Radical Truth

Are we paralyzing ourselves with bad news? In this TBLI Radical Truth Podcast, host Robert Rubinstein is joined by Angus Hervey, political economist and founder of Fix The News (formerly Future Crunch).

Angus reveals the "radical truth" about the media's obsession with "doom and gloom" and why it's a barrier to real-world action. We explore the data-driven case for Intelligent Optimism—an evidence-based approach highlighting massive, overlooked wins in clean energy, global health, and poverty reduction. If you want to understand how "hope as a verb" can drive sustainable finance and ESG integration, this is the conversation you need.

What You'll Learn:

• Why Your Brain is Wired for Bad News - The evolutionary psychology behind our negativity bias and how to hack it to enable action instead of paralysis in the face of climate crisis and social challenges
• Fix The News: Data on Global Progress - The most compelling data points on global progress in 2026, from renewable energy deployment to poverty reduction to disease elimination that media ignores
• From Paralysis to Action - How Intelligent Optimism fuels sustainable investment and ESG integration by shifting from doom-scrolling despair to evidence-based problem-solving and action
• Changing the Story - Why the stories we tell ourselves about the future determine outcomes, and how narrative framing influences capital allocation, policy decisions, and individual behavior
• Hope as a Verb - Moving beyond passive optimism to active, evidence-informed engagement that drives measurable impact in sustainable finance and climate action
• The Media's Failure - Why mainstream media's focus on catastrophe and conflict creates learned helplessness and prevents the optimism needed for transformative action

Key Timestamps:

• 11:20 – Why the human brain is wired for bad news (and how to hack it)
• 23:45 – Fix The News: Compelling data on global progress in 2026
• 35:10 – From Paralysis to Action: How Intelligent Optimism fuels sustainable investment
• 48:30 – Changing the Story: Why our narratives determine our future

Why This Matters:

Doom-scrolling isn't just bad for mental health—it's paralyzing climate action and sustainable finance. When media feeds us only catastrophe, we lose the capacity to imagine solutions and the motivation to act. Yet the data tells a different story: renewable energy is accelerating exponentially, global poverty is plummeting, disease elimination is accelerating.

Angus Hervey's Fix The News curates evidence-based optimism—not denying challenges, but refusing to ignore progress. This matters for investors and ESG professionals because capital flows toward perceived opportunity, not hopeless despair. Intelligent Optimism isn't naïve cheerleading; it's recognizing what's working, scaling solutions, and maintaining the psychological resilience needed for long-term transformation.

For anyone working in impact investing, climate finance, or sustainable development who feels overwhelmed by negative news, this conversation offers a powerful reframe: hope as evidence-based action.

About Angus Hervey:Political economist and founder of Fix The News (formerly Future Crunch). Expert in Intelligent Optimism, global development trends, and science communication. Curator of evidence-based progress stories challenging media negativity bias.

About TBLI Radical Truth Podcast:TBLI Radical Truth Podcast challenges conventional narratives, exploring evidence-based optimism and solutions driving sustainable finance.

Part of TBLI Group—the world's leading ESG and impact investing network for 25 years.

Learn more: https://www.tbligroup.comFix The News: https://fixthenews.com

#TBLIRadicalTruth #IntelligentOptimism #FixTheNews #AngusHervey #FutureCrunch #SustainableFinance #ESG #GlobalProgress #ClimateAction #ImpactInvesting #PositiveNews #EvidenceBasedOptimism #HopeAsAVerb

Is the traditional business school model obsolete in a world facing climate collapse? In this TBLI Radical Truth Podcast, host Robert Rubinstein sits down with Professor Martin Parker (University of Bristol), a leading internal critic of global management education and author of "Shut Down the Business School."

Martin shares his "radical truth" on how we can organize beyond hierarchy and traditional management. We explore the explosive growth of the "business school complex," why rankings are often misleading, and how to build a low-carbon, high-inclusion, and democratic economy.

