AND is the Future - Making Businesses Sustainable AND Profitable
Business & Economics Podcasts
AND is the Future, hosted by Ilham Kadri, Special Advisor of Syensqo, brings together great minds to explore how businesses can be both sustainable AND profitable through innovation and science.
The best leaders practice the power of AND. To us, this means embracing ideas and behaviors that others might perceive as opposite or in conflict.
Leaders who are daring AND caring.
Leaders who are guided by science AND deeply human.
Leaders who are strong AND show vulnerability.
Leaders who focus on profitability AND sustainability with equal importance.
The power of AND is about believing in and embracing both. In And is the Future, Ilham sits down with great thought leaders and inspirational minds across the globe to discuss some of the most important issues facing businesses today.
Find out how we can do well AND do good in business with former CEO of DSM Feike Sijbesma; Hear about what business leaders can learn from space travel with Helen Sharman, the first British person in space; Discover the connection between disruption AND sustainable leadership with former Dow CEO Andrew Liveris; Learn how the Sustainable Development Goals can lead to incredible business opportunities with Marga Hoek; Explore how science can be at the service of humanity with Nobel Prize winners Steven Chu and Ben Feringa; Listen to an episode on chemistry AND music with renowned scientist and pianist Nuno Maulide - and that’s just the beginning!
Have you ever thought about how chemistry can enable a sustainable future? Did you know there's a connection between art and science, or between sustainable growth and health? What can athletes teach us about sustainable business? AND is the future will open your minds to discover business from a wider perspective and to embrace the AND in your leadership journey.
Ilham Kadri is the perfect host to lead these conversations. Dr. Kadri is a Moroccan-French business leader, a world citizen, a scientist, and a humanist who is fully committed to making businesses sustainable AND profitable. Her career spans more than three decades over four continents and she has delivered purpose-led transformations leading to superior financial, sustainability and DEI performances. She has held leadership positions at multinational corporations such as Dow, Sealed Air, Diversey, and Solvay, and most recently served as CEO of Syensqo. She is Chair of the World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD), President of the European Chemical Industry Council (Cefic), Vice-Chair of the European Round Table for Industry (ERT) and a permanent member of the World Economic Forum’s International Business Council (WEF). Follow Ilham Kadri on LinkedIn at: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ilham-kadri
Location:
United States
Description:
AND is the Future, hosted by Ilham Kadri, Special Advisor of Syensqo, brings together great minds to explore how businesses can be both sustainable AND profitable through innovation and science. The best leaders practice the power of AND. To us, this means embracing ideas and behaviors that others might perceive as opposite or in conflict. Leaders who are daring AND caring. Leaders who are guided by science AND deeply human. Leaders who are strong AND show vulnerability. Leaders who focus on profitability AND sustainability with equal importance. The power of AND is about believing in and embracing both. In And is the Future, Ilham sits down with great thought leaders and inspirational minds across the globe to discuss some of the most important issues facing businesses today. Find out how we can do well AND do good in business with former CEO of DSM Feike Sijbesma; Hear about what business leaders can learn from space travel with Helen Sharman, the first British person in space; Discover the connection between disruption AND sustainable leadership with former Dow CEO Andrew Liveris; Learn how the Sustainable Development Goals can lead to incredible business opportunities with Marga Hoek; Explore how science can be at the service of humanity with Nobel Prize winners Steven Chu and Ben Feringa; Listen to an episode on chemistry AND music with renowned scientist and pianist Nuno Maulide - and that’s just the beginning! Have you ever thought about how chemistry can enable a sustainable future? Did you know there's a connection between art and science, or between sustainable growth and health? What can athletes teach us about sustainable business? AND is the future will open your minds to discover business from a wider perspective and to embrace the AND in your leadership journey. Ilham Kadri is the perfect host to lead these conversations. Dr. Kadri is a Moroccan-French business leader, a world citizen, a scientist, and a humanist who is fully committed to making businesses sustainable AND profitable. Her career spans more than three decades over four continents and she has delivered purpose-led transformations leading to superior financial, sustainability and DEI performances. She has held leadership positions at multinational corporations such as Dow, Sealed Air, Diversey, and Solvay, and most recently served as CEO of Syensqo. She is Chair of the World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD), President of the European Chemical Industry Council (Cefic), Vice-Chair of the European Round Table for Industry (ERT) and a permanent member of the World Economic Forum’s International Business Council (WEF). Follow Ilham Kadri on LinkedIn at: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ilham-kadri
Language:
English
Website:
https://www.solvay.com
Episodes
Technological Advancement AND Electric Flight with CEO of BETA Kyle Clark
12/17/2025
What happens when a passion for airplanes meets an unshakeable mission to decarbonize aviation? Kyle Clark the founder and CEO of BETA Technologies explains how electric flight could change the world!
