#impact | Social Impact, Social Entrepreneurship, Social Good

#impact | Social Impact, Social Entrepreneurship, Social Good

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#impact | Social Impact, Social Entrepreneurship, Social Good episodes

  • #32: A Coasteering Adventure with lasting environmental impact

    Join us for a coasteering adventure. Picture the coastline of Hong Kong Island – wild cliffs, hidden beaches and the busy sounds of dangerous waves. You smell the ocean, as well as a bustling urban metropolis. Now imagine two people circumnavigating the full length of the coastline, rock climbing, jumping and swimming, hanging from cliffs to...

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    37 min
  • #32: A Coasteering Adventure with lasting environmental impact
    Join us for a coasteering adventure. Picture the coastline of Hong Kong Island – wild cliffs, hidden beaches and the busy sounds of dangerous waves.
    You smell the ocean, as well as a bustling urban metropolis. Now imagine two people circumnavigating the full length of the coastline, rock climbing, jumping and swimming, hanging from cliffs to take water samples. Still not sure what coasteering is all about. You will find out in this episode.
    In May 2017 Dutch-born Esther Röling and her husband Austrian-born Paul Niel set out on a one-week exploration to map out the pollution around the Hong Kong island waters. They collaborated with research institutes and tracked the water pollution levels using the Ocean Recovery Alliance’s Global Alert App.  The Global Alert platform aims to tackle the issue of plastic waste on a global scale.
    In this episode, you will hear their story.
    The preparations and the danger
    “It was a long, tough journey with a lot of challenges to face, from extreme weather and strong currents, and also the mental exhaustion, but in the end, we prevailed,” says Esther. Together with Paul, Esther went on the Round the Island coasteering expedition to create a detailed map of Hong Kong Island’s biodiversity, water quality and coastal pollution.

    “It takes months and months of preparation,” Paul says.

    In this interview, the couple gives honest insights into what it takes to set out on an environmental impact adventure, and how to keep going despite dangers, doubts and challenges along the way. They also share what they would do differently if they could go back.
    Coasteering is not for the faint-hearted
    It is dangerous, and it takes guts as well as physical and mental preparation. They admit that there were moments during their expedition when they felt scared. I got goosebumps when Esther shared how they saw a Thunderstorm rolling in just when they found themselves at the most remote cliff of Hong Kong Island – totally unprotected.
    Their motivation and goal
    That their young daughter was in good hands with caretakers at home, made it easier for Esther, wearing her mum hat, to push on with their clear goal in mind.

    “We want to show the world that there is so much pollution out there that we need to clean out,” Esther says.

    It was also their daughter that kept them going, despite pain and doubts as this little adventurer even came out to see them at the campsite.
    Cleaning up Hong Kong’s remote coastline 
    Just like Esther and Paul, people all over the globe are out and about on coastlines and waterways to geo-tag trash hotspots on the Global Alert App. This data helps to track pollution and to organise large-scale clean-ups. Recently, Esther and Paul set out on their first clean-up adventure. The results speak for themselves. Just take a look.
    The impact of their work is growing
    After their successful clean-up, they encourage newcomers to join their impactful mission. They caught the attention of Hong Kong-based South China Morning Post that featured them with a front page story about their impressive coastal clean-up efforts.
    Working together as a couple is not always easy
    Esther and Paul put a lot of strategies in place before setting out on their adventures. Their individual risk barriers are not the only topic they discuss beforehand. After they became parents they do evaluate even more carefully how far they are willing to go to reach their goals.
    Looking ahead
    Their coasteering expedition was not their first adventure, and seeing the sparkle in their eyes when they share how well this last impact project went is proof to that it won’t be their last either.


    37 min
  • #31: The million dollar question: Is your work making an impact?

    Impact measurement takes many shapes and forms. Every impact organisation has to stay accountable to their cause, clients, donors and investors. If you don’t just look at profit margins but also want to track your social impact, your metrics need even more refinement. At the end of the day, the Million Dollar Question remains: Is...

