Storytelling For Social Impact

• Lisa Witter on LinkedIn
• Apolitical - Redesigning public institutions for the age of AI
• Better Politics Foundation
• Be Inspired Films - Purpose Driven Storytelling & Creative Video Agency - Award-winning social-purpose Video Production Agency bringing out the heart in stories that matter.

Lisa Witter has spent more than 30 years working inside politics and political leadership around the world. She is co-founder and CEO of the Better Politics Foundation, working with a network of organisations across 55 countries to help build better political leadership.

At a time when trust in politics is falling and political division is growing, Lisa believes one of the biggest problems we face is the story we tell about politics itself.

We talk about why constantly describing politics and politicians as broken may become a self-fulfilling prophecy, how that story drives good people away, and what a different kind of politics might look like.

We get into the difference between authentic political storytelling and spin, why belonging and possibility are so powerful, what Lisa learned about persuasion from running for president on a reality TV show, and why finding common ground doesn’t mean abandoning what you believe.

Lisa also shares what she has learned from working with political leaders around the world, why the qualities that get someone to the top of politics aren’t necessarily the qualities they need once they get there, and why self-reflection, curiosity and a genuine desire to serve matter so much.

And ultimately, why despite everything happening in politics today, she remains hopeful.

01:00 | Looking for the shimmer

From new mothers and couples kissing in the street to New Yorker cartoons, Lisa explains why she deliberately looks for small moments of humanity, humour and joy.

07:00 | Why people matter as much as institutions

Lisa chooses SDG 16 and explains why strong institutions alone aren’t enough. Leadership, the people inside those institutions and the often overlooked question of how change actually happens matter enormously.

11:00 | Has pragmatism become a dirty word?

As politics becomes more polarised, compromise gets harder. Lisa explains why she describes herself as a radical centrist and why compromise can sometimes be a deeply constructive position.

16:30 | Does politics have a storytelling problem?

If we constantly tell ourselves that politics is dirty, broken and full of terrible people, who will choose to enter it? Lisa argues that our collective story about politics may actually be helping create the politics we complain about.

21:00 | What would a better story about politics look like?

Rather than politicians positioning themselves as the answer, Lisa explores a more human model of political leadership, where leaders facilitate, listen and help people become part of creating change themselves.

26:00 | Belonging, possibility and the stories that move us forward

Why leaders shouldn’t promise utopia, how small improvements can create genuine progress, and why giving people a sense of belonging and possibility can move them from fear towards action.

30:30 | Political storytelling or political spin?

Is there really an objective difference? We explore authenticity, morality, cognitive bias and the uncomfortable reality that we judge the same communication very differently depending on whether we agree with the person delivering it.

36:00 | What Lisa learned from running for president on reality TV

Lisa shares a remarkable experiment in political communication: real-time audience testing showed her that persuasion wasn’t simply about confidence or having the strongest argument. The order in which you communicate matters, and finding genuine common ground can completely change how people hear what comes next.

43:30 | What makes a great political leader?

Drawing on the Better Politics Foundation’s Hall of Fame and decades of working with political leaders, Lisa identifies three qualities that repeatedly stand out: self-reflection, curiosity and pro-social values.

48:00 | The skills that get you elected aren’t necessarily the skills you need to lead

Political systems reward particular abilities on the journey to the top. But once someone gets there, the job changes. We explore the tension between conviction and reflection, certainty and humility, and why leadership requires knowing when to turn each quality up or down.

53:00 | Do we need to support the people who lead us better?

Lisa explains why she has changed her thinking from simply training political leaders to paying much more attention to who enters politics in the first place, their sense of “enoughness”, and the extraordinary psychological pressures politicians face once in office.

58:00 | Why Apolitical Foundation became Better Politics Foundation

A fascinating lesson in reducing cognitive load. Lisa explains why they abandoned a name that needed explaining for one that immediately communicates the mission, while also inviting a much bigger question: what does better politics actually mean?

