People Inspired By Purpose - Purposely Podcast

Amy Carter joins Purposely Podcast to share her founder story launching The Christchurch Foundation. Amy understands what it’s like to lead in a time of crisis. Amy shares the issues she dealt with and the emotions she experienced along the way. However, moments of doubt, sleepless nights did not knock her enthusiasm, she maintained her focus and sense of purpose to see her through the tough times. In 2011, Amy was a business owner when disaster struck.  The Christchurch earthquake killed 185 people and permanently changed the physical and social landscape of the city she lived in. It affected her view on philanthropy and shaped her focus on what the city needed. This eventually led her to set up the Christchurch Foundation in 2017. The foundation went on to play an instrumental role in raising $13 million to respond to the 2019 terrorist attack on two Mosques that killed 51 people. The worst terrorist atrocity ever in New Zealand and with hundreds of lives changed forever The Christchurch Foundation was under immense pressure to get it right. To facilitate the right kind of response that was ‘led by the victim’s needs’ and helping people both in the immediate aftermath and to this day and beyond.  Amy has also been at the centre of a media storm that criticised her salary and took issue with elements of the charity and how it has operated. Criticism that Amy points as unfair and based on a lack of understanding of the community foundation model and the role they play in facilitating and encouraging place-based giving. One of the most respected philanthropy leaders in New Zealand, Amy is bold in her approach, and is not afraid to disrupt the status quo and tread her own path. Her new focus is to tap into the generosity of Cantabrians (a term used to describe people from the Canterbury region of NZ) living abroad with the launch of a UK based entity. This move was about building on their core focus to make it easier for people to give to the causes within Christchurch that they care about whether they live locally or not. They are a donor-led organisation rather than cause-led. That means that they act on behalf of the generous person or business who wants to give, matching them to causes that share their ethics, values, and desired outcomes. They are one of 17 community foundations in New Zealand with a total endowment of over $200 million focused on doing good both today and in the future. Amy’s career has seen her working or volunteering for some of New Zealand's iconic charitable organisations including Surf Life Saving New Zealand, Swimming New Zealand, Banks Peninsula Conservation Trust, and St John. She has always been heavily involved in the Canterbury community and has sat on boards at University of Canterbury Students Association, The Canterbury Employers Chamber of Commerce and Sumner Lifeboat.

Kathleen Owsley joins Purposely to share her story starting the Bosch Community Fund. The fund has donated over $37 million since inception in 2011 and it is the corporate foundation for Bosch in North America. Kathleen was inspired by her sister whose life was tragically cut short at the age of 41. This experience made her determined to live her life to the full and get the most out of it ‘I felt like I was living my life for both of us’. Kathleen also talks about her Irish heritage influencing her desire to help others and want to make a positive impact to people’s lives, ‘one of our (cultural) attributes is to want to feed people, support people and be generous’ In the 90’s Kathleen spent time in France and Ireland and rather dramatically she cashed in her 401K (pension) and went backpacking around Ireland. Kathleen also studied Irish history in Northern Ireland. It was at the end of this period of study that she ended up temping at Bosch not realising at the time that she was go on to lead their foundation in North America. A return to the United States and a random lunch led to Kathleen to the opportunity to launch the Bosch Community Fund as their founding Director.  We go into the start up phase of the fund and how those early decisions about structure, giving themes, approach to giving has led to its success and enduring effectiveness. The Fund is a grant maker and focuses on the enrichment of science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) education and advancing environmental sustainability initiatives. They partner with charitable organisations and educational institutions across the US to provide quality project-based learning hands-on learning opportunities for students and professional development for teachers. https://www.bosch.us/our-company/social-responsibility/

