For the last episode of the series, I speak with V (formerly known as Eve Ensler) - distinguished American playwright, performer and feminist, whose work and activism has positively impacted the lives of millions of women and people around the world.Renowned for her infamous play, The Vagina Monologues, a global phenomenon that has been published in 48 languages and performed in over 140 countries, V is also the author of The Apology, the New York Times bestseller I Am an Emotional Creature, the highly praised In the Body of the World, and her most recent book, Reckoning, which was just recently published.&nbsp;In 1998, V launched V-day, a global activist movement to end violence against women and girls, which has successfully raised over $100 million for local anti-violence groups and supported more than 13,000 community-based programs. Having founded One Billion Rising, the largest global mass action to end gender-based violence in over 200 countries, V is also the co-founder of the City of Joy, a revolutionary centre for women survivors of violence in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, alongside Christine Schuler Deschryver and 2018 Nobel Peace Prize winner Dr. Denis Mukwege.V’s groundbreaking work has earned her many accolades including the Isabelle Stevenson Award at the 2011 Tony Awards, and she has been named among Newsweek’s ‘150 Women Who Changed the World,’ and the Guardian’s ‘100 Most Influential Women’.&nbsp;Through her work and activism, V continues to shape the dialogue around social justice, women's rights, and our relationship with and as part of nature, and her creativity and fierce commitment to improving the lives of women worldwide continues to impact and inspire new generations of activists and artists.KEY THEMESV highlights the collective grief, trauma, and sorrow felt worldwide due to recent events, including the impact of violence and conflict on children and civilians.We delve into the origins of violence, focusing on systemic issues like occupation, racism, and colonialism. V emphasises the importance of understanding and addressing the root causes of violence to create a more peaceful world.Personal and political reckoning, the process of introspection and societal reflection prompted by the pandemic and recent social justice movements, stressing the need for honest examination of past actions and systemic inequalities.How moving towards pain, rather than avoiding it, can open doors towards healing, transformation and change.The role of genuine apology in reconciliation, and the healing of personal and collective wounds.Our relationship with the Earth, our disconnection from nature and how reconnecting with the natural world can foster healing, compassion, and a sense of belonging.Art, creativity and imagination as catalysts for change, and the importance of artistic expression in social movements.The importance of standing together in solidarity, supporting each other's voices and struggles, and the power of collective action in addressing global challenges.Personal growth, empowerment, and the journey to find and use one's voice for advocacy and change.Finally, we explore a vision for a future characterised by equality, justice, compassion, and ecological harmony.WEBSITEShttps://www.vday.org/ &nbsp;<a...

Today, I speak with Darcia Narváez, award-winning author and Professor of Psychology Emerita at the&nbsp;University of Notre Dame.Darcia is the founder of the public and professional educational outreach project&nbsp;The Evolved Nest&nbsp;Initiative, whose nonprofit mission is to share her science research into developing appropriate baselines for lifelong human wellness by meeting the biological needs of infants. This wellbeing baseline is imperative at this time as the United States ranks 41st out of 41 developed countries in public policies that support families.&nbsp;The former executive editor of the&nbsp;Journal of Moral Education, Darcia was listed among the top 2% of scientists worldwide in 2020, and she currently serves as the president of the award-winning, venerable nonprofit&nbsp;Kindred World, who has been "serving the re-generation since 1996." A board of directors member of&nbsp;Attachment Parenting International,&nbsp;Darcia is also an advisory board member of the&nbsp;Association for Pre- and Perinatal Psychology and Health,&nbsp;APPPAH.&nbsp;Her pioneering book, Neurobiology and the Development of Human Morality: Evolution, Culture and Wisdom, won the 2017 Expanded Reason Award, and received the William James Award from the American Psychological Association in 2015.&nbsp;In 2022 Darcia was elected a fellow to the&nbsp;American Association for the Advancement of Science,&nbsp;the largest international body of professional scientists in the world and publisher of the prestigious journal&nbsp;Science, where she was honored for her distinguished contributions illuminating typical and atypical development in terms of well-being, morality and sustainable wisdom.&nbsp;Having held interdisciplinary conferences at the University of Notre Dame regarding early experience and human development in&nbsp;2010,&nbsp;2012, and&nbsp;2014, in 2016 Darcia organized a conference on&nbsp;Sustainable&nbsp;Wisdom: Integrating Indigenous Know How for Global Flourishing, which touched upon some of the themes she explores in her recent book, Restoring the Kinship Worldview: Indigenous Voices Introduce 28 Precepts for Rebalancing Life on Planet Earth, which she co-authored with Wahinkpe Topa.&nbsp;&nbsp;KEY THEMES&nbsp;Returning to our species' normal way of raising children is crucial...

Today I’m in conversation with Michael Shuman - an economist, attorney, author, and entrepreneur, and a leading visionary on community economics.&nbsp;The Director of Local Economy Programs for Neighborhood Associates Corporation, and an Adjunct Professor at Bard Business School in New York City, Michael is also a Senior Researcher for Council Fire and Local Analytics, where he has performed economic-development analyses for states, local governments, and businesses around North America.Credited with being one of the architects of the 2012 JOBS Act and dozens of state laws overhauling securities regulation of crowdfunding, Michael has authored, coauthored and edited many books, of which the three most recent are&nbsp;Put Your Money Where Your Life Is:&nbsp;How to Invest Locally Using Solo 401ks and Self-Directed IRAs;&nbsp;The Local Economy Solution:&nbsp;How Innovative, Self-Financing Pollinator Enterprises Can Grow Jobs and Prosperity;&nbsp;and&nbsp;Local Dollars, Local Sense:&nbsp;How to Shift Your Money from Wall Street to Main Street. One of his previous books,&nbsp;The Small Mart Revolution: How Local Businesses Are Beating the Global Competition, received a bronze prize from the Independent Publishers Association for best business book of 2006.A prolific speaker, Shuman has given an average of more than one invited talk per week, mostly to local governments and universities, for the past 30 years in nearly every U.S. state and more than a dozen countries.I had the joy of meeting Michael at the Planet Local Summit, and was so captivated by his passion and practical approach to transforming local economies and livelihoods, that I had to invite him onto the show.KEY THEMES• Investing in local economies is crucial for economic development and social equality.• Education and relationship building are key to promoting local finance models.• Creating local investment opportunities through websites, newsletters, and funds can encourage grassroots investors.• Pre-purchasing and tax incentives can be effective strategies to support local businesses and investment. • Community involvement and care can transform unpopular projects into thriving spaces.• Innovations in local finance, such as investment co-ops and community pension funds, can support local economies.• The future of humanity is uncertain, but focusing on local action and sharing innovative solutions can make a positive impact.• Finding beauty, hope, and humor in life can help navigate challenging times.• Reflecting on the impact of our money and redirecting it towards projects and businesses we care about can create positive change.WEBSITEShttps://michaelhshuman.com/https://www.themainstreetjournal.org/ http://www.telesiscorp.com/ BOOKShttps://michaelhshuman.com/store/

Today, I speak with Patricia Moguel Viveros - an ecologist and environmental educator, and the co-founder of the NGO Etnoecologia A.C.An expert on issues of sustainable community development, agroecology, resilience and environmental education, Patricia received her Master of Science in Environmental and Sustainable Development Studies from National Autonomous University of México (UNAM), a Ph.D. in Agroecology from the University of Andalucía, Spain and she is associated with the Sustainable Development and Environment of the College of México.During her career as an ecologist, she has focused on projects related to the conservation of indigenous agroforests, community resilience, environmental education, and artistic human development. Her vast experience led to her creating and founding the Art Ecology and Culture Center, also known as ECOFE, to help train and educate aspiring environmental leaders and also NIDO (a Cultural and Artist Center in Morelia) whose name refers to&nbsp;the bird shelters that house the artistic and cultural communties projects.As of late, Patricia has focused on reconstruction and resilience through the means of dance, music, and movement as seen with her “Affective Resilient Ecopedagogy” ideology, and her methodology of combining the arts and environmentalism has been applied to workshops at institutions in Mexico and Japan.Published in national and international journals and books, Patricia has been an advisor to multiple organizations in the rural and urban sector in Mexico, as well as in other countries such as Colombia, Brazil, Ecuador, and Japan on the issues of sustainable development, conservation of biodiversity and biocultural richness in indigenous agroforests, and environmental education.&nbsp;&nbsp;KEY THEMESThe global human psyche is experiencing a civilizational crisis due to multiple ecological, climate, and energy risks.Flourishing means beautifying every place, building trust, and living with hope and the belief in our capacity to transform ourselves and the world.Indigenous agroforestry practices can help preserve nature and culture, and contribute to the defense of human rights and the strengthening of local economies.Art and culture provide social cohesion, encourage hope and joy, and develop empathy, generosity, and creativity.Effective resilient eco-pedagogy combines ecology with art to work on resilience and restore healthy capacities.Art, including dance, music, and other forms, can help us express and transform our emotions, develop empathy, and imagine and create a better world.Engaging in artistic practices can help us navigate stress and anxiety, and tap into our creativity and imagination. Caring for animals and participating in local and regional movements are important ways to connect with and protect life.The connection between the body and the earth is crucial, and empathy is essential for healing and transforming our relationship with the earth.Building resilience through various activities, such as dance and music, can help navigate difficult times.Changing our perspective on our personal history can lead to a more positive outlook and growth.Connecting with others in solidarity and love is a powerful way to overcome egocentrism and work towards a better future.&nbsp;&nbsp;WEBSITEShttps://www.ecofe.eu/www.centroculturalnido.com

Today I speak with Bill Liao, Chinese-Australian-Irish entrepreneur, author, investor and philanthropist who has left an indelible mark on the business, social and sustainability sectors.With a diverse career spanning decades, Bill is not only the co-founder of the popular CoderDojo movement (a free global network formed to assist young people with learning computer programming), his career in tech and business also encompasses two unicorn companies and the launch of the world’s first bio-tech accelerator.A general partner of SOSV, a venture capital fund of over $1B, and founder of the SOSV Momentum Pre-accelerator program, Bill is also Chair of the SENS board, and his focus on health, longevity and environmental sustainability plays a central role in much of his work.As co-founder of Weforest, a non-profit organization dedicated to reforestation efforts that has planted a hundred million trees globally, Bill has also made significant contributions to combating climate change and promoting ecological balance.Bill also co-founded XING, a pioneering enterprise social networking platform, prior to which he served as COO of Davnet, a telecommunications carrier. The author of three books, Bill has been a speaker at global events such as The World Economic Forum, The Globe Forum in Sweden, TED, and TEDx, and at institutions such as The London School of Economics and The House of Commons.&nbsp;This was a rich and surprising interview for me, as we wended our way beyond the themes I had planned to explore, towards questions surrounding our search for beauty, purpose and longing… It’s a conversation that has stayed with me, and I hope you enjoy it as much as I did.KEY THEMES&nbsp;Sentience is difficult to measure, but it is often recognized through the ability to suffer.Machine learning algorithms focused on making money have created an attention economy driven by dopamine and cortisol.Creating local, connected groups can lead to a more fulfilling and scalable local information economy.Exploring philosophy and science fiction can provide deep insights and perspectives on the world.Using comedy and entertainment can be an effective way to convey messages and make them memorable.Challenging myths and pseudoscience is necessary for progress and innovation.The politics of division and the deification of personal fulfillment are existential threats to society.Collective fulfillment should be prioritized over individual fulfillment.It is important to move beyond appearance and visuals to truly experience and engage with the world.On dark days, orienting oneself towards life and wholeness can provide strength and resilience.BOOKSForests – Bill Liao (Foreword by Desmond Tutu)Stone Soup: The Secret Recipe for Making Something from Nothing – Bill LiaoWEBSITEShttps://coderdojo.com/en/https://www.weforest.org/https://sosv.com/&nbsp;First ever standup gig: <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2uJ7EM_tEo0&amp;ab_channel=BillLiao" rel="noopener noreferrer"...

In today’s conversation, I have the pleasure of speaking with Dr. Bayo Akomolafe - a widely celebrated international speaker, teacher, public intellectual and essayist, whose convening of the concepts of ‘postactivism’, ‘transraciality’ and ‘ontofugitivity’ have ignited richer, more vibrant explorations of what it means to deepen into our collective potential.&nbsp;The author and editor of&nbsp;We Will Tell Our Own Story!&nbsp;with Professors Molefi Kete Asante and Augustine Nwoye, and&nbsp;These Wilds Beyond our Fences: Letters to my Daughter on Humanity’s Search for Home&nbsp;(North Atlantic Books, 2017), Bayo is a recipient of the 2021 New Thought Walden Award, which honors people who use empowering spiritual ideas and philosophies to change lives and make our planet a better place.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Currently writing his third book as part of a trilogy of creative publications, Bayo is the author of multiple essays on matters ranging from the nature of science, the coronavirus pandemic, and racism, to tricksters, climate chaos, and unschooling.Having been invited to be the Coordinator/Special Envoy of the International Alliance for Localization, a project of Local Futures (USA) in 2014, Bayo temporarily left his lecturing position in Covenant University, Nigeria, to help build this Alliance for a more beautiful world.&nbsp;Among other universities, Bayo has been Visiting Professor at Middlebury College, where he taught on postactivism and ‘transraciality’ (his neo-materialist take on racialization), and he has taught at Sonoma State University (CA, USA), Simon Fraser University (Vancouver, Canada), and Schumacher College (Totnes, England).&nbsp;He is a widely appreciated author and facilitator, globally recognized for his poetic, unconventional, counterintuitive, and indigenous take on global crises, civic action and social change. Bayo currently teaches with the Community, Liberation, Indigenous, and Eco-Psychologies (CLIE) program at Pacifica Graduate Institute (CA, USA) and as Associate Adjunct Professor at the University of Vermont.&nbsp;I had the precious opportunity to meet Bayo at the Planet Local Summit in 2023, and I was so captivated by the poetic way in which he shared his provocative, shape-shifting ideas, that I simply had to invite him to join me here in conversation, so I could share this with you.Recorded on 5th December 2023.WEBSITEShttps://www.bayoakomolafe.net/ https://www.dancingwithmountains.com/https://www.emergencenetwork.org/ &nbsp;https://scienceandnonduality.com/POSITIONSHost&nbsp;– We Will Dance with Mountains: Into the Cracks!Executive Director&nbsp;– The Emergence Network (A Post-Activist Project)Board Member&nbsp;– Science and Non-Duality (USA)Board Member&nbsp;– Mutual Aid Network (USA)Consultant&nbsp;– UNESCO / Imagining Africa’s FutureBoard Member&nbsp;– Real Economy Lab (UK)Lecturer&nbsp;– CLIE, Pacifica Graduate Institute, California (USA)

Today, I speak with Professor Rupert Read – eco-philosopher, academic, author, campaigner, UK Green politician, and environmental activist. An incisive and respected thought-leader, Rupert has influenced public and academic opinion on issues including climate, genetic engineering, technological development and advertising to children. Having (co-)authored books including&nbsp;A Film-Philosophy Of Ecology And Enlightenment&nbsp;and&nbsp;This Civilisation Is Finished, he was a key spokesperson for the Extinction Rebellion movement, and now co-directs the ‘Moderate Flank’ Incubator.&nbsp;Until recently, Rupert served as Associate Professor&nbsp;of Philosophy at the University of East Anglia, but after 26 years in this position, he recently took voluntary severance to dedicate himself to the&nbsp;Climate Majority Project&nbsp;as its Co-Director.While many of us might know Rupert through his work as a spokesperson and political strategist for XR, he has also worked as a national and European parliamentary candidate, and councillor for the Green Party of England and Wales, and he formerly chaired the ecological think tank&nbsp;Green House.With extensive experience arguing for ecology in&nbsp;media, Rupert has written for The Guardian, The Independent, The Ecologist and many other&nbsp;newspapers and websites. A frequent guest on the Today programme, he has also been a panellist on QuestionTime, Newsnight, and Good Morning Britain. Rupert has made regular contributions on Radio 4’s Free Thinking, BBC’s Politics Live, several shows on LBC Radio and various podcasts, and he is a sought-after speaker at many&nbsp;events.Recorded on 17th October 2023.WEBSITEShttps://rupertread.net/https://climatemajorityproject.com/LINKSAccidental Gods – Rupert Read in conversation with Manda Scott: https://bit.ly/AG-RupertRead

