Better Heroes

How does a small, impact driven business grow into a social unicorn and deliver impact for millions or even billions of people? Support, partnership and collaboration. In this episode, we're going to tell you about the Reckitt Catalyst program and the EY Ripples collaboration.  Reckitt owns health and hygiene brands including Lysol, Mucinex and Dettol. Purpose is to protect, heal and nurture...

In the age of AI, nonprofits need technology just as much as any for profit business. Unfortunately, nonprofits are often working with tight budgets and limited resources.  That's why ServiceNow started the Partnership for Good Grant and that's also why EY joined them. The program offers four grants to deserving nonprofits. They include technology donations, monetary donations and consulting hours...

Socioeconomic inequality is a global issue but it’s especially significant in South Africa right now. According to a recent Quarterly Labour Force Survey < https://www.statssa.gov.za/?p=18398 > from Statistics South Africa, more than 50 percent of South African youth are unemployed. To help find actionable solutions, today's guests are sharing the tools they use to create economic opportunit...

How do we protect the ecosystems underwater from the effects of climate change? Our guests show us that the key lies in expeditions which explore the oceans on our planet.  Toby Gregory, founder of the Arctic Challenge, led a crew into the Arctic Ocean to study the remote area, and brings to life his expedition. Darryl Owen, Owner and CEO, Freestyle Divers Founder, Project REEFrame, speaks ab...

In rooms across the world - kitchens, board rooms, conferences - people are asking questions about AI. Today, we hope to answer some of those questions by bringing you professionals who are researching, teaching and implementing AI in their roles. Our guests are Raj Sharma, EY Global Managing Partner for Growth and Innovation, and Rebecca Winthrop, Senior Fellow and Director, Center for Universal...

What if there was a way to shift the system and create better opportunities for everyone? What if businesses could thrive while also empowering their employees to share in their success? Today’s guests are going to tell you about the potential of shared ownership and how they’re converting ownership structures. Anna-Lisa Miller is the Executive Director of Ownership Works. She’s leading a movement...

One of the keys to building a more sustainable future is for corporations to step up and assume their responsibility to decrease CO2 emissions. Luckily our guests today are leaders in corporate sustainability initiatives. Michaela Morris is CEO at Tasman Environmental Markets (TEM). Tasman helps businesses achieve their carbon emissions goals. Mathew Nelson is EY Oceania, Chief Sustainability Offi...

The difference we can make in the world when we come together is far greater than any individual or company could possibly make on their own. Our guests are Payal Dalal and Meredith Jones. Payal is the Executive Vice President, Global Programs for the Center for Inclusive Growth at Mastercard.  Meredith is a Managing Director, Climate Change and Sustainability Services (CCaSS), Ernst & Yo...

The recipe for social impact success includes, concern for people and the planet, problem solving, a specific motivation, and mentorship. Our guests today, Arturo Quiroz and Stephanie Benedetto, have every ingredient in this recipe and more. Arturo is the founder of Wareclouds, a digital platform that makes use of a network of individual homes acting as warehouses and fulfillment centers. The dece...

What if I told you mushrooms could be used to build roads? In this episode, we’ll introduce you to the people who are taking this idea from just a fantasy for video games and movies to a real technology that’s reducing pollutants and making construction more sustainable. Line Kloster Pedersen is the founder of Visibuilt. The idea for mushroom roads first struck her while she was on a hike. Then Li...

More than half of all companies use AI in their work today - and that number is only going to grow. But not everyone has the opportunity to prepare for that future and learn about this rapidly changing technology.   That’s where our guests, Naria Santa Lucia and Marcie Merriman come in.  Naria is General Manager, Skills for Social Impact Leader at Microsoft Philanthropies. She ensur...

What is the definition of ethical Artificial Intelligence (AI)? How can advancements in technology be put to work and make the world a better place? What issues are impact entrepreneurs trying to solve right now? One place where AI can make a world of difference is education inequality. In this episode, we’ll bring you the story of the ed-tech company, Geekie and its founder, Claudio Sassaki. Geek...

