The Impact Multiplier CEO

What if the solution to global poverty wasn’t more aid, but more entrepreneurs?

In this episode, Richard Medcalf speaks with Etienne Salborn, founder of the Social Innovation Academy (SINA), a transformative movement turning refugees, orphans, and disadvantaged youth into social entrepreneurs. From a single project in Uganda to 19 communities across Africa, Etienne’s work is redefining education, leadership, and impact—by creating “change-maker makers.”

In this conversation, you’ll learn:

• Why the traditional aid model often fails—and how SINA’s “free responsibility” philosophy rewrites the rules
• How a traumatised youth can transform into a powerful leader of a thriving enterprise
• The radical initiation that helps people shed limiting beliefs and reclaim their agency
• How to scale leadership without centralised control—so movements grow like forests, not factories
• What most leaders miss about building others who can lead without you

For anyone who wants to multiply leaders and leave a legacy that lasts, this one’s essential listening.

Resources/sources mentioned:

What if your biggest leadership challenge wasn’t strategy, but self-doubt? 

In this episode, Richard Medcalf speaks with Mike Ettling, who recently stepped down as CEO of Unit4 after a transformative six-year tenure. Mike led the company through a complete business model overhaul—from a fragmented, on-premise software provider to a unified, cloud-first organisation. Along the way, he navigated culture shifts, private equity pressures, and the internal doubts that come with playing at the highest level. Now in his new role as a chairman and mentor to CEOs, Mike reflects on what it really takes to lead and multiply impact.

In this conversation, you’ll learn: 

• Why hiring for hardship and failure stories beats CV credentials
• How to manage self-doubt when you're surrounded by brilliant people
• What really breaks a transformation (hint: it's not your product)
• The overlooked power of cadence, culture, and purpose in a private equity environment
• Why moving from CEO to chairman demands a radical shift in how you add value

A must-listen for any leader navigating complexity—or preparing to let go and lead in a new way.

Resources/sources mentioned:

What if your boldest vision is years ahead of its time—so far ahead that the world laughs you out of the room?

In this deeply personal and provocative conversation, Richard Medcalf speaks with Benjamin Rubin, serial entrepreneur and founder of both Sirenum and Insectika. Benjamin has a rare gift: creating businesses that challenge entrenched paradigms—from transforming the invisible workforce to reinventing how we feed the world. His journey is one of relentless vision, deep humanity, and surprising leadership insights.

In this conversation, you’ll learn:

• How to lead when your vision is misunderstood—and still get your team onboard
• Why a deep understanding of the problem beats brilliant solutions
• A simple but radical way to create true belonging and loyalty in your team
• The hidden cost of relying on money to motivate people—and what to do instead
• How Benjamin plans to scale impact without losing himself in the process

This one’s for the visionary leaders who’ve ever felt alone with a world-changing idea.

Resources/sources mentioned:

Why would an entrepreneur decide that hiring C-grade students is the way forward?

Today Richard speaks with Aditya Siripragada, founder of Fountane. Fountane is digital product studio and venture lab changing the traditional consulting model, with 125 people across US and India. The company doubled revenue annually for 6 years and won the Inc. Top 5000 award in 2024.

In this conversation, you’ll learn:

• The mindset advantage that C-grade students bring to the table (and that A-grade students don't)
• How and why Fountaine moved away from a pure consulting model
• The one-line reframe that helped Aditya see the true opportunity and reinvent the business.
• The two "Ds" that help you discern "founder/market fit" and likely future success.

Resources/sources mentioned:

Do you need to have a super power to be an effective CEO? What happens if you don't? How can you build a pan-continental business with zero experience? And how can you empower your managers to lead effectively?

In this episode Richard speaks with Rebecca Harrison, who has spent the last decade building the African Management Institute (AMI), Africa’s leading provider of business and management learning, supporting 37,000 businesses in 39 African countries, impacting 1.5 million livelihoods and contributing more than $130M to the continent’s economies.

In this conversation, you’ll learn:

• What caused Rebecca to pursue a impact business in a sector and market she had almost no experience of, and what she had to learn the hard way.
• Why Rebecca doesn't think she has a particular super power - what she says is important instead -- and a helpful reframe of the topic by Richard
• Rebecca's three hard-won tips on building an effective middle management, even in a hierarchical culture sometimes where often the assumption is that "obedience" than "ownership" is required.

Resources/sources mentioned: