The Reykjavik Grapevine's Podcast

What is the future of Iceland's tech, economic and entrepreneurial sectors? What role does Iceland have to play in global development? Join host Bala Kamallakharan, founder of Startup Iceland, as he explores answers to these questions with some of the brightest minds working in Iceland today.Helgi Hrafn Gunnarsson is a software developer and a parliamentarian. He was the member of the parliament who presented the bill to make Iceland join the European Space Agency so any Icelander can become an astronaut. We talk about the unique opportunities Iceland has in relation to space.Futurecast is also available as a video on our YouTube channel: https://youtu.be/jpEmoQcIavM

Today on FutureCast we are chatting with Ari Jónsson. Ari is a NASA Ames Center Research Scientist and Stanford Alumni. He is currently the CEO of AWAREGO and Rector of Reykjavik University, a role he has held since 2007, and he will soon be moving on to become CEO of the institute. Ari is on the board of Iceland Venture Studio and is also an investor. Through his work over the years he has been a good friend, mentor and co-conspirator in building the startup community in Iceland. We will be speaking to him about Space, the opportunities that Iceland offers and his time at NASA.

Jarðgerðarfélagið (the Composting Company) was founded by Julia Brenner and Björk Brynjarsdóttir. They work with circular solutions in bokashi composting for municipalities, companies and individuals. While studying entrepreneurship in Denmark, Björk learned about bokashi composting, which is a method of composting organic ingredients (such as leftovers and organic ingredients from the kitchen) by fermentation. Julia is a soil scientist. They wanted to offer people the opportunity to do something physical to fight climate change rather than just donating money, so they formed Jarðgerðarfélagið. We talk about how Iceland could be a fantastic place for reclaiming soil and building agriculture in Iceland.Try our High Five Club membership - https://grapevine.is/high-five-club/or subscribe to our newsletter - https://grapevine.is/newsletter-sign-up/

Trans children have been made a hot subject of discussion lately, especially in the UK and the US, where numerous state legislatures are trying to ban crucial health care for these young people. But what happens when a trans kid gets support? To explore that, news editor Andie Sophia Fontaine speaks with Marselín Guðmundsdóttir, who came out as trans while still in her teens.

In the 7th Episode of FutureCast the host Bala Kamallakharan is speaking to Anna Worthington De Matos, the Founder and CEO of the Munasafn RVK Tool Library. A not for profit project that aims in extending the life of tools and things through the practical applications of Circular Economy. She is also the organiser for Reddingakaffi events, where so far 642KG of materials have been kept from going to landfills by repairing everyday use items. She believed the best way to implement Circular Economy is to give people accessibility (to information, education, funding, contacts etc). She is in the process of founding the Hringrásarsetur Íslands NGO, which will be the umbrella organisation for all the projects developed aiming on the expansion and implementation of the Circular Economy in Iceland.If you would like to support our efforts in bringing you Icelandic perspective, try our High Five Club membership - https://grapevine.is/high-five-club/...and to get a compiled information set from Iceland, consider subscribing to the newsletter - https://grapevine.is/newsletter-sign-up/

Kathryn Gunnarsson is the founder and CEO of Gecko, a Talent agency focused on STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) fields in Iceland. There has been a great demand for experts in this field and a number of expatriates have moved to Iceland to work in these fields. We talk a lot about Future of Work, how to build diversity at work and how you build networks and networking platforms like Startup Iceland and other strategies that enable people to integrate and build their careers in Iceland.

The host, Bala Kamallakharan talks to Thor Sigfusson, the founder of Iceland Ocean Cluster. Thor is a visionary, and one of the pioneers in the 100% utilisation of fish – or zero waste – in Iceland. They talk about the circular economy, food waste, innovation in the seafood industry, how to utilise the network to help founders, funding, and how the next generation is taking on new challenges in this industry.

The 4th episode of #FutureCast is a conversation with David Gunnarsson, the CEO of Dohop. David and Bala Kamallakharan, the host of FutureCast, have known each other for over a decade and Bala has been following the Dohop journey from the very early days. They talk about doing the impossible, i.e. raising funding for a travel company during a pandemic when almost all travel is prohibited. They also discuss how David got into the business of startups and what it means to build a company focused on technology whilst dealing with some of the traditional businesses like Airlines and the travel industry. This is a Christmas special, as it was a miracle for the startup community in Iceland to have one of the companies that was founded during the financial crisis raise significant funding for growing the team in Iceland.

Kjartan has been part of the gaming industry in Iceland for as long as I can remember. He spoke in the first ever Startup Iceland in 2012 about CCP Games. Kjartan and 6 other co-founders, veteran developers from Iceland and Finland came together to form Mainframe games. They are creating a cloud-native Massive Multiplayer Online game, a vibrant world with new ways to engage and connect with our friends. It's the game of a lifetime... We talk about his PhD in Chaos Physics, his passion for art (he is a very good artist) and advice for founders.

