In Conversation with Nathalie Nahai

Today I speak with Bill Liao, Chinese-Australian-Irish entrepreneur, author, investor and philanthropist who has left an indelible mark on the business, social and sustainability sectors.With a diverse career spanning decades, Bill is not only the co-founder of the popular CoderDojo movement (a free global network formed to assist young people with learning computer programming), his career in tech and business also encompasses two unicorn companies and the launch of the world’s first bio-tech accelerator.A general partner of SOSV, a venture capital fund of over $1B, and founder of the SOSV Momentum Pre-accelerator program, Bill is also Chair of the SENS board, and his focus on health, longevity and environmental sustainability plays a central role in much of his work.As co-founder of Weforest, a non-profit organization dedicated to reforestation efforts that has planted a hundred million trees globally, Bill has also made significant contributions to combating climate change and promoting ecological balance.Bill also co-founded XING, a pioneering enterprise social networking platform, prior to which he served as COO of Davnet, a telecommunications carrier. The author of three books, Bill has been a speaker at global events such as The World Economic Forum, The Globe Forum in Sweden, TED, and TEDx, and at institutions such as The London School of Economics and The House of Commons. This was a rich and surprising interview for me, as we wended our way beyond the themes I had planned to explore, towards questions surrounding our search for beauty, purpose and longing… It’s a conversation that has stayed with me, and I hope you enjoy it as much as I did.KEY THEMES Sentience is difficult to measure, but it is often recognized through the ability to suffer.Machine learning algorithms focused on making money have created an attention economy driven by dopamine and cortisol.Creating local, connected groups can lead to a more fulfilling and scalable local information economy.Exploring philosophy and science fiction can provide deep insights and perspectives on the world.Using comedy and entertainment can be an effective way to convey messages and make them memorable.Challenging myths and pseudoscience is necessary for progress and innovation.The politics of division and the deification of personal fulfillment are existential threats to society.Collective fulfillment should be prioritized over individual fulfillment.It is important to move beyond appearance and visuals to truly experience and engage with the world.On dark days, orienting oneself towards life and wholeness can provide strength and resilience.BOOKSForests – Bill Liao (Foreword by Desmond Tutu)Stone Soup: The Secret Recipe for Making Something from Nothing – Bill LiaoWEBSITEShttps://coderdojo.com/en/https://www.weforest.org/https://sosv.com/ First ever standup gig: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2uJ7EM_tEo0&ab_channel=BillLiao

In today’s conversation, I have the pleasure of speaking with Dr. Bayo Akomolafe - a widely celebrated international speaker, teacher, public intellectual and essayist, whose convening of the concepts of ‘postactivism’, ‘transraciality’ and ‘ontofugitivity’ have ignited richer, more vibrant explorations of what it means to deepen into our collective potential. The author and editor of We Will Tell Our Own Story! with Professors Molefi Kete Asante and Augustine Nwoye, and These Wilds Beyond our Fences: Letters to my Daughter on Humanity’s Search for Home (North Atlantic Books, 2017), Bayo is a recipient of the 2021 New Thought Walden Award, which honors people who use empowering spiritual ideas and philosophies to change lives and make our planet a better place.   Currently writing his third book as part of a trilogy of creative publications, Bayo is the author of multiple essays on matters ranging from the nature of science, the coronavirus pandemic, and racism, to tricksters, climate chaos, and unschooling.Having been invited to be the Coordinator/Special Envoy of the International Alliance for Localization, a project of Local Futures (USA) in 2014, Bayo temporarily left his lecturing position in Covenant University, Nigeria, to help build this Alliance for a more beautiful world. Among other universities, Bayo has been Visiting Professor at Middlebury College, where he taught on postactivism and ‘transraciality’ (his neo-materialist take on racialization), and he has taught at Sonoma State University (CA, USA), Simon Fraser University (Vancouver, Canada), and Schumacher College (Totnes, England). He is a widely appreciated author and facilitator, globally recognized for his poetic, unconventional, counterintuitive, and indigenous take on global crises, civic action and social change. Bayo currently teaches with the Community, Liberation, Indigenous, and Eco-Psychologies (CLIE) program at Pacifica Graduate Institute (CA, USA) and as Associate Adjunct Professor at the University of Vermont. I had the precious opportunity to meet Bayo at the Planet Local Summit in 2023, and I was so captivated by the poetic way in which he shared his provocative, shape-shifting ideas, that I simply had to invite him to join me here in conversation, so I could share this with you.Recorded on 5th December 2023.WEBSITEShttps://www.bayoakomolafe.net/ https://www.dancingwithmountains.com/https://www.emergencenetwork.org/  https://scienceandnonduality.com/POSITIONSHost – We Will Dance with Mountains: Into the Cracks!Executive Director – The Emergence Network (A Post-Activist Project)Board Member – Science and Non-Duality (USA)Board Member – Mutual Aid Network (USA)Consultant – UNESCO / Imagining Africa’s FutureBoard Member – Real Economy Lab (UK)Lecturer – CLIE, Pacifica Graduate Institute, California (USA)