What does it take to move the needle on the world's toughest challenges, shaping the future with confidence?  Visionary individuals, groundbreaking collaborations and committed organizations. This season brings stories of entrepreneurs using mushrooms to build roads; organizations  changing the way supply chains run in South America; AI democratizing education, and some of the world's la...

Better Heroes is back with a new episode just in time for Climate Week in New York City! Have you heard the acronym ESG? We’ve definitely mentioned it once or twice on the show. It stands for environmental, social, and governance. These are three areas where businesses have become far more conscious of their impact on the world and are evolving in their ability to quantify and disclose their impac...

Neurodiversity is an asset in the workplace but employers haven’t always been ready for it. Research shows that when neurodiverse people are properly supported, they come up with more novel ideas and better serve customers. Supportive technology has changed the game in this regard. Things like AI, can help people focus on their strengths while filling in the gaps where they might have a weakness.&...

Despite the uncertainty of new technology and conversations about the negative impacts of AI, today’s Better Heroes believe whole-heartedly in its positive uses. Rami Amin is the Director of Innovation and Digital Partnerships at Visa. He spearheads AI initiatives, and digital partnerships, with governments, to help financial ecosystems. Sophie Sirtaine is the CEO of CGAP which stands for the Cons...

In order to best prepare students for the workforce, artificial intelligence (AI) should be taught and used in schools. Some countries and some states are way ahead of others when it comes to how they approach teaching AI.  That’s where public, private and government partnerships come in to level the playing field. Today’s guests are embracing AI and preparing current and future generations t...

Have you ever heard of the Zulu word, Ubuntu? It means ‘I am because we are.” The term alludes to having a collective vision, goal and effort as a community rather than an individualistic outlook.   Both of today’s Better Heroes are living, breathing examples of how this collective effort can help us live more sustainably by changing our consumption habits. While they have different appr...

Volunteering seems like a normal everyday activity. Planting trees, cooking at a soup kitchen or picking up trash are all great examples. But what if we could amplify the impact of these activities?   In Singapore, at least 31 organizations including EY and CitiBank, have joined together to get more people to volunteer more often. It’s called Project V - as in volunteer. This episode’s better...

How do you find and build meaningful partnerships when you’re working across borders, and in unfamiliar communities? Today’s Better Heroes have the answer.  Peter Awin is the Co-Founder and CEO of Cowtribe, a digital platform distributing animal vaccines across Ghana’s villages. Malte Pielhau is a Director at EY Germany and Christian Bausch is Associate Director at Boehringer Ingelheim Social...

How many world-changing ideas are out there that just need a little bit of funding to get off the ground?  Thanks to this episode's better heroes, one idea is getting off the ground that could change the way we feed the world!  Cilia Indahl is the CEO of EQT Foundation. Her group makes impact investments and paves the way for other investors to support groundbreaking startups. Chee Hoe i...

AI is the buzziest of the buzzwords right now. Almost everyday we hear about the risks and the benefits, we hear about how AI is the future, and we try our  best to understand how it’ll affect our industry and our jobs. But today’s Better Heroes aren’t just concerned with the current applications for AI and the current industry, they’re preparing future generations of AI programmers and users...

How do we activate and motivate millions of people across the globe to adopt daily healthy habits? And is there a way for these healthy habits to have a net positive impact on our communities as a whole? Today’s Better Hero is Eduardo della Maggiora.  Eduardo is the co-founder and CEO of Betterfly, a wellbeing platform that converts healthy activities from users into charitable donations. Bet...

Ordinary office supplies can have a value far beyond their cost and everyday use. Big organizations have whole teams tasked with procurement - the purchasing of items necessary for them to do business. If those teams take into account the social impact of the items they buy the process becomes social procurement.  The tea in your office kitchen is a great example. If it’s from NEMI Teas, it’s...

Minority businesses aren’t just underestimated, they’re woefully underfunded. At the current pace, in the US, it will take 333 years for a minority-owned business to achieve revenue parity to their non-minority counterparts! But we can significantly reduce that timeline with support and collaboration. Ethel Torres is the CEO at National Drug Source, a pharmaceutical distribution platform that’s pr...