As we approach the Winter Solstice and the longest night of the year, I’m delighted to share with you what has become a cherished tradition of reflection, contemplation, and looking ahead to the year to come.In this conversation, I rejoin Manda Scott and Della Duncan for a collaborative midwinter offering from myself, Accidental Gods, and the Upstream Podcast.As we gather to reflect on what’s been an extraordinarily turbulent, confronting and unexpected 12 months, we share some of the key themes of enquiry and growth we’ve explored on our podcasts, we trace what we find when we each go upstream from the challenges we’re facing today, and we explore some of the gifts, stories and resources that can support us as we step into the months ahead.At the end of the conversation, Manda will lead us through a special guided meditation to help us reach into and connect with this moment of the season.To introduced my companions…Manda Scott is a novelist, podcaster and smallholder. Formerly a veterinary surgeon, Manda’s novels have been shortlisted for the Orange Prize, the Edgar and the Saltire Award and has won the McIlvanney Prize. She is host of the Accidental Gods podcast, which showcases individuals and organisations at the emerging edge of our world, to set the foundation for a future we’d be proud to leave to the generations that come after us. Her latest novel, Any Human Power is available for pre-order here: https://septemberpublishing.org/product/any-human-power-hb/ We’re joined by Della Z Duncan, a Renegade Economist based in the San Francisco Bay Area. She is a co-host of the Upstream Podcast, a Right Livelihood Coach, a faculty member at the California Institute of Integral Studies, a Senior Fellow at the London School of Economics, a founding member of the California Doughnut Economics Coalition, and the designer and co-facilitator of the Cultivating Regenerative Livelihood Course at Gaia Education.This is always a special episode for me, and I’m very grateful to be able to dive into conversation with these two brilliant women. I hope you find it inviting and inspiring, and I wish you a peaceful Winter Solstice and a fruitful new year.Recorded on 1st December 2023.RESOURCESNathalie’s:Podcast: The way out is in: Grief and Joy on a Planet in Crisis: Joanna Macy on the Best Time To Be Alive (Episode #12)(https://plumvillage.org/podcast/grief-and-joy-on-a-planet-in-crisis-joanna-macy-on-the-best-time-to-be-alive-episode-12)Flourishing Futures Salon: https://www.ffsalons.com/ Planet Local Summit: https://planet-local-summit.localfutures.org/ and videosDella’s:Poem: The Invitation by Oriah Mountain Dreamer (https://www.mindfulnessassociation.net/words-of-wonder/the-invitation-oriah-mountain-dreamer/)Theory: Two Loop Theory by Meg Wheatley and Deborah Frieze (https://transformationallearningopportunities.com/two-loop-theory)Conversation: Marxism &amp; Buddhism with Breht O'Shea on the Upstream Podcast (https://open.spotify.com/episode/3Y9H9A5b7kkoodUmxrYnzO?si=8f735a62a6d54b96&amp;nd=1&amp;dlsi=e65675e3a9d84cc6)Conversation: A Marxist Perspective on Elections with August Nimtz on the Upstream Podcast (https://open.spotify.com/episode/3Y9H9A5b7kkoodUmxrYnzO?si=8f735a62a6d54b96&amp;nd=1&amp;dlsi=d8e03de837e5464d)Conversation: Beyond the Clock with Jenny Odell on the Upstream Podcast (https://open.spotify.com/episode/1awmJZYYp4N9OWxz1mXeo7?si=28bd15af74774472&amp;nd=1&amp;dlsi=2df1b0bebfdb47b9)Organization: California Doughnut Economics Coalition, https://caldec.org/Manda’s:Indy Johar: talking about Inter-Becoming and

Today I speak with Suzanne Pellican, Vice President of Ads User Experience at Google. In this role, she oversees a multidisciplinary team working to define and design user-centric, industry-leading experiences across Google Ads products, while keeping trust, usefulness, and relevance at the center. Beyond product efforts, Suzanne also sponsors WE, a community of women in senior UX roles across Google focused on community, connection, and collaboration.Prior to joining Ads, Suzanne led UX for Google's Geo organization, where she focused on democratizing user-centered design practices. Her efforts led to re-architecting and branding for Google Maps, more verticalized and actionable local search and transportation experiences, and merchant and contributor experiences that allowed users to get more things done in the real world.Before Google, Suzanne worked extensively on small businesses at Intuit, where she helped transform the company into a design-driven organization, fundamentally changing how it built products that people love.Now it’s not often that I dive into the world of UX, ads and marketing on this podcast, but with the upcoming changes to data and cookie policies now on the near horizon, I wanted to have a conversation that touched upon the themes of trust, business, advertising and the open internet, that look set to shape our online experiences to come.Recorded on 7th November 2023.

Today, I have the joy and privilege of being in conversation with Jo Confino, an executive coach, facilitator, journalist, sustainability expert and Zen mindfulness practitioner, whose work at the intersection of personal transformation and systems change has been an inspiration to me and to many, many others around the world.&nbsp;If you’ve followed Jo’s journey, you may have encountered his thoughtful conversations on the popular podcast, “The Way Out is In” – a beautiful and uplifting series he co-hosts with Brother Phap Huu, the abbot of Little Hamlet at Plum Village, who for 17 years was the personal attendant to Zen Master Thich Nhat Hanh. Having worked closely with this community for the past 14 years, Jo is also an advisory board member of Parallax Press, which publishes books on mindfulness in daily life.&nbsp;With 40 years of experience as a journalist, Jo has worked on regional and national newspapers and websites, with an emphasis on business and finance, including three years as Wall Street correspondent for the Daily Telegraph. Until recently, he was the executive editor, Impact &amp; Innovation and Editorial Director of What’s Working at the HuffPost in New York, where he served as a member of the senior leadership team. During his five years there, Jo developed long-term editorial projects based on social, environmental and economic justice.&nbsp;Before joining HuffPost, Jo was executive editor of the Guardian, where he created and managed the sustainability vision and strategy for the Guardian and its parent company Guardian Media Group. Chairman and editorial director of the Guardian Sustainable Business website, during his 23 years there, Jo set up and managed a unique multi-stakeholder development project in the Ugandan village of Katine, and he helped create the Guardian’s environment and global development websites.A fellow of the Royal Society for the encouragement of Arts, Manufactures and Commerce, Jo is also a trustee of Theatre for a Change, whose purpose is the empowerment of women and girls, particularly in their sexual and reproductive health.&nbsp;Having chaired and facilitated events and conferences all over the world for the past 20 years, Jo also runs workshops and roundtables for attendees including CEOs, prime ministers and NGO heads. He is currently working with Leaders Quest, which helps leaders and companies align profit with purpose as well as Future Stewards, a coalition of partners working together to build a regenerative future.Recorded on 14th September 2023.&nbsp;WEBSITEShttps://leadersquest.org/https://futurestewards.com/https://www.tfacafrica.com/&nbsp;PODCASTThe Way Out Is In: https://plumvillage.org/podcasts/the-way-out-is-in

In today’s conversation, I speak with Antonio Graça - Head of Research and Development at&nbsp;Sogrape Vinhos SA, a family run vineyard and business founded on the principles of circularity, renovation and transformation.&nbsp;Secretary for the Sustainable Development and Climate Change expert group of the&nbsp;International Organisation for Vine and Wine&nbsp;(Paris), Antionio has an MSc. in Oenology, and leads masterclasses and lectures for young professionals at universities all around the world. As well as sitting on the Executive Committee of the&nbsp;Oenoviti International&nbsp;network, Antonio assisted&nbsp;Comité des Entreprises Européennes de Vin&nbsp;in the creation of the first European research agenda for the wine industry, which was published as a&nbsp;position paper&nbsp;in 2016.&nbsp;He serves as expert by technical commissions of the&nbsp;Spanish Wine Federation,&nbsp;Association of Wines and Spirits of Portugal&nbsp;and&nbsp;Association of Port Wine Companies, and also sits as tasting judge for high-profile international wine competitions such as the&nbsp;International Wine Challenge&nbsp;(London) and&nbsp;Mundus Vini&nbsp;(Neustadt). From 2003 and 2014, Antonio served in the board of the&nbsp;Association for the Development of Douro Viticulture, and in 2009, he cofounded the&nbsp;Portuguese Association for Grapevine Diversity, and was on its Board of Directors until 2021.&nbsp;Having published many&nbsp;scientific works over the course of his career, Antonio is currently focusing on agroecology, biodiversity, digital transition, climate change adaptation, resilience and system dynamics of the food and wine value chain. Beyond his professional interests, he is a humanist and a firm believer in the founding principles of the European Union, and he uses his free time to raise awareness to the fundamental role played by wine in civilisations and to the ethnic and cultural heritage of Portuguese explorations still surviving around the world.&nbsp;I first met Antonio at a very special gathering, hiking a short stretch of the Camino de Santiago in Northern Spain, and I was so struck by his presence, thoughtfulness and passion for the living world that I had to invite him onto the podcast. Our conversation explores a whole array of intertwining themes and ideas, and I hope that our exploration inspires you to reconnect more deeply into the food, the place and the biodiversity of where you live.&nbsp;WEBSITEhttps://sogrape.com/&nbsp;BOOKSThinking in Systems – Donella Meadows: https://www.chelseagreen.com/product/thinking-in-systems/

In this conversation, I speak with Brett Scott -&nbsp;an author, journalist, economic anthropologist and former financial broker.&nbsp;&nbsp;Writing&nbsp;on everything from the cashless society, fintech and cryptocurrency, to monetary reform, economic activism, and the politics of tech, Brett’s work has been published in The Guardian, Business Insider, New Scientist, Huffington Post, Wired Magazine and CNN.com,&nbsp;and&nbsp;he regularly&nbsp;appears&nbsp;on TV shows, radio broadcasts and documentaries across the world.&nbsp;His latest book&nbsp;Cloudmoney: Cash, Cards, Crypto and the War for our Wallets&nbsp;(Penguin/HarperCollins, 2022)&nbsp;explores the battle between cash and digital money, and has been described by the&nbsp;Financial Times&nbsp;as a ‘compelling case against the contactless society’. His previous book,&nbsp;The Heretic’s Guide to Global Finance&nbsp;(Pluto Press, 2013),&nbsp;isß a hands-on guide to financial activism and alternative finance for people who wish to change the financial sector for the better.&nbsp;Brett&nbsp;also publishes&nbsp;a Substack newsletter called&nbsp;Altered States of Monetary Consciousness, the link for which I’ll provide in the shownotes.&nbsp;I first met Brett when I interviewed him on the course I curated with Advaya, Seeking Freedom In The Digital Age, and since our conversation so much has accelerated and evolved in the world of technology, finance and AI that I wanted to invite him onto the podcast to explore where we’re going, what the digitisation of finance could mean for us, and how we might reclaim our agency in the face of an increasingly cashless society.&nbsp;Recorded on 12th September 2023.&nbsp;&nbsp;WEBSITEShttps://brettscott.substack.com/ https://alteredstatesof.money/&nbsp;BOOKShttps://alteredstatesof.money/brett-scott-books/Cloudmoney: Cash, Cards, Crypto and the War for our Wallets&nbsp;The Heretic’s Guide to Global Finance&nbsp;

In today’s conversation, I speak with Giulia Gentile, Lecturer in Law at Essex Law School, previously Fellow in Law at The London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE). Specialising in research on EU constitutional law, AI regulation and the use of AI in justice systems, Giulia holds a PhD and an LLM from King’s College London (KCL), and has received scholarships and grants to fund her research from the EU Commission, the Max Planck Institute of European Procedural Law and the Centre of European law at KCL.&nbsp;Having co-edited 3 books and authored more than 30 scientific publications, Giulia’s academic work has been cited, among others, by the UK Parliament, Advocates General at the CJEU, the Northern Ireland Human Rights Commission, the European Banking Authority and the Slovenian Constitutional Court.&nbsp;An Italian qualified lawyer who worked at the chambers of Judge Rossi at the CJEU and at the M&amp;A Department of Clifford Chance Milan, Giulia has provided expert evidence to the UK Parliament on the UK system of fundamental rights protection and digital regulation, and to the EU Commission on the disabled people’s political rights and e-voting procedures.&nbsp;I first came across Giulia’s work through a fascinating, thought-provoking article she co-wrote with Giovanni De Gregorio, exploring the issues arising from the digitisation of justice, which I wrote about on LinkedIn. And since law is an area which affects all of our lives, I wanted to invite her here to speak with us about how AI may transform the ways in which we interact with (and are governed by) the law, and how we might ensure that these changes respect our rights and values, towards a more flourishing future for all.&nbsp;And a special shout-out to Stephanie Collinson, who introduced me to Giulia’s work, thank you so much!&nbsp;Recorded on 2nd August 2023.&nbsp;ARTICLESThe digitisation of justice risks blurring the lines between public and private actors - Giulia Gentile &amp; Giovanni De GregorioLawGPT? How AI is Reshaping the Legal Profession - Giulia Gentile

Today on the podcast, I speak with Andrea Abad, founder of Terra Viva Ibiza - a project that seeks to create a sustainable and healthy agricultural production system, based on the principles of agroecology, syntropy and regenerative agriculture.&nbsp;Having started her career in marketing for large corporations such as Apple and Exxon Mobil, after six years in the countryside, an introspective awakening pushed Andrea to leave her profession and travel to Australia, where she lived in permaculture communities while learning how humanity can reintroduce itself to the cycles of nature.&nbsp;Deciding to move to Ibiza to deepen her knowledge of sustainable tourism, a sector where she had previously worked for five years, Andrea founded Terra Viva Ibiza with the objective of growing food without the use of synthetic chemicals, respecting the natural cycles and the biodiversity of the environment while providing health to the soil.&nbsp;A project which also provides an educational and social dimension, Terra Viva offers training and advice to farmers interested in adopting this model, as well as spaces for participation and meeting for the community. As well as regenerating a 20-hectare plot of land using the rational grazing system of chicken, rotational grazing of sheep and agroforestry principles, with the collaboration of Albert Tur Montells (Permaculture Association of the Pitiusas), they are also planting over 12,000 trees within a syntropic design.&nbsp;I first met Andrea in October 2021 on a regenerative agriculture crash course at La Junquera, a regenerative farm and village in Murcia, Southern Spain, and I was so excited and inspired by her story and the work she’s doing, that I had to invite her onto the podcast to share her experience with you. I hope you enjoy our conversation.&nbsp;Recorded on 12th July 2023.RESOURCEShttps://www.terravivaibiza.com/https://ibizalandregeneration.org/The Way Out Is In (podcast): https://plumvillage.org/podcasts/the-way-out-is-in

Today I speak with Thane Lawrie, an award-winning Chief Executive Officer, author and Buddhist practitioner.&nbsp;A graduate of the University of Aberdeen and University of Glasgow, Thane has had a diverse career which culminated in his leading and transforming a once struggling social enterprise, which went on to win numerous business awards both locally and nationally, including the prestigious Sunday Times Top 100 companies to work for in the UK.&nbsp;​Attributing this success to nurturing a strong workplace culture that focusses on the staff at the very heart of the organisation, not only has Thane published in academic peer reviewed journals in the field of health science, and also recently authored a beautiful book, The Buddhist CEO, which chronicles a moving tale of a man trying to balance his commitment to the ancient tradition of Buddhism with his role as a modern day leader.​At a time in which finding the headspace to even consider a contemplative practice can feel beyond the reach of many of us, Thane’s compassionate, practical and down-to-earth approach towards mindfulness and presence offers a route towards salving tender hearts and soothing restless minds.&nbsp;Recorded on 12th July 2023.BOOKSThe Buddhist CEORESOURCEShttps://www.thanelawrie.com/The Way Out Is In - https://plumvillage.org/podcasts/the-way-out-is-inOutrage And Optimism - https://www.outrageandoptimism.org/

Today, I’m in conversation with Jared Ficklin - a designer and technologist with two decades of experience creating products and visions for major companies. An innovator by nature, he is always exploring new means for technological interaction and has a passion for unique interaction models - especially those involving interesting inputs and outputs like touch, multi-touch, voice, gesture, sensing, and projection.&nbsp;The founding Partner &amp; Lead Creative Technologist at argodesign, Jared’s philosophy is oriented towards "Thinking by Making, Delivering by Demonstration", and he employs user experience simulation as a method for quickly bringing products to life.&nbsp;Having spent 14 years of his career at frog design contributing to the visions, strategy, intellectual property, and products of clients including HP, Microsoft, AT&amp;T, LG, SanDisk, and Motorola, Jared’s work integrating technology into the design process at frog led him to be named one of 4 frog fellows.&nbsp;An evangelist and co-creator of the cable car-based mass transport vision known as The Wire, and a keen Burner, Jared was the first to bring live fire to the TED stage. He speaks internationally as a creative technologist and futurist, and it was his passion for what technology might afford us when coupled with human creativity, ingenuity and heart, that most excited me about being in conversation with Jared today.&nbsp;Recorded 20th June 2023.&nbsp;RESOURCESargodesign.comTwitter / X: @jaredrawk Instagram: @twinrawk

In today’s conversation, I speak with Paul Skinner, author and founder of the Agency of the Future, an organisation that helps clients to drive purpose-led change and better mobilise stakeholders for lasting success.&nbsp;His first book, Collaborative Advantage: How collaboration beats competition as a strategy for success, proposes that we have reached a turning point in history from which creating Competitive Advantage may no longer be in the best interests of an organisation, or perhaps indeed, of our species. It has been acclaimed far and wide, not least by Ben Cohen and&nbsp;Jerry Greenfield, Co-Founders of Ben and Jerry's ice cream, who praised the book as offering “the perfect recipe for successful businesses that improve lives”. His second book, The Purpose Upgrade, takes a deeper look at the core raison d'être of enterprise and its role in society, a theme which sits at the heart of Paul’s work, bringing positive change to businesses, governments and civil society.&nbsp;He has advised clients as diverse as PwC and the United Nations, Sony and Save the Children, and in 2014 Paul was awarded an honorary visiting fellowship at Edge Hill University Business School. He’s won the Consultant of the Year awards from the Chartered Institute of Marketing twice, he’s an advisory board member at the Museum of Brands and is also an Advisor at the Future Strategy Club.&nbsp;As well as working with institutions of international and global governance, and pioneering social change organisations, Paul also finds the time to lead MarketingKind, a membership community he founded which brings together business leaders, marketers and change-makers to tackle social and environmental problems through their businesses, volunteering and advocacy.&nbsp;This was one of my favourite conversations this season, not least for the richness, nuance and open-heartedness that Paul brings to the complex questions we explore. And if you’d like to see the shoe on the other foot, you can watch the fireside chat I had with Paul when he interviewed me for MarketingKind, the link for which is in the shownotes.&nbsp;I hope you enjoy this conversation as much as I did.&nbsp;Recorded 20th June 2023.&nbsp;RESOURCESpurposeupgrade.commarketingkind.orgtheaof.com&nbsp;BOOKSCollaborative Advantage: How collaboration beats competition as a strategy for successThe Purpose Upgrade

