Future of Business

Leye (Cornelius) Makanjuola, Oxford Saïd MBA and host discusses the EV charging market with Folasade Ayoola, a fellow student and entrepreneur. In this episode, Fola Ayoola delves into her experience co-building ElectricFish, a climate tech company building distributed energy storage in the US. She discusses the technological challenges associated with the EV charging landscape in the US and how E...

The importance of red tape in growing economies. In this episode, Jordan Zele, Oxford Saïd MBA and host discusses regulation with Nattawan Kularbkeo, a fellow student and Senior Investigation officer at SEC Thailand. Nattawan challenges the idea that markets must choose between growth and regulation, suggesting that for sustainable growth, regulation is necessary. The episode explores emerging cha...

Katherine Dellar and Oxford MBA classmate Diego Rojas discuss Diego's experience starting a Fintech business. Host Katherine Dellar is joined by Fintech entrepreneur and Oxford MBA classmate Diego Rojas. Diego is the CEO and co-founder of PasanaQ, a startup seeking to democratize access to financial services in Latin America by digitising informal savings practices. They discuss Diego's experience...

In this episode, Angus Macdonald sits down with Grace Njunge to delve a bit deeper into what a career in impact consulting may look like on the African continent. Having worked in client services as well as Chief of Staff for Dalberg Global Development Advisors, Grace leverages on her extensive experience to provide those aspiring for a career what it is like to work in this ever-growing industry....

In this episode of season 5, Susheel Siram, an Oxford Saïd MBA and host, discusses gender inequity in the art market with fellow student Brooke Reese. Prior to pursuing her MBA, Brooke spent over five years in the contemporary and modern art market. She begins by sharing her experience working in the art world and then delves deep into the role that gender plays in the valuation of art. Drawing on...

In this episode of season 5, Sandhya Sridhar, Oxford Saïd MBA and host, discusses the world of family business with fellow student Shwe Yee Win. Shwe Yee runs her family garment manufacturing business - SPZ Garment and Embroidery - in Yangon, Myanmar. She dives into her experience of working for her family business and elaborates on the times the business faced crises such as COVID-19 and the mili...

Host Katherine Dellar discusses all things trash, garbage and rubbish with Oxford MBA classmate Ryan Caplin. Drawing on his experiences and research in both developing and developed country environments, Ryan debunks commonly-held assumptions about waste management and reveals a fascinating, albeit kind of gross, circular economy solution to organic waste. The episode gives an overview of best pra...

Happy New Year from the Future of Business Podcast! In this season's second episode, Jordan Zele, Oxford Saïd MBA and host, discusses funding of the arts with pianist, actor, and fellow student Helen Kashap. Helen draws upon her experiences across North America and Europe to explore market failings in the art world, and why alternate means of funding such as patronage, philanthropy and government...

This episode explores how business and impact have become interwoven over time and how that shapes companies' strategic objectives. Series 5 Episode 1: Welcome back to the Future of Business. In the first episode of the new season Susheel Siram, Oxford Saïd MBA and host, dives into impact with fellow student Christen Brandt. Christen is the co-founder of She’s the First, an international NGO dedic...

On the final episode of Season 4, Grace Chou turns the recording table on Andreas Finzel to discuss why there’s no biz like showbiz. From TV streaming to podcasts, Andreas sheds light on the various media business models and shares his perspectives on recent industry developments at the likes of Netflix and Spotify. If you’ve ever wondered how the commercial side of media & entertainment works...

This week Kaitlyn Neises-Macano talks with Andreas Finzel about her work in public health on Saipan, a tiny island in the Pacific. Kaitlyn and Andreas discuss the unequal impact communicable and noncommunicable diseases have on communities in developed and developing countries. They also explore the growing awareness of mental health as a public health priority. And listen now to find out why Kait...

Princess Agina reflects on her career journey and takes us through the systemic issues impacting the state of education. Princess Agina is an Edtech entrepreneur in making. Through her experiences with Teach For America, Peace Corps, the Fulbright Program, and the county of Hawaii, students have always been her motivation. She reflects on her learnings from the different aspects of her career jour...