1:02:00 | The stories we tell ourselves

Some of the most powerful stories aren’t the ones we tell other people. They’re the ones running inside our own heads. Lisa explains why those internal stories shape how we lead, how we respond to the world and what we believe is possible.

1:06:00 | What gives Lisa hope about the future of politics?

Across the world, people are still getting up every day and trying to make politics better, despite the criticism, lack of resources and even threats they face. Lisa has little time for simply complaining. Her hope lies with the people doing the work.

• John's Substack - Rewilding Markets
• Home - Countercurrent
• Volans – The Business of Business is Change
• John Elkington – A world authority on corporate responsibility and sustainable development.
• Ravinol on Linkedin
• Purpose Driven Storytelling Agency & Video Production Company

John Elkington has spent more than 50 years thinking about sustainability, business and how systems change. He coined the term Triple Bottom Line, has written more than 20 books and advises businesses and leaders around the world.

But this conversation is much more about what comes next than what came before. John believes the next 10–15 years could bring more change than the previous 50.

We talk about why the sustainability movement has become tired and overcomplicated, why the pushback against ESG may actually be useful, and why he believes we’re moving from an era of “soft sustainability” into something much harder.

We get into Donald Trump and the breakdown of the old order, AI and the dangers of technological races, why individual action still matters but can’t deliver system change alone, who gets to shape the story of our future, and the kind of leadership we may need for what comes next.

Most importantly, John explains why he’s optimistic, even while expecting the years ahead to be extremely challenging.

00:01 — Curiosity as a way of life

At 77, John says he feels like he’s only getting started. What keeps him curious, and why nature still gives him disproportionate joy.

00:12 — Has sustainability run out of steam?

John thinks the movement has become tired, complacent and too complicated. And surprisingly, he sees the backlash against it as an opportunity.

00:17 — Why real system change rarely happens gradually

We talk about the shocks that have transformed societies throughout history, and why John expects far greater change over the next 10–15 years than we’ve seen in the previous 50.

00:25 — The end of soft sustainability

Being responsible, reporting progress and making voluntary commitments won’t be enough. John explains what he means by the shift from “soft” to “hard” sustainability.

00:34 — AI, technological races and running through the red lights

What happens when everyone believes they have to win? We explore AI, the race for technological dominance and what history tells us about technologies developing faster than our ability to understand their consequences.

00:39 — Have we given people responsibility without power?

From The Green Consumer Guide to today’s calls for system change: did asking millions of individuals to make better choices actually work?

00:43 — Why we’re addicted to magical solutions

There is rarely one technology, policy or idea that suddenly fixes everything. John explains why meaningful change is much messier, slower and more experimental.

00:48 — Who gets to shape the future?

How do we give nature, future generations and marginalised communities a genuine voice without simply telling their stories for them?

00:52 — Where are the leaders we need?

Why strong leadership and good values so rarely appear together, what John sees in leaders such as Mark Carney, and why our political systems may need much deeper reinvention.

00:58 — The future isn’t waiting for us

Climate impacts we once imagined our grandchildren dealing with are already arriving. John explains why time literacy matters and why leadership ultimately depends on telling people the truth while still giving them a believable way forward.

• Ravinol on Linkedin
• Purpose Driven Storytelling Agency & Video Production Company

Welcome back to the Storytelling for Social Impact podcast. Next week, Sunday, 6th of September we'll be back with season three.

If you're a purpose-driven leader, a change maker, an educator, investor, an entrepreneur, this is my free gift to you.

I'm inviting you and your friends and colleagues to join me on the first Sunday of every month. I'll be diving into the science and the emotion of storytelling, but with a particular focus on social impact.

We'll be sharing practical tools and strategies to help you cut through the noise, think differently, be bolder with your storytelling, and really unleash your creativity with more confidence.

