The IKEA Foundation Podcast – Details, episodes & analysis

Episode Introduction 

Alexander Betts, Professor of Forced Migration and International Affairs at the University of Oxford, and Ola Rosling, CEO of Gapminder, discuss what (almost) everybody gets wrong about refugees in this episode hosted by IKEA Foundation CEO Per Heggenes. 

 There are a lot of misconceptions about refugees, especially around their intentions and why they leave their homes, belongings and loved ones to venture into the unknown. Do you think you know your facts about refugees? Learn more from two interesting and knowledgeable guests who shine a light on some of the issues faced by the world’s 26 million refugees. 

Guests Bio  

Ola Rosling is President and Co-Founder of Gapminder Foundation, which he founded together with his wife and his father. Since 1999, Ola has led the development of the Trendalyzer software, which was acquired by Google in 2007. At Google Ola and his team delivered the Motion Chart as part of Google Spreadsheets. As Product Manager for Google Public Data, Ola then helped democratise access to public statistics by developing the infrastructure needed to make official statistics part of Google Search results. Ola and Anna went back to Gapminder in 2011 to develop free teaching materials for a fact-based worldview. In 2014, Ola coined the term “Factfulness”, which Gapminder is now promoting to make education about Sustainable Development less ideological and more fact-based. 

Together with Anna and Hans, Ola wrote Factfulness, a book launched in April 2018. 
Twitter handle: @OlaRosling

Alexander Betts is Professor of Forced Migration and International Affairs, William Golding Senior Fellow in Politics at Brasenose College, and Associate Head of the Social Sciences Division, at the University of Oxford. He served as Director of the Refugee Studies Centre between 2014 and 2017. His research focuses on the politics and economics of refugee assistance. He is co-author, with Paul Collier, of Refuge: Transforming a Broken Refugee System (Penguin Allen Lane), which was named by the Economist as one of the “Best Books of 2017”. He is a World Economic Forum Young Global Leader and was named by Foreign Policy magazine in the top 100 global thinkers of 2016. His TED talks have been viewed by over 3 million people, and he has written for the New York Times, the Guardian, and the Washington Post. He has previously worked for UNHCR and serves as a Councillor on the World Refugee Council. 
Twitter handle: @alexander_betts 

Mentioned in this episode  

To learn more: Factfulness book launched in April 2018. https://www.gapminder.org/factfulness-book/ 

To know more about Gapminder:  

www.gapminder.org   

To know more about Oxford University: 
https://www.rsc.ox.ac.uk/publications  

Show credits  

Host: Altaf Makhiawala, Strategic Communicator, IKEA Foundation 

Executive Producer: Truus Huisman, Chief Communication Officer  

Researcher: Blanche van de Stolpe, Strategic Communicator, IKEA Foundation 

An Andy Clark Media Production for the IKEA Foundation  

Want to contact the show? Reach out at wehearyou@ikeafoundation.org
FACEBOOK | TWITTER | LINKEDIN | INSTAGRAM 

Learn more about IKEA Foundation: 

Episode Introduction 

In this episode, Barri Shorey from International Rescue Committee, discusses not only the current challenges refugees face around the world, but the often overlooked long-term economic impacts of how the COVID-19 pandemic affects refugees differently with IKEA Foundation Chief Executive Officer, Per Heggenes. The question we will discuss will be: What’s life like for a refugee caught in the global COVID pandemic – now, and in the future?  

Guests Bio  

Barri Shorey is the Senior Director of the Economic Recovery and Development Unit of the International Rescue Committee, which works to ensure that people whose lives and livelihoods have been shattered by conflict or disaster have their most basic survival needs met and have the assets and income to prosper. She manages a team of 30 people supporting quality implementation, research and evidence building, and strategy development of the IRC’s global cash and livelihoods programming. 

Twitter handle: @BarriShorey
 
Mentioned in this episode 

To get questions that have been asked during this session 

https://ikeafoundation.org/ask-an-expert-with-barri-shorey/ 

To know more about International Rescue Committee (IRC) partnership with IKEA Foundation:  

https://ikeafoundation.org/story/world-refugee-day-2020/ 

To know more about International Rescue Committee (IRC) call to action: 
https://www.rescue.org/article/refugees-and-their-new-communities-thriving-together 

Show credits 

Host: Altaf Makhiawala 

Executive Producer: Truus Huisman 

Researcher: Blanche van de Stolpe 

An Andy Clark Media Production for the IKEA Foundation 

Want to contact the show? Reach out at wehearyou@ikeafoundation.org
FACEBOOK | TWITTER | LINKEDIN | INSTAGRAM 

Learn more about IKEA Foundation: www.ikeafoundation.org  

Programming Note:  

This conversation was recorded as part of the Ask An Expert series livestreamed online on June 11, 2020. This is an edited and produced version of the conversation for this podcast.  

