The Criterion Institute Podcast

Joy Anderson
  • 5.0 (3)
  • Investing
  • Updated Semimonthly

How do we disrupt the entrenched power dynamics in finance to advance a more equitable future? Join us for the Criterion Institute Podcast as Joy Anderson, a global thought leader in business and social change, leads us through a series of discussions, interviews, frameworks, rants, and re-frames that will help you better understand how to use finance as a tool for transformative systems change. Learn more by visiting us at www.criterioninstitute.org.

  1. 4d ago

    #82: How Staying in Paradox Can Sustain Hope and Drive Systemic Change

    In this episode, Joy Anderson responds to some listener questions, naming six paradoxes she encounters when working to shift financial systems toward gender justice and social change. Joy frames paradox as a discipline: holding two seemingly incompatible truths at once such as movement and field-building, urgency and patience, collaboration and competition and resisting the urge to resolve them prematurely. Across themes ranging from pluralism in knowledge to the risks of public experimentation, Joy explores how finance simultaneously enables and constrains transformation. She emphasizes that these tensions are signals rather than problems, helping us see where systems are unstable and change is possible. The episode closes with practical reflections on working within paradox. Episode Highlights 00:00 - Introduction to Paradox in Systems Change 05:01 - The Movement vs. Professional Field Paradox 10:44 - Long-Term Change vs. Immediate Harm Paradox 14:32 - Collaboration vs. Competition Paradox 18:16 - Public Learning vs. Risk Aversion Paradox 22:08 - Pluralism vs. Standardization Paradox 27:21 - Living with Paradox: Practices and Reflections 34:11 - Conclusion: Embracing Complexity in Change Relevant Links Criterion Institute website and LinkedIn Joy Anderson’s LinkedIn Dive Deeper Framework for Financing the Prevention of Gender-Based Violence Links to the episode’s focus on how financial systems shape—and can transform—the conditions underlying harm. Fòs Feminista: Building Feminist Financial Infrastructure Illustrates how movements build institutional structures—mirroring the movement vs. field paradox described in the episode. Gender Lens Investing A foundational resource on integrating gender and power into financial decision-making, relevant to the episode’s reflections on pluralism and standardized “proof.” If you enjoyed this episode, consider listening to: #80: What Are You Willing to See? Disruption, Fault Lines, and the Moments That Matter Explores disruption as a moment that reveals underlying systems—closely aligned with the idea of paradox as a site of transformation. #79: From Invitation to Trust: Rethinking Relationships in Finance Builds on relational dynamics and collaboration—core tensions discussed in this episode. #78: Intermediation is Not Overhead Extends the conversation on field-building infrastructure and how systems change actually happens. #77: Strength Is the Strategy: A Conversation on Movement‑Led Finance Directly connects to the movement vs. field paradox by exploring how movements build financial tools and institutions. Part of the ImpactAlpha Podcast Network

    36 min

  2. Jun 18

    #81: AI at the Door: Grace, Hospitality, and Who We Talk To

    In this episode of the Criterion Institute Podcast, Joy reflects on a recent conversation with her brother, philosopher Joel Anderson, about how AI is changing the way we work. While AI can function like a team of highly capable research assistants by supporting analysis, drafting, and synthesis, Joy explores the unintended consequences of turning to machines instead of people. What appears efficient on the surface can quietly lead to a withdrawal from collaboration, reducing opportunities for shared thinking, disagreement, and collective insight. Drawing on Criterion’s core values of grace, hospitality, and the power of invitation, Joy reframes how AI should be used in systems change work. These practices of inviting others into the work, sharing ownership of ideas, and creating space for multiple perspectives are essential to shifting power. The question is not whether AI is helpful, but whether it is being used to deepen collaboration or to avoid it. Joy challenges listeners to reflect on who they are inviting into their work, and whether AI is expanding or replacing those invitations. Episode Highlights 00:28 — A conversation on AI and collaboration 02:30 — The metaphor of AI as research assistants 04:49 — Grace, hospitality, and invitation as operating principles 07:08 — When efficiency becomes isolation 09:35 — The risk of replacing people with tools 11:59 — Rethinking participation and co‑creation 14:06 — Questions to guide AI use in practice Relevant Links Criterion Institute website and LinkedInJoy Anderson’s LinkedIn Dive Deeper Framework for Financing the Prevention of Gender-Based Violence Highlights how systems—including finance—shape participation, power, and decision-making Innovative Finance Navigation Guide Supports broader participation in financial systems and conversations Advanced practices in gender lens investing: FrontEnd Ventures Demonstrates how analysis changes when multiple perspectives are included If you enjoyed this episode, consider listening to: #79: From Invitation to Trust: Rethinking Relationships in Finance #76: Bring Your Expertise: Why AI Needs More Voices #30: You Are Welcome: Hospitality, Strangers, and Family Myths #74: No Permission Required: Volunteerism as a Power Shift #78: Intermediation is Not Overhead Part of the ImpactAlpha Podcast Network