This week our guest Ishaq Bolarinwa shares his insights on the energy sector after spending nearly a decade in oil & gas in Nigeria. He reflects on the impact of the Russia-Ukraine War on energy markets and the transition to net-zero. Having just launched the energy brokering platform Anfani this year, he sheds light on the importance of public-private partnerships and his mission to provide m...

This week, Rudolph Okai talks to Emil Kostadinov about the significance of supply chains. Join us on this episode of Future of Business to listen to Emil talk about how important supply chains are to the operations of business, and how businesses are reacting to the post pandemic disruptions. We would like to learn more about your experience listening to the Future of Business to help us continue...

This week Mario Rojas and Andreas Finzel talk about venture capital (VC). They discuss what criteria funds use to evaluate founder pitches and how investing in startups in developing markets differs from more mature economies like the UK. Mario has worked in international VC funds for years and offers concrete insights valuable for anyone trying to understand when, why and how venture capital mana...

In this episode with Dârini Vedarattiname, we explore the different ways cities, such as Amsterdam and Cochin or our home cities Montréal and Madurai, can impact our society and our economic development. Where do you come from and how much does that impact the opportunities you get? What determines a city’s place in the world? Join us to listen to a truly global citizen talk about a deeply global...

Join us as we hear from Huw Allen, a current Oxford MBA student, previous film producer…and future media tycoon! We explore his journey through the media entertainment world – specifically around navigating the fast-paced and high-pressured lifestyle and hear from Huw about some mental health challenges that he overcame.

Malina Ma and Andreas Finzel peek behind the scenes of luxury art auction houses. This episode explores how auction houses work, the genesis of blockchain in the art industry and how you can sell your Van Gogh should you have one. Malina brings firsthand insights from a major auction house and combines a love for the art with an excitement about the changing face of the industry.

Rudolph Okai talks to Ashraf Mizo about his entrepreneurship experience and what the company (Nayla) he founded is doing. Join us on this episode of Future of Business to listen to Ashraf take us through his entrepreneurship journey in Sudan from making prosthesis to supporting SME’s with funding, while dealing with nonmarket issues. Nayla seeks to establish disability inclusion and economic empow...

Su Zun Mon, a Weidenfeld-Hoffmann scholar, shares her insights on the different operating systems of social enterprises and intergovernmental organisations (IGOs) based on her experiences in Myanmar. This episode sheds light on how Product Management rooted in human-centered design is not only essential in tech, but also in the development sector.

Join us as we hear from Kiran Fothergill, a current Oxford MBA student and Conservative Party candidate for Harrow on the Hill in this year's local elections. We explore his journey through entrepreneurship, family business and politics, and investigate the fundamental skills required firstly to navigate the landscapes of these roles and ultimately to combine them for maximum effect.

From resources for ultimate beginners in the space to invitations to help plan succession, we leave no stone unturned in this episode on the future of blockchain. Sammi Wei is the founder and one of the inaugural co-chairs of the Blockchain Club at Saïd Business School (amongst many other things as we will discover during the course of this episode). She believes all future business leaders should...

Nagadarsan Suresh and Andreas Finzel discuss how we can slow climate change by achieving net zero carbon emissions. This episode dives into topics like carbon capture and sustainability accounting, expanding on this season's first episode "Fight against climate change: Are the efforts enough?" Listen in and understand the key concepts and strategies in our efforts to preserve the planet.

Join us to learn more from Gadea Aguado Sierra, an architect shortlisted in the 2021 Women of the Future Awards, about opportunities for equity and sustainability in and through the built environment and the potential of neighbourhood real estate investment trusts (REIT). Gadea shares how impact investing and other conversations at Oxford inspire her to chart out her own and the industry’s future....

This week, Rudolph Okai and Prince Ekeh (Co-CEO, Konga) discuss e-commerce in Africa. Join us on this episode of Future of Business to listen to Prince take us through his strategies for expanding beyond his home-ground in Nigeria. From the local ecosystem to supply chain complexities to rising social commerce, Konga is all set to dominate e-commerce and payments in Africa. Speakers: Guest: Prince...