Do One Better with Alberto Lidji in Philanthropy, Sustainability and Social Entrepreneurship

Latest Episodes:

President and CEO of Women’s World Banking, Mary Ellen Iskenderian, on women’s financial inclusion Apr 17, 2023

Show notes

Mary Ellen Iskenderian, President and CEO of Women's World Banking joins us to discuss the importance of women's financial inclusion.

We look at the topic of women’s financial inclusion from various angles, including digital literacy, social norms and impact investing, and we also look at some of the research that tells us that this is not just a moral imperative but also an objective that makes commercial sense.

Women’s World Banking is a 44-year old global non-profit organisation and they currently work with 65 partners in 36 countries. Their partners include a range of organisations, such as mainstream banks, FinTechs, mobile money provides and non-bank financial institutions that recognise the commercial potential of serving low-income women in a responsible and sustainable way.

Thank you for downloading this episode of the Do One Better Podcast. Visit our Knowledge Hub at Lidji.org for information on 200+ case studies and interviews with remarkable leaders in philanthropy, sustainability and social entrepreneurship.

Chairman of the JDRF T1D Fund, Sean Doherty, on driving cures for type 1 diabetes through venture philanthropy Apr 10, 2023

Show notes

Sean Doherty is the Chairman of the JDRF T1D Fund — a venture philanthropy fund aimed at creating a market in type 1 diabetes (T1D) by using capital and expertise to convince venture capital, biotech and pharma to make the investments needed to cure T1D.

In 2015, there was virtually no private investment in T1D; there was a gap between scientific advancements and the delivery of solutions to the people who need them.

Today, the JDRF T1D Fund is one of the largest disease-focused venture philanthropy funds in the world, with $175m in assets and their philanthropic dollars are spurring private investment to ultimately secure the billions needed to generate cures.

This episode showcases venture philanthropy and impact investment; it provides an overview of the funding and technologies being focused to tackle type 1 diabetes; and provides much insight on how philanthropy can catalyse private investment.

Director at the Centre for Charity Effectiveness at Bayes Business School, Alex Skailes, on mergers within the charity space Apr 03, 2023

Show notes

Alex Skailes heads the Centre for Charity Effectiveness at Bayes Business School (formerly known as Cass) and, on this episode, we explore the nature and drivers of mergers within the charity and non-profit world; we dive into the opportunities, challenges, incentives and research.

Whether you’re based at a non-profit organisation, a for-profit commercial venture or both (or neither!), this episode will inform you and equip you as you ponder mergers.

Executive Director of data.org, Danil Mikhailov, on building the field of data for social impact Mar 27, 2023

Show notes

Danil Mikhailov is the Executive Director of data.org — a nonprofit organization that is a platform for partnerships and is helping to build the field of data for social impact. They work with organizations from all over the world to increase the use of data in order to improve the lives of millions of people.

At data.org they embrace a socio-tech perspective and appreciate that it’s not just about the tech... it’s also about the humans… those who collect the data, those who use the data, those from whom the data is collected.

We look at the work of data.org, explore how data can be leveraged by small and large organizations alike and consider the implications of artificial intelligence, such as the recently-launched ChatGPT AI tool.

If you’d like to understand how to leverage data for social impact and to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) this episode is perfect for you!

Bernhard Kowatsch, Head of the Innovation Accelerator of the UN World Food Programme, on embracing innovation and technology to solve the world’s biggest social impact challenges Mar 20, 2023

Show notes

Bernhard is the Head of the UN World Food Programme Innovation Accelerator, which he created in 2015.

We explore the work of the Innovation Accelerator and the World Food Programme (WFP) more broadly. The WFP is the world’s largest humanitarian organization, with 20,000 staff worldwide, working in more than 120 countries — saving lives in emergencies and using food assistance to build a pathway to peace, stability and prosperity, for people recovering from conflict, disasters and the impact of climate change.

The Innovation Accelerator sources, nurtures and scales start-ups and nonprofits working to achieve Zero Hunger, and has run 18 accelerator programmes for external partners, including the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Humanitarian Grand Challenge, and other UN Agencies, with more planned.

This is a great episode for anyone who has an entrepreneurial spirit and is eager to tackle social impact challenges by leveraging innovation and technology.

Rocket Learning: Unlocking the Potential of Early Childhood Education with Digital Solutions Mar 13, 2023

Show notes

Co-founder of Rocket Learning, Namya Mahajan, joins us to share an extraordinary journey and remarkable work.

Rocket Learning is a non-profit organization on a mission to revolutionise early childhood education (ECE) and early childhood development (ECD) in India by working closely with governments, parents and caregivers to create strong digital content that helps children develop during their early years.

