New podcast season re-imagines a better post-COVID-19 world

October 26, 2020

Strange times demand interesting new ways of communicating on issues that matter to all of us. We’re living in a time where we have many questions on how we will live in the future. It’s also a moment to reimagine and rethink our old ways. We have you covered with our new podcast season, where we talk to some leading thinkers who focus on solutions for today’s biggest challenges.

“We’re excited to launch our second IKEA Foundation podcast season,” says Truus Huisman, Chief Communication Officer and executive producer of the IKEA Foundation podcast. “We’re looking forward to sharing the wonderful work our partners are doing to improve livelihoods of families and children in some of the most vulnerable parts of the world and contribute to a liveable planet. We hope these interviews will inspire you to support and amplify the positive change they are creating.”

Talking to people working on solutions

Altaf Makhiawala, strategic communicator at the IKEA Foundation and podcast host, says: “This new season takes in the impact of the pandemic and looks beyond. It imagines what a better post-COVID-19 world could look like. We know there are problems—that’s why we’re talking to people working on solutions.”

In our first episode we’ll seek to understand leadership practices in times of uncertainty with Jacqueline Novogratz, CEO and Founder of Acumen.

In our subsequent episodes, we’ll talk to Harish Hande, CEO and Founder of SELCO Foundation, about how renewable energy can help communities recover from COVID-19. Barri Shorey of International Rescue Committee will shed light on what life is like for a refugees caught in the pandemic, and Alexander Betts of Oxford University and Ola Rosling of Gapminder will dispel some common myths about refugees.

Building a movement

We’ll also hear from Willy Foote and Katie Naeve of Root Capital about how we can support women in rural communities who are impacted by COVID-19 crisis. Jessy Tolkan of Purpose Climate Lab and Jessie Macneil-Brown from Ingka Group’s Campaign Unit will inspire us on how to build a climate movement when people can’t meet in person. 

Sarah Klassen from Start Network and Jon Stone from Risk-informed Early Action Partnership (REAP) will talk about how early action can prevent the spread of COVID-19 in some of the world’s most vulnerable communities. And Jane Burston from the Clean Air Fund will discuss the economic impact of air pollution.

The first episode drops on your favourite pod catcher on 30 October. A new episode will drop every Friday till 18 December.  Email us or send us voice notes at [email protected]. We love to hear your feedback on how we can do better!

How to get this podcast on your smartphone

You can download Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher or Overcast as a podcast app on your phone or tablet. Look up ‘The IKEA Foundation Podcast’ in the search box of the app and click subscribe. It will notify you every time a new episode is available, making it super easy to listen. This way you’ll never miss an episode from us! You can also use  Apple Podcasts, Spotify or Stitcher to get the show from your desktop, or ask Alexa at home to ‘play the IKEA Foundation podcast’ for you.

