Chasing Financial Equality

In this episode, Kane Jackson speaks with filmmaker Martin Oetting about his documentary "Purpose," which explores reimagining economic systems that prioritize wellbeing over GDP growth. Born in West Germany to a politically engaged family, Martin brings personal insight to this challenge of creating economies serving people and planet. The conversation covers Martin's seven-year journey creating a film following two economic pioneers: Katherine Trebeck (Australian economist in Scotland) and Lorenzo Fioramonti (Italy's former Economic Development Minister). Martin's project was sparked by the 2016 US election, which made him question how supposedly successful economies could produce profound societal dysfunction. Martin articulates the fundamental shift wellbeing economy advocates propose: measuring what truly matters to people (family, health, security, meaningful work) rather than just money made. He discusses translating complex economic concepts into compelling narratives and his vision for making "economics a popular sport" through community dialogue. Despite current setbacks, Martin maintains that purposeful action toward better systems remains both possible and necessary. Key Themes

In this compelling episode, host Kane Jackson speaks with Nikki Tugano, founder of Seen Culture, who strategically navigated the venture capital landscape as a solo non-technical founder to secure funding for her tech startup. From her formative years in the Philippines to becoming a recognised force in the tech world, Nikki's journey demonstrates how unique perspectives and psychological insights can become powerful business advantages. The conversation reveals how Nikki leveraged her background in psychology and commerce to understand human potential at scale, why self-awareness creates competitive advantages in business (particularly given that while 95% of people believe they possess it, only 10-15% actually do), and how her experiences of being underestimated motivated her to build a platform that captures hidden value in organisations. Through strategic decisions like reinvesting every dollar into her company, Nikki illustrates how entrepreneurs transform constraints into catalysts for innovation. This insightful discussion examines the psychology behind funding decisions, the business case for recognising diverse contributions, and what becomes possible when systems are designed to unlock potential rather than perpetuate traditional patterns. Key Themes & Timestamps 1. Foundation Building & Self-Reliance (02:00 - 05:00) Nikki discusses how being raised by her grandmother and growing up as an only child cultivated her independence and internal locus of control - traits that became entrepreneurial assets. 2. Psychological Framework & Self-Awareness (04:00 - 07:00) How understanding attachment styles and psychological patterns equipped Nikki with exceptional self-awareness and relationship navigation skills essential for leadership. 3. Psychology as Business Intelligence (08:00 - 10:00) Why psychological understanding provides more business value than traditional commerce education, given that business fundamentally operates through systematic people dynamics. 4. The Self-Awareness Advantage (11:00 - 13:00) Analysis of Harvard Business Review findings showing the gap between perceived and actual self-awareness, and how this creates opportunities for conscious leaders in startup ecosystems. 5. Venture Capital Psychology (14:00 - 17:00) Strategic analysis of how affinity bias, confidence perception, and gender dynamics influence funding decisions, including why women's demonstrated self-awareness doesn't always translate to funding success. 6. Seen Culture's Value Proposition (17:00 - 20:00) How Seen Culture quantifies overlooked contributions in organizations using data-driven approaches similar to sports analytics, creating measurable business value. 7. Strategic Resource Allocation (29:00 - 32:00) Nikki's approach to startup bootstrapping, including reinvesting every dollar into the business, utilizing accelerator resources, and maintaining singular focus on mission execution. 8. Market Intelligence from Experience (29:00) How encounters with bias provided valuable market research, revealing gaps in traditional business practices and validating the need for Seen Culture's solutions. 9. Resilience as Competitive Advantage (32:00 - 33:00) How early life experiences created a higher tolerance for uncertainty and challenge, providing advantages in the high-stress startup environment. 10. Vision for Systemic Change (35:00 - 37:00) The multiplier effect of recognising hidden talent - how democratising recognition creates better problem-solving capacity across organisations and society. 11. Strategic Approach to Diversity & Inclusion (38:00 - 43:00) Nikki's evolved perspective on building diverse teams, using sports team composition as a model for understanding how different strengths create competitive advantages. 12. Unstoppable Execution (44:00) Kate Kirgizova's observation of Nikki's commitment to her mission - reinvesting every resource while maintaining unwavering focus on creating systemic change through...

