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Changemaker Q&A
By Humanitarian Changemakers NetworkSociety & Culture
Changemaker Q&A episodes
- 98. Why Trust Is the Real Currency of Social Change
Skip the HCN Weekly Brief: 9:05
Change doesn’t just happen because we have the right strategy, the right tools, or even the right intentions. It happens through relationships—and relationships are built on trust. This conversation explores the idea that all social change moves at the speed of trust, unpacking what that means across everything from interpersonal relationships to organisations, fundraising, and even politics. From brand and credibility to collaboration and systems leadership, trust emerges as the invisible force shaping how quickly (or slowly) change can actually happen in the real world.
📰 Read the accompanying article for this podcast episode here.
Enrol in our Systems Thinking Course
Join the Changemaker Q&A Community & ASK YOUR QUESTIONS HERE
💬 If you find this podcast valuable, it would really help us out to leave a rating & review wherever you're listening.
Social Impact Foundations FREE Training Bundle
Follow HCN on Instagram @humanitarianchangemakers
Follow Tiyana on Instagram: @tiyanaj
The views expressed in this podcast are those of Tiyana J & guests and are not reflective of all members of the Humanitarian Changemakers Network.
35 min - 97. Cut Through: The Storytelling Skills Every Changemaker Needs with Dominic Colenso
Actor-turned-communication-expert Dominic Colenso joins Changemaker Q&A to unpack why communication is not a “nice-to-have” for social change, but a core capability—especially when your work involves complex ideas, competing priorities, or audiences who are not already convinced. Drawing on his background as a professional actor and his later work coaching leaders, founders, and teams, Dominic shares practical frameworks for simplifying messages, building presence, and using emotion ethically so people don’t just understand your idea—they feel its significance. The conversation also explores rehearsal as a form of care for your audience, how to handle nerves through breath and mindset, and why the most effective pitches focus on the next step rather than trying to “close the deal” in one go. Expect a grounded, useful episode for anyone who wants their work to cut through and create momentum.
About Our Guest: Dominic Colenso is a communication coach, author, and former professional actor who helps people communicate with clarity, confidence, and impact. After training at a leading London drama school and working across stage, screen, and television—including playing Virgil Tracy in the Hollywood remake of Thunderbirds—Dominic moved into teaching and coaching, translating actor-trained tools into practical methods for pitching, presenting, and public speaking. He is the author of Impact and Cut Through, and his work supports leaders, teams, and changemakers to simplify complex ideas, build presence, and connect with audiences in a way that feels authentic rather than performative. He also offers free resources, including an online “Presenting with Impact” scorecard, alongside training and content through his website and channels.
📰 Read the accompanying article for this podcast episode here.
Join the Changemaker Q&A Community & ASK YOUR QUESTIONS HERE
💬 If you find this podcast valuable, it would really help us out to leave a rating & review wherever you're listening.
Social Impact Foundations FREE Training Bundle
Follow HCN on Instagram @humanitarianchangemakers
Follow Tiyana on Instagram: @tiyanaj
The views expressed in this podcast are those of Tiyana J & guests and are not reflective of all members of the Humanitarian Changemakers Network.
37 min - 96. Social Impact vs Social Change: Why We Need Both (And How to Know Where You Fit)
Skip the HCN Weekly Brief: 5:59
What’s the difference between creating impact and creating change—and why does it matter? This episode explores a distinction that often gets overlooked in the social impact space: the difference between improving people’s lives in the present and transforming the systems that shape those lives. Through a simple but powerful analogy, we unpack why both roles are essential, how they show up across sectors like nonprofits and activism, and how to identify where your own work sits. Whether you're delivering services, building movements, or somewhere in between, this episode will help you clarify your role and strengthen your contribution.
📰 Read the accompanying article for this podcast episode here.
Join the Changemaker Q&A Community & ASK YOUR QUESTIONS HERE
💬 If you find this podcast valuable, it would really help us out to leave a rating & review wherever you're listening.
