Good Podcasts

The world of business for good is complex and fast moving, and it can be challenging to keep up with the new ideas, technologies and innovations driving positive change. So at Pioneers Post, we’ve decided to call in the experts to help us – and you – to make sense of it all: welcome to the Good Experts Podcast.In episode four, First Nations Economics co-founder Shaun Cumming and tech ethicist James Gauci discuss how data about Indigenous communities gathered ethically will lead to more effective problem solving and greater impact.This episode was produced in partnership with Cadent, with support from Social Enterprise World Forum. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The world of business for good is complex and fast moving, and it can be challenging to keep up with the new ideas, technologies and innovations driving positive change. So at Pioneers Post, we’ve decided to call in the experts to help us – and you – to make sense of it all: welcome to the Good Experts Podcast.In episode three, James Gauci and Nikoline Arns, two tech for good pioneers, explore why small scale AI models can mitigate social and environmental harms and how open source technology can keep pace with Silicon Valley in episode three of the Good Experts podcast. This episode was produced in partnership with Cadent, with support from Social Enterprise World Forum. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

With new features and almost 20,000 UK venues on the app, Sociability wants to give people with accessibility considerations the information they need to have a good time, while making money for hospitality venues.This episode is part of a series featuring the extraordinary winners of the Cambridge Social Innovation Prize 2025, presented by the Cambridge Centre for Social Innovation and Trinity Hall Cambridge. The 2025 winners were interviewed for the Cambridge Centre for Social Innovation's Social Ideas podcast, which Pioneers Post is reproducing here as part of its media partnership to support the 2026 edition of the prize. Find out more, or apply for the Cambridge Social Innovation Prize 2026, here (deadline 17 April): https://www.jbs.cam.ac.uk/centres/social-innovation/cambridge-social-innovation-prize/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Charlie Fraser, co-founder of The Entrepreneurial Refugee Network, explains how the social enterprise helps refugees in the UK rebuild their lives through entrepreneurship, the organisation's impact and how it aims to become majority refugee-led.This episode is part of a series featuring the extraordinary winners of the Cambridge Social Innovation Prize 2025, presented by the Cambridge Centre for Social Innovation and Trinity Hall Cambridge. The 2025 winners were interviewed for the Cambridge Centre for Social Innovation's Social Ideas podcast, which Pioneers Post is reproducing here as part of its media partnership to support the 2026 edition of the prize. Find out more, or apply for the Cambridge Social Innovation Prize 2026, here (deadline 17 April): https://www.jbs.cam.ac.uk/centres/social-innovation/cambridge-social-innovation-prize/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