In this episode of Chasing Financial Equality, host Kane Jackson speaks with Kate O'Keefre, the serial entrepreneur, innovator, and CEO + co-founder of Heatseeker, who is revolutionising how businesses make product decisions through AI-driven market experiments. Drawing from her extensive experience in Silicon Valley and as a partner at BCG Digital Ventures, Kate shares insights on replacing flawed survey methodologies with real-world testing that reveals what customers actually do rather than what they say they'll do. Known for her directness and efficiency, Kate explains how Heatseeker works to democratise access to market experimentation, leveraging AI to create and test product hypotheses through controlled social media campaigns. She discusses the journey of building Heatseeker with her co-founders, the challenges of creating a new category in the Australian market, and how data-driven decision-making can help diversify whose ideas get implemented in both startups and corporations. The conversation explores Kate's previous work founding Cisco's Hyper Innovation Living Labs, where she connected corporate executives directly with end users like cancer patients to build more human-centered solutions. Kate also shares her perspectives on gender equality in tech, the potential for crowdfunding platforms like Birchal (where she serves as a board member) to democratise access to capital, and the critical importance of strong governance in scaling startups. The episode concludes with Kate's personal reflection on the power of kindness and supporting others through difficult times. Key Themes & Timestamps 1. Heatseeker's AI-Driven Market Testing (04:16 - 07:21) Kate explains how Heatseeker helps businesses validate ideas through live market experiments rather than traditional surveys, revealing the gap between what people say versus what they actually do. 2. Ship Fast and Iterate Philosophy (07:21 - 08:54) Discussion of the startup mantra "ship fast and iterate," with Kate emphasising that shipping must include getting products in front of real customers to gather meaningful feedback. 3. Recruiting Co-Founders (09:04 - 11:15) Kate shares the serendipitous story of how her husband met Rutger Coolen, former head of product at Atlassian, on a snowy hiking trail in New Zealand, leading to him joining Heatseeker. 4. Australian Product Development Culture (11:15 - 12:00) Brief comparison of American versus Australian approaches to product leadership, highlighting the more formal methodologies used in the US. 5. Building a New Category (12:00 - 14:24) Kate discusses the challenges of creating a new category in market research and experimentation, and how Heatseeker has evolved its messaging to communicate its value. 6. AI Implementation in Heatseeker (14:38 - 18:38) Detailed explanation of how AI powers the Heatseeker platform - from ingesting information about clients and competitors to generating experiment variants, executing tests, and interpreting results. 7. Data Aggregation Strategy (18:38 - 20:21) Kate reveals Heatseeker's ambition to build a large data repository that provides pattern recognition capabilities, giving clients an "unfair advantage" based on insights from previous experiments. 8. Supporting Diverse Founders (20:21 - 26:32) Discussion of Kate's evolution from wanting to create a female-focused VC fund to now believing her greatest impact comes from being a wildly successful female founder who delivers returns to investors. 9. Hyper Innovation Living Labs Experience (26:59 - 32:06) Kate shares her experience at Cisco creating environments where senior executives built and tested prototypes directly with end users like cancer patients, leading to successful startups like Circle Of. 10. Disconnection Between Executives and Users (32:06 - 35:28) Conversation about how executives often become disconnected from end users, using an example of banking executives trying to understand millennials without actually...

In this compelling episode of Chasing Financial Equality, host Kane Jackson explores the revolutionary world of impact-driven finance with Cameron Neil, founder and CEO of Lend for Good, and Holly Smith, a Gen Z team member reshaping traditional finance perspectives. Together, they discuss how their crowd lending platform is addressing the $5 trillion "missing middle" gap in global finance - the critical funding void between philanthropic grants and traditional investment. The conversation delves into the generational dynamics of their partnership, the shift from community-focused banking to profit maximisation, and how Lend for Good is creating alternatives to traditional financial systems. Neil shares his journey from establishing Australia's fair trade movement to building financial infrastructure for impact enterprises, while Smith offers insights on how Gen Z approaches impact investing and values-driven finance in Singapore and beyond. Key Themes & Timestamps 1. Finding Purpose in Impact (04:30 - 08:01) Holly Smith's emotional journey finding her place in impact investing in Singapore, and how Lend for Good provided a space where she could bring her full self to work. 2. Servant Leadership Philosophy (10:06 - 15:05) Cameron Neil describes his "dad, servant, builder" identity and how it guides his approach to creating impact-driven organizations and movements spanning multiple generations. 3. Generational Perspectives on Finance (15:42 - 19:08) Holly Smith discusses how Gen Z approaches finance differently, prioritizing values in every aspect of life and viewing finance as a tool for change rather than just profit generation. 4. The Missing Middle Problem (22:15 - 30:00) Cameron Neil explains how small businesses and impact enterprises get trapped in a funding gap between philanthropic support and traditional investment, leading to a $5 trillion annual shortfall that continues to grow. 5. The Evolution of Banking Culture (29:18 - 31:21) Discussion on how banking has transformed from community-focused institutions with local bank managers to globalised profit centres, and its impact on small businesses and communities. 6. Systemic Change Through Networks (33:42 - 36:23) Discussion on building distributed, networked solutions (the "mycelium" approach) rather than centralised systems, and reimagining finance to serve society rather than the other way around. 7. Building in Regulatory Gray Areas (41:00 - 50:01) Exploration of how Lend For Good navigates FinTech regulatory challenges while staying true to their mission, including their decision to prioritise impact over traditional compliance paths. 8. Call to Action & Vision (51:40 - 52:36) The closing segment where both guests share their vision for global change - improving financial literacy and removing money from politics - as the most impactful changes needed today.

