Moral Footprint

Alice Kalro joins host Jeni Miles to explore why traditional businesses fail to transform amidst systemic breakdown. As founder of arkH3 and lead author of "Leading Through the Polycollapse," Alice believes that conventional corporate sustainability approaches amount to "fairy tales" disconnected from planetary realities.Key Takeaways:Understand that polycollapse describes multiple interrelated breakdown processes across environmental, economic, and social systemsRecognise that conventional sustainability approaches focused on "doing less harm" remain fundamentally inadequateAccept that financial system collapse may occur in the 2030s, preceding full ecological breakdownPrepare for metadisruption—the predictable aggravation of current trends affecting multiple industriesTransform core business models toward providing essential needs without causing harmAbandon incremental metrics for binary questions about business necessity and impactMatch your level of courage to your level of privilege to drive systemic changeTimestamps: 00:00 — Introduction and overview of polycollapse 07:59 — Approaching difficult conversations about systemic breakdown13:52 — Understanding polycollapse versus other collapse terminology18:44 — How systemic foresight differs from traditional scenario planning23:49 — Financial system collapse and meta-disruption30:49 — Implications for shareholder value and future business viability37:18 — Metrics for future-compatible business models41:20 — Matching courage to privilege for business leadersResources:arkH3: https://www.arkh3.comLeading Through the Polycollapse eBook: https://www.arkh3.com/resources/leading-through-the-polycollapse-a-guide-to-systemic-foresight-for-vuca-native-strategy arkH3’s training programs: https://training-series.arkh3.com/ Regeneration Journal interview: https://www.regenerationjournal.org/on-leading-through-the-polycollapse-an-interview-with-alice-kalro-claudia-gasparovic-and-julio-campos/Breaking Together by Jem Bendell: https://jembendell.com/2023/04/08/breaking-together-a-freedom-loving-response-to-collapse/Global Tipping Points Conference: https://global-tipping-points.org/conference-2025/Business Declares: https://businessdeclares.comConnect:Follow Alice on Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alice-kalro/ Follow Jeni on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jenifisher/Subscribe to the Moral Footprint Substack: https://moralfootprint.substack.com/About Alice Kalro:Alice Kalro is founder of arkH3 and an emerging global thought leader in transformational corporate sustainability, providing practical guidance on science- and ethics-aligned business transformation for a just and liveable future.

Post-growth economist Donnie Maclurcan joins host Jeni Miles to explore why systems transformation requires moving from thinking to feeling. From not-for-profit business models to the circulation of money and power, Donnie reveals how embodied wisdom might be our most revolutionary tool against extractive capitalism and why slowing down in urgent times could be the key to creating regenerative systems.Key TakeawaysUnderstand why capitalism creates disconnection from our bodies and embodied wisdomLearn the difference between not-for-profit businesses and B Corps or social enterprisesDiscover how debt expansion is a feature of capitalism, not the monetary systemExplore moving from "systems thinking" to "systems feeling" for transformationSee how moving your money, pensions, and investments can create systemic changeExperience the offers and needs markets methodology for community resilienceDonnie Maclurcan is Director of Strategy with the Post Growth Institute. He joins us from Patagonia where he lives with his wife and their cats.Follow Donnie on LinkedIn: https://ar.linkedin.com/in/donniemaclurcanFollow Donnie on Bluesky: https://web-cdn.bsky.app/profile/donmacca.bsky.socialPeople and Resources Mentioned:Post Growth Institute: https://postgrowth.org/How on Earth? Book https://howonearth.us/Colin Saltmere: https://au.linkedin.com/in/colin-saltmere-09762485Better Off by Eric Brende (an Amish lifestyle experiment) https://www.amazon.com/Better-Off-Flipping-Switch-Technology/dp/0060570059Offers and Needs Markets methodology: https://postgrowth.org/offers-and-needs-markets/Triodos Bank (sustainable banking example): https://triodos.co.uk/Bayo Akomolafe's The Times Are Urgent, Let Us Slow Down open letter https://www.bayoakomolafe.net/post/the-times-are-urgent-lets-slow-downThe Co-operative Bank (UK not-for-profit banking): https://www.co-operativebank.co.uk/The WEIRD Study (research on Western assumptions): https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=1601785AORTA Co-Op: https://aorta.coop/BLIS Collective https://www.bliscollective.org/adrienne maree brown https://www.instagram.com/adriennemareebrown/Sociocracy as a governance system https://www.sociocracyforall.org/sociocracy/Follow Jeni on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jenifisher/Subscribe on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCChD92b63Sfh5xeNFMM5lCARead the Moral Footprint newsletter: https://moralfootprint.substack.com