‘I believe in revolution. I believe in devolution,’ says Coffee Afrik co-founder Abdirahim Hassan. He tells us how he took an east London cafe from a startup to a 32-project enterprise taking a groundbreaking approach to tackling deeply embedded trauma. This episode is part of a series featuring the extraordinary winners of the Cambridge Social Innovation Prize 2025, presented by the Cambridge Centre for Social Innovation and Trinity Hall Cambridge. The 2025 winners were interviewed for the Cambridge Centre for Social Innovation's Social Ideas podcast, which Pioneers Post is reproducing here as part of its media partnership to support the 2026 edition of the prize. Find out more, or apply for the Cambridge Social Innovation Prize 2026, here (deadline 17 April): https://www.jbs.cam.ac.uk/centres/social-innovation/cambridge-social-innovation-prize/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The world of business for good is complex and fast moving, and it can be challenging to keep up with the new ideas, technologies and innovations driving positive change. So at Pioneers Post, we’ve decided to call in the experts to help us – and you – to make sense of it all: welcome to the Good Experts Podcast.In episode two, Taiwan’s cyber minister Audrey Tang and ethical technologist James Gauci discuss how open-source technology can counter ‘digital feudalism’ and how AI can be developed to truly serve communities.At Social Enterprise World Forum 2025, which took place in Taipei, Taiwan, Gauci and Tang explored these questions, and more, before Tang’s keynote speech which closed the event. From “techno-communitarianism” to “polarisation per minute” to “ancestral intelligence”, Gauci and Tang uncover ways AI can be developed and used while maintaining a commitment to serving people and planet. This episode was produced in partnership with Cadent, with support from Social Enterprise World Forum. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Clothing poverty is an overlooked social problem, says social enterprise Give Your Best founder Sol Escobar, despite the UK’s mountains of fashion waste.This episode is part of a series featuring the extraordinary winners of the Cambridge Social Innovation Prize 2025, presented by the Cambridge Centre for Social Innovation and Trinity Hall Cambridge. The 2025 winners were interviewed for the Cambridge Centre for Social Innovation's Social Ideas podcast, which Pioneers Post is reproducing here as part of its media partnership to support the 2026 edition of the prize. Find out more, or apply for the Cambridge Social Innovation Prize 2026, here (deadline 17 April): https://www.jbs.cam.ac.uk/centres/social-innovation/cambridge-social-innovation-prize/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Good Leaders: As Social Investment Scotland marks 25 years, CEO Alastair Davis talks to Tim West about his dedication to community finance, Scotland’s social investment journey, and how sabbaticals, Friday night cooking and a unique leadership style help him lead with ambition – without burning out. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Good Leaders Podcast: Giselle Gonzales explains to host Tim West how her journey documenting refugees’ journey across Europe ten years ago inspired her to launch EqualReach, a social enterprise that connects businesses to highly-skilled tech teams in refugee communities – and the twists and turns of her founder journey. On the podcast, Gonzales talks about:How a life-changing experience started the story of EqualReachHow she first established her social enterprise, from finding a name and deciding on the organisation’s legal form to measure impactThe dangers of thinking you can do everything and never ask for help and more... Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Good Stories Podcast: Colombia is famous for its top quality coffee, but the brew can offer more than just a pick-me-up. Anna Patton meets the co-founders of social enterprise Urbania in Medellín, who are creating jobs for victims of conflict as well as protecting precious ecosystems.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Good Leaders Podcast: The CEO of the African Venture Philanthropy Alliance (AVPA) Frank Aswani speaks to Tim West about solving your own problems, how Africans turn “embarrassing” issues into entrepreneurial opportunities and why it took him to leave the continent to realise his love and pride for Africa.On the podcast, Aswani talks about:His vision for impact investing in Africa and the continent’s value as an innovation lab for the global impact movementHow he is inspired by young social innovation leaders across the continentHow sports, music and family help him balance the demands of being an impact CEO and more...AVPA is a network of impact investors committed to increasing capital flows towards social investment in Africa. It is holding its annual conference on 3-5 November 2025 in Nairobi, Kenya, expecting 400 delegates from more than 30 countries. More information and tickets can be found here. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Regeneration and gentrification are often two sides of the same coin. With £1.3bn being pumped into one of Scotland's poorest areas, social enterprise The Granton Project is ensuring that local communities truly benefit.This episode was supported by a partnership with Good Finance. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

One of the most respected social enterprise leaders in the UK, June O’Sullivan has led LEYF for the past two decades, overcoming the hardest challenges with her characteristic combination of determination and stubbornness. Speaking to host Tim West on the Good Leaders podcast, the winner of the WISE100 Social Business Woman of the Year gives us a lesson in social enterprise, impact and leadership.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Join Pioneers Post reporter David Lyons in Liverpool, England, where social enterprise Blackburne House is providing educational courses for underserved women in the local community while innovating its business model to expand its positive impact.This episode was supported by a partnership with Good Finance. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

How to keep sane as the CEO of a mission-driven mental health platform, when spiralling demand puts pressure on your mission? Matty McEvoy, CEO of Together All, talks to hosts Tim West and Liam Black about enshrining purpose in a growing company, being an “accidental CEO” and why he makes time to coach ice hockey. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The world of business for good is complex and fast moving, and it can be challenging to keep up with the new ideas, technologies and innovations driving positive change. So at Pioneers Post, we’ve decided to call in the experts to help us – and you – to make sense of it all: welcome to the Good Experts Podcast.In the first episode, Pioneers Post’s Anna Patton and co-host Matt Haworth, CEO of Impact Reporting, quiz their guests on one of the hottest – yet most controversial – topics of recent months: artificial intelligence.If you’re running an ethical or purpose driven-business, AI can become a tool for doing more good, but this is often untested ground, so it’s not without risks – notably due to its detrimental effects on people and planet. So, as Anna puts it, “how should we do AI the social enterprise way?”This episode was produced in partnership with Impact Reporting. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

