Do One Better with Alberto Lidji in Philanthropy, Sustainability and Social Entrepreneurship

This episode explores the work of the Roger Federer Foundation through a conversation with Maya Ziswiler, Chief Executive Officer, focusing on early childhood education, prevention-focused philanthropy, and long-term systems change. Maya explains how the Foundation works to give children a better start in life through early and foundational learning, with the majority of its work concentrated in Southern Africa and a growing portfolio in Switzerland. In Southern Africa, the Foundation partners closely with governments and locally rooted organisations across six countries to strengthen school readiness and early learning systems. In Switzerland, it is developing an approach that uses movement to strengthen body and mind, with an emphasis on preventing mental health challenges later in life. A central theme of the discussion is the Foundation’s data-driven School Readiness Initiative, including tablet-based learning kiosks and the Child Steps assessment tool. These tools support teachers, simplify reporting, and generate actionable data for decision making at school, regional, and national levels. Key milestones include nationwide adoption of the assessment tool in Zimbabwe and the handover of programme implementation to government authorities in parts of South Africa. The conversation also covers the Foundation’s strategic transition, with a new strategy to be launched in early 2026. Maya reflects on the shift from a single flagship solution towards an early learning continuum, the importance of partnerships, and the role of catalytic funding in strengthening an underfunded sector. The episode also traces Maya’s leadership journey from the private sector to UNICEF, UBS Optimus Foundation, and now the Roger Federer Foundation, alongside the opportunities and challenges of leading a foundation associated with a global sporting icon. Fun fact: The conversation is conducted by Alberto Lidji, former CEO of the Novak Djokovic Foundation, who interviews the CEO of the Roger Federer Foundation, offering a distinctive and collegial backdrop. Visit our Knowledge Hub at Lidji.org for information on 350+ case studies and interviews with remarkable leaders in philanthropy, sustainability and social entrepreneurship. 

In this episode, Guy Cave, President of the Legatum Foundation, discusses how the foundation launches and scales collaborative funds that focus on ambitious, system-level change. Rather than distributing small grants, the foundation pilots approaches with local organisations, tests what works, and—when the potential for large-scale impact is clear—spins out independent funds with their own leadership, governance and investor base. Guy traces the journey behind four existing funds: the END Fund, focused on neglected tropical diseases; the Freedom Fund, which addresses human trafficking and modern slavery; the Luminos Fund, bringing out-of-school children back into learning; and, most recently, the Resilio Fund, which supports community-led humanitarian response through micro-grants to hyper-local groups. Collectively, these funds have mobilised more than US$1 billion. He also introduces two current pilots that may become future funds: care reform to help children move safely from institutions into family-based care, and criminal justice reform. Throughout the conversation, Guy unpacks how new ideas emerge, how evidence is generated, how partners are brought in, and how to let go so that independent funds—and their CEOs—can thrive. For anyone interested in collaborative philanthropy, local leadership, or building vehicles that others can support, this episode offers practical insight into sequencing, partnership, and learning at scale. Visit our Knowledge Hub at Lidji.org for information on 350+ case studies and interviews with remarkable leaders in philanthropy, sustainability and social entrepreneurship. 