What You'll Learn:

• Networking vs. Knowledge - Are business schools just elite social clubs providing credentials and connections rather than education, perpetuating inequality while claiming to teach meritocratic success?
• The Responsibility of Educators - Why business schools must produce students who value the planet and people over profit, and how current MBA programs systematically fail this responsibility
• Moving Beyond Neoliberalism - Why market-based ideas and shareholder capitalism struggle to solve climate change, and what alternative economic models could replace them
• Embedding the University in Community - How Bristol University is leading the way in green initiatives and the Bristol Inclusive Economy Initiative, demonstrating how universities can actively support sustainable development
• The Business School Complex - Understanding the explosive growth of management education globally and why business school rankings mislead students, employers, and society about educational quality
• Organizing Beyond Hierarchy - Exploring cooperative models, worker ownership, mutual organizations, and democratic workplace alternatives that business schools systematically ignore

Key Timestamps:

• 11:04 – Networking vs. Knowledge: Are business schools elite social clubs?
• 18:52 – The Responsibility of Educators: Valuing planet over profit
• 27:14 – Moving Beyond Neoliberalism: Why markets fail climate action
• 42:02 – Embedding the University: Bristol's green initiatives

Why This Matters:

Business schools shape the worldview of corporate leaders, consultants, and investors managing trillions. Yet most MBA programs teach narrow ideology: maximize shareholder value, trust market efficiency, treat management as neutral technique.

Professor Parker argues this is propaganda masquerading as education. As climate crisis accelerates and inequality deepens, business schools continue producing graduates optimized for extracting value rather than creating sustainable, equitable organizations.

For anyone in sustainable finance, impact investing, or ESG wondering why corporate behavior remains extractive despite sustainability commitments, this conversation reveals the educational pipeline producing executives incapable of imagining alternatives to shareholder primacy.

About Professor Martin Parker:Professor of Organisation Studies, University of Bristol. Distinguished Fellow, Schumacher Institute. Author of "Shut Down the Business School" and "Anarchism, Organization and Management." Lead, Bristol Inclusive Economy Initiative. Prominent critic of neoliberal management education advocating for democratic organizational alternatives.

About TBLI Radical Truth Podcast:TBLI Radical Truth Podcast challenges fundamental assumptions about business, finance, and organization, exploring radical alternatives to shareholder capitalism.

Part of TBLI Group—the world's leading ESG and impact investing network for 25 years.

Learn more: https://www.tbligroup.comBristol University: [Link]

#TBLIRadicalTruth #BusinessSchools #MartinParker #ManagementEducation #AlternativeEconomics #Sustainability #GreenEconomy #InclusiveEconomy #HigherEducation #ESG #ClimateAction #WorkerCooperatives #DemocraticEconomy #BusinessReform #StakeholderCapitalism

Can you reduce global carbon emissions without a bank account? In this TBLI Radical Truth Podcast, host Robert Rubinstein talks with Robert Stern, founder of the See-Through Network.

Robert shares his "Radical Truth" on why traditional climate activism often fails and how he uses "Transparent Trojan Horses" to move people from inactivity to action. We dive into his unique zero-budget business model, the power of radical transparency, and how local Facebook groups can influence national environmental policy.

What You'll Learn:

• The 10-Word Mission - "Speeding up carbon drawdown by helping the inactive become active"—why focusing on converting climate "inactivists" rather than preaching to the converted scales impact
• Why the "Green" Label Fails - The psychology behind the See-Through brand and why leading with environmental messaging alienates most people who've tuned out climate discourse
• Transparent Trojan Horses - How storytelling, humor, and narrative craft engage people on topics they care about (community, identity, fairness) while smuggling in climate action
• The Act Game - Using "tightly worded legal clauses" and behavioral nudges to force political accountability and turn vague climate commitments into measurable action
• The Productivity of Zero - Why Robert Stern's zero-budget model removes perverse incentives, eliminates organizational bloat, and makes See-Through Network 10x more effective than funded climate organizations

Key Timestamps:

• 10:10 – The 10-word mission: Helping the inactive become active
• 22:28 – Why the "Green" label can be a barrier
• 39:45 – The Act Game: Using legal clauses for political accountability
• 1:04:49 – The productivity of zero: Why removing money increases effectiveness

Why This Matters:

Most climate activism targets people who already care—the "choir." Meanwhile, the vast majority remains inactive: not deniers, just disengaged, overwhelmed, or alienated by doom-and-gloom messaging.