    18 min

  3. Jun 4

    #80: What Are You Willing to See? Disruption, Fault Lines, and the Moments That Matter

    In this episode, Joy Anderson reframes one of the most common narratives in moments of crisis: instead of asking how to stabilize and return to normal, she asks what disruption makes visible. Building on earlier conversations about systems opportunities, she distinguishes between disruptive events and the deeper structural patterns they expose, and highlights how moments of volatility can make long-standing dynamics of power, risk, and inequity harder to ignore. The episode opens with a conversation with Rachel Sinha, a systems change practitioner and field builder, as the two explore the tensions inherent in building a field, from questions of legitimacy and power to who gets resourced and recognized. From there, Joy connects these themes to Criterion’s work on gender-based violence, feminist finance, and local capital, showing how disruption can reveal hidden costs and overlooked actors within financial systems. The episode ultimately challenges listeners to treat disruption as evidence and invites them to see systems more clearly and act with greater readiness. Episode Highlights 00:00 - Introduction to Systems Change and Disruption 02:49 - Building a Field of Systems Change Practice 06:05 - Power Dynamics in Systems Change 09:05 - Understanding Systems Opportunities 11:47 - Disruption as Revelation 15:09 - Examples of Systems Opportunities 18:00 - Responding to Disruption 20:51 - The Role of Communities in Systems Change 23:58 - Conclusion and Call to Action Relevant Links Criterion Institute Website and LinkedIn Joy's LinkedIn Rachel Sinha’s Linkedin Dive Deeper Framework for financing the prevention of gender-based violence A systems-level framework that explains how financial structures, incentives, and norms influence the persistence of gender-based violence and how finance can be used to prevent it. Fòs Feminista: Building Feminist Financial Infrastructure A case study showing how a feminist intermediary designs and uses financial and non-financial assets to reshape capital flows and build long-term movement-led financial infrastructure. Fostering a Feminist Financial Imagination: A Radical Conversation about Finance, Feminist Futures,… A publication that explores how reimagining financial systems can unlock new strategies and possibilities for advancing gender equality and social justice. Pacific Possibilities: Designing Better Financial Vehicles for the Pacific A report that outlines how to design investment vehicles grounded in local economic and social realities, rather than forcing existing financial models onto communities. Other episodes you might also like: #75: When the Moment Arrives: Acting on Systems Opportunities #78: Intermediation Is Not Overhead #58: Check List or Trust List: Power, Performance, and the Politics of Procedure #16: We Made This System Up, We Can Change It. Part of the ImpactAlpha Podcast Network

