How I Did It

Paul is Koda’s founding CEO and an experienced charity investment committee member. He talks about how to invest successfully, with long-term, non-profit investors in mind. Drawing on first-hand experience, Paul offers advice on operating a non-profit investment committee and how individual committee members can make sure their contributions count. Paul also talks about how he founded Koda as an independent portfolio management business and the importance of culture within the firm. This episode was recorded on 28 February, 2020, less than two weeks before COVID-19 was officially declared a global pandemic.

Lindsay is a dynamic CEO running a dynamic organisation called Royal Far West, from its base just a surfboard-length away from Sydney’s famous Manly Beach. The 2019 Australian Third Sector CEO of the Year talks about her leadership style and lessons she has learnt in a career that also saw her lead Australia back to world champion status while CEO of Netball Australia.

For her work as the CEO of refugee-focused Settlement Services International, Violet was named 2017 Telstra Businesswoman of the Year. In this episode she touches on themes like compassion, understanding, community and resilience, as well as the value of adopting a positive mindset.

Cara is a Yawuru/Bunuba woman and Chair of Broome-based Nyambu Baru Yawuru. In this episode she talks about her work as a Native Title lawyer, social innovator and entrepreneur, and many things in-between, including her cultural experiences and what she learnt during her time with the Apache people of North America.

Dr Andrew Kuper is an investor and social entrepreneur. He is Founder and CEO of LeapFrog Investments, ranked by Fortune as one of the top five Companies to Change the World. Sydney-based Andy is a world-leader in the field of ‘profit with purpose’. What is profit with purpose and how did Andy build LeapFrog into a business that can claim to have improved the lives of millions of people? Andy explains in this revealing episode of How I Did it.

Dave Smith is President and CEO of Heaton Smith Group, an Atlanta-based consulting firm specializing in major gifts and legacy planning. Dave explains why it’s critical for fundraisers to listen to donors, to build relationships with them over many years and to avoid treating them like ATMs. He also sets out his belief that if you change the conversation, you change the result. Ultimately, Dave suggests, when it comes to raising money, it’s about the donor.

Rich Gilmore is Country Director for The Nature Conservancy in Australia. In this episode, he provides valuable insight into how the Conservancy raised $55 million in twelve weeks to purchase environmentally significant land in the Murray Darling basin. This ambitious act of private conservation harnessed philanthropy and investment to secure the future of over 200,000 hectares of prime Australian land.

Stephen is a former Chairman of Goldman Sachs Australia and New Zealand. He also served a five year term as a Guardian of Australia’s Future Fund. As well as sharing secrets of his own success, Stephen talks about investing successfully, common investing mistakes and how to run an effective investment committee. He also explains his commitment to impact investing and his belief that all capital will eventually be invested with impact in mind.

Audette Exel AO is a former Australian Philanthropist of the Year and a Forbes magazine Hero of Philanthropy. A social activist who became a lawyer and investment banker, she later founded the Adara Group, a social enterprise that proves the power of business can be used to improve the lives of people in poverty. In this episode Audette talks about her remarkable life and her belief that business can and must be used as a force for good

As Koda launches its impact investment advisory service, Kylie defines impact investing and looks at its potential for mainstream and non-profit investors alike. Reflecting on her own career, Kylie also talks about working and investing ‘with heart’.

In this episode Michelle Stewart, CEO of Cure Brain Cancer Foundation, talks about her career and her bold mission to improve survival rates. She also talks about Professor Charlie Teo’s decision to end his association with the Foundation. Professor Teo recently started his own brain cancer charity and he has been a vocal critic of high administration and fundraising costs – a sensitive topic Michelle tackles head-on.

What happens when, overnight, you inherit responsibility for establishing a multi-billion dollar charitable foundation dedicated to saving and improving lives? David knows because he has lived this through the Helmsley Charitable Trust. In this episode he talks about running a philanthropic foundation like a successful business and the need for philanthropy to embrace risk.

What does it take to be a successful social entrepreneur and a pioneer in the field of impact investing? As the co-founder of STREAT, Bec has learnt by doing. In this episode she talks about her work, what she’s learnt and how STREAT gives young people a sense of belonging.

How do you set up and grow Australia’s leading food rescue charity? According to Ronni Kahn, inspirational founder of OzHarvest, the answer involves love, belief, clarity of purpose and being clear that you are running a business.

This episode is the second half of our conversation with David Gonski. Listen to David talk about impact, preparing well, the value of listening and his passion for education

Listen to David talk about diversity, making a contribution, a chair’s role, innovation in the non-profit sector, asking for money and being a hopeless artist.

Episode 1: Christopher G Oechsli What does it take to lead one of the world’s foremost philanthropic foundations? Humility, clarity and a commitment to justice and equity. These are some of the ideas discussed with Chris Oechsli, President & CEO of The Atlantic Philanthropies, the limited-life foundation set up and funded by Chuck Feeney.