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  • This is cool — literally! 🧊 Denis Karema, CEO of @sokofreshkenya and a strong advocate for expanding access to solar-powered cooling in Kenya, showed us how these solutions make a real difference in farmers’ everyday lives. By keeping food cold, less goes to waste — a key climate solution as temperatures continue to rise across many regions. We had the opportunity to document how SokoFresh’s cold rooms are used in Kenya as part of our upcoming IKEA Foundation Week campaign, which will focus on food systems. This work is supported by the IKEA Foundation and our partner @claspappliances, who are helping bring renewable energy to smallholder farmers in East Africa and India. SokoFresh is also supported by our partners #PREO and @enviu, as part of a strong nexus solution across renewable energy and agriculture work. A huge thank you to Denis for sharing his inspiring work, and to our fantastic production team in Nairobi for bringing this story to life. 📅 More to come during #IKEAFoundationWeek, Autumn 2026. #ikeafoundation
  • Across rural India, women are the backbone of agriculture, balancing farming, food processing, and household care. Yet many still lack access to reliable energy and technologies that can help ease labour and strengthen livelihoods. Through Powering Livelihoods, led by @ceewindia and @villgro_possible with support from the IKEA Foundation, social enterprises are bringing renewable energy technologies to rural communities. Swipe to see how one partner, @rahejasolarfoodprocessing, is helping women preserve produce for longer, reduce post-harvest loss, and earn more from what they grow. As of April 2026, through the Powering Livelihoods-supported enterprises: 🌱 ~46,000+ livelihoods positively impacted, with almost 45% being women ☀️ ~29,000+ renewable energy technology deployments 📍 Across 25+ states and union territories in India Learn more: link in bio #IKEAFoundation
  • 2025 was a milestone year for the IKEA Foundation, as we provided record levels of funding to 128 partners around the world and launched our new strategy dedicated to climate action. Highlights included: 🤝 47 new grants 💶 €404 million in funding 🌍 Almost €3 billion provided since our founding With just 2% of global philanthropic funding going to climate mitigation, our partners’ work has never been more vital. Even in the face of urgent and complex challenges, they are turning ambition into real-world impact. Our mission for the years ahead is clear: The IKEA Foundation will fight global warming with and for the many people by reducing and avoiding greenhouse gas emissions through people-centred solutions. 🔗 Read more about the work behind these efforts - link in bio. #IKEAfoundation
  • 👀 We’ve been working on something exciting… Recently, we filmed in Nairobi with Dr Susan Chomba from the @worldresources (WRI) — who also serves on the expert panel of our partner IPES-Food — for our upcoming #IKEAFoundationWeek. It’s a story we can’t wait to share with you. Supporting partners closest to climate-affected communities is central to our new strategy. With Susan, we saw this in action while exploring this year’s IKEA Foundation Week focus: food systems change. She showed us how rethinking food systems, from production to plate and beyond, can help build a more sustainable future, and the solutions that already exist to reduce food waste and lower emissions. We’re so grateful to Susan for sharing her knowledge and passion as an environmentalist, and to our fantastic production team in Nairobi for bringing this story to life. And finally, a huge thank you to the wider WRI team for your partnership and support throughout. 📅 More to come, Autumn 2026.
This is cool — literally! 🧊 Denis Karema, CEO of @sokofreshkenya and a strong advocate for expanding access to solar-powered cooling in Kenya, showed us how these solutions make a real difference in farmers’ everyday lives. By keeping food cold, less goes to waste — a key climate solution as temperatures continue to rise across many regions. We had the opportunity to document how SokoFresh’s cold rooms are used in Kenya as part of our upcoming IKEA Foundation Week campaign, which will focus on food systems. This work is supported by the IKEA Foundation and our partner @claspappliances, who are helping bring renewable energy to smallholder farmers in East Africa and India. SokoFresh is also supported by our partners #PREO and @enviu, as part of a strong nexus solution across renewable energy and agriculture work. A huge thank you to Denis for sharing his inspiring work, and to our fantastic production team in Nairobi for bringing this story to life. 📅 More to come during #IKEAFoundationWeek, Autumn 2026. #ikeafoundation
This is cool — literally! 🧊 Denis Karema, CEO of @sokofreshkenya and a strong advocate for expanding access to solar-powered cooling in Kenya, showed us how these solutions make a real difference in farmers’ everyday lives. By keeping food cold, less goes to waste — a key climate solution as temperatures continue to rise across many regions. We had the opportunity to document how SokoFresh’s cold rooms are used in Kenya as part of our upcoming IKEA Foundation Week campaign, which will focus on food systems. This work is supported by the IKEA Foundation and our partner @claspappliances, who are helping bring renewable energy to smallholder farmers in East Africa and India. SokoFresh is also supported by our partners #PREO and @enviu, as part of a strong nexus solution across renewable energy and agriculture work. A huge thank you to Denis for sharing his inspiring work, and to our fantastic production team in Nairobi for bringing this story to life. 📅 More to come during #IKEAFoundationWeek, Autumn 2026. #ikeafoundation