In this hard-hitting episode of Chasing Financial Equality, Kane Jackson speaks with Dr. Andy Schmulow, Associate Professor at the University of Wollongong's Faculty of Business and Law, about the profound corruption, regulatory failures, and corporate misconduct plaguing Australia's financial system. Unlike many academics who tread carefully around powerful interests, Dr. Schmulow names names, cites specific examples, and refuses to back down in the face of intimidation. With expertise recognised globally by the World Bank, United Nations, and multiple governments, Dr. Schmulow provides a devastating critique of Australia's "dystopian Wild West" financial industry, where misconduct occurs on an industrial scale with minimal consequences. From banks charging life insurance premiums to customers they knew were dead to insurance companies denying disability benefits to their own terminally ill employees, he details shocking examples of corporate misconduct that destroys lives while regulators fail to enforce meaningful accountability. The conversation explores why financial regulation is uniquely challenging, the flaws in Australia's legislative approach, and how political corruption through mechanisms like campaign donations and Qantas's Chairman's Lounge membership perpetuates a system rigged in favor of powerful corporations. Dr. Schmulow advocates for principles-based regulation, campaign finance reform, media ownership diversification, and stronger market protection rather than business protection. Despite the bleak picture, he offers practical ways for citizens to fight back and hold elected representatives to the higher standard democracy demands. Key Themes & Timestamps 1. Journey to Financial Advocacy (04:00 - 09:07) Andy explains how his PhD research on prudential regulatory enforcement led him to discover "an overwhelming deluge of evidence of misconduct" in Australia's financial industry, making him the first academic to support a Royal Commission into the sector. 2. Scale of Financial Misconduct (09:07 - 11:56) Examples of shocking misconduct including banks charging life insurance premiums to dead customers and insurance companies denying disability claims to their own terminally ill employees, with minimal consequences from regulators. 3. Regulatory Capture and Political Donations (11:56 - 14:05) Discussion of how Parliament is captured by big business through political donations, with consulting firms like PwC donating $4 million annually to political parties while receiving $600 million in government contracts. 4. Uniqueness of Financial Industry Regulation (15:45 - 22:17) Explanation of why regulating finance is uniquely difficult compared to other industries due to products being intangible "promises" rather than tangible goods, enabling regulatory arbitrage. 5. Failure of Rules-Based Regulation (22:17 - 27:12) Critique of Australia's 5,000-page Corporations Act plus 43,000 pages of regulations as "unintelligible garbage," including "secret law" carve-outs that aren't published, compared to principles-based approaches elsewhere. 6. Regulatory Arbitrage Tactics (22:41 - 27:12) Analysis of how financial institutions redefine products to avoid regulations, with even well-intentioned legal advice resulting in circumvention of regulatory intent. 7. Principles-Based Alternatives (27:12 - 29:52) Discussion of principles-based, outcomes-determined regulation adopted in the UK, South Africa, and New Zealand as an alternative to Australia's failed black-letter law approach. 8. The Banking Social Contract (31:53 - 36:14) Explanation of why banks owe special obligations to society, as taxpayers ultimately underwrite bank liabilities during crises and provide preferential borrowing rates through central banks. 9. Qantas Chairman's Lounge as Corruption (36:42 - 46:22) Detailed analysis of how Qantas's exclusive Chairman's Lounge membership for politicians and regulators functions as "blatant, naked, up in your...

When we talk about innovation, disability is rarely part of the conversation — but it should be. In this episode, Kane Jackson speaks with Pete Horsley, founder of Remarkable Tech, to unpack how inclusive design and disability-led innovation are reshaping the future of technology, business, and society. With 16% of the global population living with a disability, Pete shares why accessibility isn’t a niche issue, it’s a massive missed opportunity. Drawing on decades of work in the sector and personal experiences with his sister Jo, Pete reveals how the disability community has long been at the forefront of technological breakthroughs we all benefit from today — from keyboards and speech-to-text, to remote work. Together, Kane and Pete explore: •⁠ ⁠Why the charity model of disability support is broken •⁠ ⁠How Remarkable Tech is accelerating disability innovation globally •⁠ ⁠The business case for accessibility and inclusive design •⁠ ⁠Why remote work and AI have transformative potential •⁠ ⁠What we all miss out on when we exclude people with disabilities Whether you're a founder, policymaker, technologist, or just someone who wants to help build a more equitable world, this conversation will change the way you think about inclusion, design, and the future of tech.

