Bennu Community

📌 Rebirth at 40: A Nonlinear Journey and the Chaos That Became My Turning Point
With Ben, Futurist, Co-founder & Ecosystem Gardener at The Futures Hub

In the Season 1 finale of Bennu Podcast, the conversation becomes deeply personal.
For the first time, our initiator Ben, futurist and co-founder of The Futures Hub, takes the guest seat.
Guided by host Charline Baker-Friesen, Ben reflects on migration, identity, midlife crisis, and the unpredictable transitions that shaped his journey. From starting over in a new country at 40 to rebuilding identity through language and experience, this episode explores how chaos can become a catalyst for reinvention.

📌 Together, they dive into:

- the emotional reality of beginning again
- how weak ties and serendipity changed everything
- the metaphors guiding their ecosystem (Octopus, Zebra, Starlings, Jazz)
- embracing uncertainty as a path to growth
- a vision for a future-ready European ecosystem

A raw and honest story of transformation, belonging, and becoming.

📌 Hosted by: Charline Baker-Friesen, Marketing & Communications Lead at Flux Forward

📍 Subscribe and listen on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Castbox, and more.

🎧 Listen now: podcast.bennu.community

Don't forget to share your feedback and spread the word!

#BennuPodcast #NonlinearJourneys #Transformation #MigrationStories #TheFuturesHub #FluxForward #Elewave #WeakTies #Serendipity #EcosystemThinking

1 month ago | [YT] | 1

Bennu Community

📌 40 episodes. Dozens of conversations with thought leaders, futures thinkers, entrepreneurs, and real people living change.

✅ One shared journey: imagining new futures, embracing transformation, and building meaningful connection.

When we launched Bennu Podcast, it wasn’t just to tell migration stories.
It was to create a space for bold ideas, deep questions, and practical insight —
where futures thinking meets lived experience,
where entrepreneurship meets meaning,
and where transformation isn’t a narrative but a journey.

This chapter has been shaped by you — our guests, listeners, and community — who brought vision, curiosity, and authenticity to every conversation.

Now, we’re pausing, reflecting and closing Chapter One with a special episode:
a collective reflection on what we’ve become, what we’ve learned, and where we’re headed.

It’s not the end.
It’s the threshold to something new.

🎙 Episode 40 — The First Chapter Ends
👉 Coming soon.

🔗 Stay connected: www.bennu.community

#BennuPodcast #ThoughtLeadership #FuturesThinking #Entrepreneurship #Transformation #Community #TheFuturesHub

2 months ago | [YT] | 1

Bennu Community

📌 New Episode — Bennu Community #Podcast
🎧 Breathing into Connection: The Power of Presence at Work

In this episode, Stacya Giverts, Director of Customer Success at Warmspace , joins us to explore how something as simple as breath, listening, and presence can transform the way we connect — and the cultures we build at work.

This is a conversation about psychological safety, trust, and remembering that real change starts with people, not processes.

📌 We talk about:
– Why presence and breath are powerful tools for connection
– Why psychological safety must be practiced, not designed
– How simple rituals can shift organizational culture from the inside out

🎙 Hosted by Alex Baker-Friesen PhD — Co-Founder at Flux Forward
🎧 Listen now: podcast.bennu.community/

#BennuPodcast #Leadership #PsychologicalSafety #FutureOfWork #HumanConnection #TeamCulture #Presence #BennuCommunityPodcast

2 months ago (edited) | [YT] | 1

Bennu Community

📌 The Power of Progress Over Perfection
with Diana Enache — Mindset Coach for Career Growth & L&D Consultant

What happens when we stop chasing perfection and start celebrating progress?

In this episode of the Bennu Podcast, we explore the mindset shifts that help high achievers move forward in work and life. From reframing imposter syndrome to embracing mistakes as fuel for growth, we dive into the tools and practices that make learning, resilience, and career change possible.

📌 We explore:
- Why perfectionism holds us back — and how to reframe it into progress.
- Practical ways to “learn how to learn” in a fast-changing world.
- The role of rest, curiosity, and self-talk in preventing burnout.
- How small steps and mindset shifts can transform careers and confidence.

