Summa & Friends

Over 20% of Europe’s CO2 emissions are a result of a linear economy, a number which can be reduced by 55% if we transition to a circular economy, says Bertrand Camus, former CEO of French multinational utility company SUEZ, now partner at Summa Equity. But that’s not the only reason to make the change… Moving to a circular economy has a potential value creation opportunity of between EUR 1-2 trillion, not to mention all the jobs that go along with that. And given the size and magnitude of what needs to be achieved to get there, there is room for anyone who wants to play a role in this great journey we need to embark on. So, how can you get involved? To learn more about Summa’s work in waste management, and to hear Bertrand discuss the theory of change, and reveal the massive opportunities that lie in the circular economy, download and listen to this episode today. “It's one of the most fantastic investment opportunities that I've seen, where you can really invest to create value and create jobs, and address the resource problem that we have, and the climate change issues and CO2 emissions that we have.”On today’s podcast:What the future looks like Understanding the theory of changeThe opportunities in a circular economy What needs to be done to make circularity a reality in Europe Links:https://summaequity.com/readings/eu-circular-markets-could-be-worth-eur-1.5tn-by-2040-and-save-650-mt-co2e-per-year

The United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) has been described as a business plan for the world, highlighting 17 broad problem areas for which the world needs to find solutions. While originally intended for governments, the UN SDGs is also a powerful framework for investors who have both financial and sustainability objectives.  Creating truly sustainable portfolios is hard and requires a fundamental rethink of the entire investment process to incorporate impact as a third dimension, alongside risk and return. So, says Carsten Stendevad, co-CIO for sustainability at Bridgewater who shares his perspective on the challenges and rewards of building sustainable portfolios in today’s episode. On today’s podcast: ●       Bridgewater’s sustainable investing journey ●       How Bridgewater applies their systematic research approach to sustainability ●       Assessing net zero alignment – from macro to individual players●       Balancing return, risk and impact to achieve strong financial and sustainability outcomes●       Reflections on a sustainable future

How do you make your money? Does your business have morals? The world is changing, says Alison Taylor, Clinical Professor at NYU Stern School of Business and Executive Director at Ethical Systems. People care, consumers care, employees care, everyone has started caring more. And if you want to futureproof your organization, you need to put morals back into it. It's not about how much money a company makes now, it's about how you make your money, and who wins and who loses while you’re doing that. A company needs to grow and make profit to survive, says Alison, that is not a debatable point. Just as human beings need a beating heart to survive. But a human being does not exist solely to be a vehicle for its beating heart, in the same way your company can no longer solely make profit to survive, you need to find another reason to exist. To find out more, download and listen to this episode of Summa & Friends.On today’s podcast:Why ESG and sustainability are not the same thingIs ESG a moral issue?How to do governance - best practice adviceThe future for ESGThe problem of ethics and morals with ESG

Imagine playing a video game where data about you in the moment is being collected with sensor technology, performance metrics, emotional responses, body movements, brain activity. And this is all used in real time to guide the environment you're experiencing, personalizing both the challenges and rewards to improve your cognition. No, this isn’t the plot of a sci-fi movie. We’re in the midst of a cognition crisis and experiences are a powerful way of changing our brain, says Adam Gazzaley, neuroscientist, neurologist, inventor, author, photographer, entrepreneur, investor, and creator of the first ever digital medicine, and the first ever FDA cleared digital treatment for children with ADHD. In this incredible episode of Summa & Friends, Adam explains why the cognition crisis is getting worse on a global scale, especially for our children, and why his digital medicine was born out of a frustration at the lack of research and treatment that we as a species should have developed by now. To find out more, download and listen. On today’s podcast:What is digital medicine and who is it for?What is the cognition crisisWhy we need a multi-modal approach to improving cognitionThe enduring nature of experiential medicine

Why does it matter that we learn to navigate failure? Because, says Amy Edmondson, Novartis Professor of Leadership and Management at the Harvard Business School and author of global bestseller, Psychological Safety, and soon, her upcoming book The Right Kind of Wrong: The science of failing well, the only mistake we make in this life is not trying. “We live in a time of increasing uncertainty and interdependence. Either one of those factors creates the inevitability of some failures along the way. So we have to learn to manage them and navigate them.”In this episode of Summa & Friends, Amy explores the difference between mistakes and failures, the importance of failure for innovation, the value of honest feedback, and more importantly, the need for humans to be open to failure. Not a single one of us is infallible, says Amy, it is possible to thrive as a fallible human being. To find out more, download and listen today. On today’s podcast:The difference between mistakes and failuresWhy failure can be strategicNavigating the ladder of inferenceHow to increase organizational psychological safetyThe importance of a growth mindset 

Collaboration is key to achieving the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), says John W McArthur, co-founder and co-chair of 17 Rooms, an innovative method for advancing helping people take the Sustainable Development Goals into their own hands, driving action through cooperation at all scales of community. Right now, says John, while positive progress is being made on some of the SDGs, elsewhere others are going sideways, and some are even going backwards. “The only way to make them go positive is to get all the stakeholders together into the same room and discuss the theory of change, how to get there, and how we collaborate to get there.”To learn more about the 17 Rooms initiative, a partnership between the Center for Sustainable Development at Brookings and The Rockefeller Foundation, or to find out how you can get involved, don’t miss John, Reynir and Vesna on this episode of Summa & Friends. On today’s podcast:The basic essence of 17 RoomsWhy businesses should lean in and lead on SDGsHow to end extreme povertyWhy the world needs trust and hope right now

How do you lead despite ambiguity in the world of sustainable investing? That’s the question Zoe Bulger, Impact Manager at Summa Equity is discussing on this episode of Summa & Friends. With more traditional actors entering the Impact ESG space, and lots of regulatory movement as well, Zoe shares some of the challenges and shifts defining this momentWith a background in the social sector focused on supporting mission-oriented founders and organizations, Zoe’s role at Summa is all about integrating impact ESG across the investment process and across portfolio companies, as well as the reporting side of it.On today’s podcast:The challenges and shifts defining this moment in impact investingHow do you stay the course despite the ambiguity of regulation?What’s the impact of Article 9?What is a theory of change and how does it work?

If you focus on trying to change the lives of just five people it will bring you meaning, says Roberto Verganti, Professor of Leadership and Innovation at the Stockholm School of Economics, and Design Theory and Practice at the Harvard Business School, but you won’t bring about much change on a large scale. But, if every one of the eight billion humans living on this planet changes the lives of five people, we can change the world. “I really believe that change is connected to human relationships and especially intimate human relationships. A few people who interact well can give you a lot of meaning.”In this episode of Summa & Friends, Roberto explains why reframing is the most advanced leadership skill we can possess, and how learning this skill can not just improve us as individuals, but it can enhance organizations, and it can even change the world. To find out more, download and listen to this latest episode. On today’s podcast:Why reframing is the most advanced leadership skillThe myths of leadershipHow to connect reframing with sustainabilityHow AI is helping people create new thingsMaking choices to design your life work