What happens when a teenage mum becomes a PhD-holding gender equality commissioner responsible for over 300 organisations and nearly half a million workers? You get Dr. Niki Vincent — a quiet revolutionary whose life's work has been to transform the systems that hold inequality in place. In this episode of Chasing Financial Equality, Dr. Vincent joins Kane Jackson to unpack how personal struggle becomes political insight, how to drive institutional change with both compassion and compliance powers, and why data only matters if it leads to action. From dismantling discrimination in police forces to reshaping public sector policy across Victoria, Niki reveals the hard truths about systemic bias — and how the Gender Equality Act is forcing organisations to face them. Together they explore why gender equity is not just an ethical obligation, but a structural redesign issue that intersects with finance, class, race and power. Expect practical insights, moving personal stories, and an inspiring call to make equality not a side project — but business as usual.

In this episode of Chasing Financial Equality, host Kane Jackson speaks with Aubrey Blanche-Sarellano, founder and CEO of MathPath and Vice President of Equitable Operations at Culture Amp. Known for her systems-level thinking and willingness to speak candidly about difficult topics, Aubrey shares her evidence-based approach to creating more equitable workplaces through intentional design rather than checkbox diversity initiatives. In a time when diversity and inclusion policies face increasing political attacks, Aubrey offers a refreshing perspective that focuses on fairness, merit, and efficiency rather than getting caught up in terminology. She explains how her personal journey—from being adopted at age three to navigating elite academic institutions and corporate settings—shaped her understanding of privilege and opportunity. With remarkable openness, she discusses her experiences with sexual assault and being diagnosed with bipolar disorder, and how sharing these stories has helped both her healing and created space for others facing similar challenges. The conversation explores how Aubrey ended "culture fit" hiring at Atlassian, replacing it with values-based interviews that eliminated unconscious bias, and her work at Culture Amp designing systems that benefit everyone by focusing on those with specific needs. Throughout the discussion, Aubrey emphasises the power of micro-behaviours in creating cultural change, the importance of imagination in systems redesign, and why focusing on those who don't care about equity is a waste of precious energy that could be used to create real impact. Key Themes & Timestamps 1. Defining True DEI Work (05:29 - 06:53) Aubrey challenges misconceptions about diversity initiatives, explaining that they're fundamentally about hiring the best people by eliminating biases that favor unqualified individuals from dominant groups. 2. Obstacles to Organisational Change (06:53 - 08:28) Discussion of the two main barriers to creating systemic change: trying to convince people who genuinely don't care about equity, and the "frozen middle" who have aligned values but don't activate themselves to create change. 3. Corporate DEI Rollbacks (09:16 - 11:11) Aubrey's pragmatic take on companies cutting DEI programs, viewing it as a reflection of capitalist incentives and an opportunity for clarity in the labor market about company values. 4. Language Evolution vs. DEI Effectiveness (11:11 - 13:33) Analysis of how some companies are changing terminology while continuing the work, while others are genuinely abandoning equity efforts, and how media conflation of these scenarios creates misunderstanding. 5. Personal Journey and Motivations (14:14 - 16:51) Aubrey shares her adoption story and how experiencing both disadvantage and immense privilege has driven her commitment to making systems more fair and less dependent on luck. 6. Vulnerability as Strength (18:12 - 20:33) Discussion of Aubrey's decision to publicly share experiences with sexual assault and bipolar disorder, and how finding community through vulnerability helped her healing process. 7. The Power of Rebuilt Women (20:33 - 22:41) Reflection on Hannah Gadsby's quote about "broken women who have rebuilt themselves," with Aubrey adding the importance of community support in that rebuilding process. 8. Ending Culture Fit Hiring (24:36 - 27:19) Explanation of how Aubrey eliminated "culture fit" hiring at Atlassian, replacing it with values alignment interviews that removed subjective "vibes" assessments with specific behavioural questions. 9. Designing for Stress Cases (27:53 - 31:17) Aubrey outlines her "equitable design" approach of creating solutions for those with specific needs or barriers (like trans employees facing deadnaming issues), which ultimately benefits everyone in the organisation. 10. Decolonial Perspective (34:42 - 37:37) Exploration of how looking at pre-colonial systems proves our current state isn't inevitable,...

