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The Purpose Pod

The Purpose Pod

Written by: Investing for Purpose / Richard Mullane
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About this listen

Welcome to the Purpose Pod!


More than ever, we need to learn about and adopt inspiring and constructive solutions to the multiple social and environmental challenges we are all facing.


With interviews revealing the professional and personal stories of impact experts and practitioners from Greece and across the world, we hope you'll find ideas, inspiration and perhaps a little respite to help you and your organisations along the way.


For any interview or topic requests/enquiries, please email richard@investing-for-purpose.com


Investing for Purpose is a community based in Greece connecting impact investors with purposeful companies in need of growth capital across Environment/Climate, Diversity Equity & Inclusion and Education & Culture: www.investing-for-purpose.com


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Investing for Purpose 2024 Economics Leadership Management & Leadership Personal Finance
Episodes
  • Sheila Darmos of Regenerative Farming Greece and Southern Lights on enabling the future of sustainable agriculture

    Sheila Darmos of Regenerative Farming Greece and Southern Lights on enabling the future of sustainable agriculture
    Sep 19 2025

    "Diversity gives you resilience. Monoculture and the current way of farming is not the only way"


    What is healthy soil and how can you help nurture it? What is the true definition of regenerative agriculture? And is it possible to grow different fruits from the same tree?!


    Take a walk around the incredibly biodiverse farm of Sheila Darmos, farmer and agri-food social entrepreneur. The farm acts as an experimental and showcase hub for regenerative practices in Greece, attracting people from across Europe looking to become leaders in the transition to sustainable and regenerative agriculture. In our discussion with Sheila, we covered topics such as:


    - How to build out a resilient alternative to monoculture in farming at a local and national level

    - The myriad benefits of an inclusive, holistic approach to pest control, through embracing diversity in farming

    - How to transition from monoculture to organic farming, and further transitioning to regenerative agriculture and agroforestry

    - How to build countrywide adaptability and resilience into farming communities

    - The ingredients of a healthy soil and how to nurture it

    - The commercial power of working diversely with nature; uncovering hidden forests; food recipes, swimming with frogs and more!


    "It is intrinsically part of human beings to steward the ecosystems that are essentially nurturing them"


    Regenerative Farming Greece

    The Southern Lights

    Bioregional Weaving Lab Laconia (Lo)


    European Alliance for Regenerative Agriculture (EARA)


    Cob.gr

    Liveloula

    Dr Christine Jones

    Elaine Ingham

    Reinventing Organisations by Frederic Laloux

    Theory U and other books by Otto Scharmer

    The Four Agreements


    Fava recipe...

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    59 mins
  • Peter Schwartzstein on his book 'The Heat and the Fury': On the front lines of climate violence

    Peter Schwartzstein on his book 'The Heat and the Fury': On the front lines of climate violence
    Jul 23 2025
    “Climate change is applying pressure to a society’s weakest fissures” Europe is by some distance the world’s fastest warming continent and the Mediterranean is one of the fastest warming seas. In this half an hour chat, author and environmental journalist Peter Schwartzstein describes the lessons learned from his many years of research on the front lines of climate conflict including Africa, the Middle East and South Asia, detailed in his new book, The Heat and the Fury, and explains why Europe is already on the front lines of climate conflict, including:- Why first person, often dangerous, reporting is the only way to prove climate change's contribution to violence- Why "Water is the messenger by which climate change comes to your doorstep"- How changing tuna migration patterns in the mediterranean are creating conditions for flashpoints between Greek and Turkish fishermen and their coastguards- The role of social enterprises in mitigating climate related hostilities between communities- Why the defence industry climate national security considerations narrative may in fact be the best way to apply positive pressure to rowing back on the tearing up of climate related policies and commitments- The connections between increasing heat and violence against women- How climate related drought has led to high olive oil prices which in turn has led to a spike in agricultural crime in Greece and the region- How hard line populist parties are benefitting from the lack of clear messaging surrounding climate change- Reading history as a coping mechanism to dealing with current crises, careers advice for young writers - and more!Peter Schwartzstein The Heat and the Fury UK BooksellerThe Heat and the Fury US BooksellerPeter Frankopan - The Earth TransformedAkshat Rathi - Climate CapitalismHannah Ritchie - Not the End of the worldUS Department of Defence: 2018 U.S. Department of Defence ReportSocial Value InternationalHellenic Impact Investing Network (HIIN)UN Sustainable Development GoalsImpact EuropeImpact FrontiersGlobal Impact Investing Network Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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    31 mins
  • Bonnie Chiu of The Social Investment Consultancy on assuring positive social change

    Bonnie Chiu of The Social Investment Consultancy on assuring positive social change
    Jun 15 2025

    "Globally, just 1-2% of financial assets are managed by women or people of colour"


    In a climate in which the business value of DEI is increasingly undermined, this wide-ranging discussion with Bonnie Chiu, MD of The Social Investment Consultancy, sets the record straight on how the inclusivity debate should be re-connected to innovation and finding the best talent, how she is helping to shape the new SDG Standards assurance framework for private equity funds to combat SDG washing, and:


    - The power of grandparents

    - How to support social enterprises and funds to better understand and scale their impact

    - How to tackle the shocking stat that only 1-2% of financial assets globally are managed by people of colour and/or women

    - How it feels to experience DEI discrimination

    - How to use your individual lived experience to catalyse systems change

    - How to unlock the commercial value in NGOs and Charities to help them transition into self sustaining social enterprises to thrive and scale their impact

    - Why mindsets are the key to success within founding teams

    - The beauty of London life, tips for parents with young children, inspiring books and podcasts, and more!


    "It doesn't matter if you have the best business idea or business plan. It comes down to mindset of people"


    The Social Investment Consultancy


    Social Value International SDG Impact Standards Assurance latest


    UN Sustainable Development Goals


    Lensational


    The Parable of the Sower by Octavia Butler


    Poetry Unbound Podcast


    Expats (Amazon prime)


    Investing for Purpose





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    37 mins
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