Bringing together many themes of this season, transformational coach Philip Horvath discusses the power of diverse storytelling, and why it’s important for each of us to live into our unique task of exploring our purpose. Touching on the themes of grief and loss in Peter’s book, we begin to explore how to show up and evolve – even co-evolve – even while holding space for others who are on a different step of the journey.

Themes in this episode

• speaking up + speaking out
• evolutionary change
• democracy + climate crisis
• identity and belonging
• grief and loss
• reconnection and remembering
• purpose through and beyond work

Show Notes

• Philip Horvath: https://philiphorvath.com/
• Follow progress on Peter Wolff’s book: https://www.peterwolff.com/author
• Book on Yoga and Tantra: The Yoga of Kashmir Shaivism, Swami Shankarananda
• Program to harvest wisdom of older generations: https://www.meawisdom.com/

Regional Director for Transparency International, Ilham (Imma) Mohamed, explains how power imbalances enable corruption—and why ending corruption is the foundational right that unlocks access to all other rights. In this episode, we explore personal prerequisites for social change such as empathy, open-mindedness, and the courage to speak up. Imma also discusses the challenges activists face when the stakes are high, and how digitalization both empowers and endangers those fighting for justice.

Themes in this episode

• Holding Power to Account & Corruption as a Gateway: How the abuse of power not only erodes essential rights like healthcare and education but also creates a cascade of other injustices.
• Women at the Forefront of Change: The critical role of women's grassroots activism in challenging power imbalances and driving social transformation.
• Digitalization: Empowerment vs. Surveillance: Examining how technology can both promote transparency and enable surveillance, affecting the safety and effectiveness of activists.
• Inclusion, Exclusion, and Social Power Dynamics: Understanding how group dynamics and the “othering” of certain voices can influence both activism and policy change.
• Speaking Up and the Human Cost of Activism: The personal risks - peer pressure, family challenges, and systemic intimidation that come with standing up against corruption.
• Empathy, Open-Minded Leadership, and Community Building: How cultivating soft skills and peer learning strengthens activist networks and nurtures more effective, inclusive leadership.
• Real-Life Corruption Tactics: Insights into practices like ghost soldiers and vote buying, which reveal the mechanisms behind public fund misappropriation.
• Designing for Now Amid Broader Crises: Linking democracy and the climate crisis to the urgent need for practical, timely solutions in the fight against corruption.

Show Notes

• Transparency International – Ending the injustice of corruption by promoting transparency, accountability, and integrity: https://www.transparency.org/en
• Women Living Under Muslim Laws – A transnational feminist solidarity network: https://www.wluml.org/
• Afghanistan’s Ghost Soldiers – Learn more about how ghost soldiers expose corruption in military systems: https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-59230564

Jacob Wolf Lefton is a theatre and film actor, as well as a peacebuilding advocate. We spoke to him about how communities can dismantle conflict by engaging with listening and humility to discern what we can collectively agree upon. We also discuss the ways in which digital innovation can aid or abet conflict transformation and personal development work.

Themes in this episode:

• Conflict transformation
• Convincing vs listening
• Identity and belonging
• inclusion and exclusion
• speaking up + speaking out
• democracy + climate crisis
• purpose through and beyond work

Show Notes:

• Jacob Wolf Lefton - An American actor in Berlin playing male and non-binary roles 
• Build Up - We transform conflicts in the digital age 
• Ontological Design
• The Commons - How to use social media for depolarization around race and politics 
• Michael Chekhov Acting Technique - Concentration, imagination, incarnation

In this episode, musician, composer, and technologist Elle Spencer-Lewis explores how music nurtures us, offers healing, and serves as a playful gateway to self-discovery. Drawing from her work in immersive interactive installations and neurofeedback experiments, Elle discusses how our innate musicality connects us at a deep, evolutionary level. We dive into cutting-edge projects-from video game inspired interactive cubes to brainwave sonification that challenge our perceptions of creativity, wellness, and digital design, all while addressing pressing questions around biometric data privacy.

Themes in this episode:

• Healing Power of Music & Creative Agency: How music provides emotional support, fosters self-acceptance, and encourages us to play and let go of judgment.
• Innate Musicality & Identity: Embracing the idea that we are innately musical beings—a connection that spans from lullabies and war chants to everyday expressions of creativity.
• Interactive Experiences & Gamification: The transformation of music into an immersive, interactive experience, where participation turns into a playful exploration of sound and self.
• Music, Neuroscience, and Wellness: The pioneering use of EEG and neurofeedback to sonify brainwaves, allowing individuals to see and shape their inner states for mindfulness and therapeutic benefits.
• Digital Transformation & Design for Now: Navigating the new frontier of digital interactivity, where technology both enhances our connection to music and raises important questions about data privacy and security.

Shownotes:

• Elle Spencer-Lewis – Emmy-nominated composer, music producer, and technologist whose work reimagines interactive musical experiences: 
• Circuitry of Life by Red Bull at Night – An immersive, four-story interactive cube that explores the evolution from analog to digital and its impact on human connection
• The Quantified Self Movement – Explore how people are using technology to track and understand their personal data, including brainwaves and other biometric signals
• Neurofeedback Explained – An accessible overview of neurofeedback, its benefits, and how it works to enhance focus and relaxation
• Biometric Data Privacy – Learn about the challenges and best practices for protecting your biometric data in an increasingly digital world

DJ and co-founder of Garbicz Festival Fritz Windish joins Peter to discuss how music has been a catalyst for community and a testing ground for social innovation since the days of “raves in caves” – all the way to now. We also discuss the ways that alternative, cooperative, experimental social structures birthed at parties and festivals can survive in the city and everyday life.

Themes in this episode:

• Inclusion vs exclusion
• identity and belonging
• evolutionary change
• reconnection and remembering
• experience and curation
• purpose through and beyond work

Shownotes:

• Garbicz Website: https://garbiczfestival.com/
• DJ sets by Fritz Windish (Fritz Dyckerhoff): https://soundcloud.com/soukie-windish
• Holzmarkt Website: https://www.holzmarkt.com/
• Books by Hanzi Freinacht: The Listening Society; Nordic Ideology

Why are we creating a podcast? In this introductory episode, leadership coach and author Peter Wolff is joined by tech entrepreneur Karthik Iyengar and filmmaker Emily Manthei, who co-produce the podcast with him, to talk about ancient wisdom, the challenges and promise of a changing future, and why we’re all here. From different perspectives and spiritual backgrounds, we’ve come together to look for meaning and growth through the themes of the podcast: hope, action, and belonging.

Themes in this episode:

• future of technology
• what is spirituality
• identity and belonging
• evolutionary change
• democracy + climate crisis
• community + transformation

Shownotes:

• Peter Wolff - coach, educator, author: https://www.peterwolff.com/
• Karthik Iyengar - software engineer and entrepreneur, yogi, music lover: https://kiyengar.net/
• Emily Manthei - stories with a visual-philosophical outlook: https://www.emilymanthei.com/
• The Sickness Unto Death - a human being is spirit: https://sorenkierkegaard.org/sickness-unto-death.html
• Vocalize - making every voice count: https://medium.com/@PeterWolffSF/making-every-voice-count-24e33334363f