Can capitalism and financial markets be a force for good? Rob Gardner certainly thinks so. Rob has a background in investment banking and pension funds, but as the founder and CEO of Rebalance Earth—an equity fund manager that invests in nature-based solutions—he believes that by redirecting capital towards the right things can help to create and m…

Richard Dana has been working in finance, in one way or another, for two decades, so it's safe to say he knows a thing or two about money. After starting out his career as a chartered accountant, Richard became Chief Financial Officer at Founders Factory Ltd in 2016, before launching Tembo Money in 2020. Tembo's mission is to democratise the concep…

Sometimes it can be difficult to feel optimistic about the future of the planet in the face of the threat posed by climate change, but Alex Robinson's positivity about how every single one of us can make a difference is infectious. Alex is CEO and founder of Hubbub, an environmental charity with a mission to inspire action that's good for the envir…

For two decades, Sarah Mukherjee was Environment Correspondent for the BBC across TV, radio and online, including presenting 'Countryfile' on BBC One and 'Farming Today' and 'The Food Programme' on BBC Radio. Today, Sarah is CEO at IEMA, professional body for everyone working in environment and sustainability, and promotes good science, better regu…

In this episode I had the pleasure of speaking to Sally Chalk, the founder and CEO of Signapse. Signapse is an organisation dedicated to breaking down barriers with an AI sign language translator. In the midst of lockdown, a dynamic team of successful entrepreneurs, leading researchers, and deep tech experts joined forces to address the urgent need…

In this episode we speak to Peter Briffett the founder of Wagestream, a company dedicated to transforming the way frontline workers access financial services through employer-based benefits. Peter delves into the impact of monthly pay cycles on employees in the UK, emphasising the company's dedication to reducing the "poverty premium" and its missi…

In this episode, we sat down with Ankit, the Co-founder and CEO of Climajo, a cutting-edge procurement platform dedicated to conscious brands. Climajo empowers climate-aware businesses by uniting a curated community of sustainable suppliers and partners. The platform goes beyond by providing clear reporting and metrics, such as CO2 output per produ…

As we step into the week of the 2023 United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP28), we're excited to share our latest episode featuring an insightful conversation with Ian Ormerod, the Co-founder and CEO of @Switch2Zero. This innovative green-tech startup has set a global mission — to accelerate the transition to net-zero carbon emissions for pe…

In this episode, I chat to Greg Lawton, co-founder of Nodes and Links, and delve into the transformative role of technology, particularly AI, in streamlining the delivery of large-scale infrastructure and mega projects. In an ever more complex operating environment, we examine what constitutes a world-class process and why it's crucial to effective…

In the first of two episodes featuring Phil Brunkard, an experienced Technology Leader with a passion for Digital Transformation and Innovation, we slip the surly bonds of Earth to explore the revolution happening within commercial space technology. The low earth orbit (LEO) sector is currently experiencing significant expansion. In this episode we…

Something is changing. A great shift looms on the horizon, heralding the dawn of a new era for the internet as we know it. In this episode, I embark on a journey through the realms of the new online age, guided by the wise and insightful John Alderson, Head of SEO at Yoast. Together, we unravel the secrets of Google's intricate web, divine the patt…

In this conversation, our guest Maury Shenk, founder and CEO of LearnerShape, and Director and General Counsel of PeopleCert, talks with Bethan about the importance of lifelong learning in the fast-changing world we live in. They delve into the need for education to prepare people for the types of work required in the 21st century and the significa…

In this episode we explore how AI, with the specific example of chat GPT, is shaking up the marketing and wider content sectors, what we can use it for, and what are its strengths and weaknesses. This episode is a conversation between Bethan Vincent, founder of Open Velocity, Jon Paget, one of our senior partners, and Katie Thompson, managing direc…

The new year is a time when a lot of us think about making positive changes to our health and fitness. In this episode, we interview founder and CEO Toby Cannon about the motivations and challenges behind Myles, an app supporting fitness and wellbeing in a work environment. We talk about the inspiration behind Myles, the challenges workers face whe…

Is modern life driving driving insomnia? How do you build a trusted brand in a traditionally controversial space? How can D2C brands navigate recessionary and inflationary pressures? In a rather wide ranging conversation I ask Joe Welstead, CEO and Co-Founder of Motion Nutrition, about building a trusted health brand and how his experience as an at…

Can we trust machines with commercial decision making? What are the advantages and limitations? Can we truly use data to get insights into irrational human preferences? In this episode I speak to Peter Denby, COO of Hyper Group, about decision intelligence. What is it? How are companies using it and how can machines augment human decision making. L…