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    25 min
  • #31: The million dollar question: Is your work making an impact?
    Impact measurement takes many shapes and forms. Every impact organisation has to stay accountable to their cause, clients, donors and investors.
    If you don’t just look at profit margins but also want to track your social impact, your metrics need even more refinement. At the end of the day, the Million Dollar Question remains: Is my work really making the impact I want to see?
    When we interview changemakers, we always bring up the impact question, and as Sue Toomey pointed out in Episode 1 “it is not an easy one to answer”. Some might even say measuring your impact is scary. We don’t think it has to be.
    Working in a passion role, the WHY of what you do is a powerful driver and motivator.
    At times, the critics and naysayers can will bring you down. Well, we at #impact Podcast ask ourselves the impact question every day and yes, there are moments when we seriously doubt if all the hours we put in make any difference at all. It takes us 40 hours to put one #impact Podcast episode together: We research, curate, record, edit, promote and it does not stop there.
    Our WHY is our biggest driver: We want more people to hear about the impactful work of our guests and inspire our listeners to go out and make their own change – big or small, it does not matter – we can all have a positive impact on our community. 
    Recently Sarah Garner shared her most memorable moment running her impact business with us. She said: “I think perhaps with any new business owner, the first customers who are complete strangers is a defining moment.”
    It was the same for us when Samantha Aloysius, a complete stranger – and as we were about to find out, a hardcore listener of #impact Podcast – reached out to us.  
    She shared that – after listening to our Podcast episode with DJ Begbie from Crossroads Foundation – she started volunteering with them.
    We were over the moon – That’s our impact right there!
    So we did a little happy dance and replied to Samantha: Let’s meet up! We got together on a rainy, taifun-y Hong Kong day, sipping on our tea overlooking the greenery of Hollywood Road park.

    “I wanted to step out of my comfort zone and do something different,” Samantha says.

    In this episode, you hear Samantha’s story and how volunteering at Crossroads Foundations is going. It’s her personal story of making an impact with her volunteering work and at the same time, it will be the episode we will keep going back to when we face doubt that our work is making a difference.
    Because it does. It just does.


    #impACT

    * Reach out to us! We want to hear your story as well! How are you making an impact and how do you motivate yourself to keep going when times get tough? Get in touch with Regina at [email protected]
    * Share your feedback! We want to make this show as impactful and useful for you as possible. Let us know what you think and what we can improve here. It only takes 5 minutes.
    * Find a cause you are passionate about and just go for it. As Samantha said in this episode, that does not mean you have to give up all your spare time; the little contributions count just as much.
    25 min
  • #30: A modern day warrior fighting for animal welfare. Jill Robinson, Animals Asia Foundation

    “You can’t un-see things,” this is what Dr.med. Jill Robinson, Founder and CEO of Animals Asia Foundation, says about her experience walking into a Bear Farm in the South of China back in 1993. A Fateful visit to a Bear Farm in South China  There Jill experienced the gruesome conditions, and abuse of moon bears...

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    33 min
  • #30: A modern day warrior fighting for animal welfare. Jill Robinson, Animals Asia Foundation
    “You can’t un-see things,” this is what Dr.med. Jill Robinson, Founder and CEO of Animals Asia Foundation, says about her experience walking into a Bear Farm in the South of China back in 1993.
    A Fateful visit to a Bear Farm in South China 
    There Jill experienced the gruesome conditions, and abuse of moon bears first hand. She has been fighting for animal’s welfare as long as she can think of, already before the fateful visit to the Bear Farm, but something happened on this day back in 1993 that gripped her. The connection she felt to one particular bear in these devastating surroundings changed everything.
    In this episode, you will hear about her touching founding story of Animals Asia Foundation and their mission to end the farming of bears for bile in China and Vietnam, to provide sanctuaries for bears and to end suffering and ensure human treatment of dogs and cats.
    People say about Jill that she is changing lives of millions of people around the world just by caring and that there is no walking away from her because she is too precious. After meeting her in person, we understand why.
    We go back to that fateful day in 1993 when she first set foot on this gruesome Bear Farm.

    “My natural instinct was just being so angry,”Jill shares.

    She was in shock. As soon as she realised there is a herbal alternative that can take the place of Bear Bile she knew Bear Farming was even more unnecessary and from that moment on, she has been on a mission to end Bear Bile Farming forever. She never looked back.
    From the early days to growing their impact all over Asia 
    In this interview, Jill shares with our listeners the hardest part about starting out and what motivates her to push ahead. Today Animals Asia counts over 300 staff, with many of them looking after over 600 bears in their award-winning sanctuaries in China and Vietnam.
    She is proud that their impact grows continuously and draws motivation from milestones along the way, like the announcement of the end of bear bile farming in the next five years in Vietnam – a result of their many years of hard work raising awareness in the region.

    Jill has been engaged in animal welfare in China since the mid 80ies and the positive development she has experienced over the past decades, makes her keep going. Back then, there was only one animal welfare group in China; now there are a more than 150.

    A life-changing experience 
    People that have been to the Animals Asia bear sanctuaries tend to describe their visit as life-changing. It is a place of peace and energy radiating from these majestic, charismatic creatures.
    As if Jill is not already busy enough running Animals Asia Foundation, she is also heavily involved in programmes her team is implementing under the concept of “animal welfare through people welfare.”