And also a monthly source of inspiration to just keep you going despite all the various challenges that you may face so you can tell stories that can change the world for the better, which I know all of you want to be doing in your own ways in the work that you're doing.

The podcast is brought to you by my video production company, Be Inspired Films.

We use the power of story to help ambitious, purpose-driven organisations make the impossible possible, so you can really magnify the positive impact that you're having in the world.

I'm your host, in case you don't know me already. I'm Ravinol Chambers, founder of Be Inspired Films.

My very first guest will be John Elkington, an incredible man. I had the pleasure of working with him just over 10 years ago to create an animation to bring to life his work around breakthrough capitalism, which is one of the things we talk about.

Also, Charmian Love, who's working with Natura, one of the biggest companies in Brazil, around their work with the Amazon and the incredible ingredients which are coming from the Amazon and how they're making that available to companies around the world and how she sits on the board of different companies representing nature. Fascinating!

I also have Lisa Witter, who's one of the co-founders of the Better Politics Foundation. So important, training the future politicians to think differently so they can lead us towards a better world. Amazing!

Jackie Vanderbrug, an amazing finance strategist, thinking huge, raising billions towards gender lens investing and also now tech, AI and health.

Incredible, incredibly big thinker!

And also Sandhya Sabapathy, who I'm interviewing next week, who's doing incredible stuff around sustainability. So a real kind of nature and sustainability theme so far. I've also got Maya Mehta coming up, who is an incredible lawyer, who's been using law to try to create a more equitable world.

So lots and lots coming up for you.

I'd love for you to get behind this season and share it and engage with it.

I am confident there's lots of rich content that can help you and inspire you in your own work.

Thank you so much. I'm looking forward to sharing all of that with you and seeing you join us on the journey.

Podcast available wherever you get your podcasts.

In this episode of Storytelling for Social Impact, Ravinol Chambers sits down with Sana Kapadia, Chief Catalyst at Heading For Change and an investor working at the intersection of finance, gender and climate, for a conversation that goes far deeper than impact as a concept.

They talk about what happens when you stop treating these issues as separate. Because gender, climate, inequality and finance - they’re not different conversations. They’re the same system, seen from different angles. And if we don’t start thinking that way, we’ll keep solving symptoms instead of causes.

One of the most powerful parts of this conversation is around measurement.

In impact, we often default to numbers, how many people reached, how much capital deployed. But Sana makes the case that without lived experience, those numbers can be misleading. Real impact isn’t just what we can count. It’s what actually changes in people’s lives.

The conversation also goes somewhere more uncomfortable. What does this mean for us personally? It’s easy to talk about systems, capital, and change at a distance. It’s harder to ask: what is enough for me? What am I willing to change? Because until that question is faced honestly, progress will always be limited.

There’s no shortage of solutions. Across the world, people are already building better models, more local, more inclusive, more connected. The challenge isn’t imagination. It’s whether we’re willing to shift how we think, measure and act before the cost of inaction becomes too high.

This is a conversation about impact, yes.

But more than that, it’s a conversation about responsibility and how the story needs to change to inspire us to take up that responsibility.

00:00 Welcome

02:02 Sana's Journey Into Impact

03:10 Intersectionality in Finance

05:28 Rethinking Luxury and Enough

08:08 SDGs Gender and Climate

11:08 Measuring Impact Better

16:12 Gender Climate Fund Examples

21:35 Unintended Consequences and Norms

23:52 Storytelling Campaigns That Work

27:46 Beyond the Bubble

28:22 Humour in Impact

30:17 Perfection and Burnout

31:37 Reporting Overload

34:49 Rethinking Risk Returns

38:18 Local Evidence and Nuance

41:13 Fixing the Plumbing

44:22 Cost of Inaction

45:56 Everyday Power to Act

48:43 Reconnect with Nature

53:55 Solutions and Storytelling

55:51 Final Reflections and Thanks

• Heading for Change | Accelerating proven climate and biodiversity solutions with women as agents of change
• Sana on Linkedin
• Ravinol on Linkedin
• Purpose Driven Storytelling Agency & Video Production Company

In this episode of Storytelling for Social Impact, Ravinol Chambers speaks with Zahid Torres-Rahman OBE, co-founder of Business Fights Poverty, about a simple but powerful idea: the most effective way for organisations to contribute to social progress is often by doing what they already do best.