Hendrikus van Hensbergen joins Purposely to share his founder story and his passion for insipring  young people to protect the planet. In 2012, Hendrikus was working for the largest wildlife agency in the world, WWF, when he took two of his colleagues to his old secondary school to talk about their work. They really enjoyed the experience and caught a glimmer of what might be possible if more young people were inspired to fight for the planet. They decided to recruit their friends working in conservation to do the same, visit schools, talk about what they do and encourage involvement in local groups. There was a steady decline in UK wildlife, a conservation movement that felt stale and a lack of diversity in the sector, something had to change. Action for Conservation was born in 2016 with a vision that every young person in the UK is moved and empowered to protect the natural world. The organisation has grown into an influential, national environmental charity that inspires and empowers young people. In 2019 it built on this reputation by launching the world’s largest youth-led nature restoration initiative in the Brecon Beacons National Park in the United Kingdom. “We want to inspire today's young people to a long-term belief in the wonder of the natural world, that shapes their dreams and actions, however their life turns out. Our Mission is to bring the magic of nature into young people's lives, inspiring a youth movement committed to conservation and to the earth.”o conservation and to the earth. Hendrikus grew up in Southwest England and Central Spain, where he developed a love of nature and the outdoors. He is an author having been approached by Penguin Books in 2019 to write a book for young people about climate action. ‘How You Can Save The Planet’ was published in 2021 and is packed with step by step actions for young activists plus simple explanations, practical tips and stories from children across the world. Described as the ideal guide for young people who are worried about climate change and want to help. Sir Tim Smit, a past guest of Purposely and Founder of The Eden Project said that 'Every young person in the country should be given this book'. He has a BSc in Zoology from the University of Bristol, where he was awarded the Rose Bracher Memorial Prize for the highest First-Class Honours, and an MSc in Biodiversity, Conservation & Management from the University of Oxford. He has hands-on practical experience in conservation in both the UK and in Chile and has worked on global forest conservation initiatives at WWF-UK, as their Forest Policy Manager.

Matt Siegel joins Purposely to share his incredible career story, from war correspondent to documentary maker and sustainable business owner. Born in America, Matt grew up on the East Coast in New York City and studied History at University in Portland, Oregon. He now lives ‘off grid’ in the Southern Hemisphere with his Australian wife and two children, in a remote part of the Northern Beaches. Passionate about sustainability and protecting the environment, Matt founded Green Thumb Media in 2020. It combines his skills as a journalist and film maker, with his passion for a better world, he describes it as ‘a boutique commercial film and video production company, focused on ethical and sustainable brands, and not for profits’.  Talking with Matt, it is clear that Green Thumb has a dual focus - making a profit and delivering purpose to do their bit for a better world. They shine a light on social and environmental issues as well as working with people that share the same ethos and values. Prior to launching Green Thumb, Matt spent four years working for Australian politician, the Greens Leader Senator Richard Di Natale’s, as his media adviser. It was this work that helped open his eyes to the idea of creating a business that would work exclusively with those on the same mission. Matt’s not your typical American, not only has he spent decades living abroad he also speaks fluent Russian and has an in-depth understanding of the old Eastern-Bloc’s politics and culture. A former journalist with the New York Times he describes the changes that have happened in journalism, from the in depth reporting and storytelling to a more superficial journalism focused on grabbing attention and entertaining. Matt’s passion is to help others and to ensure a better environment for future generations, he wants to play his part in ‘sustainable solutions to the climate crisis, so that little people everywhere have a brighter and cleaner future’.

Gauri Manglik joins Purposely to share her founder story starting Instrumentl.  Every year Americans give over $400 million through philanthropy, in 2020 that amount rose to $470 million, largely because of the pandemic and the increased need. This is a  phenomenal amount of money that is crucial to the wellbeing of millions around the world. Gauri Manglik is someone focused on improving this industry and its effectiveness to ensure greater impact. In 2014 Gauri and her co founder Angela Braren launched Instrumentl, a web based software solution to help smooth the transfer of funds between institutions and the causes they want to support. It's like a matching service for institutional donors and nonprofits focused on making a positive difference to society and the environment. Instrumentl is a member of the highly regarded Y- Combinator start-up, winning funding and support soon after launch. It was built to help fundraisers make the best use of their valuable time and energy and their aim was to make the grant process faster, easier, and more efficient. Gauri and her team are headquartered in San Francisco, although their software is used in every US state and country around the world. 'We think it's time for the lack of available funding to stop getting in the way. Our mission is to help you move the world forward, one project at a time' Gauri was also the founder of Fondu, a review site started in New York in 2010 using location data software, Gauri sold it to AirBNB going to work for the accommodation booking platform as a mobile product expert until she left to start Instrumentl. Prior to that Gauri was a developer for Blackrock, joining the investment firm in 2009. Gauri was born in Raipur, India, before moving in her early years to Palos Verdes, Calif., and then Briarcliff Manor, New York She comes from (and still practices) the Hindu faith, and hails from a family of doctors, business people and politicians. Key links related to this episode: The Ultimate Grant Writing Resources Collection Upcoming live, free grant writing classes 14-day free trial at www.instrumentl.com, use PURPOSELYPOD50 for $50 off your annual or monthly subscription

