Coffee with Changemakers

Louis De Jaeger is an award-winning entrepreneur, filmmaker, author, and advocate working to protect the very ground we depend on - soil. Founder of Commensalist and co-founder of the Food Forest Institute, he designs regenerative landscapes from small gardens to private islands and promotes large-scale edible forests that feed people while restoring nature.  In his latest book, “SOS: Save Our Soi...

Over 1.3 billion people worldwide live with disabilities - yet most assistive technologies remain expensive and out of reach. Hunny Bhagchandani, founder of Torchit Electronics, is changing that with affordable innovations like the Saarthi Smart Cane, Jyoti AI Smart Glasses, and ENABLE MART, often called the “Amazon for Accessibility.” His products have already reached half a million people across...

Dr. Ally Zlatar is an award-winning artist, activist, and academic working at the intersection of art, mental health, and social justice. Drawing from her own lived experience with an eating disorder, she founded The Starving Artist, an international initiative using creative expression to amplify marginalised voices and drive systemic reform. She also established the Starving Artist Scholarship F...

Robyn Natsuko Shinozaki is the founder of Green Neighbors, a social enterprise reimagining how cities grow food, foster connection, and promote sustainable living. Drawing on her multicultural upbringing in Japan and Singapore, Robyn blends urban farming with community engagement to transform underused city spaces into thriving green ecosystems. In this episode, Robyn shares her journey from growi...

Emre Caglar is the founder of Youth for a Future, a nonprofit organization working to empower children living in orphanages across Japan through education, mentorship, and self-discovery. In this episode, Emre shares his journey from launching a student club focused on the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals (or SDGs) to building a growing youth-led movement for social impact. We delve into the cha...

Zachary Brown is a Co-Founder of Creattura, a climate tech startup dedicated to reducing methane emissions from rice farming through cutting-edge AI, satellite data, and sustainable agricultural practices. In this episode, Zachary shares his inspiring journey from a self-taught tech enthusiast to a social entrepreneur driving innovation in climate solutions. He delves into the challenges of integr...

Narayan Lal Gurjar, the founder and CEO of EF Polymer, has a mission to solve one of agriculture’s most pressing issues—water scarcity. Hailing from a farming community in Rajasthan, India, Narayan’s journey into agri-tech was deeply personal, inspired by his father’s struggles with water shortages. In this episode, Narayan opens up about his entrepreneurial journey, sharing the challenges, setbac...

Riki Yamauchi is a venture capitalist at Novastar Ventures, focused on driving sustainable growth through impactful investments in Africa. In this episode, Riki shares his journey from a successful finance career in Japan to becoming a leading advocate for startup innovation in Africa.  Riki discusses the unique opportunities and challenges of venture capital in Africa, highlighting how startups a...

Dedy Tien is the Founder of the Peduli Learning Center, a nonprofit organisation empowering children in rural Indonesia through education. Growing up in a remote village without electricity, Dedy’s journey to becoming an education innovator and social entrepreneur is nothing short of inspiring. In this episode, Dedy shares how he transformed his personal challenges into a passion for providing loc...

Thomas Chevallier, Co-founder and Director of Plant the Seed, launched a community-run organic farm as a student. Years later, this evolved into an impact-driven business providing end-to-end waste management solutions to South African schools and businesses.  Plant the Seed has diverted 100,000+kgs of waste from landfills through its innovative ‘Zero Waste Toolkit’, as well as empowering 17,000+...

Anaiah Singh is a 15-year-old changemaker and the creator of HeartTalk, an app transforming teen mental health through peer-to-peer voice messaging.  Inspired by her own struggles with bullying and isolation, Anaiah is on a mission to provide a lifeline for teens facing loneliness and mental health challenges. Her Instagram account reached 30 million+ people and the beta version of her app attract...

