The Groundswell Effect

Ruth Silver & Bertrand Alépée
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  • Society & Culture

The Groundswell Effect is an intimate conversation podcast about people shaping what comes next—and the human stories behind their work. Hosted by strategist Ruth Silver, the show brings together world-builders at the vanguard of culture, science, health, technology and business. A graduate of the Harvard Graduate School of Design, Ruth has 20 years of experience and a bachelor’s degree from McMaster University, where she studied art, fine arts and Indigenous studies. She brings a surreal imagination and an instinct for uncovering the “why” behind what people do. Created by Ruth and her husband, Bertrand Alépée—an acclaimed chef, entrepreneur and creative producer—The Groundswell Effect looks beyond what guests are creating to explore the experiences that shape their work: uncertainty, courage, relationships, motivation and the drive to question what we take for granted.

Episodes

  1. 2d ago

    AI Makes Us Feel Superhuman. What Are We Losing? with Dr. Stefanie Hutka

    Dr. Stefanie Hutka, a design researcher and cognitive neuroscientist, explains why organizations that automate before they set a strategy end up answering the wrong question. In conversation with Ruth, she traces her path from classical violin to a PhD at the University of Toronto and design research leadership at Adobe and Meta Reality Labs. She also discusses her book, What Your Machines Should Do: The Science and Strategy of Human-Centered Automation. She describes how “could we automate this?” crowds out the harder question of whether we should, and how to judge tools by looking at workflow, craft and systems together. Stefanie also talks about how UX practitioners are dealing with accountability for what AI produces. She and Ruth discuss what leaders have to name as human before deciding what to hand over, and why discernment is worth protecting. Stefanie Hutka, PHD, is a UX practitioner, author, and educator. She is the founder and head of design research at Sendfull, a boutique consultancy for emerging technology teams. She also teaches UX, systems thinking, and vibe coding at UC Berkeley. Previously, Stefanie led design research and strategy for 0-to-1 product launches at Adobe, Meta Reality Labs, and DAQRI. She holds an ARCT Diploma in Violin Performance from the Royal Conservatory of Music and a PhD in Psychology from the University of Toronto, specializing in cognitive neuroscience. Stefanie Hutka Links: Book: Rosenfeld Media - Use the code "GROUNDSWELL" to get 20% off the book! Amazon Socials: Sendfull Website Substack LinkedIn Upcoming Events: Book Launch hosted by Design Meet at OCAD Book Launch hosted by Business Design Initiative (BDI) at Rotman Other Links: Lafley and Martin's Book - Playing to Win: How Strategy Really Works Lucy Suchman Book - Human-Machine Reconfigurations: Plans and Situated Actions Dan Saffer LinkedIn Dan Saffer website with books Andrej Karpathy website Epic People Website

    AI Makes Us Feel Superhuman. What Are We Losing? with Dr. Stefanie Hutka

  2. Nov 5

    How do you fix a broken food system? with Joshna Maharaj

    What happens when the institutions responsible for caring for us stop caring about the food they serve? Chef, author, activist, and food systems changemaker Joshna Maharaj has spent years challenging the way hospitals, universities, and community organizations think about food. She's discovered the biggest obstacle isn't always money, staffing or infrastructure; it's our willingness to care enough to change. In this candid and deeply personal conversation, Joshna joins Ruth Silver to explore the power of food to restore dignity, nurture relationships, and transform institutions from within. From replacing industrial hospital meals with fresh, scratch-made food to discovering the spiritual dimensions of cooking, Joshna shares the messy, uncomfortable, and often deeply human reality of challenging established systems. Together, they explore why people become comfortable with dysfunction, how love and relationships can become powerful forces for change, and why reimagining our food systems could fundamentally change the way we care for one another. "Because food is never just food. It's how we connect, how we heal, and how we show people they matter." Joshna Maharaj is a chef, speaker & activist who believes strongly in the power of chefs & social gastronomy to bring values of hospitality, sustainability & social justice to the table. Joshna’s first book Take Back the Tray captures the lessons & experience from her work in creating a movement to reconnect food with health, wellness, education, and rehabilitation in public institutions.  With 15 years of experience in television, radio, and as a culinary and university instructor Joshna is an engaging teacher who includes kitchens, gardens, and dining tables as part of the classroom. Joshna is an award-winning, two-time TEDx speaker and just completed a Master’s in Gastronomy at TU Dublin in Ireland. Joshna Maharaj Links: Her Book: "Take back the tray" Instagram TED Talk Joshna's mom samosas video Slow Food Link: Website The Stop Links: Website Instagram Alice Waters Links: Chez Panisse The Edible Schoolyard Instagram Debbie Field Link: Linkedin Foodshare Links: Website Instagram Vandana Shiva Link: Her books

    How do you fix a broken food system? with Joshna Maharaj

  3. Oct 29

    What Is Your Work in Service Of? What would it mean to build an Economy That Serves Life?

