Igniting Change

For International Women's Day 2026, our host and COO, Sophie speaks with Rebecca Shadwick, Campaigner for Gender Rights and Justice at Oxfam International, about the ongoing fight for gender rights and justice. They discuss the importance of bodily autonomy as a foundation for justice, the challenges posed by anti-rights movements, and the need for solidarity among feminist and queer movements. The conversation also explores the role of technology in shaping gender rights and the necessity of reimagining a just future, a focus of Oxfam's International Women's Day campaign. Last but certainly not least, we conclude the episode with concrete steps for individuals and communities to take action towards achieving gender equality and justice! Learn more about Oxfam's campaign here: lettersfromthefuture.shorthandstories.com Then the below chapters are also added into the YouTube description: Chapters 00:00 Introduction to Gender Rights and Justice 02:41 Bodily Autonomy and Justice 05:34 The Importance of Feminist Futures 08:23 Letters from a Feminist Future 11:09 The Role of Technology in Gender Rights 13:44 The Backlash Against Feminism 16:25 Reclaiming the Narrative 19:28 The Intersection of Rights and Justice 22:03 The Impact of Anti-Rights Movements 24:46 Decolonizing Feminism and Rights 31:33 Decolonizing Feminism and Queer Rights 35:29 The Backlash Against Equality 41:00 Recognising Global Anti-Rights Movements 46:45 Hope and Leadership from the Global South 53:21 Concrete Steps Towards a Feminist Future

Two sisters. No startup handbook. A very real problem. And a Dragons' Den deal. In this episode of Igniting Change, Olivia and Tanyka Davson share how they built Cubbi, a money-saving app and community for new and expecting parents, right in the middle of a cost-of-living squeeze. We talk building without "experience", going viral, and what it takes to scale fast when you know national TV attention is about to hit. Tune in and find out which Dragon backed them...

After launching our AI Adoption Report, we kept hearing the same question from purpose-led teams: "Great… so what do we do next?" In this episode, Duncan Cook (CEO) and Matt Lawrence (Head of Marketing) walk through our new downloadable, fill-out-able AI Adoption Toolkit, designed to help organisations adopt AI responsibly in a practical, no-drama way. We cover how to start small, choose the right problems, protect sensitive data, set guardrails that make experimentation safer, and think about rollback when AI tools don't behave like traditional software. We also dig into why community engagement still lags, and why it matters more than most teams think.

When a crisis hits, how do you lead - and innovate - at the same time? In this episode of Igniting Change, Puff sits down with Jamie Lesueur, Head of Emergency Operations at the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC), to explore how technology is reshaping humanitarian aid from the inside out. From new digital tools that deliver faster, fairer assistance to the power of trust in complex emergency networks, Jamie shares what it really takes to rethink crisis response for a more connected world. It's a raw, honest look at innovation under pressure, and what happens when humanity and technology work together to save lives.

When people talk about climate action, it's usually doom, gloom, and existential dread. Justdiggit flips that script. In this episode, Puff sits down with Merel Rikveld, Head of Communications at Justdiggit, to dig into the movement that's turning degraded land green again, and doing it at scale. Merel shares how local communities in Kenya, Tanzania and Senegal are restoring land, bringing back millions of trees, and even reshaping cultural dynamics through grassroots leadership. We get into the tech behind it - from satellite imagery to digital regreening, and the creativity that turns data into stories people can actually connect with. If you want a climate conversation that's hopeful, grounded, and obsession-worthy, this one's for you!  If you want to help make more "earth smiles", donate here: https://justdiggit.org/donate/

From Google Docs to doing good. 💚 In this episode, Puff sits down with Addie Achan, founder of The Kaleidoscope Project, to unpack what it really takes to build AI that drives meaningful change. Addie shares her journey from software engineer at Google to building AI models for The Trevor Project, leading AI strategy at Fast Forward, and now helping philanthropies and investors make ethical, evidence-based funding decisions. It's an honest, practical look at how purpose-led teams can build AI that actually serves people and planet - join the conversation!  

What do AI adoption, purpose-led orgs, and a taco hat have in common? 🌮 Turns out, it's the perfect recipe for an honest (and slightly chaotic) chat about where AI for good is heading. Join the convo to get the inside scoop from Duncan and Matt at 3 Sided Cube before our new AI Adoption report drops on 12 November. This one's got it all, the data, the debates, and....taco's. They dive into: What 89% of purpose-led orgs are doing with AI Why the hype's giving way to hands-on experimentation Where AI for good is making real impact (and where it's not) And of course, a rousing game of Stat or Cap 🎧 Tune in for laughs, insights, and your first look at what's next in AI adoption.  

Wildfires are one of the fastest-growing natural threats on the planet, and the race to detect them earlier has never been more urgent. In this episode of Igniting Change, Puff talks with Neal Spungen, Founder of Detect Wildfires, about the technology, teamwork, and human story behind innovations in wildfire detection. From sensors that spot smoke in seconds to the partnerships driving faster, smarter response, this episode explores how tech can protect lives, communities, and ecosystems from the world's most relentless natural disaster. Because fighting fire with tech isn't science fiction, it's happening now, at first spark.

How do you lead digital transformation when human rights are on the line? In this episode of Igniting Change, we sit down with Paul Smith, Chief Information Officer at Amnesty International, to unpack what it really takes to modernise technology inside one of the world's most values-driven organisations. Paul shares his journey from the corporate world into the nonprofit sector, why leading with empathy matters, and how Amnesty is using data, cloud and AI responsibly to power global change while protecting the people behind the mission.

Meet Roo, a chatbot built to protect privacy, share facts, and give hope when access to care is under attack. In this episode of Igniting Change, Puff talks with Nicole Levitz, Senior Director of Digital Interventions and Insights at Planned Parenthood Federation of America, about Roo's creation and how it's helping millions of people find trusted answers about sexual and reproductive health online. This conversation is about more than AI - it's about designing technology that stands up for truth, trust, and women's health.