ALAQA

Episodios

• #18 Taking impact to scale: Nadia Nikolova on making Impact an easier yes for institutional investors 30.06.2026 34m

  Today, I’m joined by Nadia Nikolova, CEO of responsAbility Investments, M&G’s emerging markets specialist impact asset manager mobilising institutional capital at scale.Nadia is an investment management expert with deep experience in development finance and impact investing, with a strong track record in infrastructure debt and structured finance. As of September 2025, she stepped into the CEO role at responsAbility, a pure-play impact manager focused on deploying capital into sustainable solutions across emerging markets.Prior to this she led the Direct Lending business for Allianz Global Investors across Europe and Asia having built a team investing in impact focused investments globally - from small cap European solutions businesses to blended finance at scale in Emerging markets. As an early entrant, AllianzGI was a market shaper in this field.This special playlist is developed in partnership with ChangeNOW. We welcome some of the fund managers who presented during Funds for Change. Since they only had but a few minutes on stage to explain their unique angles, the sophistication of their approach, the urgent needs they want to address, we decided to offer them more time and broadcast their ideas to a wider audience.Key topics:Meet investors where they are. Institutional LPs don't buy impact first; they buy solutions to portfolio needs (risk, return, diversification, liquidity). Impact managers need to package products around investor requirements, not expect investors to adapt.The future of impact is becoming mainstream investing. Nadia believes that as climate and social solutions become the new economy, the distinction between "impact investing" and "investing" should eventually disappear—because creating positive impact will simply be part of good investing.Episode breakdown:Intro - 00:00:00Welcome - 00:02:16Origin & Perspective - 00:03:23Tensions - 00:27:27Contrarian Thoughts - 00:29:12Flash Round - 00:29:32Follow us on: Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/0Po2mXWyAelyE91jSa5flbApple Podcasts - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/alaqa/id1838909986https://linktr.ee/alaqapodcastDesigned & Hosted by Imène MaharziProduced by Taisa Echterhoff
• #17 Patience, bold founders and incentives: Michelle de Rijk on revisiting the investment formula for change 23.06.2026 25m

  Today, I’m joined by Michelle de Rijk, an impact investor with over 15 years of experience across venture capital and impact investing, currently at Fair Capital Impact Fund.Michelle spent a decade at DOEN Ventures before joining Fair Capital Impact Fund, where she has been involved in backing and supporting companies such as Fairphone, Seepje, and Crowdbuilding.A formative moment in her journey came in 2016, when she spent six months in India working with SELCO Foundation, an experience that deeply shaped her understanding of what systems change looks like when driven by local entrepreneurs and community needs. Across her career, Michelle combines professional investing with a strong commitment to building a more equitable and sustainable world — with a sense of purpose, and a genuine enjoyment of working alongside founders, colleagues, and partners.This special playlist is developed in partnership with ChangeNOW. We welcome some of the fund managers who presented during Funds for Change. Since they only had but a few minutes on stage to explain their unique angles, the sophistication of their approach, the urgent needs they want to address, we decided to offer them more time and broadcast their ideas to a wider audience.Key topics:Patient capital and long-term investingFounder humility, resilience, and self-awarenessSystemic impact across food, energy, and circular economyEliminating carried interest and rethinking investor incentivesEpisode breakdown:Intro - 00:00:00Welcome - 00:01:46Origin & Perspective - 00:03:33Biggest Objections - 00:19:08Flash Round - 00:23:25Follow us on: Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/0Po2mXWyAelyE91jSa5flbApple Podcasts - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/alaqa/id1838909986https://linktr.ee/alaqapodcastDesigned & Hosted by Imène MaharziProduced by Taisa Echterhoff
• #16 Financial design in the service of climate resilience: Sandrine Henton on unlocking local and global capital for African SMEs 16.06.2026 27m

   Today I'm joined by Sandrine Henton, founder and managing director of EG Capital, a private credit investment platform focused on climate adaptation across Africa. Her work sits at the intersection of climate finance, resilience, and capital allocation, helping shape new approaches to investing in adaptation across emerging markets. So why is Sandrine with us today? To be serious about planetary boundaries, we collectively need to be serious about how we channel massive amounts of private capital towards Africa, because the scales are more than uneven at this point, and our collective futures depend on it. To do that, how about we start at assessing risk from a clean state with actual data? Because finance and investments are all about data, right? So let's see what Sandrine can tell us about it. This special playlist is developed in partnership with ChangeNOW. We welcome some of the fund managers who presented during Funds for Change. Since they only had but a few minutes on stage to explain their unique angles, the sophistication of their approach, the urgent needs they want to address, we decided to offer them more time and broadcast their ideas to a wider audience.Key topics:Climate adaptation finance in AfricaSME resilience and growth capitalMobilizing African private capitalGender-driven investment performanceEpisode breakdown:Intro - 00:00:00Welcome - 00:01:14Origin & Perspective - 00:02:33Biggest Objections - 00:09:07Flash Round - 00:24:58Follow us on: Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/0Po2mXWyAelyE91jSa5flbApple Podcasts - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/alaqa/id1838909986https://linktr.ee/alaqapodcastDesigned & Hosted by Imène MaharziProduced by Taisa Echterhoff
• #15 ⁠Rethinking the Fundraise: Lucy Mortimer on Trust, Collaboration and Circular Economy Investing 09.06.2026 28m