Robert Stern spent three decades as journalist, documentary filmmaker, and cross-cultural communicator before founding See-Through News with a radical premise: traditional climate activism is failing because it's terrible storytelling. Instead of guilt-tripping about carbon footprints, See-Through uses sophisticated narrative techniques to spark curiosity, humor, and engagement—turning "inactivists" into activists without mentioning climate change upfront.

His zero-budget model proves you don't need grants or sponsors to drive measurable carbon reduction. You need good stories, radical transparency, and behavioral psychology.

About Robert Stern:Founder of See-Through News. Former journalist and documentary filmmaker (ABC News Tokyo, CNN Beijing, NHK). Creator of "The Truth Lies in Bedtime Stories" podcast. Expert in storytelling for climate action and behavioral change. Self-described "Nuance Warrior."

About TBLI Radical Truth Podcast:TBLI Radical Truth Podcast explores unconventional strategies for climate action, challenging traditional activism and ESG approaches.

Part of TBLI Group—the world's leading ESG and impact investing network for 25 years.

Learn more: https://www.tbligroup.comSee-Through: https://www.seethroughcarbon.org

#TBLIRadicalTruth #ClimateAction #Storytelling #RobertStern #SeeThroughNews #CarbonDrawdown #BehavioralScience #ClimateActivism #ZeroBudget #NarrativeChange #ClimateCommunication #Sustainability #GrassrootsActivism

Is your company's greatest asset—its people and knowledge—missing from your financial statements? In this TBLI Radical Truth Podcast, host Robert Rubinstein talks with Ludo Pieters, founder of the Ariopa Group, who has spent decades solving the "accounting crisis" of the knowledge economy.

Ludo reveals his "Radical Truth" on how to transform intangible assets like IP and ESG initiatives into audited, monetary values that banks and investors can actually leverage. We explore his 10-step methodology for moving from tacit to explicit knowledge, creating multiple money streams, and why traditional accounting is still stuck in "Jurassic Park."

What You'll Learn:

• The 87% Problem - Why 87% of the economy is knowledge-based, yet invisible to accountants and financial statements, creating a massive valuation gap for modern companies
• IAS 38 & Auditing - How Ariopa's methodology was accepted by the International Accounting Standards board, enabling audited monetary valuation of intangible assets previously considered unquantifiable
• Multiple Money Stream Creation - Case study on turning one software product into an $800M revenue engine by systematically identifying and monetizing hidden intellectual capital
• ESGV: Adding "Value" to ESG - Moving sustainability from a cost center to a profit center by quantifying and monetizing ESG initiatives on the balance sheet, not just in sustainability reports
• The KMI Model - Knowledge Management Inside: How to de-risk SME loans for banks by valuing intellectual capital as collateral, unlocking financing for knowledge-based businesses
• From Tacit to Explicit Knowledge - Ludo's 10-step methodology for identifying, documenting, protecting, and monetizing the intellectual capital hidden in employee expertise and organizational processes

Key Timestamps:

• 09:32 – Why 87% of economy is knowledge-based, yet invisible to accountants
• 18:18 – IAS 38 & Auditing: Ariopa's methodology accepted by accounting standards
• 29:21 – Multiple Money Streams: $800M revenue from one software product
• 55:16 – ESGV: Moving sustainability from cost center to profit center
• 1:08:25 – The KMI model: De-risking SME loans

Why This Matters:

Traditional accounting was designed for industrial economies: factories, inventory, physical assets. But today's economy runs on knowledge, intellectual property, brand value, customer relationships, and sustainability practices—none of which appear on balance sheets.

This creates a crisis: companies with massive intangible value can't access financing because banks don't recognize knowledge as collateral. ESG initiatives are treated as costs, not assets. Intellectual capital walks out the door when employees leave, unprotected and unmonetized.

Ludo Pieters has spent decades solving this. His Ariopa methodology transforms intangibles into audited monetary values accepted by international accounting standards, enabling companies to securitize intellectual capital, monetize ESG, and access financing based on their true value.

For CFOs, impact investors, and ESG professionals frustrated by the gap between sustainability commitments and financial recognition, this conversation offers a roadmap for making intangible value tangible.

About Ludo Pieters:Founder, Ariopa Group. Pioneer in intellectual capital valuation and intangible asset accounting. Developer of IAS 38-compliant methodology for auditing knowledge assets. Expert in ESGV (ESG Value) and the KMI (Knowledge Management Inside) model.