Jamie Newth joins Purposely to share his founder story and why he started Soul Capital. An academic and entrepreneur, Jamie is one of the key exponents of impact investing in New Zealand. Jamie risked it all by remortgaging his house to seed fund his venture. This bold approach enabled him to have an active stake in the company and ensured confidence from his early stage investors, showing that he was 'all in’. So what is impact investing? It's different to Philanthropy, where donors give money to support good causes with no expectation of receiving a financial return. Impact investing is when investors combine an expectation of financial returns alongside delivering positive social or environmental impact. In New Zealand impact investing is a relatively new phenomenon with a small market place, however there are an increasing number of interesting opportunities. Soul Capital was established in 2014 and fully deployed its first fund in 2021, the company aims to get capital to entrepreneurs and enterprises who are tackling social and environmental problems as quickly as possible. Their first fund, called Awhi (which translates as embrace in Maori) has focused on getting growth capital to early stage impact enterprises. Investments have been made in six start-ups focused on; sign language through artificial intelligence; impact measurement tools; sustainable packaging; agri-tec; fintech for good and food delivery. Jamie leads the Soul Capital team drawing on his expertise from a career consulting in entrepreneurship, strategy and growth. Jamie is unique in his experience as both a practitioner working across private, non-profit, and social enterprise sectors while teaching at the University of Auckland Business School. He holds a PhD in social entrepreneurship. He sits on the boards of Social Enterprise Auckland, New Zealand’s only representative body for social enterprise, and on the Board of Connect Supporting Recovery, a large community mental health service provider. Previously Jamie has provided advisory and consulting services for a range of organisations across the SME, NGO, corporate, and social innovation sectors.

Julia Capon joins Purposely to share her founder story starting Do Good Jobs. Julia established Do Good Jobs in 2012, initially as a side hustle, and then later with more intent to commercialise the site. Do Good Jobs is a popular online job board connecting people with job opportunities that create social and environmental change. You will hear how Julia is a serial social entrepreneur that is focused on building businesses that balance purpose and impact alongside profit. Businesses she has co-founded include a social enterprise, Eco Geek Co a low-carbon solutions provider, focused on sustainability and action. Recently a company called Thundergrid, an EV charging infrastructure company which has seen significant growth over the past three years - from startup to a rapidly scaling electromobility partner for government and corporates. Sustainability is a passion of Julia’s and she is driven to do what she can to help solve the climate crisis Julia also helps other purpose-led people to thrive with the beliefs that this will help improve society and the environment. Delivering training, courses and coaching to support the professional development of purpose-led people. Her courses focus on: mindset, vision/strategy and systems. You will hear how Julia came close to burnout when she was balancing starting Do Good Jobs and the pressures of a day job. This led Julia to a period of reflection and the development of strategies and tools that helped her to be more productive at the same time protecting and enhancing her mental health. ‘Sharing my knowledge as a systems and efficiency geek to help reduce burnout, ease workloads and create more time for the for-purpose sector to focus on the key activities that make real change.’ www.dogoodjobs.co.nz www.workshops.dogoodjobs.co.nz

Michael Stevens joins Purposely to share his founder story developing and launching the Rainbow Tick. Michael’s mission was to support the rainbow community in a tangible way, helping the community to gain acceptance and inclusion in the workplace and he had seen similar initiatives abroad. ‘It was about positively impacting people’s mental health and about accepting and valuing people in the workplace, embracing the diversity of sexual and gender identities.’ The first programme of its kind in New Zealand, organisations undertake an accreditation process carried out by an independent assessor receiving the Rainbow Tick a visible sign that business embraces all genders and sexual identities. As a gay man, Michael knew from personal experience how important this initiative would be for future generations. Michael initially struggled to accept his own sexual identity and had to deal with a school culture that wasn’t fully inclusive or accepting. In 1988 Michael was diagnosed as HIV+, he was 27 years old and living in Istanbul, Turkey. The following years were filled with anger, sadness, sickness and acceptance, as he believed he had only a few years to live. That was nearly 30 years ago. Now, he’s in his 60’s. ‘I spent so long thinking about and planning my own death during those years, although it didn’t happen’ In 1988, the HIV/Aids epidemic was sweeping the world. many of his gay friends began to talk about it, and when his flatmate in Istanbul tested positive he decided he should get tested too. Michael travelled to London to receive his test. The doctor at the clinic told him he had HIV, and advised him to go home to New Zealand and prepare to die within the next two years. ‘I felt absolutely devastated and I went into a deep depression, but I decided I wasn’t ready to go home, so I returned to Istanbul.’ ‘When I told my family, they were upset for me of course, but fully supportive. I know a lot of people were cut off, but luckily for me this wasn’t the case.’ In the next few years, Michael said he didn’t feel too bad, but in 1993, he received the news one of his closest friends who was diagnosed around the same time as him, had died. ‘I figured if he'd now died from it, I probably didn’t have much time left. So I decided to go home for his funeral and prepare for my own.” The next year, Stevens became sick. He contracted tuberculosis and Pneumocystis pneumonia, a type of pneumonia often associated with a weakened immune system caused by HIV. He lost a large amount of weight in a short span of time and was constantly tired. He could no longer walk up the stairs at work without getting out of breath. It was at this stage he was told his HIV had progressed to its final stage, known as AIDS (Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome). Michael was in his thirties at this point. Michael was admitted to the ‘AIDS ward’ of Auckland Hospital but later released to Herne Bay House, a residential centre and hospice dedicated to caring for people diagnosed with HIV. Michael believed this is where he was going die. “I had been very angry and bitter about the situation up until this point. My attitude almost got me thrown out of the hospice, but eventually, I came more to terms with it and began to plan my death” Today he describes how the stigma has really decreased around having HIV, it has become much less pronounced as many people have a better understanding of it. “A lot of it was just fear really, people were afraid, and they didn’t understand why it was happening” “If you think of the friends you make in your late teens and early 20s, they’re often the friends that are with you for life. “Nearly all of my gay friends had HIV, and so many died. So many gay men from my youth are not here to turn 60 with me” Michael currently works as a relationship manager for Be.Lab a New Zealand based organisation which helps businesses and organisations to be more accessible. Prior to this he has was part of the AKL Uni Sociology Department.

