Do One Better with Alberto Lidji in Philanthropy, Sustainability and Social Entrepreneurship

  "Redesigning how business could be and should be, to the benefit of society, is a very important thing." We tackle a diverse range of topics, from climate change and inequality to his outlook on life and the observation that some people think greed is good but, longer term, generosity will always win. This is a multifaceted and candid conversation. We hear how his potential to drive forward grea...

On this episode we focus on global hunger and malnutrition, which is UN Sustainable Development Goal 2 (Zero Hunger).   We address key questions and explore the subject in depth:   • Should anyone be dying from hunger in this day and age? • Must we embrace a vegetarian lifestyle? • What is the impact of childhood stunting on long-term economic development?   • What's the connection between food sy...

  Siya came from a challenging and humble background and, in 2018, became the first Black test player appointed Captain of the Springboks — South Africa’s national rugby team. In 2019, Siya led his team to Rugby World Cup victory. Rachel brings a long-standing passion to serve individuals and communities across South Africa. From as early as 1990, Rachel has been involved in charitable and communi...

  We hear Cherie’s personal story, from the positive influence of her mother and grandmother, to starting out as a lawyer in the 1970s when it was still rare for women to be actively involved in the workforce, to her time living in 10 Downing Street where she was lucky enough to travel the world and meet many great women across the world.  Cherie felt that there was a gap in women's economic indep...

  An inspiring conversation for anyone interested gender equality. The Asian University for Women (AUW) was first established in Bangladesh in 2008, with a specific mission to recruit young women who have promise and potential, regardless of their background, and to offer them high quality education.  It's a liberal arts institution — the only one of its kind in the region. It's very global in out...

  An insightful and candid conversation with a true champion for quality education for every girl and boy across the globe.   Born in Wales, UK, Julia migrated with her family to Australia as a very small girl. She was educated at local government schools, literally at the end of her street.   Her father had grown up in a coal-mining village and he left school at 14. He found his way in Australia...

  Larry has been President of the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation since 2012. Before joining the foundation, Larry served from 2004 to 2012 as Richard E. Lang Professor of Law and Dean of Stanford Law School. The Hewlett Foundation has an $11 billion dollar endowment and this conversation focuses on their work tackling climate change. Larry delves into the difference between the different app...

  An insightful conversation that delves into the UK Government’s changes to its foreign aid budget, the termination of the Department for International Development (DFID), and co-ordinating with UK and international organisations during the COVID-19 pandemic. Stephanie Draper has spent more than 20 years working to accelerate a just and sustainable future, with a focus on sustainable development....

  An insightful conversation with a highly passionate and respected practitioner and advocate. Charlie provides an overview of the state of affairs in brain cancer research today, sheds light on the medical advances he has witnessed since his days as a medical student and shares his optimism for much less invasive and much more effective treatments in the not too distant future. From founding the...

  Chris shares his insight on the social entrepreneurial journey and his current venture, “Living With”, which helps patients, doctors and researchers to manage conditions remotely and derive  valuable data in the process. Chris has 20 years’ experience of building fast growth, multinational companies and products, from £0 to £50m turnover. Among other ventures, he built and floated digital agency...

  The foundation will sunset in a couple of years’ time, and the dynamics are much more complicated than one would expect. From ensuring the foundation’s key staff are motivated until the end to sharing institutional knowledge with others and helping partners and beneficiaries thrive in the long-term. The MAVA Foundation is a family philanthropic foundation based in Switzerland.  They were founded...

  Learn how Charlize Theron, one of Hollywood’s biggest names, founded CTAOP in 2007 and is today driving a strong network of charitable partners, supporting youth in diverse ways and working with a team of professionals to help improve young people’s lives as we approach the UN Sustainable Development Goals for 2030. Ashlee George has been part of Charlize Theron’s team for 15 years and over the...