   This special playlist is developed in partnership with ChangeNOW. We welcome some of the fund managers who presented during Funds for Change. Since they only had but a few minutes on stage to explain their unique angles, the sophistication of their approach, the urgent needs they want to address, we decided to offer them more time and broadcast their ideas to a wider audience.Today I'm joined by Lucy Mortimer, founding partner at Archipelago Ventures and environmental finance specialist with over 25 years of experience in climate finance and low-carbon investment. Over her career, Lucy has built a strong network across climate and nature finance, supporting early-stage companies and startups in navigating commercial barriers and scaling within complex markets. Her work sits at the intersection of environmental finance, investment structuring, and venture building, focused on helping capital flow more effectively into solutions for the climate transition.So why is Lucy with us today?I think it's fair to say that in 2026, circular economy can receive a "B+" for participation, but the impact in real life is desperately slow to appear. Some even start to question the possibility that it will ever reach actual market traction, at least without hefty public subsidies. That's the central scenario. And then you have the thematic experts, who jump in, willing to do the work. What's the work you'll tell me?Find the types of hidden industrial solutions that can transform the way materials flow through the economy.Not any materials - the 3 big ones - plastics, metals and textiles, the ones which have significant impacts on human health, oceans & landscapes, climate, biodiversity, both from their extraction & manufacturing, and their end of life management. That's the work.Key topics:Circular economy investing beyond recyclingBuilding trust in deep tech and climate financeCollaboration as a new model for venture capitalUnlocking more capital for systemic climate solutionsEpisode breakdown:Intro - 00:00:00Welcome - 00:01:51Origin & Perspective - 00:02:20Biggest Objections - 00:10:59Flash Round - 00:25:10Follow us on: Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/0Po2mXWyAelyE91jSa5flbApple Podcasts - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/alaqa/id1838909986https://linktr.ee/alaqapodcastDesigned & Hosted by Imène MaharziProduced by Taisa Echterhoff
• #14 From lived experiences to red carpets: Danielle Turkov on building impact and changing laws through films 02.06.2026 42m

  Today we sit down with Danielle Turkov, Founder and Executive Director of Think-Film Impact Production, a company she built from scratch to bridge the worlds of film, policy, and social change. Danielle has worked with Oscar- and Emmy-nominated projects like The Cave, iHuman, and BAFTA-nominated Eminent Monsters, using storytelling as a catalyst for real-world impact. Recently, “Mr Nobody Against Putin” won the Oscar and BAFTA for best documentary. Danielle is also part of the team who’s bringing “The voice of Hind Rajab” story to wider audiences.In this episode, she shares her journey from political strategist in the EU to global impact producer — and how film can move systems as powerfully as finance can. Enjoy the ride, and stay tuned for a possible part 2 with Danielle, as there is certainly more to cover!Key topics:Why storytelling is a form of systemic powerHow impact films can influence laws and institutionsThe tension between finance, empathy, and human rightsWhat it takes to build trust-driven change in volatile systemsEpisode Breakdown:Intro - 00:00:00Welcome - 00:01:06Origin & Perspective - 00:03:04The Relationship at the Core - 00:10:29Tensions, Lessons & Tools - 00:30:49Contrarian Thoughts - 00:35:12Your go-to person - 00:37:19Flash Round - 00:39:33Follow us on: Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/0Po2mXWyAelyE91jSa5flbApple Podcasts - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/alaqa/id1838909986https://linktr.ee/alaqapodcastDesigned & Hosted by Imène MaharziProduced by Taisa Echterhoff
• #13 ⁠Finance is never neutral: Marcel Zuidam on changing capital from within 26.05.2026 32m