About TBLI Radical Truth Podcast:TBLI Radical Truth Podcast explores innovations in sustainable finance, ESG integration, and accounting reform.

Part of TBLI Group—the world's leading ESG and impact investing network for 25 years.

Learn more: https://www.tbligroup.comAriopa Group: [Link]

#TBLIRadicalTruth #IntangibleAssets #LudoPieters #ESG #ESGV #SustainableFinance #AccountingReform #IntellectualCapital #ImpactInvesting #KnowledgeEconomy #SMEFinance #IAS38 #BalanceSheet #ESGValue

FOR SPOTIFY (UNDER 4000 CHARACTERS):

Ending the ESG Data Mess: AI, Marketplaces & Frictionless Impact | Frank Tobé (Supernova)

Why has sustainability data become an "esoteric mess," and how do we fix it? In this TBLI Radical Truth Podcast, host Robert Rubinstein sits down with Frank Tobé, co-founder and CEO of Supernova—an AI-enabled marketplace designed to help investors find, understand, and act on sustainability data without friction.

Frank brings a unique perspective as third-generation entrepreneur (Kruidvat Holding) and board member of DOB Equity and DOB Ecology. We explore the "Radical Truth" of Data Convergence: moving from fragmented data to actionable insights needed to build compliant, high-impact portfolios.

What You'll Learn:

• The Divergence Problem - How ESG data became a complicated, esoteric barrier to entry, with thousands of metrics, conflicting methodologies, and no standardization preventing investors from making informed decisions
• The Supernova Vision - Using AI to create a frictionless marketplace for sustainability data, enabling investors to access, analyze, and act on ESG information without requiring specialized expertise
• Data Convergence - Bridging the gap between raw sustainability data and investment action by translating complex ESG metrics into decision-ready insights for portfolio construction
• AI-Enabled Sustainability Intelligence - How artificial intelligence can cut through the noise of ESG ratings, identify material sustainability factors, and deliver actionable investment intelligence at scale
• Family Office Insights - Lessons from DOB Equity on venture capital investing in East Africa, including how family offices approach impact investing, sustainability due diligence, and emerging market opportunities
• Moving Beyond Compliance - Why ESG data infrastructure needs to serve both regulatory compliance (SFDR, CSRD) and genuine impact measurement, not just box-checking exercises

Key Timestamps:

• 12:15 – The Divergence: How ESG data became an esoteric barrier
• 24:40 – The Supernova Vision: AI for frictionless sustainability marketplace
• 38:10 – Convergence: Bridging raw data and investment action
• 52:20 – Family Office Insights: VC investing in East Africa

Why This Matters:

ESG data is broken. Investors face thousands of metrics, dozens of rating agencies with conflicting methodologies, fragmented disclosure standards, and regulatory requirements demanding data that doesn't exist or isn't standardized. The result: paralysis, superficial compliance, or avoidance of sustainable investing entirely.

Frank Tobé, coming from both entrepreneurial and family office backgrounds, understands this frustration. Supernova tackles it by using AI to create a marketplace where investors can access curated, actionable sustainability intelligence without needing PhD-level ESG expertise.

This isn't just about data aggregation—it's about convergence: translating the messy reality of sustainability data into investment decisions that meet both fiduciary duty and impact objectives.

For asset managers, family offices, and institutional investors overwhelmed by ESG data complexity, this conversation offers a vision of frictionless sustainable investing enabled by technology.

About Frank Tobé:Co-founder and CEO, Supernova. Third-generation entrepreneur (Kruidvat Holding). Board member, DOB Equity and DOB Ecology. Expert in ESG data infrastructure, AI-enabled sustainability intelligence, and impact investing in emerging markets.

About TBLI Radical Truth Podcast:TBLI Radical Truth Podcast explores innovations solving critical challenges in sustainable finance and ESG integration.

Part of TBLI Group—the world's leading ESG and impact investing network for 25 years.

Learn more: https://www.tbligroup.com

#TBLIRadicalTruth #ESGData #SupernovaAI #FrankTobe #SustainableFinance #ImpactInvesting #AIforESG #FamilyOffice #VentureCapital #ESGIntelligence #DataConvergence #SustainabilityData #ESGRatings #FrictionlessImpact

Is diversity the untapped source of market alpha? In this TBLI Radical Truth Podcast, host Robert Rubinstein is joined by Bahiyah Yasmeen Robinson, Founding Partner of Include Ventures.