This is cool — literally! 🧊 Denis Karema, CEO of @sokofreshkenya and a strong advocate for expanding access to solar-powered cooling in Kenya, showed us how these solutions make a real difference in farmers’ everyday lives. By keeping food cold, less goes to waste — a key climate solution as temperatures continue to rise across many regions. We had the opportunity to document how SokoFresh’s cold rooms are used in Kenya as part of our upcoming IKEA Foundation Week campaign, which will focus on food systems. This work is supported by the IKEA Foundation and our partner @claspappliances, who are helping bring renewable energy to smallholder farmers in East Africa and India. SokoFresh is also supported by our partners #PREO and @enviu, as part of a strong nexus solution across renewable energy and agriculture work. A huge thank you to Denis for sharing his inspiring work, and to our fantastic production team in Nairobi for bringing this story to life. 📅 More to come during #IKEAFoundationWeek, Autumn 2026. #ikeafoundation
This is cool — literally! 🧊 Denis Karema, CEO of @sokofreshkenya and a strong advocate for expanding access to solar-powered cooling in Kenya, showed us how these solutions make a real difference in farmers’ everyday lives. By keeping food cold, less goes to waste — a key climate solution as temperatures continue to rise across many regions. We had the opportunity to document how SokoFresh’s cold rooms are used in Kenya as part of our upcoming IKEA Foundation Week campaign, which will focus on food systems. This work is supported by the IKEA Foundation and our partner @claspappliances, who are helping bring renewable energy to smallholder farmers in East Africa and India. SokoFresh is also supported by our partners #PREO and @enviu, as part of a strong nexus solution across renewable energy and agriculture work. A huge thank you to Denis for sharing his inspiring work, and to our fantastic production team in Nairobi for bringing this story to life. 📅 More to come during #IKEAFoundationWeek, Autumn 2026. #ikeafoundation
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This is cool — literally! 🧊 Denis Karema, CEO of @sokofreshkenya and a strong advocate for expanding access to solar-powered cooling in Kenya, showed us how these solutions make a real difference in farmers’ everyday lives. By keeping food cold, less goes to waste — a key climate solution as temperatures continue to rise across many regions. We had the opportunity to document how SokoFresh’s cold rooms are used in Kenya as part of our upcoming IKEA Foundation Week campaign, which will focus on food systems. This work is supported by the IKEA Foundation and our partner @claspappliances, who are helping bring renewable energy to smallholder farmers in East Africa and India. SokoFresh is also supported by our partners #PREO and @enviu, as part of a strong nexus solution across renewable energy and agriculture work. A huge thank you to Denis for sharing his inspiring work, and to our fantastic production team in Nairobi for bringing this story to life. 📅 More to come during #IKEAFoundationWeek, Autumn 2026. #ikeafoundation
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Across rural India, women are the backbone of agriculture, balancing farming, food processing, and household care. Yet many still lack access to reliable energy and technologies that can help ease labour and strengthen livelihoods. Through Powering Livelihoods, led by @ceewindia and @villgro_possible with support from the IKEA Foundation, social enterprises are bringing renewable energy technologies to rural communities. Swipe to see how one partner, @rahejasolarfoodprocessing, is helping women preserve produce for longer, reduce post-harvest loss, and earn more from what they grow. As of April 2026, through the Powering Livelihoods-supported enterprises: 🌱 ~46,000+ livelihoods positively impacted, with almost 45% being women ☀️ ~29,000+ renewable energy technology deployments 📍 Across 25+ states and union territories in India Learn more: link in bio #IKEAFoundation
Across rural India, women are the backbone of agriculture, balancing farming, food processing, and household care. Yet many still lack access to reliable energy and technologies that can help ease labour and strengthen livelihoods. Through Powering Livelihoods, led by @ceewindia and @villgro_possible with support from the IKEA Foundation, social enterprises are bringing renewable energy technologies to rural communities. Swipe to see how one partner, @rahejasolarfoodprocessing, is helping women preserve produce for longer, reduce post-harvest loss, and earn more from what they grow. As of April 2026, through the Powering Livelihoods-supported enterprises: 🌱 ~46,000+ livelihoods positively impacted, with almost 45% being women ☀️ ~29,000+ renewable energy technology deployments 📍 Across 25+ states and union territories in India Learn more: link in bio #IKEAFoundation
Across rural India, women are the backbone of agriculture, balancing farming, food processing, and household care. Yet many still lack access to reliable energy and technologies that can help ease labour and strengthen livelihoods. Through Powering Livelihoods, led by @ceewindia and @villgro_possible with support from the IKEA Foundation, social enterprises are bringing renewable energy technologies to rural communities. Swipe to see how one partner, @rahejasolarfoodprocessing, is helping women preserve produce for longer, reduce post-harvest loss, and earn more from what they grow. As of April 2026, through the Powering Livelihoods-supported enterprises: 🌱 ~46,000+ livelihoods positively impacted, with almost 45% being women ☀️ ~29,000+ renewable energy technology deployments 📍 Across 25+ states and union territories in India Learn more: link in bio #IKEAFoundation
