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

Interview with David Lynch: filmmaker and creative genius. A tribute to David Lynch 1946-2025. David speaks from the heart, with abundant passion and an infectious self-assuredness about consciousness and the power of Transcendental Meditation to do away with the negatives in one's life while letting in boundless positivity. We learn about the work of the David Lynch Foundation, helping bring TM t...

Harriet Oppenheimer, Chief Executive of RNID (Royal National Institute for Deaf People), delves into the organisation’s work in support of the 18 million individuals in the UK who are deaf, have hearing loss, or experience tinnitus. She underscores the pervasive nature of hearing-related issues, noting that if one does not personally face such challenges, they undoubtedly know someone who does. Wi...

Maharshi Vaishnav, CEO of Educate Girls, discusses the organisation's mission and initiatives to tackle the persistent issue of girls’ exclusion from education in India. Maharshi notes that despite significant progress in universalising primary and middle school education through legislative reforms like the Right to Education Act of 2009, structural barriers such as entrenched patriarchy, poverty...

New Year's Special: Thoughts on Strategy, Fundraising and the Search for Talent. Have a listen and it just might make your 2025 even brighter. Thank you for downloading this episode of the Do One Better Podcast. Visit our Knowledge Hub at  Lidji.org  for information on 300 case studies and interviews with remarkable leaders in philanthropy, sustainability and social entrepreneurship.  

Lisa Hamilton, President and CEO of the Annie E. Casey Foundation, delves into the organisation’s mission and its groundbreaking efforts to create lasting change for children and families across the United States. The foundation, established by Jim Casey, the founder of UPS — the world's largest logistics company — carries forward a legacy rooted in empowering young people facing adversity. With a...

Mark Norbury, Chief Executive of UnLtd, explores the dynamic world of social entrepreneurship, highlighting the organisation’s commitment to empowering leaders who are transforming their communities. UnLtd has long championed social entrepreneurs across the UK, providing both financial and practical support to help innovative ideas flourish. Over the past five years, the organisation has seen a se...

Ella Gudwin, CEO of VisionSpring, offers an exploration of how access to affordable eyeglasses is not merely a matter of health but a transformative lever for economic development, productivity, and individual well-being. VisionSpring’s innovative hybrid model exemplifies the intersection of philanthropy and social enterprise, as it tackles one of the most pervasive yet solvable challenges in glob...

John O'Brien and Lucy Knill of Anthropy: Exploring the Future of Britain in the World. The conversation explores the origins, purpose, and transformative potential of Anthropy, a unique leadership gathering taking place in March 2025 that convenes diverse voices to envision and shape the future of Britain. John O'Brien, the founder of Anthropy, reveals how the initiative was born during the isolat...

The CEO of the David Lynch Foundation, Bob Roth, shares his insights on the role of Transcendental Meditation (TM) in tackling chronic stress and improving health outcomes. Filmmaker David Lynch and Bob Roth co-founded the foundation in 2005.  Roth highlights the devastating impact of toxic stress, which has evolved into a global crisis. Chronic stress, he explains, is distinct from everyday press...

The CEO of the Rodenberry Foundation, Lior Ipp, on elevating small, locally-led organizations driving systems change. The Roddenberry Foundation aligns its philanthropic vision with the values of equity, diversity, inclusivity, and justice that were hallmarks of Gene Roddenberry’s Star Trek legacy.  The foundation operates four core programs designed to catalyze meaningful impact: the Catalyst Fun...

Nick Grono, author of How to Lead Nonprofits and CEO of the Freedom Fund, delves into the unique challenges and responsibilities of nonprofit leadership, offering valuable insights drawn from two decades of experience in the sector. Grono reflects on the complexities of guiding purpose-driven organizations, contrasting the quantifiable metrics of success in the private sector with the more elusive...

Sidsel Kristensen, CEO of the LEGO Foundation, offers a deep look into the Foundation’s mission to champion playful learning and create sustainable, impactful initiatives for children globally. The LEGO Foundation has a 25% stake in the LEGO Group.  At the heart of the LEGO Foundation’s work is its belief in learning through play — a philosophy Kristensen describes as a powerful approach to foster...