Bahiyah shares her "Radical Truth" on building a blended finance flywheel that has catalyzed over $2 billion in impact capital. We discuss the leading women driving climate change and sustainability across the US, UK, and Africa, and how inclusive investing is moving from a moral imperative to a core driver of financial value. Discover the measurement frameworks actually working for double and triple bottom line impact in 2026.

What You'll Learn:

• The Inclusion Gap - Why only 1% of assets under management are controlled by diverse teams, and how this concentration of capital in homogeneous networks creates systemic blind spots and missed investment opportunities
• Climate Justice Initiative - Financing the next generation of green fund managers from underrepresented communities who bring unique insights into climate solutions, environmental justice, and sustainable development
• Hope as a Strategy - Scaling gender and racial diversity in global capital markets by building infrastructure supporting BIPOC fund managers, women-led investment teams, and inclusive investment ecosystems
• Blended Finance Flywheel - How Bahiyah's model has catalyzed over $2 billion in impact capital by combining philanthropic, institutional, and commercial capital to de-risk investments in underrepresented managers
• Measurement & Accountability - Frameworks for verifiable triple-bottom-line impact that go beyond simplistic diversity metrics to measure actual financial performance, environmental outcomes, and social equity
• From Moral Imperative to Market Alpha - Why investing in diverse fund managers isn't just ethical—it's financially superior, accessing deal flow, market insights, and innovation that homogeneous networks systematically miss

Key Timestamps:

• 08:45 – The Inclusion Gap: Why only 1% of assets are managed by diverse teams
• 19:30 – Climate Justice Initiative: Financing green fund managers
• 32:10 – Hope as a Strategy: Scaling diversity in capital markets
• 45:50 – Measurement & Accountability: Triple-bottom-line frameworks

Why This Matters:

Despite decades of talk about diversity in finance, only 1% of assets under management are controlled by diverse teams. This isn't just unfair—it's financially inefficient. Homogeneous investment networks systematically miss opportunities, overlook emerging markets, and fail to understand consumer trends driving the future economy.

Bahiyah Yasmeen Robinson has spent years building the infrastructure to change this. Include Ventures doesn't just advocate for diversity—it provides capital, ecosystem support, and measurement frameworks enabling BIPOC fund managers and women-led investment teams to prove their value proposition.

The result: over $2 billion catalyzed, demonstrating that inclusive investing delivers both superior financial returns and measurable social impact. For institutional investors, family offices, and asset allocators serious about ESG and impact investing, this conversation reveals why diversity isn't a quota—it's alpha.

About Bahiyah Yasmeen Robinson:Founding Partner, Include Ventures (formerly VC Include). Expert in inclusive investing, blended finance, and BIPOC fund manager ecosystem building. Champion of climate justice, gender equity in finance, and triple-bottom-line impact measurement.

About TBLI Radical Truth Podcast:TBLI Radical Truth Podcast explores how inclusive investing and diversity drive both financial performance and social impact.

Part of TBLI Group—the world's leading ESG and impact investing network for 25 years.

Learn more: https://www.tbligroup.comVC Include: [Link]

#TBLIRadicalTruth #InclusiveInvesting #ImpactInvesting #BIPOC #DiversityInFinance #ClimateJustice #SustainableFinance #TripleBottomLine #GenderEquity #BlendedFinance #ESG #InclusionAlpha #DiverseFundManagers

Are the SDGs just a list of 17 goals, or a revolution in global responsibility? In this TBLI Radical Truth Podcast, host Robert Rubinstein is joined by Paula Caballero, the "Mother of the SDGs" and Regional Managing Director at The Nature Conservancy.

Paula reveals the "radical truth" behind the genesis of the Sustainable Development Goals. She explains how a small team from the Global South upended the traditional UN power structure to create a truly universal agenda—one that shatters the divide between "developed" and "developing" nations. We explore why SDG 12 (Consumption and Production) is the "mother of all goals" and what's urgently needed to move from policy rhetoric to on-the-ground implementation by 2030.