Ilham and Klye talk about what it feels like to pilot an electric aircraft, the future of long haul flights, the importance of lightweighting materials, and what makes Beta stand out of its competitors. Did you know that 20% of aviation emissions can be tackled today with existing electric technology?
Syensqo is proud to partner with Beta to provide the lightweighting materials for their aircrafts.
Kyle Clark is the founder and CEO of BETA Technologies, a company that’s redefining sustainable air travel with all-electric aircraft and a scalable approach to certification and commercialization. BETA Technologies is working to make flight greener, safer, and more accessible by helping the world in the transition to electric-powered aviation. BETA builds eVTOL aircraft and charging systems enabling its customers to seamlessly move people and cargo around the world safely, cost-effectively, and with minimal environmental impact.
For additional details about the podcast, show notes, and access to resources mentioned during the show, please visit https://www.syensqo.com/en/podcast
Duration:00:33:10
Innovation AND Zero Emissions Flight with renowned explorer Bertrand Piccard
11/25/2025
How do we make the impossible possible? Renowned explorer Bertrand Piccard of Climate Impulse is doing just that! He and his partner Raphaël Dinelli will fly around the world in a hydrogen powered plane. This is not just an aviation project; it is a human, scientific and environmental adventure. As
Bertrand puts it, “If you dream and achieve nothing, you’re a dreamer. When you make the impossible possible, that’s when you become an explorer.”
Syensqo is proud to partner with Bertrand and Climate Impulse by providing the advanced lightweighting materials for the aircraft.
For additional details about the podcast, show notes, and access to resources mentioned during the show, please visit https://www.syensqo.com/en/podcast
Duration:00:30:40
Carbon Capture AND Chemistry with Ardent CEO Erica Nemser
10/21/2025
According to Erica Nemser, the CEO of Ardent, “Hard things are hard, but not impossible.” Meet the entrepreneur who is making carbon capture for the “hard to abate” industries a reality!
As Erica says, if everyone in these industries could snap on Ardent’s membrane carbon capture solution, “that’s a third of global emissions of CO₂. We would reach all of our goals almost immediately.” In this episode, Ilham and Erica have a fascinating discussion about falling in love with the customers' problems, celebrating failure as part of the journey, and even what track driving and entrepreneurship have in common!
Erica Nemser is the CEO of Ardent, an advanced membrane technology start-up headquartered in the USA. Ardent provides separation solutions for some of the world's toughest industrial chemistry challenges, including carbon capture and storage.
At Syensqo we are proud to partner with Ardent, combining Syensqo's world-class materials science with Ardent's innovative membrane carbon capture solutions.
Timestamps
For additional details about the podcast, show notes, and access to resources mentioned during the show, please visit https://www.syensqo.com/en/podcast
Duration:00:33:43
Baby Bottles AND Business with Yvon Bock, CEO of Hegen
9/23/2025
How is one mother and entrepreneur empowering 100 million mothers around the world? Meet Yvon Bock, the Founder and CEO of Hegen, a company that sells baby bottles and breastfeeding products . She has a fascinating story about how she went from a career in sales to becoming a stay at home mom to founding one of the fastest growing companies focused in Singapore. She took the lessons she learned from having her own children and applied them to create a thriving business.