Today I am in conversation with Ioana Lungu - a poet, spoken word artist and event host, based in Barcelona. She started writing (creatively) when she was 11 years old, navigating her way through short stories, plays and the beginnings of novels, and through her literary explorations, the art form that has stood the test of time, for her, is her poetry.&nbsp;Ioana first stepped into the world of spoken word when she moved to Barcelona several years ago and got involved in the poetry community through events and writing workshops, which is how we first encountered one another. A passionate supporter of other people’s creativity, Ioana invited a group of us to perform at a charity fundraiser that she hosts every year on her birthday, and alongside her moving, poignant poetry, it is her ability to bring people together in community towards a common goal that moved me to ask her onto the show.&nbsp;Apart from her creative pursuits, Ioana is into meditation, yoga, breathwork and aquatic wildlife, and she's currently pondering on the idea of writing a book and hosting a monthly event in Barcelona, so watch this space. To learn more about Ioana and dive into her world of poetry, you can find her on Instagram at @ioanalungu_Recorded 6th June 2023.&nbsp;RESOURCESinstagram.com/ioanalungu_

Today I have the pleasure of speaking with Katarina Berg, chief human resources officer for Spotify, and author of the recently published book, BOLD: Strategic HR in a new era.&nbsp;An experienced HR leader with more than 25 years of expertise in leading and executing people strategies in various multinational companies, Katarina also heads up Spotify’s Global Workplace Services and Strategy Operations teams. Having been with the company since 2013, she led the talent transformation during the business transition from startup to a mature international company.&nbsp;Before Spotify, Katarina held high-profile HR roles in various multinational companies, including Preem, Swedbank, Kanal 5 and 3. As well as catering to the people needs of a diverse, nimble and ever-changing organisation, Katarina is also focused on building teams and reinventing processes to establish an environment where creative and passionate people can be their very best, have fun and develop great careers.&nbsp;I was curious to talk with Katarina about how we might cultivate more thriving organizations, especially within a sector renowned for its constant, restless innovation. I was also interested to explore the impacts of AI and automation on morale, human potential and adaptability, especially since people working within the tech space are some of those most likely to be impacted as AI becomes increasingly integrated into our societal, economic and political lives.&nbsp;Recorded 1st June 2023.&nbsp;RESOURCESlinkedin.com/in/katarina-berg&nbsp;BOOKBOLD: Strategic HR in a new era

I’m kicking off the season in perhaps an unexpected place, starting in conversation with someone whose resilience, determination and skill, enabled her to overcome extraordinary odds to lead a flourishing life in which she now dedicates her time to empowering others.Meet Amy Hopper – an executive coach, digital marketer and founder of TOA, who is also fondly known as The Digital Wolverine – a particularly curious name which we’ll be hearing about later.Having&nbsp;graduated at the top of her class in her Sociology BA,&nbsp;specialising in mental health, alienation in the workplace,&nbsp;and the sociology of work, Amy founded her first business at 25, the digital marketing agency AM Marketing. At 26, she was&nbsp;hit by a dangerous driver and suffered&nbsp;permanent spine damage, PTSD,&nbsp;anxiety, and chronic pain for the next 5 years.&nbsp;By age 28 her company was named one of the&nbsp;Google Top 30 UK Agencies, and at 29 she received the&nbsp;Amazon&nbsp;Triumph over Adversity&nbsp;Award.&nbsp;At 30, she won the UK Digital Role Model of the Year, and at 31, she underwent a spinal fusion surgery and was wheelchair bound, shortly after which she became&nbsp;widowed during lockdown.&nbsp;&nbsp;At 33, she decided to sell her business, and after a grueling, touching journey back to health, she was able to travel&nbsp;the world solo at 33, hiking over 600km in over&nbsp;8 countries and 26 cities.&nbsp;Upon her return, she founded her agency,TOA, and she is now working with some of the world's largest companies to remove wellbeing barriers producing high-performing teams.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;I first met Amy through our mutual friend, Richard Savage, who told me that I simply had to meet this extraordinary woman, and he wasn’t wrong. You’ll tell from our laughter and energy that we were excited to be in conversation together, and while the video didn’t work out due to technical issues at my end, I hope you’ll enjoy this moving conversation in which we explore tenderness, loss, and resilience, how the simple steps can be the ones that help us to transform adversity into growth.Recorded on 1st June 2023.RESOURCESlinkedin.com/in/amyhoppertoagroup.co.ukLISTEN NOW iTunesSpotifyPlayer.fm

Hello again! It’s a pleasure to be back with you over the airwaves, for this little catchup ahead of the new season, which will be launching on Sunday the 20th August.This new set of conversations has been a little while in the making, not least because I’ve been working on some new and exciting projects that weave together the themes that we explore here, with some of my personal interests in the arts, in gathering, and in our capacity to step into life with greater presence.The Hive actually turned Five years old this summer, and since it started, it has grown and blossomed into a project that has introduced me to so many new people, perspectives and ways of being, that it’s become one of the favourite parts of what I do. And that’s in large part, thanks to you.With all of the challenges that we’re facing individually and collectively - from ecological, climatic and economic disruption, to the huge impacts we’re only just beginning to feel from the accelerating deployment of AI - the question of how we can withstand and perhaps embrace so much uncertainty has been on my mind for quite a while. And in all of the research and writing I’ve done over the years around psychology, values, integrity - themes which I explore I my latest book, Business Unusual - I’ve been reflecting increasingly on how I can more actively walk the talk.With that in mind, alongside the projects I’ve been developing around how we can show up and flourish in a changing world (more to come soon), it felt like the right time to rename the podcast quite simply: Nathalie Nahai, In Conversation.It’s nothing grand, and it does what it say on the tin – but you’ll notice from the cover art that it has a new visual identity, one that for me at least, connects into our ongoing exploration of what it means to be human, in search of connection and meaning within the wider web of life.I’ve also decided to experiment a little with the format. Alongside this audio version of the podcast, you can also watch the video version over on my YouTube channel, where I’ll also be posting additional bonus content with my guests. I’ll include all the links in my shownotes, so you can check them out.The new season will be launching on Sunday the 20th August, and I’m excited to share more with you about my companion projects as they unfold. Until then, thank you for joining me on this adventure, and I can’t wait to share this next chapter with you.

ABOUT MY GUEST In this final episode of the season, I speak with Paddy Le Flufy. For the past 8 years, Paddy has been focussing on understanding how we can redesign our societal systems to avert the unfolding environmental catastrophe and improve our quality of life. He is now beginning to publish what he has learned, starting with a book, Building Tomorrow: Averting Environmental Crisis With a New Economic System, which was published in March 2023. Throughout the next twelve months, he will be following this book with a series of essays on various aspects of positive societal transformation, which you’ll be able to find over at his substack.Before this chapter, Paddy had a somewhat different life. He first earned a degree in mathematics at Cambridge University and qualified as an accountant at KPMG in London. Then he spent years living something of a double life. He worked as a finance specialist in London for six months at a time, but used his money to live in remote places, alongside people whose lives were drastically different from his own.He has travelled with economic migrants, been taught to fish by rural Mozambicans, and lived with Hadza hunter-gatherers. He spent two months living with an indigenous tribe in the Amazon rainforest, then won a Royal Geographical Society Award to spend an entire year being taught by traditional wisdom-keepers from another jungle culture.In 2015, Paddy paused his travels to concentrate on how we can improve our own society - and in doing so, improve the lives of the billions of people currently affected by the dominant global systems.Recorded on 4th May 2023.RESOURCES@paddyleflufylinkedin.com/in/paddy-le-flufyPaddyleflufy.substack.comLISTEN NOW iTunesSpotifyPlayer.fm

In today’s conversation, I speak with Camila Moreno, an environmental researcher, author and activist, who has worked extensively on land reform, deforestation, GMOs, agribusiness, and biodiversity issues. A leading climate-policy expert and critical voice on neoliberal climate policies and “green capitalism”, Camila’s main area of study has been the interface between reasoning on climate change and the greening of capitalism. A researcher at the Federal Rural University of Rio de Janeiro, Camila has been following the climate negotiations since 2008, and in 2016 she authored a book titled Carbon Metrics and the New Colonial (2016), exploring these themes and more. The former coordinator of the Heinrich Böll Foundation, in the Brazil office, Camila has been accompanying the United Nation’s Convention on Biological Diversity since 2006, and the Climate Convention since 2008. She is a working group member of Political Ecology of the Latin American Council of Social Sciences and the International Council of Red for a Latin America Transgenic Free (RALLT), and she served with the organizations Terra de Direitos (Land’s Rights) and Amigos da Terra (Earth’s Friends) as a researcher and activist. Recorded on 29th April 2023.

Today I have the pleasure of speaking with a dear friend of mine, Carl de Jager. Carl is an extraordinary artist who was born and raised in South Africa, and has since spent many years living in the UK, Spain and Australia, all of which are places he calls home. Having first met Carl at Barcelona Academy of Art, his passion for the creative process has been an ongoing source of inspiration to me, and his captivating paintings communicate a deep interest in our perception of reality. Growing up in South Africa, having lived the ‘doublethink’ indoctrination of politics and religion, Carl carries a profound sense of disillusionment: At a fundamental level he expresses that he cannot trust the reality that is presented to him by his environment. His story is a rich and fascinating one. In 2015, Carl left a successful career in software development in Melbourne to study classical drawing and painting at what was then the nascent Barcelona Academy of Art. After graduating he continued on as a resident artist, and was then invited to stay as a teacher and program coordinator. In early 2020 as the pandemic was unfolding, he returned to Australia to exhibit his works and train in traditional (and some non-traditional) printmaking techniques, before returning to Barcelona where he is now based. Whether in print or paint, Carl’s art deals with his subjective experience of life and draws upon a deep symbolic canon, from existentialism and eastern philosophy to metaphysics and psychology. When words fail, it is this symbolism and abstraction to which Carl turns, to provide a language that can both understand and convey complex feelings and emotions to which, I would say, we can all relate. Recorded on 18th April 2023.

In today’s conversation, I speak with Elena Sinel, a multi-award winning social entrepreneur whose mission is to inspire young people across the world to engage in Artificial Intelligence for Impact. A sought-after AI ethicist, policy adviser and keynote speaker, Elena is trusted by global brands and governments to deliver messages that inspire young people and individuals to build responsible AI. Committed to inspiring young people to make a change in their community, country, and economy through passion, agility, teamwork, and expert support, Teens in AI, an initiative that Elena founded, is designed to give young people early exposure to AI that is being developed and deployed for social good. Launched at the AI for Good Global Summit at the UN in 2018, Teens In AI aims to empower the next generation of ethical AI researchers, entrepreneurs and leaders who will shape the world of tomorrow. Prior to this work, Elena spent over 10 years traveling, volunteering and working in Central Asia (where she grew up), as well as the Balkans, Ethiopia and Bangladesh, where she worked with NGOs and the British Council, developing education, entrepreneurship and mentorship programmes for women and young people. Upon returning to the UK as a single mother of two, Elena was shocked at the state of secondary school education across the UK with its “factory” style learning model and was inspired to launch a pioneering educational social impact enterprise, providing young people across the globe with opportunities to interact with leading experts in technology to create solutions that solve real-life, world problems. Recorded on 17th April 2023.

Today I speak with Matt Celuszak, Founder of Element Human, a customer understanding platform that uses AI to measure and make sense of the drivers of human behaviour. Having spent the last decade working alongside top experts in technology and psychology to build machine learning that recognises body language using webcams, Matt works at the intersection of people and technology, pioneering a new class of Human Data that enables tech, AI and its users to be more emotionally aware and empathetic. With clients including the BBC, Amazon, Whalar and Omnicom, Element Human helps organisations measure the conscious (behavioural) and subconscious (emotions) drivers of human behaviour within their ecosystems, using everyday devices paired with advanced intelligence to better understand key stakeholders, improve their experience, and drive more socially sustainable business. While I am now behavioural science adviser to his company, I first met Matt many years ago when he was starting out, and alongside his desire to transform the media landscape, his interest in applying technology to help create meaningful change across critical issues in education, healthcare, mental health, and children's well-being is something I really appreciate, especially in an industry that is not without its challenges. From exploring human centred design and our understanding of emotions, to unpacking the shortfalls and benefits of machine learning in human data and the impact of regulation and privacy when building artificial intelligence systems, Matt’s areas of expertise touch on many of the themes I’m looking to explore in this season, and I’m excited to share this conversation with you. Recorded on 31st March 2023.

In this conversation, I speak with Tugba Kirhan, a breathwork and embodiment practitioner I had the joy of meeting during my time at Embercombe earlier this year. Passionate about nurturing a culture of personal growth and bringing joy into our everyday lives, Tugba is a project manager, facilitator and coach who has worked in the charity and humanitarian sectors in the UK and overseas, dealing with issues such as international development and women & youth empowerment. After experiencing Embercombe’s program, The Journey, first-hand as a participant back in 2018, Tugba’s relationship with the land and Embercombe’s ethos has deepened, and she now facilitates on various different courses. She has also led fundraising campaigns and coordinated events including Mac Macartney’s Kith and Kin residentials. Named after the tree of life, Tugba is a native of rural Anatolia (Turkey), where East meets West, and this quality of bridging is present in the many ways in which she works to weave together a sense of kinship between and within humans, and with all forms of life. Recorded on 23rd March 2023.

In today’s conversation, I speak with Dr. Tomas Chamorro-Premuzic – an author and international authority in psychological profiling, talent management, leadership development, and people analytics. The Chief Talent Scientist at Manpower Group and CEO at Hogan Assessment Systems, Tomas is also the co-founder of Deeper Signals and Meta Profiling. Having published 10 books and over 150 scientific papers on the psychology of talent, leadership, innovation and AI, Tomas is a Professor of Business Psychology at both University College London, and Columbia University. His most recent book, I, Human: AI, Automation, and the Quest to Reclaim What Makes Us Unique, explores the impacts of artificial intelligence on how we work, rest and play, and his previous book, Why Do So Many Incompetent Men Become Leaders?: (And How to Fix It), examines why it is so easy for incompetent men to become leaders, and why is it so hard for competent people - especially competent women - to advance. He has previously held academic positions at New York University and the London School of Economics, and he has lectured at Harvard Business School, Stanford Business School, London Business School, Johns Hopkins, IMD, and INSEAD, among many more. His global academic contributions, paired with his creation of science-based tools to improve performance prediction in organisations, make him one of the most prolific social scientists of his generation. Recorded on 21st March 2023.

Today I have the pleasure of being in conversation with a very special guest. Mac Macartney is many things, but perhaps chief among them, he is a storyteller, a writer and a change-maker. Oriented towards cultivating a more just, peaceful, and regenerative future, and mentored by indigenous people over many years, Mac has acquired profound and original insights into the questions preoccupying many contemporary leaders today. Seeking to inspire the emergence of the leader in each of us, the kind of leader who will take courageous action for a better world, Mac’s work seeks to Champion A New Story of Sustainability and reconnection so that together we may walk a path that supports the flourishing of all life. An international speaker and author of two wonderful books - Finding Earth, Finding Soul: The Invisible Path to Authentic Leadership and The Children's Fire: Heart song of a people , Mac is the founder of Embercombe, a beautiful 50 acre rewilding estate on the edge of Dartmoor, that offers courses, programmes and experiences designed to reconnect us with ourselves, with community and with the wild nature that exists within and beyond each of us. Described as a place to breathe, to reconsider, to regenerate and to relearn, I had the precious opportunity to spend a week at Embercombe on a course they call “The Journey”, at the start of this year, in the crisp, cold month of January. It was a profound, moving and rejuvenating experience incandescent with connection, beauty and the magic of stories told and re-told to help us find our place in a changing world. I can only say that if you’re yearning for a deeper sense of purpose and connection with nature and with the vibrance and preciousness of your life, this course is a real gem, facilitated with skill and soul and compassion, and I heartily recommend it. Recorded on 28th February 2023.