What You'll Learn:

• The Paradigm Shift - Moving from paternalistic aid models where rich countries dictate development priorities to shared global responsibility where every nation commits to transformation
• MDGs vs. SDGs - Why the Millennium Development Goals failed by treating environment as separate from development, and how the SDGs recognize environment as the core of the development equation
• The Power of SDG 12 - How changing consumption and production patterns in wealthy nations is the "mother of all goals"—fixing systemic drivers of poverty, inequality, and environmental destruction
• Implementation Realities - The technical, science-based approach to meeting 2030 targets, and why current progress is dangerously off-track for most SDGs
• Upending UN Power Structures - How a small team from the Global South navigated geopolitics to create universal goals that hold wealthy nations accountable for their consumption patterns, not just poor nations for their development
• From Policy Rhetoric to Action - What's needed to move beyond aspirational frameworks to measurable implementation, financing mechanisms, and political accountability

Key Timestamps:

• 12:15 – The Paradigm Shift: From paternalistic aid to shared responsibility
• 25:40 – MDGs vs. SDGs: Why environment is core to development
• 38:20 – The Power of SDG 12: How changing consumption fixes the system
• 50:10 – Implementation Realities: Meeting 2030 targets

Why This Matters:

The Millennium Development Goals treated poverty as a "developing world" problem, with wealthy nations as benevolent donors. Paula Caballero and her team from Colombia changed this by creating the SDGs—universal goals holding every nation accountable for transformation.

The radical innovation: recognizing that overconsumption in wealthy nations drives poverty and environmental destruction in the Global South. SDG 12 (Responsible Consumption and Production) makes this explicit: solving global challenges requires wealthy nations to change their economic models, not just send aid.

But we're failing. Most SDG targets won't be met by 2030 without dramatic acceleration. Paula shares what's needed: science-based implementation, political accountability, and financing mechanisms that move beyond rhetoric.

For impact investors, ESG professionals, and development finance practitioners, this conversation reveals the gap between SDG aspirations and current reality—and what it will take to close it.

About Paula Caballero:"Mother of the SDGs." Regional Managing Director, The Nature Conservancy. Former Colombian diplomat who led creation of Sustainable Development Goals. Expert in global environmental policy, sustainable development, and international negotiations. Champion of environmental justice and systemic change.

About TBLI Radical Truth Podcast:TBLI Radical Truth Podcast explores the gap between global sustainability commitments and implementation reality.

Part of TBLI Group—the world's leading ESG and impact investing network for 25 years.

Learn more: https://www.tbligroup.comThe Nature Conservancy: [Link]

#TBLIRadicalTruth #SDGs #PaulaCaballero #SustainableDevelopment #Agenda2030 #SDG12 #ClimateAction #ESG #ImpactInvesting #GlobalSouth #EnvironmentalJustice #MDGs #UNGoals #SystemicChange

FOR SPOTIFY (UNDER 4000 CHARACTERS):

Why Social Capital is the Real Currency of the New Economy | Bert-Ola Bergstrand

Is our focus on financial capital blinding us to the power of human connection? In this TBLI Radical Truth Podcast, host Robert Rubinstein sits down with Bert-Ola Bergstrand, a systems entrepreneur and leading architect of the "New Economy."

Bert-Ola reveals why Social Capital is the essential lubricant for sustainable finance and systemic change. We explore his "Learning Society" framework and discuss how connecting people, passion, and places creates resilience needed for a future-proof society. Understand how to move from transactional to relational impact.

What You'll Learn:

• Social Capital as Hidden Asset - Why social capital—networks of trust, collaboration, and shared purpose—is the most undervalued asset in ESG frameworks and impact investing, yet essential for systemic transformation
• Building Social Capital - Practical steps to catalyze trust in complex systems, create collaborative networks, and leverage human relationships as infrastructure for sustainable development
• The Learning Society Framework - A new model based on collective intelligence, continuous adaptation, and shared learning rather than hierarchical knowledge transfer or competitive advantage
• Systems Entrepreneurship - How to weave together diverse initiatives like Katapult, United Cities, and the global impact movement into coherent ecosystems that amplify individual efforts
• From Transactional to Relational Impact - Why impact investing must shift from measuring isolated financial returns to understanding relational value, ecosystem health, and social fabric strength
• Connecting People, Passion, and Places - How geographic communities, shared values, and human connection create resilience that financial capital alone cannot buy

Key Timestamps:

• 10:45 – Social Capital as most undervalued ESG asset
• 22:30 – Building trust in complex systems
• 35:15 – The Learning Society framework
• 48:50 – Systems Entrepreneurship: Weaving global impact movement

Why This Matters:

Financial capital is abundant. What's scarce is social capital: the trust, relationships, and collaborative networks enabling capital to flow productively toward impact.