Geoff Wilson shares insights into his journey from financial success to a deep commitment to philanthropy, driven by a blend of personal values and a vision for the social impact potential within the asset management industry. Growing up in a middle-class family in Melbourne, Australia, Wilson absorbed values that emphasized community engagement, a theme that he has woven into his professional lif...

In this engaging conversation, Dr Simon Lyster, Chair of the Essex Local Nature Partnership, delves into the promising strides being made in nature recovery within Essex, a region in the United Kingdom. Despite the global trend of biodiversity loss and environmental challenges, Essex presents a model of positive change through collaborative efforts and innovative strategies. This episode explores...

Jared Blumenfeld, President of the Waverley Street Foundation, discusses the foundation’s bold mission to deploy $3.5 billion over ten years to tackle climate change. The foundation was created and funded by Laurene Powell Jobs. Blumenfeld explains that unlike traditional foundations with perpetual funding models, Waverley Street’s "spend-down" approach reflects the time-sensitive nature of the cl...

CEO Roundtable Discussion: The Entrepreneurial Mindset to Drive Social Impact. The CEOs of the Duke of Edinburgh's International Award Foundation - Australia (Peter Kaye), the Veddis Foundation (Murugan Vasudevan), Maanch (Darshita Gillies), and the MD of the Peter Jones Foundation (Bill Muirhead), join Alberto Lidji in his capacity as Visiting Professor at the Hunter Centre for Entrepreneurship a...

Catherine Johnstone, CEO of Royal Voluntary Service (RVS), provides a compelling and thoughtful analysis of the evolving role of volunteering in society, highlighting the ambitious initiatives and rich legacy of the RVS. The organisation, with a history dating back to World War II, has played a pivotal role in mobilising citizens to take active roles in their communities. From backfilling roles on...

John Goodwin, Executive Chairman of the Learning Economy Foundation, offers an insightful examination of how emergent technologies — particularly verified credentials and digital credentials — are set to transform global education and employment systems. Through his role, John advocates for leveraging technology as a public good to promote equity, mobility, and individual agency, especially in und...

In this engaging episode, Patrick Dunne and Rebecca Robins delve into the fascinating and timely subject of multigenerational organizations, drawn from insights in their book Five Generations at Work: How We Win Together, For Good. For the first time in history, we have five distinct generations working concurrently across organizations globally, presenting both challenges and immense opportunitie...

In this enlightening discussion, Sebnem Sener, Head of Private Finance for the SDGs at United Nations Development Programme's (UNDP) Sustainable Finance Hub, provides a nuanced analysis of the vast financial gap preventing the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by 2030. The current $4.2 trillion annual financing shortfall is daunting, yet Sener emphasizes that this represents...

Crisis on the Frontline: A Closer Look at the WFP’s Expanding Challenges Geraldine O’Callaghan, Director of the World Food Programme's Global Office, sheds light on the profound challenges faced by the WFP as the gap between global hunger needs and available resources widens significantly. With operations in 120 countries, the WFP is confronted with a staggering increase in hunger, exacerbated by...

In this episode, Jessica Anderen, CEO of the IKEA Foundation, provides an in-depth look at the Foundation's commitment to addressing the most pressing global challenges, particularly poverty and climate change. She reflects on her journey within the IKEA ecosystem, from her extensive background in the corporate world to her current leadership role at the Foundation, highlighting the continuity in...

Dedo n Ba, Director of Strategy of the Segal Family Foundation, Discusses Strategic Philanthropy, African Social Entrepreneurs, and Building Collaborative Ecosystems. This episode offers a rich exploration of the strategic considerations and practical efforts involved in driving philanthropy in Sub-Saharan Africa. It highlights the importance of collaboration, the evolving nature of board governan...

Luke Thomas, CEO of World Child Cancer: Bridging the Gap in Pediatric Cancer Care We delve into the critical work of World Child Cancer, an organization dedicated to improving the diagnosis and treatment of childhood cancer in low to middle-income countries. World Child Cancer was established in 2007 to address the significant disparity in survival rates between children diagnosed with cancer in h...

The CEO of the EdelGive Foundation, Naghma Mulla, joins us on the Do One Better Podcast to discuss the impact of their GROW Fund  (Grassroots, Resilience, Ownership and Wellness) which strengthened 100 high impact grassroots organisations in India over 24 months, through capacity-building and supporting key organisational functions. We explore what it was like to design and launch the GROW Fund; g...