TL:DR If you're short on time, here are seven minutes of soundbites from Omar Friella - the Bronx-based social entrepreneur, movement builder, and founder of Collective Diaspora, the growing global community of Black cooperatives & Black-led cooperative support organizations. If you do have the time, on a run, cycle, or drive, check out the full episode, it is evident that with desire, belief, and action, we all have the power of self-determination.If you enjoy the show please share, follow us, like us on your podcast player, and subscribe on YouTube, as it helps us grow our audience. Thanks to Marianna Koval for the connectionABOUT OMAR Omar Freilla is co-founder and steering committee member of Collective Diaspora, a global community of Black cooperatives & Black-led cooperative support organizations. Omar is a serial trailblazer, social entrepreneur, and movement builder dedicated to community self-determination and regenerative economies.Drawing from his experiences growing up in the South Bronx and witnessing struggles for community empowerment, he has dedicated himself to creating just and regenerative economic systems. Omar's time with the NYC Environmental Justice Alliance and Sustainable South Bronx inspired him to utilize cooperatives as a vehicle for transformative economic development.He established Green Worker Cooperatives and launched the first worker cooperative business accelerator in the United States, pioneering innovative approaches to cooperative development. Omar co-founded several local and national cooperative support organizations, including the U.S. Federation of Worker Cooperatives, the Democracy At Work Institute, and the NYC Network of Worker Cooperatives. Omar is also an adjunct lecturer at the City College of New York, serves on the City of New York's Environmental Justice Advisory Board, and is a member of New York State's Just Transition Working Group.This interview opened my eyes to the potential of new worker-led economic models for historically marginalized and economically exploited communities. It also made me re-evaluate the privileges I’ve experienced. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Omar Freilla is co-founder and steering committee member of Collective Diaspora, a global community of Black cooperatives & Black-led cooperative support organizations. Omar is a serial trailblazer, social entrepreneur, and movement builder dedicated to community self-determination and regenerative economies.Drawing from his experiences growing up in the South Bronx and witnessing struggles for community empowerment, he has dedicated himself to creating just and regenerative economic systems.This interview opened my eyes to the potential of new worker-led economic models for historically marginalized and economically exploited communities. It also made me re-evaluate the privileges I’ve experienced.What We DiscussWhat we discuss 00:00 Intro 02:50 Who is Omar?03:50 Who or what made him? 06:50 The impact of Neoliberalism on marginalized Communities 08:50 A defining memory that affected his life direction 17:50 Nature or nurture impact on his development 21:30 Early activism against apartheid25:20 Early ambitions 27:30 Becoming environmentally conscious 30:50 Activism triggered by the Rodney King beating 34:35 Seeking out new economic alternatives in Cooperatives40:50 The lack of Venture funding for cooperatives43:40 Creating new Benchmarks for Return on Investment45:10 What Omar is working to achieve with Collective Diaspora49:45 Forming a Cooperative Business 54:00 Becoming a Fellow of Echoing Green 1:00:30 Imperative for Black and Latin Cooperatives  1:07:54 Omar’s ambitions for 2030 1:10:00 Raising funding 1:16:00 How to become part of the Collective Diaspora 1:18:00 Remaining resolute 1:19:45 Omar’s gifts 1:20:40 What he’s complimented for1:22:00 Omar’s advice for anyone wanting to support Social Links Linkedin Twitter Collective DiasporaLinks The Bronx Black Panther partyYoung Lords Green Worker CooperativesU.S. Federation of Worker Cooperatives,Marcus Garvey Malcolm X Seed Commons  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

