SDG Talks

Finding peace & prosperity in Kashmir...

Welcome back SDG Talkers!! Thanks for joining us for another episode of highlighting change makers and their inspirational work towards the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)!

IN THIS EPISODE:

Get the inside scoop from UNLEASH Global Talent 2022 Geeta Vaishnavi!

A street artist herself, Geeta has painted murals around India to use art as a mode of activism & raise a voice for climate change, child rights, girl child education and women empowerment. For more than half a decade, she has painted across community shelters, government schools and orphanages; transformed massive slums into walking street galleries, painted fairytale on school walls, and much more. Working on such projects made Geeta aware about the lack of arts in the Indian education system.

Let’s get SDG Talking!!

Got a good story or want to collaborate? Send us an email at [email protected] and we will get back to you as soon as we can!

And don’t forget to check out our Virtual Roundtables on our website!

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Here's how addressing challenges involves empowering entrepreneurs to bring ideas to life:

Welcome back SDG Talkers!! Thanks for joining us for another episode of highlighting change makers and their inspirational work towards the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)!

IN THIS EPISODE:

Hear from Bangladesh Youth Leadership Center (BYLC)'s Assistant Manager of Ventures Rafiqul Khan!

An enthusiastic & determined leader, Rafiqul specializes in in project management, operations, financial management of startups, with several years of experience in diverse industries and vast co-curricular involvement during the academic year. 

His role at BYLC involves many facets, including but not limited to ensuring a valuable program for all involved, implementing growth tactics & consulting with entrepreneurs about strategy.

Let’s get SDG Talking!!

Got a good story or want to collaborate? Send us an email at [email protected] and we will get back to you as soon as we can!

And don’t forget to check out our Virtual Roundtables on our website!

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The art & science of facilitating the UNLEASH process...

Welcome back SDG Talkers!! Thanks for joining us for another episode of highlighting change makers and their inspirational work towards the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)!

IN THIS EPISODE:

Hear from UNLEASH ambassadors Jacob Amengor & Andrews Akoto-Addo!

Beyond being an UNLEASH 2019  Talent, Jacob is currently Chair of the International Water Association Young Water Professionals Steering Committee 2022-2024, plus the Water Quality Assurance Supervisor for Ghana Water Company Ltd. His keen initiative & in-depth understanding of theoretical / practical aspects of Water & Sanitation Management provides him with the ability to work under pressure to monitor the parameters of the water during the treatment process & ensure it's in line with WHO drinking water standards.

Andrews has been an UNLEASH ambassador for over a year, and works as the Program & Communications Officer for Reach for Change in Ghana. He designs & manages purpose-driven programs and supports social entrepreneurs to scale, plus has experience working in diverse and complex contexts across the African startup, social entrepreneurship and innovation ecosystem.

Let’s get SDG Talking!!

Got a good story or want to collaborate? Send us an email at [email protected] and we will get back to you as soon as we can!

And don’t forget to check out our Virtual Roundtables on our website!

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Plus here's a sneak peak into UNLEASH 2023!

Welcome back SDG Talkers!! Thanks for joining us for another episode of highlighting change makers and their inspirational work towards the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)!

IN THIS EPISODE:

Hear from the Chairman of the Board of UNLEASH Flemming Besenbacher!

Flemming is also the Founding Director of iNANO at Aarhus University where he was Professor of Nanoscience and Physics for many years. He has ample experience researching Nanoscience, nanotechnology, nanocatalysis, scanning tunnelling microscopy, atomic force microscopy, and is committed to bringing the world together to create a better tomorrow.

Let’s get SDG Talking!!

Got a good story or want to collaborate? Send us an email at [email protected] and we will get back to you as soon as we can!

And don’t forget to check out our Virtual Roundtables on our website!

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Why should we seek to collaborate with others in the early stages?

Welcome back SDG Talkers!! Thanks for joining us for another episode of highlighting change makers and their inspirational work towards the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)!

IN THIS EPISODE:

Find out from Lee Crockford - a freelance social impact advisor and strategist working to solve complex global challenges through innovation, design, impact measurement, and behavior change. His work spans the domains of health, education, environment, technology, and justice across private, public, and non-profit sectors.

Let’s get SDG Talking!!

Got a good story or want to collaborate? Send us an email at [email protected] and we will get back to you as soon as we can!

