We’re living in the space between stories, as the author Charles Eisenstein has said. What we’ve done in the past simply won’t work for where we need to go. And what we choose to do now matters most.

In The Future We Want podcast, BBMG founding partner Raphael Bemporad speaks with visionary leaders, entrepreneurs, designers and social change pioneers who have challenged our thinking about life, leadership, society and the role of brands in shaping the world. People who embody the kind of fearless humanity and brilliant creativity we need now in this moment of profound challenge and change.

We take on topics like human connection, racial justice, inclusive capitalism, climate change and the truth and big tech with perspectives that are borne from lived experience and lessons that can guide our way forward.

Welcome to a new conversation about the moment we’re in and how we can all create the future we want, together.

Look for new episodes monthly and click here to subscribe.

Ep. 7 – Joy of Design with William McDonough

William McDonough is recognized around the world for developing Cradle-to-Cradle design, launching the green building movement, and designing some of the most iconic, beautiful, and sustainable solutions in history – from buildings that function like forests to consumer products that are pure enough to eat.

In this episode, William shares the joy and the human side of sustainable design with personal stories from what it was like to grow up in post WWII Japan to the inspiration of his mentor, the legendary photographer Walker Evans, to a call to imagination for a new generation to design a future we all might want to be part of.

Learn more about his work at McDonough.com and follow William on Twitter at @billmcdonough

Ep. 6 – Radically Better Future

For young people under 30, the words used to describe 2020 reflect both profound challenge as well as powerful hope for change. In this special episode of The Future We Want, we go deep into findings from BBMG and GlobeScan’s new global survey of 27,000 people, and we share the voices and visions of a new generation, their expectations for brands, and how together we might radically reimagine the future after one of the most transformative years for humanity in the last century.

Click here to get the full Radically Better Future: The Next Gen Reckoning for Brands report.

Ep. 5 – Telling the Story of Justice with Palika Makam

Media activist Palika Makam has produced video advocacy campaigns and trained activists all over the world – from South Africa to Ferguson, Missouri to The West Bank. As the US Program Coordinator for the human rights nonprofit WITNESS she helps activists and communities use video to document human rights violations and advocate for social justice, human dignity and truth.

In this episode we talk about what it means to center the voices and experiences of people and communities in the fight for human rights and pass the mic (literally) in order to pass the power.

Learn more about WITNESS, the Youth Speak Truth event and follow Pali on Twitter at @PaliMakam and on Instagram at @PaliPocket

Ep. 4 – Bridging America’s Divides with Jenn Hoos Rothberg

As Executive Director of Einhorn Collaborative, Jenn Hoos Rothberg works with a wide range of cultural influencers, community leaders and funders to help Americans build stronger relationships, embrace our differences and rediscover our common humanity so that we can solve our most urgent challenges, together.

In this episode we speak with Jenn about our current national crisis of connection and how as individuals, and as institutions, fostering belonging and pluralism can help elevate the best of our humanity and bridge divides.

Learn more about Einhorn Collaborative, the Nurture Science Program, Greater Good Science Center’s Bridging Differences Playbook, Othering & Belonging Institute founded by john a. powell, and read Jenn’s blog post: Welcome to the Relational Era.

Follow Jenn on Twitter at @jennrothberg

Ep. 3 – Brave Leadership for a New Economy with Halla Tómasdóttir

“Leadership is all about waking up and choosing to be the leaders this moment calls for us to be.” On this episode of The Future We Want, we speak with Halla Tomasdottir, the CEO and Chief Change Catalyst for The B Team, and Co-Chair of Imperative 21, the global business-led network calling for a RESET of our economy so that it works for everyone and for the long term.

From her run for the presidency of her native Iceland to her work building the Imperative 21 coalition, Halla shows us what purpose-driven, gender-balanced and principled leadership looks like.

Learn more about Imperative 21
Follow Halla on Instagram or Twitter @HallaTomas

Ep. 2 – A Moral Revolution for Business with Jacqueline Novogratz

As founder and CEO of Acumen, Jacqueline Novogratz is on a mission to change the way the world tackles poverty by investing in a global community of social entrepreneurs who are placing human dignity at the center of the marketplace and harnessing business as a force for individual and collective transformation.

Jacqueline’s new book, Manifesto for a Moral Revolution, is a deeply personal and profoundly elegant story of passion and perseverance that builds from more than 20 years of partnership and collaboration to share practices to build a better world.

In this episode we discuss how to heal beyond crisis, how to reconceptualize the very idea of purposeful work to benefit all stakeholders, and how to build a life’s work that serves this generation and the next.

Learn more about Manifesto for a Moral Revolution
Follow Jacqueline on Instagram or Twitter @jnovogratz

Ep. 1 – The Racial Justice Reckoning and the Path to Justice with Rha Goddess

In our inaugural, two-part episode, Raphael speaks with Rha Goddess, a visionary artist, activist and social entrepreneur. Rha is the Founder and CEO of Move The Crowd, a movement of millions of entrepreneurs dedicated to staying true, getting paid and doing good. Her new book, The Calling, is a beautifully written and fiercely practical guide to finding your purpose and making your most meaningful contribution in life, work and in the world.

In Part 1 we go deep into the moment we’re in, the work we need to do, and the future we can create. From facing the work of racial justice with Rha’s Open Letter to My Beloved White Male Allies to creating the story of us that is just now emerging.

In Part 2 we go deeper into the conversation about racial justice, equity and power. Rha describes six steps on the journey to justice, and she calls on all of us to do the brave individual work that is necessary if we ultimately want to manifest our collective creativity in the world around us.

As you’ll hear from Rha, get ready to look in the mirror.

Learn more about The Calling

The Future We Want is produced by Liz Courtney.
Sound editing and music is by Go Destroy Art.