Practical Bravery: TRANSFORMATIONAL LEADERSHIP!
The Possibility Club
Practical Bravery: TRANSFORMATIONAL LEADERSHIP! What can we learn from medical practice about resilience, purpose and communication that can support every line of work? If all professionals had an opportunity to reflect deeply on what matters to them before leaping into the next job, how much more likely would productivity, adaptability, and success (whatever that means) be? How can we challenge the conventional metrics of success and emphasise the importance of aligning our careers with personal values and well-being? Our guest has delivered babies in war zones with Médecins Sans...
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Practical Bravery - HAPPY FOOD!
The Possibility Club
The Possibility Club podcast: Practical Bravery - HAPPY FOOD! In this episode, we’ll explore the evolving dynamics of the restaurant industry, particularly in the face of economic challenges and shifting consumer behaviours. We’ll discuss the importance of maintaining cultural authenticity in cuisine and how chefs can use their platforms to educate and inspire. Sustainability is a key theme, with a focus on locally sourced ingredients and environmental compatibility, reflecting a broader movement towards more responsible and ethical food practices. And on a personal level, how does...
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Practical Bravery - RADICAL WATER!
The Possibility Club
The Possibility Club podcast: Practical Bravery - RADICAL WATER! How can innovative partnerships transform global health initiatives? What role does transparency play in building trust and driving impact in charitable organisations? This episode delves into these questions through the lens of global organisation, charity: water. charity: water, has revolutionised how charities operate and engage with donors. The organisation operates on a 100% model, where all public donations go directly to funding clean water projects, while private donors cover operational costs. This model ensures...
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Practical Bravery - CUTTING EDGES!
The Possibility Club
The Possibility Club podcast: Practical Bravery - CUTTING EDGES! In this episode we dive into the textured world of style AND substance, where creativity meets a profound sense of purpose. How do our expressions of style reflect broader cultural, economic, and personal shifts? How does the aesthetic we choose broadcast our identities and our values to the world? This episode takes us on a journey through the life and legacy of a creative industries pioneer who’s been shaping the public personas of icons across the globe with nothing but a pair of scissors and a flair for...
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Practical Bravery - CONSCIOUS CO-WORKING!
The Possibility Club
The Possibility Club podcast: Practical Bravery - CONSCIOUS CO-WORKING! In this episode we explore the transformative world of co-working spaces and the burgeoning professional communities they foster. As the traditional office evolves and the allure of flexible work arrangements grows, the importance of spaces that inspire, include, and innovate becomes increasingly clear. Our guest is leading an initiative with established roots in Brighton and plans for nationwide expansion, where workspaces not only meet modern needs but also cultivate communities grounded in equity and...
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Practical Bravery: VOLATILE INNOVATION!
The Possibility Club
The Possibility Club podcast: Practical Bravery - VOLATILE INNOVATION! What does it mean to be a global entrepreneur today? How do new technologies help entrepreneurs tackle big challenges? And what kind of bravery does it take to lead in such dynamic times? Join us as we explore these questions with a leader who’s redefining the boundaries of business and innovation. In this episode we're diving deep into how entrepreneurship not only shapes economies and sociey worldwide but also drives the bold leadership and bravery required to address some of our biggest global challenges....
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Practical Bravery: FUTURE-PROOFING WORKPLACES!
The Possibility Club
The Possibility Club podcast: Practical Bravery - FUTURE-PROOFING WORKPLACES! In this episode, we return to the nuanced interplay between machine learning and human ingenuity. Can machines complement our creativity, or will they eclipse the essence of human touch in professions once thought impermeable to automation? As we navigate the digital era's complexities, questions of equity, diversity, and the human experience within the technological landscape become increasingly pressing. How do we harness AI to foster inclusivity and bridge divides, rather than widen them? Amidst the...
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Practical Bravery: CREATIVE PARTICIPATION!
The Possibility Club
The Possibility Club podcast: Practical Bravery - CREATIVE PARTICIPATION! In this episode of The Possibility Club podcast, we're exploring the spaces where creativity becomes a conduit for connection, and where theatres and arts venues become the heartbeats of the communities they serve. Our guest is the Head of Participation at Southwark Playhouse, orchestrating a symphony of projects that resonate with thousands yearly, from all ages and backgrounds. His work is about creating a mosaic of experiences that reflect south London's diversity, challenges, and aspirations. Through strategic...
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Practical Bravery : EMPOWERED ENTERPRISE!
The Possibility Club
The Possibility Club podcast: Practical Bravery - EMPOWERED ENTERPRISE! In this episode, we navigate the journey of a visionary whose leadership has not just built businesses but has transformed lives. An architect of opportunity, whose blueprint for change is reshaping the landscape of social mobility. From the foundations of financial literacy to the pillars of small business support, her mission is to elevate the underprivileged, to turn the tide of poverty through the power of enterprise. By advocating for a model that combines training, seed capital, and ongoing mentoring, she's...
