ALAQA

Alaqa Podcast

ALAQA explores the structural, strategic, and human dimensions of relationships in the world of capital — particularly for those seeking to finance solutions in a complex, interdependent world. Each episode unpacks a relationship that matters between: - investors and founders - different assets in a portfolio - public and private capital - next-gen inheritors and established wealth - theory of change and deal execution We speak with investors, ecosystem builders, capital allocators and change agents working at the intersection of finance, sustainability, and systems thinking.

  1. 2d ago

    #28 Collaboration beyond convening: Inès Mertens on what it takes to bring the impact ecosystem to work together

    Today, I’m joined by the Director of Community at Impact Europe - which calls itself The Investing for Impact Network. Impact Europe brings together Europe’s most committed impact actors: capital providers (foundations, corporates, impact funds, asset managers, financial institutions) and the ecosystem shapers who support them (networks, service providers, academics, research centres). Alongside this, she contributes to expanding access to capital for underrepresented founders as a member of the Investment Committee at Impact Shakers, and serves on the board of Aqcelerator, the corporate venture arm of Aquafin. In this episode, we explore Inès’s journey into impact investing and her work at Impact Europe, the growing need to better connect different sources of capital, and the challenges of moving beyond siloed approaches. We also discuss the limits of the traditional VC model, the importance of patience and collaboration, and why empathy, trust, and a shared objective are essential for contributing to systems change. This special playlist is developed in partnership with ChangeNOW. It brings together conversations with fund managers who presented on stage during Funds for Change, and with investors, operators, and thinkers navigating the tensions of impact, climate, and finance. Key topics: The evolution of impact investing in Europe and the growing interest in climate and impact, alongside the challenges facing institutional investors and family offices.Orchestrating capital for systems change — bringing foundations, investors, corporates, and other actors together around shared priorities rather than working in silos.Rethinking investment models — why VC cannot be the answer to every social or environmental challenge, and why patient capital, fund-of-funds models, and alternative ownership structures matter.Building trust and collaboration across different stakeholders — the importance of empathy, shared goals, and understanding different perspectives, while keeping the focus on meaningful impact rather than impact metrics for their own sake. Episode breakdown: Intro - 00:00:00 Welcome - 00:01:28 Origin & Perspective - 00:02:49 Commenting on Benjamin's Contrarian Thought: 32:14 Contrarian Thought: 00:34:53 Inès's Go-To Person: 00:35:53 Flash Round - 00:37:06 Follow us on: https://linktr.ee/alaqapodcast Designed & Hosted by Imène Maharzi Produced by Taisa Echterhoff

    #28 Collaboration beyond convening: Inès Mertens on what it takes to bring the impact ecosystem to work together

  2. Sep 29

    #27 Designing systems interventions: Eva Gladek on a decade of building the Metabolic approach to place-based investing

    Today, we welcome Eva Gladek, Founder and CEO of Metabolic, an impact entrepreneur and systems thinker working at the forefront of sustainability and the circular economy. Eva founded Metabolic in 2012 with a mission to help transition the global economy towards a fundamentally sustainable and circular state. Through her work with governments, businesses, and NGOs around the world, she has helped turn complex environmental challenges into practical strategies, technologies, and scalable solutions. This special playlist is developed in partnership with ChangeNOW. It brings together conversations with fund managers who presented on stage during Funds for Change, and with investors, operators, and thinkers navigating the tensions of impact, climate, and finance. Key topics: Designing investments for systems change and moving beyond individual ventures to understand the wider system, its barriers, actors, and conditions for success.Capital orchestration and investment design: connecting different types of capital to the right needs, sequencing financing, and calibrating risk and reward.Place-based, relational approaches to change and building trust and connections between communities, stakeholders, investors, and opportunities.12 years of learning at Metabolic: evolving from sustainability projects and systems analysis toward a more integrated approach to mobilizing capital and shaping the future Episode breakdown: Intro - 00:00:00 Welcome - 00:02:52 Origin & Perspective - 00:05:06 Flash Round - 00:35:25 Follow us on: https://linktr.ee/alaqapodcast Designed & Hosted by Imène MaharziProduced by Taisa Echterhoff

