Best Arnel Podcasts (2026)

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Lud-in-the-Mist (ft. Carla Arnell) 1:04:10

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1h ago1:04:10

1:04:10

“Master Nathaniel Chanticleer, the actual head of the family, was a typical Dorimarite in appearance; rotund, rubicund, red-haired, with hazel eyes in which the jokes, before he uttered them, twinkled like a trout in a burn.” I am joined by Carla Arnell, Professor of English at Lake Forest College, to discuss the almost unknown fantasy novel, Lud-i…

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Why Sustainable Forestry Beats Traditional Timber Models on Risk and Returns 1:05:58

3h ago1:05:58

1:05:58

Forestry is often treated as just timber production. But in this 2-in-1 compilation about sustainable forestry, you’ll hear a different way of thinking. One that looks beyond timber to carbon, biodiversity, water, and resilience. I revisit key moments from two earlier episodes that look at sustainable forestry as a serious investment strategy and a…

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Circular Economy Investing: VC Returns from Fashion’s Broken Logistics 1:04:11

7d ago1:04:11

1:04:11

The apparel industry is a $3 trillion market. But a massive share of what it produces goes straight to waste. That combination points to mispriced inputs and broken systems. And to real opportunities for circular economy solutions that work on both the business side and the environmental side. In this end-of-year gift to listeners, I'm revisiting a…

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Green Bonds 101: Two Women Who Built the Market from Scratch 1:04:55

14d ago1:04:55

1:04:55

Green bonds sound simple until you try to separate the real ones from the 50 shades of green flooding today’s market. This episode offers an insider framework to distinguish credible green bonds from greenwashing, understand what real additionality looks like in fixed income, and make more confident capital-allocation decisions in a label-driven ma…

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Liturgical Tolkien (ft. Ben Reinhard) 54:17

10d ago54:17

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A lot of ink has been spilled over the Catholic and religious underpinnings of J. R. R. Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings. Pretty much everyone knows this by now, but very few have probed the depths of how the liturgy and the Catholic Mass influenced the very foundation of Middle Earth. In this episode, Professor Ben Reinhard joins the show to explor…

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How Blended Finance Powers 8% IRR in Emerging Market Utilities 1:22:16

21d ago1:22:16

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Blended finance is making hard deals in emerging markets investable. It drives real infrastructure development where capital markets are thin. And when the work involves emergency aid and building businesses, you need someone who’s seen how money really works in emerging markets. Few people know how to make those pieces fit together better than my …

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Venture Capital’s New Frontier: Why India Wins in AgriTech, Rural Fintech, & Climate Resilience 1:25:38

28d ago1:25:38

1:25:38

My guest is Mark Kahn, Managing Partner at Omnivore, a $295 million venture capital firm investing in startups across agriculture, food, and the rural economy in India, focused on climate risk resilience. In this episode, we talk about how venture capital can be redesigned to fund climate adaptation in the real economy, and still deliver real retur…

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Why Impact Must Become Finance’s Third Axis: Rethinking Returns, Risk, and Responsibility 1:49:29

1M ago1:49:29

1:49:29

Richard Brandweiner, Chair of Impact Investing Australia and a longtime institutional investor, joins the show to discuss the realities of impact investing at scale. He reflects on universal ownership, system-level risks, blended finance, and what it truly takes to align capital with real-world outcomes and fiduciary expectations. Richard shares le…

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The Death of Rabelais (ft. Jane Scharl) 1:01:04

1M ago1:01:04

1:01:04

*This episode contains content that may not be suitable for children. Essayist, poet, and playwright, Jane Scharl returns to the show to discuss her new play, The Death of Rabelais. This is the second in a loose trilogy featuring France’s infamous humanist and humorist, François Rabelais. In this play, Rabelais finds himself lost in a snow storm on…

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Leading from the front and closing the skills gap - Allan Sharrock 2:24:07

1M ago2:24:07

2:24:07

Todays episode is packed with great stories. Though more importantly it sheds light on several very important facets of our system; with a plan to make them better. I met Allan Sharrock when he was the Lieutenant of 3rd platoon in C-company 110th Engineers. I was a Specialist (E4) in 1st platoon. This year we all met up and celebrated that tours 20…

