Innovation is a word we hear often, but what does it actually mean in practice? In this conversation with Amir Elion—innovation leader, former head of Amazon Web Services’ Digital Innovation program in the Nordics, and founder of Think Big Leaders—we explore how organisations can move beyond buzzwords to create real value. Amir shares how Amazon’s “working backwards” method can be applied anywhere, why culture matters more than size when it comes to innovation, and how artificial intelligence is transforming the way we create, test, and scale ideas. Along the way, he reflects on lessons from global corporations, startups, and NGOs, and on how his move to the Nordics reshaped his perspective on sustainability, leadership, and the future of technology.

About Our Guest: Amir Elion is an experienced Business, Innovation and Transformation Leader. Amir is the founder of and senior advisor at Think Big Leaders, and co-initiator of the Global Green Action Day. He led the Digital Innovation program at Amazon Web Services in the Nordics, helping AWS customers build new products and experiences that delight customers using Amazon own Working Backwards innovation methodology. Previously, he led innovation and training activities at Motorola Solutions and Teva Pharmaceuticals, was Director of Products in two startups and served as a strategy and innovation consultant. Amir has a proven track record of leading business development, product teams and launches, as well as large learning and development projects and operations.

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The views expressed in this podcast are those of Tiyana J & guests and are not reflective of all members of the Humanitarian Changemakers Network.

Money is often treated as the central ingredient for social change, yet this conversation challenges that assumption and offers a more precise—and more empowering—way to think about it. Tiyana unpacks why money is better understood as energy or a medium of exchange rather than a true resource, and why attaching moral weight to money itself obscures the real ethical questions: how it is earned, directed, and used. Drawing on catalytic thinking and the idea of collective enoughness, the episode reframes scarcity as a systems problem rather than an individual failing, then widens the lens further by exploring wealth as a multidimensional concept (including skills, relationships, time, and other forms of capital). The result is a grounded framework for changemakers who want to relate to money with clarity—without overvaluing it, fearing it, or mistaking it for the source of transformation.

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The views expressed in this podcast are those of Tiyana J & guests and are not reflective of all members of the Humanitarian Changemakers Network.

Tommy’s path into conservation and science communication did not begin in academia, but on the riverbanks with a fishing rod and a blog. Over time, his passion for the outdoors grew into a podcast that now explores the intersection of ecology, policy, and social change. In this conversation, we discuss how human attitudes and behaviours complicate conservation, why reconnecting with nature is essential, and how building common ground—even across differences—can drive meaningful progress for people and wildlife alike.

About Our Guest: Tommy Serafinski is an outdoorsman, podcaster, and speaker passionate about nature, conservation, and the ways humans and wildlife interact. Combining a love of the outdoors with a curiosity for science, he bridges first-hand experience in the wild with research-driven insights. Whether weathering the elements, engaging with the latest studies, or sharing stories on his podcast Conservation and Science, Tommy explores how people can better understand, respect, and coexist with the natural world.

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The views expressed in this podcast are those of Tiyana J & guests and are not reflective of all members of the Humanitarian Changemakers Network.