive social change. Her global role spans internal and external communications, executive positioning, ESG storytelling, social media, crisis response and reputation management. She also helps guide the Lenovo Foundation, which works to give under-represented communities greater access to technology and STEM education. Charlotte began her career at specialist technology communications agency Harvard, where she spent 16 years and rose to Board Director. An early encounter with corporate social impact came through her work on Sky’s Bigger Picture programme. It demonstrated how communications could do more than promote a company: it could engage employees, strengthen partnerships and help effective community organisations reach a wider audience. She joined Lenovo in 2011 and has since led communications across the UK, Europe, the Middle East, Africa and Asia-Pacific. Working within a company operating across 180 markets has shaped her belief that global inclusion strategies must respond to local cultures and realities, rather than imposing a single Western perspective. In this episode of Social Impact Pioneers, Charlotte explores the responsibilities that come with corporate influence. Together we discuss how businesses can build long-term, balanced partnerships; support disaster relief, community programmes and employee volunteering; and use their scale to amplify the work of smaller organisations. Charlotte also confronts one of the central dilemmas facing corporate leaders: how to talk credibly about purpose and ESG without slipping into performative communications. We talk about why reputation should be independently measured, how responsible business creates trust, and why companies must understand their wider impact on employees, families, suppliers and communities. Looking ahead, she reflects on artificial intelligence as both a defining societal challenge and a potential “force multiplier” for small charities; And the growing importance of human resilience as businesses and civil society organisations contend with uncertainty, funding pressures and rapid technological change. Links: Lenovo Foundation : https://www.lenovo.com/us/en/about/foundation/ Charlotte West: https://www.linkedin.com/in/charlottewest/ And if you liked this, try: TURNING BUSINESS INTO A FORCE FOR WATER AND HYGIENE WITH PHILIPP KÜST: https://businessfightspoverty.org/business-water-sanitation-philipp-kust-reckitt/

    How to communicate and build trust, with Charlotte West

  4. Aug 27

    Turning business into a force for water and hygiene with Philipp Küst

    What does it take to turn corporate ambition into real-world social impact? And how can business help tackle one of the world’s most urgent challenges: access to safe water and sanitation? Meet Social Impact Pioneer Philipp Küst, Global Social Impact Lead – Water & Hygiene at Reckitt. Because Philipp is on a mission, to put purpose into practice inside a global health and hygiene business. Over the past seven (and a half) years at Reckitt, Philipp has moved across roles spanning e-commerce innovation, sustainability and social impact. Today, he leads Reckitt’s global Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH)portfolio, helping to develop and scale programmes that expand access to clean water and sanitation, improve hygiene behaviours and strengthen community resilience. At the heart of his work is a belief that business can be a force for good, leveraging its commercial acumen to drive lasting change. Through social entrepreneurship, innovative finance and strategic partnerships, Philipp is helping explore how corporate capital can unlock much larger flows of finance and create sustainable solutions at scale. Together we talk about Reckitt’s partnership with Water.org and WaterEquity, including investments designed to help households access finance for water and sanitation infrastructure. Philipp explains how this approach can generate both social and financial returns, and why investing in water access can strengthen health, livelihoods and economic opportunity. We also explore Reckitt Catalyst, the company’s approach to supporting social entrepreneurs and innovative WASH solutions, as well as the importance of impact measurement, evaluation and evidence in understanding what really works. But Philipp’s story is not simply about corporate strategy. It is also about intrapreneurship, the idea that individuals can drive meaningful change from within large organisations. Philipp is an intrapreneur to his core and his message is clear: faced with enormous global challenges, it is easy to feel overwhelmed. But progress starts with action. And the scale of big organisations can drive meaningful change. So, if you’re looking for insight into how to tackle big challenges, where to start and, most importantly, how to turn ambition into real-world impact, this conversation is for you. Packed with personal reflections, practical advice and lessons from the front line of social impact, Philipp shares what he has learned about making change happen from within a multinational business. Whether you’re a seasoned change-maker, an aspiring intrapreneur, or simply recognising that the growing global water challenge demands greater attention, this is a conversation worth listening to. Links: • Reckitt.com • Reckitt’s Social Impact Report 2025: https://socialimpact-report.reckitt.com • Water.org • CEO Water Mandate/Water Resilience Coalition: https://ceowatermandate.org/resilience/ • One Young World: https://www.oneyoungworld.com • League of Intrapreneurs: https://www.leagueofintrapreneurs.com • Capital Institute & Regenerative Economics: https://capitalinstitute.org/course-introduction-regenerative-economics/ And if you enjoyed this, do take a listen to: WHAT REAL SUSTAINABILITY INTEGRATION LOOKS LIKE IN BUSINESS, WITH FERNANDA FACCHINI, NATURA - https://businessfightspoverty.org/what-real-sustainability-integration-looks-like-in-business-with-fernanda-facchini-natura/