Today, I speak with Professor Rupert Read – eco-philosopher, academic, author, campaigner, UK Green politician, and environmental activist. An incisive and respected thought-leader, Rupert has influenced public and academic opinion on issues including climate, genetic engineering, technological development and advertising to children. Having (co-)authored books including A Film-Philosophy Of Ecology And Enlightenment and This Civilisation Is Finished, he was a key spokesperson for the Extinction Rebellion movement, and now co-directs the ‘Moderate Flank’ Incubator. Until recently, Rupert served as Associate Professor of Philosophy at the University of East Anglia, but after 26 years in this position, he recently took voluntary severance to dedicate himself to the Climate Majority Project as its Co-Director.While many of us might know Rupert through his work as a spokesperson and political strategist for XR, he has also worked as a national and European parliamentary candidate, and councillor for the Green Party of England and Wales, and he formerly chaired the ecological think tank Green House.With extensive experience arguing for ecology in media, Rupert has written for The Guardian, The Independent, The Ecologist and many other newspapers and websites. A frequent guest on the Today programme, he has also been a panellist on QuestionTime, Newsnight, and Good Morning Britain. Rupert has made regular contributions on Radio 4’s Free Thinking, BBC’s Politics Live, several shows on LBC Radio and various podcasts, and he is a sought-after speaker at many events.Recorded on 17th October 2023.WEBSITEShttps://rupertread.net/https://climatemajorityproject.com/LINKSAccidental Gods – Rupert Read in conversation with Manda Scott: https://bit.ly/AG-RupertRead

