In this episode of The Founder Spirit, Cristian Samper shares his journey from nature-obsessed childhood in Colombia to leading one of the most ambitious global environmental initiatives - Bezos Earth Fund. He discusses conservation wins, the urgency of climate action, biodiversity restoration, indigenous rights, sustainable protein, and how we can all contribute to planetary health.Cristian also highlights restoring biodiversity, transforming food systems, and empowering global environmental ac...
Jun 28, 2025•41 min•Ep. 55
In this episode of The Founder Spirit, Cristina Mittermeier, Founder of The International League of Conservation Photographers and Sea Legacy, shares her inspiring journey from marine biologist in Mexico to becoming one of the world’s most influential conservation photographers. She reflects on pivotal moments that shaped her path and the power of storytelling to engage the public on urgent environmental issues.Cristina opens up about capturing iconic images—from a polar bear in distress to her ...
Jun 13, 2025•1 hr 10 min•Ep. 54
In this episode of The Founder Spirit, Jean Oelwang, the Founding CEO of Virgin Unite and Planetary Guardians, highlights the importance of life transitions, cultural insights gained from diverse experiences, and the impact of partnerships in creating social change. Jean shares her journey from telecom to founding Virgin Unite with Richard Branson, emphasizing the need for business practices centered around People and Planet. She also highlights lessons learned from Richard Branson, her boss and...
May 16, 2025•47 min•Ep. 53
In this episode of The Founder Spirit, Mindahi Bastida, a spiritual leader and scholar, and Founder and Convenor of The Earth Elders, explores indigenous wisdom, the purpose of life, the significance of ceremony, and the importance of environmental stewardship. Drawing from his upbringing, ancestral teachings, and the guiding principles of Indigenous philosophy, Mindahi shares profound insights into our relationship with the universe. He reflects on the legacy of the Earth Summit, the ongoing wo...
May 02, 2025•1 hr 10 min•Ep. 52
In this episode of The Founder Spirit, the legendary oceanographer and explorer, Sylvia Earle, takes us on a journey through her remarkable life beneath the waves. A pioneer in marine exploration and the first female Chief Scientist of NOAA, she explains why ocean health is crucial to our shared future.Dedicated to protecting and restoring the ocean’s fragile ecosystem, Sylvia reveals her vision for protecting and restoring the ocean through her nonprofit, Mission Blue. She calls for collective ...
Apr 11, 2025•54 min•Ep. 51
In this episode of The Founder Spirit, Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy, Founder of SOC Films, shares her journey from growing up in Pakistan to winning the Academy Awards (twice!). She discusses the powerful narratives she has captured in her films, including two Oscar-winning documentaries, “Saving Face” and “A Girl in the River”, and emphasizes the importance of empathy in storytelling, the challenges faced by women around the world, and her commitment to amplifying voices that inspire change. She also ...
Mar 28, 2025•41 min•Ep. 50
In this episode of The Founder Spirit, Barney Swan, Founder of ClimateForce, an explorer and a gifted keynote speaker, shares stories of planting trees with Dr. Jane Goodall, working with both modern and Indigenous wisdom keepers, his approach to mental health and wellbeing in navigating the “attention economy”. In this conversation, Barney discusses the importance of self-realization and circular economy, honoring what has brought us this far, and how to find common ground on sustainability. He...
Mar 15, 2025•42 min•Ep. 49
In this episode of The Founder Spirit, Elisabeth Stern, a cultural anthropologist, a peace and environmental activist, and a board member of Senior Women for Climate Protection Switzerland, recounts how the group prevailed through an eight-year legal battle to ultimately secure a landmark judgement against its own government for its inadequate climate policy. A passionate advocate for climate protection as a human right, Elisabeth emphasizes the leverage the financial sector has in addressing cl...
Feb 21, 2025•40 min•Ep. 48
In this episode of The Founder Spirit, Prakash Govindan, founder and COO of Gradiant, takes us through his journey of building a global leader in advanced water and wastewater treatment. Committed to giving nature its water back and ensuring it for generations to come, he explores the vital role of water, the groundbreaking technologies Gradiant has developed, and their impact on addressing global water scarcity and pollution.A spiritual seeker and a bhakti yogi, Prakash also shares wisdom from ...
Feb 08, 2025•50 min•Ep. 47
In this episode of The Founder Spirit, Trupti Jain, a social entrepreneur from India and co-founder of Naireeta Services, an organization at the forefront of climate resilience and sustainable agriculture, shares the value she placed on water at an early age growing up in harsh climate conditions. She discusses the hardships women farmers in rural India faced and explains the invention of Bhungroo, a water management solution, and its impact on improving the lives of smallholder farmers. How did...