In an era of accelerating technological change and digital disruption, how do companies robustly respond to and adapt to uncertainty and rapidly shifting foundations? This is the question that preoccupies Tom Goodwin, Author, Consultant, Speaker, TV Presenter and guest on this episode. We speak about the meaning of Digital Darwinism (a term coined …

Welcome back to series three of The Brave! We're kicking things off with a really interesting episode which explores how we can use new technologies for good. In the first episode of our new series I speak to Katie Gibbs, Founding Partner at Emergence Partners, a tech consultancy on a mission to drive the thoughtful adoption of technologies includi…

The recruitment industry has a divisive reputation, especially in the digital sector. Low barriers to entry encourage cowboy operators, misaligned incentives lead to low-quality hires and poor practices lead to poor candidate experiences. However many companies rely on recruiters to identify, access and tempt talent, a challenge that is ever-growin…

In this episode I speak to Dr Karen Parkhill about the different reactions the unfolding climate crisis has provoked across communities and governments and explore the fundamental role technology can play in both deepening and responding to the crisis. We also dig into the power of individual and community action, and contrast that with larger-scal…

In this episode of The Brave we take a look at the future of inner-city transport through the lens of micromobility, which, if you don't know, refers to the shared electric scooters and bikes popping up in cities around the world. My guest this week is Georgia Yexley, Head of Cities for the UK and Ireland for TIER Mobility, Europe's largest operato…

In this episode of The Brave Podcast, we speak to positioning expert April Dunford about building and positioning better businesses and brands. We discuss how can the explosion of post-COVID start-ups stand out in a saturated market, why is positioning so important when building companies that last and the power of keeping your marketing strategies…

In the UK tech sector, 19% of workers are from a working-class background compared to 33.3% of the nationwide population (2014 Labour Force Survey). In this episode I speak to Jem Henderson, a technology professional, poet and outspoken advocate for diversity and inclusion. "Well, I’m not your standard tech worker. I'm non-binary, I grew up in a co…

With the increasing visibility of private space companies, the safe arrival of the Perseverance rover on Mars, and renewed interest in space exploration, it seems like space is now solidly back in the public imagination. We traditionally associate space innovation with the US, China and Russia, but the UK is at the forefront of the new space econom…

What happens when an employee has more followers and social clout than the organisation they work for? It's becoming increasingly common as people carve out "personal brands" - but does this cause friction or create opportunities for the brand they work for? In this episode I speak to Stephen Kenwright, COO and Co-Founder, Rise at Seven. Taking the…

Post-pandemic retailers are facing an existential crisis. Online is quickly becoming the default as physical locations are forced to close. Consumer behaviour is changing as demand shifts to reflect our new reality. How can retailers adapt and thrive under these difficult and ever changing conditions? In this episode we speak to Chris Dee, an exper…

In this special episode recorded for York Design Week we explore the impact of social, political and economic turmoil on creativity and artistic movements. We will discuss pivotal moments from history and their impact on creative practices spanning music, culture and visual art. We will also explore how the current pandemic is impacting and affecti…

Suffering an unexpected and tragic family bereavement forced Sophie to seriously reassess her life and career. In this episode I chat to Sophie about the impact of this period and how she made the leap from a traditional corporate career to pursue her passion. We talk about why fear can be a good thing, managing other people’s expectations about yo…

“This place is a message and part of a system of messages. Pay attention to it. Sending this message was important to us. We considered ourselves to be a powerful culture.” In this episode Desmond Clarke and I discuss the challenges of creating messages that are universally translatable by future human and non-human cultures. We explore the challen…

Back in 2012 I lost over 5 stone through adopting a proper exercise routine. I’ve kept it off ever since. In this episode I talk about my fitness journey and how I’ve kept up my motivation and kept on going with my commitment to my health for the past eight years. About The Brave Find out more at bethanvincent.com/thebrave Follow The Brave on Twitt…

For 1 in 5 of us, procrastinating is something that affects our lives and work daily. Most people seem to experience it frequently. Delaying or putting off starting a task can be a hard habit to break. In this episode we explore why people procrastinate and some of the tips and techniques that can get the ball rolling again. Links From The Episode …

In this episode we talk money and how to get your financial house in order to better withstand shocks and changes in your income. The big caveat here is that I’m not a financial advisor, but in this episode I do share the strategies I deploy to understand my financial landscape and ensure my money works for me long-term. Links From The Episode Fore…

After over a 100 days of working remotely, a lot of us are starting to ask - “is remote the future of work?” In this episode I chat to Darren Murph, Head of Remote at GitLab, the world’s largest all remote organisation. With over 15 years experience working across the remote spectrum, Darren shares his thoughts on how organisations and individuals …