As we approach the Winter Solstice and the longest night of the year, I’m delighted to share with you what has become a cherished tradition of reflection, contemplation, and looking ahead to the year to come.In this conversation, I rejoin Manda Scott and Della Duncan for a collaborative midwinter offering from myself, Accidental Gods, and the Upstream Podcast.As we gather to reflect on what’s been an extraordinarily turbulent, confronting and unexpected 12 months, we share some of the key themes of enquiry and growth we’ve explored on our podcasts, we trace what we find when we each go upstream from the challenges we’re facing today, and we explore some of the gifts, stories and resources that can support us as we step into the months ahead.At the end of the conversation, Manda will lead us through a special guided meditation to help us reach into and connect with this moment of the season.To introduced my companions…Manda Scott is a novelist, podcaster and smallholder. Formerly a veterinary surgeon, Manda’s novels have been shortlisted for the Orange Prize, the Edgar and the Saltire Award and has won the McIlvanney Prize. She is host of the Accidental Gods podcast, which showcases individuals and organisations at the emerging edge of our world, to set the foundation for a future we’d be proud to leave to the generations that come after us. Her latest novel, Any Human Power is available for pre-order here: https://septemberpublishing.org/product/any-human-power-hb/ We’re joined by Della Z Duncan, a Renegade Economist based in the San Francisco Bay Area. She is a co-host of the Upstream Podcast, a Right Livelihood Coach, a faculty member at the California Institute of Integral Studies, a Senior Fellow at the London School of Economics, a founding member of the California Doughnut Economics Coalition, and the designer and co-facilitator of the Cultivating Regenerative Livelihood Course at Gaia Education.This is always a special episode for me, and I’m very grateful to be able to dive into conversation with these two brilliant women. I hope you find it inviting and inspiring, and I wish you a peaceful Winter Solstice and a fruitful new year.Recorded on 1st December 2023.RESOURCESNathalie’s:Podcast: The way out is in: Grief and Joy on a Planet in Crisis: Joanna Macy on the Best Time To Be Alive (Episode #12)(https://plumvillage.org/podcast/grief-and-joy-on-a-planet-in-crisis-joanna-macy-on-the-best-time-to-be-alive-episode-12)Flourishing Futures Salon: https://www.ffsalons.com/ Planet Local Summit: https://planet-local-summit.localfutures.org/ and videosDella’s:Poem: The Invitation by Oriah Mountain Dreamer (https://www.mindfulnessassociation.net/words-of-wonder/the-invitation-oriah-mountain-dreamer/)Theory: Two Loop Theory by Meg Wheatley and Deborah Frieze (https://transformationallearningopportunities.com/two-loop-theory)Conversation: Marxism & Buddhism with Breht O'Shea on the Upstream Podcast (https://open.spotify.com/episode/3Y9H9A5b7kkoodUmxrYnzO?si=8f735a62a6d54b96&nd=1&dlsi=e65675e3a9d84cc6)Conversation: A Marxist Perspective on Elections with August Nimtz on the Upstream Podcast (https://open.spotify.com/episode/3Y9H9A5b7kkoodUmxrYnzO?si=8f735a62a6d54b96&nd=1&dlsi=d8e03de837e5464d)Conversation: Beyond the Clock with Jenny Odell on the Upstream Podcast (https://open.spotify.com/episode/1awmJZYYp4N9OWxz1mXeo7?si=28bd15af74774472&nd=1&dlsi=2df1b0bebfdb47b9)Organization: California Doughnut Economics Coalition, https://caldec.org/Manda’s:Indy Johar: talking about Inter-Becoming and the model of the autonomous house (https://accidentalgods.life/becoming-intentional-gods-claiming-the-future-with-indy-johar-of-the-dark-matter-labs/)Alnoor Ladha and Lynn Murphy: on shifting from a Trauma Culture to an Initiation Culture (https://accidentalgods.life/the-animate-earth-responds-initiation-in-a-time-of-crisis-with-alnoor-ladha-and-lynn-murphy/)

Today I speak with Suzanne Pellican, Vice President of Ads User Experience at Google. In this role, she oversees a multidisciplinary team working to define and design user-centric, industry-leading experiences across Google Ads products, while keeping trust, usefulness, and relevance at the center. Beyond product efforts, Suzanne also sponsors WE, a community of women in senior UX roles across Google focused on community, connection, and collaboration.Prior to joining Ads, Suzanne led UX for Google's Geo organization, where she focused on democratizing user-centered design practices. Her efforts led to re-architecting and branding for Google Maps, more verticalized and actionable local search and transportation experiences, and merchant and contributor experiences that allowed users to get more things done in the real world.Before Google, Suzanne worked extensively on small businesses at Intuit, where she helped transform the company into a design-driven organization, fundamentally changing how it built products that people love.Now it’s not often that I dive into the world of UX, ads and marketing on this podcast, but with the upcoming changes to data and cookie policies now on the near horizon, I wanted to have a conversation that touched upon the themes of trust, business, advertising and the open internet, that look set to shape our online experiences to come.Recorded on 7th November 2023.