TL:DR If you're short on time and want to be inspired and uplifted, here are seven minutes of soundbites from Camerados founder Maff Potts.  If you do have the time on a run, cycle, or drive, check out the full episode. It refreshingly goodIf you enjoy the show, please share, follow us, like us on your podcast player, and subscribe on YouTube, as it helps us grow our audience.About MaffMaff Potts, is the pioneering force behind Camerados, an ever-expanding global social movement centered around one simple yet powerful concept: Public Living Rooms. Designed to foster a sense of togetherness within our communities, these spaces provide a welcoming environment where people can come together, share a cup of tea or coffee, engage in conversation, and experience the transformative power of human connection - all without any expectations or agenda.Before launching Camerados, Maff served as CEO for various charities, witnessing firsthand how traditional approaches to tackling social issues like homelessness, domestic abuse, and social isolation often fell short by merely addressing the symptoms rather than the root causes. This revelation led him to the realization that the two fundamental needs every individual requires are "friends and purpose."By stepping outside conventional frameworks, Maff has harnessed the potential of Public Living Rooms to alleviate the symptoms of numerous social issues and address their underlying causes. As a genuine difference maker, Maff has successfully established over 170 Public Living Rooms across five countries.If you're feeling disheartened by the current state of our societies and the erosion of social connection in the wake of the pandemic, this episode will inspire and uplift you. To join Maff's mission, become a Camerados, and create your own local Public Living Room, simply follow the link in the show notes What we discuss 00:00 Intro 00:27 Discovering what matters in life?02:02 Issue with existing Charity models03:49 Ingredients for a happy life 05:17 Reality of life05:50 Taxes, Death and Trouble06:26 Why Maslow's Hierarchy is wrong?07:17 How the Public Living Rooms Work Social LinksCameradosMaff on Linkedin Youtube Instagram Links Oscar Peterson Noah and The LonersWinners Take All book Citizens Jon Alexander Cooperation Town London   Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week's guest, Maff Potts, is the pioneering force behind Camerados, an ever-expanding global social movement centered around one simple yet powerful concept: Public Living Rooms. Designed to foster a sense of togetherness within our communities, these spaces provide a welcoming environment where people can come together, share a cup of tea or coffee, engage in conversation, and experience the transformative power of human connection - all without any expectations or agenda.Before launching Camerados, Maff served as CEO for various charities, witnessing firsthand how traditional approaches to tackling social issues like homelessness, domestic abuse, and social isolation often fell short by merely addressing the symptoms rather than the root causes. This revelation led him to the realization that the two fundamental needs every individual requires are "friends and purpose."By stepping outside conventional frameworks, Maff has harnessed the potential of Public Living Rooms to not only alleviate the symptoms of numerous social issues but also to address their underlying causes. As a genuine difference maker, Maff has successfully established over 170 Public Living Rooms across five countries.If you're feeling disheartened by the current state of our societies and the erosion of social connection in the wake of the pandemic, this episode will inspire and uplift you. To join Maff's mission, become a Camerados, and create your own local Public Living Room, follow the link in the show notes.Now, let's hear from Maff Potts himself.What we discuss 00:00 Intro 03:00 Who is Maff Potts?04:10 What made Maff?06:15 The values instilled in him 09:41 His love of Jazz and music13:30 Seven days that changes his life18:00 What he is working to achieve?22:00 His experiences in running homeless charities25:20 The problem with the charity model30:45 The emergence of Camerados as an idea 36:10 Witnessing death caused by isolation38:30 The value and Impact of Camerados42:50 Mutal Aid as a model 46:00 Maff explains the Public Living Room concept and principles50:00 How it works in practice51:50 My Camerados commitment53:00 Taking Camerados on the road in the UK 57:00 The origins of the name 58:20 Where Maff want to be by 203059:30 Can brands play a role?01:02:00 The actions people can take 01:05:00 Dealing with doubt01:07:25 On failure and emergence01:10:00 His talents Social Linkshttps://camerados.org Cameradoshttps://www.linkedin.com/in/maff-potts-4044b915/ Maff on Linkedin https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCGit00ofSez5BndPru0Z5gA YouTube https://www.instagram.com/camerados_org/?hl=en Instagram Linkshttps://oscarpeterson.com/ Oscar Petersonhttps://www.youtube.com/channel/UC2ZuvkS_sALJfTNCpHK3N1g - Noah and The Lonershttps://www.amazon.com/Winners-Take-All-Charade-Changing/dp/0451493249 - Winners Take All book https://www.jonalexander.net/ - Citizens Jon Alexander https://cooperation.town/ - Cooperation Town London Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