✨ A powerful reminder runs through this conversation: growth doesn’t come from being perfect — it comes from moving step by step, learning along the way.

🎙 Hosted by Majid and Ben — Co-founder at The Futures Hub.

📍 Subscribe and listen on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Castbox, and more.

🎧 Listen now: podcast.bennu.community

Don't forget to share your feedback and spread the word!

#ProgressOverPerfection #LearningHowToLearn #MindsetShift #ImposterSyndrome #TheFuturesHub #BennuPodcast

3 months ago | [YT] | 1

Bennu Community

📌 Who Am I and Where Do I Come From? Intercultural Leadership in Practice 
with Irene Taroni, Lecturer & Trainer in Intercultural Communication, Leadership, and Facilitation (Hanze University)

What does it mean to belong everywhere and nowhere at the same time?

In this episode of the Bennu Podcast, Irene Taroni shares her journey as a Third Culture Kid and how it shaped her passion for intercultural communication and leadership. She also reflects on the power of empathy, reflection, and stepping out of your comfort zone.

📌 We explore:
- How identity and belonging influence the way we lead and connect.
- Simple practices like reflective journaling and “conversations that matter.”
- Why intercultural sensitivity is a vital skill for future leaders.
- What it takes to create safe spaces for growth across cultures.

✨ Irene leaves us with a powerful question to carry forward: Who am I, and where do I come from?

🎙 Hosted by Ben — Futurist & Ecosystem Gardener at The Futures Hub.

📍 Subscribe and listen on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Castbox, and more.

🎧 Listen now: podcast.bennu.community

Don't forget to share your feedback and spread the word!

#BennuPodcast #TheFuturesHub #InterculturalLeadership #FutureSkills #LeadershipDevelopment #ThirdCultureKid #CulturalDiversity #Reflection #PersonalGrowth #HumanConnection #FutureOfWork

3 months ago | [YT] | 2

Bennu Community

📌 Human-Centered AI: From Systems Thinking to Real Change 
With Liisa-Maija "Lissu" Malinen

In this episode of the Bennu Community #Podcast, we sit down with Liisa-Maija "Lissu" Malinen— founder of ILO Facilitation Oy, certified professional facilitator, and learning designer.

Liisa-Maija shares her journey from #sustainability and #transformational_learning into exploring #AI as a #thinking_partner. Together, we unpack how AI can be guided by human values, and why #critical_thinking, fairness, and #systems_literacy are essential to shaping technology that serves people and the planet.

📌 We discuss:
✅ How AI can become a tool for deep learning, reflection, and collaboration
✅ The importance of embedding ethics, equity, and inclusivity into AI design
✅ Why imagination and experimentation are vital in building better futures
✅ What it means to “teach AI like a child” and guide it with our values

This conversation is an invitation to rethink how we engage with AI — not as a replacement for human agency, but as a partner for systemic change and more sustainable futures.

🎧 Tune in and ask yourself: If you could teach AI one value this week, what would it be?

🎙 Hosted by Alex — Founder of Ozymandias Intelligence & Co-founder at Flux Forward

📍 Subscribe and listen on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Castbox, and more.
🎧 Listen now: podcast.bennu.community

Don't forget to share your feedback and spread the word!

#BennuCommunity #Podcast #HumanCenteredAI #SystemsThinking #TransformationalLearning #Sustainability #FuturesThinking #EthicalAI #AIForGood #LearningCulture #Inclusion #Collaboration #Imagination #FutureOfWork

4 months ago | [YT] | 1

Bennu Community

📌 Ecosystems, Urgency, and the Power of Connection
With Yeni Joseph, Head of Ecosystem Strategy at TNW | Board TEDxAmsterdam

What does it really take to build a thriving #startup_ecosystem?

In this episode of the Bennu Community #Podcast, we sit down with Yeni Joseph — Head of Ecosystem Strategy at TNW and Board Member at TEDxAmsterdam.