Company boardrooms are some of the most powerful—and most overlooked—rooms in the world. Decisions made inside them shape everything, from climate policy to corporate layoffs, and from community wellbeing to long-term planetary survival. But too often, these rooms are grey: dominated by sameness, risk aversion, short-term thinking, and a lack of self-awareness. In this episode of Chasing Financial Equality, we sit down with Paul Smith, Board Futurist and founder of Future Directors, to ask a radical question: what if we reimagined the boardroom as a place of colour, curiosity, and long-term vision? What if it was a place of excitement—where boundaries were pushed, and people were encouraged to step up to the challenges around us, not succumb to a position of mitigating the liability for the damage their inaction causes? Paul shares his personal journey from feeling misunderstood to becoming a global provocateur for better governance. We unpack why decades of experience aren't always a strength, how inaccessible education keeps fresh voices out, and why true boardroom transformation means rethinking not just who is at the table—but how they think. From AI-enhanced decision-making to the emotional intelligence of diverse teams, this episode is a bold call to action for anyone who believes the future deserves better stewards. Along the way, Paul reflects on sharing whisky with Jane Goodall, and we revisit Eleanor Roosevelt’s tradition of radical salons—spaces for unfiltered dialogue and shared imagination. Because if we want a survivable future, we need to change the rooms where it’s decided. Paul's latest book: The Artificially Intelligent Boardroom - The indispensable book for any leader committed to better governance in the age of AI can be supported, and pre-ordered on Kickstarter

What happens when you take a 48-day global tour to meet the world’s most radical thinkers in finance and systems change? In this special live episode, Kirstin Hunter, CEO of Birchal, sits down with Maslow CEO Kane Jackson to unpack the frontline insights from his whirlwind global research trip—spanning the U.S., U.K., Canada, Barbados, and beyond. From sharing meals with systems thinkers to witnessing the cultural disconnects that stop capital from flowing where it’s needed, Kane reflects on what it really takes to fund and build a survivable future. You’ll hear: Why most "impact capital" avoids funding systemic change How the finance system became extractive by design—and how Maslow plans to flip it What 180 systems leaders said at the Systemic Investing Summit in London The difference between talking systems change and actually doing it Why philanthropic foundations may be perpetuating the very problems they aim to solve What compost, Guernsey, and collective ownership have in common The emotional toll of facing collapse—and how people in this space still find hope This is not a conversation about tweaks. It’s a call to rebuild finance as infrastructure for life—not extraction.

In this groundbreaking episode of Chasing Financial Equality, host Kane Jackson sits down with Vicki Saunders, the transformative founder of Coralus (formerly SheEO), who has circulated over $19 million to 190 ventures through a radical new approach to funding. From her roots on a Canadian farm where she learned to dream and experiment without fear of failure, to leading what she calls a "400-year turning point in economic thinking," Vicki shares her vision for replacing extractive financial systems with models based on radical generosity and community support. The conversation explores how Coralus uses zero percent interest loans and network-based support to back ventures led by women, non-binary individuals, and marginalised communities - achieving a remarkable 95% loan repayment rate. Vicki challenges fundamental economic assumptions, from Adam Smith to modern venture capital, while painting a picture of what's possible when we design financial systems that heal rather than extract. This episode is essential listening for anyone interested in how distributed networks, localised solutions, and relationship-based economics can create systemic change. Key Themes & Timestamps 1. Farm Foundations & Early Learning (01:57 - 05:25) Vicki describes growing up on the family farm, learning resilience, dreaming without fear of failure, and creating through collective work parties - foundations that shaped her approach to community-driven solutions. 2. The Berlin Wall & Freedom Moment (09:30 - 10:40) The transformative experience of being in Berlin when the wall fell, surrounded by people dreaming about what they would do with newfound freedom, which became an organising principle for Vicki's life work. 3. Journey to Coralus (09:30 - 14:36) From academic aspirations to European entrepreneurship, through incubators in Canada to visualisation engines, culminating in the creation of Coralus as a new economic model. 4. How Coralus Works (14:42 - 18:33) Explanation of the Coralus model: zero percent interest loans, collective pooling of capital, simple application process, and the power of network support beyond just financial capital. 5. The 400-Year Economic Turning Point (19:16 - 20:32) Discussion of how we're at the end of a 400-year cycle of economic thinking, where monetisation of everything has created multiple crises, requiring entirely new value systems. 6. Critique of Current Financial System (21:57 - 26:08) Analysis of how current economic models serve only a few, the problems with toll roads owned by tech giants, and why sustainable small business models are under threat. 7. Collapse & Opportunity (26:08 - 27:42) Vicki's perspective on current societal collapse due to inequality, environmental crises, and how collapse creates opportunities for redesign and consciousness raising. 8. Abundance Mindset vs Scarcity (27:49 - 30:57) Practical approaches to shifting from scarcity to abundance thinking, designing from gifts rather than deficits, and the power of radical generosity in communities. 9. Why Fund Marginalised Communities (31:59 - 33:56) The rationale behind funding ventures led by women and marginalised groups - addressing the imbalance where 98% of capital goes to half the population, missing diverse perspectives crucial for healthy ecosystems. 10. Better Packaging Success Story (34:15 - 37:12) Case study of Better Packaging Co. in New Zealand, demonstrating how funded ventures create healing business models that solve problems rather than just maximise returns. 11. Beyond Individual Incentives (40:12 - 41:21) Vicki's view on intrinsic vs extrinsic motivation, why most founders are driven by dreams rather than financial success, and the importance of meaning and contribution. 12. Funding Transformation Future (44:21 - 46:12) Coralus's exciting pivot to funding transformation exclusively, paying founders for creating social impact, and completely reversing the extractive finance model.