Zahid has spent decades working at the intersection of business, development and social impact. Through Business Fights Poverty, he has helped connect thousands of leaders across companies, NGOs and institutions who are trying to tackle complex global problems together.

What emerges from this conversation is a refreshing perspective on impact.

Not a model driven by grand statements or corporate slogans.

But one grounded in collaboration, humility and practical action.

Ravinol and Zahid explore why the biggest barriers to solving social problems are rarely technical. More often, they are about relationships, trust and the ability to connect people across sectors who would not normally sit at the same table.

They also discuss the role storytelling plays in this process. Stories help us see the human dimension behind abstract challenges. They help organisations communicate purpose in ways that feel real rather than performative. And they help leaders recognise where their work intersects with something larger than themselves.

Some of the themes explored in this episode include:

• Why business has a unique role to play in addressing social and environmental challenges

• The idea that impact often comes from doing what you already do well, not trying to become something new

• Why collaboration between businesses, NGOs and governments is essential, but often difficult

• The importance of human relationships and trust in driving meaningful change

• How storytelling can bring clarity, alignment and shared purpose to complex issues

At its heart, this conversation is about a shift in mindset.

Moving away from the idea that solving global problems belongs to one sector alone. And towards a recognition that real progress happens when people bring their different strengths together.

As Zahid reflects in the episode, the goal is not perfection. It is progress, built through collaboration and grounded in the belief that each organisation can contribute something meaningful when it leans into what it does best.

Whether you work in business, social impact, communications or leadership, this conversation offers thoughtful insights into how purpose, partnership and storytelling can come together to drive change.

00:00 Reconnecting After Covid

00:59 Human First Collaboration

03:40 Origin of Business Fights Poverty

05:00 From Finance to Impact

06:08 Do What You Do Best

08:16 B Corp and Mainstreaming Impact

12:49 Beyond Jargon to Kindness

14:13 Recapturing the Narrative

18:24 Stories With Agency

23:21 Comms That Cuts Through

31:56 Kindness and AI

34:10 Kindness Builds Trust

34:53 Self Acceptance And Growth

38:26 Come As Yourself

39:52 Choosing SDG 17 - Partnerships

42:50 Five Bridges To 2045

45:27 Peer Circles And Bridge Builders

50:22 Human-Centred Solutions

55:57 Trust Through Honest Storytelling

59:06 Campaigns That Cut Through

01:02:52 Unlearning Gender Norms

01:05:48 Where To Find Business Fights Poverty

• Ravinol on Linkedin
• Purpose Driven Storytelling Agency & Video Production Company
• Zahid on Linkedin
• Collaborating for Social Impact - Business Fights Poverty

In this episode, host Ravinol Chambers engages in a compelling discussion with Rafia Qureshi, who shares her journey from venture capital to social impact investing.

They reminisce about their shared history and delve into the dynamics of philanthropy, innovative finance, and gender equality in the context of global challenges. Rafia shares her passion for gender equality rooted in her personal experiences in Pakistan.

The conversation underscores the transformative potential of storytelling in shifting perceptions of risk, bridging capital silos, and catalysing systemic change.

Key themes include the necessity of collaborative capital, the importance of redefining risk in philanthropy, and the role of narratives in making complex issues relatable and investible.

