The ImpactVest Podcast: Transformative Global Innovation in a New Era of Impact

Join us for our ImpactVest Alliance Q4 CEO Roundtable Podcast: “Investing in the Real Economy: Scalable Solutions for Systemic Impact.” This roundtable explores how impact-driven companies are solving real-world challenges in technology, agriculture, and financial inclusion while scaling sustainably. Scott Duhart, CEO at Hart I.T. Solutions, Soji Sanyaolu, CEO at AirSmat, and Eddy Kubwimana, CEO at PayVista, share how their business models are shaped by secure infrastructure needs, food security and climate action, and access to financial services for underserved populations. This discussion highlights strategies for scaling impact, including automation, science-backed solutions, workforce training, and strong community partnerships. These CEOs also address adaptability and trust as core enablers. Looking ahead, each leader expresses optimism about expansion into new markets, government and UN partnerships, and leveraging data and technology to deepen impact.

In this ImpactVest podcast, Scott Duhart, Founder and CEO at Hart I.T. Solutions, shares how his military background, early passion for technology, and meaningful connections led him to start and grow his company. He explains how the business expanded rapidly from freelancing jobs to managing teams across multiple states, emphasising lessons learned about finances, training, and perseverance. Scott highlights the importance of work ethic, continuous learning, and surrounding himself with experts to stay ahead in the evolving tech field.

In this ImpactVest podcast, Jeanette Sutherland, Founder and CEO at AgriLuxe Marketing, and Allister Esau, Food Lead at the V&A Waterfront, share their insights on using food as a bridge between agriculture, culture, and tourism. Jeanette discusses AgriLuxe’s initiatives such as the African-Caribbean “WILD Feast,” which promotes indigenous crops, sustainable tourism, and climate-smart development. Allister highlights the V&A Waterfront’s sustainable food ecosystem and its support for small businesses through Makers Landing, a food incubation hub. Both guests emphasise the power of collaboration, innovation, and purpose-driven leadership in creating a more inclusive and sustainable global food future.

Join us for our ImpactVest Alliance Q3 CEO Roundtable Podcast: “Resilient Economies, Regenerative Capital: Where Profit Meets Purpose.” This roundtable features a panel of three CEOs discussing how purpose-led innovation drives resilient economies. Ahmed Abdeen from ElGameya emphasises compliance and automation to foster financial inclusion. Michele Heyward from PositiveHire focuses on centering people and integrity in leadership. Rukayat Bello from Regxta is championing agent-led banking to empower rural communities. Each leader highlights resilience through adaptability, equity, and technology. The panelists agree that balancing profit with purpose requires trust, long-term vision, and community-centered values, while AI plays a pivotal role in scaling operations and improving decision-making. Their collective advice to future founders is to stay mission-driven, maintain integrity, and remain undeterred by naysayers while navigating uncertainty.

In this ImpactVest podcast, Auda Sakho, Founder and Creative Director at Redress Laboratory and Co-Founder of Grassroots Arts Studios CIC, shares how she works across fashion, policy, and cultural events to promote sustainability and systemic change in the fashion industry. Through Redress Laboratory and Grassroots Art Studios, she supports underrepresented creatives, develops sustainable biomaterials, and advocates for Digital Product Passports to ensure traceability and transparency in fashion supply chains. She emphasises the need for educational reform, urging schools and universities to train system thinkers, material innovators, and compliance experts instead of just traditional designers.

In this ImpactVest podcast, Alexis Thomas-Duhart and Scott Duhart, co-founders of Hart to Hart Home Care, share their inspiring journey from IT and operations into home care, driven by personal experiences and a desire to serve their community. Their company offers personalised care plans including companion care, dementia support, and respite services, with plans to expand across the American state of Georgia and eventually support veteran clients through Veterans Affairs (VA) partnerships. Emphasising the role of technology and AI in improving processes and customisation, they aim to make Hart to Hart Home Care a household name rooted in compassion, community impact, and quality care.

In this ImpactVest podcast, Nadia Arain shares her powerful journey from modeling to founding NOIRÉ OFFICIELE, a fashion brand rooted in spiritual empowerment and inspired by the divine feminine. She emphasises the importance of self-care, presentation, and embracing one’s feminine energy as tools for confidence, worthiness, and success in business. The conversation explores how re-centering feminine presence in business and society can help build a more balanced, heart-centered, and sustainable future.

