Join me today for my conversation with Rhiana Spring, human rights advocate and founder of Spring ACT. Today Rhiana shares her personal story of becoming a tech entrepreneur and the innovation behind her passion for helping vulnerable women experiencing abuse through new technology methods. Her digital chatbot, Sophia, is paving the way for innovation, human rights and justice across the world. Listen to today’s episode to find out more. Show notes: Rhiana shared with us that her favourite style...
Jul 12, 2022•38 min•Season 3Ep. 37
In our conversation today, my guest Ana Paula Tediosi shares the impact and the story behind her ‘side hustle’ as the founder of Birdhaus, which during the pandemic transitioned from a female co-working space to a writing and publishing community for women. Ana wears many hats, including a mother of two, a pharmacist of education, an entrepreneur and an author. Her passion is to show women like her that it is possible to tap into all of your strengths in order to live out your life’s mission and...
Jun 28, 2022•39 min•Season 3Ep. 36
Join me today for my conversation with Kashish Aggarwal, who is a Global Shapers Community Curator which is a network of young people driving dialogue, action and change. Kashish developed a passion for helping and educating young people from marginalised backgrounds from a very young age and that passion has developed into her contributing to making a global wave in supporting those who do not have privileged access to education. Show Notes: Kashish offered some of her favourite song and book r...
Jun 14, 2022•28 min•Season 3Ep. 35
In today’s discussion, we continue the theme of inclusion with our next guest Emmanuelle Werner Gillioz, the founder and director of Yojoa. Yojoa is a nonprofit organisation that empowers young people with a migrant background to become autonomous and productive members of society. The mission is to bridge the gap between organisations and talented young people from diverse backgrounds in order to provide more opportunities and strengthen the company. Listen to our conversation to hear the benef...
May 31, 2022•32 min•Season 3Ep. 34
Join me in today’s conversation with Eleni Janis, she is the managing partner and CIO of Equivico which is a female owned investment firm in New York. In our discussion, Eleni shares her thoughts and experiences around inequality and how the power of our curiosity and questions can make a difference in how systems are implemented over time. She has a personal passion for big change and believes that the best way to create equality is to increase access to capital, improve education and health ca...
May 17, 2022•30 min•Season 3Ep. 33
Join me for my discussion with Piera Marongiu as we switch gears from education, and shine a light on our new episode theme of inclusion. Piera is the founder of Integrate Include Engage which focuses on supporting organisations to identify where their blind spots are when it comes to inclusivity. Piera has both a personal and professional understanding of the value and importance of inclusivity, especially in the healthcare industry and is an advocate for change in this area. Tune into this epi...
May 03, 2022•39 min•Season 3Ep. 32
In this episode, I talk with Ismail Eleburuike about the importance of bringing technology to schools across the African continent to better connect students, teachers and parents using his educational platform, School Try. He shares the impact that this innovative platform has had, and the vision for the future when we lean into utilising technology to better support those moving through the educational system. Listen to this episode to find out how Ismail sees the future of education and techn...
Apr 26, 2022•28 min•Season 3Ep. 31
Join me for the first episode of April and my discussion with Gunjan Aggarwal, co-founder of Learn With Leaders. Learn With Leaders is an educational platform designed to bring quality education to high school students around the world through networking and A La Carte education styles. Gunjan is an advocate for Artificial Intelligence and the benefits of using AI to improve the quality and diversity of learning. In this episode we talk about how Learn With Leaders is challenging the boundaries ...
Apr 12, 2022•24 min•Season 3Ep. 30
In today’s discussion I speak with Mamobo Ogoro, who is a Social psychologist, Social Entrepreneur and Founder & CEO of Gorm Media - an impact focused digital media company based in Ireland. During the COVID-19 pandemic, Mamobo identified that the subject she heavily researched in her studies was rising to the surface in media on a scale that she had never experienced before. Seeing a clear need for conversations and cultural exchanges around social issues with diverse perspectives, she star...
Mar 22, 2022•29 min•Season 3Ep. 29
In this episode, I speak with Till Kraemer, who is a mathematician turned social entrepreneur, and is the co-founder general manager of the organisation ICE (Inter Cultural Education) based in Hong Kong. Till has a fascinating love of the world and intercultural exchanges, and he approaches all aspects of life with a curious eye. This approach is embedded in the foundation of the ICE organisation and in our discussion, Till shares a number of stories of the impact that these kinds of exchanges h...
