Episodes
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Food is the medicine we put in our mouths everyday, yet on average, we all cook just 12 recipes per year, says Kees Kruythoff, former President for the Global Home Care division for Unilever, former CEO of LIVEKINDLY Collective, now Thematic Chair for Sustainable Food for Summa Equity. But if we want to build a sustainable food system, one that works for everyone, globally, we should start by changing at least one of our recipes to something plant based.
The world's biggest hunger, says Kees, is currently for climate change and inequality, but there's one system which desperately needs our attention, and the moment you see it, you can’t unsee it, and that’s our food and agriculture system.
In this episode of Summa & Friends, Kees, Reynir and Vesna discuss the very real need to transform the global food system, and why the ultimate force to address these challenges is through business.
To find out more, download and listen to this latest episode.
On today’s podcast:
Our food system is destroying the planetWhat we can learn from Paul PolmanThe evolution in the food industryFood is our medicineHosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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If you really want to form a high-performing team, says Stefan Beiten, entrepreneur, lawyer, film producer and public speaker, one that’s normative, collaborative, and takes accountability on all levels, you need conscious leadership.
“To move consciously from the I to the We and utilize the collective wisdom and collective intelligence that gives us, whether that's in your own organization or in the local community, or on a high level, if we are able to do that, we can solve a lot of the problems we are facing today.”
To find out more about conscious leadership, download and listen to this latest episode of Summa & Friends.
On today’s podcast:
Become the awareness behind your thoughtsHow to create a conscious organizationFinding your ArgonautsIt all starts with trust and purposeHosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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Missing episodes?
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We're not formed as one individual with no ability to change, says Adam Grant, organizational psychologist at Wharton and best-selling international author, we can retrain, we can all grow and change, we can all find our hidden potential. The question is, what do we need to do to bring out the best in ourselves and those around us?
In this episode of Summa & Friends, Adam discusses boundary setting, why we need a network of disagreeable givers, why we need to ask for advice rather than feedback, and why his ultimate passion is self improvement.
“Steve Jobs understood the value of a challenge network, he surrounded himself with disagreeable givers who saw a better way to advance the mission, even though it conflicted with Jobs’ vision, and, hey, if you could challenge Steve Jobs, you could probably challenge anyone.”
To find out more, download and listen to this episode today.
On today’s podcast:
The importance of setting boundariesHow to create a culture of radical transparency Build a network of disagreeable loyalistsHow to elevate yourself and othersHosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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If your workplace is all love and hallelujah, says Gianpiero Petriglieri, Professor of Organizational Behavior at INSEAD, and one of the 50 most influential management thinkers in the world, then it’s a cult. If you want your organization to be high performing, you need some friction and debate, because we can’t always be real and feel good.
“My passion is this idea of humanizing leadership, of making space for all that is messy and contradicting and complicated in people and in the systems they inhabit.”
Real leadership, says Gianpiero, is caring about people and bringing them to life in a way that isn’t just efficient, but is sustainable. How can we help each other? How do we hold each other up? How do we support and challenge each other as we build the kinds of organizations that we want to build, not just to invest in, but to live in.
To find out more, download and listen to this episode of Summa & Friends.
On today’s podcast:
Put your people before purposeThe need to be able to shift paceWhat makes a leader in our timesHow to become a better leaderDon’t let anyone call you a future leaderHosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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Norway plans to be a low carbon economy by 2050, but the transition to get there keeps getting delayed, says Martin Skancke, Chairman of the Norwegian government's commission on transition to a low carbon economy, and Chairman of PRI (Principles for Responsible Investment) and board member in several companies.
We’re thinking too short term, says Martin, we aren’t looking at a long time horizon and therefore we’re increasing the risk as we run out of time. What needs to happen is for all stakeholders to connect the bigger picture with their plan for how to get there.
In this episode of Summa & Friends, Martin discusses where his passion and deep commitment to help resolve the climate crisis came from, what managers of listed equities can learn from managers of private equity in terms of addressing corporate governance issues, before delving into his work around Norway’s transition to a low carbon economy.
“We started at the opposite end, we started by incentivising everyone to buy their own electric car, and we'll find that policy will be difficult to reverse. But if we had thought more systematically about a solution that has a natural place in 2050, we would have maybe thought about it differently.”
To find out more, download and listen to this episode.