In today’s conversation, I speak with Veronica Stanwell - a multidisciplinary healing and creative arts practitioner who weaves soma, psyche, ceremony and song into intimate gatherings for connection, healing and growth. Driven by a longing for a collective shift towards nature-awe, eco-imagination and rekindled interconnectedness, Veronica is the founder of Rooted Healing, an organization that helps heal and connect inner and outer landscapes through transformational gatherings in nature, cross-cultural wisdom exchange, and somatic and transpersonal workshops. Offering legal and unique ceremonial Psilocybin retreats in the Netherlands, ancestral immersions in her homeland of Wales and many other gatherings that re-indigenise and re-root people back into the land, Veronica’s mission is to cultivate the kind of profound belonging that ends habits and systems of harm and instils an embodied remembrance of what it means to be creative, human and alive. As part of a growing collection of resources and projects, Veronica also hosts the wonderful Rooted Healing podcast, which explores how we can heal, re-imagine and co-create a thriving world. With an MSc in Consciousness, Spirituality and Transpersonal Psychology with the Alef Trust, Veronica’s animist embrace of life permeates her explorations into expanded states of consciousness, both within indigenous traditions of the Americas, and her own personal enquiries into Europe’s native ways. Drawing upon a background in professional theatre that continues to guide her work, Veronica’s approach is one that carries deep reverence for the power of story, music, expression, catharsis and playfulness. As a movement teacher with roots in dance, yoga and somatics, she is currently developing a modality based on animistic ideas, that invokes playful enquiry into the inspirited interdependent body-mind. Recorded on 22nd February 2023.

For the first episode of the season, I have the pleasure of interviewing Alexa Firmenich - an investor, consultant and facilitator on the climate crisis, whose life’s work centres on dissolving the boundaries that divide human beings from other forms of life, and enabling nature to express its fullest creativity. Focused on developing strategies that repair our planet’s ecologies, Alexa’s work experience spans from political science and leadership development to corporate sustainability analysis, journalism, eco-cultural projects in emerging markets, land-based conservation initiatives and climate communication. She is currently co-director of SEED, a new initiative housed inside the Crowther Lab at ETH Zurich, that is creating the world’s first biodiversity measure that accounts for all scales of life’s complexity at a genetic, species and ecosystem level. Having co-founded the animist investment studio, Ground Effect, to direct capital on behalf of other species and back ventures that maximize planetary generativity, her current areas of investment and research include regenerative agriculture, soil health, food systems, earth jurisprudence, ecosystem restoration, ecological pedagogy, new ownership models, biodiversity, and scientific research that illuminates life’s relational processes. As an author, poet, photographer and wilderness guide, she brings people into direct contact with the living world. In her role as an Associate at Leaders’ Quest and through the company she founded, Atlas Unbound, she develops and leads multi-day immersive learning journeys for global corporations and decision-makers, principally into “nature”. These journeys embody her thesis that we learn most rapidly and durably through direct experience, and that visceral connection is a remedy to our systemic alienation from the living world. As a means to inspire a greater number of people in their climate/restoration trajectory, she started the podcast Lifeworlds. The show is an intimate dialogue with our planet’s ecologies where she explores the mindsets, skills and actions needed to partner with other forms of life. Her guests are farmers, lawyers, scientists, investors, indigenous scholars, artists, and many others, who have all learned to be in close relationship with the lifeworlds of other species. Recorded on 9th February 2023.

In 2015, sisters Ruby and Christabel Reed started organising events to explore the interconnections between ecology, community, spirituality and wellbeing. They understood the ecological emergency and mental health crisis to be inherently connected and wanted to learn about ways of being that could create happier, healthier and more just cultures. This unfolding project became Advaya, a systems change initiative that organises around the principles of radical regeneration and joyful revolution. Since its inception, it has become a global platform for transformative education, which has organised over 200 events that promote everything from regenerative narratives, embodiment, daily practice, small scale agriculture and degrowth, to local economies, ecosystem restoration, public awakening and embedded ecological awareness. In 2020 Christabel, Ruby and Cara Delevingne founded EcoResolution, an educational platform that aims to empower and inspire meaningful action in the face of ecological breakdown through education and a big-picture approach to change by platforming the inspiring and imaginative ways we can create cultures of liberation and ecological harmony. In 2021 Ruby and Christabel created Initiative Earth, a charity that empowers and enables individuals and communities to take action to support environmental restoration and regeneration. They will be launching earthed.co later this year. I first met Ruby and Christabel at a one-week introductory course in regenerative agriculture run by the wonderful folks at La Junquera in Murcia, Southern Spain, and I had the pleasure of curating a panel for their stage at the Medicine Festival earlier this year. They’re a powerful duo, and I’ve really been looking forward to sharing this conversation with you. Recorded on 28th October 2022.

Today I speak with award-winning author and speaker, Jeremy Lent. Described by Guardian journalist George Monbiot as “one of the greatest thinkers of our age,” Jeremy’s work investigates the underlying causes of our civilisation’s existential crisis, and explores pathways toward a life-affirming future. A former internet company CEO, with a BA in English Literature from Cambridge University and an MBA from the University of Chicago, Jeremy’s life has followed an unexpected path, as we’ll come to hear, and he has gone on to write two highly acclaimed books. The first, The Patterning Instinct: A Cultural History of Humanity's Search for Meaning, explores the way humans have made meaning from the cosmos from hunter-gatherer times to the present day. His new book, The Web of Meaning: Integrating Science and Traditional Wisdom to Find Our Place in the Universe, draws upon science and philosophies to lay out a solid foundation for a worldview of deep interconnectedness. Jeremy is the founder of the Deep Transformation Network, a global community exploring pathways to an ecological civilisation, and the nonprofit Liology Institute, dedicated to fostering an integrated worldview that could enable humanity to thrive sustainably on the Earth. Recorded on 20th Oct 2022.

Today I have the treat of speaking with Dr Ros Watts - a clinical psychologist, a mother, and a passionate nature lover. Having worked as the Clinical Lead for Imperial College London’s pioneering psilocybin trial, and then as the Clinical Director at Synthesis Institute, Ros is one of the most prominent and experienced voices in the field of psychedelic research today. She has been named one of the 50 Most Influential People in Psychedelics and one of the Top 16 Women Shaping the Future of Psychedelics, and it is her focus on integration, harm-reduction and inclusion in the psychedelic space that makes Ros’s work so unique in this field. With a recently published a paper providing a validated scale for assessing psychological connectedness in a broad sense, Ros has designed The Watts Connectedness Scale as a clinical, practical tool for measuring our sense of connectedness to ourselves, to others, and to the living world. Ros has a desire to help people cultivate connectedness especially after psychedelic experiences, and it is from this place that she has created an integration community called ACER Integration, which aims to provide experiential education around how to integrate singular experiences into the wider collective and how to connect more deeply to life and one another, in all our relational complexity and richness. Recorded on 16th Nov 2022.

Today I speak with Rich Summers – a sustainable butcher, a curer, teacher and consultant who has worked in the British meat industry for over 30 years, and gained an appreciation of the finest quality British livestock and game along with an admiration for those who dedicate their time to producing it. Drawing upon his experience as a butcher, charcutier, slaughterman and occasional stockman, he has developed a forensic knowledge of ethically farmed and humanely slaughtered livestock and the importance of how these factors influence meat quality and in turn, a healthy and balanced human diet. A well-respected industry figure, Rich’s extensive knowledge of whole carcass butchery enables him to impart complex academic and scientific processes, alongside sophisticated practical skills, to clients wishing to guarantee the very best eating quality and food safety standards in a sustainable way. Rich also consults, teaches and judges on a wide range of subjects, and he leads a team of specialists offering a world class range of services aimed to produce healthier, ethical, commercially viable food systems – which you can check out at summersandco.uk Recorded on 14th Oct 2022.

As we approach the Winter Solstice and the longest night of the year, I’m delighted to share with you what has become a joyful tradition of reflection, contemplation, and looking ahead to the year to come. In this conversation, I rejoin Manda Scott and Della Duncan for a collaborative solstice offering from The Hive, Accidental Gods, and the Upstream Podcast. As we gather to reflect on what’s been a rather unusual year, we share some of the key themes of enquiry and growth we’ve explored on our podcasts, we trace what we find when we each go upstream from the challenges we’re facing today, and we explore the question of what most ignites us as we step into the months ahead. At the end of the conversation, we’ll each offer a question to you to dwell with, and Manda will guide us in a beautiful guided meditation to help us reach into and connect with this moment of the season. This is always a special episode for me, and I’m so very grateful to be able to dive into conversation with these two passionate, thoughtful and extraordinary women. I hope you find it inviting and inspiring, and I wish you a restful, restorative Winter Solstice and a fruitful new year. Recorded on 7th December 2022.

In today’s episode, I speak with Cain Blythe – CEO of Credit Nature, and Managing Director of Ecosulis, an organization that specializes in habitat restoration, particularly through the adoption of natural regeneration techniques, rewilding and the use of technology in conservation. Qualified as a Chartered Environmentalist, and a full member of the Chartered Institute of Environmental Management and Assessment and the Institute of Ecology and Environmental Management, Cain has over 20 years of experience specialising in nature recovery and habitat restoration. In 2020, he published the brilliant book, Rewilding: The Radical New Science Of Ecological Recovery, which he wrote in partnership with Paul Jepson, one of the UK’s leading conservationists. Cain’s work not only focuses on the natural world – central to his approach is the endeavour to deliver solutions that ensure attractive and healthy places for people, and which also provide havens for wildlife. He has presented to a variety of audiences on biodiversity-related subjects across the UK and Europe, and he’s currently involved in innovation around biodiversity monitoring, measurement and automation, as well as rewilding, blockchain and landscape-scale habitat restoration. His company, CreditNature, focuses on mobilising high impact nature positive investments by offering a suite of green fintech products and services that have been developed using cutting-edge technologies and techniques. Recorded on 18th Nov 2022.

Today I speak with Marc Aixalà, an author and psychologist practicing in Barcelona, whose work sits at the intersection of psychotherapy, altered states and the facilitation of psychedelic integration. Having originally worked as a Telecommunications Engineer, Marc went on to become a Licensed Health Psychologist, Psychotherapist and Holotropic Breathwork facilitator, and he served as a team leader and trainer in emergency psychological assistance at Boom Festival through the Kosmicare harm reduction program. Since 2013 he has coordinated support services at the International Center for Ethnobotanical Education, Research and Service (ICEERS), and he worked on the first-ever medical trial on the use of psilocybin for treatment-resistant depression, a study chronicled in the 2018 documentary, “Magic Medicine.” During his time at ICEERS, he provided integration psychotherapy sessions for people going through challenging situations after experiencing transformative non-ordinary states of consciousness. This work led him to develop theoretical models of intervention which I’m excited to say he has shared in the publication of his new book: Psychedelic Integration: Psychotherapy for Non-Ordinary States of Consciousness. Tracing the evolution of psychedelic-assisted therapy and integration research from the 1960s to the present, this book offers different models of integration and practical therapeutic techniques, and it documents Marc’s real-world observations on the deep work of healing and self-discovery. Recorded on 15th Nov 2022.

Today, I speak with Emmy-nominated filmmaker, social scientist and eco-doula, Lindsay Branham. The Founder of Novo, an incubator for art that inspires human connection in imaginative ways, Lindsay leverages media to meaningfully address ecological and human rights abuses, and also leads and facilitates contemplative spirituality retreats to deepen personal and collective transformation. She is committed to intersectional equity and justice. Lindsay's film-based interventions are designed to accompany people living in the midst of violence to build on their inherent resilience. These have focused on peacefully dismantling the Lord’s Resistance Army from within, facilitating the reintegration of former child soldiers, preventing recruitment into violent extremist groups, reducing elephant poaching, improving psychological flourishing and challenging the root causes of bonded labour. Her partners in these media-based interventions include Search for Common Ground, The Freedom Fund, Invisible Children and Google.With an MPhil in Social Psychology from the University of Cambridge, Lindsay also studied trauma and mental health at Harvard Medical School and journalism at the University of Southern California. Her current focus is on the perceptual experience of the human-nature relationship, a “sensuous terrain” of deep relationality as a PhD candidate in psychology at the University of Cambridge where she is a Cambridge Trust scholar . She is also writing a book that chronicles the intersection of health and climate change. Much of Lindsay’s ethos stems from her experience with contemplative practice from the perennial philosophies spanning decades. She is a graduate of the Sati Center for Buddhist Studies eco-chaplaincy program and is currently a retreat facilitator at Synthesis in the Netherlands. A Kathryn Davis Fellow for Peace, Lindsay was named the inaugural Envision social good fellow by the Independent Film Project and the United Nations, and she has been published by CNN, the BBC and The New York Times. Her research investigating the link between media and behaviour change has been published by Harvard Humanitarian Initiative and in academic journals. Recorded on 14th Oct 2022.

Today I have the pleasure of speaking with Dr David Luke, Senior Lecturer in Psychology at the University of Greenwich. I first encountered David’s work a few years ago when I attended the biennial academic conference, Breaking Convention, of which David is a co-founder, director and chair. As you may know, I speak at a lot of conferences for my work, and I was particularly struck by this one, for their skill in weaving together different disciplines associated with the research of psychedelic substances, which is an area that is not only rich, but also very complex. Over the course of a few days I encountered talks and presentations spanning everything from medicine, psychology and anthropology, to sociology, law, politics and the arts – and so I thought who better to explore the theme of integration with, than David. Having published more than 100 academic papers, including ten books, David’s work focuses on transpersonal experiences, anomalous phenomena and altered states of consciousness, especially those occasioned by psychedelics. When he is not running clinical drug trials with LSD, doing DMT field experiments or observing apparent weather control with Mexican shamans, he directs the Ecology, Cosmos and Consciousness salon. Recorded on 13th Oct 2022.

For the first episode of the series, I have the pleasure of speaking with Erinch Sahan, the business and enterprise lead at the Doughnut Economics Action Lab (DEAL). A term coined by the pioneering economist Kate Raworth, the aim of Doughnut Economics is to create 21st century economies that are regenerative and distributive by design, so that they can meet the needs of all people within the means of the living planet – a theme which we will be exploring in our conversation today. Erinch is a board member of the Social Enterprise World Forum, he was recently the chief executive of the World Fair Trade Organization and he previously spent 7 years at Oxfam leading campaign initiatives, where he also founded Oxfam’s Future of Business Initiative. With degrees in finance and law, and an honorary doctorate from Oxford Brookes University, Erinch teaches sustainable value chains at Cambridge Institute for Sustainability Leadership, and he has also worked for Australia's aid programme. In the course of his career, he’s even established a furniture business, and in his earlier years, he worked at Procter & Gamble as a market strategy manager, a story I’ll be asking him about shortly. Recorded on 3rd Oct 2022.

In this final episode of the season, I speak with Tracey Follows - a futurist and author of The Future of You: Can Your Identity Survive 21st-Century Technology?  The CEO of Futuremade, a futures consultancy advising global brands and applying foresight to boost business, Tracey has appeared on BBC Business Matters, Radio 4, Talk Radio, and on the Megyn Kelly show in the US. A contributor to the FT, Guardian, and the Daily Mail, she has her own contributor column in Forbes, and hosts The Future of You podcast. Tracey has spoken at UN HQ, keynoted at events such as the Financial Times Tech Live and Think With Google, and spoken alongside Silicon Valley CEOs at the FT's Global Boardroom, as well as UK Government and Parliamentarians at Think Digital Identity, delivering her Tedx at the UK Foreign & Commonwealth Office. She has covered topics as diverse as the future of luxury, retail, media, cities, gender, work, defense, justice, entertainment, and AI ethics, decoding what future trends mean for businesses, brands and organisations. Recorded on 9th June 2022.

Today, I have a rather unusual guest… Following a sudden non-dual experience one morning in February 2016, Jessica Corneille decided to change the course of her life by quitting her career in the arts and cultural heritage preservation, to play her part, instead, in helping to de-stigmatise, de-pathologise and raise awareness around spiritual awakening, enlightenment, and non-dual experiences within mainstream psychology. She graduated with Distinction from a Masters Degree in Psychology from the University of Greenwich, where she focused her studies on “exceptional human experiences” (including transpersonal, anomalistic and parapsychology), and is now a qualified research psychologist, focussing predominantly on awakening experiences of a spontaneous nature. Jessica has presented her work at a number of academic conferences, including with the British Psychological Society, and she is the Communications Coordinator for the Scientific and Medical Network. She is also a collaborator of the Emergent Phenomenology Research Consortium and Spiritual Crisis Network, and runs support-groups for people undergoing spiritually transformative experiences. With a desire to challenge the default pathologisation of awakening experiences, Jessica’s research aims to inform and encourage mainstream psychology to look beyond the current designated spectrum of ‘normality’, to encompass the transpersonal as something that is intrinsic to the human experience, and in helping individuals come to the realisation of their highest human potential. Recorded on 30th May 2022.

In this conversation, I speak with Mark Gallagher - author, conference speaker and Managing Director of Performance Insights, an organisation that provides corporate clients with deep-dive insights and executive coaching from the world of Formula One. His book, "The Business of Winning: Insights in Transformation from F1 to the Boardroom", is a compelling insider's account of nearly 40 years in the Formula One industry, in which he explores what it takes to succeed in a competitive business with high technology, high finance and immensely high stakes. Having joined the world of Formula One back in 1983, Mark’s career includes more than a decade on the management board of the highly successful, race winning Jordan Grand Prix team, running the world famous Cosworth engine business, and establishing the commercial arm of Red Bull Racing which went on to become 4-times World Champions. During his career he has worked with many of the sport’s leading drivers, including former World Champions Ayrton Senna, Michael Schumacher and Jenson Button. Today he works closely with a number of the sport’s major stars including David Coulthard, Mika Hakkinen and Jacques Villeneuve. Mark may not seem like the most obvious guest to have on the show, but what has consistently struck me in our various conversations together, is the power and potential that his industry holds, in helping us to innovate, collaborate and imagine our way out of some of the most pressing issues of our time - most crucially, how we can unhook ourselves from reliance on fossil fuels, and decarbonise our energy industries. Recorded on 18th May 2022.