"What is your dream?" That was the question Taichi Ichikawa, CEO of World Road, asked 201 young people from 201 countries. Their answers are captured in his groundbreaking book, “We Have a Dream”, a collection of stories from around the globe focusing on the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).  Taichi’s mission to empower young people quickly expanded beyond the page, inspiring a TV series on th...

Anya Raza, a Pakistani-Dutch filmmaker, uses storytelling to challenge norms and drive social change. Known for her impactful documentaries, Anya’s work spans economic empowerment, humanitarian causes, human rights, and freedom of expression. For example, her film “How She Moves” follows classical dance guru Indu Mitha, showcasing her feminist and secular approach to dance in Pakistan, illustratin...

Kai Childs is on a mission to change education with The Innovation Fellowship, a new international school in Tokyo that empowers students to explore their passions and build real-world skills. In this episode, we explore Kai’s path from career experimentation in his 20s to building a purpose-driven school in his 30s. At The Innovation Fellowship, students learn through project-based work, self-pac...

Kana Watando is the Co-founder and Director of INOW Kamikatsu, an educational tourism organisation based in Japan’s first “Zero Waste village”, Kamikatsu. With a mission to integrate sustainable living practices into everyday life, Kana helps visitors immerse themselves in the village's unique and charming lifestyle, offering homestay experiences and hands-on educational programs that build deep c...

Carole Fuchs is a green ultra athlete, entrepreneur, and climate activist who has climbed some of the world’s highest peaks, including Mount Everest. As the founder of Feel Run, a circular economy business that creates sustainable sportswear, Carole is passionate about reducing the environmental impact of the sports industry. We explore her many adventures in extreme environments, including her ex...

Zar Li Aye, a lawyer and human rights defender from Myanmar, has dedicated herself to building a network of legal experts who courageously protect the rights of persecuted individuals - often risking their own lives in the process. She shares her remarkable journey from an aspiring musician to a key figure in the fight for justice in Myanmar. Zar Li delves into the country’s political landscape, s...

Kei Ikegami is the Founder and CEO of Planet Savers, Japan’s first Direct Air Capture (DAC) startup. From working in international development in the Middle East to completing his MBA at Cambridge, Kei shares his entrepreneurial story and his company’s mission to tackle the climate crisis through its deep technology that captures carbon dioxide directly from the atmosphere. He discusses building h...

Serkan Toso launched byFood, a platform connecting foodie travelers with unique culinary experiences, in 2019. Since then, the company has donated 600,000+ meals to children in need through its ‘Food for Happiness’ program. Having moved from Turkey to Japan, Serkan shares his fascinating journey into entrepreneurship and his many learnings from building and scaling his company. He candidly shares...

Ralph Nicolai Nasara is Co-founder and CTO of OOYOO, a social impact startup focused on capturing carbon dioxide and cleaning air for a sustainable future. Ralph shares his personal story and how his fascination with energy and batteries at a young age led him to pursue a career in climate tech, including a 10-year deep dive into the field of lithium-ion batteries. He explains the challenges and o...

Ukrainian Karate athlete Anna Kreshchenko moved to Japan in 2017. There, she founded Flora, a startup improving women’s wellbeing. The company runs the popular ‘Moonly’ app which helps users track menstrual cycles, access health insights, and improve pregnancy planning. Flora also works with major companies to enhance healthcare services for women and empower the female workforce. Anna is a Forbes...

Zubair Junjunia founded ZNotes - a community-led learning platform with a mission to end educational inequality everywhere - as a teenager in his bedroom. A decade later, Zubair and the ZNotes community have grown their movement exponentially; the platform now empowers over 5 million young people across the world with its vast range of student-built educational content and peer-to-peer learning op...

On the ‘Coffee with Changemakers’ podcast, we explore the stories of changemakers taking on some of today’s biggest social and environmental challenges. Every episode, we host an intimate conversation on social impact and leadership, where we listen, learn, and connect with inspiring guests from all over the world. In episode 1, hosts Robin and Yoshi share their “why” behind starting this podcast...