AK Compass Podcast

In the new AK Compass Podcast episode, Karolina Czako and Ágnes Gárdonyi talk with Irén Márta, Managing Director of the Business Council for Sustainable Development in Hungary, about her journey into sustainability leadership, the Race to Zero campaign, and how companies can stay committed to net zero and circular economy goals beyond compliance. We also touch on global examples from Costa Rica to China, and why Irén remains cautiously optimistic that even if we do not reach all our goals, we have already avoided the worst outcomes and must keep aiming higher.

Net zero targets are everywhere, but what does it really take for businesses to move from ambition to action?

In this episode, Karolina Czako and Ágnes Gárdonyi talk about Karolina’s experience visiting Trieste as a multi-day destination, not just a one‑day stopover. She highlights the city’s seaside atmosphere, historic center, Roman ruins, Roman Theatre, and Miramare Castle by the sea perfect for a relaxed day trip or half‑day outing.

She also explains how easy it is to add Slovenia into the mix: Ljubljana, Predjama Castle, Postojna Cave, and Lake Bled can all work as day trips or short stays from a Trieste base. At the same time, she points out infrastructure issues in the region: limited and often overpriced nighttime transport from the airport, plus cross‑border connections into Slovenia that can feel fragmented or infrequent.

For a smoother trip, she suggests treating Trieste as a base, planning transport in advance, allowing extra time for connections, and avoiding the temptation to rush everything into a single day. This city and the region are  truly multicultural and special, best explored over several days.

In this episode of the AK Compass Podcast, hosts Karolina Czako and Ágnes Gárdonyi welcome Ifan Mahdiyat Sofiana, Minister Counsellor at the Indonesian Embassy in Budapest, to explore sustainable and culturally respectful tourism in Indonesia.

With over 20 years of diplomatic experience, he shares insights into Indonesia’s rich cultural diversity, religious etiquette, and responsible travel practices. Learn how to engage respectfully with local communities, understand traditions like the use of beautiful batik, and discover lesser-known facts about the country.

We discuss overtourism in destinations like Bali, highlight under-visited islands worth exploring, and share practical tips on eco-friendly travel, conservation, volunteering possibilities and protecting Indonesia’s natural environment. The episode also covers travel safety, including advice for solo female travelers and how to avoid common scams.

In this episode of the podcast, we dive deep into living in London as a global multicultural hub – not just visiting as a tourist, but truly experiencing pre-Brexit London as a student expat. Karolina Czako shares her authentic story of immersing in the city's fast-paced, crowded megacity life, from student life in London and UK university education to navigating its vibrant mix of arts, business, and international influences.

Discover how London shaped her mindset through hands-on, practical education, where the city itself served as a living classroom, blending liberal arts benefits with specialized studies alongside top professionals. She covers daily life in London, like coping with long commutes via reading, building habits like switching to tea, and London safety tips for women amid common city scams. With humorous takes on British culture, plus serious reflections on urban living challenges, social issues, environmental sustainability, and what it takes to belong in a global city like London.

Perfect for fans of study abroad experiences, expat stories, city living tips, and sustainable travel insights – tune in to rethink how you connect with London and beyond!

In this episode, Karolina Czako and Ágnes Gárdonyi interview Gábor Heves, an expert in sustainable urban development and mobility who has spent many years working at the intersection of environmental policy, cities, and transport. After a long career at the Regional Environmental Center (REC), he shares his expertise on sustainable urban development, focusing on practical solutions that help cities and regions move toward low-carbon mobility.

Our conversation explores how the way we move - within and between cities - can shape climate outcomes and everyday quality of life. Gábor Heves shares insights on sustainable mobility, from reducing transport emissions to designing cities where walking, cycling, and public transport become the easiest choices, illustrated through real-life examples.

We discuss how AI and data-driven technologies can make transport systems more efficient and help reduce urban CO₂ emissions. The conversation explores how cities can encourage multimodal travel - combining walking, cycling, buses, and trains—as an alternative to relying on private cars.

