The Belonging Shift

In this episode of The Belonging Shift, host Mantej Singh speaks with David Engwight about why belonging cannot be delivered as a product and what changes when communities are trusted to create it together. We explore agile placemaking, the shift from a customer model to a citizen model, the value of spontaneous encounters, and why leaders need to replace endless planning with honest evaluation, c...

In this episode, host Mantej Singh speaks with Jane Bringolf, a long-time advocate, writer, and leader in universal design and inclusive practice, and a Churchill Fellow. They explore why universal design is not just about ramps, access standards, or compliance but about designing places, services, policies, and cultures where people are welcomed, considered, and able to belong without having to a...

In this episode of The Belonging Shift, host Mantej Singh speaks with Gilbert Rochecouste, CEO and Founder of Village Well – a placemaking consultancy on belonging and healthy people, places and planet. Gilbert talks about a world facing a polycrisis of climate, economic, and social challenges and how shifting our approach to place, culture, and storytelling can transform societies. Gilbert dives...

In this episode of The Belonging Shift, host Mantej Singh speaks with Dean Cracknell, Co-Founder of Doing Co and Creator of Placemaking Education, about community-led placemaking, belonging and the leadership shifts needed to create places where people feel connected, welcome and able to contribute. Dean shares why placemaking is more than murals, events or physical design. At its best, it is a mi...

In this episode of The Belonging Shift, host Mantej Singh speaks with Anthea Hancocks, CEO of the Scanlon Foundation Research Institute, about how Australia can strengthen belonging and social cohesion through trust, dignity, reciprocity and everyday local action. Anthea explains why belonging is not a single destination, why labels can limit people’s agency, and why leaders should avoid patronisi...

In this episode of The Belonging Shift, host Mantej Singh speaks with Dr Varina Michaels, CEO and Founder of Paisley Group about the importance of focusing on systems and structural work across policies, processes, strategies, and leadership rather than performative and tokenistic diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) work in order to improve the conditions that are essential for performance to o...

In this episode of The Belonging Shift, host Mantej Singh speaks with Joseph Santana, Chairman, CDO Powercircle from the United States. Joseph shares his journey from a business executive to a diversity and inclusion advocate, emphasizing the importance of aligning diversity and inclusion initiatives with business impact. Mantej and Joseph discuss that leaders must modernise policies, embrace flex...

In this episode of The Belonging Shift, host Mantej Singh explores a daring approach to transforming workplace inclusion by shifting from conventional models to a systemic, belonging-centred design. He presents five innovative shifts that actively embed belonging into organisational culture, decision-making, and community engagement. Mantej challenges leaders and organisations to move beyond surfa...

In this episode of The Belonging Shift podcast, host Mantej Singh speaks with Aleem Ali, CEO, Welcoming Australia on social cohesion and belonging. Aleem says that at its core, it's about the strength of relationships within a society. So how well people trust each other, how much they feel like they belong, how much they can participate meaningfully, and how much they can interact effectively. Th...

In this episode of The Belonging Shift podcast, host Mantej Singh speaks with Melissa Monteiro about belonging, migration, and settlement. Melissa Monteiro is Chief Executive Officer of the Community Migrant Resource Centre and Chair of the Settlement Council of Australia (SCOA). The conversation delves into the foundational importance of belonging for migrant and refugee communities in Australia....

In this episode of The Belonging Shift podcast, host Mantej Singh speaks with Zizi Charida, Founder, Zahia Pty Ltd., about belonging, community development, and going past surface-level tokenistic approaches. Zizi shares her insights on community development, the concept of belonging, and the practical steps needed to create a culture of belonging in workplaces and communities. She emphasizes the...

In this episode of The Belonging Shift, host Mantej Singh speaks with Lucy Cole Edelstein, founder of Kadima Training, about what it takes to build genuine belonging through community engagement. She shares practical shifts for leaders: get on the ground, listen firsthand, treat engagement as risk management done early. Lucy reflects on three decades in the field and shares why engagement must mov...

In this inaugural episode of The Belonging Shift podcast , host Mantej Singh highlights why Belonging is the new standard for communities, businesses, and leaders. He explores why cultivating a mindset of belonging is essential — not just for inclusion’s sake, but for tangible impacts on community engagement, organisational performance, and social cohesion. Mantej emphasises that belonging is a un...