Our special guest is Benjamin Bellegy, the Executive Director of WINGS, an organization that plays a pivotal role in enhancing the philanthropic sector's effectiveness and impact worldwide.

Philanthropy has always been a powerful ally in solving our most pressing problems, but as the challenges grow more complex and interconnected, the need for transformative change is more apparent than ever. Benjamin takes us on a journey through his experiences, highlighting how philanthropy can act as a catalyst for systemic change. From his start in Ethiopia to his current role in Brazil, Benjamin's story is one of passion, learning, and the drive to make a meaningful difference.

Key Points:

1. Philanthropy as an Enabler: Learn how philanthropy can shift from being just a funder to an enabler of systemic change, fostering partnerships and trust within communities.
2. Walking the Talk: Discover the importance of consistency in philanthropy, ensuring that all dimensions of a foundation's work align with its mission for greater impact.
3. Strategic Use of Assets: Understand how philanthropic assets can be leveraged more effectively to support transformative change, particularly in the context of climate change and sustainability.
4. Building Bridges: Benjamin emphasizes the role of philanthropy in building bridges and forming partnerships to amplify its impact on a global scale.
5. Local Impact: Insights into how philanthropy can better connect with and support grassroots initiatives, making a tangible difference at the community level.

"We are here to empower the sustainable transition with the most insightful information and data".

In this episode we meet Andrea Gori, a global leader, founder and Chief Earth Officer (CEO) of Illuminem and a former sustainability lead at one of the top consultancy firm, to explore the transformative power of media in driving sustainability. Andrea shares his transition from consulting to creating Illuminem, a platform aiming to be the Bloomberg of sustainability, offering a centralized source of accurate and accessible information. we discuss into the critical role of sustainable practices in businesses and the evolving landscape of ESG investment.

Key points

• Transition from Consulting to Entrepreneurship: Andrea discusses his move from a high-level sustainability consultant at BCG to launching Illuminem, driven by his passion for impactful change.
• Role of Illuminem: Described as the second most read platform on sustainability worldwide, it integrates AI to categorize and summarize content, serving as both a media platform and a data provider.
• Innovative Business Model: It operates on a SaaS model, monetizing data on sustainability performance to support solution providers in the green tech and renewable energy sectors.
• Importance of Media in Sustainability: Andrea emphasizes the transformative role of media in disseminating knowledge and driving the sustainable agenda forward, advocating for high-quality, accessible information.
• Challenges in the Consulting Sector: Discusses the perception of consulting as reactive rather than proactive in sustainability, addressing criticisms of consulting firms possibly hindering progress in sustainable practices.
• The ESG Debate: Andrea addresses criticisms of ESG (Environmental, Social, Governance) investing, highlighting the growth and challenges of ESG as a tool for sustainable investment.
• Future Trends and Innovations: Highlights emerging trends like carbon engineering vs. nature-based solutions, the creation of biodiversity credits, and the potential of ocean wave energy.
• Vision for Illuminem’s Future: Aims to establish it as a central, reliable source for sustainability data and information, fostering transparency and accountability in the sustainability sector.

"There's so much intelligence in nature... that's the new frontier for me"

In this episode we explore the often unknown world of fungi with global sustainability and fungi expert Susanne Gløersen. This conversation uncovers the untapped potential of fungi in addressing pressing environmental issues, blending science, innovation, and a passion for ecological solutions. Susanne would describe herself as "super passionate about the fungi revolution - and how to harvest the intelligence of nature for the environmental innovations that the world needs".

She has more than 12 years of extensive experience in sustainability across the financial ecosystem (most lately Sustainability Lead at SEB GreenTech VC), but has now jumped off to only immerse herself into accelerating fungal innovations for planetary wellbeing. She is the founder of a global award to honor truly cutting edge fungi focused science and start-up innovation, leveraging fungi to solve some of humanity`s largest environmental challenges – The Future is Fungi Award. An award nominated for The Earthshot Prize.

She is also investing in fungi focused start-ups and building an ecosystem of fungi oriented investors - having founded the The Fungi Investment Collective.

Susanne sees biology and nature itself will be the next wave in sustainability, with a particular interest in fungi and how it can support a more regenerative agriculture, nature & biodiversity restoration and the material needs in the world. And it is the truly frontier and breakthrough innovations that excites Susanne the most.

Key Points:

• Journey to Sustainability: Susanne shares her transformative journey from finance to a career driven by a passion for sustainability and responsible capitalism.
• Fungi’s Versatile Role: Discover the myriad ways fungi are revolutionizing environmental solutions, from alternative proteins to sustainable materials.
• Innovations in Mycelium: Explore the groundbreaking applications of mycelium in various sectors, showcasing fungi's potential in sustainable practices.
• Frontier Science and Startups: Insights into the Future of Fungi Award and Collective, highlighting cutting-edge fungal research and startups.
• Future Vision and Advice: Susanne offers predictions on the role of fungi in future sustainability efforts and advice for aspiring changemakers in this field.

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