YouTube link to the original video conversation.  

In the third episode of our ‘What If?’ podcast series we talk to Per Heggenes, IKEA Foundation CEO. Per shares his vision on climate change and renewable energy, talks about what inspires him and offers a unique insight into the Foundation’s first 10 years. He also spotlights our new grantmaking strategy as we look forward to the future. This podcast is hosted by Altaf Makhiawala, Strategic Communicator at the IKEA Foundation. 

The podcast features audio clips from Sustainable Energy for All, the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR), UNDP, Right to Play and the UN Sustainable Development Goals team—our many thanks to them. 

Our podcast series will be taking a short summer break and will be back soon.

Links you can use:

IKEA Foundation Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/ikeafoundation

In the second episode of our ‘What If?’ podcast series, Rachel Kyte, CEO at Sustainable Energy for All (SEforALL), paints a picture of world that has successfully transitioned to renewable energy in all aspects of our lives. As Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General for Sustainable Energy for All, Rachel has a unique perspective on how to empower leaders to broker partnerships and unlock finance to achieve universal access to sustainable energy. Find out what inspires her and what are her hopes and dreams for a life that is sustained by renewable energy. 

This podcast is hosted by Altaf Makhiawala, Strategic Communicator at the IKEA Foundation. 

Rachel Kyte recommends:

The Uninhabitable Earth – Life After Warming by David Wallace-Wells

Following the #opensource hashtag for solid science on climate change

Links you can use:

Sustainable Energy for All: https://www.seforall.org/

IKEA Foundation Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/ikeafoundation

Show notes

What needs to happen right now to keep our planet healthy? In our very first episode of the ‘What If?’ podcast series, campaigner and business leader Steve Howard talks about his vision for climate action. As Co-Chair of We Mean Business and former Chief Sustainability Officer of IKEA Group, Steve has a unique perspective on the role of business and philanthropy in tackling climate change. Find out what inspires him and what his hopes and dreams are for the global climate movement.This podcast is hosted by Altaf Makhiawala, Strategic Communicator, IKEA Foundation. 

Steve Howard recommends:

Al Gore’s Inconvenient Truth is a classic that is very watchable and gives a good understanding of the issue. Watch the trailer. 

Read The IPCC Special Report on Global Warming of 1.5 degrees, especially the 30-page summary, if you really want to have a good understanding on the subject.

Websites you might find useful: 

 We Mean Business: https://www.wemeanbusinesscoalition.org/

 The Climate Group: https://www.theclimategroup.org/

 IKEA Foundation Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/ikeafoundation

Episode Introduction

Women farmers in rural communities are responsible for feeding much of the world, but they often don’t get enough to eat themselves. They struggle to access financial support that would help them earn a decent income—and the pandemic is making this situation even worse. In this episode, we discuss how the COVID-19 crisis is impacting women in rural communities and how we can support them to become the leaders and food producers our world needs. Willy Foote and Katie Naeve of Root Capital discuss this with Nico Janssen, Programme Manager for our Agricultural Livelihoods Portfolio. 

Guest Bio 

Willy Foote is the Founder and CEO of Root Capital, a nonprofit that offers credit and financial advice to small agricultural businesses, especially women, so that they can build profitable and climate smart livelihoods. Foote is a Skoll Entrepreneur and an Ashoka Global Fellow. He was named a Young Global Leader by the World Economic Forum in 2008, one of Forbes’ “Impact 30” in 2011, and was a 2012 Henry Crown Fellow of the Aspen Institute. 

Katie Naeve is the Director of Impact and Partnerships at Root Capital. She works on developing and growing strategic partnerships that present opportunities for Root Capital to scale growth and impact. Previously, she conducted evaluations of a number of international development projects around the globe with Harvard’s Center for International Development and Mathematica Policy Research. She has also worked in Colombia with children affected by armed conflict. 

Mentioned in this episode:
To know more about the IKEA Foundation’s partnership with Root Capital, read this story: https://ikeafoundation.org/story/how-root-capital-and-the-ikea-foundation-are-building-the-resilience-of-smallholder-farmers-in-east-africa/

Show credits:

Host: Altaf Makhiawala

Executive Producer: Truus Huisman

Researcher: Lotika Mehta

An Andy Clark Media Production for the IKEA Foundation

Want to contact the show? Reach out at wehearyou@ikeafoundation.org

FACEBOOK | TWITTER | LINKEDIN | INSTAGRAM

Learn more about the IKEA Foundation: www.ikeafoundation.org

Programming Note:

This conversation was recorded as part of the Ask An Expert series livestreamed online on 7 May 2020. This is an edited version of the conversation for the podcast. 

