In Conversation with Nathalie Nahai

In this conversation, I speak with Mark Gallagher - author, conference speaker and Managing Director of Performance Insights, an organisation that provides corporate clients with deep-dive insights and executive coaching from the world of Formula One. His book, "The Business of Winning: Insights in Transformation from F1 to the Boardroom", is a compelling insider's account of nearly 40 years in the Formula One industry, in which he explores what it takes to succeed in a competitive business with high technology, high finance and immensely high stakes. Having joined the world of Formula One back in 1983, Mark’s career includes more than a decade on the management board of the highly successful, race winning Jordan Grand Prix team, running the world famous Cosworth engine business, and establishing the commercial arm of Red Bull Racing which went on to become 4-times World Champions. During his career he has worked with many of the sport’s leading drivers, including former World Champions Ayrton Senna, Michael Schumacher and Jenson Button. Today he works closely with a number of the sport’s major stars including David Coulthard, Mika Hakkinen and Jacques Villeneuve. Mark may not seem like the most obvious guest to have on the show, but what has consistently struck me in our various conversations together, is the power and potential that his industry holds, in helping us to innovate, collaborate and imagine our way out of some of the most pressing issues of our time - most crucially, how we can unhook ourselves from reliance on fossil fuels, and decarbonise our energy industries. Recorded on 18th May 2022.

Today I have the pleasure of speaking with Yanniek Schoonhoven, a regenerative farmer, co-founder of the Regeneration Academy, coordinator of the Re-Generation Festival, and trainer for the regenerative agriculture research program in Murcia, Southern Spain. Holding a master degree in Environmental Sciences, Yanniek has worked with farmers throughout Southern Spain for several years as part of Commonland and AlVelAl, two projects that aim to initiate, catalyse and enable large-scale and long-term restoration initiatives. With a shared mission to transform degraded landscapes into thriving ecosystems and communities, these projects take a practical, holistic approach to developing viable solutions based on social and ecological needs, science and entrepreneurship. The folks at Commonland have been working tirelessly since 2013 to build a universal proof of concept that brings farmers, landowners, entrepreneurs, communities, nature organisations and legislators together to create real returns on investment per hectare. Called 4 Returns, this framework is capable of initiating, organising and following through on large-scale and long-term restoration initiatives that integrate ecology, land use and business - a framework we’ll be exploring in greater depth a bit later. I’m really delighted to be having this particular conversation today, not least because I’ve seen the work they’re doing on the farm, and experienced their passion, determination and open-heartedness first-hand. I’m also excited to be sharing this with you, because it offers a practical example of the transformation we can achieve, at a large scale, when we’re able to envision a different, more regenerative path forward, and work collaboratively with others to make it happen. Recorded on 5th May 2022.

Today I have the pleasure of speaking with Octavia Raheem, beloved author, mother, activist, yoga teacher and practitioner, whose books - Gather, and Pause, Rest, Be: Stillness Practices for Courage in Times of Change - offer revolutionarily gentle, powerful ideas and practices to restore the body, mind and spirit.  Having received national attention for her work training yoga teachers and diversifying the yoga and wellness industry, Octavia’s work as a yoga professional focuses on practical tools to teach individuals how to manage stress, anxiety, and fatigue through yoga and meditation in a way that is accessible to all levels and abilities, and restorative to the nervous system. Her work has been featured in Yoga Journal, Mantra magazine, Well + Good, CNN, WXIA, and Atlanta Magazine, and she is one of the most vibrant and inspiring voices I have come across in the re-imagining of what it means to reclaim our rest. If you’re searching for a way to come home to yourself, or to transform ethnic or race-based stress and trauma, Octavia’s teachings offer a path towards refuge, and her voice is a powerful guide to surviving, healing and thriving in difficult times. Recorded on 15th April 2022.

In this conversation, I speak with Indra Adnan - an author, psycho-social therapist and political entrepreneur, and a global consultant on soft power. The Founder and Co-initiator (together with Pat Kane) of “The Alternative UK political platform”, Indra has been writing, consulting, network-building and event-organising on the themes of future politics, conflict transformation, the role of the arts and integral thinking, for the past 20 years. The Co-Lead in Bounce Beyond, a social enterprise network doing transformative work to cohere and connect the next global economies, Indra is also the author of the fascinating book, The Politics of Waking Up: Power & Possibility In The Fractal Age. She has consulted to the World Economic Forum, NATO and a variety of governments, and she runs community collaboratories around the UK, building Citizen Action Networks (CANs) to reconnect people to cosmo-local eco-systems of solutions that are available. Central to her vision of an Alternative politics is the interdependency of the complex individual, the community and the planet: I, We, World - which is just one of the many themes we’ll be exploring in our conversation today. Recorded on 13th April 2022.