Jeni Miles speaks with Joy Njeri, systems doula and regenerative economy advocate, about why current African development models are creating dependency rather than empowerment. From NGOs to corporate work, Joy exposes how Western funding structures perpetuate colonial patterns in both humanitarian and venture capital sectors, advocating instead for community-led, regenerative economics approaches.Key Takeaways:•Question the dependency models created by NGO funding that prioritise donor agendas over local solutions.•Recognise how Silicon Valley VC replicates colonial extraction by favouring white founders and imposed scaling models.•Understand why 70% of African startups fail at seed stage due to misaligned Western investment criteria.•Explore indigenous wisdom systems like commitment pooling as alternatives to extractive business models.•Examine how Tempo Arts community created regenerative solutions near Kenya's largest dump site — without external funding.•Embrace businesses as interconnected living systems that must strengthen, not extract from, their communities.About Joy: Joy co-authored the upcoming book Seismic Questions and contributes to the Doughnut Economics community in Kenya.Next Steps:• Leave a review to help others discover the show.• Follow Joy on LinkedIn• Follow Jeni on LinkedIn• Subscribe to the Moral Footprint SubstackLinks & Resources:•Seismic Questions (book)•Tempo Arts Centre (Kenya)•Grassroots Economics•Global Donut Days 2025•Jennifer Hinton – Post-Growth Business Dimensions

In this uncompromising conversation, host Jeni Miles speaks with Siobhan Strode, advocacy consultant and founder of This Sister Speaks, about how our electoral system has been captured by corporate interests and what we can do about it. Recorded just days before England's May 2025 local elections, Siobhan shares her journey from teacher to Labour parliamentary candidate, revealing how Keir Starmer systematically betrayed party members by promising socialist continuity before dismantling progressive policies. They explore how the government is funded by groups like Labour Friends of Israel continue supporting genocide in Palestine, but crucially, Siobhan offers practical resistance strategies, from using boycott apps like No Thanks to building community power when electoral politics feels rigged against ordinary people.Books:Robert Tressell – The Ragged Trousered Philanthropists https://uk.bookshop.org/a/15447/9780141187693Other Resources:We Support Jeremy Corbyn Facebook groupNo Thanks app – barcode scanner for boycotting companies that fund genocide Available on Apple App Store and Google Play Store https://bashsquare.com/projects/no-thanks This Sister Speaks – Siobhan's advocacy training programme for women https://www.siobhanstrode.com/Connect with Siobhan Strode on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/siobhan.strode/ and Linkedin https://uk.linkedin.com/in/siobhan-strode84Follow host Jeni Miles on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/jenifisher/ or subscribe to the Moral Footprint Substack https://moralfootprint.substack.com/