Today I have the pleasure of speaking with Yanniek Schoonhoven, a regenerative farmer, co-founder of the Regeneration Academy, coordinator of the Re-Generation Festival, and trainer for the regenerative agriculture research program in Murcia, Southern Spain. Holding a master degree in Environmental Sciences, Yanniek has worked with farmers throughout Southern Spain for several years as part of Commonland and AlVelAl, two projects that aim to initiate, catalyse and enable large-scale and long-term restoration initiatives. With a shared mission to transform degraded landscapes into thriving ecosystems and communities, these projects take a practical, holistic approach to developing viable solutions based on social and ecological needs, science and entrepreneurship. The folks at Commonland have been working tirelessly since 2013 to build a universal proof of concept that brings farmers, landowners, entrepreneurs, communities, nature organisations and legislators together to create real returns on investment per hectare. Called 4 Returns, this framework is capable of initiating, organising and following through on large-scale and long-term restoration initiatives that integrate ecology, land use and business - a framework we’ll be exploring in greater depth a bit later. I’m really delighted to be having this particular conversation today, not least because I’ve seen the work they’re doing on the farm, and experienced their passion, determination and open-heartedness first-hand. I’m also excited to be sharing this with you, because it offers a practical example of the transformation we can achieve, at a large scale, when we’re able to envision a different, more regenerative path forward, and work collaboratively with others to make it happen. Recorded on 5th May 2022.

Today I have the pleasure of speaking with Octavia Raheem, beloved author, mother, activist, yoga teacher and practitioner, whose books - Gather, and Pause, Rest, Be: Stillness Practices for Courage in Times of Change - offer revolutionarily gentle, powerful ideas and practices to restore the body, mind and spirit.  Having received national attention for her work training yoga teachers and diversifying the yoga and wellness industry, Octavia’s work as a yoga professional focuses on practical tools to teach individuals how to manage stress, anxiety, and fatigue through yoga and meditation in a way that is accessible to all levels and abilities, and restorative to the nervous system. Her work has been featured in Yoga Journal, Mantra magazine, Well + Good, CNN, WXIA, and Atlanta Magazine, and she is one of the most vibrant and inspiring voices I have come across in the re-imagining of what it means to reclaim our rest. If you’re searching for a way to come home to yourself, or to transform ethnic or race-based stress and trauma, Octavia’s teachings offer a path towards refuge, and her voice is a powerful guide to surviving, healing and thriving in difficult times. Recorded on 15th April 2022.

In this conversation, I speak with Indra Adnan - an author, psycho-social therapist and political entrepreneur, and a global consultant on soft power. The Founder and Co-initiator (together with Pat Kane) of “The Alternative UK political platform”, Indra has been writing, consulting, network-building and event-organising on the themes of future politics, conflict transformation, the role of the arts and integral thinking, for the past 20 years. The Co-Lead in Bounce Beyond, a social enterprise network doing transformative work to cohere and connect the next global economies, Indra is also the author of the fascinating book, The Politics of Waking Up: Power & Possibility In The Fractal Age. She has consulted to the World Economic Forum, NATO and a variety of governments, and she runs community collaboratories around the UK, building Citizen Action Networks (CANs) to reconnect people to cosmo-local eco-systems of solutions that are available. Central to her vision of an Alternative politics is the interdependency of the complex individual, the community and the planet: I, We, World - which is just one of the many themes we’ll be exploring in our conversation today. Recorded on 13th April 2022.

Today I speak with Dr. Ruth Gotian - author of the recently published book, The Success Factor, a fascinating read that explores how we might understand and learn from the mindset and skill set of peak performers, from Nobel Prize winners and astronauts to Olympic champions and political change-makers. The Chief Learning Officer and Assistant Professor of Education in Anesthesiology, and former Assistant Dean of Mentoring and Executive Director of the Mentoring Academy at Weill Cornell Medicine, Ruth has made her name in management thinking and was hailed by the journal Nature and Columbia University as an expert in mentorship and leadership development. Selected as one of 30 people worldwide to be named to the Thinkers50 Radar List in 2021, Ruth was also a semi-finalist for the Forbes 50 Over 50 list, and recently won the Thinkers50 Distinguished Achievement, Radar Award given to a “thinker with the potential to change the world of theory and practice”. A regular contributor to Forbes, Psychology Today and Harvard Business Review, Ruth’s work has been widely published in academic journals, and her take on what pro-social success can look like in a rapidly changing world is what drew me to speak with her on the show today. Recorded 9th February 2022.

In this conversation, I speak with the brilliant Rob Hopkins - cofounder of the Transition Network and Transition Town Totnes, and author of several wonderful books: From What Is to What If? (one of my personal favourites), The Power of Just Doing Stuff, The Transition Handbook, and The Transition Companion. Voted one of the Independent's top 100 environmentalists in 2012, and named among Nesta and the Observer's list of Britain's 50 New Radicals, Rob has appeared on BBC Radio 4's Four Thought and A Good Read, and was featured in the French film phenomenon Demain and its sequel Après Demain. An Ashoka Fellow, Rob has spoken at TEDGlobal and three TEDx events, and holds a doctorate degree from the University of Plymouth and two honorary doctorates from the University of the West of England and the University of Namur. A keen gardener, Rob is a founder of New Lion Brewery in Totnes, and a director of Totnes Community Development Society, the group behind Atmos Totnes, an ambitious, community-led development project. He’s also an artist whose beautiful lino prints you can check out at robhopkins.net, and his podcast, From What If to What Next is really worth a listen if you’re looking for inspiration as to how we can unleash our collective imaginations to create a more resilient world. Recorded on 28th January 2022.

In today’s conversation, I have the treat of speaking with Anthea Lawson - a campaigner and writer, whose powerful book, The Entangled Activist is essential reading for anyone interested in how we might change the world in a more meaningful, integrative way. Having trained and worked as a reporter at The Times, and studied history at Cambridge, her work as an activist has seen Anthea campaign to shut down tax havens, control the arms trade and prevent banks from facilitating corruption and environmental devastation. While working at Global Witness, a human rights and environmental organisation, Anthea also launched a campaign that succeeded in changing the rules on secret company ownership, resulting in new laws being passed in dozens of countries around the world. She’s a rare gem whose rich experience, brilliant mind and grounded presence make for an inspiring and refreshing guide to the hardest challenges we face. I came across Anthea’s work through the renegade economist, Della Duncan, to whom I am grateful for the introduction - and I have to say that while I don’t consider myself an activist per se, this book is one of the most deeply affecting, empowering and illuminating that I have read in a long while. From mapping out the self-righteous, saviour-complex dynamics that arise from our unmet needs, to challenging the extractivist, power-over patterns inherited from our colonial pasts, The Entangled Activist reveals how we can end up re-creating the very problems we seek to fix - and how we might rise to the challenge differently. Recorded on 9th February 2022.

In this first episode of the new season, I have the pleasure of speaking with Indy Johar, the founding Director of 00 and Dark Matter Labs. An architect by training, Indy is a Senior Innovation Associate with the Young Foundation and a visiting Professor at the University of Sheffield. Having co-founded the Impact Hub Birmingham and Open Systems Lab, he was a member of the RSA’s Inclusive Growth Commission and is one of the leading voices in the world of system change, the future of urban infrastructure finance, outcome-based investment, and the future of governance. Whether you’re interested in how our societies might transition and respond to climate breakdown, or you’re curious about understanding the interconnected ways in which we could foster systemic change, this conversation offers an exploration of both past and present, and what steps we might take to create a more democratic, distributed and sustainable future. Recorded on 3rd March 2022.

Tara Lemméy does invention – really big invention. From US National Security to large scale entertainment systems. From drones and autonomous technologies to internet protocols. Ask her what she’s working on and it’s probably a secret. She partners with some of the most innovative CEOs and companies in the world. What’s not a secret, is that you can find her at LENS Ventures making startups, patenting technologies and telling very funny stories. Recorded on 4th February 2021.

In this episode, I speak with Yessi Bello-Perez, a technology and business journalist, editor and copywriter, whose work sits at the intersection of tech, healthcare, business, culture, arts, politics, and economics. The editor of UNLEASH, a customer-first digital media platform, built to inspire, connect and enable HR leaders worldwide, Yessi is also the co-host of Rising Startup Ecosystems, a podcast for fDi Intelligence, the Financial Times’ specialist service. Passionate about people, stories, and innovation, Yessi has years of experience in the B2B and B2C sectors, and a deep knowledge of the European tech ecosystem and its key players. She has been featured in Computer Weekly’s ‘Most Influential Women in UK Tech’ longlist for two consecutive years (2018 and 2019) and shortlisted for “Tech Reporter of the Year” at the ITA Awards. Recorded on 12th February 2021.

Today I have the pleasure of speaking with Nell Watson, a tech ethicist, machine intelligence researcher and AI faculty member at Singularity University. A longtime friend of the podcast, Nell’s interdisciplinary research into emerging technologies such as machine vision and AI ethics have attracted audiences from all over the world, and inspired leaders to work towards a brighter future at venues such as The World Bank, The United Nations General Assembly, and The Royal Society. A Senior Advisor to The Future Society at Harvard, Nell also serves as an Advisory technologist to several accelerators, venture capital funds and startups, including The Lifeboat Foundation, which aims to protect humanity from existential risks that could end civilisation as we know it, such as asteroid collisions, or rogue artificial intelligence.

In this conversation, I speak with Lewis Garrad – an occupational psychologist, and Partner and business leader for Mercer’s Singapore Career business. Voted a top 101 Global Future of Work Influencer, he is regular contributor to publications such as the Harvard Business Review and Talent Quarterly and he speaks on the subject of people science, HR data, employee engagement and leadership. In his commercial work, Lewis leads a team of economists, social scientists, engineers and consultants to help clients and customers implement data-driven reward, talent, leadership and employee engagement programs to help improve organizational performance. Chartered by the British Psychological Society (BPS) as an Occupational Psychologist, Lewis graduated from the University of Nottingham in the UK with an MSc in Occupational Psychology and a First Class Honours BSc in Psychology and Cognitive Neuroscience. He is also qualified by the British Psychological Society to use both ability tests and personality questionnaires to assess talent. Having supported the development of several organisation and HR capabilities programs, including a leading role in the development of the national Skills Frameworks in Singapore, Lewis has deep expertise in making people programs relevant for C-level executives in global companies as well as facilitating senior leadership teams to help them unlock leadership effectiveness. Recorded on 21st January 2021.

Today I speak with John Featherby, the founder of Shoremount, a business that helps organisations to become more purposeful, adaptable, human and regenerative. As one of the UK’s founding B-Corps, and awarded Best For The World: Changemaker by B Lab, Shoremount models how businesses can achieve the highest standards of verified social and environmental performance, public transparency, and legal accountability to balance profit and purpose. And as a certified member of the B Corp movement, they are accelerating a global culture shift to redefine success in business and build a more inclusive and sustainable economy. With an MA from CASS Business School, and having grown up around dialogues of change (with his parents having funded the first social impact bond), these influences contributed towards founding Shoremount, an endeavour seeking to put flourishing back at the centre of the workplace. As well as sitting on the investment committee for the UK’s leading impact investment funds, John also holds various Ambassador, Investment Committee and Board roles. Recorded on 21st December 2020.

In this conversation, I speak with Jeremy Dalton, the Head of XR at PwC UK, and author of Reality Check: How Immersive Technologies Can Transform Your Business. Jeremy’s work aims to help clients understand, quantify, and implement the benefits of virtual reality and augmented reality, a set of technologies sometimes collectively referred to as XR, immersive technologies or spatial computing. Alongside his fascinating book on the subject, Jeremy has given talks all over the world on the future of XR and his work has been featured in newspapers, radio and online through The Financial Times, the BBC, and many more. As part of his mission to educate, connect and inspire, he has worked with the World Economic Forum on XR initiatives and currently sits on the advisory board of Immerse UK, a UK government supported cross-sector network for businesses, research groups and educational organisations that are engaged with immersive technologies. Recorded on 15th January 2021.

Today I speak with Toby Daniels, Chief Innovation Officer at Adweek, and the founder of Social Media Week. Working at the intersection of technology, media and marketing for over two decades, Toby is a thought leader in media, marketing and technology, and has been featured in mainstream and trade media, including articles on CNN.com, The New York Times, The Next Web, Huffington Post, AdWeek, PSFK and Fast Company. Having served as the co-founder and former CEO of Crowdcentric Media, a global media and events company, Toby is an advisor to a number of companies, and speaks regularly at conferences and has given talks at PdF Latin America in Chile, Social Media Brazil, The Co-Creation Conference in Phoenix, and SXSW. Recorded on 4th February 2021.

In today’s episode, secreted away within this special book-related season, is a rather special conversation, that I have come to look forward to as a tradition. As we turn again to the deepest night of the year, I rejoin Della Duncan and Manda Scott for a shared solstice offering from The Hive, Accidental Gods, and the Upstream Podcast. As we come together to reflect on this extraordinary year, we share some of the joys and challenges we’ve faced, the stories we’ve encountered, and what they’ve taught us. We touch on some of the inspiring books, conversations and explorations that have gotten us through, and offer our ideas and visions for what we might create together as we move into 2022. Recorded on 5th December 2021.

In today’s conversation, I speak with César Christoforidis, the Senior Vice-President of Global Partnerships & Strategy at Emplifi (previously known as SocialBakers), where he spearheads the partner growth strategy and manages strategic relationships with Facebook, Google, Twitter, TikTok, and Linkedin. With a passion for new technologies and helping humanity to cultivate a healthy mix of human/tech solutions to improve our everyday lives, César’s work also focusses on how we might build strong, sustainable and helpful communities. Having led a team of digital consultants as Sales Director UK & EMEA for Experian Hitwise, one of the world’s leading online marketing intelligence solutions, César’s 15 years of experience in digital and software solutions spans everything from Social Media, Live Shopping, eCommerce and Influencer marketing, to Affiliate Marketing, PPC, Display, Messaging, and Email. Recorded on 6th January 2021.

Today, I have the pleasure of speaking with another friend of the podcast, Dr Gillian Isaacs Russell, a celebrated author, psychoanalyst and psychotherapist. Member of the British Psychoanalytic Council, the British Psychotherapy Foundation, the American Psychoanalytic Association, and the International Psychoanalytical Association, Gillian is a Registered Psychotherapist in the state of Colorado and has been in private practice in the UK and USA since 1988. Her fascinating book, Screen Relations: The Limits of Computer-Mediated Psychoanalysis and Psychotherapy, examines how some of our most intimate relationships, including that of analyst and patient, are affected by technologically-mediated communication. Having served on the Editorial Board as Book Reviews Editor, Gillian currently serves on the COVID-19 Advisory Team for the American Psychoanalytic Association, where she received the 2021 Distinguished Service Award. This episode is sponsored by Pleo, whose event, "Forward", I will be hosting on 9th December 2021. Join me and grab your free ticket here: pleo.io/en/forward Recorded on 15th February 2021.

Today I speak with another friend of the podcast, Perry Timms – an international and 2x TEDx speaker, advisor and award-winning writer on the future of work, HR and learning. Founder of PTHR, a micro consulting venture in its 9th year of operation with the ambition to shape, ‘Better Business for a Better World’, Perry’s work in progressive thinking in HR and the workplace of the future, was recognised by his inclusion on HR Magazine’s HR’s Most Influential Thinkers List for 2017, where he also placed 5th most influential in 2018. The author of two books, Perry’s first volume, Transformational HR, was an Amazon.com Top 30 HR seller shortly after its release, and, due to popular demand and the effects of the pandemic, the 2nd, revised edition came out earlier this year to wide acclaim. His second book, The Energised Workplace, explores Human Energy & Organisation Design, and it was published in April 2020. Perry serves as Adjunct Faculty at Ashridge Executive Education and Hult International Business School, and is a visiting fellow at Sheffield Hallam University. He is also the world’s only WorldBlu-certified Freedom at Work Consultant and Coach, and he currently leads the London Chapter of ResponsiveOrg. Recorded on 21st December 2020.

In this conversation, I speak with Stephanie M. H. Moore, a Lecturer of Business Law and Ethics at Indiana University’s Kelley School of Business, whose areas of interest and expertise include business ethics, conflict resolution, critical thinking, advocacy, contracts, and legal writing. A Registered Domestic Relations Mediator, Stephanie graduated first in her class from Indiana University’s Robert H. McKinney School of Law, and she also holds degrees in English and Telecommunications from Indiana University. Prior to joining the Kelley School, Stephanie served for four years as a Federal Law Clerk for the Honorable Monroe G. McKay, United States Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit. Professor Moore also worked in advertising, sales, marketing, and at Indiana University’s Office of Student Conduct, and she has served on the board of several local nonprofits and as an Indiana University Title IX Hearing Panel Officer. Stephanie has taught Advanced Legal Writing for Indiana University’s Maurer School of Law and frequently serves as a case competition judge, panelist, and facilitator. This episode is sponsored by Pleo, whose event, "Forward", I will be hosting on 9th December 2021. Join me and grab your free ticket here: www.pleo.io/en/forward Recorded on 20th January 2021.