In this episode we speak to Hjalmar Gislason, the Co-Founder and CEO of Grid. We talk about what Hjalli and his team are building with Grid, what inspired him to take on this massive project. Hjalli shares his journey of being a 5 time founder and how he has progressively learnt to build great teams and how Reykjavik is not such a bad place to start a technology company.

Conversation about how to build the future starting from Iceland. Startup Iceland started as a way to get all founders in Iceland to meet one another and to learn from each other and to learn from other founders and influencers from other startup communities. Innovation is all about tinkering. We are having our first conversation with Kevin Laws, the CEO of AngelList. AngelList is the largest platform for Angel investors and Entrepreneurs to find capital, talent and traction. Iceland is a unique place for innovation and startup thinking, we will explore how to get started building the future we want.

We're back at last! In this episode, Andie Sophia and her wife Ada talk about being a trans lesbian, or "transbian" (to some). They talk about media representation, stereotypes, triumphs, and much more!

Valur Grettisson and Poppy Askham go over the today's Icelandic news concerning the COVID-19 pandemic. deCODEGenetics published the latest findings from their analysis of COVID-19 screening data today. In other news, a woman was arrested for impersonating a nurse and possibly a lawyer. Join us a we dive into this strange story and more. Note: The Covid-Cast crew are going on a short vacation from recording while we consider our next steps, but tune in when we come back next Monday, April 20th.

There was a breakthrough today when the government announced that they are going to ease the restriction because of the COVID-19. Also, the numbers of infected haven't been this low for more than a month.

The numbers of new COVID-19 cases have dropped significantly in Iceland today, but the situation is worsening in the country's hospitals. The prospects of the tourism sector are also deteriorating as 26 cruises have now cancelled their trips to Iceland this summer. Violence is also in the news as threats have been made against the Chief of Police, the Surgeon General and the Head of Epidemiology in recent days Domestic violence is thought to be on the rise as more people stay at home. Two women around 60 years old have died and family members are being questioned by police. Valur Grettisson and Poppy Askham discuss these issues and more as they go through the latest developments in Iceland's COVID-19 crisis. Also listen in for an insight into the current situation in the UK, where Poppy is reporting from, following the news that Boris Johnson has been taken into intensive care.

Valur Grettisson and Poppy Askham go over Iceland's latest COVID-19 news including travel advice, an outbreak of the virus in a Westfjords nursing home and discussions about PPE supplies in Iceland. As we start the week during which Iceland's outbreak is predicted to peak, over 1500 Icelanders are infected and six people have died from the virus.

In this episode of COVID-Cast, Valur Grettisson and Sam O'Donnell discuss the current number of patients in Iceland, a four-month-old boy who got infected with the virus, and also dive into the current situation in the United States, where Sam is from. 

Valur Grettisson and Poppy Askham go over Iceland's latest COVID-19 news and Poppy talks about the current situation in her home country, the UK. The rise in Iceland's number of confirmed cases is apparently slowing. This might change, but it could be a sign for hope. More about this in the COVID-Cast.

Valur Grettisson and Hannah Jane Cohen go through the latest news about the COVID-19 pandemic in Iceland. Currently, the numbers of patients are up but the virus is spreading slower in Iceland than in other parts of Europe. Also on the roster: Iceland recently uncovered about 26,000 desperately needed testing swabs. The Blue Lagoon has been hit hard by the epidemic and laid off over 100 employees today. The two also talk Social Distancing entertainment: Valur is reading Dracula to flee from reality, while Hannah Jane is binging ‘Dr. House' in order to solve the crisis. 

Icelanders are now close to 1,000 individuals with COVID-19, and the government is preparing for a back up hospital. Valur Grettisson, editor-in-chief at the Reykjavík Grapevine and Sveinbjörn Pálsson, our art director, go through the news and updates about the virus in Iceland as well as answering questions from our readers.