    B. Lorraine Smith, a longtime corporate sustainability practitioner, explains why incremental corporate sustainability often leaves business as usual intact and argues for an economy that serves life. In conversation with Ruth on The Groundswell Effect, she traces her shift away from Fortune 500 advisory work, explores how everyday business choices shape community and well-being, and names the financial and cultural barriers to systemic change.  She describes how imagining different futures can help orient change, while emphasizing the need to understand real conditions and test ideas against them. Lorraine also explains Practice Change, a reflective practice she developed to turn a vision into manageable action. She and Ruth discuss community accountability, and choosing motivation and discernment over rigid conviction. B. Lorraine Smith is a writer, speaker, coach and advisor with decades of experience in sustainability and global business. After years working within mainstream ESG, she shifted her focus towards creating an “economy that serves life”—one in which business success depends on helping people, communities and the natural world to thrive. Her Practice Change method helps people make meaningful impact through a systematic framework and community of support. B. Lorraine Smith Links: Website YouTube Channel LinkedIn Instagram Vanessa Andreotti is a professor and former Dean of the Faculty of Education at the University of Victoria, and Principal Investigator of “Discernment, Fields, and Relational Capacity in AI Systems.” Her work explores decolonial futures, global justice, and the social and ecological challenges shaping education. She co-founded the Gesturing Towards Decolonial Futures Arts/Research Collective. She is the author of Hospicing Modernity and Outgrowing Modernity, and co-author, with Aiden Cinnamon Tea, of Burnout From Humans. Vanessa Andreotti Links: Anti-Assholism Memo Decolonial Futures LinkedIn Book Link Burnout from humans Laurie Gerber is an expert in the field of life and relationship coaching with over 20 years of experience coaching thousands of individuals and couples. Her career started when she herself engaged with a life coach and her life, top to bottom, was changed. After a “near divorce” experience of her own and using The Handel Method® to rebuild her relationship, she knew she must use what she learned to help others. Laurie Gerber Links: Website LinkedIn Instagram

    What Is Your Work in Service Of? What would it mean to build an Economy That Serves Life?

  4. Oct 22

    What shells reveal: archaeology, Indigenous knowledge & coastal stewardship with Dr. Meghan Burchell

    What can shell middens reveal about Indigenous knowledge, coastal communities, and life thousands of years ago? Dr. Meghan Burchell, an Associate Professor of Archaeology at Memorial University, explains how the growth patterns and chemistry of shells can offer clues about past harvesting practices and changing coastal environments. She discusses her work with Tsleil-Waututh Nation in Burrard Inlet in British Columbia where community priorities help shape the research. The conversation explores how anthropologists question assumptions about past societies and how archaeological science can work in relationship with Indigenous knowledge. Meghan shares her own journey from anthropology into shell science, what it can be like to be a woman in academia, and the curiosity, creativity, challenges, and rewards of a life in research. Dr. Meghan Burchell is an Associate Professor and Associate Dean of Research at Memorial University in Newfoundland. She holds a Ph.D. in Anthropology from McMaster University. Her research combines sclerochronology, biology and geochemistry to explore long-term relationships between coastal communities and their environments.

    What shells reveal: archaeology, Indigenous knowledge & coastal stewardship with Dr. Meghan Burchell

  5. Oct 15

    Can AI Unlock Human Imagination? — with Pietro Gagliano

    What happens when machines become collaborators in human imagination? In this episode, Ruth speaks with award-winning creative director and world-builder Pietro Gagliano about the emerging intersection of artificial intelligence, storytelling and interactive media. Pietro shares how his work has evolved from pioneering virtual-reality experiences to creating dynamic worlds that can think, respond and change alongside their audiences. Together, they explore the importance of preserving childlike curiosity, the creative power of play and why our response to rapidly evolving technology should be guided by imagination rather than fear. From Lego and Mario Paint to AI-powered characters and generative storytelling, this conversation asks what it means to build new worlds—and how the stories we create today might help shape a more hopeful future.

    Can AI Unlock Human Imagination? — with Pietro Gagliano

  6. Trailer

    Introducing The Groundswell Effect with Host Ruth Silver

    Meet Ruth Silver, host of The Groundswell Effect. In this trailer, Ruth introduces the show and the intimate conversations ahead with people shaping change across culture, science, health, technology, and business. New episodes every Thursday, beginning October 15.

    Introducing The Groundswell Effect with Host Ruth Silver
  • 1 Trailer
    5 Episodes

Trailer

About

The Groundswell Effect is an intimate conversation podcast about people shaping what comes next—and the human stories behind their work. Hosted by strategist Ruth Silver, the show brings together world-builders at the vanguard of culture, science, health, technology and business. A graduate of the Harvard Graduate School of Design, Ruth has 20 years of experience and a bachelor’s degree from McMaster University, where she studied art, fine arts and Indigenous studies. She brings a surreal imagination and an instinct for uncovering the “why” behind what people do. Created by Ruth and her husband, Bertrand Alépée—an acclaimed chef, entrepreneur and creative producer—The Groundswell Effect looks beyond what guests are creating to explore the experiences that shape their work: uncertainty, courage, relationships, motivation and the drive to question what we take for granted.

Information

  • Creator
    Ruth Silver & Bertrand Alépée
  • Years Active
    2026
  • Episodes
    6
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © 2026 Ruth Silver & Bertrand Alépée
  • Show Website
    The Groundswell Effect

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