Across rural India, women are the backbone of agriculture, balancing farming, food processing, and household care. Yet many still lack access to reliable energy and technologies that can help ease labour and strengthen livelihoods. Through Powering Livelihoods, led by @ceewindia and @villgro_possible with support from the IKEA Foundation, social enterprises are bringing renewable energy technologies to rural communities. Swipe to see how one partner, @rahejasolarfoodprocessing, is helping women preserve produce for longer, reduce post-harvest loss, and earn more from what they grow. As of April 2026, through the Powering Livelihoods-supported enterprises: 🌱 ~46,000+ livelihoods positively impacted, with almost 45% being women ☀️ ~29,000+ renewable energy technology deployments 📍 Across 25+ states and union territories in India Learn more: link in bio #IKEAFoundation
Across rural India, women are the backbone of agriculture, balancing farming, food processing, and household care. Yet many still lack access to reliable energy and technologies that can help ease labour and strengthen livelihoods. Through Powering Livelihoods, led by @ceewindia and @villgro_possible with support from the IKEA Foundation, social enterprises are bringing renewable energy technologies to rural communities. Swipe to see how one partner, @rahejasolarfoodprocessing, is helping women preserve produce for longer, reduce post-harvest loss, and earn more from what they grow. As of April 2026, through the Powering Livelihoods-supported enterprises: 🌱 ~46,000+ livelihoods positively impacted, with almost 45% being women ☀️ ~29,000+ renewable energy technology deployments 📍 Across 25+ states and union territories in India Learn more: link in bio #IKEAFoundation
Across rural India, women are the backbone of agriculture, balancing farming, food processing, and household care. Yet many still lack access to reliable energy and technologies that can help ease labour and strengthen livelihoods. Through Powering Livelihoods, led by @ceewindia and @villgro_possible with support from the IKEA Foundation, social enterprises are bringing renewable energy technologies to rural communities. Swipe to see how one partner, @rahejasolarfoodprocessing, is helping women preserve produce for longer, reduce post-harvest loss, and earn more from what they grow. As of April 2026, through the Powering Livelihoods-supported enterprises: 🌱 ~46,000+ livelihoods positively impacted, with almost 45% being women ☀️ ~29,000+ renewable energy technology deployments 📍 Across 25+ states and union territories in India Learn more: link in bio #IKEAFoundation
Across rural India, women are the backbone of agriculture, balancing farming, food processing, and household care. Yet many still lack access to reliable energy and technologies that can help ease labour and strengthen livelihoods. Through Powering Livelihoods, led by @ceewindia and @villgro_possible with support from the IKEA Foundation, social enterprises are bringing renewable energy technologies to rural communities. Swipe to see how one partner, @rahejasolarfoodprocessing, is helping women preserve produce for longer, reduce post-harvest loss, and earn more from what they grow. As of April 2026, through the Powering Livelihoods-supported enterprises: 🌱 ~46,000+ livelihoods positively impacted, with almost 45% being women ☀️ ~29,000+ renewable energy technology deployments 📍 Across 25+ states and union territories in India Learn more: link in bio #IKEAFoundation
@ikea_foundation
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Across rural India, women are the backbone of agriculture, balancing farming, food processing, and household care. Yet many still lack access to reliable energy and technologies that can help ease labour and strengthen livelihoods. Through Powering Livelihoods, led by @ceewindia and @villgro_possible with support from the IKEA Foundation, social enterprises are bringing renewable energy technologies to rural communities. Swipe to see how one partner, @rahejasolarfoodprocessing, is helping women preserve produce for longer, reduce post-harvest loss, and earn more from what they grow. As of April 2026, through the Powering Livelihoods-supported enterprises: 🌱 ~46,000+ livelihoods positively impacted, with almost 45% being women ☀️ ~29,000+ renewable energy technology deployments 📍 Across 25+ states and union territories in India Learn more: link in bio #IKEAFoundation
2 weeks ago
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2025 was a milestone year for the IKEA Foundation, as we provided record levels of funding to 128 partners around the world and launched our new strategy dedicated to climate action. Highlights included: 🤝 47 new grants 💶 €404 million in funding 🌍 Almost €3 billion provided since our founding With just 2% of global philanthropic funding going to climate mitigation, our partners’ work has never been more vital. Even in the face of urgent and complex challenges, they are turning ambition into real-world impact. Our mission for the years ahead is clear: The IKEA Foundation will fight global warming with and for the many people by reducing and avoiding greenhouse gas emissions through people-centred solutions. 🔗 Read more about the work behind these efforts - link in bio. #IKEAfoundation
@ikea_foundation