Ilham and Yvon talk about persistence and how Yvon’s design for the next revolutionary bottle went through more than 200 iterations. Each setback that Yvon faced meant returning to the drawing board, but her relentless determination ultimately led to the perfect solution. They also talk about how important it is to have a strong purpose and the right mindset to achieve your dreams. As Yvon says, we can be devoted mothers AND successful businesswomen. It’s the power of AND!
Yvon Bock is a leading entrepreneur, an author, and the founder and CEO of Hegen. After several years as a stay-at-home mom, Yvon saw that women need better products - bottles, breastpumps, etc - to be able to balance motherhood and their careers. With this inspiration she founded Hegen, where she came up with the Express-Store-Feed system to make the breastfeeding process more seamless. The name “Hegen” comes from the German idiom “hegen und pflegen” which means to care for and to nurture. This is the vision that she hopes to bring forward as Hegen continues to embark on its mission to empower 100 million mothers worldwide.
She is the bestselling author of Extraordinary: From Stay-at-Home Mum to World-Class Entrepreneur
At Syensqo we are proud to partner with Hegen to provide our circular, non-fossil feedstock polymer for their sustainable bottles.
For additional details about the podcast, show notes, and access to resources mentioned during the show, please visit https://www.syensqo.com/en/podcast
Duration:00:33:56
Re-Release! Chemistry AND Cooking: Christophe Lavelle on molecular gastronomy
8/26/2025
For some inspiring summer listening we are re-sharing some of our favorite episodes on the power of science and chemistry. This is a special episode on chemistry AND cooking with Christophe Lavelle, an expert in molecular gastronomy. And stay tuned for our next season featuring our customers and partners starting in September!
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Chemistry is everywhere and cooking is no exception! In this podcast, Ilham joins Christophe Lavelle – one of the foremost experts on molecular gastronomy – in the kitchen to learn about the chemistry of cooking, molecular gastronomy, how cooking is both an art and a science, and even how to make caramel foam with bicarbonate of soda and liquid nitrogen!
Christophe Lavelle is a biophysicist, an epigeneticist and one of the foremost experts on the chemistry of cooking, or molecular gastronomy. His research focuses on the regulation of gene expression and the biophysical properties of macromolecules… including the ones you eat! He is a researcher at the Centre national de la recherche scientifique (CNRS), co-founder of the Food 2.0 LAB and runs a lab at the National Museum of Natural History in Paris. He also teaches in many universities and establishments throughout Paris including the famous Le Cordon Bleu.
For additional details about the podcast, show notes, and access to resources mentioned during the show, please visit https://www.syensqo.com/en/podcast
Duration:00:27:48
Re-release! Music AND Chemistry: Nuno Maulide on what scientists & business leaders can learn from music
7/23/2025
For some inspiring summer listening we are re-sharing some of our favorite episodes on the power of science and chemistry. This is a special musical episode with Nuno Maulide, a brilliant chemist AND award winning pianist. Enjoy this discussion about the link between music and science, and his beautiful performance of Bach, Mozart, Chopin and more. And stay tuned for our next season featuring our customers and partners starting in September!
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Did you know that there’s a strong connection between music and science? Ilham speaks with award winning chemist and pianist Nuno Maulide about the science behind the classical music of the greatest composers. He talks about the musical talent of brilliant scientists such as Albert Einstein and Max Planck, what scientists and business leaders can learn from music, and beautifully plays pieces by Bach, Mozart, Schubert, Chopin, Rachmaninoff and Debussy. Listen and be inspired!
