Stories
Narratives shape the world. We’re a species that learns through stories and storytelling. Long before we had frameworks and reports, we made sense of the world by sharing our experiences. What we tried, what worked, what didn’t, what surprised us. The Explorers Club is no different.
Our stories come from the projects we engage with, the Explorers and their journeys, the moments we come together, and the reflections captured in our Fieldbook. They are moments of learning with others, so we can recognise patterns, ask new questions, and continue our shared journey.
These stories are an ongoing conversation. More stories and interviews will follow, both with our Explorers and the projects we engage with.
Our latest stories
Episode 1: Impact Investing Isn’t Enough – Why We Need a Systemic Shift with Astrid Leyssens
Astrid is the founder of We Are Impact Collective, where she mentors, trains, cheerleads and advises wealth holders and pioneers with their impact journey. She is a seasoned board member and IC member, guest lecturer, and an impact investor herself, with a strong...
Episode 2: Steward Ownership & Systemic Investing – The Future of Business with Lisette Schuitemaker
Lisette, an Explorer from the We Are Impact Collective - a writer, impact investor, and lifelong student of human consciousness. Lisette’s journey began in the world of communications, running an agency producing texts and films for large corporations. But a profound...
Episode 3: The Coordination Problem – Building the Infrastructure for a New World with Giannandrea Giammanco
With over 20 years of experience across asset management, quantitative finance, technology, and systems thinking, he began his career as a quant trader in 2007 before moving into full-scale asset management. In 2017, he exited his asset management company through a...
Episode 4: Nikutik — What if economic sovereignty could become a blueprint for the entire world?
Tristan Jackson and Erica Ward are two of the driving forces behind Nikutik — a groundbreaking Indigenous-led economic sovereignty fund created by seven Mi'kmaq nations in Atlantic Canada. For generations, Indigenous nations have been excluded from the financial...
Episode 5: Repowering Balance: Mental Wellness as an Impact Investment
Joshua Haynes is the Founder and Managing Partner of Masawa, the world's first mental wellness impact fund, dedicated to repowering balance — in founders, in organizations, and in the financial systems that shape our world. With over 20 years at the intersection of...
Episode 6: Beyond Global Finance – Investing in Bioregions and Place-Based Resilience with Michiel Lenstra
Michiel Lenstra has been working in impact investing since 2010 at The Wire Group, where he leads the infrastructure team supporting clients and investors in regenerative finance. His path started far from finance — as a teenage punk drawn to questions of injustice —...