This is the second episode in the Nour podcast's inaugural series on the theme of leadership. 

In this episode I have a great conversation with Banks Benitez, who is a dear friend and was most recently the CEO of Uncharted, where he spent the last 10 years supporting early-stage entrepreneurs through Uncharted/Unreasonable Institute, and led Uncharted to merge with a larger national organisation, Common Future, in 2022.

Since Uncharted, has been advising multiple climate tech startups, writing for Quartz at Work, and coaching companies transition to the 4-Day Workweek. He is now Head of Venture Development at Ezra Climate, which builds climate fintech companies + platforms that accelerate adoption of climate solutions.

We hear more about Bank's leadership journey, how he frames leadership in terms of ownership and accountability, all of which are deeply tied to a trust-based culture of inclusion and belonging. This episode has lots of practical insights and tips on creating thriving workplace cultures that enable each of us to show up more fully as our whole selves. 

Show notes

In this first episode of Nour, I am joined by the one and only Laurie Spengler. I have come to know Laurie through my work at GenderSmart where she has been on our Advisory Council, and a prominent and eminent thought leader in the field of gender finance. She is an impact investment banker, board member and active contributor to the impact investing industry. Laurie is CEO of Courageous Capital Advisors, LLC, an impact investing advisory firm dedicated to generating outsized positive impact by providing targeted strategy, transaction and governance services.

Among her current board engagements, she serves as a non-executive director of the British International Investment (the UK DFI), Lendable, the UK Impact Investing Institute and Bridges Insights. Laurie serves as Global Ambassador to the Global Steering Group on Impact Investing and is Senior Fellow and Advisory Council member at Casei3 at the Fuqua Business School.

In this episode, we meander through Laurie's leadership journey, leaders that have inspired her and all that she has come to understand and embrace about what is needed to show up as your whole self  and to have a sustained impact. We also zone in on leadership in our field of gender finance and what is needed to unlock more gender-smart capital at scale. 

Show Notes