On today’s podcast:
Developing a passion to resolve the climate crisisNorway’s transition to a low carbon economy The global institutional failure to find a solutionThe risk side of transitioning too lateWhy the world needs more climate policy actionHosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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We need strong private equity leaders to tackle the current challenges in the private equity investing space, says Tanya Carmichael, systems thinker, private equity investor, and return-on-impact advisor for ESG in PE & Pension Funds. And that leadership has to be authentic and genuine, inclusive and open.
In this episode of Summa & Friends, Tanya discusses how investment leaders can amplify their impact, how they can leverage holistic systems thinking to embed ESG initiatives in their private equity investing, and how they’ll be rewarded for their efforts both now and in the reimagined future.
“People love being part of the solution and being part of this. A lot of leaders I see are worried about this uncharted territory. It's important that leaders just admit: ‘I don't know how to get there and we need to do this together’.”
To find out more, download and listen to this latest episode, and read more about Tanya here: www.tanyacarmichael.com
On today’s podcast:
The convergence of challengesHow leaders of a reimagined future will be rewarded How to navigate unchartered territoryGlobal problems need collaborative solutionsHosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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Over 20% of Europe’s CO2 emissions are a result of a linear economy, a number which can be reduced by 55% if we transition to a circular economy, says Bertrand Camus, former CEO of French multinational utility company SUEZ, now partner at Summa Equity.
But that’s not the only reason to make the change… Moving to a circular economy has a potential value creation opportunity of between EUR 1-2 trillion, not to mention all the jobs that go along with that.
And given the size and magnitude of what needs to be achieved to get there, there is room for anyone who wants to play a role in this great journey we need to embark on. So, how can you get involved?
To learn more about Summa’s work in waste management, and to hear Bertrand discuss the theory of change, and reveal the massive opportunities that lie in the circular economy, download and listen to this episode today.
“It's one of the most fantastic investment opportunities that I've seen, where you can really invest to create value and create jobs, and address the resource problem that we have, and the climate change issues and CO2 emissions that we have.”
On today’s podcast:
What the future looks like Understanding the theory of changeThe opportunities in a circular economy What needs to be done to make circularity a reality in EuropeLinks:
https://summaequity.com/readings/eu-circular-markets-could-be-worth-eur-1.5tn-by-2040-and-save-650-mt-co2e-per-yearHosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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The United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) has been described as a business plan for the world, highlighting 17 broad problem areas for which the world needs to find solutions. While originally intended for governments, the UN SDGs is also a powerful framework for investors who have both financial and sustainability objectives.
Creating truly sustainable portfolios is hard and requires a fundamental rethink of the entire investment process to incorporate impact as a third dimension, alongside risk and return. So, says Carsten Stendevad, co-CIO for sustainability at Bridgewater who shares his perspective on the challenges and rewards of building sustainable portfolios in today’s episode.
On today’s podcast:
● Bridgewater’s sustainable investing journey
● How Bridgewater applies their systematic research approach to sustainability
● Assessing net zero alignment – from macro to individual players
● Balancing return, risk and impact to achieve strong financial and sustainability outcomes
● Reflections on a sustainable future
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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How do you make your money? Does your business have morals? The world is changing, says Alison Taylor, Clinical Professor at NYU Stern School of Business and Executive Director at Ethical Systems. People care, consumers care, employees care, everyone has started caring more. And if you want to futureproof your organization, you need to put morals back into it.
It's not about how much money a company makes now, it's about how you make your money, and who wins and who loses while you’re doing that.
A company needs to grow and make profit to survive, says Alison, that is not a debatable point. Just as human beings need a beating heart to survive. But a human being does not exist solely to be a vehicle for its beating heart, in the same way your company can no longer solely make profit to survive, you need to find another reason to exist.
To find out more, download and listen to this episode of Summa & Friends.
On today’s podcast:
Why ESG and sustainability are not the same thingIs ESG a moral issue?How to do governance - best practice adviceThe future for ESGThe problem of ethics and morals with ESGHosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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Imagine playing a video game where data about you in the moment is being collected with sensor technology, performance metrics, emotional responses, body movements, brain activity. And this is all used in real time to guide the environment you're experiencing, personalizing both the challenges and rewards to improve your cognition.
No, this isn’t the plot of a sci-fi movie.
We’re in the midst of a cognition crisis and experiences are a powerful way of changing our brain, says Adam Gazzaley, neuroscientist, neurologist, inventor, author, photographer, entrepreneur, investor, and creator of the first ever digital medicine, and the first ever FDA cleared digital treatment for children with ADHD.