    Turning business into a force for water and hygiene with Philipp Küst

  5. Jul 28

    Partnerships, Systems Change and the Future of Collaboration with Darian Stibbe

    What does it take to solve the world's most complex challenges? According to partnership expert Darian Stibbe, the answer isn't better technology, bigger budgets or stronger institutions working alone, it's collaboration. From rocket science to systems change: Darian Stibbe explains why effective partnerships matter more than ever. Social Impact Pioneer, Darian, Executive Director of The Partnering Initiative (TPI), shares insights from more than 20 years spent helping businesses, governments, NGOs, philanthropies and international organisations work together to create lasting social and environmental impact. Before becoming one of the world's leading voices on cross-sector collaboration, Darian was a NASA scientist and quantum physicist, a journey that gives him a perspective on complexity, systems thinking and change second to none. Drawing on real-world examples, Darian challenges one of the biggest misconceptions about partnerships: that collaboration is a natural skill. Instead, he argues that partnering is a professional discipline that can be learned, practised and continuously improved. He explains why partnerships often fail not because of the people involved, but because organisations lack the systems, culture and incentives needed to support genuine collaboration. The conversation explores the growing shift towards systems change and multi-stakeholder partnerships, particularly as organisations face increasingly interconnected challenges, from climate resilience and sustainable supply chains to public service delivery and economic development. Darian also highlights the often-overlooked role of philanthropy as a catalyst for transformation, not just funding solutions, but bringing diverse actors together to unlock change at scale. Packed with practical insights, compelling stories and reasons for optimism, this conversation offers a fresh perspective on how organisations can move beyond transactional relationships and build partnerships capable of delivering transformational impact. Whether you're working in business, philanthropy, government or civil society, listen in to hear valuable lessons on how collaboration can become a strategic capability, and why the return on investing in it may be far greater than many realise. Links: The Partnering Initiative: tpiglobal.org SDG Partnership Guidebook: https://thepartneringinitiative.org/knowledge-centre/partnering-guidebooks/sdg-partnership-guidebook/ Blog on partnering capabilities: https://thepartneringinitiative.org/tpi-blog/partnering-is-a-professional-skill-its-time-we-treated-it-that-way/ Transform initiative empowering philanthropy and business to create transformation through multi-sector partnerships: https://thepartneringinitiative.org/programmes/transform-empowering-philanthropy-as-catalytic-partners-for-transformational-change-2/ Partnering for impact: building transformational partnerships: https://thepartneringinitiative.org/services-and-training/professional-development/open-training/ And if you liked this: Take a read of the latest Business Fights Poverty paper exploring partnering for system change: https://businessfightspoverty.org/moving-beyond-projects-how-corporate-ngo-partnerships-can-build-systems-collaboration/ And listen in to this conversation, Brokering Partnerships and Collaboration with Ian Leader: https://businessfightspoverty.org/brokering-partnerships-and-collaboration-with-ian-leader/

