Reimagining Government

What if governments could meet this moment—and help shape a better future? In this special episode of Reimagining Government, new host Nick Thompson, CEO of the Centre for Public Impact, introduces himself and shares what’s ahead for the podcast. As we look ahead to a brand-new season in 2027, Nick reflects on why reimagining government matters now more than ever and introduces a selection of past conversations we’ll be revisiting in the meantime. Listen in as we revisit timely conversations and look ahead to what’s next for Reimagining Government.

What happens when young voices refuse to be sidelined in the fight against climate change? In this season finale of Reimagining Government, hosts Gabrielle Beran and Kandice Louis-Wilson speak with Elizabeth Wathuti, O.G.W, Kenyan climate activist and Founder of the Green Generation Initiative, and Fina Girard, Member of the Grand Council of Basel-Stadt. Together, they reflect on their journeys from grassroots activism to shaping global and local policy, the barriers young leaders face, and why youth perspectives are essential to building just and sustainable futures. Their stories close the season with a call for courage, collaboration, and reimagined leadership.

What does justice look like in the face of a global climate crisis shaped by colonialism and inequality? In this episode of Reimagining Government, hosts Gabrielle Beran and Kandice Louis-Wilson talk with Dr. Farhana Sultana, leading scholar of climate justice and Professor of Geography at Syracuse University. Farhana unpacks how climate coloniality continues to shape policies and outcomes, why Global South voices are sidelined, and how centring equity and care can transform global climate governance. Her insights challenge us to reckon with history, rebalance power, and reimagine climate action through the lens of justice.

What does it take to defend the Amazon, and why does it matter for the whole world? In this episode of Reimagining Government, hosts Gabrielle Beran and Kandice Louis-Wilson speak with Daniela Orofino Poubel, Director at Amazônia de Pé, a Brazilian grassroots movement uniting over 300 organisations to protect the rainforest and its peoples. Daniela shares her journey from organising on the ground to building national coalitions, the challenges and power of collective action, and why optimism is as vital as urgency in the climate fight. This conversation reveals lessons for governments everywhere on listening to grassroots voices, learning from Indigenous knowledge, and rethinking who holds power as the world responds to a changing climate.

What does it take for a city to cut nearly all of its emissions in just a few years? In this episode of Reimagining Government, hosts Gabrielle Beran and Kandice Louis-Wilson speak with Heidi Sørensen, Director of Oslo’s Climate Agency. Heidi explains how the city’s groundbreaking Climate Budget is turning bold targets into real progress, why public buy-in is just as important as policy, and how optimism can unlock faster action. With lessons for cities everywhere, this conversation reveals how local leadership and long-term vision can turn climate ambition into real change.

How do we shift power to confront climate change head-on? In this episode of Reimagining Government, hosts Gabrielle Beran and Kandice Louis-Wilson sit down with Kumi Naidoo, lifelong activist and former head of Greenpeace and Amnesty International. Kumi reflects on lessons from decades of campaigning for climate justice and human rights, the risks of staying silent in the face of crisis, and the urgent need to put marginalised voices at the centre of decision-making. This powerful conversation highlights why reimagining leadership is essential for building a more just and sustainable future.

What does it take to make our cities liveable in a world that is rapidly heating? In this first episode of Reimagining Government's new season, hosts Gabrielle Beran and Kandice Louis-Wilson speak with Eleni Myrivili, the UN's first Chief Heat Officer and former Deputy Mayor of Athens. Eleni shares how extreme heat exposes deep inequalities, why climate action is inseparable from questions of power, and how centring justice and care can transform how we design and govern our cities. This conversation sets the stage for a season spotlighting women and gender-diverse leaders reimagining climate governance from the ground up.