If you're short on time and want some hear some of Food Futurologist Dr. Morgaine Gaye’s trend insights, then here are 7 minutes of soundbites.  If you do have the time, on a run, cycle, or drive, check out the full episode. It's a shorter than normal 42 min episode.Morgaine explores food and eating from a social, cultural, economic, branding, and geo-political perspective. She also consults food companies, develops new products and ideas, and writes trend reports for forecasting sites to PR and ad agencies.Morgaine was staying with me during this year's SXSW, where she was presenting Trend to Table, her latest trends presentation, and the title of her upcoming book. Therefore I used the opportunity to have her share some of the trends she’s witnessing..What We Discuss00:00 Intro 00:30 Morgaine discusses her SXSW trends presentation and the subject of her new book.01:30 What it means to be human post-Covid in the AI world?03:00 3D printed food and the use of ‘air protein’ in food.05:02 Nourishment05:30 Why she wrote her book06:00 The Dirty Dozen and the Clean Fifteen from the Environmental Working Group  07:02 Morgaine’s hope for the futureSocial Links Instagram Facebook LinkedinEmail Links Show The Dirty Dozen and the Clean Fifteen from the Environmental Working Group    Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week's interview is a little bit different from normal as I welcome back a previous guest Food Futurologist and director of Bellwether Food Trends, Dr. Morgaine Gaye.  Morgaine explores food and eating from a social, cultural, economic, branding, and geo-political perspective. She also consults food companies, developing new products and ideas; writing trend reports for forecasting sites to PR and ad agencies. Morgaine was staying with me during this year's SXSW where she was presenting Trend to Table, her latest trends presentation, and the title of her upcoming book. Therefore I used the opportunity to have her share some of the trends she’s witnessing. Besides discussing some of these macro trends we also discuss when we first met back in 2008 when I was running a digital team at McCann London. We reflect on how we developed an edible beauty product and brand prototype which was ahead of its time and how life choices set us on different paths and led us to miss the opportunity to build what would have been a groundbreaking product. This conversation was somewhat cathartic for me and hopefully provides some encouragement to anyone working to bring execute an idea to persist, take action, and test it in-market.What We Discuss00:00 Intro 03:15 Mark asks Morgaine to discuss the raw cacao collaboration from 2009. 05:15 Morgaine explains the health benefits of raw cacao. 07:45 Mark explains how he formed a skunkworks team internally at McCann. 09:00 How the idea of positioning cacao chocolate as an edible beauty product emerged.14:00 Why the idea remained no more than a prototype?17:00 Lessons learned from the project.18:40 Morgaine discusses her SXSW trends presentation and the subject of her new book.20:20 Examples of the big trends include what it means to be human?24:00 The changing role of ‘the table’ at home and the unraveling.27:00 Other changing food trends include the use of ‘air’ in food.30:35 The use of ‘air protein’ in food.34:50 Why she wrote her book35:30 The Dirty Dozen and the Clean Fifteen from the Environmental Working Group  38:00 Permaculture 38:50 Morgaine’s hope for the futureSocial Links Instagram Facebook LinkedinEmail Links Show The Dirty Dozen and the Clean Fifteen from the Environmental Working Group    Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Seven minutes of snippets from my conversation with Simon Boyle, the London-based change-maker and visionary behind the Beyond Food Foundation and Brigade Bar+Kitchen. In 2004, Simon began transforming the lives of London's homeless population through food and cooking. 🍽️In 2010 Simon's partnered with PwC to launch Brigade Bar+Kitchen in London Bridge, now a hub for unique training programs uplifting those less fortunate. During the Covid pandemic, Simon's Ecolab expanded its mission with his transformative FreshLife program to provide direction, support, and work experience to individuals whose lives have unraveled.Shout out to Melanie van de Velde for the connection.What we discuss00:00 Intro 0:30 Simon Boyle on societal trauma01:50 Freshlife explained?05:30 Why he loves Corporates 06:15 His advice and ask to corporates07:19 Purpose and resilienceSocial Links LinkedinInstagram Noah and The LonersLinks in the Show Beyond Food FoundationBrigade Bar and KitchenSavoy Hotel Royal Academy of Culinary Arts Brian Turner Burnt Chef Project 2004 Tsunami PwC Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Seven minutes of snippets from my conversation with Simon Boyle, the London-based change-maker and visionary behind the Beyond Food Foundation and Brigade Bar+Kitchen. In 2004, Simon began transforming the lives of London's homeless population through food and cooking. 