Today, I have the joy and privilege of being in conversation with Jo Confino, an executive coach, facilitator, journalist, sustainability expert and Zen mindfulness practitioner, whose work at the intersection of personal transformation and systems change has been an inspiration to me and to many, many others around the world. If you’ve followed Jo’s journey, you may have encountered his thoughtful conversations on the popular podcast, “The Way Out is In” – a beautiful and uplifting series he co-hosts with Brother Phap Huu, the abbot of Little Hamlet at Plum Village, who for 17 years was the personal attendant to Zen Master Thich Nhat Hanh. Having worked closely with this community for the past 14 years, Jo is also an advisory board member of Parallax Press, which publishes books on mindfulness in daily life. With 40 years of experience as a journalist, Jo has worked on regional and national newspapers and websites, with an emphasis on business and finance, including three years as Wall Street correspondent for the Daily Telegraph. Until recently, he was the executive editor, Impact & Innovation and Editorial Director of What’s Working at the HuffPost in New York, where he served as a member of the senior leadership team. During his five years there, Jo developed long-term editorial projects based on social, environmental and economic justice. Before joining HuffPost, Jo was executive editor of the Guardian, where he created and managed the sustainability vision and strategy for the Guardian and its parent company Guardian Media Group. Chairman and editorial director of the Guardian Sustainable Business website, during his 23 years there, Jo set up and managed a unique multi-stakeholder development project in the Ugandan village of Katine, and he helped create the Guardian’s environment and global development websites.A fellow of the Royal Society for the encouragement of Arts, Manufactures and Commerce, Jo is also a trustee of Theatre for a Change, whose purpose is the empowerment of women and girls, particularly in their sexual and reproductive health. Having chaired and facilitated events and conferences all over the world for the past 20 years, Jo also runs workshops and roundtables for attendees including CEOs, prime ministers and NGO heads. He is currently working with Leaders Quest, which helps leaders and companies align profit with purpose as well as Future Stewards, a coalition of partners working together to build a regenerative future.Recorded on 14th September 2023. WEBSITEShttps://leadersquest.org/https://futurestewards.com/https://www.tfacafrica.com/ PODCASTThe Way Out Is In: https://plumvillage.org/podcasts/the-way-out-is-in

In today’s conversation, I speak with Antonio Graça - Head of Research and Development at Sogrape Vinhos SA, a family run vineyard and business founded on the principles of circularity, renovation and transformation. Secretary for the Sustainable Development and Climate Change expert group of the International Organisation for Vine and Wine (Paris), Antionio has an MSc. in Oenology, and leads masterclasses and lectures for young professionals at universities all around the world. As well as sitting on the Executive Committee of the Oenoviti International network, Antonio assisted Comité des Entreprises Européennes de Vin in the creation of the first European research agenda for the wine industry, which was published as a position paper in 2016. He serves as expert by technical commissions of the Spanish Wine Federation, Association of Wines and Spirits of Portugal and Association of Port Wine Companies, and also sits as tasting judge for high-profile international wine competitions such as the International Wine Challenge (London) and Mundus Vini (Neustadt). From 2003 and 2014, Antonio served in the board of the Association for the Development of Douro Viticulture, and in 2009, he cofounded the Portuguese Association for Grapevine Diversity, and was on its Board of Directors until 2021. Having published many scientific works over the course of his career, Antonio is currently focusing on agroecology, biodiversity, digital transition, climate change adaptation, resilience and system dynamics of the food and wine value chain. Beyond his professional interests, he is a humanist and a firm believer in the founding principles of the European Union, and he uses his free time to raise awareness to the fundamental role played by wine in civilisations and to the ethnic and cultural heritage of Portuguese explorations still surviving around the world. I first met Antonio at a very special gathering, hiking a short stretch of the Camino de Santiago in Northern Spain, and I was so struck by his presence, thoughtfulness and passion for the living world that I had to invite him onto the podcast. Our conversation explores a whole array of intertwining themes and ideas, and I hope that our exploration inspires you to reconnect more deeply into the food, the place and the biodiversity of where you live. WEBSITEhttps://sogrape.com/ BOOKSThinking in Systems – Donella Meadows: https://www.chelseagreen.com/product/thinking-in-systems/

