Insights and inspirations from GameChangers around the world.

How can we see beyond our current state of oppression, polarization, and extraction to build a better future? We asked Anne Snick to share insights from her brilliant Young Persons’ Guide to the Future.

We need consensus to tackle the looming problems of climate change and economic inequality. Digital tokens and blockchain technology could help us do just that. In this episode, we speak with Andrea Baronchelli, an Associate Professor of Mathematics at City, University of London. We ask him about his research on the token economy and how decentralized digital platforms will shape our future.

In 1934, Simon Kuznets developed the modern concept of a gross domestic product to measure the market value of all goods and services produced by a country. Nearly 90 years later, our measures of economic growth remain blind to the extreme inequality and  environmental degradation produced by “business as usual”.  We need a new tool that help guide us on a path to greater wellbeing for people and planet. In this episode, we’re speaking with Michael Green, CEO of the Social Progress Imperative. We talk to Michael about his new measure, the Social Progress Index, and how it could change the way we think about economic success for the better.

Is there an inherent conflict of interest in 'sustainable finance'? In this episode, we speak with Theodor Cojoianu, an associate professor at the University of Edinburgh who works at the intersection of sustainability, data science, and finance. We ask him to explain the world of sustainable finance and help us understand what needs to change to make our planet’s health the bottom line for businesses.

The industrial production of beef comes at a major cost to the environment, degrading soil quality and emitting extreme amounts of greenhouse gas into the atmosphere. But what if there was a better way? In this episode, we speak with Langdon Hill, who's turned about 20,000 acres of Arizona desert into a ranch laboratory to see if it's possible to raise cattle in a way that nourishes the environment instead of breaking it down.

Advancements in modern medicine have made us healthier and improved our quality of life. But at what cost? In the pursuit of science, many of us have lost touch with indigenous modes of healing. We spoke with Olatokunboh Obasi, an herbalist and teacher in Puerto Rico, about the wisdom of indigenous teachings that can bring us in better balance within ourselves and with nature.

Ever feel intense anxiety over the deteriorating state of our planet? Good news: you're not alone. Even better news: there's help. In this episode, we speak with climate psychologists Megan Kennedy-Woodard and Patrick Kennedy-Williams who have made it their mission to help people turn climate anxiety into climate action.

What can we learn from recollections of the Ice Age about climate change today? Veli Albert Kallio is an ethnoclimatologist who uses history from indigenous peoples to evaluate our current climate crisis. Through this lens, we can see the ghosts that may come back to haunt us--hopefully in time to do something about it.

In this episode, we speak with Donna Reitano and Ajay Mehta, two of the founders of em4. Through their work, they help social impact organizations in the Global South build capacity to increase their reach and efficacy. We ask their advice for others trying to do the same.

In this episode, we talk about how cities can recover economically from the COVID-19 pandemic and launch into a greener and more equitable form of urban life with NYC Comptroller, Scott Stringer.

Former Häagen-Dazs CEO and founder of the L'Oréal Prestige innovation World Lab, Fabrice Leclerc, shares his ideas about how we can transform corporations to do business that maximizes life instead of profit.

So nice, we had to do it twice! Dive deeper into the topic of Unconditional Basic Income in our second webinar, co-hosted with FEASTA and Vermonters for a New Economy. We discuss the finer points of UBI as a key element in the transition to a society centered around universal well-being. Featuring Scott Santens, Marjukka Turunen, Herbert Jauch, Enno Schmidt, and Michel Bauwens. 

Economic empowerment and community agency are the new humanitarian aid. In this episode, we're exploring the power of digital currencies to spark economic activity and build resilience in refugee communities with Danish Red Cross' Adam Bornstein.

Domination and partnership. Our guest this week, Riane Eisler, looks at the history of human society through these two lenses. When in a domination configuration, our familial, economic, and political lives are characterized by conquest, imbalance of power, and abuse. Partnership configurations, on the other hand, emphasize the values of caring, consciousness, and creativity at all levels of society. We got to speak with Riane about what we can do to reorient our systems around the values of empathy and interconnection so that we can survive and thrive in the 21st century.

A healthy ocean is essential to the survival of almost all life on Earth. Unfortunately, at it's last check up, the ocean wasn't doing so hot. Acidification, melting ice caps, pollution, and overfishing are just a few of the threats to its wellbeing. In this episode, we speak with Max Bello of Mission Blue about the policy interventions and individual actions that could pull the ocean back from the brink. 

These children had nowhere to go. Then, Silke Rösner created Kinder Paradise. Kinder Paradise is a children's home in Ghana where kids who have been orphaned, abandoned, or formerly enslaved can find a safe place to live, learn, and grow. In this episode, we ask Silke to share her story and discuss the power of purpose-driven action to transform a community. 

This time, we're tackling faith. While most of our episodes are about technology, economics, science, or community organizing, these aren't the only areas people turn to for hope about the future of humanity and the planet. In this episode, we're talking with Sally Moore and Tina Case, a mother/daughter duo who share the ways that faith colors their lens on power, greed, gratitude, and money.