ESG frameworks measure carbon emissions and board diversity—but ignore the social fabric enabling transformation. Impact investors focus on financial returns and metrics, missing the relational infrastructure determining whether initiatives succeed or fail.

Bert-Ola Bergstrand has spent decades building social capital infrastructure through systems entrepreneurship—creating platforms, networks, and frameworks connecting impact leaders globally. His "Learning Society" framework recognizes sustainable development isn't about deploying more capital—it's about building ecosystems where people learn, adapt, and collaborate continuously.

For impact investors, ESG professionals, and social entrepreneurs frustrated by siloed initiatives and limited scale, this conversation reveals why social capital is the real currency of systemic change.

About Bert-Ola Bergstrand:Systems entrepreneur and "New Economy" architect. Founder/co-founder of Katapult, United Cities, and collaborative impact initiatives. Expert in social capital building, ecosystem design, and collective intelligence frameworks.

About TBLI Radical Truth Podcast:TBLI Radical Truth Podcast explores the invisible infrastructure of trust, relationships, and social capital enabling sustainable finance and systemic change.

Part of TBLI Group—the world's leading ESG and impact investing network for 25 years.

Learn more: https://www.tbligroup.com

#TBLIRadicalTruth #SocialCapital #BertOlaBergstrand #SystemsEntrepreneurship #NewEconomy #ImpactInvesting #LearningSociety #SustainableDevelopment #CollectiveIntelligence #ESG #RelationalImpact #TrustNetworks #EcosystemBuilding

Are you drowning in ESG data but starving for insights? In this TBLI Radical Truth Podcast, host Robert Rubinstein sits down with Dr. Grégory Schneider-Maunoury, one of Europe's leading economists and ESG data experts.

Grégory reveals his "Radical Truth" on the practical realities of sustainability metrics. Moving beyond theory, he walks us through three detailed case studies demonstrating how to gather, filter, and apply ESG data to strengthen investment decisions and manage long-term risk. Learn how to separate genuine sustainability signals from the "noise" of modern corporate reporting.

What You'll Learn:

• The Data Dilemma - Why more ESG data doesn't always lead to better investment decisions, and how information overload creates paralysis rather than clarity for investors
• Case Study 1: Environmental Metrics in Risk Models - Integrating environmental data into traditional financial risk models, demonstrating how carbon emissions, water usage, and climate exposure translate into quantifiable financial risks
• Case Study 2: Measuring Social Impact Without Fluff - Cutting through vague corporate social responsibility rhetoric to identify material social metrics that actually predict workforce stability, community relations, and long-term value creation
• Case Study 3: Governance Data for Value Creation - Leveraging governance data—board composition, executive compensation alignment, shareholder rights—to predict long-term financial performance and identify red flags
• The Future of Data Science - How AI and machine learning are evolving impact analysis in 2026, enabling faster processing of unstructured ESG data and identification of material sustainability factors
• From Data to Decisions - Practical frameworks for filtering thousands of ESG metrics down to the 10-20 that actually matter for investment performance and risk management in specific sectors

Key Timestamps:

• 11:30 – The Data Dilemma: Why more data doesn't mean better decisions
• 23:45 – Case Study 1: Environmental metrics in risk models
• 35:20 – Case Study 2: Measuring social impact without fluff
• 48:10 – Case Study 3: Governance data for value creation
• 1:02:05 – The Future of Data Science: AI and impact analysis in 2026

Why This Matters:

ESG data has exploded: thousands of metrics, hundreds of rating agencies, conflicting methodologies, and regulatory requirements demanding disclosure of everything. The result isn't clarity—it's paralysis.

Dr. Grégory Schneider-Maunoury, economist and ESG data expert, offers a solution: focus on materiality, use case studies to demonstrate practical integration, and apply rigorous data science to separate signal from noise.