Social Impact Foundations FREE Training Bundle
Follow HCN on Instagram @humanitarianchangemakers
Follow Tiyana on Instagram: @tiyanaj
The views expressed in this podcast are those of Tiyana J & guests and are not reflective of all members of the Humanitarian Changemakers Network.
27 min - 95. Calm in the Chaos: Designing Events That Support Mental Health and Sensory Needs with Nika Brunet Milunovic
Live events look effortless from the crowd, but behind every stage, schedule, and security plan sits an intense working environment built on long hours, high stakes, and a freelance culture that can make wellbeing feel like an afterthought. In this conversation, Nika shares how the pandemic exposed the mental health crisis many event professionals were already carrying, and how that experience helped shape Calm Nest Collective—an initiative bringing quiet sensory spaces, inclusion-focused design, and practical wellbeing supports into festivals, conferences, and workplaces. The discussion unpacks why the events industry is uniquely stressful, how neurodivergence shows up in creative high-pressure environments, and what organisers can do now—through communication, staffing, layout, and low-cost design choices—to create safer, calmer, more accessible experiences for both crews and audiences.
About Our Guest: Nika is a trained social worker and events industry professional whose career spans corporate work, large-scale music events, and sustainability leadership across major European festivals. During COVID, she witnessed first-hand how quickly the collapse of the events sector intensified stress, insecurity, and mental health challenges for crews—an experience that helped shape her work with Calm Nest Collective. Today, she focuses on improving wellbeing and inclusion in high-pressure environments through quiet sensory spaces, practical accessibility and DEI advice, and sustainability support for event organisers, informed by ongoing doctoral research into mental health and neurodivergence in the events workforce.
📰 Read the accompanying article for this podcast episode here.
Join the Changemaker Q&A Community & ASK YOUR QUESTIONS HERE
💬 If you find this podcast valuable, it would really help us out to leave a rating & review wherever you're listening.
Social Impact Foundations FREE Training Bundle
Follow HCN on Instagram @humanitarianchangemakers
Follow Tiyana on Instagram: @tiyanaj
The views expressed in this podcast are those of Tiyana J & guests and are not reflective of all members of the Humanitarian Changemakers Network.
37 min - 94. How to Develop an Explanatory Change Theory in Research
Skip the HCN Weekly Brief - 3:45.
This episode responds to a listener question from a practitioner stepping into academic research and feeling overwhelmed by theory of change, explanatory change theory, and the broader field of social change research. It unpacks the difference between a practical theory of change and a deeper explanatory change theory, explains why research philosophy matters so much when you want to explain why change happens, and introduces critical realism as a powerful framework for researchers trying to move beyond description and engage with causality, ontology, and complex social transformation.
📰 Read the accompanying article for this podcast episode here.
Join the Changemaker Q&A Community & ASK YOUR QUESTIONS HERE
💬 If you find this podcast valuable, it would really help us out to leave a rating & review wherever you're listening.
Social Impact Foundations FREE Training Bundle
Follow HCN on Instagram @humanitarianchangemakers
Follow Tiyana on Instagram: @tiyanaj
The views expressed in this podcast are those of Tiyana J & guests and are not reflective of all members of the Humanitarian Changemakers Network.
37 min - 93. Staying Close to the Problem: Lessons for Business and Impact from Purpose-Driven Founder Neli Kools
A non-linear career can feel confusing while you’re living it, yet it often becomes the foundation for the most grounded leadership. Global entrepreneur Neli Kools shares how her journey—from architecture and urban planning, to studying music business in the US, to running a digital marketing agency—ultimately led her to co-found Intimate Queen, a plant-based wellness lingerie brand built to challenge a long-normalised question: why is discomfort “just part of being a woman”? This conversation explores the unfiltered reality of launching a women-led product in a taboo category, what it takes to move from idea to innovation through research and testing, and why authenticity, intuition, and staying close to the problem are often the real drivers of sustainable growth.