Industrial agriculture has led to deforestation, land degradation, and biodiversity loss around the world. In this episode, we’re speaking with Festus Kiplagat, an expert in agroforestry and the founder of Green Planet Initiative 2050 in Kenya, who is working to reinstitute indigenous farming practices that can restore the land.

If the entire history of the planet Earth were a novel, readers of the book who got to our current chapter might start worrying about the possibility of an unhappy ending. Luckily for us, that story is not completely written yet, which means we have a say how it goes. In this episode, we speak with Mary Alice Arthur, a story activist who empowers people and organizations through storytelling to create positive systemic shifts.

When you flush, where does it go? In this episode, we speak with Cheryl Hicks, former Executive Director and CEO of the Toilet Board Coalition. Learn about the untapped value of sanitation and an emerging economy of waste to support our agriculture and energy systems, water preservation, and even our personal health.

What role will technological innovation play on the road to universal wellbeing? In this episode, we’re speaking with Nicolas Henchoz, Founder and Director of the EPFL+ECAL Lab in Lausanne, Switzerland. The EPFL+ECAL is a collaboration between Lausanne’s major technical university and art and design school, focused on fostering innovation at the crossroads of technology, design, and architecture. We ask Nicolas why he thinks this multidisciplinary approach to technological advancement is so important in our path forward as a society.

When we can see the impact of the climate crisis on our own lives, we become motivated to act. That has certainly been the case for Dominique Perret. Dominique is one of the world's most accomplished off-piste skiers who became a leader in the fight against climate change after noticing drastic changes to our mountains and glaciers. We ask Dominique to share his personal story with climate change and what he thinks it will take to get more people engaged on this critical issue. 

Is it possible to build a world economy that actually stops climate change? In this episode, we get to hear from Dr. Barbara Buchner, executive director of Climate Finance at the Climate Policy Initiative. Barbara believes whole-heartedly that we can solve climate change, address economic disparity, and prosper like never before.

Greenpeace is one of the most recognizable names in environmental advocacy. In this episode, we have the privilege of speaking with Jorgo Riss, director of Greenpeace Europe. We ask him how a campaign to reimagine a sustainable monetary system could fit in with Greenpeace’s other actions and what such a campaign would look like.

In the last year, all of our working lives have been turned upside-down by the COVID-19 pandemic. But are these changes just for now? Or will we see a complete culture shift in the way we conceptualize work? In this episode, we speak with Paul Millerd, who several years ago left behind his corporate 9 to 5 to pursue life on the road as a “solopreneur”. He is a writer, blogger, and host of his own podcast ‘Reimagine Work’, where he questions the role of work in our lives. We ask Paul where he sees the future of work going and together imagine a world where we’re all free to carve our own paths in life.

In 1934, Werner Zimmermann and Paul Enz created the WIR currency to help stabilize Switzerland's economy through the pangs of the Great Depression. Today, the WIR still circulates, strengthening and stabilizing local commerce throughout Switzerland. In this episode, we speak with Volker Strohm, Head of Corporate Communication for the WIR bank. We ask him about how the WIR works and potential applications for today's economic problems.

Economics touches all of our lives. Shouldn't it be easy to understand? Turns out, it's mostly common sense. You just need the right person to explain it to you. And that person is Howard Yaruss. Howard Yaruss is an adjunct professor of economics who's written a book called Understandable Economics: Because You Can't Improve a System You Don't Understand. In this episode, we ask him to dispel some common misconceptions about economics and explain why it's so important for all people to have a solid understanding of this field of knowledge.

The Korean War is the longest standing overseas US conflict. It's been 70 years since it began and North and South Korea remain deeply entrenched in the ideological and political struggles engendered by the Cold War. Christine Ahn, founder and executive director of Women Cross DMZ, is mobilizing women around the world to finally bring this war to an end. In this episode we speak with Christine about the echoing impacts of the Korean War and why it's so important to have women lead the way to future peace.

Unconditional Basic Income. People around the world are in desperate need of economic relief in a pandemic that has exposed and exacerbated extreme levels of disparity and poverty. A basic income could be the solution. In this episode, we speak with Scott Santens, a writer and advocate for UBI who is also the first person to crowdfund his own poverty-level basic income. We ask about his argument for UBI, the barriers to achieving it, and the future he sees possible for humanity.

Rachel Cook, founder of Seeds, is the architect of a new economy. The way Rachel sees it, there's more than enough money in the world to meet every human being's needs. But in our current monetary system, the flow of that money is carefully controlled by gatekeepers like banks and investors. Using the power of cryptocurrency, Rachel's  opening new pathways for giving, allowing wealth to flow more easily from person to person.  Once the barriers blocking access to wealth are broken down, suddenly anything seems possible.

Jean-François Noubel calls himself an 'open source earthling'. Though he lives in France, he considers his true home to be within himself. Like a turtle. And though he lives within a market economy, he chooses to live as much as he can in a gift economy instead, without money. But why? As a researcher of collective intelligence, Jean-Francois sees currency as the tool that informs the design of human society. He believes we have to expand our concept of wealth and redesign the currencies that connect us to create economics systems that are fair, civil, and transparent.