And don’t forget to check out our Virtual Roundtables on our website!

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Have you ever thought about how much human waste is in nature?💩

Welcome back SDG Talkers!! Thanks for joining us for another episode of highlighting change makers and their inspirational work towards the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)!

IN THIS EPISODE:

- What you need to do if you seek real change

- How to combine ‘low tech’ and local context for maximum social impact

- Why patience and persistence are key

Hear from Henry Glogau and Nathan Baring - two winning team members from UNLEASH Greenland Lab! Their teammates Hörn Halldórudóttir Heiðarsdóttir, a Project Lead at Transition Labs, and Sofie Jordheim, a research assistant for The University of Bergen's Centre for Climate and Energy Transformation, couldn't join us for this chat, but have been just as pivotal in creating LooPoop.

LooPoop is a reimagined approach for the management of human waste in remote Arctic communities. It closes the loop and provides the potential for economic opportunities in local communities. The current situation in many remote Arctic communities is unsustainable and not environmentally friendly, with human waste being left out in nature or dumped into the ocean in plastic bags. Starting in the bathroom, Loopoop converts urine into fertilizer and turns the feces into soil. The soil and fertilizer can then be used for local food production. Loopoop’s mission is a clean environment and a sustainable and dignified waste management system that offers the opportunity for added value to a previously discarded resource.

Henry Glogau is a New Zealand Architect working at GXN Innovation in Copenhagen, Denmark. He specializes in Architecture in Extreme Environments, where his site-specific and 1:1 projects explore the interconnecting relationships between architecture, technology, people, and the environment.

Nathan Baring is a policy wonk and Master’s student in Arctic and Northern Studies at the University of Alaska, Fairbanks. He brings expertise in climate law, arctic policy and business development with a focus on diversifying Alaska’s oil-based economy and advocating for the unique interests of the Arctic region.

Let’s get SDG Talking!!

Got a good story or want to collaborate? Send us an email at [email protected] and we will get back to you as soon as we can!

And don’t forget to check out our Virtual Roundtables on our website!

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Here's the inside scoop on UNLEASH that all you upcoming talent have been waiting for...

Welcome back SDG Talkers!! Thanks for joining us for another episode of highlighting change makers and their inspirational work towards the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)!

IN THIS EPISODE:

- What is UNLEASH?

- What can upcoming talents expect?

- What should upcoming talents do and NOT do?

- How to professionally leverage UNLEASH post-event

Corina Shika Kwami, PhD is a qualified and experienced Director of Strategy of Purpose, a strategy consultancy, a creative agency and a social movement incubator. She achieves first-rate results by combining her in-depth knowledge of a wide range of subject matters (e.g. ESG, Infrastructure & Cities, and Public Health) with a ‘hands on’ approach to program delivery. Corina is also well versed in transforming and growing an enterprise by defining an ambitious corporate vision, setting out actions required, igniting the message, and creating a culture of positivity and determination to drive complex projects to success.

Aside from the technical aspects of her roles, she is a successful musician/performer, and able to tap into her artistic talent to inspire and convey powerful messages that reach global audiences. This special aptitude has been demonstrated on numerous occasions, e.g. as Artist-Composer with SIX, e.g. expressing through artistic practice a pathway to challenge global issues; and creating and presenting her radical ‘Jazz for wayfinding’ lectures, to strengthen civil society by through the power music and dance to supercharge storytelling efforts.

Let’s get SDG Talking!!

Got a good story or want to collaborate? Send us an email at [email protected] and we will get back to you as soon as we can!

And don’t forget to check out our Virtual Roundtables on our website!

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Do you want to create solutions, become a leader, and drive networks to help reach the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)? Then take a listen...

Welcome back SDG Talkers!! Thanks for joining us for another episode of highlighting change makers and their inspirational work towards the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)!

IN THIS EPISODE:

- What is UNLEASH Global Innovation Lab?

- What is the UNLEASH methodology?

- What can we expect from UNLEASH 2022?

Fun fact: host Kevin Sofen attended UNLEASH 2019 which inspired him to start this podcast plus connected him with an abundance of likeminded activists - such as today's guests Ana Jiménez Núñez and Serene Habbal!