00:00 Introduction and Reconnecting

00:39 Journey into Social Impact

02:16 The Shift to Corporate Philanthropy

05:16 Personal Connection to Gender Equality

07:52 Global Upbringing and Career Path

10:15 The Power of Storytelling in Philanthropy

15:09 Women in Social Impact and Climate Change

20:44 Rewriting Narratives in Global Finance

27:45 The Evolution of Philanthropy

28:27 The Power of Storytelling in Investment

29:08 Water Equity: A Success Story

29:58 Show and Tell: Building Trust

33:17 The Role of Narratives in Unlocking Capital

41:28 Embracing Failure in the Social Sector

48:30 The Importance of Storytelling Across Organisations

52:17 Concluding Thoughts and Reflections

• Lebec - Mainstreaming Innovative Finance
• Rafia's Linkedin profile
• Be Inspired Films - Purpose Driven Video Production Agency
• Ravinol's Linkedin profile

In this insightful episode of the Storytelling for Social Impact Podcast, host Ravinol delves into the power and nuances of storytelling in driving social change.

Guest Liam Black, a seasoned social entrepreneur, shares his journey and the lessons learned from scaling Furniture Resource Center (FRC) into a profitable social enterprise, to now sitting on boards to share his experience, and mentoring others for success. Discussion topics include the importance of financial sustainability for impact-driven businesses, avoiding groupthink, the significance of authenticity in storytelling, and how to craft compelling narratives for diverse stakeholders, including investors, customers, and employees.

Liam also sheds light on the evolving landscape of social enterprises, the rise of the B Corporation movement, and the importance of addressing inequality.

Tune in to discover practical advice on leveraging storytelling to make meaningful societal impacts and hear personal anecdotes that highlight the trials and triumphs of purposeful entrepreneurship.

00:00 Introduction and Podcast Overview

00:36 Guest Introduction: Liam Black

01:17 The Power of Storytelling in Business

01:39 Catching Up with Liam

03:07 Liam's Journey in Social Enterprise

09:44 The Importance of Profit in Social Enterprises

17:29 The Cat's Pajamas Initiative

23:04 Challenges and Realities of Social Enterprises

32:29 The Role of Storytelling in Social Impact

33:14 Memorable Campaigns and Stories

35:14 The Power of Personal Storytelling

37:24 Phases of Life and Career

39:49 Authenticity in Storytelling

48:31 Challenges running a Social Enterprise

58:21 Liam's challenge to us all to think about our own impact story

01:00:58 Closing Remarks and Call to Action

• Ravinol's Linkedin profile
• Be Inspired Films Purpose Driven Video Production Agency
• Liam's Linkedin profile
• Barnardo's TV Advert - Excellent advert which never got televised due to the swearing. But it brilliantly captures the essence of their work.

In this episode of the Storytelling for Social Impact Podcast, host Ravinol Chambers sits down with Ala Ho, founder of design agency And Human, for a thoughtful, wide-ranging discussion about integrating the human touch into brand storytelling amidst the rise of AI or whatever new tech comes along.

Ala shares insights into successful and unsuccessful campaigns, including American Eagle and Kit Kat, highlighting the importance of brands knowing what they stand for in the face of criticism and learning to spot cultural trends in the sales data.

They also delve into the intricacies of marketing tactics, short vs. long-form content and discuss the power of brands to create meaningful connections and foster community.

The conversation wraps up with practical advice for organisations on creating spaces that facilitate genuine belonging.