In this episode, we discuss the recent spike in COVID-19 transmissions. Iceland is currently headed towards higher numbers than initial predictions told. We also recently experienced the first death of an Icelander from COVID-19. As well, we talk about the almost 10,000 people in quarantine in the country.Support Grapevine - The High Five Club

The start of a new week in Iceland comes with a whole host of new measures in the fight against COVID-19. Travel restrictions, a new 20 person gathering ban and the closure of swimming pools, sports centres, libraries and entertainment venues have all recently been announced. Today to discuss these changes, plus reports of infections in Parliament and redundancies at Icelandair, are Hannah Jane Cohen, culture editor and listings director at the Reykjavík Grapevine, and intern Poppy Askham.  Support Grapevine: https://grapevine.is/high-five-club/

About 400 people have the Covid-19 virus in Iceland now, the first Covid-19-related death has been confirmed, and a crew on a trawler has the virus. Also, Iceland have agreed to participate in the EU travel ban. This information is not in the Covid-Cast, because it was announced just moments after we finished recording. So, the borders are closed to every country outside the Schengen area.Support Grapevine—become a member of The High Five Club

Valur Grettisson and Hannah Jane Cohen of The Reykjavík Grapevine give you the updates on the status of COVID-19 in Iceland. More are getting sick while tests are running out. As well, Icelanders returning from abroad are being quarantined, while tourists coming from the same countries are not. We also discuss the response Icelanders have had to the Australian widow on the Facebook page, “With Love From Us.”Support Grapevine—become a member of The High Five Club

Valur Grettisson, editor-in-chief, and Hannah Jane Cohen, listings director and culture editor at the Reykjavík Grapevine, discuss the later developments of COVID-19 in Iceland. On the roster for this episode: One tourist died in Iceland yesterday. While he tested positive for COVID-19, it's unclear if that was the cause of death. We also discuss the recent EU travel ban, as well as what one can do in Iceland when “social distancing” is the new norm.If you want to support Grapevine's journalists, here is our High Five Club

Valur Grettisson, Editor-in-chief and Andie Sophia Fontaine, news editor at The Reykjavík Grapevine go over the newest developments in the Covid-19 crisis in Iceland. More people are affected, as health workers take more samples. The Icelandic economy is in dire straits but hey, the swimming pools are open again! The Icelandic government objects to the EU's proposed Schengen area travel ban, and we talk about what we can learn from Iceland's response.If you want to support Grapevine's journalists, here is our High Five Club

What's happening in Iceland in the time of the novel coronavirus? Valur Grettisson, the editor-in-Chief of Reykjavík Grapevine and Andie Sophia Fontaine, news editor, go over the situation in CovidCast. In this episode, we talk about the public gatherings ban, high-risk areas, what to expect if you travel to Iceland from those countries and the result of the deCODE Genetic screenings.If you want to support Grapevine's journalists, here is our High Five Club

The Reykjavik Grapevine Covid-Cast is a daily news podcast about the Coronavirus situation in Iceland. In this first episode, Andie Sophia Fontaine and Valur Grettisson talk about the gathering-ban and answer questions about how things stand now in Iceland.If you want to support Grapevine's journalists, here is our High Five Club

In this episode, Grapevine news editor Andie Sophia Fontaine talks with witch and impressario Alda Villiljós about the concept of being nonbinary—what it means, what it doesn't mean, and why nonbinary people are not some recent Tumblr-based trend, but have existed for as long as people have existed. Enjoy!

Kimi goes on a date with comedian þorgerður María. They exchange gifts, discuss the intricacies of ice cream etiquette and make plans to meet Mumma T. How will it end- there's only one way to find out...

We've got issues, and we wanna talk about them! Our longtime readers know that we have features in every issue. This is a podcast where we walk through the magazine and talk about those features at length. In this episode, Valur and Sam walk through the Hatari issue. We delve into the controversy surrounding Bíó Paradís, as well as the controversy surrounding ÚTL. We also talk about the first sign of spring: the return of the sun! Other topics include Ásatrú getting a new temple, Icelandic superstitions, a sneak peek at one of the features in the next issue, and more! Tune in, and don't forget to like and subscribe.

Kimi goes on an unexpectedly bizarre fantasy date with comedian and good egg Arnór Daði Gunnarsson. It's the battle of the good eggs. Expect in-depth cake chat, a cameo from Lady Gaga and a plot twist. How will it end- there's only one way to find out...

Kimi goes on a cosy, quintessentially British fantasy date with comedian and improv queen Laufey Haralds. Heading out of Iceland, they make yummy noises, discuss their favourite moments from the Twilight Saga, and smell the roses. How will it end- there's only one way to find out...

In this episode, Ines and Sam talk about the wonders of alcohol in Iceland. They go in depth about the prohibition of beer, the high cost of spirits, and the hassle of having to go to a whole separate store to buy anything alcoholic. Sam almost comes to terms with his toxic relationship with alcohol, but decides not to. Instead, SHOTS! 

In this episode of the Trans Icelandic Broad Cast, Andie Sophia Fontaine and Sæborg Ninja Urðardóttir discuss how trans people are portrayed in television and movies. They discuss what's been done wrong, what's been done right, and why positive representation matters. Speaking of representation, Andie and Sæborg would like to warmly invite any trans masculine or nonbinary people to reach out to be special guests on the podcast. Those interested are asked to send an email to andie@grapevine.is. Enjoy!