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Affordable Housing & High Returns: How RBC’s Stable-Prepay Mortgage Portfolios Deliver Alpha and Community Wealth (#113) 1:21:26

2M ago1:21:26

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In this episode, I talk with Ron Homer – Chief Strategist for Impact Investing at RBC Global Asset Management, and one of the earliest architects of community development investing in the United States. Ron’s perspective was shaped in Bedford-Stuyvesant, where he watched a thriving neighborhood decline not because of its people but because mortgage…

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The Contrarian Bet: Why Investing in India & Africa is "Less Risky Than Silicon Valley VC" (#112) 1:32:51

2M ago1:32:51

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My guest today is Eva Yazhari – General Partner at Beyond Capital Ventures and one of the most original thinkers in the world of impact investing. Trained on Wall Street, Eva left finance to found Beyond Capital, turning her expertise toward building impact-driven markets. Beyond Capital Fund was structured as a nonprofit, a 501(c)3 – not to do cha…

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50 Shades of Green: The €850+ Billion Logic Behind AXA’s Investment Approach (#111) 1:18:21

2M ago1:18:21

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My guest today is Jamie Friedland, a former U.S. Treasury trader turned sustainability analyst at AXA Investment Managers – one of the world’s largest and most active players in sustainable investing. He joined AXA Investment Managers – now part of BNP Paribas Group – in March 2022. Within the group, BNP Paribas Asset Management oversees over €716 …

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Double-Dividends from Nature-Risk: Using Geospatial Data to Pinpoint Hidden Alpha in Global Portfolios (#110) 1:56:22

2M ago1:56:22

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My guest today is Laura Segafredo – Chief Growth Officer at NatureAlpha, and a systems thinker who’s spent the last twenty years connecting science, policy, and capital to build tools that help finance face the realities of the climate crisis. Laura began her career as an energy economist in Europe and California, contributing to major climate poli…

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Sustainability 2.0: How Growth Investors Unlock Hidden ROI from ESG Metrics (#109) 1:11:13

2M ago1:11:13

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My guest is Nidhi Chadda, founder and CEO of Enzo Advisors – a female- and minority-led sustainability and climate advisory firm that helps companies and investors integrate ESG factors into strategy and performance. She’s a former Wall Street portfolio manager who believes ESG isn’t about politics – it’s about disciplined risk management and long-…

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Something Wicked This Way Comes (ft. Brad Birzer & Thomas Salerno) 1:25:06

2M ago1:25:06

1:25:06

It is spooky season when the veil between the material and spiritual worlds becomes thin. Halloween is right around the corner and monsters prowl about the edge of society often taking the forms of something either enticing or frightening. Church music plays backwards and carnivals arrive at 3:00 AM. In this episode of IMBIF, I discuss Ray Bradbury…

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Moving from IRR to IMM: Investing Based on the Impact Multiple of Money | Michael Etzel, Bridgespan (#108) 1:48:01

3M ago1:48:01

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My guest today is Michael Etzel – a partner at Bridgespan, and one of the key architects behind a shift that’s still unfolding: the effort to bring hard-nosed analytical discipline to a field once seen as closer to charity than capital. Michael came to this work from the social sector, back when “impact investing” wasn’t yet a defined field. At Bri…

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40% IRR & Social Justice: How Vox Built Brazil’s 1st Impact Fund Scaling Solutions for the Base of the Pyramid (#107) 1:37:42

3M ago1:37:42

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By Scott Arnell

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A Tim Powers Deep Dive (ft. iSamwise) 1:17:02

3M ago1:17:02

1:17:02

Last month, I was a guest on iSamwise’s YouTube channel and we discussed, you guessed it, Tim Powers! Check it out! iSamwise kindly shared his audio file with me so I could share it with all of you. Link to iSamwise’s YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@iSamwise *********************************************************************************…

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Accidental Father of Impact: Nick O'Donohoe on Leading BSC, BII & Building Investability in Emerging Markets (#106) 1:34:56

3M ago1:34:56

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My guest today is Nick O’Donohoe CMG – former CEO of British International Investment, co-founder of Big Society Capital, and one of the early figures to frame impact investing as a financial discipline. Nick spent nearly three decades in global banking – first at Goldman Sachs, then at JPMorgan, where he rose to become Global Head of Research. Whe…

