Catch The Upswing

Jessica Espinoza | Catch The Upswing

Catch The Upswing - Turn energy into action. Catch The Upswing is a business and leadership podcast exploring how people build, lead, and navigate complexity in a rapidly changing world. Hosted by global finance leader Jessica Espinoza, the show features candid conversations with global leaders, entrepreneurs, and emerging voices shaping today’s economy. Each episode explores the real journeys behind leadership — from setbacks and reinvention to resilience and purpose — while translating these experiences into practical insights listeners can apply in their own work, decisions, and lives.

Episodes

  1. 3D AGO

    Why We Need to Rethink Capital from the Ground Up | Jodi Smith

    What if we’ve been thinking about the economy the wrong way around?Most investment models are built to maximize returns.But what happens when the system itself is no longer aligned with the world we’re trying to build?In this episode of Catch The Upswing, Jessica Espinoza speaks with Jodi Smith — founder & fund manager of Matanataki — about rethinking capital from the ground up, and what it takes to build investment models in places where traditional approaches don’t work.After two decades in Hollywood, Jodi walked away and moved to Fiji, where a mission to protect coral reefs led her into finance. Today, she is investing with an innovative approach that connects businesses across sectors — from agriculture to tourism — to create impact at a landscape and seascape level.From local ownership to interconnected deal flow, this conversation explores what it really means to design capital for ecosystems, communities, and long-term resilience.This is a conversation about investing — and beyond.🎙️ In this episode, we explore:• Why the economy should be seen as a subset of the ecosystem• Why traditional investment approaches fail in frontier markets • How to design capital that works in nascent and frontier markets• What “interconnected deal flow” looks like in practice• Why local ownership and vision-setting are critical for long-term success• The risks of “solutions looking for problems” in global investment• How finance can be used as a tool to protect ecosystems• The reality of building new models — and the leadership it requires—🔗 Check out Jodi’s work:Jodi Smith (LinkedIn)https://www.linkedin.com/in/jodi-smith/Matanatakihttps://www.matanataki.com/ —⏱️ Chapters:00:00 Episode Start00:01 Intro01:10 Welcome Jodi Smith02:30 Why Fiji’s Reefs Matter Globally06:45 From Hollywood to Walking Away10:30 The Moment Finance Became the Tool16:20 Why Traditional Investment Models Don’t Work Here22:40 Building an Ecosystem, Not Just a Portfolio29:10 Who Owns the Future?35:30 “Let Us Solve Our Problems”41:20 Building Something That Doesn’t Exist Yet46:30 Why It Can Feel So Lonely50:10 “The Economy Is a Subset of the Ecosystem”52:00 What This Means Going Forward—📺 Watch more episodes:Catch The Upswing is a business and leadership podcast exploring how people build, lead, and navigate complexity in a rapidly changing world. Subscribe for conversations with global leaders, entrepreneurs, and emerging voices shaping today’s economy.—🔗 Follow & connect:YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@CatchTheUpswingInstagram: https://instagram.com/CatchTheUpswingTikTok: https://tiktok.com/@CatchTheUpswing—#ImpactInvesting #SustainableFinance #Leadership #ClimateFinance #SystemsChange #CatchTheUpswing