Moral Footprint Host Jeni Miles sits down with Erald Kolasi, a physicist and economist whose groundbreaking book The Physics of Capitalism challenges us to see our ecological crisis through the lens of thermodynamics. Erald makes a compelling case that our economic system isn't just fundamentally broken, it's at odds with the physical laws that govern life on Earth, creating what he calls a "supercharged entropy machine" that's destabilising the biosphere.From dissecting carbon capture's flaws to exploring metabolic rift, Erald explains why tech solutions can't prevent ecological collapse and outlines his "valerism" framework's four pillars of stabilisation, socialisation, modularisation, and localisation.LINKSErald Kolasi – The Physics of Capitalism: How a New Political Ecology Can Change the Worldhttps://uk.bookshop.org/a/15447/9781685900908Monthly Review – Socialist magazine where Erald has published articles https://monthlyreview.org/Key Concepts Discussed:Thermodynamics and entropy in economic systemsMetabolic rift theory (originally from Marx, developed by John Bellamy Foster)Climate reductionism and techno-solutionismThe cosmopole, a proposed global governance system for ecological managementEnergy caps and biophysical economicsCritique of carbon capture technologyConnect with Erald Kolasi on Substack at https://technodynamics.substack.com/Follow host Jeni Miles on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/jenifisher/ or subscribe to the Moral Footprint Substack https://moralfootprint.substack.com/

Transformative leader and educator Ryan (Ra) James joins host Jeni Miles to discuss how we can move from a transactional world to one based on relationship and genuine connection.Ryan explains why most sustainability efforts are merely iterations rather than true innovations, challenges our war-based business language, and offers a powerful alternative: relational intelligence. Discover why he believes gratitude must go beyond concept to action and why our external climate crisis mirrors our internal disconnection.From his transition from finance graduate to global wisdom seeker, Ryan provides practical ways to reconnect with what sustains us. Whether you're a business leader, sustainability professional, or simply seeking a more meaningful relationship with our planet, this conversation will transform how you think about innovation, progress, and your place in the web of life.People and Resources MentionedVandana ShivaKumu RamseyAbraham MaslowThe Siksika people/Blackfoot NationCarl JungMartin PrechtelThe Dalai LamaRights of Nature movementLearn more about Ryan via his website, Instagram, LinkedIn or his business-as-usual un/school ⁠⁠(Re)Biz⁠⁠.Follow host Jeni Miles on Linkedin or subscribe to the Moral Footprint Substack.

Developmental coach Keri Jarvis (also co-founder of Southend Care Bank and ⁨Parents for Future co-ordinator) joins host Jeni Miles to discuss how motherhood radicalised her thinking and how community sustains her work.Together, they explore feminist business practices, the false promises of "girl boss" culture & practical ways to foster genuine connection in a system designed to keep us isolated.LINKS & RESOURCES MENTIONED:Nora Bateson – CombiningLola Olufemi – Experiments in Imagining OtherwiseBarbara Ehrenreich – Smile or Die: How Positive Thinking Fooled America and the World Jason Hickel – Less is More Sylvia Federici – Caliban and the Witch The Book on Fire podcast Robin Wall Kimmerer – The Service Berry Vicki Robin and Joe Dominguez – Your Money or Your LifeDo It Like A Mother StudioSouthend Care BankBear Hebert’s Anti-Capitalist Business CoachingKeri’s Composting Program – The Portal Collective

Philosopher and professor Dr Alexis Shotwell joins Moral Footprint host Jeni Miles to explore ethical living in an imperfect world. Discover why the concept of "carbon footprint" was created by corporations to shift climate responsibility to individuals and how to move beyond eco-guilt toward meaningful collective action. We discuss ethical consumption challenges, the myth of purity in sustainable living, and practical approaches to environmental ethics without perfectionism. Alexis shares insights on transforming climate anxiety into solidarity, the importance of care work in creating sustainable communities, and how fiction helps us imagine alternative futures. Learn strategies for navigating ethical dilemmas and embracing imperfection as a pathway to more effective collective change and climate justice.Resources and people mentionedAgainst Purity by Alexis ShotwellAlexis is currently writing a book with Killian Yorg called 'An Ecology of Morals’. Read a recent joint article about Moralizing on The ConversationJo Walton, friend and science-fiction writer who says that science fiction is not helping us practice for the future that will come. It's helping us practice to be surprised by the future, to generate a future that was not predicted by the current situation.Alan Sears, a sociologist who talks about the neoliberal deskilling of collectivity (The Next New Left)Thinking in Systems by Donella MeadowsBraiding sweetgrass by Robin Wall KimmererWages for Housework by Emily KallaciRuthanna Emrys - A Half-Built GardenThe Dispossessed by Ursula K Le GuinClaudia Card - philosopher whose work suggests we’re implicated in evil when the actions that are taking place are going to definitely cause unbearable harm.Memoir of a Race Traitor by Mab Segrist