 Youtube link to the original video conversation. 

Sarah Klassen from Start Network and Jon Stone from the Risk-informed Early Action Partnership Secretariat (REAP), discuss how early action could help prevent the spread of COVID-19 in vulnerable communities, in this interview with Patricia Atkinson, IKEA Foundation Chief Programme Officer. You’ll hear more about preparedness and examples from the field. Sarah and Jon explain how local actors are leading the way in responding to the pandemic and look at how climate change is severely impacting people in remote parts of the world.  

Guests Bio  Sarah Klassen is a Crisis Anticipation Technical Advisor with Start Network, supporting humanitarian agencies to act in anticipation of crises. Her goal is to help put projects in place on the ground to mitigate escalating risks before a disaster occurs. Previously, Sarah worked with World Vision in a humanitarian context analysis team. She project managed context analyses and scenario planning in places such as Democratic Republic of the Congo, Central African Republic, Afghanistan and Mali. Before this, Sarah worked in humanitarian policy and advocacy roles with a focus on child protection in emergencies.  

Twitter handle: @sarahWVUK 
 
Jon Stone is passionate about enabling the poor to reduce losses and suffering from disasters. He is seconded from the UK Government Department for International Development to the Red Cross to be the Head of the Risk-informed Early Action Partnership Secretariat. This aims to make 1 billion people safer from climate extremes and disasters by 2025.  
Twitter handle: @EarlyActionREAP 

Mentioned in this episode 

To get questions that have been asked during this session: 

https://ikeafoundation.org/ask-an-expert-with-sarah-klassen-and-jon-stone/ 

To know more about Start Network’s partnership with IKEA Foundation:  

https://ikeafoundation.org/story/start-network-rapid-funds-covid-19-response/ 

To know more about Start Network’s call to action: 
https://startnetwork.org/news-and-blogs/why-we-need-anticipatory-approach-humanitarian-crises-and-covid-19 

To learn more about Risk-informed Early Action Partnership (REAP):
http://www.globalresiliencepartnership.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/REAP-two-pager-230819.pdf 

 Show credits 
Host: Altaf Makhiawala, Strategic Communicator, IKEA Foundation 

Executive Producer: Truus Huisman, Chief Communication Officer  

Researcher: Blanche van de Stolpe, Strategic Communicator, IKEA Foundation 

An Andy Clark Media Production for the IKEA Foundation 

Want to contact the show? Reach out at wehearyou@ikeafoundation.org 

FACEBOOK | TWITTER | LINKEDIN | INSTAGRAM 

Learn more about IKEA Foundation: www.ikeafoundation.org 

Programming Note:   

This conversation was recorded as part of the Ask An Expert series livestreamed online on 30 April 2020. This is an edited and produced version of the conversation for this podcast.  

Episode Introduction 

Everyone has the right to breathe clean air. Yet, every year, the health of millions of people is threatened by air pollution. So what needs to happen to ensure all people enjoy clean air, blue skies and better health? Jane Burston, Executive Director of the Clean Air Fund, speaks with Liz McKeon, our Climate Action Portfolio Lead, about the economic impact of air pollution and clean air solutions. 

Guest Bio  

Jane Burston runs the Clean Air Fund, a global re-granting institution funding projects to improve air quality. Previously she worked as Head of Climate and Energy Science in the UK Government, responsible for the UK greenhouse gas inventory and a £45m science programme. She managed a team of 150 scientists working in air quality, greenhouse gas measurement and renewable energy. Jane has been named as a ‘Young Global Leader’ of the World Economic Forum, as one of the ‘40 under 40 European Young Leaders’ by Friends of Europe and is a previous UK Social Entrepreneur of the year. 

Mentioned in this episode: 

The economic impact of air pollution: Jane Burston, Executive Director at the Clean Air Fund, and Rain Newton-Smith, Chief Economist at the Confederation of British Industry (CBI), have shown that you can indeed put a price on clean air. See report: 
https://www.cleanairfund.org/blog-post/can-we-put-a-price-on-clean-air-yes-we-can/     

To know more about Clean Air Fund’s partnership with IKEA Foundation:  

https://ikeafoundation.org/story/making-clean-air-a-human-right/ 

https://ikeafoundation.org/story/with-an-eye-on-children-the-ikea-foundation-is-stepping-up-its-work-on-climate-change/ 

https://ikeafoundation.org/story/clean-air-healthier-lives/ 

Show credits: 

Host: Altaf Makhiawala, Strategic Communicator, IKEA Foundation 

Executive Producer: Truus Huisman, Chief Communication Officer  

Researcher: Indra Heerkens, Strategic Communicator, IKEA Foundation 

An Andy Clark Media Production for the IKEA Foundation 

Programming Note:  

This conversation was recorded as part of the Ask An Expert series livestreamed online on 10 September 2020. This is an edited and produced version of the conversation for this podcast. YouTube link to the original video conversation.  

