In this episode of RightsStarters, Rupert Abbott meets Jenny Pearson on the seafront in Brighton & Hove, England. Although both were born and raised in Brighton, they first came to know each other through their work in Cambodia.
Jenny arrived in Cambodia in 1995, while conflict was still continuing in parts of the country and just as Cambodia was beginning the long process of rebuilding after decades of war. Initially volunteering with Voluntary Service Overseas (VSO), she went on to found VBNK, an organisation that would spend decades strengthening the leadership, management and effectiveness of Cambodia's civil society and development sector.
Jenny reflects on the path that took her from probation officer in the UK to founding VBNK in Cambodia, why established approaches to capacity development often failed in a society shaped by trauma, and how creativity, trust and continuous learning became central to VBNK's work.
Together, Rupert and Jenny explore what it means to build organisations in complex contexts, how founders adapt as their organisations evolve, and why communication, ongoing learning and humility remain essential to lasting social change.
Show Notes
In this episode, we cover:
- Jenny Pearson's path from Brighton to Cambodia
- Cambodia's reconstruction after decades of conflict
- Founding VBNK and strengthening civil society
- Trauma, trust and organisational change
- Creativity and continuous learning in capacity development
- Localising leadership and founder succession
- Advice for aspiring social impact founders
About Jenny Pearson
Jenny Pearson is the founder of VBNK, a Cambodian organisation dedicated to strengthening leadership, management and organisational effectiveness across the country's development sector. She is internationally recognised for her work on capacity development and is the author of Creative Capacity Development: Learning to Adapt in Development Practice.
Links
- VBNK: https://www.vbnk.org/
Note: This episode includes an automatically generated transcript, which may contain errors, particularly with non-English language and names.
About RightsStarters
RightsStarters is a podcast about turning ideas into action, through conversations with founders shaping social change.
Hosted by Rupert Abbott, founder of RightsStart Alliance.
Follow the podcast to hear future episodes.
Learn more: https://www.rights-start.org