In this episode of Moral Footprint, host Jeni Miles speaks with B. Lorraine Smith, a bold and visionary voice in sustainable business, about the deep disconnect between corporate sustainability claims and reality. Lorraine shares her decades of experience in ESG and why she ultimately stepped away, disillusioned by the industry's focus on reporting over real change.They explore:✅ Why traditional ESG frameworks fail to address systemic issues✅ The dangers of corporate greenwashing and branding over substance✅ Lorraine’s matereality framework—a radical shift to centering life instead of profit✅ The tough questions businesses avoid about their own impact✅ How individuals can reclaim their agency and challenge the status quoIf you’ve ever wondered why corporate sustainability feels like a façade—or how to move beyond it—this conversation is essential listening.Follow Lorraine on Linkedin: https://tinyurl.com/4wvdmh7yFollow Jeni on Linkedin https://tinyurl.com/4mxz52bmRead the Moral Footprint substack https://tinyurl.com/bdepjvdwResources mentioned:Marjorie Kelly - Owning our Future https://bit.ly/4j1VD3zDr Bronner on Dropping B Corp Certification https://bit.ly/4iuaWC5Jennifer Hinton’s Post-Growth Business Dimensions paper https://tinyurl.com/yckhxzsrSeeking Alpha: seekingalpha.comBook a call with Lorraine: https://www.blorrainesmith.com/book-a-callGoogle Matereality Assessment link: https://tinyurl.com/3ckecv2b

How can we rethink design beyond aesthetics and challenge extractive business models?In this conversation, Cecilia Scolaro and Jeni Miles explore the power of responsible design, decolonization and indigenous knowledge in reshaping business and sustainability.📌 In this episode, we cover:✔️ What decolonizing design really means (and why it matters)✔️ The harm of extractive business models & how to rethink impact✔️ How indigenous knowledge and regenerative design can reshape the future✔️ Why small design choices create powerful ripple effects✔️ How to align your work with ethics, sustainability, and systemic change📲 Join the conversation on the ⁠⁠Moral Footprint substack⁠⁠🌿 Cecilia Scolaro on Linkedin | website🌿 Jeni Miles on Linkedin | website

What if personal burnout and planetary overshoot share the same root cause: our pursuit of infinite growth?I’m Jeni Miles, business strategist, behavioural scientist and former big tech consultant. In the Moral Footprint podcast, I'll be unpacking the unsustainable systems of care, climate and capitalism we’ve inherited—helping you navigate a more intentional and impactful path forward.Every choice we make sends ripples through the world, impacting both humans, sentient beings around the world as well as future generations, particularly in this pivotal moment when we’re the last generation with the power to avert planetary collapse.Moral Footprint explores how to align our work, values and daily actions with a future that truly sustains us. Here’s a taste of what’s coming: 🔸How Embracing Complicity Leads to Meaningful Change with Alexis Shotwell 🔸How Indigenous Wisdom Exposes Our Sustainability Illusion with Cecilia Scolaro 🔸Reclaiming Community, Care, and Connection in a Capitalist World with Keri Jarvis 🔸Corporate Sustainability's Failings and the Path to an Economy that Serves Life with B Lorraine Smith 🎧Hit Follow to stay updated—new episodes launching soon!🎙 Expect new episodes roughly every 2-3 weeks📲 Join the conversation on Substack⭐Rate to support the show!