It’s now clear the the pre-pandemic world is gone. We are unlikely to return to an exact replica as life in the 21st century has undergone a substantial shift. The big question remains - what comes next? In this episode we take a look at what we might expect from the new normal, with a focus on three key areas: Urban unbundling - will cities thrive…

Self-improvement doesn’t have to be expensive, contrived or onerous. We are all capable of showing up for ourselves and making small, sustainable changes that support our ambitions and goals. In this episode we talk about how you can about develop a personal toolbox of techniques and strategies that will allow you to identify goals, challenge negat…

In this episode we explore the concept of a mindset - the collection of thoughts, values and beliefs that shape your world view, habits and actions. We discuss the differences between fixed and growth mindsets and ask whether these categories are useful in defining the root cause of someone’s success (or lack of). About The Brave Find out more at b…

Over the last nine years, Claire has worked as part of lean innovation and CX teams at top companies including Amazon. Now working as an independent consultant, Claire is passionate about innovation, AI and utilising tech for good. All of these three terms are bandied about in the tech world, often with little context around what they actually mean…

Resilience is a concept that can be applied beyond both personal and organisational spheres. Systems and entire sectors can be resilient (or not) which leads us to ask what resilience means within a wider context. In this episode I speak to Sophia Woodley, Design Manager at Golant Innovation and co-author of What is Resilience Anyway: A Review (Art…

What are the skills and capabilities that will be required for the jobs of the future? How can you build a meaningful career that is aligned to your interests and strengths? What can you do to unlock career opportunities and develop your yourself professionally? Links Mentioned In The Show Ask A Manager Blog Udemy (Courses) About The Brave Find out…

In this episode we explore environmental resilience and sustainable lifestyles with guest Charlie Gill. In 2018, sisters Charlie and Trina founded Life Before Plastik, a UK plastic free shop aimed at helping people find plastic free alternatives to everyday items. Throughout the episode we discuss some of the simple switches you can make to plastic…

This episode explores maintaining positive and harmonious relationships in less-than-ideal living situations. From shared houses and university dorms, to social isolation and living with a partner who has a different lifestyle, I chat to my other half about our experiences adapting to different living situations and creating positive domestic atmos…

The meaning and source of happiness has been debated for millennia - How do we define it? How do we obtain it? Is it “made” or genetically defined? In this episode we take a look at some of the modern research on happiness and Bethan’s top 5 tips for ensuring our focus remains on the positive. About The Brave Find out more at bethanvincent.com/theb…

This is a very special episode, as it a features an interview with my mum recorded on Mother’s Day 2020! Sadly this was done remotely due to UK government advice which asks us all to strictly adhere to social distancing during the COVID-19 pandemic. Sue Thurlow (AKA Mum, to me anyway) is an experienced Therapist, Supervisor & Clinical Trustee/Advis…

With my own personal anxiety around coronavirus on the rise, I wanted to take a step out from the usual The Brave programme to share my own thoughts around how we can remain resilient over the next few months of uncertainty and upheaval. In this episode, I discuss managing your mental health, pulling together as a community and my top tips for work…

Careers in the 21st century now consist of multiple employers, job-titles, focuses and industries. For some, the idea of a “squiggly career” may seem daunting, however I believe this shift will free people from labels and previous narrow definitions of success. The defining characteristic of your career is now you, but this raises it’s own problems…

Being able to navigate conflict constructively is a key skill in developing effective people, teams and organisations. Whether you’re personally a conflict avoider or conflict seeker, it’s vital to be able to communicate effectively and ideally work towards outcomes that work for both parties In this episode we uncover the strategies for overcoming…

"One citizen avoided another, hardly any neighbour troubled about others, relatives never or hardly ever visited each other. Moreover, such terror was struck into the hearts of men and women by this calamity, that brother abandoned brother, and the uncle his nephew, and the sister her brother, and very often the wife her husband. What is even worse…

In this episode I chat to Charlie Rogers, a final year student at Loughborough university. As a competitive runner, Charlie is used take a disciplined approach to training and achieving his goals. We chat about his approach to physical endurance, alongside how he has taken his lessons learned from training and made them applicable to entrepreneursh…

In our 24/7 non-stop culture, have we forgotten the importance of rest and recovery? Especially when it comes to mental exertion. In this episode we explore why recovery is important, whether there’s a difference between rest and recovery and how we can ensure we make time to recharge. Find out more about The Brave at bethanvincent.com/thebrave Fol…

For most people the idea of having to sell something, especially on a cold call, is the stuff of nightmares. However the ability to influence and persuade is key to many professions and life in general. All of us are selling something at some point, whether it’s our ideas, businesses or ourselves. With over 20 years experience in sales and training…