Join us for our ImpactVest Alliance Q2 CEO Roundtable Podcast, “Innovative Strategies: AI Implementation and Energy Demands.” This roundtable features a panel of CEOs discussing the innovative use of AI and its intersection with energy demands across sectors like health technology and renewable energy. Olugbenga Abejirin from Kalibotics and Xolani Health highlights how AI can help solve Africa-specific challenges such as the healthcare brain drain by enhancing access and efficiency through tech-driven solutions. Nyasha Chasakara from Solarpro Energy Africa emphasises AI's growing role in optimising energy systems and its potential to localise solutions through custom language models, while Fidelis Mashonga from Sun Plugged Energy shares how AI has improved credit scoring, system monitoring, and operational sustainability in off-grid energy access. Despite current challenges around awareness, cost, and infrastructure, the speakers agree that AI is becoming a vital tool for African innovation and competitiveness.

As we celebrate Women’s History Month, join us for our ImpactVest Alliance Q1 CEO Roundtable Podcast: “Economic Transformation: Leading the Transition Towards a More Sustainable and Regenerative Future.” This CEO Roundtable, featuring an all-women panel, discusses economic transformation and sustainability. Flora Espiand introduces Cozy Connect, a platform connecting customers with local service providers to enhance transparency and efficiency. Tumi Frazier highlights Fourth Wave Technology, Inc., an agri-cleantech company using technology to support small farmers and promote regenerative agriculture. Vanessa Grace Chislett shares insights on Shisso Tea Company and the tea industry, emphasising the need for supply chain transparency and sustainable farming practices, underscoring the shift towards relationship-building, trust, and empowerment in business.

In this ImpactVest podcast, Flora Espiand, co-founder of Cozy Connect, shares her journey and inspiration behind creating a platform that bridges the gap in accessing trusted, skilled services in the Ivory Coast. Growing up in a community-oriented household and witnessing local challenges, she co-founded Cozy Connect to empower local talent, foster economic growth, and simplify service accessibility. With plans for expansion across West Africa and a focus on innovation and socio-economic development, Cozy Connect aims to transform how communities connect, building trust, opportunity, and lasting impact.

In this ImpactVest podcast episode, Head of Sponsorships and Events, Barbara Koontz, interviews Obet Aparicio, Chief Operating Financial Officer at the Hispanic Social Assembly, about the organization's mission and efforts. Obet shares that the Hispanic Social Assembly, founded over 40 years ago by Alejandro Suarez, is positively impacting fair-trade practices in Latin America while advocating for fair wages. The conversation also touches on the organization's broader goals of fostering sustainable development through micro-economies and the importance of global collaboration.

Our ImpactVest Alliance Q3 CEO Roundtable Podcast: “It's Strategic: Greater Impact, Greater Profits” was hosted by Aisha Williams, Founder and CEO of ImpactVest. This roundtable discussion focuses on strategic impact and how businesses can position themselves for returns while maximising positive societal effects. Saxon Knight, Founder of House of Saxons, discusses her organisation's efforts to empower trauma survivors through business skills, highlighting the challenges of attracting investors in difficult industries. Tanner Snider, VP of Investment Strategy at Gold Leaf Farming, shares how their sustainable farming practices balance strong financial returns with environmental and social responsibility. Obet Aparicio, Chief Operating Financial Officer at the Hispanic Social Assembly, emphasises how the Hispanic Social Assembly is positively impacting fair trade practices in Latin America while advocating for fair wages.

In this ImpactVest podcast, Jennifer Allen, the Managing Director of ImpactVest Giving, interviews Dr. Charlotte Felix- Faure, a leader in fostering entrepreneurship in South African townships. Dr. Felix-Faure shares her journey from growing up in the apartheid-era to founding the Inclusive Entrepreneurship Academy, emphasising the importance of addressing the deep-rooted impacts of apartheid on marginalised communities. Her Academy aims to empower these communities by developing entrepreneurial mindsets, focusing on both business creation and personal growth, with the hope of expanding the initiative across South Africa.