Through three detailed case studies, Grégory shows how to actually use ESG data to strengthen investment decisions, manage risk, and create long-term value—not just comply with regulations or greenwash portfolios.

For asset managers, ESG analysts, and institutional investors overwhelmed by sustainability data, this conversation provides actionable frameworks for turning information overload into investment intelligence.

About Dr. Grégory Schneider-Maunoury:Economist, researcher, and one of Europe's leading ESG data experts. Specialist in ESG integration, impact analysis, and data science applications in sustainable finance. Expert in materiality assessment and quantitative ESG analysis.

About TBLI Radical Truth Podcast:TBLI Radical Truth Podcast delivers technical deep-dives on ESG data integration and sustainable finance implementation.

Part of TBLI Group—the world's leading ESG and impact investing network for 25 years.

Learn more: https://www.tbligroup.com

#TBLIRadicalTruth #ESGData #GrégorySchneiderMaunoury #ImpactAnalysis #SustainableFinance #DataScience #ESGIntegration #InvestmentStrategy #ESGMetrics #MaterialityAssessment #RiskManagement #AIforESG

Is your company's ESG strategy actually aligned with reality? In this TBLI Radical Truth Podcast, host Robert Rubinstein is joined by B. Lorraine Smith, a veteran sustainability advisor and "corporate mischievist" who has been challenging global corporations since 2004.

Lorraine shares her "Radical Truth" on why most ESG disclosures are misaligned with the actual needs of our planet and society. We dive into her concept of "Matereality," explore why an economy in service of life is not only possible but inevitable, and discuss why curiosity and connectedness are a leader's greatest assets in the 21st century.

What You'll Learn:

• The Service of Life - Defining an economy that prioritizes planetary health and human flourishing over shareholder returns, and why this isn't idealism but practical necessity for long-term business viability
• Matereality vs. Materiality - Why we need to "respell" corporate truth: moving from financial materiality (what matters to shareholders) to "matereality" (what matters to Mother Earth and life systems)
• The ESG Trap - Why ESG disclosures and sustainability reports are meaningless performance theater without a life-aligned corporate purpose, and how companies use reporting to obscure rather than reveal impact
• Corporate Mischief - How to tell the truth in a system designed for spin, greenwashing, and stakeholder management—practical strategies for corporate insiders committed to authentic transformation
• Endurance & Craft - Lessons from ultra-running and textile arts for sustainable leadership: patience, resilience, attention to materials, and understanding that transformation is a long-distance journey, not a sprint
• Curiosity and Connectedness - Why these qualities are a leader's greatest assets in navigating complexity, systemic crisis, and the transition to regenerative business models

Key Timestamps:

• 09:15 – The Service of Life: Defining an economy prioritizing planetary health
• 21:40 – Matereality vs. Materiality: Respelling corporate truth
• 33:10 – The ESG Trap: Disclosures without life-aligned purpose
• 46:25 – Corporate Mischief: Telling truth in a system of spin
• 58:50 – Endurance & Craft: Ultra-running lessons for sustainable leadership

Why This Matters:

ESG has become a reporting exercise: companies disclose metrics, publish sustainability reports, and claim progress while business models fundamentally misaligned with planetary health continue unchanged.

B. Lorraine Smith, after two decades advising global corporations, cuts through this performance. Her "Matereality" framework asks: What if we measured corporate success not by what's material to shareholders, but by what's material to life itself?

This isn't anti-business idealism—it's recognition that companies operating in extractive, life-degrading ways won't survive the 21st century. The question isn't whether business will serve life, but which companies will lead the transition and which will collapse resisting it.

For corporate sustainability officers, ESG professionals, and business leaders frustrated by the gap between disclosure and reality, this conversation offers both radical honesty and practical pathways forward.

About B. Lorraine Smith:Sustainability advisor, writer, and "corporate mischievist" with nearly 20 years challenging global corporations. Creator of the Matereality framework. Ultra-distance runner and textile artist. Expert in regenerative business, authentic corporate transformation, and life-aligned economics.

About TBLI Radical Truth Podcast:TBLI Radical Truth Podcast explores honest conversations about ESG reality, corporate transformation, and regenerative economics.

Part of TBLI Group—the world's leading ESG and impact investing network for 25 years.

Learn more: https://www.tbligroup.comMatereality: BLorraineSmith.com

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