    1h 32m

  2. 5D AGO

    When Everything Feels Uncertain, Keep Going | Angie Madara

    When things don’t go as planned, most people stop.But what does it actually take to keep going — when the path is uncertain, the pressure is real, and the outcome isn’t guaranteed?Resilience is not about never failing. It’s about what you do next.In this episode of Catch The Upswing, Jessica Espinoza speaks with Angie Madara — entrepreneur, mentor and investor — about what it really means to build, adapt, and move forward in uncertain environments.From navigating setbacks to building in emerging markets, Angie shares a grounded perspective on resilience, entrepreneurship, inclusive AI, and financial inclusion — and why success often depends less on certainty, and more on persistence.This conversation is about business — and beyond.🎙️ In this episode, we explore: What it really takes to keep going when things don’t go as plannedHow to respond to failure without letting it define youWhy building often means moving forward without certaintyWhat resilience looks like in practice — not just in theoryThe reality of building across markets — and the gaps in access to financeHow innovation and inclusive AI can expand opportunityThe mindset that helps you keep going when things get hard🔗 Check out Angie’s work:Angie Madara (LinkedIn): https://www.linkedin.com/in/angiemadara/Athena Fund X: https://athenafundx.com/ ⏱️ Chapters:00:00 Episode Start00:01 Intro00:59 Welcome Angie Madara01:38 The $1.7 trillion credit gap03:18 “Entrepreneurship for most women is winging it”05:12 Her biggest failure06:35 The rookie mistakes that cost her money08:22 Learning never stops in entrepreneurship09:31 Resilience is not a trait10:43 What first-time founders should do differently13:01 Building Athena: from idea to reality16:22 AI, bias, and the future of credit19:07 “It’s not charity. It’s big business”25:35 98% repaid — so why didn’t it scale?26:26 We need a new game33:42 From empowerment to economic resilience39:23 The risk ahead: a growing credit gap43:26 How she stays hopeful44:04 “Hold yourself before you fail”49:00 Final thoughts📺 Watch more episodes:Catch The Upswing is a business and leadership podcast exploring how people build, lead, and navigate complexity in a rapidly changing world. Subscribe for conversations with global leaders, entrepreneurs, and emerging voices shaping today’s economy.🔗 Follow & connect:YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@CatchTheUpswingInstagram: https://instagram.com/CatchTheUpswingTikTok: https://tiktok.com/@CatchTheUpswing#Leadership #Entrepreneurship #Resilience #FinancialInclusion #CatchTheUpswing

    51 min

  3. MAR 27

    You’re Being Shaped By This (And You Don’t Even Notice) | Luba Kassova

    You don’t see this — but it shapes how you think, what you believe, and how you see the world. In this episode of Catch the Upswing, Jessica Espinoza sits down with Luba Kassova — researcher, journalist and co-founder of the audience-strategy consultancy AKAS, and author of the Missing Perspectives Series — to explore how the stories we see (and don’t see) shape our understanding of the world. From losing and reclaiming her own voice to leading groundbreaking research on the “Missing Perspectives of Women” in the news, Luba reveals how systemic bias operates in ways most of us don’t even notice — and what it means for leadership, media, and society. This conversation goes beyond media — it’s about power, visibility, and the forces that shape whose voices are heard and whose are not. 🎙️ In this episode, we explore: Why women’s perspectives are still largely missing from the newsHow that shapes the stories we hear — and the ones we don’tWhy we often don’t even notice the bias around usWhat this does to confidence, ambition, and opportunityHow AI is repeating the same patterns at scale What it takes to find your voice — and use it 🎯 Explore Luba’s work: Website:https://www.lubakassova.com/en Substack(Lubascope — social commentary with heart and fact): https://lubakassova.substack.com/ MissingPerspectives of Women reports (available on her website) 🔗 Referenced in the episode: Edith Eger (psychologist, Holocaust survivor, author of The Choice) ⏱️ Chapters:00:00 Intro 00:47 Luba Kassova: The Writer Giving Voice to the Unheard 02:17 I Made Myself Obsolete and Invisible 06:14 The Warning Signs of a Midlife Crisis 08:06 Why So Many Women Never Get Access to the Right Tools 10:00 The Voice That Says: Stay Small 11:47 How Girls Are Socialised to Disappear 14:37 Where That Inner Critical Voice Comes From 16:57 Her Mother’s Advice That Changed Everything 18:05 What It Means to Give Voice to the Voiceless 21:50 The Shocking Truth About Women in the News 26:52 Why Progress for Women Flatlined 29:13 The Grammys Myth: Are Women Really Dominating? 31:47 Why We Don’t Even Notice Male-Dominated Media 37:10 What This Does to Society in Real Life 42:13 AI Is Repeating the Same Biases 46:33 What Happens If Superintelligence Inherits Human Bias? 50:35 What Gives Luba Hope Right Now 53:35 Luba’s Definition of Hope 55:58 How to Turn Outrage Into Opportunity 58:17 Where to Follow Luba’s Work 01:00:03 Never Waste a Good Midlife Crisis 01:00:37 Let’s Crowdsource the Tools That Help #CatchTheUpswing#Leadership #MediaBias #SystemsChange #WomenInMedia 📺 Watch more conversations from Catch the Upswing: 🎧 Catch the Upswing is a video podcast exploring how leadersand changemakers build, lead, and drive meaningful change in a rapidly evolving world. 🔔 Subscribe for upcoming conversations with leaders and changemakers shaping the future. 🌍 Follow Catch the Upswing: Instagram → https://instagram.com/CatchTheUpswingTikTok → https://tiktok.com/@CatchTheUpswing