In today’s conversation, I speak with Octavius Black – the CEO of Mind Gym, a consultancy that uses the latest psychology and behavioural science to transform how people think, feel and behave so as to improve both the performance of companies and the lives of the people who work within them. Having read Philosophy, Politics and Economics at The Queen’s College, Oxford University, Octavius went on to work as an analyst at Booz Allen Hamilton, and later became a director of the organisational communications consultancy, Smythe Dorward Lambert. He co-founded Mind Gym in his kitchen with Sebastien Bailey 20 years ago and floated the company on the London Stock Exchange in 2018, and he has co-authored several Mind Gym books, including Wake Up Your Mind, Give Me Time, and Relationships. Octavius has written for The Times, Financial Times and The Sunday Telegraph, and together with his team, he seeks to equip ambitious companies with the knowledge and capability to be ready for tomorrow. Recorded on 26th November 2020.

Today I have the pleasure of speaking with another great friend of the podcast, Dr Aaron Balick – a psychotherapist, author and director of the international psychology hub, Stillpoint Spaces, an organisation devoted to sharing ideas from depth psychology widely and with integrity. After nearly 20 years of experience as a clinical psychotherapist and supervisor, and a decade as an academic in his field, Aaron now works as an author, media contributor and consultant, and speaks internationally to a wide variety of audiences about the impact of social media and technology on the individual and society. As a psychological consultant for the media, Aaron has advised on, and contributed to a variety of projects that aim to bring quality mental health content to programming for young people and adults alike, and he has been the resident “agony uncle” for BBC Radio 1 and CBBC for many years. The author of several fantastic books both for adults and children, his new title, The Little Book of Calm: Tame Your Anxieties, Face Your Fears, and Live Free draws upon his years of experience as a clinician and researcher, to offer readers techniques, advice and inspiration on the best and most effective ways to manage anxiety. Recorded on 14th December 2020.

In this episode, I speak with workplace and change strategist, Chris Kane, the Founder and Director of Six Ideas Ltd. Having started out as a Chartered Surveyor, Chris’ 30-year career spans corporate real estate and workplace strategy, and he has held positions from the CEO of BBC Commercial Projects and Head of the BBC Corporate Real Estate, to the VP of The Walt Disney Company’s CRE. Of his wide-ranging projects, the largest includes overseeing the BBC’s £2bn property portfolio regeneration to deliver a fit-for-purpose estate using the Corporation’s decade-long ‘analogue to digital’ transformation, as a catalyst for organisational change – an endeavor which also involved masterminding the foundations of new innovative and creative media, business and residential quarters in White City, London and Salford, Manchester. Chris is also the author of the brilliant book, Where is My Office? Reimagining the Workplace for the 21st Century, published by Bloomsbury, a volume that presents a game-changing challenge to the existing ways we work, as well as being a guide to harnessing the true potential of an organisation’s people and workplace. Recorded on 9th February 2021.

Today I speak with Rita Clifton CBE – a global brand expert and former Chair of Interbrand, described by the Financial Times as a ‘Brand guru’, and by Campaign magazine as ‘The doyenne of branding’. Alongside her board chairing and non-executive roles, Rita is a writer, keynote speaker, conference chair and practitioner on all aspects of brands, branding and business leadership. A regular columnist and media commentator, Rita is the author of several books, including the best-selling title The Future of Brands, two editions of The Economist book Brands and Branding, and her new book, Love Your Imposter, which explores new types of business leadership and how we might take our imposter self and use it as a driver to come out stronger. Having worked as the Vice Chair and Strategy Director at Saatchi & Saatchi, the London CEO and Chair of Interbrand, and as co-founder of BrandCap, in 2014 Rita received a CBE in the Queen’s New Year Honours list, and is now a portfolio chair and non-executive director on the board of businesses including John Lewis Partnership, Nationwide Building Society and Ascential plc. Previous boards have included ASOS, Dixons Retail plc, Emap, Bupa and Populus Group. Her non-profit boards have included Worldwide Fund for Nature (WWF), the UK Sustainable Development Commission and Green Alliance, and she was recently appointed Chair at Forum for the Future, the leading international sustainability organisation. Recorded on 11th February 2021.

In this conversation, I speak with a great friend of the show, Tomas Chamorro-Premuzic. Professor of Business Psychology at University College London and Columbia University, Tomas is an international authority in psychological profiling, talent management, leadership development, and people analytics. An incisive and prolific writer, he is also the author of a wide-range of brilliant books, the most recent of which, Why Do So Many Incompetent Men Become Leaders?: (And How to Fix It), was transformed into a TED talk of the same name, which has racked up over 1.3m views. Currently the Chief Talent Scientist at Manpower Group, and co-founder of Deeper Signals and Metaprofiling, Tomas is also an associate at Harvard’s Entrepreneurial Finance Lab, and his commercial work focuses on the creation of science-based tools that improve organisations’ abilities to predict performance, and people’s abilities to understand themselves. Tomas has previously held academic positions at New York University and the London School of Economics, and frequently lectures at Harvard Business School, Stanford Business School, London Business School, and IMD, as well as being the co-founder and CEO of BrazenX and the former CEO at Hogan Assessment Systems. Recorded on 27th November 2020.

Today, I speak with Cindy Gallop, founder & CEO of Make Love Not Porn, the world’s first user-generated, human-curated social sex platform which is ‘Pro-sex. Pro-porn. Pro-knowing the difference’. With over 30 years of experience in brand building, marketing and entrepreneurialism, Cindy is a brand and business innovator, consultant, coach and keynote speaker, who works with those who want to change the game in their particular sector. From brand and business innovation, leadership and advertising, to sextech, social responsibility and diversity and inclusion, Cindy has worked with some of the biggest brands across a gamut of industries, and her unique approach has seen her reach audiences around the world, with her 2009 TED talk, Make love, not porn, attracting over 2.6 million views. Summarising her style as, “I like to blow shit up. I am the Michael Bay of business,” Cindy takes a radical, innovative and transformative approach to helping clients envision and achieve their futures, whether in leadership, branding, or in creating more gender-equal, diverse and inclusive workplaces. Recorded on 15th January 2021.

Today I speak with the inimitable Brian Solis, a world-renowned digital anthropologist and futurist. An award-winning author and global keynote speaker, Brian’s research, advisory and presentations humanise the relationship between disruptive innovation and its impact on institutions, markets and societies. He not only helps audiences understand what’s happening and why, he also visualises future trends and inspires people to take leading roles in defining the future they want to see. Brian serves as Global Innovation Evangelist at Salesforce, and his work focuses on thought leadership and research that explores digital transformation, innovation and disruption, customer experience, commerce, and the cognitive enterprise. He has advised leading brands, celebrities, and startups, and his ideas and work are consistently featured in the press. A regular contributor to leading business and industry publications including Forbes, Harvard Business Review, CMO.com, Adweek and others, Brian is also an official LinkedIn Influencer. His work is followed by over 700,000 people across social media. Recorded on 24th February 2021.

Today, I have the pleasure of speaking with Barbara Kellerman – the Founding Executive Director of the Harvard Kennedy School’s Center for Public Leadership, and a member of the Kennedy School faculty for over twenty years. A world-leading authority on the subject of leadership, Barbara has held professorships at Fordham, Tufts, Fairleigh Dickinson, George Washington, Uppsala, Dartmouth, and the Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth, and she is the cofounder of the International Leadership Association (ILA). Having received the Wilbur M. McFeeley award by the National Management Association for her pioneering work on leadership and followership, as well as the Lifetime Achievement Award from the International Leadership Association, Barbara has spoken to audiences all around the world, and has appeared on media outlets including CBS, NBC, PBS, CNN, NPR, MSNBC, Reuters, and the BBC. Alongside articles for the New York Times, the Washington Post, the Boston Globe, the Los Angeles Times, and the Harvard Business Review, Barbara has authored many books including Leadership: Essential Selections on Power, Authority, and Influence (2010); Professionalizing Leadership (2018), and Leaders Who Lust: Power, Money, Sex, Success, Legitimacy, Legacy (co-authored with Todd Pittinsky). Her new book, The Enablers: How Team Trump Flunked the Pandemic and Failed America, is now out. Recorded on 19th January 2021.

In today's conversation, I speak with David Rowan – renowned technology expert and former editor-at-large of WIRED magazine’s UK edition, Conde Nast’s award-winning technology-and-innovations magazine that stays ahead of the trends transforming businesses. In his role as editor of WIRED UK, he traveled extensively to investigate the companies and entrepreneurs who are changing our world, and his insights and research are documented brilliantly in his captivating book, Non-Bullshit Innovation: Radical Ideas from the World’s Smartest Minds. As a speaker, David has given keynotes around the world on the themes of technology, business, and innovation, and he has chaired and moderated high-profile events for the UK and French governments, for Google Zeitgeist and TED Global, and for international banks, and Fortune 100 businesses. His most recent awards include Techmark Technology Journalist of the Year, DMA Editor of the Year, and British Society of Magazine Editors’ Editor of the Year. With wide newspaper experience as an editor, he has made TV films for Channel 4 News, and written regular columns in GQ, Condé Nast Traveller, The Times, and The Guardian. Recorded on 12th January 2021.

In this episode, I speak with Scott Barry Kaufman – a humanistic psychologist whose work explores the depths of human potential. Having obtained his Ph.D. in cognitive psychology at Yale University, and an M. Phil in experimental psychology from the University of Cambridge under a Gates Cambridge Scholarship, his interests lie in using his research to help all kinds of minds live a creative, fulfilling, and self-actualised life. Scott has taught courses on intelligence, creativity, and well-being at Columbia University, NYU, the University of Pennsylvania, and beyond, and in 2015 he was named one of “50 groundbreaking scientists who are changing the way we see the world” by Business Insider. He also hosts the world’s No.1 psychology podcast — The Psychology Podcast— which has received over a whopping 15 million downloads and was included in Business Insider’s list of “9 podcasts that will change how you think about human behavior.” A prolific writer, teacher, self-actualisation coach, and public speaker, Scott’s writing has appeared in a host of publications including The Atlantic, Scientific American, Psychology Today, and Harvard Business Review and his latest book, Transcend: The New Science of Self-Actualization, proposes a new hierarchy of human needs for the 21st century – one that allows for the fulfilment of individual potential as well as the actualisation of transcendent purpose and peak experiences. Recorded on 12th January 2021.

Hello, and a warm welcome to this special extended season of The Hive Podcast, featuring the interviews from my new book, "Business Unusual: Values, Uncertainty and the Psychology of Brand Resilience". Join me, as I dive into the conversations behind the quotes, and hear from the world’s leading experts, psychologists and business leaders, whose insights and ideas are transforming how we work, rest and play. I’ll be releasing a new episode here, each week, but if you’d like to download everything at once and access additional resources and recommended reading, I’ve made all of this available to readers over at https://www.businessunusualthebook.com/. And if you’re tempted to discover more about your motivations and the principles that drive you, you can even check out the values map.com, a platform I’ve designed in collaboration with Dr Kiki Leutner of Goldsmiths University, to help you identify, develop and communicate the psychological values you or your business represents. In today’s conversation, I speak with Amy C. Edmondson – the Novartis Professor of Leadership and Management at Harvard Business School, whose most recent book, The Fearless Organization, examines the powerful role of psychological safety in teamwork and innovation. Based upon almost 30 years of research, Amy’s work explores what it takes for groups of people to perform at a high level, and the dynamic forms of collaboration that are needed in environments characterised by uncertainty and ambiguity. Before her academic career, Amy was Director of Research at Pecos River Learning Centers, where she worked with founder and CEO Larry Wilson to design change programs in large companies. In the early 1980s, she worked as Chief Engineer for architect/inventor Buckminster Fuller, and innovation in the built environment remains an area of enduring interest and passion. Recorded on 6th February 2021.

In the final episode of the season, I speak with Professor Manfred Spitzer - a German psychiatrist, psychologist and neuroscientist, whose research and talks have been translated the world over. Medical Director of the Psychiatric University Hospital in Ulm, Germany, Professor Spitzer is also the founder of the Transfer Center for Neurosciences and Learning, and has worked at Heidelberg, Harvard, and the University of Oregon. In this conversation, we discuss everything from the perils of digitalising classrooms and reliance on our devices, to the exciting new interventions science might offer us as to how we build resilience from the lessons we have learned.

Today I speak with Carl Miller, co-rounder and Research Director of the Centre for the Analysis of Social Media at Demos, the UK’s first think tank institute dedicated to studying the digital world. From ‘Fake news’, digital democracy and information warfare, to cybercrime, Internet governance and automated decision-making, Carl’s work explores how social media and technology is changing society, and his research aims to shed light upon how we might make better, more informed choices towards a more democratic society. His debut book, The Death of the Gods: The New Global Power Grab was published in 2018 by Penguin RandomHouse, and won the 2019 Transmission Prize. He presents programmes for the BBC's flagship technology show, Click and has written for Wired, New Scientist, the Sunday Times, the Telegraph and the Guardian. He’s a writer and thinker who’s work I greatly admire, and it was a pleasure and privilege speaking with him today.

Today I have the pleasure of speaking with Dr. Naeema Pasha, the Director of Henley Careers and Professional Development, Director of Diversity & Inclusion, and the Founder of the World of Work at Henley Business School. Naeema’s research on the Future of Work spans the territory of AI, ethics, climate change, diversity and inclusion and more, and her doctoral research on managing careers in uncertainty, explored key factors that enable people to take a positive pro-active stance to build successfully against the backdrop of technological change. Her new book, Futureproof Your Career: How to Lead and Succeed in a Changing World is co-authored by Shaheena Janjuha-Jivraj, and comes out in December this year. We covered a lot of ground in this conversation, from themes around diversity and inclusion, to the future of work and her new paper, The Equity Effect. I do hope you enjoy the conversation.

This episode I speak with Dr Tom Chatfield, a best-selling author and philosopher of technology, whose new book, How to Think, explores the habits and practices that are fundamental to clear thinking and effective study. From the ethics of AI, and tech in deep time, to the philosophy of fake news and what it means to think well, Tom’s work explores how we might improve our experiences and understanding of ourselves, of one another and of technology. His non-fiction books exploring digital culture, including How To Thrive in the Digital Age (Pan Macmillan) and Live This Book! (Penguin), have appeared in over thirty languages, and his critical thinking textbooks and online courses, developed in partnership with SAGE Publishing, are used in schools and universities across the world. I’ve had the pleasure of sharing several stages over the years with Tom, and with each event, I’ve come away feeling inspired and awed at his ability both to understand and to vividly convey the complex and nuanced ways in which we might more richly engage with the world.

Today I speak with Sharath Jeevan, an author and speaker who helps organisations and individuals to re-ignite inner-drive and solve deep motivational challenges. Recognised as one of the UK’s ten leading social entrepreneurs in 2019, Sharath’s work has been featured in The New York Times, The Economist, CNN, National Public Radio and The Times of India, and he has served on the High Level Steering Group of the Education Commission, the pre-eminent global think-tank founded by former British Prime Minister Gordon Brown. His forthcoming book, Intrinsic: A manifesto to reignite our inner drive, explores how we can harness ground-breaking research to solve what he describes as our motivational crisis, so as to better create the lives we want. In this conversation we navigate everything from motivation and meaning to purpose, autonomy and mastery, and I’m excited to share his insights with you here.

Today I have the pleasure of speaking with Austin Whitman, CEO of Climate Neutral, and a thought-leader well-versed in the world of corporate carbon responsibility. Having served as Vice President of Climate Change Capital, and Vice President of M.J. Bradley & Associates, two leaders in climate-focused investing and asset management, in 2019, Austin started Climate Neutral, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit aiming to accelerate the decarbonization of global emissions through their achievable certification framework. By using this framework to certify brands who measure their carbon footprint, offset it with verified offsets, and create future reduction strategies, Climate Neutral aim to turn consumer purchases into funding for climate solutions, and empower brands and consumers to take voluntary action against climate change. This was an eye-opening conversation for me, in which Austin really lifted the lid on how we might practically and proactively move towards a net zero carbon world, and I hope you find it as inspiring and useful as I did.

In this episode, I speak with Cory Doctorow, a Canadian-British blogger, science fiction author, activist, and journalist, whose recent books include "Attack Surface" and "How to Destroy Surveillance Capitalism", a work of nonfiction that explores conspiracies and monopolies. A special consultant to the Electronic Frontier Foundation, Cory is also a MIT Media Lab Research Affiliate and co-founder of the UK-based Open Rights Group, and serves as a visiting professor of computer science at the Open University, and a visiting professor of practice at the University of North Carolina’s School of Library and Information Science. In this conversation we dissect the murky world of monopolies, technology and surveillance capitalism, and how these powers are shaping our economic and civic possibilities.

