For our series finale, we’ll be highlighting the stories of scale from the 2023 Skoll Awardees. Tackling health care, democracy, climate, and racial and economic equity, listen to innovators who are working on transformational solutions to global problems. In this episode, guests featured throughout the season reveal key strategies and advice for changemakers who want to scale up their work for the benefit of communities everywhere. If you’re interested in learning more about this year’s...

With the amount of carbon dioxide the Amazon rainforest absorbs, it’s often called ‘the lungs of the earth’. Its destruction will lead to a global increase in temperature, floods and droughts. And while climate change affects us all, this is even more immediately devastating for the communities that live in the forest.  By supporting the development of small enterprises in the Brazilian Amazon, Conexsus is solving environmental destruction and helping the livelihood of these communities....

America’s population is increasingly becoming diverse. But low income people and communities of color continue to be oppressed and underserved. Michael McAfee deeply understands that America is not following through on its promise of equity. As the CEO of PolicyLink, Michael and his team fights to dismantle the structural racism in America, working closely with the Biden administration to enact equitable policies.  Today, Michael tells us how PolicyLink is achieving grassroots-level change...

The attacks of January 6th on the capitol felt like a wake up call to many. But Ian Bassin, a former member of the White House Counsel's office, noticed U.S democratic values deteriorating long before. In 2017, Ian got in touch with scholars who had been studying democratic threats all around the world to more accurately predict what might lay ahead. He learned of the authoritarianism playbook and launched Protect Democracy to combat it. Today, Ian tells us how Protect Democracy has been...

What if all your healthcare needs were a text message away? In this first episode of our special series with the Skoll Foundation, we speak with Debbie Rogers, CEO at Reach Digital Health, previously named Praekelt.  Through text messaging, Reach Digital Health is not only informing people about their health. Citizens can also respond and ask questions, helping governments gain a real time understanding of the public health landscape. Through their story, Debbie reveals how mobile technology...

As so many of the world’s problems accelerate, so should our solutions. Each year, the Skoll Award for Social Innovation celebrates the extraordinary leaders and organizations who have had a significant impact on creating a more sustainable, peaceful, and prosperous world for all. In this special series of the Mission to Scale podcast I talk to the 2023 Skoll awardees about how they are moving the needle on today’s challenges and scaling these solutions. If you’re interested in learning...

Measuring social impact is complex and yet, essential for organizations, investors and funders to make decisions. That is why Natasha Joshi, associate director at Rohini Nilekani Philanthropies, encourages foundations to move away from a single metric approach when evaluating their grantees. Today we look at a variety of impact metrics and how these interact with one another. On the show, Natasha also tells us why the role of philanthropy shouldn’t be to solve problems, but rather to enable...

As climate change accelerates, companies are putting sustainability assurance –a certification for the sustainable production of products and services–at the forefront of their agenda. But they often present this data in a way that makes them seem more environmentally friendly than they actually are. Today we are discussing how sustainability reporting can be used for greenwashing. Our guests are Donna Carmichael, Kazbi Soonawalla and Judith C. Stroehle. In our conversation we talk about the...

Philanthropy has the power to make an impact by listening and supporting those they are trying to serve. For a decade The California Endowment invested $1.8 billion dollars in 14 underprivileged communities, successfully advancing their health and racial equity. Our guests today are Robert Ross, president and CEO for The California Endowment and Hanh Cao Yu, the foundation's chief learning officer. Robert and Hanh draw from their experience with the Building Healthy Communities (BHC)...

How can small funders make an outsized impact? In this episode, we explore this topic with Louis Boorstin, managing director of the Osprey Foundation. In our conversation, Louis lays out techniques funders can use to maximize leverage and ensure sustainable change. We talk about funding systems change through collaboration and strategy alignment. Louis also shares how unconventional strategies such as providing flexible funding and engaging in high risk investments can help small foundations...

In this first episode of our special series with Stanford Social Innovation Review (SSIR), we speak with Arne Duncan. Arne is managing partner at the anti-gun violence organization Chicago CRED and former U.S. Secretary of Education. In our conversation, we talk about CRED’s multifaceted approach – one that involves working directly with the communities and people who are most likely to carry a gun or get shot. Arne also shares the research showing CRED’s potential to significantly reduce...

The use of sales tactics is often seen as an antagonist of social impact, when in fact it can be an ally. This is why today, in our last episode of the season, we are uncovering how social entrepreneurs can become effective sales leaders. Our guest is Scott Roy, CEO and Co-Founder of the sales consulting firm Whitten & Roy Partnership In our conversation, Scott explains what ‘decision intelligence selling’ is. He tells us how to become better at selling and managing a sales team, as well...

Receiving financial support is probably the biggest hurdle faced by organizations looking to scale. But finding the right investor to back your company financially might be the key to scaling impact. In today’s episode, we are exploring the potential of social impact investment in achieving scale. Our guest is Andre Bennin, Managing Partner at Rethink Education, an impact investment firm focused on backing education technology companies. In our conversation, Andre shares how he balances...

Social impact bonds are a complex concept. But this episode tries to break it down and shares a success story. The key to social impact bonds is that the service providers only get paid if the project goes well — an incentive for excellent delivery. Lerato Lehoko is the former managing director of Bonds4Jobs, a financial intermediary that implemented the first social impact bond in South Africa. In this episode Lerato explains how the private investment group Yellowwoods and the nonprofit...

Measuring outcomes is an essential part of scaling impact. Without knowing how effective their programs are, organizations can’t make informed decisions, secure funding, or meet the expectations of investors. Yet, traditional models of measuring in the social sector often fail to listen to the very people they are trying to serve. Today’s guest is trying to change that. Tom Adams is the Co-Founder and Chief Strategy Officer at 60 Decibels, a tech enabled impact measurement company. Today Tom...

The investment management industry has the power to direct large amounts of capital into companies creating change. Yet, many social entrepreneurs are not familiar with this sector. Today’s guest is Darren Johnson, Chief Operating Officer and a member of the Executive Committee at Impax Asset Management. In this episode, Darren speaks of his experience as a minority in a sector where only about 1 percent of asset managers are Black. Darren also shares how social enterprises can benefit from...

Applying research based evidence into programs is not always straightforward. There’s often a disconnect between what we know from research and our ability to successfully apply that knowledge into practice. The job of Implementation scientists is to study the factors contributing to this gap. Today’s guest is Alison Metz, a Professor and Director of Implementation Practice at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. In this episode we talk about the field of implementation science...

Earlier this year I stepped down as CEO of Spring Impact –the organization I founded over a decade ago. I decided to pass the baton to Mohamed Osman, and honestly, I couldn’t have thought of a better person to take over. Today, you will understand why. Mohamed has dedicated his life to scaling impact, from finding a solution for the lack of water access in his hometown in Kenya, to making enormous contributions to HIV treatment and prevention at the Elton John AIDS foundation. In this...

The job market continues to be unstable due to COVID-19 and its fallout. In August 2021, it was reported that there were 10.7 million jobs in the US that need to be filled. So while the supply is high, how come job seekers, who are willing and able to work, not getting employed? Open Hiring might offer some solutions to this issue. Under this model, anyone who puts their name on a list is hired— no background checks and no questions asked. Joseph Kenner is the President and CEO at Greyston...

In 1992, 11 year-old Zarlasht Halaimzai and her family were forced to leave Afghanistan, eventually landing in the UK to start a new life. Inspired by her own experience, Zarlasht flew to Greece in 2016 to help the unprecedented number of refugees fleeing from the war in Syria. That initiative grew from a tent with a few volunteers into an internationally recognized nonprofit. Amna (formerly known as the Refugee Trauma Initiative) is now training organizations around the world to offer trauma...

Social enterprises can leverage a business mindset to drive scale and innovation. Nicola Galombik is the executive director of Yellowwoods, a private investment group based in South Africa. Having had cross-cutting careers in media, education and consulting, both in the private and public sectors, Nicola is uniquely placed to be able to share a breadth of knowledge in scaling impact. In this episode, Nicola shares how her journey as an anti-apartheid activist led her to the career she has...

There is no handbook for creating change, but help is out there. Social entrepreneurs can benefit greatly from working with a coach to guide them towards their goals, or a mentor to help them grow in their professions. For our season launch, we hear from two experts on coaching and mentoring changemakers. Wanjiku Nyachae is a gestalt psychotherapist, coach, mentor, and facilitator with a breadth of experience working with leaders in the social sector. Chris Underhill is a mentor who draws...

How does one innovate in the face of external challenges to one’s mission? For over a century, Planned Parenthood has expanded reproductive health care services in the United States while leading the fight for reproductive rights. On June 24th The U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade –the landmark decision that legalized abortion in the United States. Today’s guest is Dawn Laguens, Planned Parenthood Global’s Interim Executive Director. While Planned Parenthood was founded over a...

Throughout the pandemic, we’ve seen ingenuity and the human strength to not only survive, but also help others along the way. In the final episode of our special series SSIR, we’ll be diving into the story of a social entrepreneur who leveraged purpose through a crisis. We are joined by SSIR co-authors Gregory Unruh and Fernanda Arreola to talk about the social enterprise Pixza — which not only served outstanding pizza with locally grown ingredients, but served as a social inclusion vehicle...