🍽️In 2010 Simon's partnered with PwC to launch Brigade Bar+Kitchen in London Bridge, now a hub for unique training programs uplifting those less fortunate. During the Covid pandemic, Simon's Ecolab expanded its mission with his transformative FreshLife program to provide direction, support, and work experience to individuals whose lives have unraveled.Shout out to Melanie van de Velde for the connection.What we discuss00:00 Intro 0:30 Who is Simon Boyle?01:10 Simon on the education system.01:50 Helping youth?02:30 Getting a break at the Savoy 03:18 How the 2004 Tsunami led him to his focus on social impact.04:40 Dragons Den experience,06:28 Opening Brigade Bar & Kitchen.06:51 The PWC partnership prototype helps address societal trauma. Social Links LinkedinInstagram Noah and The Loners Links in the Show Beyond Food FoundationBrigade Bar and KitchenSavoy Hotel Royal Academy of Culinary Arts Brian Turner Burnt Chef Project 2004 Tsunami PwC Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week's guest is Simon Boyle, a London-based difference-maker and driving force behind the Beyond Food Foundation and Brigade Bar+Kitchen. In 2010, Simon partnered with PwC, De Vere Venues, and the Homes and Communities Agency to launch Brigade restaurant in London Bridge. This innovative space soon became the hub for distinctive training programs designed to uplift those affected by homelessness. Amidst the Covid pandemic, his Ecolab broadened its mission through a collection of transformative, interactive workshops that leverage the power of food to motivate and inspire individuals whose lives have unraveled, providing crucial support and encouragement to help them re-knot the fabric of their lives.Shout out to Melanie van de Velde for the connection.What we discuss00:00 Intro 03:53 Who is Simon Boyle?08:20 Being let down by the education system.09:45 Who made Simon the person he is?15:25 Simon discusses how to deal with mental health in hospitality 17:40 Simon’s intentional path to explore many genres of cooking and hospitality.22:25 How the 2004 Tsunami led him to his focus on social impact.26:30 His focus on creating social enterprise through food and events.32:00 How after a Dragons Den experience, serendipity led him to find an investor and form his PWC partnership and open Brigade Bar & Kitchen.37:50 The urgency to address human unraveling.41:00 The PWC partnership prototype helps address societal trauma.45:45 Simon describes his Freshlife program. 51:13 The change he has witnessed in Corporates' social mindedness and willingness to engage with his cohorts.54:25 Simon's view on scaling his impact with Beyond Food.59:00 His 2030 vision. 01:00:00 What is his superpower?01:02:00 Advice to brands on how to take action.01:07:40 Remaining resilient. 01:17:40 We discuss how Simon’s building a community lunch event in LondonSocial Links LinkedinInstagram Noah and The Loners Links in the Show Beyond Food FoundationBrigade Bar and KitchenSavoy Hotel Royal Academy of Culinary Arts Brian Turner Burnt Chef Project 2004 Tsunami PwC Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

TL:DR - If you're short on time and want some hear how Logitech CEO Bracken Darrell is transforming forward to build a more sustainable carbon-positive business and hear some of his wisdom then here are 7 minutes of key soundbites.  If you do have the time, on a run, cycle, or drive, check out the full episode. If you enjoy the show please follow us, like us on your podcast player, and subscribe on YouTube as it helps us grow our audience.  Now over to Bracken. ABOUT BRACKENHailing from Owensboro, Kentucky, Bracken pursued English in Arkansas and later graduated with a degree in Accountancy in Texas. He started his career as a public accountant at Arthur Andersen, then earned his MBA at Harvard, which propelled him into brand management at P&G. Eventually, Bracken transitioned to General Management at GE, paving the way for his appointment as Logitech's CEO in 2012.While his career may appear impeccably linear on paper, Bracken has navigated and triumphed over imposter syndrome. He has been intentional with his goals, learned from mistakes, acknowledged successes, and remained humble and focused on the journey ahead—all the hallmarks of engineering serendipity.Under Bracken's leadership, Logitech has seen remarkable growth. After a decade at the helm, driving innovation, digital transformation, and nurturing a design-led culture, Bracken is now dedicated to "transforming forward" and amplifying Logitech's impact beyond mere profit, ultimately benefiting both people and the planet.Thanks to Katz Keily for the connection.Social LinksBracken on LinkedinLinks MentionedMemoirs of Hadrian Marguerite YourcenarTestament of a Furniture Dealer LogitechDon Smith on EmergenceTony Fadell Build  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.