    “We can’t turn away now. We’ve started it.We have so much to finish.”

    The impact that animals have on people’s health is immense. In 1991 she started a programme called Doctor Dog, an animal therapy programme that sends dogs to hospitals, disabled centres, elderly homes and orphanages. Now they operate in 7 countries in Asia and the doctors as well as the patients attest to the positive impact of this therapy. Another innovative programme, Professor Paws teaches children the importance of kindness and compassion.
    She has a lot of valuable advice to share with changemakers out there. One of our favourites is her call to learn to live with frustrations.

    A very humble movie star
    33 min
  • #29: Green is the new black. Making your wardrobe more sustainable. Hannah Lane, Redress.

    Making Sustainable fashion is a hot topic, and the environmental NGO Redress is doing its part to put Hong Kong at the centre of the eco-fashion world with their annual EcoChic Design Award. Every year, this competition showcases young talents who put sustainability first when it comes to their beautiful designs. 10 for 10 –...

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    39 min
  • #29: Green is the new black. Making your wardrobe more sustainable. Hannah Lane, Redress.
    Making Sustainable fashion is a hot topic, and the environmental NGO Redress is doing its part to put Hong Kong at the centre of the eco-fashion world with their annual EcoChic Design Award.
    Every year, this competition showcases young talents who put sustainability first when it comes to their beautiful designs.
    10 for 10 – A decade of meaningful work
    Redress has just celebrated 10 years fighting waste in the fashion industry. A cause for celebration is also their consistent commitment to organising the annual EcoChic Design Award that aims to inspire a new generation of designers to take action and make fashion more sustainable.
    Each year, ten global finalists battle it out with sustainable reconstruction challenges and with their own collections on the Hong Kong runway. This September, Britain’s Kate Morris won the award with her gorgeous knit collection.
    Meet Hannah Lane

    In this episode you meet Hannah Lane, Communications and Sponsorship Director at Redress and one of the forces behind the EcoChic Design Award, to find out what you can do to make your wardrobe more sustainable.
    A cartoon that influenced everything
    Hannah found her way to Redress while she was living in Shanghai eight years ago. But her passion for environmental issues goes back to her childhood and a cartoon she used to watch as a little girl. When you hear the heartwarming story of why this cartoon moved her you will quickly understand that it was inevitable, she was meant to start working in sustainability.
    It was not easy, but she never regretted the career path she took. For years she has been trying hard to convince brands to come on board and support Redress’s vision for more responsibility and sustainability in the fashion industry. Today she sees her hard work paying off.

    “I have been fighting for years. Things are really shifting. I am seeing a massive change in the last couple of years that is driving us forward.”

    Hannah shares why the first EcoChic Design Award graduates put a tear in her eye and how this educational award series has evolved in the last few years, with this year’s cycle counting applicants from 46 countries and next year’s competition opening for applications from all over the world for the very first time.
    “Dress with sense” – not just a book but a way of life
    The EcoChic Design Award is just one of the many projects that Redress is driving to educate people on how to become conscious consumers. Earlier this year Hannah, together with Redress Founder Christina Dean and Sofia Tärneberg authored “Dress with Sense – The Practical Guide to a Conscious Closet.”
    They wrote this book – a true labour of love – to appeal to the everyday consumer, introducing simple tricks and tips on how to buy, wear, care and dispose of clothes in a more sustainable way. They wanted to create something light and beautiful that anyone would be excited about picking up.

    “It was really difficult to resist going deeper. We wanted to engage the masses with the small things they could do to start stepping into sustainable consumption.”

    It is all about consciousness, and you can get active by doing something as simple as a wardrobe review, Hannah shares. You will be surprised by how many clothes you own that are just sitting in your closet. You can restyle them or give them to a friend that will use them so that they don’t go to waste.
    Expanding and Growing
    The beauty of working with a British publisher, Hannah shares, was the chance to reach a new market in Europe. The book has also been translated into French. But it does not stop in Europe.
    39 min
  • #28: Wie Claudia Stöckl die Welt jeden Tag besser macht

    “Wir wollen Spuren hinterlassen und wir wollen etwas zum Besseren verändern,” das sagt Claudia Stöckl über ihre Arbeit für ZUKI- Zukunft für Kinder.  Find the highlights of this interview in English here. Claudia Stöckl kennen die meisten als die charmante Gastgeberin der wöchentlichen Radioshow Ö3 Frühstück bei mir, die sie seit nun mehr über 20...