Yeni shares her journey across policy, tech, and community building, unpacking why “ecosystem” is more than just a buzzword. We talk about the urgency missing in some startup cultures, the role of governments and investors, and why collaboration across regions and borders is key to Europe’s future.

Whether you’re a founder, investor, or ecosystem builder, this conversation offers fresh insights on connection, resilience, and the future of innovation.

📍 Subscribe and listen on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Castbox, and more.

🎧 Listen now: podcast.bennu.community

Don't forget to share your feedback and spread the word!

#BennuPodcast #StartupEcosystem #Innovation #EcosystemBuilding #StartupCulture #EuropeStartups #CommunityBuilding

4 months ago | [YT] | 2

Bennu Community

🌀 New Episode of Bennu Podcast
🎙 Trust the Process: What Starting Over Really Teaches You
With Varsha Prasad N M, Product Innovation Strategist, and Founder at IdeaCompass

What does it really mean to start over — in a new country, a new role, and a new identity as a founder?

In this episode, we explore the personal and professional transformation of a product innovation strategist who left the corporate world to build her own path. From navigating cultural transitions and building community from scratch, to the messy realities of starting a business — this conversation is a candid reflection on resilience, creativity, and the inner work of innovation.

📌 We talk about:
- Design thinking beyond the buzzwords
- The power of rituals like journaling and meditation
- Building community as a newcomer
- Why AI is now part of every solopreneur’s toolkit
- Lessons in visibility, self-trust, and letting go of assumptions

🎧 Listen now: podcast.bennu.community/

Don't forget to share your feedback and spread the word!

#BennuPodcast #TrustTheProcess #DesignThinking #Entrepreneurship #Solopreneur #CommunityBuilding #NewBeginnings

4 months ago (edited) | [YT] | 1

Bennu Community

🌀 New Episode of Bennu Podcast
🎙 Slowing Down to Speed Up: Rehumanizing Work Through Facilitation
with Tzu-Yao (Jerry) LIN

In a time of constant acceleration, how can we reclaim our capacity to slow down — not to fall behind, but to reconnect, realign, and reimagine how we work together?

In this rich and reflective episode, we sit down with Tzu-Yao (Jerry) LIN, a multilingual organizational anthropologist and facilitator, to explore the power of presence, the art of hosting ourselves and others, and what it truly takes to create cultures of care and collaboration.

🧭 Topics we explore:
— How check-ins can shift team dynamics
— Why top-down training often fails in global orgs
— Futures thinking meets anthropology
— Burnout, belonging, and the courage to pause
— Why facilitation is more vital than ever

🎧 Hosted by Alex Baker-Friesen PhD & Ben M. Najafi
🔗 Listen now: podcast.bennu.community

If this resonates, drop us a thought or share it forward 💬

#BennuPodcast #Facilitation #FuturesThinking #OrganizationalChange #Anthropology #WorkplaceWellbeing #RehumanizeWork #FutureOfWork #EcosystemLeadership #FluxForward

5 months ago | [YT] | 1

Bennu Community

🎙 New Episode Alert — The Bennu Podcast

What does it really mean to dare to imagine in a world full of uncertainty?

📌 Dare to Imagine: Futures Literacy, Change, and Courageous Thinking
With Birgitte Velde, Consultant, futurist & Change Agent | Founder at Embli

In this thoughtful conversation, we sit down with Birgitte Velde, to explore how futures literacy can empower us to navigate change with courage, creativity, and clarity.

📌 We talk about:
🔹 Making sustainability actionable
🔹 Why imagination is a skill we must reclaim
🔹 How futures thinking applies to real business challenges
🔹 The emotional side of change (and why many avoid it)
🔹 Walking, not just talking, about future-readiness

🎧 Listen now on Spotify, Apple Podcasts & more
🔗 Listen now: podcast.bennu.community

Don't forget to share your feedback and spread the word!

#FuturesLiteracy #ChangeMakers #Sustainability #BennuPodcast #FutureReady #ImaginationMatters #DesignThinking #TheFuturesHub

5 months ago | [YT] | 1