In this episode, I speak with Della Duncan, a Renegade Economist and host of the Upstream Podcast, who facilitates opportunities for personal and systemic transition to a more equitable, sustainable, and enlivened world. Trained as a Right Livelihood coach, Della is also an Atlantic Fellow of Social and Economic Equity at the International Inequalities Institute at the London School of Economics, a Gross National Happiness Master Trainer, and a Regenerative Economics Consultant. Our conversation traverses many themes, from regenerative economics and alternative value systems, to sufficiency and one-planet living, and explores how we might reinvent how we live in a post-growth world.

Today I speak with Chris Willan, a multi-award winning travel photographer and nature enthusiast whose clients include The Times, Condé Nast, BBC Worldwide, The Nature Conservancy and The Arts Council UK. Having collaborated with some of the world’s most iconic photographers at the legendary Magnum agency, his photography has taken him around the world, traversing the realms of advertising, travel, TV and film, NGO, editorial and corporate assignments. Chris has also had solo exhibit at Tate Modern and The National Theatre, and he has received the World Responsible Travel Award for photography. In this conversation we explore stories of empowerment, sustainability and change, and how our capacity for curiosity and attention can reconnect us with the people and places we encounter.

Today I have the pleasure of speaking with author, art therapist and Jungian analyst, Mary-Jayne Rust, who lectures and facilitates workshops on Ecopsychology. Having worked in a men’s prison in the 1980s, and at the Women’s Therapy Centre in London during the early years of feminist psychotherapy, she has developed a rich and varied understanding of how culture shapes our internal worlds. In this conversation we talk about culture, breakdown and rites of passage, and how we might better understand and transform not only how we relate with ourselves, but also with the greater web of life.

Today, I have the pleasure of speaking with Casper Ter Kuile, author of The Power of Ritual and co-host of the award-winning podcast Harry Potter and the Sacred Text. A Ministry Innovation Fellow at Harvard Divinity School, Casper is also the co-founder of startup Sacred Design Lab, a research and design consultancy working to create a culture of belonging and becoming. In today’s conversation we explore how we might engage in practices that bring us a deeper sense of depth, connection and meaning, and how we might revisit the art and power of ritual through a modern lens.

Today, I have the pleasure of speaking with Simon Hill, CEO & Co-founder of Wazoku - a tech company that helps businesses unlock the nascent innovation potential of their employees, partners, customers the world over. An Angel investor, author & speaker on topics relating to collaborative innovation, crowdsourcing, co-creation and intrapreneurship, Simon also advises several B2B & B2C early stage tech businesses, and he has received many awards and nominations for his tech leadership over the years. In this conversation, we explore how organisational culture, business and innovation can remake the way in which we work and live, and learn about the extraordinary ways in which we can discover powerful solutions to complex problems.

Today, I have the pleasure of speaking with Looby MacNamara – an author, facilitator, designer, gardener and mother. Having discovered permaculture in 1999, Looby was deeply inspired by the collaborative learning environment and the focus on emerging solutions through collective wisdom, and she has since written 4 books connected with these themes: Cultural Emergence, People & Permaculture, 7 Ways to Think Differently and Strands of Infinity. In this conversation, we explore everything from community and resilience, to cultural emergence and education, in what I hope will offer an enlivening source of ideas and inspiration. Join in the conversation #hivepodcast, and find out more at www.nathalienahai.com/the-hive-podcast/ Recorded on 3rd February 2021.

In today's conversation, I speak with Betsy Reed, an author, speaker and award-winning director of innovative behaviour change approaches, whose work explores social and environmental issues. Her first book, ‘Communicating Social and Environmental Issues Effectively,’ was published in July 2020 by Emerald Publishing and the UK’s PRCA, the largest PR association in Europe. Betsy has led sustainability public affairs work for the world’s biggest food company and worked as an independent consultant advising executives in the food, tech and fashion industries on sustainability strategy, risk, and internal and external engagement. With her passion to engage people in exploring 'How connection, play and being human in everything we do can save the world,’ this was a vibrant, thought-provoking conversation which I hope will inspire you along your way. For more information, you can find Betsy's podcast and book via her website www.betsy-reed.com Join in the conversation #hivepodcast, and find out more at www.nathalienahai.com/the-hive-podcast/ Recorded on 15th January 2021.

In this conversation, I speak with Gill Coombs - an author, coach, and facilitator who works with groups and individuals to help them find their unique way of contributing something positive to the world - whether through their work, activism, or life choices. With an approach rooted in her own journey towards fulfilling work, she has supported hundreds of people to charter a path that's both good for the soul, and good for the world, and has written several books exploring these rich themes. From exploring how we might connect with and more fully express our values, to ways in which we can live and work with greater alignment and purpose, this conversation is a gentle, powerful tonic for the soul. Join in the conversation #hivepodcast, and find out more at www.nathalienahai.com/the-hive-podcast/ Recorded on 7th January 2021.

In today’s episode, I have the pleasure of speaking with Professor Graham Miller - Pro-Vice-Chancellor at the University of Surrey and Executive Dean of the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences. A member of the Executive Board of the University, Graham also holds a Chair in Sustainability in Business, and his research focusses on the drivers we can use to create a more sustainable tourism industry. Beyond University walls, Graham holds a UK Sustainable Innovation fund to create indicators of sustainability for businesses in the camping and caravanning industry, with Plum Data Ltd and Professor Xavier Font (University of Surrey). With pressure mounting for companies to operate more responsibly both for people and planet, we talk about the need for CEOs to do more than just commit to initiatives for equality and sustainability. Rather than focus simply on the “input” or effort they’re making, we discuss the importance of tracking real, tangible “output” - the evidence that shows the effectiveness of the approach being deployed. Join in the conversation #hivepodcast, and find out more at www.nathalienahai.com/the-hive-podcast/ Recorded on 7th January 2021.

Today I speak with Ebony Bailey, the Communications Manager for EcoCiv, an organisation whose mission is to promote civilizational change for the long-term wellbeing of people and the planet. Working with allies and global leaders to design solutions for the well-being of the entire web of life, Eco Civ have been able to catalyse groundbreaking explorations of the ways that current systems and structures need to be transformed. Ebony is a researcher, photographer and filmmaker whose work explores cultural intersections, diaspora and food justice, whose interest lies in using communications as a means of telling stories that weave together diverse social causes. She received a B.A. in journalism at USC and recently completed her Master’s thesis documentary project at the National Autonomous University of Mexico. In this conversation, we explore what changes we can make to our existing systems so as to live more sustainably, in a way that supports not only our local ecologies, but also the rich, diverse communities to which we belong. Join in the conversation #hivepodcast, and find out more at www.nathalienahai.com/the-hive-podcast/ Recorded on 30th November 2020.

In this episode, the first of the new year, I had the pleasure of speaking with Tessa Clarke - CEO and co-founder of Olio, a food-sharing app between neighbours designed to help eliminate food waste. What started out as a local initiative in North London back in 2015 has since grown into a phenomenally popular app, serving over 2.5 million users in 4 years. To date, Olio has shared 9 million portions of food, saved 1.3 billion litres of water and 8168 tonnes of carbon that would otherwise have been emitted. A champion of businesses that combine profit with purpose, Tessa and her co-founder, Saasha Celestial-One, are vocal advocates of sustainability, the circular economy and zero waste, and Olio’s impact has been widely recognised, most notably by the United Nations who highlighted Olio as a "beacon” for the world, and by Vivatech who awarded them the "Next European Unicorn". If you’re looking for ways to make a difference and work towards a more equitable, sustainable and just society, this action-packed conversation is for you. Join in the conversation #hivepodcast, and find out more at www.nathalienahai.com/the-hive-podcast/ Recorded on 16th December 2020.

With the deepest night of the year upon us, today’s rather special conversation comes as a celebration of solstice and the turning of the year, as a joint offering from The Hive, Accidental Gods, and the Upstream Podcast. We wanted to take a moment to reflect on the challenges we’ve faced and what they’ve taught us, share some the inspiring gifts that have gotten us through, and offer our visions for what we might create together as we move into 2021. For those of you who are as yet unacquainted, Manda Scott is a podcaster, screenwriter and trainee homeopath. In her past, she’s been a veterinary surgeon, an award-winning novelist, columnist and political activist. These days, she teaches shamanic dreaming and is doing her utmost to facilitate conscious evolution. She’s host and co-founder of Accidental Gods and - newly - is one part of Narrative Ark. She’s looking forward to a transformative year in 2021. My second conversation partner, Della Duncan, is a renegade economist dedicated to the just transition to a more sustainable and equitable world. From sharing stories of economic system change through the Upstream Podcast, to her workshops and consultancy work with communities and organizations, she helps people to better align their work with alternative economics movements. I really enjoyed being a part of this conversation with these two formidable women, and as we look to the year ahead, I hope this episode may serve as a companion to you. Join in the conversation #hivepodcast, and find out more at www.nathalienahai.com/the-hive-podcast/ Recorded on 9th December 2020.

In today’s episode, I speak with Alex Edmans, the professor of Finance at London Business School. He has a PhD from MIT as a Fulbright Scholar, and was previously a tenured professor at Wharton and an investment banker at Morgan Stanley. Alex has spoken at the World Economic Forum in Davos, testified in the UK Parliament, and given the TED talk What to Trust in a Post-Truth World and the TEDx talk The Social Responsibility of Business with a combined 2 million views. He serves as Mercers School Memorial Professor of Business at Gresham College, giving a series of lectures to the public, and on Royal London Asset Management’s Responsible Investment Advisory Committee. His book, Grow the Pie: How Great Companies Deliver Both Purpose and Profit, headed the Financial Times list of Business Books of the Month for March 2020 and was featured in the FT’s Summer Books of 2020. He has been named to Poets and Quants Best 40 Professors Under 40 and Thinkers50 Radar. In this conversation, we dismantle some of the misconceptions about purpose-driven businesses, and explore how enterprises of any size can begin to connect more deeply with their values to meaningfully contribute to society. From how we define purpose, to focussing on what is in our hands to change, Alex offers a refreshing and accessible way of re-appraising what we can offer to the world. Join in the conversation #hivepodcast, and find out more at www.nathalienahai.com/the-hive-podcast/ Recorded on 19th October 2020.

In this opening episode of season five, I had the pleasure of speaking with Alan Watson Featherstone, an ecologist, nature photographer and inspirational public speaker. The founder of Trees for Life, an award-winning Scottish conservation charity for which he was executive director for almost 30 years, Alan's pioneering work to restore the Caledonian Forest in Scotland and the 10,000 acre Dundreggan Estate in Glenmoriston, has become a flagship project for native woodland recovery. Alan's photographs have appeared in publications such as Time magazine and Encyclopedia Britannica, and he has given lectures at events and conferences in more than 20 countries worldwide. His pioneering work has been recognised through a number of awards, from the UK Conservation Project of the Year awarded to Trees For Life in 1991, to the Schumacher Award in 2001, the Spirit of Scotland Environment Award in 2012 and the RSPB Nature of Scotland Outstanding Contribution Award in 2013. In this conversation, we explore some of the unexpected paths that can lead us towards regenerating the natural world, and what can be achieved even in the absence of any physical resources. From finding ways to harness our inner power, to the journey of transformation within our personal lives, we explore how we can start to create the kind of worlds our hearts can believe in - from the inside out. Join in the conversation #hivepodcast, and find out more at www.nathalienahai.com/the-hive-podcast/ Recorded on 30th October 2020.

In this final episode of the season, I had the pleasure of speaking with the wonderful Caroline Webb - an executive coach, international speaker, and author of the best-selling book, How To Have A Good Day: Harness the Power of Behavioural Science to Transform Your Working Life. A Senior Advisor to McKinsey, where she was previously a Partner, Caroline specialises in teaching people how to apply behavioural science insights to improve their professional lives. She’s worked with hundreds of organisations to help their employees become more productive, energised, and successful, first as a Partner at McKinsey, where she continues to serve as a Senior Advisor, and now as CEO of her own firm, Sevenshift. Her book has been published in 14 languages in over 60 countries so far, and has been hailed by Forbes as one of their “must-read business books,” and described by Fortune as one of their top “self-improvement through data” books. From managing uncertainty by reconnecting with those things of which we can be sure, to working with self-compassion and conscious attention, we discuss what it might look like to regain a sense of control and competence in uncertain times, and how through noticing moments fo aliveness, joy and energy, we can start to tune into what gives us a greater sense of depth and meaning in our lives. Join in the conversation #hivepodcast, and find out more at www.nathalienahai.com/the-hive-podcast/

On today’s show, I have the privilege of speaking with Jennifer Morgan, the International Executive Director of Greenpeace International. Jennifer is the former Global Director of the Climate Program at the World Resources Institute (WRI), Global Climate Change Director at Third Generation Environmentalism (E3G) and she also led the Global Climate Change Program of the Worldwide Fund for Nature (WWF). She has published widely on international climate policy issues, and Jennifer recently addressed the 2020 World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, calling upon global leaders to recognise this moment, as we recover from the impacts of the pandemic, as an unmissable chance to put people and the planet first. In our conversation, we explore what actions, large and small, we can take to come together and create a future we want to inhabit. We look at how the interpersonal values of compassion, courage, cooperation and kindness, can be used as a basis upon which to redesign the world in which we live, and we consider the choice we have of using wellbeing as the primary lens through which we make our decisions, both now, and as we emerge into the next chapter. Join in the conversation #hivepodcast, and find out more at www.nathalienahai.com/the-hive-podcast/

This episode, I speak with Geoff White, an investigative tech journalist and author, whose book "Crime Dot Com: From Viruses to Vote Rigging, How Hacking Went Global", is due out on the 10th of August this year. Geoff has covered technology for BBC News, Channel 4 News, Audible, Forbes online and many others, and his exclusives reveal tech’s impact on our lives: from the controversial police use of facial recognition and the failure of artificial intelligence therapy apps, to hi-tech call centre scams and fraud in the internet dating industry.

 He has written and presented two major podcast series for Audible - "Artificial Intelligence: Friend or Foe?" and "The Dark Web", and also runs his own series, "Cybercrime Investigations", an inside look into the world of an investigative journalist, detailing the twists and turns as the story unfolds. If you’ve been following this podcast since it started, you’ll have heard us in conversation in episode 5, where we explored the murky world of the dark web and the manipulative power of fake news. I wanted to bring him back on the show in this moment to help us dig deeper into the ways in which misinformation flows so quickly from one person to the next, and what we can do to become more resilient against content that is designed to alarm and persuade. Join in the conversation #hivepodcast, and find out more at www.nathalienahai.com/the-hive-podcast/

This episode, I had the pleasure of speaking with Gemma Milne, a science and technology writer whose book, Smoke & Mirrors: How Hype Obscures the Future and How to See Past It, just recently came out. Her work explores science, tech and the broad cultural issues surrounding their advancements, and she has a particular interest in deep tech, including biotech, agriculture, energy, space, health, quantum computing, AI. Gemma is also a deep tech advisor to governments, investors and other organisations working in these spaces, and she’s the Co-Founder of Science: Disrupt, a media organisation that connects and showcases innovators and entrepreneurs creating change in science. In this rich conversation, we talk about everything from hype, advertising and fake news, to simplified narratives and emotion-laden messaging, and how all of these things can influence our perception of the world and the situations around us. We explore why there’s such a great need for robust critical thinking, especially in this moment, and why it might serve us better not to think so much in terms of fixing broken systems, but assessing them according to the values on which they were built, so that we might more consciously choose the values on which to redesign them. Join in the conversation #hivepodcast, and find out more at www.nathalienahai.com/the-hive-podcast/

In today’s show, I’m doing something a bit different. This week I was invited by Manda Scott to join her in conversation on her podcast, Accidental Gods, and we decided it would be lovely to share it with all our listeners, across both of our platforms. We explore what it means to be human under the lockdown, and how we might grasp this moment in ways that will leave all of us better when it’s over, without feeling guilt-tripped or (even more) exhausted on the other side. Join in the conversation #hivepodcast, and find out more at www.nathalienahai.com/the-hive-podcast/

In today’s conversation, I had the pleasure of speaking with Dr Gillian Isaacs Russell - an author, Psychoanalyst, Psychotherapist, and a member of the British Psychoanalytic Council, the American Psychoanalytic Association and the International Psychoanalytical Association. Having served on the Editorial Board as Book Reviews Editor, Gillian is currently on the Reviewing Panel for the British Journal for Psychotherapy, and was recently co-opted to the Covid-19 Advisory Team for the American Psychoanalytic Association. With each of us living different experiences of what it means to be under lockdown during a pandemic, we explore how denial, grief, loss and fear can show up, what personal adaptation and transition might look like, and how we might begin to give ourselves permission to experience and integrate what we’re living through, however that may be. We also discuss the role of eye gaze and embodied presence, how increased screen time may bring both losses and gains, and what we may come to value as we move through this time together. Gillian also mentions several fascinating studies which I’ll link to in the show notes page if you fancy diving in deeper. Join in the conversation #hivepodcast, and find out more at www.nathalienahai.com/the-hive-podcast/