Want to contact the show? Reach out at wehearyou@ikeafoundation.org 

FACEBOOK | TWITTER | LINKEDIN | INSTAGRAM 

Learn more about IKEA Foundation: www.ikeafoundation.org  

Episode Introduction 

In this episode, Founder and CEO of SELCO Foundation, Harish Hande is in conversation with Renewable Energy Portfolio Lead, Jeffrey Prins on how renewable energy can help communities survive and recover from the COVID-19 crisis.  

Guest Bio  

Harish Hande is a renewable energy entrepreneur with over 24 years of grassroots experience in understanding, developing and deploying renewable energy solutions for underserved communities. Born in rural Karnataka, Harish went on to pursue his graduation from the Indian Institute of Technology, Kharagpur and a PhD from University of Massachusetts. His twitter handle is @Harishhande 

Mentioned in this episode: 

SELCO Foundation website: http://www.selcofoundation.org/ 

Show credits: 

Host: Altaf Makhiawala, Strategic Communicator, IKEA Foundation 

Executive Producer: Truus Huisman, Chief Communication Officer  

Researcher: Altaf Makhiawala  

An Andy Clark Media Production for the IKEA Foundation 

Want to contact the show? Reach out at wehearyou@ikeafoundation.org  

FACEBOOK | TWITTER | LINKEDIN | INSTAGRAM 

Learn more about the IKEA Foundation: www.ikeafoundation.org  

Programming Note:  

This conversation was recorded as part of the Ask An Expert series livestreamed online on 16 April 2020. This is an edited version of the conversation for the podcast.  

Youtube link to the original video conversation.  

Episode Introduction 

Engaging with other people has radically changed this year due to lockdowns and other measures that limit social interactions. But how can we continue to build a climate movement when people can’t meet in person? Are there things we will want to keep doing after the pandemic ends? We will try to answer these questions in a conversation hosted by our own Liz McKeon with Jessy Tolkan from Purpose Climate Lab and Jessie MacNeil-Brown from Ingka Group/IKEA. 

 Guest Bio  

Jessy Tolkan is a Partner at Purpose, a mission-driven agency that builds and supports social movements around the globe to address the world’s most pressing issues. In her role as Chief Campaigns Officer, she also leads the Purpose Climate Lab, an effort to build the ambition of just climate solutions across India, Brazil, Kenya, Europe and the United States.  

With an eye towards ensuring a more sustainable planet and more participatory democracy, Jessy has spent the last 17 years as an activist and movement leader working to build progressive change in the United States.  
 

Jessie Macneil-Brown is the Campaigns Unit Manager at Ingka Group. Jessie has over 10 years’ experience in campaigns, public affairs, marketing and communications in international organisations. She has experience in leading global campaigns at Amnesty International and most recently as the Head of Global Activism at The Body Shop, where she led the company’s most successful campaigns. A passionate feminist, Jessie believes that the most exciting and innovative forms of activism come from the grassroots level. She is proud to support the Global Fund for Women as a UK board member and was a founding member of the Women’s Equality Party in the UK.  

Mentioned in this episode: 

IKEA’s campaign #togetherwithkindness https://www.youtube.com/watch?reload=9&v=bCMDfvuuN4o 

 To know more about Purpose Climate Lab’s partnership with IKEA Foundation:  

https://ikeafoundation.org/story/investing-in-clean-air-can-protect-our-health-and-the-planet/ 

 https://ikeafoundation.org/story/hitch-a-ride-to-a-clean-energy-future-with-the-new-american-road-trip/ 

Show credits: 

Host: Altaf Makhiawala, Strategic Communicator, IKEA Foundation 

Executive Producer: Truus Huisman, Chief Communication Officer  

Researcher: Indra Heerkens, Strategic Communicator, IKEA Foundation 

An Andy Clark Media Production for the IKEA Foundation 

Programming Note:  

This conversation was recorded as part of the Ask An Expert series livestreamed online on 22 April 2020. This is an edited and produced version of the conversation for this podcast.  

YouTube Link to the original video conversation.  

 Want to contact the show? Reach out at wehearyou@ikeafoundation.org 

FACEBOOK | TWITTER | LINKEDIN | INSTAGRAM 

Learn more about IKEA Foundation: www.ikeafoundation.org