    Partnerships, Systems Change and the Future of Collaboration with Darian Stibbe

  6. Jul 20

    Building Inclusive Economies with Joe Scantlebury

    What does it take to build an economy that works for everyone? Meet Social Impact Pioneer Joe Scantlebury, President and CEO of Living Cities. From representing children in the juvenile justice and dependency care systems to helping shape civil rights and equity advocacy at the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Joe shares his journey. If you’re looking for inspiration and a can-do boost, this podcast is for you. Together, we explore how lasting social impact can be achieved through legal advocacy, philanthropy, workforce development and systems change. Joe brings experience across them all. Joe believes that economic growth must include everyone if people and communities are to thrive. That may sound obvious, but making it happen is far from easy. He shares how growing up in Brooklyn shaped his conviction that every person and community has untapped strengths and potential. He also explains why meaningful change starts with listening to those most affected by inequality, and why leaders must look beyond short-term commitments to build lasting change. The conversation examines the role of cross-sector collaboration in tackling complex social challenges. Joe discusses how government, business, philanthropy and civil society can work together to unlock opportunities for homeownership, entrepreneurship, impact investing and community wealth building. Learn from Joe on the super-powers of storytelling and narrative change in shifting mindsets, influencing policy and creating momentum for more inclusive economic systems. Throughout the episode, Joe challenges us to think bigger and bolder about what is possible. As he puts it, "There are not many people who are not worthy of investment." Creating shared prosperity requires recognising the strengths that already exist within communities and investing in them intentionally. This episode is packed with insights for business leaders, investors, philanthropists, policymakers and anyone interested in creating a more equitable future. If you're interested in systems change, social justice, racial equity, impact investing, community development or the future of inclusive economies, this conversation offers both practical lessons and renewed optimism. Listen now to discover how collaborative leadership, patient capital and a commitment to human potential can help build economies where everyone has the opportunity to thrive. Links: Joe’s Linked In: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joe-scantlebury-ba5bb67/ Living Cities: https://livingcities.org/ And if you liked this, try: Inside the Mars Impact Fund with Michelle Grogg: https://businessfightspoverty.org/inside-the-mars-impact-fund-with-michelle-grogg/ And check out our latest research: https://businessfightspoverty.org/resources/?_content=insight – exploring Partnering for Systems Change, Catalytic Finance and Stakeholder Activation.

    Building Inclusive Economies with Joe Scantlebury

  7. Jun 29

    Creating Work Opportunities for Refugees, with Aline Sara

    What if one of the world's greatest untapped talent pools is hiding in plain sight? More than 120 million people around the world have been forcibly displaced by conflict, persecution and violence. Yet too often refugees are portrayed through the lens of crisis rather than capability. Their stories are reduced to statistics, while their skills, ambitions and entrepreneurial potential remain overlooked. Listen in as we mark World Refugee Month, and speak with one of the leading innovators challenging that narrative. Meet Social Impact Pioneer, Aline Sara, Co-Founder and CEO of NaTakallam, the award-winning social enterprise transforming how businesses and individuals engage with refugees and conflict-affected communities. Rather than treating displaced people as beneficiaries of aid, NaTakallam connects them with organisations and learners around the world as language tutors, translators, educators and public speakers, creating dignified work through the digital economy. Since its launch, the platform has enabled refugees and conflict-affected individuals to earn more than $5 million, working with over 37,000 users across 110 countries and supporting more than 350 organisations worldwide. Born to Lebanese parents and shaped by a childhood lived between New York and a homeland marked by conflict, Aline's personal story is inseparable from her professional mission. From journalism and human rights research to building a pioneering social enterprise, she has spent more than a decade working alongside displaced communities, proving that opportunity, not charity, is often the most powerful response to humanitarian crises. Together, we explore why the future of refugee inclusion lies beyond aid alone; how businesses can unlock talent that too often goes unseen; and why creating access to meaningful work is fundamental to restoring dignity, resilience and hope. Aline also shares candid reflections on scaling a mission-driven business, navigating the rapid rise of artificial intelligence, and balancing commercial sustainability with deep social impact. Perhaps most powerfully, we discuss why refugee issues should never be discussed without refugees themselves being part of the conversation. Through NaTakallam's Refugee Voices programme, people with lived experience are leading conversations that challenge stereotypes, build empathy and foster genuine human connection across borders. This is a conversation about displacement, entrepreneurship, inclusive business and the future of work, but above all, it is a reminder that behind every refugee statistic is a person with skills, ideas and aspirations waiting for the opportunity to contribute. Links: NaTakallam : https://natakallam.com/ Aline Sara : https://www.linkedin.com/in/alinesara/ And if you liked this, try: Financing Solar Energy in the Global South with Lassor and Ruchir: https://businessfightspoverty.org/financing-solar-energy-in-the-global-south-with-lassor-and-ruchir/ and The Business of Coral Reefs with Sam Teicher: https://businessfightspoverty.org/the-business-of-coral-reefs-with-sam-teicher/