In this incredible episode of Summa & Friends, Adam explains why the cognition crisis is getting worse on a global scale, especially for our children, and why his digital medicine was born out of a frustration at the lack of research and treatment that we as a species should have developed by now.
To find out more, download and listen.
On today’s podcast:
What is digital medicine and who is it for?What is the cognition crisisWhy we need a multi-modal approach to improving cognitionThe enduring nature of experiential medicineHosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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Sir Ronald (Ronnie) Cohen, a preeminent philanthropist, venture capitalist, private equity investor, and impact pioneer is driving the global Impact Revolution. Ronnie's nearly two decades of initiatives in impact investment have catalyzed global efforts towards social and environmental good, through business and investment.
With advances in technology, artificial intelligence, and machine learning, Ronnie says the impact revolution has never been more possible. The fact that technology allows for granular measurement of a company's impact in monetary terms, is truly a game-changer for impact transparency.
In this episode of Summa & Friends, Ronnie explains why the impact revolution will see a huge acceleration in the coming years, and how businesses can optimize to ensure risk, return, and impact are balanced.
To find out more, download and listen today.
On today’s podcast:
What is the impact revolution?How to accelerate the translation to impact economiesFrom social investment to impact economiesDon’t confuse impact investing with philanthropyMake impact the center of your focusHosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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Why does it matter that we learn to navigate failure? Because, says Amy Edmondson, Novartis Professor of Leadership and Management at the Harvard Business School and author of global bestseller, Psychological Safety, and soon, her upcoming book The Right Kind of Wrong: The science of failing well, the only mistake we make in this life is not trying.
“We live in a time of increasing uncertainty and interdependence. Either one of those factors creates the inevitability of some failures along the way. So we have to learn to manage them and navigate them.”
In this episode of Summa & Friends, Amy explores the difference between mistakes and failures, the importance of failure for innovation, the value of honest feedback, and more importantly, the need for humans to be open to failure.
Not a single one of us is infallible, says Amy, it is possible to thrive as a fallible human being.
To find out more, download and listen today.
On today’s podcast:
The difference between mistakes and failuresWhy failure can be strategicNavigating the ladder of inferenceHow to increase organizational psychological safetyThe importance of a growth mindsetHosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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Collaboration is key to achieving the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), says John W McArthur, co-founder and co-chair of 17 Rooms, an innovative method for advancing helping people take the Sustainable Development Goals into their own hands, driving action through cooperation at all scales of community.
Right now, says John, while positive progress is being made on some of the SDGs, elsewhere others are going sideways, and some are even going backwards.
“The only way to make them go positive is to get all the stakeholders together into the same room and discuss the theory of change, how to get there, and how we collaborate to get there.”
To learn more about the 17 Rooms initiative, a partnership between the Center for Sustainable Development at Brookings and The Rockefeller Foundation, or to find out how you can get involved, don’t miss John, Reynir and Vesna on this episode of Summa & Friends.
On today’s podcast:
The basic essence of 17 RoomsWhy businesses should lean in and lead on SDGsHow to end extreme povertyWhy the world needs trust and hope right nowHosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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How do you lead despite ambiguity in the world of sustainable investing? That’s the question Zoe Bulger, Impact Manager at Summa Equity is discussing on this episode of Summa & Friends.
With more traditional actors entering the Impact ESG space, and lots of regulatory movement as well, Zoe shares some of the challenges and shifts defining this moment
With a background in the social sector focused on supporting mission-oriented founders and organizations, Zoe’s role at Summa is all about integrating impact ESG across the investment process and across portfolio companies, as well as the reporting side of it.
On today’s podcast:
The challenges and shifts defining this moment in impact investingHow do you stay the course despite the ambiguity of regulation?What’s the impact of Article 9?What is a theory of change and how does it work?Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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If you focus on trying to change the lives of just five people it will bring you meaning, says Roberto Verganti, Professor of Leadership and Innovation at the Stockholm School of Economics, and Design Theory and Practice at the Harvard Business School, but you won’t bring about much change on a large scale.
But, if every one of the eight billion humans living on this planet changes the lives of five people, we can change the world.
“I really believe that change is connected to human relationships and especially intimate human relationships. A few people who interact well can give you a lot of meaning.”
In this episode of Summa & Friends, Roberto explains why reframing is the most advanced leadership skill we can possess, and how learning this skill can not just improve us as individuals, but it can enhance organizations, and it can even change the world.