Nuno Maulide is a professor and head of the Institute for Organic Chemistry at the University of Vienna. Nuno studied piano and chemistry in his hometown in Lisbon and then went on to earn his PhD at the University of Louvain in Belgium. He has studied at universities in Louvain-la-Neuve, Paris and at Stanford University, and started his independent work as a Group leader at Germany's Max Planck Institute for Carbon Research. He has received numerous prestigious awards in both chemistry and music throughout his career.
For additional details about the podcast, show notes, and access to resources mentioned during the show, please visit https://www.syensqo.com/en/podcast
Duration:00:48:37
Re-Release! Science and the Service of Humanity with Nobel Prize Winners Ben Feringa and Steven Chu
6/24/2025
*This episode was originally released in March 2022*
For some inspiring summer listening, we are re-sharing some of our favorite episodes on the power of science and chemistry. This is the VERY FIRST episode we released. Stay tuned for our next season featuring our customers and partners starting in September!
In this episode, first released in March 2022, Ilham sits down with Nobel prize-winning scientists Professor Steven Chu and Professor Ben Feringa to discuss some of the most exciting innovations in energy, clean mobility, and healthcare; the importance of ensuring that scientific innovation is at the service of humanity; the winner of the 2022 Ernest Solvay Prize by Syensqo; and how science and chemistry are key to enabling a more sustainable future.
Steven Chu is a professor of Molecular and Cellular Physiology at Stanford University and the former US Secretary of Energy. In 1997, he was awarded the Nobel Prize in Physics for developing methods to cool and trap atoms with laser lights. Ben Feringa is a Professor at the University of Groningen, and the winner of the 2015 Solvay prize. In 2016, he won the Nobel Prize in Chemistry for his groundbreaking research on the design and synthesis of molecular machines. They were both part of the jury that chose the winner for the 2022 Ernest Solvay Prize by Syensqo, Katalin Karikó.
For additional details about the podcast, show notes, and access to resources mentioned during the show, please visit https://www.syensqo.com/en/podcast
Duration:00:39:20
Partnerships AND Prosperity with Jean Oelwang, CEO of Virgin Unite
5/27/2025
What is the recipe for an effective and successful partnership? Jean Oelwang, the CEO of Virgin Unite, and one of the foremost experts on partnerships, explains! She and Ilham have a lively discussion about celebrating friction in partnerships, embracing the disruptive detours in one’s career, why we need dyslexic thinking in business, how Virgin Unite is making a big impact in the world, and so much more.
Timestamps
Jean Oelwang is the President and founding CEO of Virgin Unite, which houses all the philanthropies of the Virgin company, and has incubated some of the most effective partnerships, such as The Elders, The BTeam, The Branson Centre for Entrepreneurship, and many more. Jean is probably the foremost expert on partnerships. And after spending three decades helping companies put the wellbeing of the people and the planet at their core, she is the perfect person to discuss how we can create sustainable AND profitable businesses.
She is the author of Partnering: Forge the Deep Connections That Make Great Things Happen.
For additional details about the podcast, show notes, and access to resources mentioned during the show, please visit https://www.syensqo.com/en/podcast
Duration:00:33:51
Purpose AND Alleviating Poverty with Jacqueline Novogratz CEO of Acumen
4/29/2025
How can we use the tools of the marketplace and business to solve the problems that lead to poverty? That’s where patient capital comes in. Jacqueline Novogratz, the CEO of Acumen, explains how her venture capital fund’s long term investments, which prioritize social progress along with financial returns, have positively impacted 650 million people across the globe. She and Ilham discuss the most inspiring companies Acumen has invested in; the importance of kindness and patience in business; achieving audacity AND humility when working towards one’s goals; how storytelling is key to success, and so much more.
Timestamps
Jacqueline Novogratz is an entrepreneur, an author and quite frankly a beacon of light in the world. She is the founder and CEO of Acumen, a nonprofit global venture capital fund that uses entrepreneurial approaches to address global poverty by investing in companies with the purpose. She is the author of Manifesto for a Moral Revolution: Practices to Build a Better World and The Blue Sweater: Bridging the Gap Between Rich and Poor in an Interconnected World.
