World Changing Ideas

According to UNICEF, severe acute malnutrition threatens an estimated 16 million children worldwide and claims the lives of approximately one million more. One of the most common interventions by the UN is to provide Ready-to-Use Therapeutic Food packets. Talib sat down with hive CEO and co-founder Jenifer Willig to discuss her work on creating a video game that helps fight malnutrition.

Last week, Andrew Yang released a book about his ideas on transforming our political and economic systems. Yang is most well-known for popularizing the idea of a universal basic income but it’s a concept that’s been around for centuries and now it’s having a moment on the local level. In light of this, we wanted to revisit an episode from earlier this year where we covered a similar topic: guarant...

Over 2 billion people suffer from unsafe drinking water or lack access to a reliable source of drinking water. Talib talked with Source Global CEO and Founder Cody Friesen about how his company collects water by using hydropanels. They harness the energy of the sun to draw water vapor from the atmosphere. The company also just received $7 million from Chamath Palihapitiya, founder of Social Capita...

As part of our new initiative to bring you more context on the topics we cover, we’re starting a series we’re calling, “Innovator’s Inspiration.” Since our show is all about innovation, we wanted to really home in on what drives people to develop the ideas that ultimately solve those challenging issues we face. Here’s a sneak peek at the upcoming interview with Source Global CEO and Founder Cody F...

These days plastics contribute to 300 million metric tons of waste in the world. In the early 2000s, our plastic waste rose more in a single decade than it had in 40 years.  But what if there was a way to intercept that plastic before it enters our oceans? Talib talked with Lonely Whale Executive Director Dune Ives about the NextWave Plastics initiative that comprises a group of multinational comp...

We’re going to start bringing you bonus episodes to give you more context on the topics we cover and a chance to tune into some highlights from the show. Today, we’re taking a look back at some moments that stood out this past year. First, Talib talked with ICON co-founder and CEO Jason Ballard about his company’s 3-D printer that builds houses. And then we checked in with Fernando Porto and David...

Solving hunger is something we’ve talked about on this show before. Back in June, we talked with Leah Lizarondo about the organization she founded to help the food insecure. Talib sat down with Mick Ebeling, the founder of Not Impossible, a social innovation lab and production company and his Managing Director Adam Dole, who is also the cofounder of Bento, a mobile platform they created to end hun...

Hey World Changing Ideas listeners, we’ve got a special episode for you today. It’s from the folks over at Inc. Magazine’s Planet Purpose podcast, which is hosted by Strawberry Frog CEO and Founder Scott Goodson, Dayo (DAY-oh) Founder and CEO Yolanda White and Strawberry Frog Head of Strategy Chip Walker. On the show, they discuss how companies can focus on their purpose and transform their brands...

While reading may not be our most popular pastime (Americans still spend more than half their spare time watching TV), research shows there was an uptick in reading last year because of the pandemic. Even by Gen Z, the most digitally-oriented people who always seem to have their noses stuck in their phones.   Talib sat down with award-winning author Alexander Kielland Krag and Gyldendal Executive...

Whether you turn on Disney+, Amazon Prime or Apple TV+, you’re watching content in an entirely new way than you did just a few years ago. With new and original programming, these streaming platforms compete with Hollywood’s legendary studios like Warner Brothers and iconic entertainment brands like HBO. Talib sits down with WaterBear Founder and CEO Ellen Windemuth to chat about her new on-demand...

The idea of a universal basic income has gained more prominence recently-most notably with former New York Mayoral Candidate Andrew Yang pushing for a basic income program that would give $2,000 a year to those living in extreme poverty.  To clarify—guaranteed income is similar, but is targeted to those deemed most in need of supplemental cash. Talib sat down to chat with former Stockton Mayor Mic...

The concept of food as medicine isn’t new … we’ve heard about the antioxidants in blueberries, that chamomile tea is a good sleep aid and how a glass of wine can be good for your health because of the resveratrol it contains. But could we be missing a few things? Talib sat down with Brightseed Co-founder and COO Sofia Elizondo to chat about how her company has developed AI technology to find nutri...