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The Terrifying Math of Stranded Assets: Why Oil & Gas Valuations May Be Off by $100+ Trillion | Mark Campanale (#105) 1:40:58

3M ago1:40:58

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In this episode, I sit down with Mark Campanale, founder of Carbon Tracker and Planet Tracker, best known for introducing one of the most disruptive ideas in climate finance: the carbon bubble. Mark’s journey began in his 20s, crossing the Sahara and working in a famine camp, where he first saw how capital, policy, and poverty were deeply linked. A…

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$28B and Counting: Inside Grosvenor’s Returns-First Impact Approach to Scaling Sustainable Capital Across Private Markets | Jonathan Hirschtritt (#104) 1:46:15

4M ago1:46:15

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In this episode, my guest is Jonathan Hirschtritt, Head of Sustainability & Investment at GCM Grosvenor – a leading global alternative asset manager for more than five decades. The firm manages over $80 billion across the full spectrum of alternatives and has built one of the most comprehensive impact and sustainability investing platforms in priva…

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The Medieval Mind of C. S. Lewis (ft. Jason Baxter) 1:01:19

3M ago1:01:19

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In this episode, I am joined by medieval scholar and author, Jason Baxter. Dr. Baxter is the Director of the Center for Beauty and Culture at Benedictine College and the author of many books, including a new translation of Dante and The Medieval Mind of C. S. Lewis. Dr. Baxter and I discussed The Medieval Mind, C. S. Lewis as medievalist, and why h…

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Scaling Global South Startups: Lessons Learned From Mercy Corps' Bold Strategy | Tim Rann (#103) 2:23:09

4M ago2:23:09

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In this episode, my guest is Timothy Rann, Managing Partner of Mercy Corps Ventures. He leads what is likely the only venture capital fund in the world to have emerged from within a humanitarian NGO. When the fund was first created, Mercy Corps itself was a $600 million-a-year organization working in more than 40 conflict and climate-stressed count…

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Where Nature Meets Capital: 3 Leaders Turning Nature Into a Real Asset Class (#102) 2:02:57

4M ago2:02:57

2:02:57

Most investors now accept that climate risk is financial risk. But what about nature loss? What about the fact that half of global GDP is tied to the natural world – from soil health to pollination to forest carbon – and yet almost none of that value is priced into markets? If climate was the first wake-up call, nature is the second. In this 3-in-1…

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How Social Bonds Are Shaping the Future of Impact Investing (#101) 1:34:25

4M ago1:34:25

1:34:25

The traditional view of bonds focuses only on financial returns. But social bonds turn that model on its head by aligning capital with solutions to pressing social challenges. Social bonds link financial success directly to positive societal change. Across these 3 conversations from past guests of the SRI360 podcast, a common thread emerges. When y…

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Renewables Alone Won’t Work: The 2 Missing Pieces in the Net Zero Energy Puzzle (#100) 1:34:39

4M ago1:34:39

1:34:39

We’ve spent decades talking about the shift to renewables – building more wind, more solar, more clean energy capacity. And that’s important. But it’s also only half the story. Because once that energy is generated, what happens next is where things start to get complicated – how it's stored, how it's moved, and how much of it actually gets used. R…

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The Numinous in Fiction (ft. Susannah Black Roberts & Jane Scharl) 1:15:07

4M ago1:15:07

1:15:07

Two wonderful guests return to the show, the editor of Plough and Mere Orthodoxy, Susannah (Black) Roberts, and poet and playwright, Jane Scharl. We discuss Rudolf Otto’s The Idea of the Holy and the “Numinous”, which is a term he coined in that book. The goal of this discussion is to talk about the concept of the Numinous and where it can be found…

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The Collision of Healthcare & Tech: Where Innovation Meets Patient Impact & Market Returns (#099) 1:24:52

5M ago1:24:52

1:24:52

Healthcare is filled with breakthrough claims. But most of what gets funded doesn’t make it anywhere near a hospital ward, a low-income patient, or a parent juggling three jobs. The gap between what’s possible and what’s actually useful is real, and these two investors are trying to close it. This week, we revisit two conversations with fund manage…

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Tech for Good: 3 Innovators Building Tech for People, Planet, and Purpose (#098) 1:42:55