Mar 08, 2022•41 min•Season 3Ep. 28
Welcome to season three of the podcast. Throughout this series, we will continue to shine a light on the changemakers who are having an incredible impact on the world whilst finding innovative ways to build a better future. In this first episode of the season, my guest is Akim Tejan Cole, founder of Maayee Fashion and advocate for fashion activism. In this discussion Akim talks about his personal experience seeking asylum from Sierra Leone and facing a culture shock in Switzerland as he adjusted...
Mar 08, 2022•34 min•Season 3Ep. 27
Introducing the third season of the Narratives of Purpose podcast. In this new season, I continue to share unique stories of global changemakers and trailblazers, passionate people who are making a meaningful impact in the world. My journey in the next episodes will bring me from Hong Kong to New York via India, Sweden, Ireland and Switzerland. The conversations with my guests will be centered around education, dialogue and understanding, inclusion and equity, but also empowerment. Welcome to se...
Mar 01, 2022•4 min•Season 3Ep. 26
It is the Season two finale of our show. This last episode features Geneva-based, comic artist and painter Jean-Philippe (JP) Kalonji. JP is also an editorial illustrator for the Swiss newspaper Le Temps. In this discussion, he shares the role artists and culture play in social change, plus the importance for him to use his twenty years experience to be part of change makers creating social impact. Likewise, JP talks about his role as artistic director with the NGO Civitas Maxima, an organisatio...
Nov 21, 2021•27 min•Season 2Ep. 25
This new episode features South Carolina-based, transformation activist Drisana (Dru) McDaniel. Dru is a co-founder of the Transformative Teaching Collective, a worker-owned cooperative which promotes social justice education. She designs and facilitates customized workshops that awaken and enable intergroup dialogue to advance Anti-Racism, Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion. In this conversion, Dru also talks about her approach centred around contemplation and spirituality to facilitate dialogue ...
Nov 08, 2021•27 min•Season 2Ep. 24
This new episode features Olawale Ajose. He is managing partner at Market Access Africa, a health care consulting firm based in Geneva, Switzerland, focusing on sub-saharan Africa. In this discussion, Wale talks about his journey in Global Health, supporting low and middle income countries. He also shares how his firm helps companies, organizations in the public sector and private sector, as well as his personal view on the future of healthcare on the African continent. Listen to his story. Mark...
Oct 25, 2021•30 min•Season 2Ep. 23
This new episode features Ndeye Makalou. She is a drug development, clinical operations, and global supply chain leader in the Biopharma industry. In today’s conversation, Ndeye shares her passion for market access and developing health care systems in emerging markets rooted in her personal journey. She also talks about her endeavour to challenge the status quo, and develop solutions, while working at Roche pharmaceutical company, that enhanced access to medicine for breast cancer patients with...
Oct 10, 2021•42 min•Season 2Ep. 22
This final episode of the September Inclusion series features Oghenewaire Jennifer Nikoro, a legal practitioner and disability advocate based in Lagos, Nigeria. Jennifer is the founder of Life Beyond Disability Foundation, which advocates for equal rights and social inclusion for persons with disability in Africa. In today’s interview, she shares her journey and her vision of empowering lives beyond disability. Listen to her story. Life Beyond Disability Foundation website: https://lbdfoundation...
Sep 27, 2021•28 min•Season 2Ep. 21
This third episode of the September Inclusion series features Thibault Trancart, based in Geneva (Switzerland) and founder of No Blink. With No Blink, Thibault offers services such as conferences and workshops, with the aim to raise awareness plus take off the negative perception of visual impairment, but also inspire people to use their struggles as a force to move forward. In this discussion, he shares his journey of becoming blind as an early teenager, then moving to Canada for his university...
Sep 20, 2021•30 min•Season 2Ep. 20
The second episode of the September Inclusion series features special needs advocate, writer, and TEDx curator, Eraina Ferguson. She is the founder of My Good Life, an organisation that enables families of children with special needs to live their best life despite their circumstances. Eraina authored a memoir in 2020, likewise titled My Good Life . In this conversation, she shares her journey raising a daughter with special needs but also empowering other parents. Listen to her story. My Good L...
Sep 13, 2021•40 min•Season 2Ep. 19
This first episode of the September Inclusion series features Vivian Acquah. She is an inclusive Workplace Wellness Advocate, founder of Viva la Vive and the Amplify DEI Summit, also the host of Let’s Humanize the Workplace podcast. Vivian advises managers on how to keep their team members engaged, energized, and safe in a sustainable manner, by making topics related to workplace wellness & diversity equity and inclusion (DEI) accessible to everyone. In today’s conversation, Vivian shares he...