Season four of Reimagining Government is back on October 9th, 2025, and we ask a bold question: what if tackling climate change starts with rethinking who holds power? Across six episodes, we spotlight women and gender-diverse leaders who aren’t just responding to climate change — they’re redesigning cities, challenging climate colonialism, defending the Amazon, mobilising global activism, and bringing youth voices into politics and policy. Share, subscribe, and listen wherever you get your podcasts.

In every podcast episode, we meet people who work in government and public service. We’re always impressed by their passion and commitment. But what drew them to their work, what drives them and why do they keep doing such a tough job? In this episode, we talk to real public servants about the joys and challenges of their work. In this episode: Adrian Brown (host): Centre for Public Impact Pierre Berastain (host): Interim Executive Director, Centre for Public Impact Leina’ala Nakamura , Administrator at City and County of Honolulu, Hawaii Council Woman Pierina Sanche z, 14th Council District, New York

We all know games are fun, but what if they could help us tackle the very real challenges we face in government? Our host Adrian Brown talks to Keshav Sahani about how games are being used to change behaviour, build community relationships and improve policies in Brazil and India. Host: Adrian Brown , Centre for Public Impact Co-host: Keshav Sahani , formerly of Centre for Public Impact Tais Costa , Fortaleza City Government, Brazil Trina Talukdar , Fields of View, Bangalore, India

Regulation: a word that sends shivers down the spines of many public servants across the globe. But are we looking at it wrong? Can regulation be something that we embrace as a route to innovation in public service? In this episode, we hear about practical examples of regulation being done differently to achieve real change. Featured in this episode: Adrian Brown (host), Centre for Public Impact Carina Gormley (host), Centre for Public Impact Connie Binkowitz , Director for Development of Public Policy, Center for Transforming Communities in Memphis, Tennessee Thomas Johnson , Greater Manchester Combined Authority, Head of Reform Strategy and Policy

Impact means different things to different people, depending on things like positions of power, units of measurement, and personal biases. So is impact really the thing we should be striving for, or is there something else we should be considering? In this episode, we speak to two leaders who are reimagining impact evaluation systems to make them more meaningful and effective. Featured in this episode: Adrian Brown (Host), Centre for Public Impact Pravallika Valiveti (Co-host), Centre for Public Impact Zazie Tolmer, ​​Evaluation Practitioner & Director at CoIntent ApS Andera Delfyna, Learning & Innovation Expert at Light for the World

Anyone who works in social impact knows how important funding is. But what if we could do things differently? What if, instead of starting with what the funder needs, we put communities in control of how funding works? Join us to explore two innovative examples of organisations reimagining funding, from supporting sex workers’ rights to tackling climate change. In this episode: Adrian Brown (Host), Centre for Public Impact Saumya Shruti (Co-host), Centre for Public Impact Ankit Gupta , Red Umbrella Fund and Global Fund for Women Will Wade , Climate-KIC Tom Pruunsild , Climate-KIC

2024 is a historic year for elections with over 50 countries across the globe going to the polls. Elections shape our political landscape and are a chance for people to have their say. But what does this year of elections mean for democracy? Are there better ways for citizens to shape their cities and countries? In this very special election year episode of Reimagining Government, we host a roundtable exploring the opportunities and limitations of elections. In this episode: Adrian Brown, host: Founder of the Centre for Public Impact Beatriz Cano Buchholz , co-host: Programme Manager, Centre for Public Impact Europe Omezzine Khelifa : Activist and former politician in the first free and fair elections in Tunisia Jon Alexander : Founder of the New Citizen Project and author of Citizens: Why the Key to Fixing Everything is All of Us Resources: Finnish National Agency for Education: https://www.centreforpublicimpact.org/insights/learning-as-a-strategy-to-improve-national-e[…]nish-national-agency-for-education-s-innovation-centre

The Reimagining Government podcast will be back on September 4th, 2024! Our host, Adrian Brown, returns for season three to discuss some of the most pressing issues facing governments today. Over six episodes, we're featuring insights from global thought leaders and changemakers, exploring topics like funding, impact, and the year of elections. Listen to the latest episodes on your favourite streaming platform or visit our website: https://www.centreforpublicimpact.org...