    Creating Work Opportunities for Refugees, with Aline Sara

  8. Jun 4

    Brokering partnerships and collaboration with Ian Leader

    Listen in to Ian Leader, Social Impact Pioneer, cross-sector strategist and founder of Local Works. Ian shares his experience in building partnerships that really work, between business, community and government. With more than 25 years of experience working across New Zealand’s business, charity, education, philanthropy and local government sectors, Ian has become one of the country’s leading voices on collaboration, systems change and social impact brokering. Remember that, social impact broker … a vital role so often over looked. From pioneering employee volunteering initiatives in the 1990s to designing purpose-driven community investment strategies and place-based partnerships, Ian has spent his career helping organisations move beyond traditional corporate social responsibility (CSR) and towards genuine shared value creation. In this conversation, Ian shares why he believes “communities are jigsaws,” complex ecosystems made up of interconnected people, organisations and cultures, and why businesses must stop thinking about “giving back” and instead start actively participating as part of the community itself. We explore: • The evolution of CSR, corporate citizenship and conscious business • Why impact brokers are essential for successful partnerships and systems change • How businesses can build trust with communities and create authentic social impact • The shift from scarcity thinking to abundance and collaboration • Why employee volunteering and community engagement should be embedded into business strategy • What First Nations and Māori approaches to business can teach us about sustainability, purpose and long-term thinking • How social impact leaders can bridge the gap between intention and execution Ian also reflects on working in some of New Zealand’s most vibrant and challenged communities, where he learned that “work isn’t always the priority,” and why understanding people’s lived realities are critical for organisations that want to create lasting impact. Packed with practical insights, systems thinking, real-world examples and unforgettable quotes, this episode is a masterclass in collaborative leadership, social innovation and the future of business as a force for good. Whether you work in sustainability, ESG, CSR, philanthropy, social enterprise, community development or purpose-led business, this conversation will challenge how you think about partnerships, power and the role organisations play in society. Discover why the future of impact depends on learning how to work together. Links: Ian’s podcast 'CSR Aotearoa: Agents of Change': https://open.spotify.com/show/5Gjvg9TsTA74LKAGOQnBi6?si=4abea07503284fc3 Local Works: www.localworks.nz Local Works Resources : https://www.localworks.nz/resources More info about Hunter Lovins: https://natcapsolutions.org/ The Partnering Initiative: https://thepartneringinitiative.org And if you liked this, try: What Real Sustainability Integration Looks Like in Business, with Fernanda Facchini, Natura: https://businessfightspoverty.org/what-real-sustainability-integration-looks-like-in-business-with-fernanda-facchini-natura/

    Brokering partnerships and collaboration with Ian Leader
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Ratings & Reviews

5
out of 5
3 Ratings

About

Hello, and welcome to the Business Fights Poverty podcast, where we bring you engaging conversations with social impact trailblazers. Dive into a wealth of insights, diverse perspectives, and valuable advice, all designed to enlighten and inspire. Gain first-hand understanding of how businesses and thought leaders are addressing the world's most pressing social challenges, empowering you to make well-informed decisions and take meaningful action. So, sit back and join us as we explore the frontiers of business-driven social impact.

Information

  • Creator
    Business Fights Poverty
  • Years Active
    2018 - 2026
  • Episodes
    240
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © All rights reserved
  • Show Website
    Social Impact Pioneers

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