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    54 min
  • #28: Wie Claudia Stöckl die Welt jeden Tag besser macht
    “Wir wollen Spuren hinterlassen und wir wollen etwas zum Besseren verändern,” das sagt Claudia Stöckl über ihre Arbeit für ZUKI- Zukunft für Kinder. 
    Find the highlights of this interview in English here.
    Claudia Stöckl kennen die meisten als die charmante Gastgeberin der wöchentlichen Radioshow Ö3 Frühstück bei mir, die sie seit nun mehr über 20 Jahren in die Wohnzimmer berühmter Persönlichkeiten bringt. Im Sommer dieses Jahres wurde sie mit dem Österreichischen Radiopreis für ihre journalistische Arbeit ausgezeichnet.
    Preise hat sie nicht nur als beste Radio-Moderatorin des Landes verdient, sondern auch für ihr Engagement für den Verein ZUKI – Zukunft für Kinder. 
    Als ehrenamtliche Obfrau setzt sie sich gemeinsam mit Marlies Steinbach für Strassenkinder im indischen Kalkutta ein, versorgt sie mit einem Dach über dem Kopf, Essen, Medizin und einer Ausbildung.
    Hunderte Kinder haben dank des Engagements von ZUKI nicht nur Paten gefunden, sondern auch eine neue Zukunftsperspektive.
    Es begann alles vor gut zehn Jahren mit einer Indien-Reise.
    Das Elend in Indien so hautnah zu erleben hat Claudia Stöckl wie so viele Indienreisende sehr berührt. Sie wollte nachhaltig helfen und bei einem schicksalshaften Osteressen mit ihrer Familie erfuhr sie von der engagierten Arbeit eines kleinen, ambitionierten Vereins namens ZUKI Zukunft für Kinder. Der Rest ist Geschichte. Kurz später übernahm sie ihre erste Patenschaft.
    Claudia Stöckl verrät in diesem Interview warum sie unbedingt ein Mädchen unterstützen wollte, warum Indien rührt und welch enge Beziehung sie in den vergangenen 10 Jahren zu ihren Patenkindern entwickelt hat. 
    “Wenn wir etwas zur Umverteilung beitragen wollen, dann müssen wir ihre Lebensumstände verbessern dort wo sie leben,” sagt Claudia.
    Doch für Claudia Stöckl endete der Einsatz nicht mit der Übernahme einer Patenschaft um aus diesen benachteiligten Strassenkindern Schulabsolventen zu  machen.
    Sie motiviert andere, eine Patenschaft zu übernehmen und zieht als ehrenamtliche Obfrau hinter den Kulissen die Fäden für Benefizveranstaltungen, Fundraising, und strategische Entscheidungen.
    Sie berichtet in ihrer Freizeit bei Veranstaltungen über die ZUKI-Arbeit und ist das berühmte Gesicht des Vereins – nicht ohne zu betonen, dass es der Verdienst des gesamten ambitionierten Teams in Österreich und Indien ist, die Zahl der Patenkinder in den vergangenen Jahren auf an die 300 Kinder zu erhöhen.
    Wenn man Claudia mit Strahlen in den Augen über ihre Patenkinder sprechen hört wenn sie beschreibt wie viel Freude und Erfüllung ihr diese Aufgabe bringt, würde man auch anderen wünschen, sich für ein Herzensprojekt so engagiert einzusetzen.
    Nicht allen gelingt es, sich für Anliegen stark zu machen, denn es braucht mehr als nur den Wunsch zu Helfen. 
    “Man muss sich einen kleinen Push geben weil in der Komfortzone ist es schon verdammt bequem,” reflektiert Claudia.
    Es ist nicht immer bequem sich zu engagieren, und es verlangt Claudia viel Kraft ab, ihr ehrenamtliches Engagement mit ihrem zeitintensiven Job als Journalistin zu vereinbaren. Es ärgert sie, dass Menschen, die sich sozial engagieren, oft kleingemacht und als Gutmenschen belächelt werden.
    “Man muss das in einem Leben vereinen können. Das ist eine riesengroße Herausforderung mit dem Job, mit den 60,70 Stunden die ich arbeite pro Woche und dann noch am Abend ZUKI-Newsletters schreiben und Sitzungen machen und im Urlaub, der kein Urlaub ist sondern eine Arbeitsreise nach Kalkutta, natürlich immer verbunden mit der Freude, diesen Kindern zu begegnen. Aber ich habe mich nicht erholt wenn ich zurückkomme und meine journalistische Arbeit mache,
    54 min

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#impact invites you in to eavesdrop on intimate, raw and honest conversations on creating positive change in the world. Brought to you, with love, by Regina Larko, the voice that encourages you to get…