Gábor Heves also reflects on the future of mobility, comparing private car ownership with car-sharing and highlighting how better connections between transport modes can make sustainable travel the natural choice. We also look at innovations in intercity transport and discuss what influences people - including higher-income residents - to use public transport in cities with well-developed systems.

Karolina Czako unveils Madeira’s irresistible allure – from the heart-pounding landing at Funchal Airport to serene levada walks through misty forests and blooming valleys.

Imagine gliding up the Funchal-Monte Cable Car above terracotta rooftops to the exotic gardens of Monte Palace Madeira, then wandering the vibrant Zona Velha where the Art of Open Doors murals breathe new life into historic streets.

Savor fresh limpets, indulgent bolo do mel honey cake, the unique Monstera deliciosa (pineapple banana), and island classics like poncha or Madeira wine. Discover the island through fun, well-organized local guided tours that showcase Portugal’s green Atlantic paradise — safe and welcoming for solo female travelers.

🎧 Tune in to explore why Madeira captivates with its blend of adventure, sustainability, and authentic island hospitality — all in a one-week journey.

In this episode, we discuss with Albert Wettstein, co-founder and CMO of Munch, a Hungarian food-rescue startup launched in 2020. Since then, the company has grown into a regional platform active in Hungary, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, and Romania, working with thousands of partners to save millions of surprise packages and thousands of tons of food from going to waste. We explore how rescuing still perfectly good food also saves all the resources embedded in it – from water and energy to materials and human labour – while helping businesses reduce costs and turn surplus into revenue instead of waste. Albert shares how Munch was built and scaled across countries, what it takes to convince partners and consumers to embrace food rescue, and what he has learned about making sustainability both affordable for users and financially viable for companies.

In this episode of AK Compass Podcast, Sustainability Expert Karolina Czako explores how climate change is already shaping our cities, economies, and human health — and what practical solutions are emerging today. From the alarming toll of air pollution, which claims millions of lives each year, to the hidden risks of toxic materials in buildings, Karolina explains why environmental protection is not just a moral duty but also a human and economic necessity.

The conversation spans from U.S. examples of local climate risk, loss and resilience — such as Florida’s innovative water management projects and the changing landscape of Louisiana’s marshlands — to European perspectives like the storm that temporarily shut down businesses across Stockholm. We also reflect on Hungary’s sustainability reporting landscape, discussing how companies and municipalities can move beyond compliance to achieve meaningful climate impact that’s truly worth reporting. Karolina also shares her insights as a former ESG Consultant.

Tune in for practical insights, inspiring solutions, and a forward-looking discussion on building healthier, more resilient communities for future generations.

This episode features Dr. Ágnes Szuromi‑Kovács, founder and Chair of the WILL Foundation for Women Leaders, a non‑profit launched in 2024 to support women managers and executives in Hungary and the wider CEE region. Drawing on more than 20 years of leadership experience, she shares the key steps and turning points that shaped her career and led to the creation of the WILL Foundation to strengthen women’s presence in senior decision‑making roles.

Listeners learn why she believes women’s leadership is closely connected to sustainability in business, and how diverse leadership teams create concrete business value when women are present at the top table. Dr. Szuromi‑Kovács also introduces the WILL Program, developed in partnership with Harvard Division of Continuing Education “Women Leaders: Advancing Together” Program in Boston, and explains how this international–local leadership journey helps women lead responsibly and sustainably in Hungary and across the CEE region.

If you are a current or aspiring woman leader in Hungary or the CEE region, tune in to this episode to get inspired and learn how to connect with the WILL Foundation and its WILL Program.

Find out more at: https://willfoundation.eu/

Today’s companies face more than just isolated disruptions — they must confront a rapidly unfolding polycrisis, where environmental, social, and economic shocks reinforce one another in unpredictable ways. These overlapping crises are not temporary challenges but signs of a deep systemic transformation that demands a fundamental rethinking of traditional corporate strategies.

In this episode, we explore how the CASSee methodology, developed by Cassee Plc, can help organizations build integrated, multidimensional strategies to navigate complexity, reduce exposure, and build long-term resilience.

Find out more at: https://cassandraprogram.com/