In the spirit of patriotism this election week, we’ll be talking about our national mammal—the American bison or buffalo. And not just any Buffalo. Wild Idea Buffalo. Wild Idea is a family owned-business in South Dakota that has become a model for clean, regenerative, and healthy meat production. We wanted to talk to the family about our current system of industrial agriculture and how we can change our relationship with food to be in better balance with the planet and our own bodies.

Extinction Rebellion is a global movement to get the world’s governments to address the climate and ecological emergency. What started in the UK in 2018 has now grown to include 1145 groups in 72 countries around the world. In this episode, we speak with Christina See, a core organizer in New York, to learn more about how this movement has brought in so many people from such a wide array of backgrounds and what it will take to save ourselves from extinction.

We're in a crisis of consciousness around money. A system of endless growth isn't sustainable for people or planet. But to change that system, we first need to change minds. That's the business Dr. Pedram Shojai is in. Pedram is a doctor of oriental medicine and former monk turned entrepreneur. Through books, film, and online platforms like Well.org, he is opening minds around the world to new possibilities in the areas of health, environmentalism, and conscious capitalism.

How does our prevailing money system drive growth? Through the creation of debt. In this episode, André Peters, a former analyst at the National Bank of Belgium, shares everything you need to know about the creation of money and how its design is damaging to our planet.

It's been a man's man's man's world. Now it's time to lift up the women who will save it. In this episode: our interview with Osprey Orielle Lake, founder and executive director of the Women's Earth and Climate Action Network (WECAN) International, and the impact women are making worldwide for climate justice.

How can we tackle both climate change and income inequality? Stephen DeMeulenaere thinks economic redesign through complimentary currencies could be the answer.  Complimentary currencies introduce new paths of exchange that can support community resilience, encourage sustainable behavior, and decentralize wealth. Stephen explains why a diversity of currencies--some as complex as Bitcoin, others as simple as a babysitting circle--is essential for a resilient and equitable future.

Where does our food come from? For Krishna McKenzie, the answer to that question says a lot about our relationship with nature. Krishna is a farmer in the universal township of Auroville working to educate people about the importance of consuming local, indigenous foods. Krishna believes that moving away from globalized food sources is the most important step to achieving a healthier lifestyle for people and planet.

Joseph Bonasia and Gary Robbins have a unique approach to protecting our environment: they are working to secure legal rights for rivers and other bodies of water in Florida.  Securing the “rights of nature” would give citizens and municipalities the authority to sue polluters on behalf of natural resources and the people who share them. Joe and Gary emphasize that as humans, we are not separate from nature, but an interdependent part of global ecosystems. They want our legal system to reflect that interdependence.

Does more money lead to greater happiness? In Rivera Sun's novel, Billionaire Buddha, inspired by the life of Dariel Garner, true happiness doesn't come until immense wealth is given away. In our 20th episode, Mel and Steff chat with Rivera and Dariel about income inequality, the immense damage being done to people and planet in the name of wealth accumulation, and the importance of reexamining our values to build a more collaborative and equitable future.

What if you could pick up a book and learn how to transform your entire community in a single hour? That's what Faye Cox is working on with her startup called Hourbooks. She's on a mission to empower people to live more inclusive, resilient, and sustainable lifestyles. Hourbooks is the gateway.

Meet Jean Rossiaud, one of the masterminds behind Monnaie Léman, a new complimentary currency for the regions of Switzerland and France surrounding Lake Geneva. Listen as he talks through the benefits complimentary currencies can have for local economies and the planet.

Through the isolation of a pandemic, they found a way to bring the world together. The coronavirus pandemic put the whole world on pause. Abigail Tisch, Ellie Gravitte, and Martha Epstein are taking that pause and turning it into an opportunity for global connection. Listen in to hear about the project they call the International Zoom Room and the learnings they've gathered so far from hosting conversations with strangers around the world.

What does it look like to put community participation at the center of sustainable development? Anna Cowen and John Ziniades talk through FLOW, a project that empowered underemployed youth in South Africa to map their community's needs and assets, connect them through complimentary currencies, and unleash their creative power.

Two preschool teachers share their experience as part of the Red for Ed statewide walkout in Arizona, where teachers had been underpaid and undervalued.

Mel and Steff interview Clarissa da Costa, an expert in infectious diseases, and Xinjing Jiang, a student from Wuhan, to discuss the potential fallout of the COVID-19 pandemic.

In this episode, Mel and Steff chat with Enno Schmidt and Marjukka Turunen, two experts on the practice of Universal Basic Income (UBI).

As part of her lifestyle, Nobel nominee Dr. Evelin Lindner tries to live without money as much as she possibly can. Mel and Steff got curious about that choice and how it helps her spread her message of love.

Pod of Gold host, Mel Wymore, takes us through 30 years of community activism in New York City that led him to an important realization about making a more lasting impact: tackling societal structures, especially our money system.