About Our Guest: Neli Kools is a global entrepreneur and co-founder of Intimate Queen, a plant-based wellness lingerie brand focused on women’s comfort, confidence, and intimate skin wellbeing. With more than 14 years’ experience in digital marketing and brand building, Neli brings a rare blend of creative strategy and product innovation to mission-driven entrepreneurship. Her non-linear pathway spans architecture and urban planning, studies in music business in the United States, and the founding of a digital advertising agency—experience she now draws on to grow Intimate Queen across markets while navigating the challenges of building a women-led brand in a sensitive and often stigmatised category.
📰 Read the accompanying article for this podcast episode here.
Join the Changemaker Q&A Community & ASK YOUR QUESTIONS HERE
💬 If you find this podcast valuable, it would really help us out to leave a rating & review wherever you're listening.
Social Impact Foundations FREE Training Bundle
Follow HCN on Instagram @humanitarianchangemakers
Follow Tiyana on Instagram: @tiyanaj
The views expressed in this podcast are those of Tiyana J & guests and are not reflective of all members of the Humanitarian Changemakers Network.
30 min - 92. Rapid Fire Q&A: Degrees, Gardens, Systems Change and Book Recommendations
Skip the HCN Weekly Brief - 7:17
From choosing the right degree to figuring out whether systemic change is too overwhelming to pursue, this rapid fire Q&A tackles a range of listener questions about what it really means to build a life in changemaking. The conversation moves through practical advice for people just starting out, why growing a garden might be one of the best lessons in social change, how to think about systemic versus systems change, and the kinds of books that can genuinely shape the way we see the world.
📰 Read the accompanying article for this podcast episode here.
Join the Changemaker Q&A Community & ASK YOUR QUESTIONS HERE
💬 If you find this podcast valuable, it would really help us out to leave a rating & review wherever you're listening.
Social Impact Foundations FREE Training Bundle
Follow HCN on Instagram @humanitarianchangemakers
Follow Tiyana on Instagram: @tiyanaj
The views expressed in this podcast are those of Tiyana J & guests and are not reflective of all members of the Humanitarian Changemakers Network.
42 min - 91. From Conflict to Connection: Communication Skills All Changemakers Need with Eri Kardos
Communication sits at the heart of leadership, relationships, and social change—yet most people were never taught how to listen well, navigate conflict, or speak in ways others can actually receive. Drawing on her work with global leaders and couples, Eri Kardos unpacks why many communication breakdowns are patterned rather than personal, how trauma responses quietly shape everything from workplace dynamics to intimacy at home, and why learning the “art of repair” is essential for sustainable relationships and effective teamwork. The conversation explores practical tools for listening with full presence, influencing ethically through clarity and consent, and using boundaries as a form of safety and trust rather than restriction—offering changemakers a grounded pathway for turning tension into deeper connection and more coherent action.
About Our Guest: Eri Kardos is the founder and lead coach of Relearn Love, LLC, where she supports leaders to strengthen their influence at work by cultivating deeper, more connected relationships at home. Drawing on science-based and somatic approaches to communication, conflict, and emotional regulation, her work bridges leadership development and intimate partnership. A former leadership development professional at Amazon.com, Eri holds an MBA in Global Leadership and observed firsthand how relational wellbeing directly shapes focus, clarity, and organisational impact. She is a 2025 TEDx speaker and the author of the best-selling book Relationship Agreements, and now works with clients across six continents while speaking regularly with Fortune 500 organisations. Based in Bali with her husband, Jaymin Patel, and their two children, Eri also hosts private retreats integrating relational wellbeing with leadership and personal growth. Learn more: https://www.relearnlove.com/
📰 Read the accompanying article for this podcast episode here.
💬 If you find this podcast valuable, it would really help us out to leave a rating & review wherever you're listening.
Social Change 101 FREE course & The Changemaker In You ebook.
Follow HCN on Instagram @humanitarianchangemakers
Follow Tiyana on Instagram: @tiyanaj
Changemaker Q&A is a Humanitarian Changemakers Network podcast. Ask a question via Spotify, or head to humanitarianchangemakers.net/podcast. If your question is answered, you’ll receive some Changemaker Co goodies on us!
