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The Better Heroes podcast: exceptional human stories on social impact

The United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) give us a map of how to create a more equitable future. This podcast series will bring you on a journey to explore what is possible and help you believe that humanity can save itself and our planet.

Better Heroes is a project of EY Ripples, a global program to mobilize people across the EY network to help solve the world's most urgent social and environmental challenges.

You can listen to this podcast via most podcast platforms including Apple and Spotify.
Related topics Diversity, equity and inclusiveness Sustainability Corporate responsibility

12 Episodes

Podcast Series

Presenters Matt C Smith

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Season one

  • Episode 12: How and why business can create a better world

    What does it mean for a business to have purpose? Can businesses make a difference in the world? What steps should they take to do it?

    This episode’s Better Heroes are Daniel Flynn, Managing Director and Co-founder at Thankyou and Terence Jeyaretnam, EY Asia-Pacific Climate Change and Sustainability Services Leader. 

    You can listen to this podcast via most podcast platforms including Apple and Spotify.

  • Episode 11: How furry packaging can protect the environment

    What is polystyrene? Why is it so bad for the environment? Is there an alternative we could use for packaging and cold storage?

    This episode’s Better Hero is Joanne Howarth, Founder and CEO of Planet Protector Packaging. Joanne’s goal is to provide a furry alternative (wool) to non-biodegradable, toxic styrofoam packaging.

    You can listen to this podcast via most podcast platforms including Apple and Spotify.

     

  • Episode 10: How to transform value systems to save the planet

    What is the value of an elephant? Or of a whale, a monkey, or a wolf? What if we could create a living- based value system that accounts for the services animals provide to their environment?

    This episode’s Better Hero is Walid Al Saqqaf, Co-CEO and Co-Founder at Rebalance Earth. Walid’s goal is to change the way we value wildlife. His company is placing a value on the natural services provided by animals so that they’re worth far more living than dead.

    You can listen to this podcast via most podcast platforms including Apple and Spotify.

     

  • Episode 9: How entrepreneurs are solving the world’s toughest problems

    How can entrepreneurship solve the world’s toughest problems? How can public and private enterprises come together to support impactful entrepreneurs? How can we create more job opportunities and economic prosperity around the globe?

    This episode’s Better Heroes are Édgar Sánchez, EY Colombia Country Managing Partner and Talent Leader, Latin America North, and Camila Escallón, Corporate Affairs and Communications Senior Manager in the Andean Region at Unilever. Led by Unilever, the UK’s Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office and EY, TRANSFORM is a program that unites corporates, donors, investors and academics to support visionary impact enterprises.

    You can listen to this podcast via most podcast platforms including Apple and Spotify.

  • Episode 8: Creating economic prosperity in rural communities

    What do you do if you live in a rural community where jobs are scarce? Is migration to a bigger city a sufficient solution? How can we develop local economies?

    This episode’s Better Hero is Sebastian Salinas, Founder and Executive Director at Balloon Latam. His goal is to work alongside rural community members to teach entrepreneurship and economic development.

    You can listen to this podcast via most podcast platforms including Apple and Spotify.

  • Episode 7: Why local artisans are vital to our supply chain

    What makes a product economically and environmentally sustainable? What is a regenerative economy? What role do local artisans play in regenerative economies? How can we ensure local artisans are compensated fairly for their labor? We’ll unpack all those questions and more in this episode.

    This episode’s Better Hero is Neelam Chhiber, Co-Founder and Managing Trustee at Industree Foundation and Co-Founder and Managing Director at Mother Earth. Her goal is to support local artisans in achieving economic prosperity for themselves, their families, and their communities.

    You can listen to this podcast via most podcast platforms including Apple and Spotify.

  • Episode 6: The innovations that could solve world hunger

    Can we solve global hunger? Is there enough food on earth to support a growing population? How will climate change impact our food supply?

    This episode’s Better Heroes are Rob Dongoski and Bernhard Kowatsch, Head of the UN World Food Programme Innovation Accelerator.

    You can listen to this podcast via most podcast platforms including Apple and Spotify.

  • Episode 5: Giving food waste a second life

    How much food gets thrown away every day? Is there another option for food waste other than a landfill? How can we turn leftovers into something incredible?

    This episode’s Better Hero is Travin Singh, Founder and CEO at CRUST Group. Travin’s goal is to reduce food waste by upcycling surplus ingredients like bread, and waste like fruit peels into beer and non-alcoholic beverages.

    You can listen to this podcast via most podcast platforms including Apple and Spotify.

  • Episode 4: Uplifting farmers through tractor sharing

    What is the impact of a tractor? How does access to these machines improve education, decrease child labor and increase food security? What does it mean to be an entrepreneur with purpose?

    This episode’s Better Hero is Jehiel Oliver, founder and CEO of Hello Tractor. His goal is to help marginalized farmers in Sub-Saharan Africa access tractors and improve their lives.

    You can listen to this podcast via most podcast platforms including Apple and Spotify.

  • Episode 3: Why global DEI efforts are vital to create a better working world

    Why is action on diversity, equity and inclusion important? What is EY doing to further equity both globally and locally? What can we all do to create a more equitable and just world?

    This episode’s Better Heroes are Julie Linn Teigland, EY EMEIA Area Managing Partner, and Gabriela Ramos, Assistant Director-General for Social and Human Sciences of UNESCO.

    You can listen to this podcast via most podcast platforms including Apple and Spotify.

  • Episode 2: Women and AI solving the translation bias

    Why is translation important? What role does it play in an increasingly globalized world? Why is diversity among translators critical?

    This episode’s Better Hero is Nour Al Hassan, Founder and CEO of Tarjama. Her goal is to use technology and translation to empower women. 

    You can listen to this podcast via most podcast platforms including Apple and Spotify.

  • Episode 1: How an app could help you learn your rights

    Do you know your rights and how to use them? What if there was an app that could teach you what your rights are and how to exercise them?

    This episode’s Better Hero is Wa’il Ashshowwaf, CEO and Co-Founder at REYETS. His goal is to create equity through education.

    You can listen to this podcast via most podcast platforms including Apple and Spotify.