How does an Oscar-winning visual effects artist become an impactful social entrepreneur? From working with high-profile movie-makers to launching a healthcare app that changes millions of women’s lives, Chen Mao Davies shares the very personal journey that drove her towards mission-driven entrepreneurship in the latest episode of the Good Leaders Clinic, hosted by Tim West and Liam Black. Listen to the Good Leaders Clinic podcast, where Tim West and Liam Black invite purposeful business leaders to open up about their real-life issues in candid conversations. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Cambridge Social Innovation Prizewinner Daryl Chambers, founder of InPower Academy, believes the philosophical and spiritual side of martial arts means it can be a more effective vehicle for supporting young people than other sports. This episode is part of a series featuring the extraordinary winners of the Cambridge Social Innovation Prize 2024, presented by the Cambridge Centre for Social Innovation and Trinity Hall Cambridge. The 2024 winners were interviewed for the Cambridge Centre for Social Innovation's Social Ideas podcast, which Pioneers Post is reproducing here as part of its media partnership to support the 2025 edition of the prize. Find out more, or apply for the Cambridge Social Innovation Prize 2025, here (deadline 17 April): https://www.jbs.cam.ac.uk/faculty-research/centres/social-innovation/cambridge-social-innovation-prize/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Youth centre closures have left too many of London’s young people without crucial networks of support. Through Sirlute, which offers creative arts programmes, JR Josephs aims to give those young people transferable skills they need to achieve their goals. This episode is part of a series featuring the extraordinary winners of the Cambridge Social Innovation Prize 2024, presented by the Cambridge Centre for Social Innovation and Trinity Hall Cambridge. The 2024 winners were interviewed for the Cambridge Centre for Social Innovation's Social Ideas podcast, which Pioneers Post is reproducing here as part of its media partnership to support the 2025 edition of the prize. Find out more, or apply for the Cambridge Social Innovation Prize 2025, here (deadline 17 April): https://www.jbs.cam.ac.uk/faculty-research/centres/social-innovation/cambridge-social-innovation-prize/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

She hates small talk and has a taste for bold decisions: Ashoka’s Europe leader Marie Ringler talks to Tim West about her journey from politician to social innovator, what it takes to achieve systems change and why people’s feeling of powerlessness is the biggest poison in the world. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Join Pioneers Post reporter David Lyons at Kendal Mountain Festival in the Lake District, England, where socially innovative outdoor wear brands, including Patagonia and others, are pushing forward circular economy solutions to halt the industry’s damaging effects on the environment that its enthusiasts want to continue to enjoy.Correction: This episode includes the British Fashion Council's claim that "the world already has enough clothes to dress the next six generations of humanity". This claim is not based on rigorous research and should be discounted. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Cambridge Social Innovation Prizewinners Camilla Rigby and Rachel Mostyn, co founders of Women’s Work Lab, say they want to build a team of women they’ve supported into work so strong they can hand the organisation over to its community. This episode is part of a series featuring the extraordinary winners of the Cambridge Social Innovation Prize 2024, presented by the Cambridge Centre for Social Innovation and Trinity Hall Cambridge. The 2024 winners were interviewed for the Cambridge Centre for Social Innovation's Social Ideas podcast, which Pioneers Post is reproducing here as part of its media partnership to support the 2025 edition of the prize. Find out more, or apply for the Cambridge Social Innovation Prize 2025, here (deadline 17 April): https://www.jbs.cam.ac.uk/faculty-research/centres/social-innovation/cambridge-social-innovation-prize/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What happens when it all goes wrong? In this episode, Dominic Llewellyn, co-founder of Numbers for Good, speaks about the personal impact of the sudden closure of his organisation – in a story he hopes can “help others see how hard challenges can lead to new beginnings”.Listen to the Good Leaders Clinic podcast, where Tim West and Liam Black invite purposeful business leaders to open up about their real-life issues in candid conversations. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

For Cambridge Social Innovation Prizewinner Izzy Obeng, co-founder of Foundervine, the 2011 riots in her London community inspired a drive to change the system which perpetuated the economic status quo. Our Good Ideas collection explores ideas that challenge the status quo and the entrepreneurial changemakers behind them. This episode is part of a series featuring the extraordinary winners of the Cambridge Social Innovation Prize 2024, presented by the Cambridge Centre for Social Innovation and Trinity Hall Cambridge. The 2024 winners were interviewed for the Cambridge Centre for Social Innovation's Social Ideas podcast, which Pioneers Post is reproducing here as part of its media partnership to support the 2025 edition of the prize. Find out more, or apply for the Cambridge Social Innovation Prize 2025, here (deadline 17 April): https://www.jbs.cam.ac.uk/faculty-research/centres/social-innovation/cambridge-social-innovation-prize/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Join Pioneers Post reporter David Lyons in Oaxaca state, Mexico, as he learns about how NGO SiKanda is supporting informal waste pickers to professionalise, set up enterprises and improve their communities’ waste management. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Tim West and Liam Black invite purposeful business leaders to open up about their real-life issues in our new podcast series. First on the “couch”, Kerrie Jones, founding CEO of eating disorder treatment clinic Orri, talks about the challenges of turning her vision into messy reality. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The two tech-for-good experts talk to Tim West about their initiative for women leading the development of ethical AI, the importance of empathy to advance AI for the good of humanity, and why women shouldn’t be expected to work for free. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