00:00 Introduction and Podcast Overview

00:37 Guest Introduction: Ala Ho and And Human

00:53 The Importance of Human Element in Branding

01:59 Discussion on Cities and Homelessness

03:49 Branding and Personal Belonging

08:02 Short Form vs. Long Form Content

14:04 Polarization and Social Media

19:03 Brands and Sustainable Development Goals

20:53 Eras of Marketing and Branding

26:01 Campaigns: Successes and Failures

28:36 The Fear of Cancel Culture

29:45 Brand Authenticity and Credibility

30:41 The Wildfire of Outrage in Internet Content

31:58 The Reality Behind Social Media

35:46 The Importance of Email Lists

37:17 The Human Touch in Marketing

39:02 AI & Personalisation in Communication

42:18 Effective Messaging for NGOs

48:26 Creating Meaningful Brand Connections

51:35 Parting Nuggets and Final Thoughts

• American Eagle: Sydney Sweeney Has Great Jeans - Ala references this advert created by American Eagle, and the controversy surrounding it. In particular, what was interesting was how they responded confident in their own values.
• The reason KitKat took off in Japan - Ala references this interesting trend Kitkat noticed in their sales data that led KitKats to become the most popular good luck symbol for students taking big exams.
• Be Inspired Films website - We help organisations communicate clearly so

12 EP12: Lighting Up Africa: Richard Turner's Journey with Solar Aid

In this episode of the Storytelling for Social Impact Podcast, Ravinol delves into the significance of storytelling in amplifying social impact.

Guest, Richard Turner, Fundraising Director at Solar-Aid, shares insights from his extensive experience in renewable energy fundraising. Richard shares Solar-Aid's mission to provide sustainable energy to every household in Africa, their innovative market-catalysing strategies, and the importance of adapting narratives to different stakeholders.

The episode highlights a landmark achievement in Malawi and explores the six-step approach to effective renewable fundraising, emphasising the power of enabling others to tell your story.

• Be Inspired Films - Purpose Driven Video Agency - Helping purpose-driven organisations turn video storytelling into measurable results through their Impact™ Storytelling System.

00:00 Introduction

00:37 Meet Richard Turner: CEO of Solar Aid

01:13 The Mission of Solar Aid

02:40 Challenges and Solutions in Renewable Energy

03:24 The Role of Philanthropy in Solar Aid's Success

05:09 Achieving 100% Energy Access in Malawi

06:52 The Broader Impact of Solar Energy

09:08 Sustainable Business Models for Solar Energy

11:07 Innovative Approaches to Solar Energy Distribution

21:44 Celebrating Milestones and Future Goals

23:29 Sponsor Message: Be Inspired Films

27:23 The Economic Model of Solar Aid

35:35 The Importance of Solar Energy in Africa

36:36 Challenges and Barriers to Solar Projects

37:39 Sustainable Business Models for Solar Solutions

38:35 Fundraising Strategies and Insights

39:51 The Role of Individual Philanthropists

41:06 Scaling Up Solar Projects

42:32 The Power of Storytelling in Fundraising

46:42 Renewable Fundraising Approach

56:04 Understanding and Engaging Your Audience

01:06:09 Future Vision and Expansion Plans

01:09:23 Conclusion and Final Thoughts

The best story wins the capital.

In this episode of The Storytelling for Social Impact Podcast, Ravinol speaks with Audrey Selian, an experienced impact investor and connector for good.

Audrey shares her journey from corporate America into impact investing, the importance of storytelling in securing finance and the nuances of investing in developing regions like India.

Audrey also delves into her personal background, sharing how her Armenian heritage has influenced her approach to impact investing, and discusses various systemic challenges and potential solutions in the field of social impact finance.

Audrey Selian on Linkedin

Impact for Breakfast meetings

Artha Impact

00:00 Introduction

01:51 Audrey Selian's Early Career

05:01 Graduate School and Shift to Impact Work

09:40 Navigating the Impact Investment Space

18:17 Cultural Influences and Sensitivity in Impact Work

29:48 Reflecting on Corporate Storytelling Gone Wrong

30:19 Challenges in Impact Investment

31:19 The Success Story of Ajaita Shah and Frontier Markets

33:43 The Role of AI in Marketing

34:35 The Importance of Effective Storytelling

35:29 Navigating the Competitive Funding Landscape

39:04 The Fragmented Nature of Impact Finance

40:16 Choosing an SDG: Personal Reflections

41:08 The Critical Role of Partnerships

46:03 The Need for Leadership and Collaboration

54:39 Balancing Disruption and Tradition

59:35 Closing Thoughts and Contact Information