In this episode, I had the treat of speaking with a beloved friend, Blanche Ellis. An artist, musician and poet, Blanche works with events and conferences using live-scribing and graphic facilitation techniques to capture content and the flow of ideas. She helps businesses find beautiful ways to convey their message on long term projects, and has worked with the BBC, Kings College London, CISCO, the NHS, The British Council and Roshe as well as some great social movements including WOW (Women of the World) Festival and Drivers for Change at The Southbank Centre and Rising Global Peace Forum. Within her artistic practice, Blanche has worked on projects and shown her art in galleries in London, Norwich, New Orleans and Barcelona, and in the past few years she has been studying more traditional techniques of oil painting and charcoal at the Barcelona Academy of Art, which is where we met. In this conversation, I wanted to uncover how any and each of us can engage in creative processes in our everyday lives, from exploring and absorbing what comes to us, to integrating our experiences and finding ways to echo it back. Far from creativity being a gift to the chosen few, we talk about how it can be used by anyone as a means of understanding and transforming how we experience the world and ourselves, whether through movement, mark-making, music or the weaving of stories. Join in the conversation #hivepodcast, and find out more at www.nathalienahai.com/the-hive-podcast/

In today’s show, I had the pleasure of speaking with Joshua Macht, the Executive Vice President and Chief Product and Innovation Officer at Harvard Business Publishing. An American journalist and media commentator. He joined HBR from TIME magazine where he worked as the Editor and General Manager of TIME.com, as well as the magazine's Technology Editor. Before that, he was a journalist at Inc. magazine, where he became the editor and co-founder of Inc.com. For most of us, the current crisis has put a halt to ‘business as usual’, and with companies and workplaces having to adapt quickly to the new landscape, we ask how going virtual may be changing the ways in which we do business, both in the short term, and in the future. We talk about the values and qualities that leaders will need to cultivate during this crisis, and how this may influence everything from the management of remote workers, to the ways in which companies fulfil their social responsibilities. Join in the conversation #hivepodcast, and find out more at www.nathalienahai.com/the-hive-podcast/

This episode, I talk with Carl Miller, the Research Director of the Centre for the Analysis of Social Media (CASM) at Demos, the first UK think tank institute dedicated to studying the digital world. We explore how digital tools are being harnessed during this time of physical distancing - from their potential impact on our social and business lives, to their implications for personal privacy and human rights. We also talk about what we can do to reduce the spread of misinformation (and why our parents seem to be particularly susceptible), and the principles we could apply to engage with social media and news in a supportive way that benefits (rather than undermines) our mental and emotional health. Join in the conversation #hivepodcast, and find out more at www.nathalienahai.com/the-hive-podcast/

So, for the first of these episodes, I wanted to dive into the big questions and thought who better to invite back on the show, than my beloved friend, the wonderful author and psychotherapist, Dr Aaron Balick. In this opening conversation, Aaron and I explore some of the layers of human response to crises beyond our control - from how we deal with uncertainty, to ways in which to cope with the anxiety such unpredictable situations can provoke. We touch on grief, loss and manic defence, and discuss how our capacity to relate to our state of mind from a place of awareness (rather than identification) can stand us in good stead when coping with unexpected and complex life events. Join in the conversation #hivepodcast, and find out more at www.nathalienahai.com/the-hive-podcast/

Today’s guest is Christopher Timmermann who hails from Santiago, Chile, where he obtained a BSc in Psychology prior to undertaking a Neuroscience MSc in Bologna, Italy. We explore the comparative effects of DMT, LSD and psilocybin on brain function, our need and capacity for transformation, and the potential for altered states to offer us experiences from which new and creative ways of thinking may emerge - something that may prove vital if we are to innovate our way out of the climate crisis. Join in the conversation #hivepodcast, and find out more at www.nathalienahai.com/the-hive-podcast/

This episode, I speak with Sophia Rokhlin, an author, speaker and nonprofit organiser whose work with engaged botany and ecology bridges the worlds of indigenous ecological knowledge and Western science. We discuss the popularisation of Ayahuasca, the importance of integration and harm reduction, and some of the economic, social, political, cultural and environmental impacts that Ayahuasca use is having on its societies of origin and beyond. Join in the conversation #hivepodcast, and find out more at www.nathalienahai.com/the-hive-podcast/

In today’s show, I’m excited to be speaking with Bruce Parry, an award-winning documentarian, indigenous rights advocate, author, explorer, trek leader and former Royal Marines commando officer. Our conversation explores everything from the kinds of narratives we currently inhabit and the use of sound in traditional healing rituals, to what the non-hierarchical social dynamics within a particular indigenous community can teach us about how we might redesign the societies in which we live. Join in the conversation #hivepodcast, and find out more at www.nathalienahai.com/the-hive-podcast/

This episode, I’m delighted to be speaking with Manda Scott, a best-selling author, columnist and teacher, whose new platform Accidental Gods explores how we might to transform ourselves and evolve our conscious engagement with the world. Our conversation spans from consciousness, resilience and the evolution and interconnectedness of complex systems, to shamanic practice, trust, and the courage required to leap into the void. Join in the conversation #hivepodcast, and find out more at www.nathalienahai.com/the-hive-podcast/

In this conversation, I’m really delighted to be speaking with a dear friend of mine, Dr Kiki Leutner, a Business Psychologist and Data Scientist, who combines psychological theory with machine learning methodology. We explore, from a personality-based perspective, what creates a sense of self and identity, and how this relates to our feeling of connectedness and belonging. Join in the conversation #hivepodcast, and find out more at www.nathalienahai.com/the-hive-podcast/

In today’s conversation, I speak with Dr. Tomas Chamorro-Premuzic, Professor of Business Psychology at University College London and Columbia University, and an international authority in psychological profiling, talent management, leadership development, and people analytics. We explore the role of leadership, gender and (in)competence, and some of the psychological factors that have led to the current economic, political and environmental crises we are facing today. Join in the conversation #hivepodcast, and find out more at www.nathalienahai.com/the-hive-podcast/

This episode, I have the pleasure of speaking with Sam Gandy, an ecologist and researcher whose interests in nature, wildlife and psychedelics have led him far afield from Kefalonia, Almeria and Texas, to the Peruvian Amazon, Vietnam and Ethiopia. We discuss everything from ecological restoration and resilience, to psilocybin research, eco-anxiety and the importance of actively working to heal the damage we’ve caused in the living world. Join in the conversation #hivepodcast, and find out more at www.nathalienahai.com/the-hive-podcast/

In today's show, I talk with Professor Sue Thomas, an author, researcher and academic whose work sits at the intersection of humanity, nature and technology. We explore the relationship and distinctions we draw between ourselves, the living world and the technology we create, what it means to be technobiophilic, and how our search for meaning, awe and transcendence can lead us to unexpected places. Join in the conversation #hivepodcast, and find out more at www.nathalienahai.com/the-hive-podcast/

This episode, I have the pleasure of speaking with Dr Andy Letcher, a senior lecturer in ecology and spirituality at Schumacher College, whose background and research includes everything from Druidry and Neo-shamanism, to environmental activism and psychedelic spiritualities. We talk about what it means to experience the world as alive, agentic and meaningfully interconnected, the nature of the permeable self and how to get there and the potential of psychedelics to reveal the world (and our place within it) in a new light. Join in the conversation #hivepodcast, and find out more at www.nathalienahai.com/the-hive-podcast/

For our first episode of the third season, I’m excited to be talking with Mike Albert – an academic, activist and Zen Buddhist trying to discover a balance between radical activism and spiritual acceptance, between struggling for a better world and finding love and acceptance amidst a world in the throes of collapse. In today’s show, we explore everything from the complexity of human systems and our inextricable connection with (and impact on) the natural world, to the ways in which ritual, activism and relational practices can help us to work with, and derive something transformative from, the ecological crisis that is unfolding. Join in the conversation #hivepodcast, and find out more at www.nathalienahai.com/the-hive-podcast/

In times of trouble, austerity and uncertainty, we so readily abandon the arts in the belief that they are somehow auxiliary to our survival. Yet in our moments of greatest need, it is often the arts that we turn to for refuge, hope and courage to keep going. For our final episode in the season, I’m delighted to be talking with Dan Hillier, one of my favourite artists, who works with composite images and 19th-century engravings to create captivating, mystical, archetypal images. Dan’s art draws upon the rich, natural world we inhabit, and the surreal, sometimes psychedelic aspects of the lived experience. In today's show, we explore the enlivening, often transcendent experience that art, nature, and presence with others can offer us if we just slow down and let go... Join in the conversation #hivepodcast, and find out more at www.nathalienahai.com/the-hive-podcast/

In this episode, I have the pleasure of speaking with Sarah Corbett, an award-winning speaker, professional activist, author and the founder of Craftivist Collective, a social enterprise which uses the technique of craftivism (combining craft and activism) to engage people in social justice issues. Her TED talk, Activism Needs Introverts, was featured on TED’s homepage in November 2017 and has since generated over 1 million views... In today's show, we explore how the art of gentle protest can be a powerful force for good especially in difficult times. Join in the conversation #hivepodcast, and find out more at www.nathalienahai.com/the-hive-podcast/

Today I’m interviewing a very special author… Paul Francis is a psychotherapist, shamanic practitioner, teacher, writer, and founder of the Three Ravens College of Therapeutic Shamanism, in North Wales. Citing shamanic practices as fundamental to our re-connection both with ourselves, and with the living environment, I’m excited to explore how our world views can influence and shape the ways in which we relate with nature. Join in the conversation #hivepodcast, and find out more at www.nathalienahai.com/the-hive-podcast/

In this episode, I’m delighted to be talking with Kate Pincott, a designer, curator, and co-founder of Nafisi Studio, a British-Persian duo safeguarding traditional handcrafted joinery in Horsham, England. I first met Kate several years ago in London, while she was working as a product designer at Facebook and curating an international talk series, “This Happened”, which explored the making process within interaction design. It’s only very recently when I received a curious email, marked “Into the woods” that our paths crossed again, and I realised her story may resonate with the longing many of us have to rewild ourselves and reconnect with our natural home. Join in the conversation #hivepodcast, and find out more at www.nathalienahai.com/the-hive-podcast/

Today’s guest, Professor Ben Garrod, is an evolutionary biologist, author, broadcaster and primate conservationist, who has worked alongside Dr Jane Goodall and Sir David Attenborough to ignite a love of the natural world in a wide audience, young and old. In this episode we explore bio-anthropology, the existence of rituals among non-human primates, our fractured identity with the natural world, and why we need to fall in love with the earth if we are to save it. Join in the conversation #hivepodcast, and find out more at www.nathalienahai.com/the-hive-podcast/

This episode, I have the pleasure of speaking with David Holmgren, an internationally renowned environmental designer, ecological educator and author, best known as one of the co-originators of the permaculture concept with Bill Mollison. We discuss the science and heritage of the permaculture model, what sustainability really means on the larger scale, and how we can enjoy a richer, more meaningful life through radically changing the way in which we relate to, and draw resources from, the earth. Join in the conversation #hivepodcast, and find out more at www.nathalienahai.com/the-hive-podcast/

In the face of massive existential threat, how can we begin to take action at the scale required to protect the future of life on earth? This episode, I speak with James Glave, an author, editor, and communications professional focused on the low-carbon economy. As principal of Glave Communications, James supports a wide range of companies, organisations, and governments committed to decarbonisation. He is also a cofounder and former communications director for Clean Energy Canada, and a senior fellow and lead communications advisor for Future 500 in San Francisco. Join in the conversation #hivepodcast, and find out more at www.nathalienahai.com/the-hive-podcast/

In this episode, I speak with Beth Rattner, the executive director of the Biomimicry Institute, a fascinating organisation whose purpose is to naturalise biomimicry in the culture by promoting the transfer of ideas, designs, and strategies from biology to sustainable human systems design. We explore everything from technological innovation, resilience and the economies of the future, to what it might mean to re-write deeply-held narratives about what it is to be human, in order to tread a more regenerative path. Join in the conversation #hivepodcast, and find out more at www.nathalienahai.com/the-hive-podcast/

In October 2018 in the UK, a small socio-political group called Extinction Rebellion was born. Launched by Roger Hallam, Gail Bradbrook, Simon Bramwell, and other activists from the campaign group Rising Up!, their aim was to communicate with, and put pressure on, our governments to take the necessary action to avert climate breakdown, halt biodiversity loss, and minimise the risk of human extinction and ecological collapse. In the brief window of time since their inception, XR has become a global movement that has not only given citizens a voice and enabled large-scale acts of peaceful civil disobedience, but also contributed to the decision of governments declaring a climate emergency, paving the way for the legislative change needed to tackle this crisis. This episode, I talk with Liam Geary Baulch, Creative Actions Coordinator at Extinction Rebellion, about why this movement is necessary, what progress has been made, and what vision of the world it hopes to achieve. Join in the conversation #hivepodcast, and find out more at www.nathalienahai.com/the-hive-podcast/

For the first episode of season 2, I talk with Dr. Sharon Blackie - an award-winning writer, psychologist and mythologist, whose work sits at the intersection of psychology, mythology and ecology. In this captivating conversation, we explore the mythic imagination, the reclaiming of indigenous Western spiritual traditions, and the relevance of our native myths, fairy tales and folk traditions to the personal, social and environmental problems we face today. Join in the conversation #hivepodcast, and find out more at www.nathalienahai.com/the-hive-podcast/

In this final episode of the series, I talk with sex tech founder, Stephanie Alys, about the changing landscape of sex tech… Join us as we discuss how a focus on sensuality and pleasure is helping to re-orient the industry, and redefining some of the ways in which we seek out and experience our sexual selves. Join in the conversation #hivepodcast, and find out more at www.nathalienahai.com/the-hive-podcast/

What does philosophy, decision-making and citizenship have to do with data, biases and populism? Tech philosopher and author, Dr Tom Chatfield, takes us on a fascinating exploration of our approaches to life and technology, and examines how the paths we choose may make the difference between surviving and thriving as a species. Join in the conversation #hivepodcast, and find out more at www.nathalienahai.com/the-hive-podcast/

Take a walk into the world of psychotherapy as I talk with Dr Gillian Isaacs Russell about the ways in which technology is mediating our relationships both with ourselves and with others. We touch on some of the insights that neuroscience is shedding on how we empathise with, perceive, and relate to the world around us, and discuss what this may mean for the ways in which technology can degrade or enhance our experiences. Join in the conversation #hivepodcast, and find out more at www.nathalienahai.com/the-hive-podcast/

You'll have heard all about the Cambridge Analytica scandal, but do you know about the ground-breaking research that led to some of the profiling practices hitting the headlines today? Join me as I talk with Dr David Stillwell about the fascinating and sometimes frightening world of psychometric segmentation and data-mining - how it’s done, what it can reveal, and where responsibility for ethical practice may lie. Join in the conversation #hivepodcast, and find out more at www.nathalienahai.com/the-hive-podcast/

How is biometric tech impacting our identity, culture and social structures? I talk with Anjali Ramachandran about some of the ways in which new technologies are shaping society, economics and our everyday life, with a special focus on emerging markets. Join in the conversation #hivepodcast, and find out more at www.nathalienahai.com/the-hive-podcast/

Dive into the murky world of the dark web and the manipulative power of fake news with Geoff White, Tech Journalist for the BBC and Channel 4. In this episode we'll explore the impact of tech on democracy and freedom, what actually gets sold on the dark web, and the bizarre role of "neg ferrets" in shaping a more optimistic future. Join in the conversation #hivepodcast, and find out more at https://www.nathalienahai.com/the-hive-podcast/

From surveillance, privacy and biometrics to human rights, the government, and the criminal justice system, Silkie Carlo (Director of Big Brother Watch) takes us on an shocking and illuminating journey through some of the ways in which technology is shaping our public and private lives. Join in the conversation #hivepodcast, and find out more at www.nathalienahai.com/the-hive-podcast/

In this episode, we take a rollercoaster ride with Jamie Bartlett (author and Director of CASM at Demos) through politics, persuasive technology and the Cambridge Analytica scandal. Listen in as we explore the dystopian potential of surveillance, AI, and inequality to corrode the foundations of democracy… Join in the conversation #hivepodcast, and find out more at https://www.nathalienahai.com/the-hive-podcast/

We hear a lot about how robots are poised to take over our jobs and how AI might wreak havoc on humanity... But what about the huge potential that exists for positive impact? I talk with AI specialist and tech philosopher, Nell Watson, about the relationship between ethics, AI and empathy, and how values-based technologies could potentially enhance and enrich the fabric of human society. Join in the conversation #hivepodcast, and find out more at https://www.nathalienahai.com/the-hive-podcast/

In the first episode of this series, I talk with psychotherapist and author, Dr Aaron Balick, about how technology is impacting our sense of self, society and the quality of our relationships, and what it means to be caught in the battle between validation and recognition. Join in the conversation #hivepodcast, and find out more at https://www.nathalienahai.com/the-hive-podcast/

Welcome to The Hive Podcast, a new ten-part series with me, Nathalie Nahai, exploring technology’s impact on our personal, cultural and political lives. Join me each episode, as I interview a fascinating array of guests on everything from psychology, surveillance, data privacy, and sex robots, to politics, AI, personality profiling and much, much more. Join us on June the 1st, as we launch our first three episodes across iTunes, SoundCloud and YouTube. Find us using the hashtag, #hivepodcast.