Web of Us

"There’s no secrets in what we do," says Alexander Scheirle on the Web of Us podcast. In conversation with Claire Wathen, the Orpheus Chamber Orchestra's executive director explains the curious formula behind how the group plays without a conductor – which he describes as ”like a school of fish”. Orpheus' rotating and communal approach to leadership isn’t a top-down vertical; i...

What can movement teach us about how people and networks hold together? "HollowBody is about letting the body guide you and not allowing the mind to take over the conversation," says Fiona Thng on Web of Us . In conversation with Claire Wathen, Kuik Swee Boon, founding artistic director of Singapore's The Human Expression (T.H.E) Dance Company, and assistant to artistic director Fio...

How does capital move through a circle of women meeting in a room, with no prospectus, no fund manager, and no formal credit history? In West Africa, it always has, says co-founder of Haskè Ventures, Madji Sock, on Web Of Us podcast. In conversation with host Claire Wathen, Madji shares her first experiences of a tontine in Senegal, how it inspired her to set up a new kind of venture studio empowe...

"To be around soil, is to be who we are as people," says “soil yoda” Kylie Woodham, a farmer, gardener, and sustainability and agribusiness strategist on Web of Us . In conversation with Claire Wathen, Kylie offers fresh narratives of how we could reorient food systems starting at the grassroots level, why soil is a life force in itself, and why it all starts with critical thought about...

For more than 1,400 years, the waqf – a form of Islamic endowment – has channelled private wealth toward public good. Today, Mohamad Zaoud, business owner, brand executive, and former Al Jazeera strategist, is applying that model to philanthropic challenges. "Since we launched this cash waqf for families," he tells Web Of Us host Claire Wathen, "I have seen the best of humanity.&quo...

Indonesia has hundreds of indigenous ingredients, but most of the world has never tasted them. Enter Helianti Hilman, the food entrepreneur kickstarting Indonesia’s homegrown food revival. Leaving her legal career to found Javara in 2008, she connects local food culture to markets. "It’s about reviving their identity," she tells Web Of Us host, Claire Wathen. Tune in to hear Helianti sha...

“If you don't know how to be porous as a leader, [...] you're just not gonna get it done” says Maryana Iskander on the Web Of Us podcast. In conversation with Claire Wathen, she shares what started as a “joke” to now being called the “last best place on the internet”, Wikipedia gets 15 billion visits every month (twice the population of the globe!). But how do you set up, scale and maint...

Claire Wathen is back for season two of her podcast, Web of Us . A show exploring the visible and invisible connections that shape our world. In Season Two, 'What Holds?', we’re investigating how networks hold under pressure. Claire explains more. Episodes releasing weekly starting September 2026. Hosted by Claire Wathen, Visiting Fellow at Saïd Business School, University of Oxford. Pro...

“To make this world work, we have to be fanatically positive,” says globally renowned choreographer and founder of LINES Ballet Alonzo King on The Web of Us. In conversation with Claire Wathen, Alonzo shares why movement is life, growing up with artistic and activist parents, and why stillness is key for sincere creative thought and collective action. Timestamps 00:00 Introduction to The Web of Us...

"Even though there may be all sorts of conflicts brewing, we can still talk as human beings who are fascinated; filled with wonder and curiosity," says Emeritus Research Fellow in Fungal Biology at the University of Oxford, Sarah Watkinson, on The Web of Us. In conversation with Claire Wathen, Sarah shares how she’s built an enviable career spanning five decades as a university mycologis...

"At our essence, we're more like the birds flying; we don't actually care about the boundaries that man has put on things," says genre-bending, Grammy-nominated recording artist Gina Chavez, on The Web of Us. In conversation with Claire Wathen, Gina shares how she’s transcended categorization as a bilingual artist, her journey building a multi-faceted career as an independent a...

"When people can vouch for people, friction from certain systems can disappear at scale," says the co-founder of Kiva and president of Branch, Premal Shah, on The Web of Us. In conversation with Claire Wathen, Premal takes us behind-the-scenes on how he created the world’s foremost microfinancing platform for underserved markets, shares how he made the leap from PayPal to social enterpri...

"Developing a mindset which prepares us for this entangled future is the intellectual journey that we all need to go on," says the founding director of the Oxford Martin School, Ian Goldin on The Web of Us. In conversation with Claire Wathen, Ian shares what makes him hopeful, four criteria for building a great organization, and why migration accelerates human progress.

"Everything in Oxford is named Oxford this or Oxford that, and we were very deliberate in being named Africa Oxford not Oxford Africa, and that re-centers Africa in the conversation" says the Co-Director of the Africa Oxford Initiative, Dr. Anne Makena on The Web of Us. In conversation with Claire Wathen, Anne shares how she’s spearheading equitable and sustainable partnerships between O...

"When you understand the power game, you understand that you are not so critical for politicians," says former Colombian minister and founder of Manos Visibles, Paula Moreno on The Web of Us. In conversation with Claire Wathen, Paula explores the importance of creating inclusive spaces, why navigating power dynamics is about realizing that power is found within, and how she's built...

"We shouldn't be paralyzed by analysis, right? That’s the essence of solving systems," says Brazilian entrepreneurship engineer Paulo Savaget on The Web of Us. In conversation with Claire Wathen, Paulo shares why thinking like a computer hacker can be a great approach, how piggybacking on other peoples’ solutions can save you a ton of work, and why friction isn’t necessarily a bad t...

Claire Wathen is launching a new podcast, The Web of Us. A show exploring the visible and invisible connections that shape our world. Every episode, we’ll deliver an insightful conversation exploring network theory to help you strengthen your own networks. Claire explains more.