Sep 06, 2021•37 min•Season 2Ep. 18
This final episode of the Tech For Good August series features Anie Akpe, founder of African Women in Technology (AWIT). Her organisation is dedicated to providing opportunities and a safe space for women to grow and lead in the tech space, by hosting events in countries across Africa. In this discussion, Anie talks about the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on AWIT conference series. She also shares how learning about technology, understanding its efficiency and exchanging experiences drives bus...
Aug 22, 2021•37 min•Season 2Ep. 17
The third episode of the Tech for Good August podcast series features Mary Carbajal, CEO and founder of B1OS, a company committed to provide secure and efficient access to health information allowing for real-time sharing of data with anyone, anywhere. Mary talks about leveraging technology to create groundbreaking innovation in healthcare. She also addresses the issue of medical transparency for people to be able to share their individual health information with doctors or even family members. ...
Aug 16, 2021•44 min•Season 2Ep. 16
The second episode of the Tech for Good August podcast series features Jade Li, CEO and founder of Katapult, an EdTech startup based in Mauritius which provides Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Mathematics (STEAM) holiday camps for children. In today's discussion, Jade shares her passion to create games-based learning experiences, and her vision to empower the next generation of changemakers with relevant skills to challenge the status quo, but also build their creative confidence. Lis...
Aug 09, 2021•29 min•Season 2Ep. 15
This first episode of the Tech for Good August series features Alma Moya Losada, CEO and co-founder of Aequaland. Her award-winning startup is a social impact and EduTech focused video game platform developer based in Lausanne, Switzerland, that creates meaningful games to educate and entertain children on inclusion, creativity, as well as sustainability topics. In this conversation, Alma talks about her entrepreneurial journey. She addresses topics such as bias in education, access to the inter...
Aug 01, 2021•34 min•Season 2Ep. 14
This new episode features Henri Nyakarundi, CEO and founder of the African Renewable Energy Distributor (ARED) group, a company that operates at the intersection of deep tech technology and renewable energy. Henri is also the host of the HN VLOG where he educates the next generation about challenges of being a social entrepreneur in Africa. In this discussion, he shares his entrepreneurial journey from the US to Rwanda. He candidly gives his perspective on the state of innovation on the continen...
Jul 19, 2021•42 min•Season 2Ep. 13
Welcome to season two of the podcast! This first episode features Kevine Kagirimpundu, CEO and co-founder of Uzuri K&Y. She was named among the top 10 heroes creating change across Africa in 2019 by the Africa Netpreneur Prize Initiative. In today's conversation, Kevine talks about her entrepreneurial journey with her company Uzuri K&Y, a shoe brand established in Rwanda which recycles waste into functional and fashionable products. She also shares her passion for empowering youth and wo...
Jul 04, 2021•27 min•Season 2Ep. 12
On this final episode of Season one, I share some previously unreleased interview segments with five guests. There is Pauline Koelbl, founder of AfriProspect and ShEquity, who’s primary focus is African female-led innovative startups. Pauline tells me more about the first companies ShEquity has invested in. Then Ana Maria Angarita and Isabel Brücher, both co-founders of Capacity Zurich a talent and startup incubator for refugees and migrants in Switzerland. Ana Maria and Isabel share how Capacit...
Apr 19, 2021•22 min•Season 1Ep. 11
On this episode, I speak with Lucy Antrobus founder and Chief Innovation Officer of Refugee Voices. Her organisation, based in Lausanne, offers a confidence building program to young refugees, migrants and other marginalised groups in Switzerland. Lucy shares with me her ambition to make an impact in the world by tapping into the human potential in diverse communities. She enthusiastically talks about the power of using storytelling as a tool for personal transformation. Refugee Voices website: ...
Apr 04, 2021•41 min•Season 1Ep. 10
Alessandra Patti is the founder of FindYourWay Coaching, a consulting practice based in Zurich. She is an assertiveness skills and mental wellbeing coach, but also a Lecturer on "assertiveness skills for the future of work" and "self-esteem in the digital age" at the University of St. Gallen. On this episode, we talk about the benefits of practicing assertive communication on professional and personal wellbeing. Alessandra gives some insights on the trends she observes in this new space of asser...
Mar 21, 2021•39 min•Season 1Ep. 9
After fifteen years as a University Lecturer, based in Uganda, Connie Nshemereirwe is now an independent science and policy facilitator. She founded Actualise Africa in 2016, with the vision to see Africa evolve and fulfil its potential by profoundly reimagining current education systems. On this episode, Connie tells me about her work at the interface between academia and policy. She shares with me the core of her mission to reform education. Connie also talks about her activities with research...
Mar 07, 2021•35 min•Season 1Ep. 8