In this compelling episode of Chasing Financial Equality, host Kane Jackson speaks with Fiona Patten, a trailblazing two-term parliamentarian who has become a powerful voice for equality, sustainability, and personal freedom in Australian politics. From her unique journey - beginning as a fashion designer, briefly working in the sex industry, then becoming a passionate advocate for sex workers' rights during the HIV/AIDS epidemic - Fiona shares how decades of lobbying led her to establish the Australian Sex Party and ultimately enter Victorian state politics. With remarkable candor, Fiona discusses overcoming her third battle with cancer while discovering the benefits of medicinal cannabis, her successful championing of reforms others thought impossible (from decriminalising sex work to legalising supervised injecting rooms and voluntary assisted dying), and her current campaign as the lead Senate candidate for Legalise Cannabis Australia. This conversation offers invaluable insights into creating systemic change, building coalitions across ideological divides, and the importance of authenticity in public life - particularly as rising authoritarianism and wealth concentration threaten our democratic foundations. Key Themes & Timestamps 1. Political Entry & Motivation (02:28 - 03:13) Fiona explains how frustration with the disconnect between community attitudes and government policies led her to enter politics, highlighting the need for evidence-based policy making. 2. Authenticity in Public Life (03:13 - 05:05) Discussion of her unplanned entry into sex work, the freedom of having her "closet door open," and why she chooses to share her authentic self publicly despite judgment. 3. Gender Politics & Support (05:05 - 12:00) Examination of misogyny in politics, comparisons with Georgie Purcell's experiences, and how colleagues and the public responded to her openness about sex work, including her famous maiden speech line. 4. Cancer Journey & Medicinal Cannabis (12:00 - 19:03) Personal reflection on battling cancer three times, discovering medicinal cannabis during chemotherapy, and how illness shaped her approach to health policy and prevention. 5. Evolution of Drug Policy (19:03 - 21:42) Discussion of society's relationship with drugs, the historical medical use of cannabis, and the need for evidence-based approaches to drug policy free from stigma. 6. Inside Parliament vs Outside Advocacy (21:42 - 24:10) Insights on transitioning from lobbyist to parliamentarian, the importance of parliament despite its archaic nature, and how little her advocacy strategies changed once inside. 7. Political Realities & Personalities (24:10 - 30:06) Frank discussion about the humanity and limitations of politicians, the problem of absenteeism, and the need for stronger codes of conduct in parliament. 8. Progressive Reform Strategies (30:06 - 38:08) Personal costs of pursuing progressive reforms, strategies for making big ideas palatable, and dealing with opposition from conservative and religious groups. 9. Systemic Barriers for Marginalised Groups (38:08 - 43:09) Analysis of how stigma and law create barriers for marginalised communities, particularly focusing on sex workers and cannabis users. 10. Compassion & Community Connection (43:09 - 46:52) The importance of compassion in society, addressing loneliness and social isolation, and the need for more human connection in an increasingly digital world. 11. Business Role in Social Change (46:52 - 52:53) Discussion of how businesses can drive social change, the importance of engaging with local representatives, and pushing back against anti-diversity rhetoric. 12. Senate Campaign & Vision for Democracy (52:53 - 57:03) Details about her Senate run with Legalize Cannabis Australia, and her vision for compulsory voting globally as a way to improve democratic participation and diversity.