Stories can change lives, communities, and systems. In this episode, we explore how telling and listening to stories can help to reimagine government. We’ll hear about how one man’s story of caring for his mother ignited a cultural shift in how stories are embedded in Scottish public services, and how a controversial fruit is helping to break down barriers between communities in Indonesia. This special episode is part of the Digital Kick-off for the Creative Bureaucracy Festival 2024 . #cbf2024 Featured in this episode: Adrian Brown (Host) - Executive Director, Centre for Public Impact Rosie McIntosh (Host) - Global Director, Storytelling and Communications, Centre for Public Impact Tommy Whitelaw , National Lead, Person Centred Voices, The Health and Social Care Alliance Ima Abdulrahim , Co-Founder and Co-Director, Cerita Caravan

What have we learned from season two of Reimagining Government? Athena Hughes, Naja Nelson, and our host Adrian Brown revisit highlights and delve into the topics we covered. Join us to explore failure, imagination in government, and what on earth a paradigm shift is. Read the blog here . Read the full written episode transcript here . Featured in this episode: Adrian Brown (Host) - Executive Director, Centre for Public Impact Athena Hughes (Host) - Senior Associate, Centre for Public Impact Naja Nelson (Host) - Senior Associate, Centre for Public Impact Dan Vogel - CEO, Flourish Fund Dr. Oliver Escobar - Professor of Public Policy and Democratic Innovation, The University of Edinburgh Hannah McDowall - Co-Director, Canopy Jaime Junior - Advocacy and Community Education Coordinator, Disability Network of Wayne County Detroit Javiera Godoy - Programme Manager, Centre for Public Impact Karen Lawson - Interim Co-Director for Europe, Centre for Public Impact Martin Begley and Lara Colraine - Inverclyde Early Help in Custody Service Toby Lowe - Visiting Professor in Public Management, Centre for Public Impact

This episode mentions difficult subject matter including suicide or suicidal thoughts. Anyone working in government or public services knows that sometimes we must be vulnerable and have difficult conversations. It can be daunting, but if we ignore challenges, things only get worse. Join us as we explore different ways of approaching these conversations courageously and hear examples of when they can help make a real difference to the people we serve. Read the blog here. Featured in this episode: Adrian Brown (Host) - Executive Director, Centre for Public Impact Karen Lawson (Host) - Interim Co-Director for Europe, Centre for Public Impact Harriet Hunter (Host) - Interim Co-Director for Europe, Centre for Public Impact Gamal “G” Turawa - Founder and Managing Director, Purple Frog Connections Martin Begley and Lara Colraine - Inverclyde Early Help in Custody Service

The way government currently operates doesn't support everybody. So what should we do differently? Imagination is the secret ingredient in most of our best ideas. In this episode, we explore how social imagination could help us find new ways to approach complex challenges. Our guests share examples of imagination in practice, from improving healthcare to commissioning services. Read the blog here. Featured in this episode: Adrian Brown (Host) - Executive Director, Centre for Public Impact Keira Lowther (Host) - Senior Manager, Centre for Public Impact Cassie Robinson - Associate Director of Emerging Futures, Joseph Rowntree Foundation Hannah McDowall - Co-Director, Canopy

Everyone fails occasionally. But when governments fail, it has an impact on real lives. It’s easy for public servants to shy away from talking about failure. To learn from our mistakes, we must be open and honest and spend time reflecting on them. Join us to hear real stories about failure in government and some examples of how to move forward. Read the blog here. Featured in this episode: Adrian Brown (Host) - Executive Director, Centre for Public Impact Athena Hughes (Host) - Senior Associate, Centre for Public Impact Carlos Zimbron - CEO, F**kup Nights Dan Vogel - CEO, Flourish Fund Kelly Sifford - Assistant County Manager, Cabarrus County