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2025 was a milestone year for the IKEA Foundation, as we provided record levels of funding to 128 partners around the world and launched our new strategy dedicated to climate action. Highlights included: 🤝 47 new grants 💶 €404 million in funding 🌍 Almost €3 billion provided since our founding With just 2% of global philanthropic funding going to climate mitigation, our partners’ work has never been more vital. Even in the face of urgent and complex challenges, they are turning ambition into real-world impact. Our mission for the years ahead is clear: The IKEA Foundation will fight global warming with and for the many people by reducing and avoiding greenhouse gas emissions through people-centred solutions. 🔗 Read more about the work behind these efforts - link in bio. #IKEAfoundation
4 weeks ago
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👀 We’ve been working on something exciting… Recently, we filmed in Nairobi with Dr Susan Chomba from the @worldresources (WRI) — who also serves on the expert panel of our partner IPES-Food — for our upcoming #IKEAFoundationWeek. It’s a story we can’t wait to share with you. Supporting partners closest to climate-affected communities is central to our new strategy. With Susan, we saw this in action while exploring this year’s IKEA Foundation Week focus: food systems change. She showed us how rethinking food systems, from production to plate and beyond, can help build a more sustainable future, and the solutions that already exist to reduce food waste and lower emissions. We’re so grateful to Susan for sharing her knowledge and passion as an environmentalist, and to our fantastic production team in Nairobi for bringing this story to life. And finally, a huge thank you to the wider WRI team for your partnership and support throughout. 📅 More to come, Autumn 2026.
👀 We’ve been working on something exciting… Recently, we filmed in Nairobi with Dr Susan Chomba from the @worldresources (WRI) — who also serves on the expert panel of our partner IPES-Food — for our upcoming #IKEAFoundationWeek. It’s a story we can’t wait to share with you. Supporting partners closest to climate-affected communities is central to our new strategy. With Susan, we saw this in action while exploring this year’s IKEA Foundation Week focus: food systems change. She showed us how rethinking food systems, from production to plate and beyond, can help build a more sustainable future, and the solutions that already exist to reduce food waste and lower emissions. We’re so grateful to Susan for sharing her knowledge and passion as an environmentalist, and to our fantastic production team in Nairobi for bringing this story to life. And finally, a huge thank you to the wider WRI team for your partnership and support throughout. 📅 More to come, Autumn 2026.
👀 We’ve been working on something exciting… Recently, we filmed in Nairobi with Dr Susan Chomba from the @worldresources (WRI) — who also serves on the expert panel of our partner IPES-Food — for our upcoming #IKEAFoundationWeek. It’s a story we can’t wait to share with you. Supporting partners closest to climate-affected communities is central to our new strategy. With Susan, we saw this in action while exploring this year’s IKEA Foundation Week focus: food systems change. She showed us how rethinking food systems, from production to plate and beyond, can help build a more sustainable future, and the solutions that already exist to reduce food waste and lower emissions. We’re so grateful to Susan for sharing her knowledge and passion as an environmentalist, and to our fantastic production team in Nairobi for bringing this story to life. And finally, a huge thank you to the wider WRI team for your partnership and support throughout. 📅 More to come, Autumn 2026.
👀 We’ve been working on something exciting… Recently, we filmed in Nairobi with Dr Susan Chomba from the @worldresources (WRI) — who also serves on the expert panel of our partner IPES-Food — for our upcoming #IKEAFoundationWeek. It’s a story we can’t wait to share with you. Supporting partners closest to climate-affected communities is central to our new strategy. With Susan, we saw this in action while exploring this year’s IKEA Foundation Week focus: food systems change. She showed us how rethinking food systems, from production to plate and beyond, can help build a more sustainable future, and the solutions that already exist to reduce food waste and lower emissions. We’re so grateful to Susan for sharing her knowledge and passion as an environmentalist, and to our fantastic production team in Nairobi for bringing this story to life. And finally, a huge thank you to the wider WRI team for your partnership and support throughout. 📅 More to come, Autumn 2026.
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👀 We’ve been working on something exciting… Recently, we filmed in Nairobi with Dr Susan Chomba from the @worldresources (WRI) — who also serves on the expert panel of our partner IPES-Food — for our upcoming #IKEAFoundationWeek. It’s a story we can’t wait to share with you. Supporting partners closest to climate-affected communities is central to our new strategy. With Susan, we saw this in action while exploring this year’s IKEA Foundation Week focus: food systems change. She showed us how rethinking food systems, from production to plate and beyond, can help build a more sustainable future, and the solutions that already exist to reduce food waste and lower emissions. We’re so grateful to Susan for sharing her knowledge and passion as an environmentalist, and to our fantastic production team in Nairobi for bringing this story to life. And finally, a huge thank you to the wider WRI team for your partnership and support throughout. 📅 More to come, Autumn 2026.
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