Hi listeners and thank you for tuning into the women17 podcast. It’s just me today for my 40th and final podcast episode.

I started the podcast in 2020 at the beginning of the pandemic as a way to elevate global women’s voices who are contributing to the sustainable development goals. These amazing women are from all over the world including 17 different nationalities spanning 16 different countries. We have covered topics such as sustainable sanitary pads in India, a sustainable island community in the Philippines, green mobility solutions for rural women in Africa, repurposing discarded fishing nets in Canada, food waste tracking in Norway, welcoming refugees in my hometown, Pittsburgh PA, to recycling bras for underprivileged women. I feel so honored and privileged to have learned from these women. They have inspired me to do better and I hope they have inspired you also!

I wish you a happy, safe, and productive day and thank you once again for listening!

Hi, listeners! I am so excited to be speaking with a good friend of mine for over 18 years- we have known each other from our Singapore days! I’m talking to Cath Robertshaw, Chief Operating Officer of Eyesea, a nonprofit organization with a mission to map global pollution and maritime hazards.

Today I have the pleasure of speaking with Natalie Roschnik, Senior Nutrition Advisor at Save the Children UK. Natalie is a public health nutritionist with an MSc from the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine with over 20 years’ experience supporting nutrition and public health programmes in Africa and Asia. Natalie is also a doctorate student at the Institute of Global Health at the University of Geneva.

A confluence of family upbringing, exposure to African culture at a young age, a remote expedition in Indonesia, teaching overseas, and dash of serendipity led Natalie into the nutrition field.

Today I have the pleasure of speaking with Nairobi-based photographer and founder of Exposing Hope, Alissa Everett.

Alissa’s career journey from the Peace Corps in Sengel to investment banking in California, coupled with her desire to authentically connect to communities, led her to pack her bags and cameras in 2003 and head to Iraq to begin an extraordinary career in photojournalism.

In conversation with Sloane Davidson, Founder and CEO of Hello Neighbor, a nonprofit organisation based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, committed to supporting recently resettled refugee and immigrant families.

Since their founding in 2017, Hello Neighbor has provided support to over 800 refugees and immigrants from more than 17 countries of origin, helping them feel more comfortable and confident in their new lives.

women17 in conversation with the delightful and inspiring Rhian Sherrington, Founder of the international Women in Sustainability Network (WINS). With a vision for every ‘woman in sustainability’ to have the confidence, courage and community they need to be a force for good, Rhian shares her career journey that led her to launch WINS. Aligning her values and pulling on a red thread throughout her career, listeners will learn so much, be inspired, and who knows, you may want to start a WINS in your local community. Have a listen to find out more...

Join women17 in conversation with Dr Bettina Palazzo, Ethics Expert, as we discuss how “ethics is a collaborative conversation between diverse people trying to figure out how to act, live and make good decisions.” We dive into how Bettina found her way into business ethics and the imperative for start-ups as well as large companies need to keep ethics at the centre of their business strategy well before ethical issues arise.  

Let this sink in….a baby needs 4,500 diapers before it learns how to use a toilet.

According to DYCLE, an organisation based in Berlin, Germany, it is estimated that ‘disposable diapers are a known environmental hazard comprising up to 10% of household waste. Each child produces around 500kg of diaper waste in their first two and half years of life that translates into around 1400 litres of crude oil used for plastic components’.

Have a listen to my conversation with Ayumi Matsuzaka, co-founder of DYCLE, to learn how they have created diaper inserts that  become nutrients for plants creating fertile soil. DYCLE is truly an example of a circular economy.

Did you know that on average, a woman owns six bras, but only wears two and worn bras only last 6-9 months!?

The average American throws away 81 pounds of clothing a year and 95% of these textiles can be recycled, but only 15% gets donated or recycled. That is just astonishing!

If you are like me, you may not have even realised that bras can be donated. In the US, this can easily be done with The Bra Recyclers who since 2008 have donated over 4 million bras to over 120 nonprofits across the globe that support women and girls in need, such as those escaping domestic violence and human trafficking.

Imagine carrying 10 litres (2.64 gallons) of water for several kilometres. Now, put that water pot on your head and walk the same distance- multiple times per day. This is the daily drudgery that many women and girls endure in the Global South- harming not only their health, but also excluding them from getting a formal education.

This is where social entrepreneur Cynthia Koenig, Founder of Wello, an award winning social venture that co-creates disruptive innovations designed to provide better, more reliable access to safe water stepped in.