The views expressed in this podcast are those of Tiyana J and are not reflective of all members of the Humanitarian Changemakers Network.
39 min - 90. Turning 30: Sharing My Changemaking Journey & Key Lessons From My 20s
Turning 30 can be “just a number”, but it can also be a moment to pause and take stock — and that’s what this episode does. Tiyana shares the winding, unplanned story of her twenties as a changemaker: a semester abroad that sparked activism and opened doors to the UN, the volunteering and self-education that shaped her more than formal study, the early beginnings of the Humanitarian Changemakers Network, and the leap into a PhD she didn’t think she’d get into. Along the way, she unpacks the key lessons she’s taking into her thirties — from living with intention and committing to lifelong learning, to being selective with relationships, building a culture of care, balancing self-development with impact, taking audacious risks, seeking understanding over persuasion, expanding your idea of “impact” beyond a job title, and following curiosity as a compass.
📰 Read the accompanying article for this podcast episode here.
Join the Changemaker Q&A Community & ASK YOUR QUESTIONS HERE
💬 If you find this podcast valuable, it would really help us out to leave a rating & review wherever you're listening.
Social Impact Foundations FREE Training Bundle
Follow HCN on Instagram @humanitarianchangemakers
Follow Tiyana on Instagram: @tiyanaj
The views expressed in this podcast are those of Tiyana J & guests and are not reflective of all members of the Humanitarian Changemakers Network.
42 min - 89. Freedom, Service, and the Mindset Shifts for Leaders to Create Impact with Nicky Billou
Freedom is often spoken about as an abstract ideal, yet for many entrepreneurs and changemakers it is the invisible foundation that makes creation, expression, and impact possible. Drawing on a lived experience of displacement, migration, and rebuilding life from scratch, this conversation explores the deep connection between freedom, entrepreneurship, and service. The episode examines why fear and self-doubt are among the greatest constraints on impact, how reframing sales as service can unlock both sustainability and integrity, and why investing in personal development is not a luxury but a responsibility for those who seek to lead. At its core, the discussion invites changemakers to see business not as a departure from values, but as a vehicle for expressing them—when grounded in courage, love for humanity, and a commitment to freedom.
About Our Guest: Nicky Billou is a two-time New York Times bestselling author and the #1 international bestselling author of Finish Line Thinking™: How to Think and Win Like a Champion, The Thought Leader’s Journey, and The Power of Connecting. An in-demand speaker to global business audiences, he advises and mentors entrepreneurs across a wide range of sectors, supporting them to build influence, clarity, and sustainable impact. Nicky is the founder of eCircle Academy, where he leads a year-long mastermind and education program for heart-driven service professionals, and the creator of the Thought Leader/Heart Leader™ designation. He also hosts The Thought Leader Revolution, one of the world’s leading podcasts on thought leadership, through which he has interviewed more than 700 globally recognised leaders across business, leadership, and social impact.
📰 Read the accompanying article for this podcast episode here.
💬 If you find this podcast valuable, it would really help us out to leave a rating & review wherever you're listening.
Social Change 101 FREE course & The Changemaker In You ebook.
Follow HCN on Instagram @humanitarianchangemakers
Follow Tiyana on Instagram: @tiyanaj
Changemaker Q&A is a Humanitarian Changemakers Network podcast. Ask a question via Spotify, or head to humanitarianchangemakers.net/podcast. If your question is answered, you’ll receive some Changemaker Co goodies on us!
The views expressed in this podcast are those of Tiyana J and are not reflective of all members of the Humanitarian Changemakers Network.
35 min
About Changemaker Q&A
From the publisher's feed
Changemaker Q&A is a podcast for grassroots changemakers—activists, students, volunteers, entrepreneurs, social workers, advocates, and anyone striving for impact. Host Dr Tiyana J answers real…
community questions and interviews inspiring guests who share stories, lessons, and practical strategies for driving change. Produced by the Humanitarian Changemakers Network and brought to you by the School of Social Impact, the show offers insights and encouragement for every step of your changemaking journey.