This conversation offers an in-depth look at the evolving landscape of philanthropy, global health, and development funding, with a particular focus on Sub-Saharan Africa. The discussion examines how current geopolitical and economic pressures are reshaping what effective partnership, sustainability, and impact look like for funders, governments, and civil society. The episode explores a wide range of thematic priorities including maternal, newborn, and child health; pediatric and adolescent HIV; early childhood development; human resources for health; and humanitarian response. It illuminates why deeply understanding country-level contexts—systems, supply chains, human capital, financing constraints, and government priorities—is central to strategic philanthropy. A significant portion of the conversation addresses how private philanthropy can play a constructive, catalytic role amid a period of unusually rapid change in global aid flows. Topics include the risks of backsliding on key health indicators, strategies for identifying truly local and embedded implementing partners, and the importance of moving from project-based funding toward general operating support to strengthen long-term institutional capacity. The episode also examines the realities and complexities of co-funding with other foundations, multilaterals, and bilaterals—what genuine partnership requires, how priorities are aligned, and how fragmentation can be reduced. A major highlight is the creation of the Beginnings Fund, a large-scale collaborative effort uniting several private funders to meaningfully advance maternal and newborn health across multiple countries in Sub-Saharan Africa. Looking ahead, the conversation outlines both the challenges and opportunities that lie between now and 2030. It reflects on where renewed discipline, focus, and collaboration are most urgently needed, and why the current moment may also be a rare chance for long-overdue recalibration in global health and development. Visit our Knowledge Hub at Lidji.org for information on 350+ case studies and interviews with remarkable leaders in philanthropy, sustainability and social entrepreneurship. 

What does it look like when social impact efforts recognize the importance of people’s own capacity to make choices and take action in their lives? In this episode, Richard Sedlmayr, co-founder of the Agency Fund, explores how human agency functions as a meaningful driver to achieve social impact. Richard explains how the Agency Fund supports ideas and organizations that expand individuals’ access to information, options, and tools that help them navigate their circumstances more effectively. This perspective examines how people understand their environment, interpret opportunities, and decide on pathways forward. Drawing on their work with partners such as Rocket Learning in India, Richard highlights how parents and caregivers can be supported to take an active role in early childhood development, and how practical guidance and community engagement can translate into improvements in learning and wellbeing. This episode offers a clear, balanced look at how human agency can serve as a valuable dimension of social impact — one that recognizes individuals not as passive recipients of aid, but as active participants in shaping outcomes in their own lives and communities. Visit our Knowledge Hub at Lidji.org for information on 350+ case studies and interviews with remarkable leaders in philanthropy, sustainability and social entrepreneurship. 

This episode features an in-depth conversation with philanthropist Sarah Butler-Sloss, founder and chair of the Aurora Trust and member of the Sainsbury family. With more than three decades of experience in environmental philanthropy, she offers an expansive perspective on climate action, sustainable finance, regenerative agriculture, and the role of foundations in driving systemic change. The discussion begins with the origins and evolution of the Aurora Trust, established in 1990 to support environmental and biodiversity initiatives. Sarah outlines the trust’s core areas of focus: halting tropical deforestation, advancing sustainable and regenerative farming in the UK, connecting children from disadvantaged communities with nature, improving sustainable finance systems, and supporting energy-access solutions in partnership with Ashden. A substantial portion of the conversation examines the importance of aligning endowment investments with charitable purpose. Sarah shares the story behind the landmark Butler-Sloss vs Charity Commission case, in which she and her brother successfully argued that charitable endowments should consider mission alignment—not solely financial returns—when determining investment strategy. This judgment has since shaped UK charity investment guidance, enabling foundations to invest in ways consistent with environmental and social objectives. The episode also explores the changing landscape of philanthropy, particularly the growing pressures on UK charities and funders. Sarah stresses the value of collaboration among donors and organisations, the importance of avoiding duplication, and the need to support both established institutions and promising early-stage initiatives. She reflects on how foundations can balance coordinated efforts with maintaining independence and openness to innovation. Later, the conversation turns to the Ashden Awards, the global initiative Sarah founded 25 years ago to identify, celebrate, and scale exemplary clean-energy solutions. She describes their evolution from a pure award programme to a wider platform for policy influence, investment mobilisation, and global awareness-raising. Stories from the Global South and the UK illustrate how clean-energy innovators deliver powerful social, economic, and environmental benefits. Sarah closes with a clear message for philanthropists: grants are only part of the picture. Endowments must also be deployed responsibly and strategically to advance charitable purpose and avoid undermining the very challenges philanthropy seeks to address. Visit our Knowledge Hub at Lidji.org for information on 350+ case studies and interviews with remarkable leaders in philanthropy, sustainability and social entrepreneurship.