    34 min

  4. May 21

    #79: From Invitation to Trust: Rethinking Relationships in Finance

    In this episode, Joy Anderson reflects on invitation as a foundational practice for leadership, collaboration, and systems change. Moving beyond calendar invites, she reframes invitation as a form of power that determines whether participation is passive or meaningful. When people are explicitly invited into roles that matter, where their presence is needed and their contribution is clear, progress is made. In complex systems where hierarchy is unclear, invitation becomes the mechanism that supports coordination and shared purpose. Joy then reframes the notion of “handholding,” a common phrase in investing that often implies lack of capability. What is really being described, says Joy, is about trust, proximity, and power. Advice in investing is rarely neutral, especially when tied to capital, and what is presented as support can become control without permission and alignment. Drawing from work with the Mastercard Foundation African Growth Fund, she outlines four conditions that make for better and more balanced investment relationships: permission, boundaries, protection of vulnerability, and moments to recalibrate. Together, these help us to rethink how relationships are built and how influence operates within financial systems. Episode Highlights 00:00 Introduction to the episode and themes 01:49 Invitation as a form of power 04:14 Invitation in complex collaborations and consortiums 06:18 From presence to contribution: what invitation makes possible 08:40 Practices of invitation in leadership and systems change 10:03 Rant: unpacking the phrase “handholding” 12:30 Trust, vulnerability, and investment relationships 14:57 Permission, advice, and power in investing 17:03 Capacity, timing, and misalignment in support 19:02 Conditions for “handholding” as trust infrastructure 21:17 Reflection questions on relationships and influence 22:26 Ways to engage with Criterion Institute Relevant Links Criterion Institute Website and LinkedInJoy's LinkedIn Dive Deeper Disrupting Fields: Addressing Power Dynamics in the Fields of Climate Finance and Gender Lens Investing This report examines how power operates in emerging financial fields and how actors navigate existing systems while trying to change them. It highlights the tension between advancing new ideas and working within entrenched power structures, making it highly relevant to this episode’s focus on invitation, influence, and participation. Addressing Power Dynamics in Investment Processes A deep dive into how investment processes reflect and respond to power dynamics, including how trust, transparency, and engagement shape relationships between investors and companies. The report emphasizes the role of intentional design in building more equitable investment relationships. Process Metrics that Analyze Power Dynamics in Investing This report introduces tools for identifying and measuring how power shows up in investment processes—moving beyond representation to examine whose knowledge is valued and how decisions are made. It directly connects to the episode’s discussion of influence, control, and whose perspective shapes outcomes. Advanced Practice in Gender Lens Investing A framework for identifying and shifting power, privilege, and bias within financial systems by focusing on how investments are made. It highlights how changing processes—not just outcomes—can transform relationships and redistribute power in finance. Other episodes you might also like: #74: No Permission Required: Volunteerism as a Power Shift #68: Clarity is Relational: Leadership in Complex Systems #52: Reimagining Resourcing for Social Transformation – Part Two Part of the ImpactAlpha Podcast Network

    25 min

  5. May 7

    #78: Intermediation Is Not Overhead

    In this episode, Joy Anderson reflects on a renewed wave of conversations around innovative finance following recent funding disruptions across the feminist movement, particularly in the context of discussions surrounding the Women Deliver conference in Australia. Drawing from Criterion Institute’s long-standing work at the intersection of finance and social change, she introduces a set of reframes designed to move organizations beyond the narrow question of “how do we get more funding?” toward a deeper understanding of how capital actually moves within economic systems. The episode outlines seven key reframes. Through these reframes, Joy highlights the importance of financial infrastructure—intermediaries, instruments, and systems that structure relationships and shape power. Ultimately, the episode argues that sustainable and equitable movement-building depends not on accessing more money, but on intentionally designing the relationships and systems through which finance operates. ‍ Episode Highlights 00:00 - Introduction to Innovative Finance and Feminist Movements 05:14 - Understanding Economic Relationships in Movements 10:14 - The Role of Financial Intermediaries 15:08 - Reframing Funding and Economic Relationships 20:10 - Building Trust and Stability in Financial Systems Relevant Links Criterion Institute website and LinkedIn Joy’s LinkedIn Dive Deeper Criterion TOOLKIT Pacific Possibilities: Designing Better Financial Vehicles for the Pacific Fostering a Feminist Financial Imagination Other episodes you might also like: #75: When the Moment Arrives: Acting on Systems Opportunities #58: Check List or Trust List: Power, Performance, and the Politics of Procedure #63: From Scarcity to Power: Reimagining Finance for Feminist Movements ‍ Part of the ImpactAlpha Podcast Network ‍https://impactalpha.com/podcasts