For additional details about the podcast, show notes, and access to resources mentioned during the show, please visit https://www.syensqo.com/en/podcast
Duration:00:33:08
Space AND Sustainability with Phil Chambers, CEO of Orbex
3/3/2025
How can space launches become sustainable? Orbex is making it possible! Phil Chambers, CEO of Orbex sits down with Ilham to talk about how his company is building the most advanced, low carbon, micro launch vehicles in the world. They discuss the Orbex Prime rocket which will launch later this year; their creation of the first bio-friendly fuel launch system that slashes emissions more than 90%; how to build a company culture; his advice to young entrepreneurs, and more.
Timestamps
Phil Chambers is a leading entrepreneur who has played pivotal roles in some of Europe's most successful startups. He is now the CEO of Orbex, which is a UK based launch services company in the small satellite industry. Orbex has developed one of the most advanced, low carbon, high performance, micro launch vehicles in the world, and at Syensqo we are proud to partner with Orbex to provide the advanced materials for their Prime rocket.
For additional details about the podcast, show notes, and access to resources mentioned during the show, please visit https://www.syensqo.com/en/podcast
Duration:00:23:16
Antarctica AND the tipping point with Eric Goens, award-winning director of 2050
2/24/2025
You may know Eric Goens for his many hit shows in Belgium such as Conclave, but did you know his passion is Antarctica? In this episode, Eric talks about his masterpiece, a documentary called 2050 that takes us on an expedition to Princess Elizabeth Station. Ilham and Eric have a fascinating discussion about experiencing the beauty of Antarctica, seeing the effects of climate change there, and how businesses can play a big role. As Eric puts it “We are the very first generation that knows the problem and has the solution.” Watch for the film in theaters near you in March 2025!
Timestamps
Eric Goens is a Belgian journalist, reporter, filmmaker and entrepreneur. He is the owner of Bargoens, a production company, and known for many hit television programs in Belgium such as Het huis and Het conclave to name just a few. Eric Goens is about to release a masterpiece called 2050, a documentary that follows renowned scientists as they explore and conduct experiments from Princess Elizabeth Station. Syensqo is proud to be the only sponsor of this incredible film.
For additional details about the podcast, show notes, and access to resources mentioned during the show, please visit https://www.syensqo.com/en/podcast
Duration:00:36:18
Inclusive Capitalism AND Business with Dr. Mo Ibrahim
1/14/2025
According to top business leader and philanthropist Dr. Mo Ibrahim, “You have to be profitable in your business, but you also have to try to do good as well.” Dr. Ibrahim implemented this belief by making all his employees business partners or shareholders within the companies he ran. As he would say, “Either we succeed together or we fail together!” Ilham sits down with Dr. Ibrahim for a fascinating discussion about what it means to be sustainable AND profitable in business, the importance of inclusive capitalism, the fight against climate change and the role Africa plays, the important work of the Mo Ibrahim Foundation and so much more.
Timestamps
1:37 - Upbringing and the making of a leader
3:59 - An accidental businessman
6:08 - The important work of the Mo Ibrahim Foundation
10:47 - Africa and the fight against climate change
13:31 - Sustainability AND profitability
19:21 - The importance of inclusive capitalism
29:05 - Leadership advice
30:35 - Recharging the batteries
Dr. Mo Ibrahim is a great businessman, philanthropist, and climate justice advocate. He is the founder and chair of the Mo Ibrahim Foundation, which improves lives by advocating for good governance and exceptional leadership in Africa. He founded two major companies, Mobile Systems International, a world leading cellular consulting and software provider, and CellTel International, one of Africa's leading mobile telephone companies. As a business leader, who does so much good in the world, he is a perfect example of the power of AND.