To find out more, download and listen to this latest episode.
On today’s podcast:
Why reframing is the most advanced leadership skillThe myths of leadershipHow to connect reframing with sustainabilityHow AI is helping people create new thingsMaking choices to design your life workHosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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Are you paying enough attention to the future needs of your children? Your grandchildren? That is the question driving Conor Kehoe, Chair of the IIRC Council, Senior Adviser and former Senior Partner at Mckinsey & Company.
Striving to make integrated reporting and accounting practices mainstream, Conor is concerned that while Millennials are in the driving seat, demanding corporations have a positive purpose, are they themselves doing enough to influence politicians.
On this episode of Summa & Friends, Conor joins Reynir and Vesna to discuss why we urgently need a common standard on sustainable reporting. Because the only way you can be certain change is happening, and that we’re heading in the right direction, is if you measure and report on it and keep everyone accountable for it.
To find out more about Conor’s work with creating this common standard for integrated reporting and accounting, and the work of the International Financial Reporting System (IFRS), download and listen to this episode.
On today’s podcast:
Why integrated reporting and accounting needs to become mainstream practicesThe benefits of impact investing and sustainability reportingHow to create a global set of standardsWhy younger generations need to get more politically involvedHosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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With COP 27 just around the corner, what really is sustainable development and what does the world need most right now to achieve it?
Dr. Gro Harlem Brundtland, the former Prime Minister of Norway, and chair of the World Commission on Environment and Development, known as the Brundtland Commission, which produced the The Brundtland Report, explores this very topic on Summa & Friends.
From how she achieved full consensus with the Brundtland Commission, to why we need to focus on the social aspects of sustainability, and what’s holding us back from reaching sustainable development, Gro is frank and honest about how we as individuals, as companies, as nations, need to unite and collaborate to save the world.
This is a truly inspirational episode with an incredible woman. Download and listen today.
On today’s podcast:
Achieving consensus with the Brundtland CommisionThe social aspect of sustainabilityThe lack of mandate at the World Bank and IMFWhy the speed of change is slowWhat the world needs now is unityHosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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Having taken over the helm of the family business, LGT, in 2006, H.S.H. Prince Max von und zu Liechtenstein founded LGT Venture Philanthropy in 2007 and subsequently Lightrock, a pioneering impact investment firm.
But what drove this prominent member of the Princely Family of Liechtenstein, a family that has been entrepreneurial for centuries, to focus so heavily on impact investing?
In this episode of Summa & Friends, Prince Max shares his passions, his transformational moments, and how he’s progressed LGT in so many ways on its broader journey to sustainability.
So, if you’re curious how impact investing can help make the world a better place, and what one small thing you can do today to bring about change, download and listen today.
On today’s podcast:
The values of the princely familyIntegrating sustainability into LGT Transforming philanthropy through a venture capital modelLightrock - sustainable capitalismThe world needs a win-win mindsetHosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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They say be the change you want to see in the world. And one year ago, Tariq Fancy, a former Wall Street investor turned nonprofit founder, wrote an essay sharing how he had gone from evangelizing sustainable investing for the world's largest investment firm, BlackRock, to actually criticizing sustainable investing as a dangerous placebo that harms the public interest.
In doing so, he challenged business leaders to prove him wrong.
In this episode of Summa & Friends, Tariq, the CEO of Rumie Initiative, an education tech company using innovative mobile based micro learning to bring free digital learning and to close learning gaps, explains why he did this. He shares why he sounded the alarm. What reactions he got from those in the investment community. And what impact his manifesto actually made.
So, if you’re curious how we might reform capitalism to address important environmental and social challenges with concrete action, download and listen today.
On today’s podcast:
Calling investment firms’ bluff on ESG effortsThe need for government regulationSparking the debate and rocking the boatDifference between ESG and impactChanging the narrativeHosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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Conscious capitalism is the new way of doing business. But how can it create better leaders, better business, and a better world?
In this episode of Summa & Friends, founding member and global leader of the Conscious Capitalism movement, and author of The Healing Organisation, Raj Sisodia, shares insights on what conscious capitalism is and how it can help us build a better world.
So, if you’re looking for a way to improve your leadership, improve your organisation, and take people to a better place, download and listen to this episode.
On today’s podcast:
Building a better world that works for allThe difficulty of shifting mindsetsExamples of companies performing conscious capitalismBusiness as a place of healingWhat the world needs mostHosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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