On Love Ísland, comedian Kimi Tayler swipes right and gets to know the most interesting, attractive minds in Iceland as they head off on a fantasy date. On this, the fourth episode, Kimi goes on her weirdest, most well planned date yet as she swipes right on the reigning drag king of Iceland, HANS. Armed with unlimited money and a teleportation machine they discuss their favourite of Henry VIII's wives, death eater aesthetics and “grabbing the hand”. They say opposites attract- there's only one way to find out…

In this episode, Inês and Sam take on, arguably, the most talked-about subject of all time: Weather! Icelandic weather is very special and unpredictable, so there is a lot to discuss. This is, ultimately, a very educational episode. For example, we can promise you will leave this broadcast knowing how to walk on ice. The weather shapes your entire livelihood in Iceland, so yes, it gets deep.

On this episode of the Trans Icelandic Broad Cast, news editor Andie Fontaine and treasurer of Trans Iceland Sæborg Ninja Urðardóttir discuss how to be a good ally for trans people. We know a lot of you who aren't trans nonetheless support them, but perhaps you're concerned about how to do it the right way. Not to worry! It's pretty simple, as they explain in this fun and informative podcast.

In this episode, Sam, Ines, and Lea all discuss the most interesting, funny, and surprising things that they discovered when they first arrived to Iceland. Topics include how small the country is, weather patterns, the language, and other peculiarities they noticed upon their arrival. 

On this episode of the Trans Icelandic Broad Cast, news editor Andie Fontaine and treasurer of Trans Iceland Sæborg Ninja Urðardóttir offer dating advice—for cisgender folks looking to date trans women. They talk about everything, from sliding into those DMs, to sex, to making a good impression when you're on the town. It's the only guide you'll need to having a great first date, and maybe more (if you're lucky)!

Kimi goes on a *confusing* date with comedian and good egg Mauricio Rodriguez. They discuss pickles, friendship and much more. How does his wife feel about the date? How will it all end? There's only one way to find out...

In this episode, Inês and Sam take on Icelandic media's peculiarities. Topics include profanity being allowed on radio and TV, Sign Language News reporting, and much more. They even praise Icelandic movie theatres for the English subtitles and foreign films, as well as  the libraries and bookstores for the bountiful selection of media geared towards non-Icelandic speakers. As an extra, Sam even teaches us what VPN's are all about since streaming services are quite limited in the land of ice and fire.

Just like everyone else in Iceland, the office of The Grapevine is lucky enough to receive people from all over the world. And of course, just like everyone else in Iceland, these people have opinions they can't wait to share. In “First impressions” The Grapevine's interns share their thoughts on Icelandic culture and Icelanders' habits. Learn first-hand about what they think is weird, inspiring, and flat-out gross about Iceland. And since comparisons are inevitable, they're bound to share things about their home countries. With food reviews, media talks, and a lot more questions than answers, they show that Iceland is a beautiful but confusing place.In this episode, interns Inês and Sam feast on the best Icelandic Christmas treats. Some snacks make their taste buds rejoice, but our interns also put their taste buds through some tough times. From Laufabrauð and hangikjöt, to Malt og Appelsín, they taste the true flavours of Jóla (and try not to diss them too hard).

On the first episode of the Trans Icelandic Broad Cast, news editor Andie Fontaine and treasurer of Trans Iceland Sæborg Ninja Urðardóttir discuss some of the common myths and misconceptions about the trans experience. This includes both the psychological and physical—including surgery, whether you need a doctor's diagnosis to confirm if you're trans (spoilers: you don't), and other fun topics. Learn a thing or two about the trans people in your life, and have fun doing it!

Kimi goes on a date with comedian and podcaster Jono Duffy. They discuss what it's like being the gay power couple of Icelandic comedy, a mutual love of David Attenborough documentaries and do a lot of eating..and sitting, whilst scooting out on their fantasy date. How will it all end? There's only one way to find out...

Tagline: When it comes to movies, thing's might get ugly.Premises: Valur Grettisson and Hannah Jane Cohen work together at The Reykjavík Grapevine. Although everything looks normal on the surface, inside, each finds the other a total idiot when it comes to movies. Whose taste is superior? You decide.

On Love Ísland, comedian Kimi Tayler swipes right and gets to know the most interesting, attractive minds in Iceland as they head off on a fantasy date.On this debut episode, Kimi meets comedian and award winning screenwriter, Snjólaug Lúðvíksdóttir. They discuss Snjólaug's dislike of fish pics, and consider the most awkward exchanges they've had on dates whilst heading out of the city on their fantasy date. How will it all end? There's only one way to find out..