Breaking the glass ceiling

S7 Ep7: Keep calm and chill with Dr Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala

As US President Donald Trump threatens or imposes trade tariffs, The We Society invited the Director General of the World Trade Organisation (WTO), Dr Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala to share her thoughts during this period of uncertainty in world trade. The first woman and the first African to serve as Director General of the WTO, Dr Okonjo-Iweala also gives her perspectives on women in leadership positions and her beliefs on creating positive change in the world. Listen here >>

“My highlight from Season 7 was hearing Dr Okonjo-Iweala’s interview. I particularly enjoyed her take on the glass ceiling for women in leadership roles, her calm and measured approach to addressing political tensions, and her personal story that led to her Directorship of the WTO. Her relatability and calmness were reassuring given the tumultuous nature of recent politics.” – Emily Finch, Producer of The We Society Podcast

Fear in a digital age

S7 Ep2: Anxiety, Artificial Intelligence and work with Anthony Elliott

We’re living in a technological tsunami, with artificial intelligence despatching goods in response to our clicks, identifying our favourite music, accelerating likes and dislikes on social media, even replacing jobs. As the speed of AI innovation accelerates, power seemingly sits firmly in the hands of big tech companies, with governments and the public on the side-lines. Can we tame this AI revolution to work for societal and economic advantage? Or is it too late? Listen here >>

“What makes this episode compelling for me is the different perspective that Anthony brings to looking at how AI is shaping our lives and what this might mean for the future. It made me consider the impact that AI is having in my own life – whether for better or for worse!” – Dr Rita Garnder, Chief Executive Officer, Academy of Social Sciences

Tackling domestic homicide

S7 Ep5: Tracking and stopping domestic abuse with Jane Monckton-Smith

Content warning: This podcast episode covers themes of domestic abuse, violence against women and domestic homicide.

Around one in four women have experienced domestic abuse, according to the Crime Survey of England and Wales. But abuse is not usually a one-off event, it’s part of a protracted pattern, and by studying the timeline, perhaps this shocking statistic may change. Professor Jane Monckton-Smith has dedicated her career, first as a police officer, and now as Professor of Public Protection, to understanding this pattern, with her research informing policy and saving lives. Listen here >>

“What makes this episode compelling for me was being familiarised with Jane’s important research showing that there is an established timeline for homicides – the Homicide Timeline. Equipped with this knowledge civil society can do much more to prevent this dreadful pattern from occurring and reoccurring so more lives can be saved. One of our most important podcasts.” – Will Hutton, host of The We Society Podcast

The science of hate

S6 Ep7: Stopping hate crime with Matthew Williams and Neil Chakraborti

The riots which took place in the summer of 2024 in Britain, which emerged following the Southport stabbings, demonstrate how hate is bubbling just under the surface of our society. Behind the violence and destruction are statistics. Between 2012 and 2023, hate crimes in England and Wales rose by 252%, according to Home Office research. But this is just the tip of the iceberg… Listen here >>

“What makes this episode compelling for me is the personal reflections that both Matthew and Neil bring to this episode – it was fascinating to hear how their personal experiences of hate led to the impactful work they’re doing now.” – Amy Williams, Senior Communications Manager, Academy of Social Sciences

Building climate resilient communities

S4 Ep3: Reframing the climate crisis narrative with Neil Adger

2024 was the hottest year on record, being about 1.55°C above pre-industrial levels, and January 2025 has followed this trend. Extreme weather events are being felt more frequently and more intensely – with scientists claiming the recent wildfires in Los Angeles were made 35% more likely due to climate change. What are the likely impacts going to be for communities the world over and how can we adapt to a changing climate? Listen here >>

“What makes this episode compelling for me is the discussion around the lesser known and perhaps underappreciated impacts of climate change but also the note of hope that Neil shares on what researchers and communities are doing to encourage climate resilience in societies across the world.” – Dr Rita Gardner, Chief Executive, Academy of Social Sciences

Brought to you by the Academy of Social Sciences, The We Society sees author, journalist and Academy President, Will Hutton invite expert guests from the world of social science to explore the stories behind the news and hear their solutions to some of society’s most pressing problems. See the full back catalogue of episodes.

Listen to The We Society on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and other popular podcast apps >>

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Who are you and what’s your podcast about?

Oculi-Mundi.com – the Eyes of the World – is the online home of a collection of early, mostly European, maps and related material. The objects in the collection range from the 13th to the 19th centuries and are world maps, celestial maps, atlases, globes, manuscripts, and books.

Our podcast is What’s Your Map? In it, the well-known historian and author Jerry Brotton meets people from around the world and from all sorts of fields, who love maps. They each bring Jerry a map to discuss that is particularly influential for them.

Jerry Brotton, host of What’s Your Map?

How did the idea for What’s Your Map? come about?

We have always admired Jerry’s work, and very happily got to know him through the map ecosystem. He asked if we had ever thought of doing a map podcast; we had not, but it sounded like a brilliant idea! And we always love an adventure.

At Oculi Mundi, we are very intent on sharing the joy of maps and all the ideas and stories around them. Doing a podcast with Jerry is such an exciting way of building on that.

What’s the first podcast you ever listened to?

Talk Art.

Why did you decide to start podcasting in the first place?

We couldn’t find any other podcast that actually talked to people about the maps they love, and their personal stories; all we could find were educational podcasts. Those are great – but in our view, maps are all about people: people who make maps, who use them, who get inspired by them. Maps are incredibly complex, contextual objects: there are so many stories to tell from them and about them.

We thought it would be fascinating and great fun to meet people and their maps – past and present. At Oculi Mundi we are a collection, not experts per se; and having someone as knowledgeable, experienced, and engaging as Jerry to host was a no-brainer. The podcast also allows us to present and explore maps that are beyond our specific collecting remit.