    #27 Designing systems interventions: Eva Gladek on a decade of building the Metabolic approach to place-based investing

  3. Sep 17

    #26 Impact secondaries & market building: Nicolas Muller on making impact more investable for LPs

    Today, I’m joined by Nicolas Muller, Managing Director and Head of Private Equity Partnerships at Blue Earth Capital, a dedicated impact asset manager investing globally across social and environmental impact. With a background spanning traditional private equity, emerging markets, and impact investing, Nicolas works at a particularly interesting point in the impact ecosystem: building the market for impact secondaries and exploring how liquidity can help impact investing grow, mature, and ultimately become more mainstream. At Blue Earth Capital, Nicolas focuses on investing in and alongside impact funds, while developing a secondary market designed to unlock liquidity for investors and fund managers without losing sight of the impact mission. His conviction is that secondaries can do more than provide an exit: they can bring new investors into impact, give existing investors the ability to recycle capital, and give companies and managers the time they need to pursue long-term value creation. In this conversation, we unpack what it really takes to build an efficient impact market, from the tensions between impact investing and traditional asset management, to the role of dedicated impact players, the different forms of secondary transactions, and the question of whether impact should influence how we value a company. We also explore a particularly important tension: how can we create liquidity without undermining the patient capital that many impact businesses need to scale? Ultimately, Nicolas makes the case for looking beyond the individual investment and thinking about additionality at the level of the market itself, asking not only where capital can create impact, but how investors can help make impact investing more investable, scalable, and resilient as an asset class. This special playlist is developed in partnership with ChangeNOW. It brings together conversations with fund managers who presented on stage during Funds for Change, and with investors, operators, and thinkers navigating the tensions of impact, climate, and finance. Key topics: Dedicated impact investors need strong mission and cultural alignmentImpact secondaries can unlock liquidity and attract new investorsPatient capital helps impactful companies scale without premature exitsCatalytic investors should help build scalable impact markets Episode breakdown: Intro - 00:00:00 Welcome - 00:02:00 Origin & Perspective - 00:03:32 Contrarian Thoughts: 00:37:07 Flash Round - 00:39:15 Follow us on: https://linktr.ee/alaqapodcast Designed & Hosted by Imène Maharzi Produced by Taisa Echterhoff

    #26 Impact secondaries & market building: Nicolas Muller on making impact more investable for LPs

  4. Sep 8

    #25 Capital as a bridge: Astrid Leyssens on investors letting go of control

    Today, I’m joined by Astrid Leyssens, founder of We Are Impact Collective, where she mentors, advises, and supports wealth holders, investors, and pioneers on their impact journeys. At We Are Impact Collective, Astrid works at the intersection of impact investing, systemic change, and collaborative innovation, helping individuals, family offices, and organizations turn ambition into actionable strategies. Through initiatives like Impact Into Play and the Explorers Club, she creates spaces for new ideas, unconventional collaborations, and long-term thinking around capital and transformation. As a seasoned board and investment committee member, Astrid brings a strong systems perspective to how capital is deployed — bridging philanthropy, sustainable finance, and business strategy to help drive meaningful social and environmental progress. This special playlist is developed in partnership with ChangeNOW. It brings together conversations with fund managers who presented on stage during Funds for Change, and with investors, operators, and thinkers navigating the tensions of impact, climate, and finance. Key topics: Investors as bridges, not permanent owners or controllersUrgency, long-term thinking, and differentiated investment timelinesWealth holders collaborating to accelerate systemic capital allocationRethinking wealth, legitimacy, participation, and the meaning of enough Episode breakdown: Intro - 00:00:00 Welcome - 00:01:24 Origin & Perspective - 00:02:54 Flash Round - 00:32:01 Follow us on: Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/0Po2mXWyAelyE91jSa5flb Apple Podcasts - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/alaqa/id1838909986https://linktr.ee/alaqapodcast Designed & Hosted by Imène Maharzi Produced by Taisa Echterhoff

