What does it take to defend the Amazon, and why does it matter for the whole world? 

In this episode of Reimagining Government, hosts Gabrielle Beran and Kandice Louis-Wilson speak with Daniela Orofino Poubel, Director at Amazônia de Pé, a Brazilian grassroots movement uniting over 300 organisations to protect the rainforest and its peoples. 

Daniela shares her journey from organising on the ground to building national coalitions, the challenges and power of collective action, and why optimism is as vital as urgency in the climate fight. 

This conversation reveals lessons for governments everywhere on listening to grassroots voices, learning from Indigenous knowledge, and rethinking who holds power as the world responds to a changing climate.

What does it take for a city to cut nearly all of its emissions in just a few years? 

In this episode of Reimagining Government, hosts Gabrielle Beran and Kandice Louis-Wilson speak with Heidi Sørensen, Director of Oslo’s Climate Agency. 

Heidi explains how the city’s groundbreaking Climate Budget is turning bold targets into real progress, why public buy-in is just as important as policy, and how optimism can unlock faster action. 

With lessons for cities everywhere, this conversation reveals how local leadership and long-term vision can turn climate ambition into real change.

How do we shift power to confront climate change head-on? 

In this episode of Reimagining Government, hosts Gabrielle Beran and Kandice Louis-Wilson sit down with Kumi Naidoo, lifelong activist and former head of Greenpeace and Amnesty International.

Kumi reflects on lessons from decades of campaigning for climate justice and human rights, the risks of staying silent in the face of crisis, and the urgent need to put marginalised voices at the centre of decision-making. 

This powerful conversation highlights why reimagining leadership is essential for building a more just and sustainable future.

What does it take to make our cities liveable in a world that is rapidly heating?

In this first episode of Reimagining Government's new season, hosts Gabrielle Beran and Kandice Louis-Wilson speak with Eleni Myrivili, the UN's first Chief Heat Officer and former Deputy Mayor of Athens.

Eleni shares how extreme heat exposes deep inequalities, why climate action is inseparable from questions of power, and how centring justice and care can transform how we design and govern our cities.

This conversation sets the stage for a season spotlighting women and gender-diverse leaders reimagining climate governance from the ground up.

Season four of Reimagining Government is back on October 9th, 2025, and we ask a bold question: what if tackling climate change starts with rethinking who holds power?

Across six episodes, we spotlight women and gender-diverse leaders who aren’t just responding to climate change — they’re redesigning cities, challenging climate colonialism, defending the Amazon, mobilising global activism, and bringing youth voices into politics and policy.

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In every podcast episode, we meet people who work in government and public service. We’re always impressed by their passion and commitment. But what drew them to their work, what drives them and why do they keep doing such a tough job?

In this episode, we talk to real public servants about the joys and challenges of their work. 

In this episode:

• Adrian Brown (host): Centre for Public Impact
• Pierre Berastain (host): Interim Executive Director, Centre for Public Impact
• Leina’ala Nakamura, Administrator at City and County of Honolulu, Hawaii
• Council Woman Pierina Sanchez, 14th Council District, New York

We all know games are fun, but what if they could help us tackle the very real challenges we face in government?

Our host Adrian Brown talks to Keshav Sahani about how games are being used to change behaviour, build community relationships and improve policies in Brazil and India.

• Host: Adrian Brown, Centre for Public Impact
• Co-host: Keshav Sahani, formerly of Centre for Public Impact
• Tais Costa, Fortaleza City Government, Brazil
• Trina Talukdar, Fields of View, Bangalore, India

Regulation: a word that sends shivers down the spines of many public servants across the globe. But are we looking at it wrong? Can regulation be something that we embrace as a route to innovation in public service?

In this episode, we hear about practical examples of regulation being done differently to achieve real change. 

Featured in this episode:

• Adrian Brown (host), Centre for Public Impact
• Carina Gormley (host), Centre for Public Impact
• Connie Binkowitz, Director for Development of Public Policy, Center for Transforming Communities in Memphis, Tennessee
• Thomas Johnson, Greater Manchester Combined Authority, Head of Reform Strategy and Policy

Impact means different things to different people, depending on things like positions of power, units of measurement, and personal biases. So is impact really the thing we should be striving for, or is there something else we should be considering?

In this episode, we speak to two leaders who are reimagining impact evaluation systems to make them more meaningful and effective.

Featured in this episode:

• Adrian Brown (Host), Centre for Public Impact
• Pravallika Valiveti (Co-host), Centre for Public Impact
• Zazie Tolmer, ​​Evaluation Practitioner & Director at CoIntent ApS
• Andera Delfyna, Learning & Innovation Expert at Light for the World

Anyone who works in social impact knows how important funding is. But what if we could do things differently? What if, instead of starting with what the funder needs, we put communities in control of how funding works? 

Join us to explore two innovative examples of organisations reimagining funding, from supporting sex workers’ rights to tackling climate change.

In this episode:

• Adrian Brown (Host), Centre for Public Impact
• Saumya Shruti (Co-host), Centre for Public Impact
• Ankit Gupta, Red Umbrella Fund and Global Fund for Women
• Will Wade, Climate-KIC
• Tom Pruunsild, Climate-KIC