For additional details about the podcast, show notes, and access to resources mentioned during the show, please visit https://www.syensqo.com/en/podcast
Duration:00:33:19
Re-Release! Net Positive AND Thriving with Paul Polman, former Unilever CEO
12/3/2024
We appreciate the fabulous response to AND is the future and wanted to re-share one of our favorite episodes from Season One, especially for our new listeners. This episode features Paul Polman, one of the foremost sustainable businesses leaders.
Is the world better off because your business is in it? Paul Polman speaks with Ilham about what it takes to build a Net Positive company; how leaders can unlock a company’s soul; why empathetic leadership is the key to success; the power of partnerships; the importance of diversity, equity and inclusion, and so much more.
Paul Polman is the former CEO of Unilever and one of the foremost leaders in the effort to create sustainable and profitable businesses. While at Unilever he increased his shareholders' returns by 300% while ensuring the company ranked #1 in the world for sustainability for eleven years running. He now runs an organization called Imagine, which advocates for businesses becoming a true force for good. Paul is also the author of Net Positive How Courageous Companies Thrive by Giving More Than They Take.
This episode was released as part of Season One in October 2022.
Timestamps
1:22 - Background and passion for sustainable business
5:10 - How to be a Net Positive company
8:42 - Purpose: unlocking a company’s soul
13:36 - Power of partnerships
19:07 - Empathetic leadership
25:30 - Leaving a better world for the next generation
27:32 - What can business learn from the arts?
Duration:00:29:58
Business AND Poetry with Nadir Godrej Chairman of Godrej Industries
11/26/2024
Nadir Godrej syas that to make a difference in the world, you “have to make a good case for the mind AND heart” – and poetry is a great way to do this! As both a sustainable business leader AND a poet, he believes in the power of words to move people. Ilham and Nadir have a great discussion about his interest in poetry, what it takes to create a sustainable business, empathy and kindness in leadership, and much more.
Nadir Godrej is the chairman of Godrej Industries, one of India's biggest and most well known businesses, and the Chairman of Godrej Agrovet. He is a chemical engineer, a sustainable business leader and a published poet. Mr. Godrej is deeply committed to the GOOD and GREEN strategies and achievement of set targets for the Godrej Group. He is also a member of the World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD) which the host, Ilham Kadri, chairs.
Timestamps
1:19 - Childhood and great influences in his life
5:51 - 127 years of Godrej Industries
11:42 - Good and green sustainable initiative
14:25 - Green chemistry
17:49 - How poetry heightens the emotion
18:59 - Job training program at Godrej Industries
20:40 - Advice for leaders to become more sustainable
22:46 - Empathy and kindness in business
25:31 - Favorite poets
For additional details about the podcast, show notes, and access to resources mentioned during the show, please visit https://www.syensqo.com/en/podcast
Duration:00:30:20
Chemistry AND Creativity with Nobel Prize winner Jean-Marie Lehn
10/22/2024
According to Nobel Prize laureate Jean-Marie Lehn, chemistry isn’t just part of the solution to humanity's biggest challenges: it is the solution! That’s because chemistry can create solutions that do not yet exist. Ilham and Professor Lehn have a fascinating conversation about chemistry and creativity, failure and serendipity in science, and how companies play a crucial role in bringing scientific solutions into the world.
Professor Jean-Marie Lehn is a French chemist known for his groundbreaking synthesis of cryptands, which led to an entirely new field of supramolecular chemistry. In 1987 he won the Nobel Prize in Chemistry with Donald Cram and Charles Pedersen for the “development and use of molecules with structure‐specific interactions of high selectivity”. He is a Professor at the University of Strasbourg Institute of Advanced Study and the Chair of Chemistry of Complex Systems. He is also the Director, Chemistry Laboratory of Molecular Interactions, at the Collège de France.