In this episode, we explore Rocket Learning's remarkable journey, from their idea to the impact they have today. Namya Mahajan's personal and professional journey is compelling: growing up in India, gaining both an undergraduate degree in applied mathematics and an MBA from Harvard University, followed by a return to India to work at McKinsey & Co and then venturing into the social impact space, first at the Self Employed Women's Association (SEWA) and then co-founding Rocket Learning.

With a mission to help children aged 3 to 8 years, Rocket Learning creates strong digital content for parents and caregivers to engage in useful and playful learning experiences with their children.

Leveraging WhatsApp as their communication platform, they currently serve one million children in seven states in India, but despite this they still sometimes refer to themselves as a "pilot at scale" due to the immense need for their services in the country.

In this episode, we explore their successful market entry, digital content creation, and scaling strategies, as well as their remarkable journey from idea to impact.

They have successfully secured funding and support from a range of organizations, including the Central Square Foundation, ACT Grants, the Veddis Foundation, the Harvard University Impact Fellowship Fund, MIT Solve, World Economic Forum, Google.org, Microsoft, Amazon, and Capgemini, among others.

Join us for an inspiring conversation on the power of digital solutions for early childhood education and development, with Rocket Learning.

Founder & CEO of Maanch, Darshita Gillies, on mobilising capital towards sustainability Mar 06, 2023

Show notes

Darshita Gillies is Founder and CEO of Maanch, an impact management platform. They inform asset managers, corporations, philanthropists and funders on impact tracking and impact management within an ESG and sustainability context.

Maanch is a B Corp that is leveraging technology for good and embracing an innovative approach. The focus in this episode is on mobilising capital towards sustainability and the conversation is of interest to a wide audience.

Founder and CEO of Hello Tractor, Jehiel Oliver, on leveraging technology to help Africa’s farmers Feb 27, 2023

Show notes

Jehiel Oliver, Founder and CEO of Hello Tractor explains how they’re leveraging technology and innovative financing to help Africa’s farmers close the yield gap between what they grow versus what the global averages are across key commodities.

Hello Tractor is an agricultural technology company connecting small-holder farmers to farm equipment owners with excess capacity.

Their technology involves a small tracking device that goes onto the tractor; it gives the farm equipment owner the ability to remotely monitor and manage all aspects of their tractor, including location, how much the tractor is being used, fuel consumption, theft protection —which is a big issue — and maintenance needs of the tractor.

Farm equipment owners can opt into entering their equipment into a marketplace and improve efficiencies for all concerned.

This is a fascinating episode shedding light on how business can be a force for good and address a range of issues from more efficient food production to empowering local communities and helping to transform Africa into a global breadbasket.

Thank you for downloading this episode of the Do One Better Podcast. Visit our Knowledge Hub at Lidji.org for a full transcript and for information on 200+ case studies and interviews with remarkable leaders in philanthropy, sustainability and social entrepreneurship.

Co-Founder and CEO of Sanku, Felix Brooks-Church, on small-scale food fortification in East Africa Feb 20, 2023

Show notes

Felix Brooks-Church is Co-Founder and CEO of Sanku, a social enterprise and non-profit focused on combatting malnutrition through food fortification in East Africa. They operate out of Tanzania and Kenya.

Sanku works with local stakeholders in rural and marginalised communities to fortify staple foods by adding nutrients, vitamins and minerals; aiming to improve health outcomes in the process.

In this episode we get behind-the-scenes insight into Sanku’s work and the value of food fortification. We learn how they’re able to reach the ‘last mile’ in rural settings through a ‘small-scale’ food fortification approach; we look at their business model, and the technology and logistics that underpin the work they do.

CEO of Habitat for Humanity International, Jonathan Reckford, on tackling housing poverty Feb 13, 2023

Show notes

Habitat for Humanity International’s CEO, Jonathan Reckford, sheds light on their efforts to tackle housing poverty in more than 70 countries by looking at the challenge through both equity and climate lenses.

Jonathan provides insight on how former US President Jimmy Carter became a key supporter of their work and gives us a behind-the-scenes overview of this transformative non-profit with $2 billion in annual revenues.

Habitat’s work involves innovative finance, extensive volunteering, philanthropy, advocacy and much more. They work with families who can’t get a conventional bank mortgage and who are often in highly marginalised communities.

We learn about volunteering and the concept of “sweat equity”; we get an overview of the ethical investments that support Habitat’s work; and we are presented with the dynamics of today’s global housing crisis.

Housing affordability has become shockingly out of reach for many and this episode is for anyone who wishes to understand the solutions being deployed to address this crisis and how they can get involved in making a positive difference.

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