5M ago1:42:55

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What do an AI-powered investment engine, a grassroots organizing platform, and a nature-tech-focused VC have in common? They’re all built on the conviction that technology should be in service of real-world problems – not just market efficiency or shareholder return. And increasingly, investors are stepping up not only to fund that kind of innovati…

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Impact Insights from Billion+ AUM Funds: 3 Models with Global Strategies That Scale (#097) 2:02:35

5M ago2:02:35

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What does it look like when billion-dollar funds put impact at the core of their investment strategy? In this 3-in-1 compilation episode, we revisit conversations with investors managing tens of billions across public fixed income, public equities, private equity, and impact-focused real estate. Each one makes the case that environmental and social…

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Scaling EM From the Ground Up: Why Underserved Markets Hold the Biggest Upside (#096) 1:57:17

5M ago1:57:17

1:57:17

In this second compilation focused on emerging markets, we revisit conversations featuring three investors who are channeling substantial capital into regions where others hesitate to go – and they’re doing it with discipline, innovation, and deep local insight. Each of these guests brings a different strategy and perspective, but all are working t…

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THE Cinderella Story (ft. Rosie Liljenquist) 1:16:54

6M ago1:16:54

1:16:54

Cinderella is one of the oldest folktales in the world. Academic librarian, Rosie Liljenquist (Rosy Rambles), joins the show to discuss this story. We compare the different versions told by Charles Perrault, The Brothers Grimm, and Giambattista Basile. We explore the religious symbolism of the Grimm’s version and I even try to rehabilitate the wick…

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Emerging Markets: 3 Women Investing for Growth, Impact & Returns (#095) 1:38:33

6M ago1:38:33

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The mainstream investment community has long viewed emerging and frontier markets as high-risk regions fraught with numerous challenges. However, with growing populations and expanding digital access, these regions are poised to become the economic powerhouses of the future. In this compilation episode, we revisit 3 past conversations from Eliza Fo…

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Turning Brown into Green: How Apeiron Transformed 500K M² of Real Estate into Sustainable Assets (#094) 1:26:51

6M ago1:26:51

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My guest today is Vojkan Brankovic, founder of Apeiron, a principal investment firm that is shaping the future of sustainable real estate investment. Founded in 2013, Apeiron has established itself as a leader in high-impact real asset opportunities, specializing in logistics real estate across Europe. With over 30 years of investment management ex…

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In Case You Missed It: Must-Hear Impact Highlights From May 2025 (#093) 2:03:38

6M ago2:03:38

2:03:38

In May, I spoke with four leaders who are reshaping what finance can do – and who it can serve. In this compilation episode, I’ve pulled together the most powerful ideas, turning points, and takeaways from those conversations. If something resonates, you can dive deeper – the links to each full episode are below. Here's the list of featured guests:…

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St. Hildegard's Garden (ft. Leila Lawler) 1:13:23

6M ago1:13:23

1:13:23

Author and cultural commentator, Leila Lawler, joins the show to discuss the book, St. Hildegard's Garden: Recipes and Remedies for Healing Body and Soul. We talk about St. Hildegard of Bingen, her views on medicine, healing and the cosmos, what she means by “hot, cold, moist, and dry,” and what modern people (New Agers, Feminists, etc.) get wrong …

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Building a Legacy That Performs: 5-Steps to Creating Values-Aligned Impact Portfolios | Mark Hays (#092) 1:55:13

6M ago1:55:13

1:55:13

Today’s guest is Mark Hays, Director of Sustainable & Impact Investing at Glenmede — a firm managing $48 billion with a client-to-employee ratio that keeps conversations personal and strategy focused. Mark’s journey into finance started early — running a lemonade stand to save up for a Sega Genesis and learning about markets through a third-grade s…

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The Ape & The Monkey 1:07

6M ago1:07

1:07

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit aaronirber.substack.com This video is about how ancient and medieval people viewed apes and monkeys. *************************************************************************************************************Follow me on Twitter @AaronIrber Subscribe to my YouTube channel https://www.y…

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Built from Scratch: How ABC Impact Became Asia’s Largest Impact Fund | Sugandhi Matta (#091) 1:32:19

7M ago1:32:19

1:32:19

My guest today is Sugandhi Matta, Chief Impact Officer at ABC Impact – the largest Pan-Asian impact-dedicated private equity fund, with nearly $900 million in AUM. Sugandhi began her career focused on growth and returns — first at Temasek, and later at Actis. But after a breast cancer diagnosis in her early thirties, she returned to work with a new…