In this conversation, I speak with Brett Scott - an author, journalist, economic anthropologist and former financial broker.  Writing on everything from the cashless society, fintech and cryptocurrency, to monetary reform, economic activism, and the politics of tech, Brett’s work has been published in The Guardian, Business Insider, New Scientist, Huffington Post, Wired Magazine and CNN.com, and he regularly appears on TV shows, radio broadcasts and documentaries across the world. His latest book Cloudmoney: Cash, Cards, Crypto and the War for our Wallets (Penguin/HarperCollins, 2022) explores the battle between cash and digital money, and has been described by the Financial Times as a ‘compelling case against the contactless society’. His previous book, The Heretic’s Guide to Global Finance (Pluto Press, 2013), isß a hands-on guide to financial activism and alternative finance for people who wish to change the financial sector for the better. Brett also publishes a Substack newsletter called Altered States of Monetary Consciousness, the link for which I’ll provide in the shownotes. I first met Brett when I interviewed him on the course I curated with Advaya, Seeking Freedom In The Digital Age, and since our conversation so much has accelerated and evolved in the world of technology, finance and AI that I wanted to invite him onto the podcast to explore where we’re going, what the digitisation of finance could mean for us, and how we might reclaim our agency in the face of an increasingly cashless society. Recorded on 12th September 2023.  WEBSITEShttps://brettscott.substack.com/ https://alteredstatesof.money/ BOOKShttps://alteredstatesof.money/brett-scott-books/Cloudmoney: Cash, Cards, Crypto and the War for our Wallets The Heretic’s Guide to Global Finance 

In today’s conversation, I speak with Giulia Gentile, Lecturer in Law at Essex Law School, previously Fellow in Law at The London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE). Specialising in research on EU constitutional law, AI regulation and the use of AI in justice systems, Giulia holds a PhD and an LLM from King’s College London (KCL), and has received scholarships and grants to fund her research from the EU Commission, the Max Planck Institute of European Procedural Law and the Centre of European law at KCL. Having co-edited 3 books and authored more than 30 scientific publications, Giulia’s academic work has been cited, among others, by the UK Parliament, Advocates General at the CJEU, the Northern Ireland Human Rights Commission, the European Banking Authority and the Slovenian Constitutional Court. An Italian qualified lawyer who worked at the chambers of Judge Rossi at the CJEU and at the M&A Department of Clifford Chance Milan, Giulia has provided expert evidence to the UK Parliament on the UK system of fundamental rights protection and digital regulation, and to the EU Commission on the disabled people’s political rights and e-voting procedures. I first came across Giulia’s work through a fascinating, thought-provoking article she co-wrote with Giovanni De Gregorio, exploring the issues arising from the digitisation of justice, which I wrote about on LinkedIn. And since law is an area which affects all of our lives, I wanted to invite her here to speak with us about how AI may transform the ways in which we interact with (and are governed by) the law, and how we might ensure that these changes respect our rights and values, towards a more flourishing future for all. And a special shout-out to Stephanie Collinson, who introduced me to Giulia’s work, thank you so much! Recorded on 2nd August 2023. ARTICLESThe digitisation of justice risks blurring the lines between public and private actors - Giulia Gentile & Giovanni De GregorioLawGPT? How AI is Reshaping the Legal Profession - Giulia Gentile

Today on the podcast, I speak with Andrea Abad, founder of Terra Viva Ibiza - a project that seeks to create a sustainable and healthy agricultural production system, based on the principles of agroecology, syntropy and regenerative agriculture. Having started her career in marketing for large corporations such as Apple and Exxon Mobil, after six years in the countryside, an introspective awakening pushed Andrea to leave her profession and travel to Australia, where she lived in permaculture communities while learning how humanity can reintroduce itself to the cycles of nature. Deciding to move to Ibiza to deepen her knowledge of sustainable tourism, a sector where she had previously worked for five years, Andrea founded Terra Viva Ibiza with the objective of growing food without the use of synthetic chemicals, respecting the natural cycles and the biodiversity of the environment while providing health to the soil. A project which also provides an educational and social dimension, Terra Viva offers training and advice to farmers interested in adopting this model, as well as spaces for participation and meeting for the community. As well as regenerating a 20-hectare plot of land using the rational grazing system of chicken, rotational grazing of sheep and agroforestry principles, with the collaboration of Albert Tur Montells (Permaculture Association of the Pitiusas), they are also planting over 12,000 trees within a syntropic design. I first met Andrea in October 2021 on a regenerative agriculture crash course at La Junquera, a regenerative farm and village in Murcia, Southern Spain, and I was so excited and inspired by her story and the work she’s doing, that I had to invite her onto the podcast to share her experience with you. I hope you enjoy our conversation. Recorded on 12th July 2023.RESOURCEShttps://www.terravivaibiza.com/https://ibizalandregeneration.org/The Way Out Is In (podcast): https://plumvillage.org/podcasts/the-way-out-is-in