    #25 Capital as a bridge: Astrid Leyssens on investors letting go of control

  5. Sep 1

    #24 Activating investor communities: Suzanne Rosman on how peers support the journey to impact-aligned decisions

    Today, we are joined by Suzanne Rosman, a business development professional currently working at PYM, bringing international experience across startups and corporates. Suzanne’s work spans business development and organisational operations within the impact investing space, shaped by experience working with funds and navigating different investment and operating environments. Alongside her professional work, she is deeply engaged in themes such as female entrepreneurship, impact investing, and emerging ecosystems, including LATAM startups and Web3 communities. Her perspective is also shaped by a curiosity for learning across geographies and cultures, with personal ties to Colombia and New Zealand, and a strong focus on people, connection, and continuous learning through experience. This special playlist is developed in partnership with ChangeNOW. It brings together conversations with fund managers who presented on stage during Funds for Change, and with investors, operators, and thinkers navigating the tensions of impact, climate, and finance. Key topics: Impact investing as a learning journey, not simply a financial product. Peer-to-peer relationships can reduce fear and unlock capital. Private wealth should flow towards solutions society needs. Investors need to confront the cost of inaction. Episode breakdown: Intro - 00:00:00 Welcome - 00:01:51 Origin & Perspective - 00:03:39 Contrarian Thoughts - 00:33:40 Flash Round - 00:38:10 Follow us on: Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/0Po2mXWyAelyE91jSa5flb Apple Podcasts - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/alaqa/id1838909986https://linktr.ee/alaqapodcast Designed & Hosted by Imène Maharzi Produced by Taisa Echterhoff

    #24 Activating investor communities: Suzanne Rosman on how peers support the journey to impact-aligned decisions

  6. Aug 4

    #23 Relationality and capital: James Burrows & Philipp Essl on Building Resilient Systems

    Today, I'm joined by James Burrows and Philipp Essl, managing directors at Better Society Capital. At BSC, James currently looks after the social lending team which includes work on blended finance, ethical banks, and social outcomes partnerships. He explores how capital can better connect with communities. He's also building out the practice looking at investing for more transformative systems change. Philipp focuses on social impact measurement and management across Better Society Capital's investment process and portfolio.He's passionate about using impact strategy and evidence to drive social investment decisions and tackle pressing social challenges. Together, their work reflects a broader effort to rethink how finance can support resilient communities and more equitable economic systems. Key points: Why relationships shape resilient systemsHow place brings systems investing to lifeWhy urgency requires reflection, not reactionHow trust enables transformational investing Episode breakdown: Intro - 00:00:00 Welcome - 00:01:43 Origin & Perspective - 00:03:07 Tensions - 00:33:33 Flash Round - 00:40:10 Follow us on: Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/0Po2mXWyAelyE91jSa5flb Apple Podcasts - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/alaqa/id1838909986 https://linktr.ee/alaqapodcast Designed & Hosted by Imène Maharzi Produced by Taisa Echterhoff

    #23 Relationality and capital: James Burrows & Philipp Essl on Building Resilient Systems

  7. Jul 30

    #22 Aiming for depth, not for size: André Stürmer & Ebru Kaya on their practices of regeneration