Jan 27, 2025•31 min•Ep. 46
In this episode of The Founder Spirit, Byron Leon, an expert on the subconscious mind and hypnotism, recounts his personal journey of self-discovery from struggles with dyspraxia to the transformative power of hypnosis. He discusses the duality of self - "I" vs. "me" - and the role of the conscious and subconscious mind. Byron shares insights from his experiences with magnetism, hypnotism, shamanism, and working with individuals and groups to unlock their true potential. In this conversation, we...
Jan 10, 2025•1 hr 26 min•Ep. 45
In this episode of The Founder Spirit, Sari Tolvanen, Founder and CEO of Ocean Eye, the world’s first ecosystem service payments solution targeted for the global marine tourism sector, shares her passion for marine biology.Growing up in Finland, she discusses her transition from academic research to advocacy work at Greenpeace, spearheading ship expeditions and combating high seas commercial fishing. Driven by the desire to create change at the grassroots level, she innovated with Ocean Eye to p...
Dec 20, 2024•40 min•Ep. 44
In this episode of The Founder Spirit, Andres Ruzo, a serial entrepreneur, Founder and CEO of LinkAmerica, shares his inspiring journey from Peru to becoming a successful entrepreneur in the U.S.A purpose-driven entrepreneur and changemaker, he discusses the challenges he faced, his entrepreneurial spirit, and the importance of faith and adaptability. Emphasizing the significance of education, love, and collective consciousness in driving social change and regeneration, Andres also introduces hi...
Dec 06, 2024•1 hr 11 min•Ep. 43
In this episode of The Founder Spirit, Professor Klaus Schwab, Founder and Chairman of the World Economic Forum, recounts his visionary journey of building a unique platform for global dialogue and collaboration.From early life experiences to influential figures, the Professor highlights the essential elements of leadership (soul, brain, heart, muscles and nerves) as we enter the Intelligence Age. Reflecting on the Stakeholder Concept he pioneered in 1971, he also shares his thoughts on the futu...
Nov 14, 2024•48 min•Ep. 42
In this episode of The Founder Spirit, Jaideep Bansal, CEO of GHE Impact Ventures, shares his journey of bringing clean energy and sustainable development to over half a million people across the remotest communities in India.He discusses his formative experiences growing up and the importance of following your passion and purpose. Jaideep also talks about the challenges they faced in the early days and the importance of understanding the community's needs and co-creating solutions with them. Be...
Nov 01, 2024•38 min•Ep. 41
In this episode of The Founder Spirit, Rhett Butler, founder of Mongabay, a leading nonprofit media organization dedicated to environmental journalism, shares his inspiring journey from a nature-loving child to establishing a global news platform that highlights vital conservation and environmental issues often overlooked by mainstream media.Rhett discusses the challenges and triumphs of building Mongabay, the impact of their reporting and the importance of fostering a culture of respect and col...
Oct 11, 2024•52 min•Ep. 40
In this episode of The Founder Spirit, Dr. Krithi Karanth, CEO and Chief Conservation Scientist at the Centre for Wildlife Studies, shares the challenges of wildlife conservation in India and the importance of balancing human needs with conservation efforts. Reflecting on her upbringing and the passive absorption of purpose in a conservationist family, Krithi emphasizes the need for cultural tolerance and empowering communities to coexist with wildlife. Sharing her first encounters with tigers a...
Sep 27, 2024•38 min•Ep. 39
In this episode of The Founder Spirit, Tom Crowther, a leading ecologist and founder of Crowther Lab and Restor, explores the vital role of biodiversity and the interconnectedness of the natural world. Reflecting on his early experiences, Tom underscores the importance of recognizing the complexity of ecosystems in tackling environmental challenges and our responsibility in reversing biodiversity loss. He highlights the need for equitable wealth distribution and empowering local stewards of land...
Sep 16, 2024•37 min•Ep. 38
After over two decades of working in entrepreneurship and finance, our host, Jennifer Wu, found herself in an utterly different line of work than she had previously imagined. In this episode of The Founder Spirit, Jennifer reflects on at the end of her second season as a podcaster and discusses the growth and evolution of her show. She also shares her struggle with the inner critic, her experience of coming to America and overcoming the scarcity mindset, as well as her spiritual practices and a ...
Jul 26, 2024•26 min•Ep. 37
In this episode of The Founder Spirit, the trailblazing Atossa Soltani, Founder and Board President of Amazon Watch, shares her journey of becoming a leading voice in protecting the Amazon rainforest and defending the rights of its indigenous population. She discusses her formative experiences witnessing the Iranian Revolution, and also talks about her aha moment when the Gaia Hypothesis really resonated with her. She highlights the Amazon rainforest, the heart of our planet, being at an irrever...