Over the course of the pandemic, people started cooking more. It wasn’t just comfort food staples like meatloaf and pancakes - people bought more plant-based products too. Talib sat down with Beyond Meat Founder and CEO Ethan Brown to discuss the company's newest burger and how plant-based meat compares to animal-based meat.

We just celebrated Memorial Day and people certainly made up for last year’s cancelled holiday. With more people vaccinated and lockdown restrictions easing up, friends and family all over the country gathered to meet, and eat.  But a lot of Americans are not enjoying plentiful food. Talib chatted with Food Rescue Hero CEO and Founder Leah Lizarondo about her app that acts like an Uber or DoorDash...

One of the most well-known home healthcare products in the U.S is the at-home pregnancy test. Since the original version came out on the market in 1977, there have been several iterations of it ... That is, until one group of women decided to flip the old design on its head.  Talib sat down with Lia Diagnostics co-founders Bethany Edwards and Anna Couturier to discuss how they decided to revolutio...

We know greenhouse gas emissions come from transportation and food waste. But one carbon contributor that doesn’t always get a lot of airtime is the retail industry. Fashion accounts for nearly 10 percent of carbon emissions and 85 percent of discarded clothes end up in landfills. That becomes nearly 12 million tons every year. Talib talks with Cariuma co-founders David Python and Fernando Porto a...

We've got a special bonus episode for you this week. Since we're celebrating Earth Month, we wanted to bring you another great innovation on sustainability. Enjoy the show and happy Earth Day tomorrow! Talib speaks with Christine Moseley, the founder and CEO of Full Harvest. They discuss how her company's B2B approach is helping connect farmers with food companies to end food waste.

It shouldn’t come as any surprise that the number one carbon “culprit” in the U.S is transportation. It accounts for about 28 percent of total U.S. greenhouse gas emissions. Talib chats with Jennifer Wong, head of sustainability at Convoy, a trucking software startup that aims to solve the industry's efficiency issues.

While the pandemic has exposed underlying issues of housing insecurity for many Americans, homelessness in the U.S was already a massive crisis. Talib Visram talks with Jason Ballard, CEO and co-founder of ICON, a digital construction company that 3D-prints houses. They discuss how this new technology will revolutionize homebuilding — and potentially make it to the moon.

For many years the U.S has seemed more politically divided than ever before. Only 16 percent of Americans think democracy is working well and almost 80 percent live under one-party rule in their state. Talib Visram talks with Adam Cronkright about of by for*, a non-partisan, non-profit organization he co-founded, which aims to replace politicians with everyday people.

Hey Fast Break listeners, we’ve got a new show for you where we’re going to explore the ways people are striving to change the world for the better. It’s called, World Changing Ideas.  We’ll highlight the solutions that could end pollution and change food production. We'll also investigate how innovation can solve these problems and help kick-start a new future. From rethinking public spaces, to d...

Uncommon Good is a custom series from FastCo works and Facebook. We'll hear from industry leaders who combine purpose with innovative thinking to give back to their local or global community. In this episode, Chris Denson talks with LinkedIn's Vice President of Global Diversity, Inclusion and Belonging Rosanna Durruthy about how diversity, equity and inclusion programs are turning promises into pr...

Uncommon Good is a custom series from FastCo works and Facebook. We'll hear from industry leaders who combine purpose with innovative thinking to give back to their local or global community. In this episode, Chris Denson talks with Facebook's Head of Industry, Technology and Telecom Stephanie Latham to take a look inside the new programs that are supporting communities and small businesses in a t...

Uncommon Good is a custom series from FastCo works and Facebook. We'll hear from industry leaders who combine purpose with innovative thinking to give back to their local or global community. In this episode, Chris Denson talks with Senior Director of Corporate Citizenship at Samsung Electronics America Ann Woo about how a public school STEM competition is helping educate the next wave of empathet...

This week we’re doing an end-of-year recap where we’ll take a look at what changed in 2020-from the theater community, to education, to police reform. Then, we’ll hear how the pandemic has upended the fight for labor equity, by shining a glaring light on the invisible work women do.  GUEST: Eve Rodsky