• 45. A Systems View of Life, with Fritjof Capra
    Dec 7 2023

    My guest this week is Fritjof Capra, living systems theorist and bestselling author of The Systems View of Life. He discusses how:

    • Systems thinking represents a shift from a mechanistic to an organic or network worldview
    • Complexity theory brought a breakthrough in our understanding of living systems
    • Living systems are self-organising networks with processes of creativity and regeneration
    • Social systems are enabled by communities of practice, informal communication and culture
    • Change agency happens by aligning with and reinforcing feedback loops through movements

    Key links
    The Capra Course (website)
    The Systems View of Life (book)
    The Environmentalist (poem)
    Thriving (book)
    Wayne Visser (website)
    Wayne Visser (LinkedIn)

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    39 mins
  • 44. Stories of Life, Land and a Farming Revolution, with Sarah Langford
    Nov 9 2023

    My guest this week is Sarah Langford, author of Rooted: Stories of Life, Land and a Farming Revolution. She discusses how:

    • The UK’s policy of “public money for public good” is helping farmers to reclaim their role as stewards of the land
    • We can learn lessons for transforming the food sector from farmers struggling with the transition to regenerative agriculture
    • Reforming the agricultural system needs to simultaneously tackle public health, biodiversity loss and food security
    • Livestock farming (and the diets that supports this) needs to change, but cellular agriculture and precision fermentation have challenges
    • It is a myth that there is a trade-off between food production (yields) and nature conservation in regenerative farming

    Key links
    Sarah Langford (LinkedIn)
    Sarah Langford (website)
    Rooted (book)
    Radical Activist (poem)
    Thriving (book)
    Wayne Visser (website)
    Wayne Visser (LinkedIn)

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    40 mins
  • 43. The Purpose of Capital and the Nature of Value, with Jed Emerson
    Oct 26 2023

    My guest this week is Jed Emerson, Chief Impact Officer, AlTi Tiedemann Global and author of The Purpose of Capital. He discusses how:

    • Impact investing, social return on investment, venture philanthropy, and blended value are related, reinforcing concepts and practices
    • ESG investing is not a new idea or practice, going back at least to the Mennonite shareholder activism in relation to the Dutch East India Company
    • The ethical investment movement has evolved from screened socially responsible investments and best in class approaches to ESG integration and impact investing
    • ESG investment has reached a critical mass, but the business risk-based approach (single materiality) resulted in perceptions of greenwashing
    • Stakeholder capitalism represents a shift in societal norms and expectations of business, but face significant resistance from incumbent vested interests

    Key links
    Jed Emerson (LinkedIn)
    Blended Value (website)
    AlTi Tiedemann Global (website)
    The Purpose of Capital (book)
    Mutualism (book)
    Thriving (book)
    I Like to Move It (poem)
    Wayne Visser (website)
    Wayne Visser (LinkedIn)

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    35 mins
  • 42. Women Creating Social Impact for a Better World, with Robbin Jorgensen
    Oct 4 2023

    My guest this week is Robbin Jorgensen, Founder and CEO of Women Igniting Change. She discusses how:

    • “Listening tours” in Rwanda reveal inspiring women with resilience, innovation and creativity
    • We need to work with men and change societal norms to create the opportunities for women
    • Changing behaviours in companies is a systemic change that takes time and commitment
    • Imposter syndrome is common among women and can be countered by solidary groups
    • Men may need to “pipe down” sometimes to ensure that women’s voices are heard

    Key links:
    Robbin Jorgensen (LinkedIn)
    Women Igniting Change (website)
    Left to Tell (book)
    Rwandan Women Rising (book)
    Thriving (book)
    Women of Africa (poem)
    Wayne Visser (website)
    Wayne Visser (LinkedIn)

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    33 mins
  • 41. Doughnut Economics for Business, with Erinch Sahan
    Sep 22 2023

    My guest this week is Erinch Sahan, Business & Enterprise Lead at Doughnut Economics Action Lab (DEAL). In this episode, he discusses how: 

    • Incentives in business are working against planetary boundaries and social foundations
    • Growth as a core driver of business is incompatible with doughnut economics
    • We need to make the deep design of business regenerative and distributive
    • Redesign must be at the level of purpose, networks, governance, ownership and finance
    • New models of business (beyond B-Corps) and financial markets are emerging 

    Key links
    Erinch Sahan (LinkedIn)
    Doughnut Economics Action Lab (DEAL) (website)
    Doughnut Economics (book)
    A Swirling Story (poem)
    Thriving (book)
    Wayne Visser (website)
    Wayne Visser (LinkedIn)

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    34 mins
  • 40. For the Love of Soil, with Nicole Masters
    Aug 24 2023

    My guest this week is Nicole Masters, Director of Integrity Soils and author of For the Love of Soil. In this episode, she discusses how: 

    • Farmers feel connected to the land, yet are destroying the living soil
    • “Feeding the world” is a distribution problem, not a production problem
    • Regenerative agriculture is a philosophy or paradigm, not a set of techniques
    • The science of soil health and the movement of regeneration is still young
    • Our inner and outer landscape need to be more connected

    Key links:
    Nicole Masters (LinkedIn)
    Integrity Soils (website)
    For the Love of Soil (book)
    We Have Earth (poem)
    Thriving (book)
    Wayne Visser (website)
    Wayne Visser (LinkedIn)

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    37 mins
  • 39. How Regeneration Shifts us from being Apart From Nature to being A Part Of Nature, with David Harland
    Jul 7 2023

    My guest this week is David Harland, until recently the CEO (International) of the Eden Project, with its two biomes with a million plants and the world’s largest indoor rainforest. In this episode, he discusses how:

    • The Eden Project shows “the art of the possible” in turning ecosystem degradation into restoration
    • Buckminster Fuller’s “spaceship earth” concept and geodesic domes served as an inspiration for the Eden Project
    • The Eden Project showcases the positive impacts of regeneration of nature, society and the economy
    • End of life mining sites can become exemplars of nature restoration, social regeneration and economic resilience
    • Education is crucial for demonstrating our dependence on nature and interdependence with nature

    Key links
    David Harland (LinkedIn)
    The Eden Project (website)
    Operating Manual for Spaceship Earth (book)
    On the Brink (poem)
    Thriving (book)
    Wayne Visser (website)
    Wayne Visser (LinkedIn)

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    32 mins
  • 38. Invoking the Spirit of the Salmon to Tackle Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, with Tamara Makoni
    Jun 14 2023

    My guest this week is Tamara Makoni, Founder and CEO of Kazuri Consulting. In this episode, she discusses how: 

    • Equality and equity are different – and why equity is more important for creating fair outcomes
    • Discrimination often emerges unconsciously, for example through “micro-aggressions”
    • Diversity and inclusion require investment of time and resources in order to make progress
    • DE&I creates value for organisations and society, but this is not often quantified
    • We need to learn the lessons of the salmon in order to confront social injustice

    Key links:
    Tamara Makoni (LinkedIn)
    Kazuri Consulting (website)
    What Works: Gender Equality by Design, by Iris Bohnet (book)
    The Conversation: How Seeking and Speaking the Truth about Racism Can Radically Transform Individuals and Organizations, by Robert Livingston (book)
    Thriving, by Wayne Visser (book)
    This is the Way (poem)
    Wayne Visser (website)
    Wayne Visser (LinkedIn)

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    31 mins