With clients like Ikea and KLM, Dutch social enterprise i-did could be judged a success story. But breaking new ground in the social economy hasn't always been easy. Join Estelle Uba in the Netherlands visiting the circular economy pioneer. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

"I'm very conscious about what nurtures me": Triodos Bank UK boss Bevis Watts talks to Tim West about his journey from environmentalist to CEO of a multi-billion-euro ethical bank, transforming the financial sector, fostering connections and the importance of connecting with nature. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Join Pioneers Post reporter David Lyons in the Scottish Highlands as he voyages on an award-winning social business ferry. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

"Here’s what I knew: this was a place where a strong-minded female leader could flourish" – Kirsten Dueck of NESsT tells Tim West about stepping into the shoes of ‘the godmother of impact investing’, retiring ‘imposter syndrome’ and how her organisation has supported thousands of social entrepreneurs across very different regions and cultures. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

"The magic happens when you create uncomfortable, unconventional partnerships" – Sebastian Rocca, founder of social enterprise Micro Rainbow, opens up to Tim West about what Pride Month means to him, growing up gay in Catholic Italy, the importance of understanding who your allies are and embracing vulnerability in leadership. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode of the Good Leaders podcast, hosted by Tim West, Devi Clark, managing director of Impact Hub London, shares the good and bad of running an impact-driven ‘umbrella organisation’: from the legal benefits of developing a new building to the struggle of attracting investors when your impact is “powerful, but often indirect”. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode of the Good Leaders podcast, hosted by Tim West, Esther Foreman, founder and CEO of the SE100-listed Social Change Agency, and Social Change Nest, delves into navigating lockdown, new motherhood and multiple sclerosis alongside entrepreneurship, and says her social enterprises take care of administration and governance, the “two pillars of social change”, so that changemakers can get on with creating impact. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

How do you build a high growth startup? In this episode of the Fit for the Future podcast, produced in partnership with Buzzacott accountants, we delve into how to take a startup to the next level at a fast pace, drawing from the journeys of two relatively young, high growth social enterprises.In this episode, co-hosts Tim West and Eddie Finch talk to Ariana Alexander-Sefre, founder and co-CEO of SE100 award-winning Spokeworld, and Joe Seddon, founder and CEO of Zero Gravity and winner of the SE100 Leadership award, about the steps required to build a high growth social business startup. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Rebecca White, CEO and founder of Your Own Place CIC, tells Tim West that she started the award-winning “targeted prevention homelessness” social enterprise after seeing that “something crucial was missing for people who didn’t have many of the advantages” that others had, and opens up about her biggest regret as a social entrepreneur. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

It has survived the 2008 financial crisis and Covid-19 – but, for events industry trailblazer Connection Crew, “the social enterprise narrative” isn’t always helpful, says director Charlie Dorman, even if impact is embedded in the business model.In our Good Leaders podcast, founding editor Tim West grills some of those balancing purpose, profit and personal challenges, as they navigate the ups and downs of mission-driven business. This month: Charlie Dorman, director of award-winning social enterprise Connection Crew. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What makes a ’Social Business Champion’? In this Fit for the future podcast, produced in partnership with Buzzacott accountants, we explore the brilliant and blustery journey of Point and Sandwick Trust, a social enterprise based in the Outer Hebrides off the north-west coast of Scotland that built and operates the UK’s biggest community wind farm. Point and Sandwick – winner of this year’s NatWest SE100 Social Business Champion award – has been recognised as leading the way in community renewable energy. Not only does it generate power, but with the income this makes, it also provides significant support for projects and amenities within the local community. One such amenity is Bethesda Hospice, which must find more than £400,000 revenue to provide its crucial services to the islands each year, a significant part of which is provided by the wind farm.In the podcast, Pioneers Post’s Tim West and Eddie Finch from Buzzacott speak to Point and Sandwick director Calum MacDonald about how they have built, funded and sustained this award-winning successful social business through good times and bad – and they also hear from Bethesda Hospice general manager Carol Somerville and finance development officer Joanne Ferguson about the work of the hospice, and the importance that Point and Sandwick has to the local community. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Katie Buckingham started Altruist Enterprises aged just 19 following her own experience of mental ill health. She tells Tim West why she’s an optimist – and why outside support was crucial in taking her business to the next level. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