So who better to get the inside scoop about UNLEASH other than the team behind-the-scenes? Ana is UNLEASH's Communications Lead while Serene is the Talent Experience Lead, and both also work full-time as Communications Consultants for Dalberg Media, a media consultancy aiming to increase awareness and mobilize partners and resources to the global development agenda. Ana and Serene have dedicated their careers to uniting media with international development and finding powerful insights that bring sustainability projects to their full potential.

The next UNLEASH Global Innovation Lab will take place in the state of Karnataka in India (at Infosys Mysore, the world’s largest corporate university!) from December 3 – 11, 2022. The lab will gather 1,000 young teams of participants between the ages of 18 - 35 to brainstorm ideas and co-create innovative initiatives through human-centered design thinking – a process that focuses on the real needs of the people that the solution focuses on. Experienced facilitators and experts will guide the participants through different stages of the innovation process.

You can apply for UNLEASH India HERE until June 19.

Follow UNLEASH: LinkedIn | Twitter | Facebook | Instagram

Let’s get SDG Talking!!

Got a good story or want to collaborate? Send us an email at [email protected] and we will get back to you as soon as we can!

And don’t forget to check out our Virtual Roundtables on our website!

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Should we challenge the status quo and add to the SDGs?

Welcome back SDG Talkers!! Thanks for joining us for another episode of highlighting change makers and their inspirational work towards the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)!

IN THIS EPISODE:

- Why do youth matter for the future & our pursuit towards achieving the SDGs?

- What programs exist that can help empower the youth?

- Is there a need for an additional goal around Youth Equity?

We got the inside scoop from expert Rachel Svetanoff, a young leader dedicated to championing innovation in social impact. Over the past 10 years, Rachel has helped work on all 17 U.N. Sustainable Development Goals where she has contributed to over 100 projects with 112 organizations across 35 countries. She is the Co-Founder of Global Futurist Initiative, which aims to elevate youth contributions to sustainable development and social progress. This effort is housed by and in partnership with InternetBar.Org Institute of which Rachel leads as Executive Director.

Rachel is a Global Goodwill Ambassador, an International Monetary Fund Youth Fellow, Liechtenstein Institute for Strategic Development LEAP fellow, One Better World Collective Liaison, UNITE 2030 Youth Delegate alumna, Youth Marketplace YOMA Rules! Taskforce member, and Harvard Seminar for Leaders in China instructor. She is also a founding member of the North American Changemaker Xchange global community, selected as 1 of 19 youth innovators from the continent. For her service, Rachel is the recipient of the Top 10 Under 40 of Tippecanoe County Award, 2021 Purdue University Student Life Young Alumni Award, 2021 Gold Presidential Volunteer Service Award of AmeriCorps, the 2021 J.B. Dondolo, Inc. WASH Changemaker Award, and an InnoCentive Challenge winner.

Connect with Rachel: LinkedIn | Twitter

Episode Resources:

- Lessons from young people on how to organise a humanitarian response | World Economic Forum

- Climate change, Ukraine and pitfalls of international goodwill | The Hill

- A beginner's guide to the SDGs | Innovators Box

Let’s get SDG Talking!!

Got a good story or want to collaborate? Send us an email at [email protected] and we will get back to you as soon as we can!

And don’t forget to check out our Virtual Roundtables on our website!

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Ever wondered what happens to poop after flushing? Well, here's why you should care...

Welcome back SDG Talkers!! Thanks for joining us for another episode of highlighting change makers and their inspirational work towards the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)!

IN THIS EPISODE:

- What opportunities exist with poop?

- What challenges do wastewater operators face?

- How can we leverage digital twins & artificial intelligence to optimize wastewater operations?

You may recognize our second time guest Camilo Huneeus Guzmán who is leading the way in operations most of us never even consider: wastewater engineering. With a Graduate Teaching Fellow from Yale and his experience working as the Water & Energy Subject Matter Specialist plus the World Security STC for The World Bank, Camilo created AInwater. 

AInwater uses artificial intelligence (AI) and treatment plants' operational data to optimize the energy consumption of our wastewater treatment plans without the need to invest in equipment or modify processes. As the company's current Chief Executive Officer, Camilo aims to make water accessible to all and sustainable for our ecosystems via innovative technology.

Let’s get SDG Talking!!

Got a good story or want to collaborate? Send us an email at [email protected] and we will get back to you as soon as we can!

And don’t forget to check out our Virtual Roundtables on our website!

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