Join Kane Jackson in this episode of Chasing Financial Equality as he delves into the journey of Pete Ceglinski, founder of Seabin. Hear firsthand about the challenges faced by social impact startups, the hurdles with traditional investors, and the innovative solutions to environmental pollution. Discover how Seabin is making waves in cleaning up our oceans and why financial backing for impactful initiatives remains a critical discussion. From the highs of crowdfunding successes to the tough realities of profitability, Pete shares invaluable insights on navigating the social impact space. Tune in for an inspiring conversation about perseverance, purpose, and the pursuit of a cleaner planet. 00:00 Introduction to Chasing Financial Equality 00:40 Introducing Pete Ceglinski and Seabin 02:12 The Journey of Seabin: Challenges and Innovations 06:35 Crowdfunding Success and Financial Struggles 08:34 The Reality of Impact Investing 17:38 Data-Driven Environmental Impact 24:07 Personal Sacrifices and Mental Health 30:19 Consulting and Future Plans 35:42 Conclusion and Call to Action

In this episode of Chasing Financial Equality, host Kane Jackson delves deep into the story of Lacey Filipich, Head of Financial Wellness at Maslow and renowned financial educator. Content note: this episode includes a brief discussion of suicide and the mental health conditions that contribute to suicidal ideation. Join us as Lacey shares her extraordinary journey from a chemical engineer in the Australian mining industry to becoming a leading advocate for financial education and systemic change. Through candid conversation, Lacey reveals the pivotal moments that reshaped her life's path, including her battle with severe illness and the tragic loss of her sister. Discover how Lacey's transformative experiences fuelled her mission to improve financial capability and challenge the status quo within the finance industry. Learn about her innovative work establishing the FinCAP Co-op, aimed at creating a unified community for financial educators and driving collaborative solutions to financial inequality. This episode is not just about financial literacy; it’s about questioning the systems that perpetuate inequality and envisioning a future where financial health is accessible to all. Tune in for an inspiring conversation that underscores the critical intersection of personal finance, social policy, and systemic reform. Share your thoughts on social media, rate and review the show on your favourite podcast platform, and help us on our journey to combat financial inequality, one of humanity's greatest challenges.

Join us for this compelling episode as we dive into the incredible journey of Cindy Gallop, founder of Make Love Not Porn. Cindy shares her unique trajectory from growing up in Brunei to becoming a titan in the advertising world and an advocate for healthy sex. Discover how Cindy's platform disrupts the traditional porn industry by promoting real-world sex education and learn about the the challenges she faces in securing venture funding. Hear firsthand how Cindy's innovative approach and relentless drive is changing lives, promoting healthy sexuality, and paving the way for the business models of the future. This is an inspiring conversation that highlights the importance of collective action and breaking societal taboos. A must listen for anyone who loathes the status quo. Language warning - best not listen with young kids around.

In this interview, Adam Verwey, the former founder of Future Super, discusses his background, experiences, and new venture, SIX - which seeks to give ordinary investors the same influence as wealthy individuals. Adam started in the finance industry at Australian Ethical, known for its ethical investment policies. He later founded Future Super, which now manages over $15 billion for 100,000 Australians. In this episode Adam reflects on his upbringing in Broken Hill, an isolated mining town, and how it influenced his views on fairness and ethics in finance. He also discusses the challenges of maintaining the core ethical values of Future Super while raising investment. Verwey is now launching SIX, a platform aimed at democratizing investment opportunities and enabling shareholder activism to drive change at Australia’s largest companies. Adam says Billionaires shouldn’t exist, that many companies extract from the world, and that change is needed if we’re to secure a sustainable economic and environmental future for our society.

The Exposed Truth of Startup Greed | Melanie Rieback Explores Financial Extraction in Tech. Join us on a deep dive as Dr. Melanie Rieback, renowned post-growth Entrepreneur and Academic, lifts the veil on the destructive pattern of our finance industry, specifically focusing on the role of venture capital. Dissecting the exponential growth model in startups, Melanie exposes how wealth is systematically funnelled from the masses to the select few while leaving a trail of financial vulnerabilities within our economy. Covering everything from Silicon Valley's monopoly to systemic looting from our public funds, this episode serves as a wake-up call to investors, business owners, and consumers alike. Are our startups turning into financial black holes? 𝗪𝗲 𝘁𝗮𝗹𝗸 𝗮𝗯𝗼𝘂𝘁: 🦹🏻‍♂️ The Devastating consequences of the Unicorn pump & dump scheme. 🔗 The unhealthy link between venture capital & growing political instability 🔫 Greenwashing of financial extraction by ESG & 'impact' investors. 🙋‍♀️ Business as the best form of activism. ❌ The limitations of NGO’s & the fallacy they operate by. 🌉 The need to bridge the gap between startups and impact NGO’s 💸 The misconceptions of profit 🗳️ Steward ownership & how it can help save democracy. 🎩 How VC’s foster an inexorable monopoly leaving us with fewer choices & less control. 𝗕𝗶𝗴 𝗤𝘂𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀 𝗪𝗲 𝗔𝘀𝗸: 📈 Is the VC model & the exponential growth startup narrative leading us on a collision course with democratic decay? 🔥 Is the pursuit of VC funded growth in startups harmless or is it fuel on the fire of wealth inequality that's dividing society? 𝗣𝗲𝗼𝗽𝗹𝗲 𝘄𝗲 𝘀𝗽𝗲𝗮𝗸 𝗮𝗯𝗼𝘂𝘁: 👨🏻‍🏫 Prof Muhammad Yunus, Cory Doctorow, Ann Pettifor Marjorie Kelly, George Soros, Kate Raworth & Doughnut Economics Action Lab (DEAL), Dana Meadows & Elon Musk. If you think the startup industry is a positive contribution to society, this episode will challenge all that you think you know or, perhaps - at the very least - it will remind you of all the things you do know, but choose to ignore. Listen in, take a step back & challenge your beliefs as we engage in a dialogue that could, and should, reshape our collective future.