    25 min

  6. Apr 23

    #77: Strength Is the Strategy: A Conversation on Movement‑Led Finance

    #77: Strength Is the Strategy: A Conversation on Movement‑Led Finance What happens when feminist movements stop asking permission—and start acting as asset owners? In this episode, Joy Anderson is joined by Giselle Carino and Meradith Leebrick of Fòs Feminista to explore how movement‑led organizations are building financial tools, institutions, and enterprises that sustain reproductive justice over the long term. In this conversation, they reflect on why organizational strength (governance, reserves, and financial discipline) is not separate from movement work but essential to it; how Fòs Feminista was deliberately designed by and for organizations in the Global South; and what it looks like to act as a financial intermediary without training wheels. They trace Fòs Feminista’s long history with innovative finance, dig into the creation and scaling of INNOVA Health Supplies as a feminist social enterprise, and challenge conventional assumptions about risk, collateral, and repayment, arguing instead for designing capital that matches the realities, time horizons, and power dynamics of real change. Episode Highlights 00:00 - Introduction to Fòs Feminista and Its Mission 02:50 The Concept of 'Fòs' and Its Origins 05:40 Building a Strong Ecosystem for Reproductive Justice 08:01 Organizational Stability and Movement Leadership 14:18 Innovative Finance Strategies in Reproductive Health 17:33 Collaborative Solutions for Sexual and Reproductive Health 22:15 Acting as Asset Owners in the Movement 30:11 Scaling Impact and Future Directions Relevant Links Criterion Institute website and LinkedInJoy’s LinkedInGiselle Carino, CEO, Fòs Feministahttps://www.linkedin.com/in/giselle-carino-937285102Meradith Leebrick, Lead, Social Innovation & Financing, Fòs Feministahttps://www.linkedin.com/in/meradith Mentioned in this Episode Fòs FeministaINNOVA Health SuppliesFeminist Impact Fund (Fòs Feminista) Dive Deeper Introducing Standards of Practice for Gender Lens InvestingProcess Metrics that Analyze Power Dynamics in InvestingDisrupting Fields: Addressing Power Dynamics in the Fields of Climate Finance and Gender Lens InvestingFostering a Feminist Financial Imagination Other episodes you might also like: #74: No Permission Required: Volunteerism as a Power Shift #72: From Add-on to Operating System: Rethinking the Role of Services in Local Value Creation #73: Search Funds Reframed: Expanding Access to Business Ownership #20: Shifting Power in Investment Practice: The Costs of Doing Business Part of the ImpactAlpha Podcast Network a...

    36 min

  7. Apr 9

    #76: Bring Your Expertise: Why AI Needs More Voices

    In this conversation, Joy Anderson and Mara Bolis discuss the intersection of gender lens investing and AI, highlighting the importance of diverse perspectives in shaping the future of technology. Mara shares her journey from working at Oxfam to exploring AI at the Kennedy School, and her reflections on addressing gender inequality in emerging technologies. They explore the challenges of navigating spaces traditionally dominated by experts and why it’s time to bring new types of knowledge into AI discussions. The conversation underscores the value of interdisciplinary approaches and the power of collective learning to empower underrepresented voices in the tech space. Episode Highlights 00:00 - Introduction to AI and Power Dynamics 03:11 - Imposter Syndrome and Interdisciplinary Leadership 06:06 - The Importance of Domain Expertise in AI 09:08 - Challenging Traditional Notions of Expertise 11:55 - The Role of Gender in Economic Systems 15:12 - Agency and Participation in AI Development 17:59 - Practical Tips for Engaging in AI 20:49 - Building Community and Learning Together Relevant Links Criterion Institute website and LinkedInJoy’s LinkedInMara's LinkedIn Dive Deeper Disrupting FieldsFostering a Feminist Financial ImaginationIntroducing Standards of Practice for Gender Lens Investing If enjoyed this episode, consider listening to “Knowledge and Power,” which offers language for recognizing and challenging whose expertise carries weight in decision‑making spaces, and “Disrupting Fields,” which looks at how authority, legitimacy, and participation take shape as new fields emerge. Part of the ImpactAlpha Podcast Network https://impactalpha.com/podcasts

    25 min

  8. Mar 26

    #75: When the Moment Arrives: Acting on Systems Opportunities

    In this episode, we share how Criterion approaches systems change—by paying close attention to where leverage actually lives, how power moves through relationships, and why timing matters as much as ideas. You’ll hear how we think about staying close to the people and systems that can shift outcomes, even when it looks like we’re waiting. This perspective reframes strategy as readiness: noticing signals, building trust, and being prepared to step forward when the moment to act genuinely arrives. Episode Highlights 00:00 Introduction to Systems Change and Strategy 03:01 Understanding Systems Opportunities 05:49 The Role of Timing in Systems Change 09:13 Defining System Tensions and Opportunities 12:06 Strategic Posture and Approach 14:58 The Importance of Relationships in Systems Change 17:55 Conclusion and Call to Action Relevant Links Criterion Institute website and LinkedInJoy’s LinkedInCriterion’s Strategic PlanDonella Meadow’s Leverage Points If this episode resonates, you may also want to listen to “Clarity Is Relational,” which explores how sense‑making and strategy emerge through relationships, and “Navigating Paradoxes,” which looks at how leverage and emergence show up in real market systems. Part of the ImpactAlpha Podcast Network https://impactalpha.com/podcasts

    20 min
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How do we disrupt the entrenched power dynamics in finance to advance a more equitable future? Join us for the Criterion Institute Podcast as Joy Anderson, a global thought leader in business and social change, leads us through a series of discussions, interviews, frameworks, rants, and re-frames that will help you better understand how to use finance as a tool for transformative systems change. Learn more by visiting us at www.criterioninstitute.org.

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