  Infosys Chairman and Co-founder, Nandan Nilekani, and Rohini Nilekani, are the other two Co-founders of the EkStep Foundation.  Both Nandan and Rohini are signatories of The Giving Pledge — a commitment made by billionaires to giving the majority of their wealth to philanthropy. Infosys is one of the world’s largest IT firms and Nandan Nilekani’s involvement places the EkStep Foundation in a str...

  A New Year's special episode featuring key takeaways from some of the fascinating guests who joined us on The Do One Better! Podcast during 2020, including: • Fran Perrin - Chair of 360Giving • Sir David King - Former UK Government's permanent Special Representative for Climate Change • Per Heggenes - CEO of the IKEA Foundation • John Goodwin - CEO of the LEGO Foundation • Ben Davies - Executive...

  The Centre for Strategic Philanthropy was founded by Badr Jafar and is based at Judge Business School at the University of Cambridge.  It was launched in June 2020 and is focused on emerging markets, with particular concern for the Middle East, Africa and Southeast Asia. Its geographic focus is something that sets the Centre apart from other academic outfits in the field of philanthropy. They ha...

  The FrameWorks Institute has been around for 20 years and they currently have a staff of around 25 professionals, comprised largely of PhD-level social scientists. Nat describes the team as a motley crew of disenchanted academics. Interestingly, they really don’t have folks in the team who come from a communications background, which is a bit ironic considering they focus on communications. Nat...

  In 2020, they are celebrating their 70th birthday. World Vision International operates in most countries across the world and is a $3 billion organisation focused on ending violence against children in all its forms and supporting children, particularly in some of the most challenging countries, such as the DRC and Syria.   While World Vision is a Christian organisation, they serve those of all...

  Scouting prepress young people with skills for life. It has been around for 113 years and is active in 190 countries. There are 53 million scouts worldwide and 460,000 in the UK. Moreover, there are 160,000 adult volunteers in the UK and 60,000 young people who are waiting to join the Scouts.   In the UK, the Scouts are a federation of 8,000 Scout charities. The organisation has numerous income...

  UWS is an educational NGO, based in the UK, with an international approach and a presence in Cambodia, Myanmar and Nepal.    Through education, UWS transforms the lives of some of the poorest children in the world who would otherwise have no access to education. They work with local communities to build and nurture schools and, then, to transition these schools into the government system.    The...

  We discuss Rotary International’s charitable work in local and global settings. They are the largest service club organisation in the world and operate in more than 200 countries.  While clubs are independent they all follow core values.    Holger is looking to increase the number of female members who join Rotary International as well as the number of young professionals. Diversity is vital and...

  This conversation provides great insight into a public / private partnership with a strong philanthropic underpinning that simultaneously drives forward human development and wildlife conservation at scale — within a challenging context that in recent years has included conflict, local fighting, a commodities crash, a currency devaluation and a massive cyclone.    A focus on forestry, ecotourism...

  A fascinating and thought-provoking conversation for anyone who's looking to understand attitudes and drive behaviour change at scale for the betterment of society.   What drives misogynistic attitudes? How do you know whether your philanthropic intervention is making a difference?  Can AI and big data help improve girls' education and expected career outcomes? What about privacy considerations...

We hear how Afam’s father, and his dream to improve lives in Nigeria, was the inspiration that led to the creation of the Geanco Foundation – a charity based in Los Angeles. His father is originally from Nigeria and Geanco is very much a family story; they led with a dream and figured everything else from there.   Afam studied at Harvard and Stanford Law, yet his calling to serve guided him to the...

  Ben Davies provides great insight into the work of the Johnson & Johnson Foundation, their support of frontline healthcare workers, their $250 million investment and their aim to reach 100 million people... and much more.   Highly consequential work, especially in light of the COVID-19 pandemic.  This conversation sheds much light on corporate philanthropy and how the private sector plays a role...

  Danny Harvey has more than 20 years' experience in the humanitarian aid and development sector, working with a number of organisations, including Concern. She has lived and worked in a number of countries including Cambodia, East Timor, Uganda and Indonesia.  Visit The Do One Better! Podcast website for full episode notes, guest bios and useful links. Please click the subscribe button on your fa...