This stirring episode of Chasing Financial Equality delves into a discomforting reality: How the tech industry, fuelled by late-stage capitalism and male dominance, is scripting a future that sidelines women and marginalised voices. Tracy Spicer, a distinguished journalist and social justice advocate, and Kirstin Hunter, a pioneering figure in the Venture Capital world, join host Kane Jackson in a candid and disruptive conversation. They pull back the veil on tech's glaring gender bias, spotlighting the culture of silencing marginalised voices and diving deep into biases within capital funding. Tune in to this gripping episode that calls for a revolutionary change - a beacon leading us from the binary codes of inequality towards universally inclusive tech.

Ever wondered why humanity's progress is stunted, despite advances in technology, infrastructure and knowledge? Why socio-economic disparities are wideing? Why life is scarier, harder and less hopeful than ever before? Why a rapidly increasing portion of people are afraid to bring children into this world? 𝗜𝘁’𝘀 𝗯𝗲𝗰𝗮𝘂𝘀𝗲 𝗼𝗳 𝗵𝗼𝘄 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗳𝗶𝗻𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝗶𝗻𝗱𝘂𝘀𝘁𝗿𝘆 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗽𝗮𝗻𝗶𝗲𝘀 𝗳𝘂𝗻𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻! My recent conversation with Erinch Sahan, former chief executive of the World Fair Trade Organization (WFTO) and the business lead at Doughnut Economics Action Lab (DEAL), dives into the uncomfortable engrained fallacies of the profit-centricity in companies, the effect of a brazen shareholder primacy and discusses how both shape an economy that supports a privileged few at the expense of the many. In this episode, we name the finance industry as the biggest extractor of wealth in today's economy, stifling innovation and increasing socio-economic inequality, and, we identify that all we do to improve the world for future generations is doomed unless we fix the finance industry. Erinch outlines how every problem we face as a civilisation starts and ends at the finance industry and we explore how founders of humanity’s next greatest businesses will redesign industries for the collective good and unleash a torrent of hidden potential that will take humanity forward and off this terrifying path. We discuss how humanity's collective survival depends on transforming the finance industry from being a system that feeds narrow and privileged self-interests to one that fuels holistic prosperity for all of earths citizens. This thought-provoking conversation has implications for all of us - entrepreneurs, employees, investors(!!) and, the most important people of all; consumers. It’s crucial each of us understands and works every day towards changing the status quo because a sustainable future for all of us depends on reshaping the finance industry and corporate world. Do you think you're ready to acknowledge that nothing else we do to improve the future for humanity matters unless we fix finance? If so, join us as we dive into the very hard and very deep issues that humanity MUST fix. Transforming the future 𝙨𝙩𝙖𝙧𝙩𝙨 with transforming finance! If you're invested in solving climate, in improving diversity, in pursuing equality, in breaking down power structures and jamming a stick in the cogs of colonialism and its patriarchal systems, you'll find a welcome friend in this episode.

In this episode, Kane Jackson is joined by journalist Joan Westenberg to discuss the problems with capitalism and the need for systemic change. They explore the limitations of impact investing, the lack of diversity in the startup industry, and the extractive nature, and accompanying delusion, of venture capital. The conversation touches on the importance of addressing economic inequalities and the potential for a universal basic income. Overall, the episode offers a critical perspective on the finance industry and calls for a shift towards a more equitable and sustainable system. If you'd like to own part of Maslow and the new finance industry head to maslow.com.au and register (it's free).