In this ImpactVest podcast, the Managing Director of the ImpactVest Alliance, Tonya Love-Lamorte, interviews the Managing Director of ImpactVest Giving, Jennifer Allen, about her background, experiences, and role at ImpactVest. Jennifer shares her journey from growing up in Jamaica to her professional career in the US, emphasising her passion for philanthropy and social impact, especially through innovative financial solutions. They discuss the initiatives supported by ImpactVest Giving, such as the Inclusive Entrepreneur Academy in South Africa, and Jennifer's vision for the future, aiming to influence how catalytic capital is allocated for positive social and environmental change.

In this ImpactVest podcast episode, the Managing Director of the ImpactVest Alliance, Tonya Love-Lamorte, interviews Saxon Knight, Founder of House of Saxons, about her extensive background in threat intelligence and her transition to founding a strategic consulting company. Knight shares her inspiration for House of Saxons, highlighting the need for aftercare in trafficking survivor support, including skills training and career preparedness. She also discusses the future of AI in cybersecurity, emphasising its role in automating processes and the importance of education and awareness in achieving long-term social impact.

Our ImpactVest Alliance CEO Roundtable Podcast: “Leaning Forward and Leading Change” was hosted by Aisha Williams, Founder and CEO of ImpactVest. This exclusive roundtable features trailblazers: Nyasha Chasakara, Founder and Managing Director at Solarpro Energy Africa; Vanessa Grace Chislett, Founder, CEO and Tea Alchemist at Shisso Tea Company; and Olugbenga Abejirin, Co-Founder and CEO at Kalibotics. In this era of transformative global innovation, explore with global changemakers and visionaries who are building a more sustainable and resilient future. From providing access to power, to revolutionising the tea industry, and reshaping the landscape with robotics and AI, these leaders share their insights at the forefront of impact.

In this ImpactVest podcast episode, hosted by Tonya Love-Lamorte, Managing Director of the ImpactVest Alliance, we focus on sustainable farming through an insightful conversation with Tanner Snider, VP of Investment Strategy at Gold Leaf Farming. Tanner shares his agricultural background and his journey from growing up on a farm in Indiana to working as a consultant at McKinsey & Company. Tanner realised his passion for agriculture and joined Gold Leaf Farming, where he appreciated the company's vision of sustainable and profitable farming. Gold Leaf Farming focuses on environmental and social impacts, such as organic farming, water conservation, and providing equitable benefits to its employees, aiming to set a positive example in the agriculture industry.

In this ImpactVest podcast episode, hosted by Tonya Love-Lamorte, Managing Director of the ImpactVest Alliance, we focus on an inspiring global impact and sustainability solution through an insightful conversation with changemaker Vanessa Grace Chislett, Founder, CEO, and Tea Alchemist at Shisso Tea Company. Vanessa's journey from childhood tea enthusiast to Founder and CEO reveals her mission to revolutionise the tea industry, prioritise sustainability, ethical sourcing, and consumer education. Through initiatives like the Shisso Tea Academy, Vanessa aims to create a more conscious and equitable tea supply chain while inviting listeners to savor the experience of tea as a moment of gratitude and peace.

In this ImpactVest podcast episode, hosted by Aisha Williams, Founder and CEO of ImpactVest, we explore transformative global innovation in sustainable agriculture with our guests Simbarashe Tanyanyiwa, CEO, and Daniel Amoshie, COO, at FLYSOL. Simbarashe and Daniel share insights on the vision behind launching FLYSOL, to address the challenge of increasing agricultural production amidst food wastage and greenhouse gas emissions, particularly prevalent in Africa. They also discuss integrating technologies like IoT and machine learning enhances efficiency in insect farming, paving the way for a more sustainable agricultural future.

In this ImpactVest podcast episode, hosted by Aisha Williams, Founder and CEO of ImpactVest, we explore transformative global innovation in impact finance with our guest, Basheer Hossam Torayah, Director of Engineering at El Gameya. Basheer shares insights into El Gameya's mission of providing reliable digital solutions for financial inclusion, particularly in the GCC region and Egypt. Basheer also discusses the growth of fintech in these areas and highlights El Gameya's innovative products for unbanked populations, exploring the integration of AI technologies.