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Aliens & UFOs (ft. Patrick Abbott) 1:28:41

7M ago1:28:41

1:28:41

Science fiction author, Patrick Abbott, joins the show to discuss whether alien life forms are compatible with Christianity, the UFO phenomenon, cattle mutilations, and more! The truth is (maybe) out there! Follow Patrick Abbott on Twitter.com @PatrickKAbbott Subscribe to his Substack: ***************************************************************…

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Too Big for Microfinance, Too Risky for VC: Bridging the "Missing Middle" Capital Gap in Latin America | Michelle Arevalo-Carpenter (#090) 1:54:03

7M ago1:54:03

1:54:03

My guest today is Michelle Arevalo-Carpenter, Co-Founder of IMPAQTO and General Partner at IMPAQTO Capital. Michelle is a human rights lawyer by training, a fund builder by calling, and one of the most compelling system-reimaginers I’ve ever had on the show. Michelle’s journey has taken her from a small apartment in Quito to the halls of Oxford and…

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In Case You Missed It: Must-Hear Impact Highlights From April 2025 (#089) 1:56:47

7M ago1:56:47

1:56:47

This spring, I had the chance to talk with four incredible guests, each with a different take on what it really means to put money to work and invest in line with your values. Across late March and April, we explored climate-smart timber, social finance powered by dormant bank accounts, fully impact-focused wealth advising, and how catalytic capita…

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Impact Update: What’s Working, What’s Not, and What’s Next with Eric Rice (#088) 57:47

7M ago57:47

57:47

My guest today is Eric Rice – back for his second appearance on the podcast. When we first spoke, he was running one of the only public equity funds in the impact space available to retail investors. Now, that fund has been shut down, the capital returned, and Eric has moved to private equity – specifically, to SEAF, an investor in emerging market …

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Community Investing Myth Busters: Four Investors Who Go Where Banks Won’t (#087) 2:18:15

7M ago2:18:15

2:18:15

This 4-in-1 compilation episode is about capital that doesn’t flow on its own. It has to be pushed into places with no pitch decks and no polished management teams. The places where spreadsheets say “too risky,” but the need is obvious to anyone paying attention. This is capital for the common good, yes – but it’s also capital that works. These are…

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The Antelope & The Serra 1:00

7M ago1:00

1:00

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit aaronirber.substack.com This is the first of my medieval bestiary videos to be behind a paywall. To get access to the full video, become a paid subscriber to my substack. In this video, I cover the antelope and the serra/sawfish. **********************************************************…

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Lord of the World (ft. Malrubius) 1:29:58

8M ago1:29:58

1:29:58

Lord of the World was written in 1907 and is considered one of the classics of dystopian literature. The author, Fr. Robert Hugh Benson, was a Catholic convert from Anglicanism who wanted to write a book about the Antichrist. Lord of the World is that book. Malrubius (Chris), from The Sun Eater discord, joins the show to discuss Lord of the World, …

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Breaking the Investor Mold: Inside 4 Women-Led Funds Driving Real Impact & Real Returns (#086) 1:49:30

8M ago1:49:30

1:49:30

This 4-in-1 compilation episode focuses on a persistent disconnect between capital and capability: women are founding businesses at record rates and leading high-performing funds, yet the capital rarely follows. In other words, women are underrepresented both in receiving and managing capital. Today’s episode is about those pushing back against tha…

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Medieval Bestiary - Ants & Antlions 14:28

8M ago14:28

14:28

Today, we delve into how Medieval Christians depicted ants and their predator, the sometimes legendary antlion, in Medieval bestiaries. Subscribe to my YouTube channel https://www.youtube.com/@imightbelieveinfaeries7563 I Might Believe in Faeries is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free o…

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From £10M to £2B: Michele Giddens “Bridges” Impact Purpose with Double-Digit Returns (#085) 1:28:07

8M ago1:28:07

1:28:07

My guest today is Michele Giddens, Co-Founder and CEO of Bridges Fund Management — one of the early architects of impact investing, before the term was even coined. Bridges now has over £2 billion in AUM invested in private equity and property, but back in 2002, it began with little more than a blank sheet of paper and a conviction that capital cou…