Episode 12
Untangling grief with Emily Cummin
Death is an inherent part of life. But when we are confronted to it, it seems like we are never quite prepared.
In the UK, there are a hundred thousand monthtly searches on Google for “what do I do when someone dies?”
With a background in tech and having experienced grief herself, Emily Cummin has created a solution to support people through the emotional and practical challenges that come with a bereavement.
This solution is Untangle. It is an app, a resource, a safe space, and a community.
In this episode, we talk to Emily Cummin about the development of Untangle – a life saving app.
Episode 11
Fighting Human Trafficking with Rasha Hammad from Youth Underground
Youth Underground is an organisation that prevents human trafficking through youth education. Young people are the ones who are the most at risk of human trafficking. This is why Rasha Hammad, the founder of Youth Underground, chose to put youth and their voices at the center of Youth Underground.
The young people that she works with are the ones who have made the organisation what it is today. It is through the hard conversations, the education and the awareness building that no voice is left unheard and no one is left behind.
Speaking with Rasha in this episode we discuss many subjects that are seen and considered as taboo. She debunks the subject of human trafficking, breaks the stigma and opens the doors for the truth. She is a brave advocate and compassionate educator.
Episode 10
Creating an empathy educated generation with Miranda McKearney
EmpathyLab is a nonprofit with a mission to raise an empathy-educated generation.
With an increasing number of children growing up with an “empathy deficit” in the UK, Miranda and her team are finding solutions in books!
According to scientific research, children can learn practical, real-life empathy skills through the power of reading. EmpathyLab is bringing this research to life by working with educators all over the UK.
Miranda takes us on a dive on the importance of empathy, and how we can foster an empathetic culture through education and reading.
Episode 9
Guitars Over Guns with Caleb Alcime
Guitars Over Guns offers students from vulnerable communities a powerful combination of music education and mentorship with professional musicians to help them overcome hardship, find their voice and reach their potential as tomorrow’s leaders.
This week we spoke with Caleb Alcime, Program Associate at the organisation. Caleb grew up with Guitars Over Guns. He joined as a student when he was 14 and today he is dedicated to giving back what he received himself, calling it “The Circle of Life”.
Episode 8
The power of “How are you?” with David Beeney
During his 36 year long career, David Beeney suffered in silence from panic attacks and anxiety.
When he finally came out, he made the decision to dedicate his life to eradicating the stigma associated with mental health.
He started his business, Breaking The Silence, and has now become one of the leading advisors in the UK on mental health in the workplace.
Through his work, David has helped many leading brands to create kinder and more compassionate cultures.
On this episode, David gives us a flavour of the work he does within organisations. But more importantly, he shows how simple changes in the way we interact with each other at work can make all the difference.
Episode 7
On Cultivating Community with Chiara D’Amore
Doctor Chiara D’Amore is the founder of the Community Ecology Institute.
A non-profit based at Freetown Farm in Maryland, their mission is to cultivate communities where people and nature thrive together. Through their many programs, they work at the intersection of environment, education, equity and health.
Chiara holds a PhD. in Sustainability Education and brings to our conversation a lifetime worth of resources on creating a space for community healing and a better future for generations to come.
Episode 6
Jake Stika, from Next Gen Men
Next Gen Men is a Canadian nonprofit working towards a future where boys and men feel less pain and cause less harm. Their ambitious yet powerful mission is to change how the world sees, acts and thinks about masculinity.
Jake Stika is one of the co-founders of the organisation and works with boys, men and masculine identifying people, using educational sessions and relationship-building tools to unpack the influences and impacts of patriarchy.
He opens up about unpacking his own beliefs around masculinity, and how this journey has saved his life.
With Next Gen Men he is now passing the message on and contributing to making this world safer for everyone.
Episode 5
Steve Hill – on closing the unemployment gap for autistic people
Steve Hill is the Commercial Director at auticon – a multinational IT consultancy and social enterprise that exclusively employs adults on the autism spectrum as consultants.
In the UK, autistic people face the highest unemployment rate in the country. Only 22% of autistic people are in employment. When, 79% of autistic people who are out of work and receiving unemployment benefits want to work. And a further 43% of those who have worked report having left or lost a job because of their autism.
auticon has become “unofficially one of the biggest employers of people diagnosed with autism in the world.”
This week we took a deep dive with Steve on the work auticon does to educate organizations on neurodiversity while creating a job market for autistic people with a background in STEM.
Episode 4
Aniya Butler – Youth Climate Activist & Poet
Youth Vs. Apocalypse (YVA) is a diverse group of young climate activists working together to lift the voices of youth, particularly youth of colour and working-class youth. Their collective action aims to fight for a livable climate and an equitable, sustainable, and just world.
Aniya Butler is a 15-year-old spoken word poet, a Lead Circle member at YVA, the coordinator of the “Hip Hop for Climate Justice” initiative, and a member of the organizational management team .
This week we spoke with her and dove into the necessary actions that she and YVA are taking to protect their community, the climate and the future.
We had an honest discussion ranging from the difficulties of being a youth activist to poetry, passion and Aniya’s hopes for the future.
Episode 3
George Taktak – Founder of How Mental
Mental health is so often wrapped in secrecy and taboo.
Talking about it openly and easily with George made me wonder why so many people have difficulty discussing such an everyday subject?
George Taktak is a social entrepreneur, mental health activist and artist.
He’s also the founder of How Mental, a mental health community on a mission to make well-being a global priority. To do this, he has built an app and a multi-platform community that now has over 800.000 followers on Instagram.
George is dedicated about breaking down mental health stigma and creating conversations that make it accessible.
Episode 2
Matthew Burrows – Founder of Art Support Pledge
Matthew Burrows founded Artist Support Pledge as an initiative to provide a new source of income for thousands of artists impacted by the pandemic.
This initiative has become a movement that continues today and keeps expanding.
Matthew’s brilliant idea redefines the meaning of success by promoting abundance and helping countless artists achieve financial independence.