    1h 3m

  4. MAR 25

    Christiana Figueres: The Leadership the Climate Decade Demands

    What does it take to lead when the stakes are global — and failure is not an option? Former UN climate chief Christiana Figueres joins Jessica Espinoza on Catch the Upswing to reflect on the leadership behind the Paris Agreement — and what it demands from us in the defining decade ahead. We are not running out of solutions — we are running out of time. This conversation goes beyond climate policy. It’s about what it takes to lead through complexity, uncertainty, and global stakes — and why trust, resilience, and long-term thinking are no longer optional. Christiana shares insights from inside one of the most consequential global negotiations of our time, and what those lessons mean for leaders, founders, and changemakers navigating today’s world. 🎙️ In this episode, we explore: The leadership behind the Paris AgreementWhy trust is the foundation of systemic changeNavigating complexity and uncertaintyWhat this decade demands from all of usClimate, responsibility, and long-term thinking🔗 Resources & references: Outrage + Optimism: https://outrageandoptimism.org Global Optimism: https://www.globaloptimism.com/ Fix the News : https://fixthenews.com ⏱️ Chapters:00:00 Introduction 02:14 Episode begins 02:54 10 years after Paris — where are we now? 03:16 The race between two exponential curves 06:05 The truth: we’re already in a changed world 09:16 This decade is a moment of choice 13:36 The failure that changed everything (Copenhagen) 19:10 From doom to possibility 24:31 The hardest battle is internal 28:03 What the Paris Agreement really achieved 32:06 Trade-offs, survival, and common ground 37:05 Rebuilding global trust from zero 39:50 Personal crisis during global negotiations 44:12 If Paris had failed — what would still stand? 50:34 Why resilience is a personal responsibility 55:02 The burden of being “the optimistic one” 59:00 Personal resilience and planetary resilience 1:02:17 How to live with outrage without burning out 1:06:56 Grief as a doorway to action 1:10:47 What gives Christiana optimism today 1:14:46 Women, climate, and leadership 1:20:44 What the next generation must believe 1:21:47 Closing reflections   🎧 Catch the Upswing is a video podcast exploring how leaders and changemakers build, lead, and drive meaningful change in a rapidly evolving world. 🔔 Subscribe for upcoming conversations with leaders and changemakers shaping the future. 🌍 Follow Catch the Upswing: Instagram → https://instagram.com/CatchTheUpswingTikTok → https://tiktok.com/@CatchTheUpswing #ClimateLeadership #ChristianaFigueres #ParisAgreement #ClimateAction #Leadership

    1h 24m

  5. SEASON 1 TRAILER

    Trailer

    Catch The Upswing — Official Podcast Trailer Catch The Upswing is a business and leadership podcast featuring candid conversations with global leaders, entrepreneurs, and emerging voices shaping today’s economy. Hosted by global finance leader Jessica Espinoza, the show explores how people build, lead, and navigate complexity in a rapidly changing world. The podcast launches March 25, 2026, with opening conversations featuring: • Christiana Figueres — architect of the Paris Climate Agreement • Luba Kassova — leading researcher on the visibility of women’s voices in media • Angie Madara — entrepreneur and resilience advocate. Subscribe to the channel to watch the first episodes.

    1 min

Trailer

About

Catch The Upswing - Turn energy into action. Catch The Upswing is a business and leadership podcast exploring how people build, lead, and navigate complexity in a rapidly changing world. Hosted by global finance leader Jessica Espinoza, the show features candid conversations with global leaders, entrepreneurs, and emerging voices shaping today’s economy. Each episode explores the real journeys behind leadership — from setbacks and reinvention to resilience and purpose — while translating these experiences into practical insights listeners can apply in their own work, decisions, and lives.

Information

  • Creator
    Jessica Espinoza | Catch The Upswing
  • Years Active
    2K
  • Episodes
    5
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Jessica Espinoza | Catch The Upswing
  • Show Website
    Catch The Upswing