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Practical Bravery: MUSICAL POLITICS!
The Possibility Club
The Possibility Club podcast: Practical Bravery - MUSICAL POLITICS! Can artists change the world? Should they? And should it be through their art, or through their activism? In this episode we're charting the course of a journeyman whose guitar has graced stages worldwide, and whose convictions have spotlighted the corridors of change. From the euphoric highs of indie rock stardom with his band Gomez, capturing hearts and the Mercury Prize in 1998, to the critical acclaim and UK Top 40 albums, his artistry has been undeniable. But it's his transition from artist...
info_outlineThe Possibility Club podcast: Practical Bravery - EMPOWERED ENTERPRISE!
In this episode, we navigate the journey of a visionary whose leadership has not just built businesses but has transformed lives.
An architect of opportunity, whose blueprint for change is reshaping the landscape of social mobility.
From the foundations of financial literacy to the pillars of small business support, her mission is to elevate the underprivileged, to turn the tide of poverty through the power of enterprise. By advocating for a model that combines training, seed capital, and ongoing mentoring, she's not just changing the game; she's setting a new standard for how we approach development aid. Her vision is clear - a world where business serves as a vehicle for social mobility, where every entrepreneur, no matter their starting point, has a chance to thrive.
Joining The Possibility Club is a leader in lifting lives through enterprise, and perhaps, a guiding light for future generations of social entrepreneurs - CEO of Village Enterprise, Dianne Calvi.
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Dianne Calvi via LinkedIn
https://www.linkedin.com/in/diannecalvi/
Dianne Calvi via Twitter / X
https://twitter.com/DianneCalvi
“When I was child my dad told me stories about his own childhood. His mum was a single mother who struggled to just put food on the table, they were migrant workers during the summer, they would pick fruit, live in a tent, often go hungry. His life was so foreign to me. I realised that I wanted to make a difference in the lives of people like my dad.”
Village Enterprise
https://villageenterprise.org/
"When I got the opportunity to take on this role, it brought together so many things I was looking for. To take what I’d learned in organisations like Microsoft and apply it to the non-profit sector. To try to build an organisation that had significant impact.”
“If you want to solve a big problem, you have to change policies in the way governments operate. One of the ways you can do that is building a solid base of evidence for an approach.”
“We see real transformative change, not only in the women we work with but in the lives of everyone in their families. It really is an incredible change that happens in a relatively short period of time.”
"We see a whole new local economy grow out of this work.”
Dianne Calvi’s page on Village Enterprise
https://villageenterprise.org/about-us/team/dianne-calvi/
“We’re working in the very rural areas, so still today most of the businesses that we start are agriculture businesses. In many cases people transition from subsistance farming to planting crops that generate income, and generating much more income off the land because of this re-orientation.”
“We’re not providing them with a loan, we’re providing them with a cash grant.”
Dreamstart Labs — DreamSave fintech for informal community banking
https://www.dreamstartlabs.com/dreamsave.html
“When we go into a new community we target those in extreme poverty and we work with every single household that qualifies. So we’re not just cherrypicking entrepreneurs, we’re really working with the entire village. In many cases 85% of the households in an area.”
Mercy Corps
“We create businesses for the first time but they need customers, so Mercy Corps is providing the incentives and in some cases training for the private sector actors to work together with our entrepreneurs.”
Dianne Calvi’s page on Next Billion
https://nextbillion.net/authors/dianne-calvi/
Dianne Calvi wins award at Stanford
https://news.stanford.edu/report/2023/06/05/stanford-alumni-honored-work-advancing-common-good/
“We’ve done two randomised control trials. It’s the only way you can prove attribution to a program. And we’ve found we can quantify them. We now have evidence that people’s wellbeing is increasing, their mental health, their sense of agency is increasing, and this has all been measured by a randomised control trial, so there are questions you can ask that help quantify that that is happening.”
Boconni University, Milan, MBA course
Development Impact Bonds via Social Finance
https://www.socialfinance.org.uk/what-we-do/social-impact-bonds#
“For every dollar invested in the Village Enterprise program, five dollars of income are generated. So now governments are interested in adopting this, because they see that that will create economic growth."
US AID Development Innovation Ventures
Wildlife Conservation Society
African Wildlife Foundation
Jane Goodall Institute
Abhijit V. Banerjee & Esther Dufflo — Poor Economics via Amazon
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Poor-Economics-Barefoot-Hedge-fund-Surprising/dp/0718193660/------
This episode was recorded in October 2023
Interviewer: Richard Freeman for always possible
Editor: CJ Thorpe-Tracey for Lo Fi Arts
For more visit www.alwayspossible.co.uk