‘Being on a journey of personal development is never ending’Teaching young people the practical life skills they’ve not learned at school: such is the mission of SE100 winner 2-3 Degrees. Co-founder Azzees Minott speaks to Tim West about leaving politics, imposter syndrome, and her initial suspicions about social investment. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What does it take to lead a pioneering organisation in the new impact economy? In our Good Leaders podcast, founding editor Tim West grills some of those balancing purpose, profit and personal challenges, as they navigate the ups and downs of purpose-driven business.This month: the founder and CEO of On Purpose Tom Rippin talks to Tim West about helping 1,000 people switch to impact-first careers, why an outdated view of science is hindering systems change, and what good leadership is all about. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

There are only a few days left before the Impact Shakers summit in Brussels – which its organisers describe as “Europe's first big startup event focusing on inclusive entrepreneurship and impact”. But what does “inclusive entrepreneurship and impact” actually mean? In this episode, Tim West speaks to Yonca Braeckman, CEO and co-founder of Impact Shakers, about what drove her to want to build an “impact ecosystem”. She also recounts her career path from a Belgian chip-shop to social entrepreneurship – which took her to the pre-2008 banking sector and virtual reality filmmaking in New York along the way.Being a good leader? “For me, it's all about being kind and caring,” says Braeckman. Being too caring can also prompt her to take on too much – although she admits she performs well under pressure: “It never felt like an option, to me, to not lead… I'm good in crisis situations… when big challenges arise, I go into some type of problem-solving mode, and move on.” Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Over his long and diverse career, Liam Black has run a number of purpose-led businesses – both his own and other people's. Now in his sixties, he’s mentoring other leaders to do the same, and has just published a new book: How to lead with purpose – partly a story about his own journey as a purpose-driven leader, and partly drawing from his experiences as a mentor.In this episode, he speaks to old friend Tim West about having imposter syndrome in his first role as CEO, growing bored and moving on (more than once), the importance of building organisations that can thrive without his support in future, and the fine line between authenticity and virtue signalling.He shares successes and failures – and tells us that failing as a leader is different from failing a business.“The big failures for me in my leadership have been when I haven't stayed true to my values,” Black says. “As the CEO, or the chair of something, I think the biggest responsibility you have is to protect the strength and the positivity of the culture. And it's very easy to spoil that and when I have spoiled that by my own behaviour, or by allowing in people who were able to bullshit their way through… those, I feel, are my biggest failures in leadership rather than particular business decisions or business ventures that haven't worked.” Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

How did a kid from a London council estate end up advising the UN on inclusion? In this episode of the Good Leaders Podcast, Tim West speaks to social entrepreneur Atif Choudhury, founder of Zaytoun and Diversity and Ability. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What does it mean to build a healthy, resilient, sustainable organisation that’s able to do good and well at the same time? Previously, we've discussed how to find the right finance, how to navigate risk, and how to look after your team in challenging times. In this episode, co-hosts Tim West and Eddie Finch talk to Martin Cosarinsky Campos, managing director of social enterprise Breadwinners, and trustee Harry George, about the art of impact measurement and management. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In our Good Leaders podcast, founding editor Tim West meets some of the best and brightest of social enterprise, impact investing and mission-driven business for a series of candid conversations – expect to be surprised. This month: Alice Williams of the award-winning Luminary Bakery. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this series, we meet some of the stars of social enterprise and mission-driven business to find out what it means to build a healthy, resilient, sustainable organisation that’s able to do good and well at the same time. In previous episodes, we've talked about how to find the right finance, how to navigate risk, how to operate in times of crisis, and much more. This time, we're focussing on how to lead an effective and happy team, even in difficult times. Pioneers Post founding editor Tim West is joined by Do It Now Now's Bayo Adelaja, Clear Voice's Sadie Visick, and Buzzacott's Sarah Dalton. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What makes a 'good' leader? It’s a broad question with a myriad of possible answers and examples. In our new podcast, produced in partnership with NatWest and Buzzacott, our founding editor Tim West sits down with the best and brightest leaders of social enterprise, impact investing and mission-driven business for a series of candid conversations – expect to be surprised.This month: Susan Aktemel Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Good Leaders Podcast - Episode 1: Cemal Ezel by Pioneers Post Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Pioneers Post presents: the Good Leaders Podcast by Pioneers Post Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.