Modern Idealist

Modern Idealist

Valerie Leung and Meryn Willetts

Episodes 40
Avg. Duration 48m
Activity Sporadic
Apple Rating 5.0 (4)
Since Nov 2021
Latest Episode Oct 2025

Publishing Details

Schedule
Every 2 Weeks
Format
Episodic
Hosting
anchor.fm

Contact & Outreach

About This Podcast

Join us on a journey of discovery as we delve into the experiences of career-driven professionals striving to make an impact in today's fast-paced professional world. Hosted by Valerie Leung and Meryn Zumbo Willetts, we share personal stories and explore topics such as impact in the workplace, trade-offs in doing good, life conundrums, work-life balance, entrepreneurship, and riding the larger social and climate impact movement. Hear from like-minded individuals who share a passion for creating change and join the conversation. 📧 [email protected] Photo by: Liah Chen

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Recent Episodes

S2E4 Nobel Peace Center Special: Humanity in the Digital Age with Pardis Shafafi

Oct 31, 2025 51m

Recorded at the Nobel Peace Center during Oslo Innovation Week for the Peace of Mind Podcast series, this Modern Idealist episode explores how humanity can survive and thrive in the digital age.…

S2 Ep3: Climate tech ventures, corporate sustainability, and personal responsibility with Sophie Bruusgaard Jewett

Aug 04, 2025 1h 9m

In this conversation, Sophie, co-founder and CEO of Morescope, shares her journey into the climate action space, discussing her background, the importance of technology in decarbonization, and the…

S2E2 S2 Ep2: Decolonizing minds and unpacking cultural narratives

Jul 16, 2025 1h 6m

In this conversation, we're joined by our guest, Sahibzada Mayed (they/them), where they discuss their journey as a first-generation immigrant and the complexities of navigating identity, land, and…

S2E1 S2 EP1: From mid-life crisis to mid-life clarity and new life chapters

Jul 01, 2025 57m

In this episode of the Modern Idealist Podcast, hosts Valerie and Meryn reconnect after a hiatus, sharing personal updates and reflections on motherhood, travel, and the complexities of modern life.…

EP 35: The importance of unifying social innovation and responsible AI with Samira Khan

Aug 09, 2024 42m

Join us as Samira Khan, a seasoned expert from Salesforce and Microsoft, delves into the essential fusion of social innovation and responsible AI. Samira shares her journey from witnessing social…

Ep 34: Disparity of the Rich and the Commons

Jul 24, 2024 19m

As of 2021, the top 1% of households in the United States held 32.3% of the country's wealth, while the bottom 50% held just 2.6%. Additionally, the top 20% of the wealthiest Americans possessed 80%…

Ep 33: Shared spaces, shared problems: the tragedy of the commons

Jul 18, 2024 31m

Valerie and Meryn's take on the tragedy of the commons. In a world of free markets (with good intentions), we've gotten so competitive that we've forgotten we all live in the same world sharing…

EP 32: Sustainability Reporting: The Wins and Challenges in the Emerging Field with Petter Reistad

Jul 15, 2024 45m

Petter Reistad CEO and co-founder of Celsia, a sustainability management and reporting software company aiming to make regulatory sustainability reporting simpler, talks to Valerie about how Celsia…

S1E31 EP 31: Embracing Otherness to effect change with Dennis Yao Yu

Sep 07, 2023 53m

In this captivating installment, we sat down for a chat with Dennis Yao Yu, a true champion for diversity and a fervent advocate for highlighting minorities, with a particular focus on the AAPI…

S1E30 EP 30: Data-driven Social Impact and Realities of Development Work with Tony Senanayake

Aug 17, 2023 45m

Welcome back to another episode of Modern Idealist, a podcast for career driven professionals striving to make an impact in today’s fast paced society. I’m Valerie Leung. And we’ve brought on a very…

S1E29 EP 29: Crossing Borders: Work, Relationships, and Dating - Norway Edition

Jul 20, 2023 50m

Suggested: Listen on 1.2x! Welcome back to another exciting episode, where we delve into the raw and honest experiences of individuals living and working abroad. In this episode, we'll explore the…

S1E28 EP 28: ESG to GSE for Greater Impact

Jul 05, 2023 41m

Rethinking Sustainable Finance with Rodolphe Bocquet In this thought-provoking episode, we sit down with Rodolphe Bocquet, a distinguished sustainable investment and policy expert, to delve into the…

S1E27 EP 27: Unveiling Industrial Sustainability and Aluminum Challenges, Opportunities, and Fair Trade with Bjørn Kjetil Mauritzen

Jun 13, 2023 47m

Valerie meets up with Bjørn Kjetil Mauritzen, Head of Sustainability from Hydro, a Norwegian aluminum and renewable energy company. It is also one of the world’s largest aluminum company. We discuss…

S1E26 EP 26: Calling Out Our Own Hypocrisy

May 24, 2023 43m

Meryn and Valerie reunite on air after a brief hiatus caused by Meryn's loss of voice due to illness. While Valerie has been traversing the states, from New York to North Carolina, Meryn has been…

S1E25 EP 25: Corporate Activism, Climate Anxiety and the Expansion of Human Consciousness with Verel Rodrigues

May 05, 2023 59m

In this episode of the Modern Idealist Podcast, we sit down with Verel Rodrigues, a climate activist, engineer and environmental campaigner to hear his perspectives on corporate activism. We discuss…

S1E24 EP 24: Interlinkages of Sustainability, Linkedin Posers, and 30's Single Life Dilemmas

Apr 20, 2023 52m

Back with some life updates and sustainability and social responsibility rants. Valerie talks about the complexity and interlinkages of sustainability and social challenges and pushes companies to do…

S1E23 EP 23: Influencing Workplace Diversity with Data and Storytelling with Vikram Shetty

Apr 04, 2023 48m

In this episode, we focus on content for DEI (Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion) specialists and professionals, and our guest Vikram walks us through a 5-day outreach sprint that he has come up with.…

S1E22 EP 22: Can Companies Really Care? How Corporates Can Take Responsibility on DEI with Laura Smith

Mar 10, 2023 54m

Laura Smith is an American based in Helsinki and is an organizational researcher and founder of VALIDEI, a research agency specializing in the assessments of organizational inclusion, equity, and…

Ep 21: The Untold Story of Sustainability Consulting with Georgia Elliott-Smith

Feb 22, 2023 56m

We had the pleasure of hosting our dynamic guest speaker, Georgia Elliott-Smith, Element Four's Managing Director. In this episode, we explore the hidden narrative of sustainability consulting and…

S1E20 EP 20: Modern Idealists Take on LinkedIn’s Bold Prediction for 2023

Feb 02, 2023 53m

This episode is part 2 of our last episode. In the second part, we're going macro, we’re also going to give our thoughts and reflections on some of the big bold predictions for 2023. Specifically, we…

Frequently Asked Questions

How many episodes does Modern Idealist have?

Modern Idealist has published 40 episodes since November 2021, covering topics in Business, Careers.

Is Modern Idealist still active?

Modern Idealist is currently sporadic with new episodes every 2 weeks. Average episode length is 48m.

How do I contact Modern Idealist for sponsorship or guest appearances?

Sign up on Grep.FM to access contact details for Modern Idealist, including email and social media links.

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