Timestamps
2:03 - Inspiration from school science teacher
5:40 - Supramolecular chemistry
7:29 - Chemistry: part of the solution
12:03 - A creative science
14:17 - Science, failure and serendipity
17:38 - Companies play an important role
23:40 - Diversity, equity and inclusion in science
26:38 - Love of classical music - and the connection to science
29:11 - Winning the Nobel Prize
30:40 - Chemistry and architecture
Syensqo is proud to partner with the Jean-Marie Lehn Foundation. Through this strategic collaboration, we are working together to achieve breakthroughs in the design of sustainable and ecological materials, and the synthesis of renewable and polyfunctional building blocks.
For additional details about the podcast, show notes, and access to resources mentioned during the show, please visit https://www.syensqo.com/en/podcast
Duration:00:33:50
Curiosity AND Reaching for the Stars: Anousheh Ansari on becoming the first Iranian woman in space
9/16/2024
Imagine. Be the change. Inspire - these are the words that Anousheh Ansari had made into a badge for her spacesuit as she became the first Iranian woman to fly into space! They are also the principles that led her to become a successful, sustainable CEO. Anousheh and Ilham have a fascinating conversation about the importance of having big dreams and reaching for the stars, why we need more women in STEM, and what it takes to become a sustainable entrepreneur and leader, and much more.
Timstamps
1:29 - Childhood, love of stars and inspiration for going to space
6:06 - The importance of education - leading to engineering degree
9:45 - First Iranian Muslim woman to fly to space!
14:46 - Why we need to democratize space travel
20:13 - CEO of XPRIZE
23:52 - Advice for entrepreneurs
27:14 - The importance of having more women in STEM
30:51 - Imagine, be the change, inspire
Anousheh Ansari is an engineer, a highly successful entrepreneur, and the first Iranian and Muslim woman and the first private explorer to travel to space. She is the CEO of the XPRIZE, which aims to accelerate technological breakthroughs that will benefit humanity through the power of large scale public competitions.
Ansari and her family sponsored XPRIZE’s first venture in 1994: the $10 million Ansari XPRIZE that ignited a new era for commercial spaceflight. She began serving on its Board of Directors and became CEO of XPRIZE in 2018, leading and scaling the foundation to its highest impact period in its history. To date, XPRIZE has launched 30 prizes offering over $500 million in prize purses, hosting over 35,000 innovators from around the world to participate in its competitions.
She is a global presence in future-positive tech markets and a resonant voice for women within STEM, business, and the entrepreneurial industries.
For additional details about the podcast, show notes, and access to resources mentioned during the show, please visit https://www.syensqo.com/en/podcast
Duration:00:34:00
Sport AND Sustainability with Formula E pilot Stoffel Vandoorne
8/27/2024
So how does it feel to be part of one of the most sustainable sports? Great, according to Formula E champion, Stoffel Vandoorne! As he explains, Formula E, the driving competition for electric cars, is “really a championship that is on the rise, that is pushing sustainability, electrification and bringing that racing to the cities as well.”
Stoffel gives an inspiring account of how he prepares physically and mentally for a race, what makes a Formula E car different to drive, what business leaders can learn from his champion mindset, the importance of dreaming big and never giving up, and much more!
1:16 - Upbringing and inspiration for racing
3:34 - Preparing physically and mentally for a race
7:30 - Formula E: One of the most sustainable sports!
9:26 - The Formula E car - what’s different?
12:12 - Career in racing: focus on the journey
17:03 - What businesses can learn from racing
20:18 - Favorite race track
21:40 - Next big goal
23:06 - Life outside of racing
Stoffel Vandoorne is a Belgian professional racing driver in Formula E, the championship for electric cars. Until July 2024 he was a pilot for the DS Penske team, which Syensqo is proud to sponsor. Vandoorne's racing career started at the age of six, competing in kart championships – and this led him all the way to becoming the champion of the 2015 GP2 Series and winning the 2021–22 Formula E World Championship.