Today I speak with Dr. Ruth Gotian - author of the recently published book, The Success Factor, a fascinating read that explores how we might understand and learn from the mindset and skill set of peak performers, from Nobel Prize winners and astronauts to Olympic champions and political change-makers. The Chief Learning Officer and Assistant Professor of Education in Anesthesiology, and former Assistant Dean of Mentoring and Executive Director of the Mentoring Academy at Weill Cornell Medicine, Ruth has made her name in management thinking and was hailed by the journal Nature and Columbia University as an expert in mentorship and leadership development. Selected as one of 30 people worldwide to be named to the Thinkers50 Radar List in 2021, Ruth was also a semi-finalist for the Forbes 50 Over 50 list, and recently won the Thinkers50 Distinguished Achievement, Radar Award given to a “thinker with the potential to change the world of theory and practice”. A regular contributor to Forbes, Psychology Today and Harvard Business Review, Ruth’s work has been widely published in academic journals, and her take on what pro-social success can look like in a rapidly changing world is what drew me to speak with her on the show today. Recorded 9th February 2022.

In this conversation, I speak with the brilliant Rob Hopkins - cofounder of the Transition Network and Transition Town Totnes, and author of several wonderful books: From What Is to What If? (one of my personal favourites), The Power of Just Doing Stuff, The Transition Handbook, and The Transition Companion. Voted one of the Independent's top 100 environmentalists in 2012, and named among Nesta and the Observer's list of Britain's 50 New Radicals, Rob has appeared on BBC Radio 4's Four Thought and A Good Read, and was featured in the French film phenomenon Demain and its sequel Après Demain. An Ashoka Fellow, Rob has spoken at TEDGlobal and three TEDx events, and holds a doctorate degree from the University of Plymouth and two honorary doctorates from the University of the West of England and the University of Namur. A keen gardener, Rob is a founder of New Lion Brewery in Totnes, and a director of Totnes Community Development Society, the group behind Atmos Totnes, an ambitious, community-led development project. He’s also an artist whose beautiful lino prints you can check out at robhopkins.net, and his podcast, From What If to What Next is really worth a listen if you’re looking for inspiration as to how we can unleash our collective imaginations to create a more resilient world. Recorded on 28th January 2022.

In today’s conversation, I have the treat of speaking with Anthea Lawson - a campaigner and writer, whose powerful book, The Entangled Activist is essential reading for anyone interested in how we might change the world in a more meaningful, integrative way. Having trained and worked as a reporter at The Times, and studied history at Cambridge, her work as an activist has seen Anthea campaign to shut down tax havens, control the arms trade and prevent banks from facilitating corruption and environmental devastation. While working at Global Witness, a human rights and environmental organisation, Anthea also launched a campaign that succeeded in changing the rules on secret company ownership, resulting in new laws being passed in dozens of countries around the world. She’s a rare gem whose rich experience, brilliant mind and grounded presence make for an inspiring and refreshing guide to the hardest challenges we face. I came across Anthea’s work through the renegade economist, Della Duncan, to whom I am grateful for the introduction - and I have to say that while I don’t consider myself an activist per se, this book is one of the most deeply affecting, empowering and illuminating that I have read in a long while. From mapping out the self-righteous, saviour-complex dynamics that arise from our unmet needs, to challenging the extractivist, power-over patterns inherited from our colonial pasts, The Entangled Activist reveals how we can end up re-creating the very problems we seek to fix - and how we might rise to the challenge differently. Recorded on 9th February 2022.

In this first episode of the new season, I have the pleasure of speaking with Indy Johar, the founding Director of 00 and Dark Matter Labs. An architect by training, Indy is a Senior Innovation Associate with the Young Foundation and a visiting Professor at the University of Sheffield. Having co-founded the Impact Hub Birmingham and Open Systems Lab, he was a member of the RSA’s Inclusive Growth Commission and is one of the leading voices in the world of system change, the future of urban infrastructure finance, outcome-based investment, and the future of governance. Whether you’re interested in how our societies might transition and respond to climate breakdown, or you’re curious about understanding the interconnected ways in which we could foster systemic change, this conversation offers an exploration of both past and present, and what steps we might take to create a more democratic, distributed and sustainable future. Recorded on 3rd March 2022.

Tara Lemméy does invention – really big invention. From US National Security to large scale entertainment systems. From drones and autonomous technologies to internet protocols. Ask her what she’s working on and it’s probably a secret. She partners with some of the most innovative CEOs and companies in the world. What’s not a secret, is that you can find her at LENS Ventures making startups, patenting technologies and telling very funny stories. Recorded on 4th February 2021.

In this episode, I speak with Yessi Bello-Perez, a technology and business journalist, editor and copywriter, whose work sits at the intersection of tech, healthcare, business, culture, arts, politics, and economics. The editor of UNLEASH, a customer-first digital media platform, built to inspire, connect and enable HR leaders worldwide, Yessi is also the co-host of Rising Startup Ecosystems, a podcast for fDi Intelligence, the Financial Times’ specialist service. Passionate about people, stories, and innovation, Yessi has years of experience in the B2B and B2C sectors, and a deep knowledge of the European tech ecosystem and its key players. She has been featured in Computer Weekly’s ‘Most Influential Women in UK Tech’ longlist for two consecutive years (2018 and 2019) and shortlisted for “Tech Reporter of the Year” at the ITA Awards. Recorded on 12th February 2021.