Elina Ashimbayeva joins Purposely to share her founder experience starting Storyo. Storyo is loosely based on the ‘Humans of New York’ a famous photo blog shining a light on the people of New York, people of all genders, race and class. Storyo’s mission is to contribute to a culture shift that improves societal attitudes, behaviours and narratives. The inspiration came after she was scrolling online and was tired of the same “success” stories. Elina and her partner Steven wanted to share the journeys of their amazing friends. They wanted to celebrate people who are social workers, local artists, local politicians, sex workers and teachers. They also wanted to celebrate gender diversity because these narratives are so rarely shared in the media. They did their first interview for Storyo in June 2019 and have been hooked developing it ever since. Elina’s driven by the privilege she feels from moving to New Zealand from Kazakhstan and getting a great education. Her mission “to live a life that is useful to others,” guided her through all her different roles and study. Drawn to help people in the health sector Elina studied biomedical sciences and became a research assistant working in the immunology field. It was through this job, she realised she wanted to work more closely with people, and directly see the outcomes of her work. She utilised the short breaks between lab experiments and started listening to podcasts. She was fascinated by business gurus who showed her there are all sorts of ways of helping people outside of science.

Dr. Carol Homden CBE joins Purposely to share her leadership story. Carol is a renowned professional and volunteer charity leader, guiding some of the UK’s largest, and most respected nonprofits. Professionally she is the CEO of Coram and voluntarily she is the Chair of The National Autistic Society and Diabetes UK. Carol is a self confessed workaholic, driven by purpose to help children to live healthy, and happy lives. Her purpose is motivated by her upbringing as well as her experience as a parent. Carol's eldest child has severe autism and both Carol and her husband have first hand experience of the challenges this brings.  Carol started her career setting up print media enterprises in East Anglia before moving to London as a freelance arts journalist and editor. She then became director of marketing and development at the University of Westminster, later moving to the British Museum in 1999 as its first director of marketing and public affairs. Carol became the commercial director of The Prince's Trust for four years, working on incredible projects such as Party in the Park and Fashion Rocks. She then became CEO of Coram in 2007,  revitalising the charity and aligning it to meet the needs of disadvantaged children, young people and their families. Established by Thomas Coram as The Foundling Hospital in 1739, Coram is the UK's oldest children's charity and has been supporting vulnerable children for 280 years. Leaving The Prince’s Trust for Coram, Carol wanted to be the boss, to be CEO, and knew the importance of helping children early in their lives, "It is crucial for a child's wellbeing and development that attachments are formed as soon as possible." Carol sheds light on the charitable work of Coram in supporting the rights, welfare and education of children throughout its 280 year history.   Carol’s super power is her ability to combine commercial acumen and skills with social empathy and knowledge for the greater good. You will hear how she transformed the fortunes of Coram, The Prince’s Trust and The British Museum ensuring they could deliver on their charitable missions on a much larger scale. Carol was awarded a CBE in 2013 for her contribution to services for children and families.