Jul 05, 2024•1 hr 4 min•Ep. 36
In this episode of The Founder Spirit, David Obura, a coral reef ecologist and Founding Director of CORDIO East Africa, shares the importance of preserving biodiversity, protecting coastlines and supporting local communities. He discusses the challenges of restoring coral reefs and the need to address climate change. David identifies over-consumption as the main driver of carbon emissions, and calls to raise welfare and wellbeing of the bottom end of our society. This paradigm shift requires us ...
Jun 21, 2024•33 min•Ep. 35
In this episode of The Founder Spirit, Fabiola Gianotti, the first female Director General of CERN, shares her journey and the importance of fundamental research in addressing global challenges and advancing society.She discusses her decision to pursue science as a career, the discovery of the Higgs boson and its significance in explaining the origin of mass. With only 5% of the universe currently being understood by science, CERN plays a crucial role in answering open questions on dark matter a...
Jun 07, 2024•44 min•Ep. 34
In this episode of The Founder Spirit, Patrick Odier, Chairman of the Supervisory Board of the Geneva-based global private bank Lombard Odier Group, and Building Bridges, as well as the President of Swiss Sustainable Finance, highlights the role of financial services in transitioning to a sustainable economy.He explains how private sectors can become a force for good, and emphasizes the need for mindset shift, education and transparency in promoting sustainability, as well as the importance of c...
May 24, 2024•25 min•Ep. 33
In this episode of The Founder Spirit, the methodical Benjamin von Wong, a world-class multi-disciplinary artist and climate activist, shares his journey from a mining engineer to a renowned photographer. Upon discovering his passion for photography as a hobby, Benjamin quickly gained widespread recognition with an underwater shipwreck shoot in Bali. Despite commercial success, he experienced emptiness and briefly contemplated quitting photography. Benjamin soon found renewed purpose by focusing...
May 10, 2024•45 min•Ep. 32
In this episode of The Founder Spirit, the courageous Karen Tse, a human rights lawyer, an ordained minister, and Founder and CEO of the global non-profit, International Bridges to Justice, shares her journey from being a public defender to building legal systems around the world to end torture as an investigative tool. She highlights the importance of recognizing the inherent worth and dignity of every person and the finding hope in challenging circumstances. She recounts the inspiring story of...
Apr 26, 2024•50 min•Ep. 18
In this episode of The Founder Spirit, the prolific Loic Le Meur, a serial entrepreneur and founder of LeWeb, shares his journey from early influences in entrepreneurship to midlife crisis and the spiritual awakening that led him to question the pursuit of success and recognition. Creator of “Loic's Letter - Exploring the Mysterious” and an angel investor, he reflects on the trap of desire and the constant need for more, and the importance of self-observation and seeking meaning in life. Loic's ...
Apr 05, 2024•57 min•Ep. 31
The following episode was recorded during the 2023 Villars Symposium held by the Villars Institute, where we recorded several short interviews over a period of three days. The Founder Spirit Podcast is proud to be a partner of the Villars Institute, a nonprofit foundation focused on accelerating the transition to a net-zero economy and restoring planetary health.Join us in this episode of The Founder Spirit as we sit down with Peter Nyeko, Founder of Mandulis Energy, who shares his journey for b...
Mar 22, 2024•23 min•Ep. 30
In this episode of The Founder Spirit, the genuine Tracey Chang, a former TV journalist turned entrepreneur and lifestyle blogger, shares her journey starting with her unexpected win as Miss New York, and insights on becoming a successful TV journalist, building a personal brand and the meaning of her work as an online influencer.Tracey emphasizes the importance of authenticity and self-love in the pursuit of beauty and happiness, highlighting the significance of staying true to oneself in the d...
Mar 08, 2024•40 min•Ep. 29
The following episode was recorded during the 2023 Villars Symposium held by the Villars Institute, where we recorded several short interviews over a period of three days. The Founder Spirit Podcast is proud to be a partner of the Villars Institute, a nonprofit foundation focused on accelerating the transition to a net-zero economy and restoring planetary health.Join us in this episode of The Founder Spirit as we sit down with Subra Suresh, Founder and President of the Global Learning Council, a...
Feb 25, 2024•26 min•Ep. 28
In this episode of The Founder Spirit, we interview the unconventional Jaeson Ma, serial entrepreneur, hip-hop artist, and venture capitalist in the media, entertainment and technology industry. Growing up in the Bay Area, he reflects on his tumultuous adolescence and run-in’s with the law, recounting the pivotal moment that changed his life trajectory. Merging his deep spirituality with a passion for music, he delves into the vibrant West Coast underground hip-hop scene of the early '90s, narra...
Feb 10, 2024•1 hr 3 min•Ep. 27