    Today, I’m joined by Ebru Kaya and André Stürmer, co-founders and Stewards of Atreyu and RIA. Previously, Ebru was the CEO of The Hatchery, an impact fund focussed on food. Ebru had a long career in Finance Marketing and Strategy at Unilever in Europe & Africa and at RCL Foods in South Africa. Amongst others, Ebru led the Sustainability agenda in Central Africa for Unilever and in South Africa for RCL Foods. As for André, he has been supporting young businesses in South Africa since 2009, in his capacity as a coach to management, as chairman, as fundraiser, and as an investor – both on his own account and as MD of TriVest, a German-owned VC based in South Africa. Before that, he was an investment banker in London & Johannesburg with JP Morgan. This special playlist is developed in partnership with ChangeNOW. It brings together conversations with fund managers who presented on stage during Funds for Change, and with investors, operators, and thinkers navigating the tensions of impact, climate, and finance. Key topics: - Why going deeper can create more impact than scaling faster, and choosing integrity over growth in regenerative investing. - How unlearning conventional finance and redefining value transforms both investing practice and personal life. - Why regenerative investing is a continuous practice of experimentation, where learning only matters when embedded in action. - Building relationships and communities as the true infrastructure for long-term systems change rather than relying on transactions or expertise. Episode breakdown: Intro - 00:00:00 Welcome - 00:01:33 Origin & Perspective - 00:03:34 Contrarian Thoughts - 00:40:00 Flash Round - 00:46:26 Follow us on: Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/0Po2mXWyAelyE91jSa5flb Apple Podcasts - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/alaqa/id1838909986https://linktr.ee/alaqapodcast Designed & Hosted by Imène Maharzi Produced by Taisa Echterhoff

    #22 Aiming for depth, not for size: André Stürmer & Ebru Kaya on their practices of regeneration

  8. Jul 21

    #21 Inassurabilité & adaptation : le collectif comme ferment et condition des nouveaux modèles avec Chloé Coursaget (FR) 🇫🇷

    Today's episode is a special one. We’re switching things up with a conversation conducted entirely in French. Consider it a linguistic detour from our regular programming. Alors… on y va, et bonne écoute en français.  Aujourd'hui, je reçois Chloé Coursaget, dirigeante de Circomplex, c'est un cabinet de conseil qui accompagne les organisations face aux grandes mutations environnementales, économiques et sociales. Et à travers son travail, elle aide les dirigeants et dirigeantes à aligner vision, stratégie, communication et mise en action dans un contexte de transformation permanente.Elle est également journaliste, éditorialiste et puis modératrice de débats. Et à ce titre, Chloé anime régulièrement des échanges réunissant experts, entreprises, institutions et acteurs de la finance autour de sujets très variés : l'eau, la durabilité, l'assurabilité des risques ou encore les transitions économiques et sociétales.Son approche repose sur la conviction que les transformations qui ont le plus de chances de porter leurs fruits naissent du dialogue, de la coopération et d'une compréhension systémique des enjeux. Points clé : L’adaptation est un enjeu d’habitabilité avant d’être un enjeu climatique.L’inassurabilité révèle les limites de nos modèles économiques et territoriaux.Les transformations les plus durables naissent de la coopération entre acteurs aux intérêts différents.Face à l’urgence, il faut expérimenter vite tout en pensant le long terme. Episode breakdown: Intro - 00:00:00 Welcome - 00:01:10 Origin & Perspective - 00:02:16 The Relationship at the Core - 00:08:35 Flash Round - 00:58:27 Follow us on: Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/0Po2mXWyAelyE91jSa5flb Apple Podcasts - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/alaqa/id1838909986 https://linktr.ee/alaqapodcast Designed & Hosted by Imène Maharzi Produced by Taisa Echterhoff

    #21 Inassurabilité & adaptation : le collectif comme ferment et condition des nouveaux modèles avec Chloé Coursaget (FR) 🇫🇷
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About

ALAQA explores the structural, strategic, and human dimensions of relationships in the world of capital — particularly for those seeking to finance solutions in a complex, interdependent world. Each episode unpacks a relationship that matters between: - investors and founders - different assets in a portfolio - public and private capital - next-gen inheritors and established wealth - theory of change and deal execution We speak with investors, ecosystem builders, capital allocators and change agents working at the intersection of finance, sustainability, and systems thinking.

Information

  • Creator
    Alaqa Podcast
  • Years Active
    2025 - 2026
  • Episodes
    30
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Alaqa Podcast
  • Show Website
    ALAQA