Which podcasts do you take inspiration from?

Jerry has done a number of podcasts and radio programmes before. He made a series called Blood and Bronze for BBC Sounds on the Italian Renaissance artist Benvenuto Cellini, and listens to Waldy and Bendy’s Adventures in Art. Our producers, Whistledown Studio, are also very experienced. They produce shows like Our Broken Planet and The Reunion on BBC Radio 4.

What’s the biggest lesson you’ve learnt so far as a podcaster?

Have a great producer! And be prepared as far in advance as possible.

We put all the maps being discussed during What’s Your Map? online at Oculi Mundi, so that listeners can zoom in and follow along; so we make a full webpage for each guest. It also contains information on key themes or life experiences discussed by Jerry and the guest. It is important for us to take time to listen to the podcast episodes and think about what to feature online – what kinds of rabbit holes there are – and to ask questions. We also like to make sure that we have all the permissions in place to use digital images of maps that are outside the collection, as well as other images and content.

Blaeu’s World Map, showing the Copernican solar system, 1662. Credit: Oculi-Mundi.com

What can you tell us about series two of the podcast?

Series 2 is going to be great fun – we are very lucky and honoured to have an eclectic, wonderful mix of guests, talking about a terrific group of maps. Our first guest is Google Earth’s Ed Parsons; then we meet the journalist and writer Sathnam Sanghera, NASA scientist Dr Heidi Hamel, cartographic historian Matthew Edney, National Geographic photographer and documentary maker Michael Yamashita, and Margo Ngawa Neale, an expert and curator of Indigenous Australian cultures. Series 2 will launch on 29th January on all major platforms – and as always, the maps will be available at Oculi-Mundi.com/podcast.

Who’s your dream guest for the podcast?

We have many dream guests! Among them would be cellist Yoyo Ma (who did a beautiful Silk Road project) and someone from the world of aviation. It would also be wonderful to speak with the artist Yinke Shonibare, and to find a specialist in mapping the flow of languages – or maybe the human brain. Other artists we would love to speak with are William Kentridge and Grayson Perry, who use maps in their work.

Which episode would you say is the perfect introduction to your podcast?

From Series 1, the second episode featuring explorer Dwayne Fields. It shows how deep and how human the context of maps can be, and what maps don’t say as much as what they show. Dwayne is incredibly inspiring, with his polar expeditions re-writing history.

Do you have a favourite episode of the podcast, or one you are proudest of?

A favourite episode from Series 1 is the last one, with Jane Anson. Jane is a wine expert living in Bordeaux. Not only is she very engaging and knowledgeable about wine, but she demonstrates the fascinating history, uses, and sources of mapmaking in an industry and a region that are not obvious when you think about cartography.

Where can the Pod Bible readers find out more about you?

All the episode webpages and maps, along with information about Jerry and What’s Your Map? can be found at www.Oculi-Mundi.com/podcast.

Listen to What’s Your Map? on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and other popular podcast apps >>

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Who are you and what’s your podcast about?

I have three decades of experience spanning the corporate, public and non-profit sectors, in an effort to help others and make the world a little better. In 2023 I launched The Corporate Activist with the intention to grow the corporate activism movement by creating awareness of how corporations, or even small and medium sized businesses, can engage in social impact and political issues. On the show I speak to people working in social impact as business owners, researchers and academics to better understand what corporate activism actually means, and how it’s progressing and more that needs to be done.

I believe the corporate sector has a huge role to play in addressing the urgent social, environmental, and geopolitical problems we face today. On the Corporate Activist we aim to give advice and best practices for how companies can get involved with authenticity, intelligence and impact.

What’s the first podcast you ever listened to?

I listened to This American Life originally as a radio show which helped introduce me to the world of podcasting. I also remember loving Start Up from Gimlet, which got me really interested in the podcasting industry in general.

Why did you decide to start podcasting in the first place?

I just love the accessibility of the format, both for listeners and for makers. It allows you to dive into the topics that you are passionate about, and helps connect you to others who share that passion, anywhere in the world. I know corporate activism is a bit of a niche topic, but having a podcast on the topic allows me to find and build the community of people who also care about the role, responsibility of corporations in addressing today’s most pressing challenges. I love hearing from people who enjoy the podcast, it gives me a great deal of hope and inspiration.

Which podcasts do you take inspiration from?

I love How I Built This, which really goes deep into the entrepreneurial process both from the personal and professional perspective. I also enjoy In Good Company recently which is a shorter format, but always has challenging and unexpected conversations with the world’s top business leaders. And of course, I love a podcast like Off Menu that can make you laugh out loud.

Who’s your dream guest for the podcast?

Such a good question because it is a long list. I actually had the chance to meet Anita Roddick (founder of the Body Shop) many, many years ago and was so inspired by her, she would have been a great guest. But it is also great to see a new generation of young entrepreneurs who approach their businesses as a way to do good in the world like Aurora James.

What’s the biggest lesson you’ve learnt so far as a podcaster?

At the beginning I struggled a bit with figuring out what message I wanted to share with my audience. By putting out the episodes, finding the right guests, and having the conversations helped me understand and refine the purpose of the podcast. Learn by doing!

Which episode would you say is the perfect introduction to your podcast?

The first episode Season 2, ‘Making Business Good’ with guest Giles Gibbons was a great conversation about how the original concepts of corporate social responsibility got us to where we are today and how we can move forward in sustainable ways.

Where can the Pod Bible readers find out more about you?

the-corporate-activist.captivate.fm and we are at Corpactivist on Instagram and at stanceadvocacy.com.

Listen to The Corporate Activist on Apple Podcasts, Spotify and other popular podcast apps >>

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