Humans of Purpose 420 Meghal Shah: Venture Philanthropy and Scaling Solutions to Global Poverty
My guest this week is Meghal Shah — CEO of Action on Poverty, an Australian international development organisation focused on tackling global poverty through innovative, scalable solutions.
Meghal brings an unusual perspective to the social sector. Originally trained as a chartered accountant, he began his career in the corporate world at PwC and Commonwealth Bank before making a bold pivot into purpose-driven work. His hypothesis was simple but powerful: the non-profit sector often struggles to scale impact because it lacks the commercial thinking needed to build sustainable funding models.
That belief led Meghal to take a major risk early in his social sector career, stepping in as interim CEO of a struggling disability services organisation during the rollout of the National Disability Insurance Scheme. By focusing on financial sustainability and strategic growth, he helped turn the organisation around and secure an acquisition that expanded the entity by 150%.
Today at Action on Poverty, Meghal applies venture capital principles to global development challenges through a model known as venture philanthropy, identifying high-potential solutions, supporting them through stages of growth, and ultimately helping them become self-sustaining systems that continue delivering impact long after philanthropic funding ends.
In this episode of Humans of Purpose, we explore:
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Meghal’s journey from corporate finance to international development
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why commerciality is essential for lasting social impact
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how venture philanthropy helps scale solutions to global poverty
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and the powerful stories behind initiatives tackling issues from clubfoot treatment in Bangladesh to dengue prevention through the World Mosquito Program.
This conversation is a thoughtful look at how bold ideas, strategic funding, and local leadership can come together to create solutions that don’t just help people today but transform systems for the future.
🔗 Explore more from Meghal’s work here:
https://actiononpoverty.org/
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CREDITSMusic intro and outro on this podcast was written and performed by Keyo Rhodes, with Harrison McGregor on drums and percussion.
Sound engineering and mastering by Lachlan McGregor.