***This podcast was recorded in June 2024, when Stoffel was still with the DS Penske team. We wish him the best in his next adventure!
For additional details about the podcast, show notes, and access to resources mentioned during the show, please visit https://www.syensqo.com/en/podcast
Duration:00:26:44
Humanitarianism AND Health: Siddharth Chatterjee on Sustainable Development Goals and business
7/16/2024
According to Siddharth Chatterjee, the United Nations Resident Coordinator in China, "the world needs to unite" to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals, "and this is where the role of the private sector becomes absolutely mission critical." Ilham speaks with Siddharth about his incredible work with the United Nations to improve the lives of children, ensure equality for women and girls, promote health and well being, drive progress on all the SDGs….and how businesses can play a key role..
Siddharth has worked tirelessly with the United Nations to protect the most vulnerable. One of his greatest professional achievements was the demobilization of more than 3, 500 children from the conflicts in South Sudan. He is also a health and wellness enthusiast and shares some tips from his own routines!
Timestamps
1:35 - Childhood and inspiration for humanitarian causes
6:10 - The Sustainable Development Goals: how are we doing?
12:35 - SDG 13 and the climate agenda
18:10 - Fighting for gender equality - SDG 5
22:01 - Demobilization of over 3,500 child soldiers in South Sudan
29:52 - Focus on health and wellness
37:34 - Love of literature
For additional details about the podcast, show notes, and access to resources mentioned during the show, please visit https://www.syensqo.com/en/podcast
Duration:00:43:13
Space Travel AND Self Belief with Helen Sharman, the first British person in space
6/12/2024
It all started when Helen Sharman heard a radio advertisement that said they were looking for an astronaut, no experience required. She applied, beat out 13,000 applicants, and became the first British person to travel to space! Ilham speaks with Helen about her incredible journey from a young chemist to becoming an astronaut; how she had to believe not only in herself but also her team; her love of chemistry and science; and the discipline it took to make her dreams a reality.
In May 1991, Helen traveled to the Mir Space Station and spent eight days orbiting the Earth. The mission, called Project Juno, was a cooperative arrangement and would enable the UK to send one of its people into space for the first time. During her time at the Mir space station, she conducted a variety of experiments including medical and agricultural tests, protein crystal growth and how new materials perform in the environment outside the space station. Since her return from space, Helen has been heavily involved in communicating science and its benefits.
Timestamps
01:40 - Upbringing and love of chemistry
05:24 - Becoming an astronaut
08:23 - Focus on the journey
10:13 - Flying into space
13:58 - Looking down at earth
16:46 - Reliance on her team
19:55 - Not being defined by gender
24:46 - Sustainability in space
31:03 - When will humans get to Mars?
33:56 - Advice for next generation of scientists and explorers
37:40 - What can businesses learn from space exploration
40:40 - Interest in music
43:17 - Love of nature
For additional details about the podcast, show notes, and access to resources mentioned during the show, please visit https://www.syensqo.com/en/podcast
Duration:00:47:41
Disruption AND Sustainability in Leadership with Former Dow CEO Andrew Liveris
5/7/2024
According to Andrew Liveris, effective leaders can’t ignore the disruptive era we’re living in; they have got to embrace it. Ilham and Andrew have a fascinating conversation about disruption AND sustainable leadership, exploring the threat of short-termism, the need for inclusive capitalism, and the importance of purposeful leaders.
Timestamps
02:03 - Growing up in an ethnic family unit
08:19 - Chemistry is part of the everyday
12:42 - Explaining the mindset of the 5Ds
19:00 - Recreating yourself as a leader
25:49 - The epidemic of short-termism
28:58 - The need for inclusive capitalism
34:00 - The importance of human revolution
40:11 - Hopes for future leaders
For additional details about the podcast, show notes, and access to resources mentioned during the show, please visit https://www.syensqo.com/en/podcast
Duration:00:37:37