  Today, we are happy to welcome Marcel Zuidam, CEO of Triodos Bank, one of Europe’s leading banks in sustainable finance. Before joining Triodos, Marcel held senior leadership roles across mainstream finance, including CEO positions at NN Bank and Delta Lloyd Bank, giving him a rare perspective on both conventional and regenerative models of capital. In this conversation, we explore what it really means to finance change and change finance, from the myths still embedded in mainstream markets to the deeper question of how capital can serve societies, ecosystems, and long-term resilience rather than short-term extraction.Key topics:- Why finance is never neutral and capital always takes sides.- How the financial system became extractive rather than useful.- Why transparency alone will not redirect capital toward impact.- The tension between urgency and patience in systems change.Episode Breakdown:Intro - 00:00:00Welcome - 00:01:27Origin & Perspective - 00:02:24Financing Change & Changing Finance - 00:05:47Systems Thinking & Leverage Points - 00:11:44Democratic Guidance & Incentives - 00:18:03The Myths of Mainstream Finance - 00:23:15What a Regenerative Financial System Could Look Like - 00:26:09Urgency vs Patience - 00:27:58Contrarian Thoughts - 00:29:02Flash Round - 00:30:15Follow us on: Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/0Po2mXWyAelyE91jSa5flbApple Podcasts - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/alaqa/id1838909986https://linktr.ee/alaqapodcastDesigned & Hosted by Imène MaharziProduced by Taisa Echterhoff
• ALAQAxChange NOW - Teaser Season 2 21.05.2026 1m

  Welcome to Alaqa.Alaqa means relationship.And in finance, relationships are often the invisible layer — shaping decisions, shaping trust, shaping what ultimately gets funded… and what doesn’t.This new season is developed in partnership with ChangeNOW.It brings together conversations with fund managers from Funds for Change, and with investors, operators, and thinkers navigating the tensions of impact, climate, and finance.What you’ll hear are not polished narratives.They are reflections from within the system — on constraints, on trade-offs, on what it really takes to move capital differently.Because beyond strategies and frameworks, change happens through relationships — between people, between institutions, between intentions.And these relationships need to be nurtured — with our critical minds sharp, and our hearts open, willing to build the non-obvious bridges.But what if the way we relate — to capital, to risk, to each other — is also what holds the system in place?And what if changing finance begins there?Let’s put that assumption to the test — and take a dive together.Difficult, sometimes unsettling, sometimes messy… and in spite of everything, somewhat hopeful.
• #12 Patient capital formula: Benjamin Le Pendeven on persistence as the missing ingredient of impact 30.12.2025 41m

  Today, we are happy to welcome Benjamin Le Pendeven, associate professor of entrepreneurial and responsible finance at Audencia Business School, where he leads the “Finance for Innovation” research chair focused on impact investing, innovation financing, and social impact bonds. He collaborates with public institutions, private investors, and NGOs and previously worked as an entrepreneur and impact investor.Key topics:Why experimentation isn’t the problem, scaling and persistence are.How persistence and stability in teams matter as much as patient capital.Why impact investing must think beyond pilots, metrics, and exits.How academia can act as a bridge between finance, policy, and real-world change.Episode Breakdown:Welcome - 00:00:00Origin & Perspective - 00:03:06The Relationship at the Core - 00:23:12Contrarian Thoughts - 00:32:12Your go-to person - 00:33:54Flash Round - 00:34:59
• #11 Patience as Powerful Lever: Benjamine Friderich on Long-Term Capital and Transformative Growth (FR episode) 🇫🇷 23.12.2025 55m

  Today's episode is a special one. We’re switching things up with a conversation conducted entirely in French.Consider it a linguistic detour from our regular programming.Alors… on y va, et bonne écoute en français.Aujourd’hui, nous sommes heureux d’accueillir Benjamine Friderich, Head of Investments chez Colam Impact, une filiale de Colam Entreprendre.Après avoir effectué un tour du monde à l’âge de 21 ans sur le thème du commerce équitable et de la microfinance, Benjamine Friderich rejoint le Groupe Crédit Coopératif, où elle accumule 12 ans d’expérience dans différents services. En 2015, elle intègre la filiale Esfin Gestion, où elle développe un fonds dédié à l’impact social, accompagnant plus d’une vingtaine d’entrepreneurs dans leurs enjeux de croissance.En 2021, elle devient Directrice de l’Impact Investing chez Enowe, un family office français, où elle développe et pilote la stratégie d’investissement à impact positif. Elle déploie plusieurs millions d’euros dans des entreprises et des fonds d’investissement à impact en France et dans le monde.Points clé:Pourquoi l’impact est intrinsèquement subjectif et politiqueComment l’appétit pour le risque façonne les trajectoires des fondateurs et fondatricesComment le capital patient permet aux entreprises de pivoter et de mûrirEpisode breakdown:Intro - 00:00:00Welcome - 00:02:50Origin & Perspective - 00:06:06The Relationship at the Core - 00:10:17Tensions, Lessons & Tools - 00:31:30Contrarian Thoughts - 00:49:55Flash Round - 00:52:03
• #10 Between a Rock and a Hard Place: Constanza Robles on Finding Creative Adjustments for AgriFood Systems Transformation 16.12.2025 39m

  Today we are happy to welcome Constanza Robles Fumarola.Constanza is a systems change investor and designer focused on transforming food systems across Africa. She is the Founding Partner of Inanna, an investor and venture builder applying systems thinking to regenerative agriculture and food. With a background in social impact and futures design, she has worked with organisations such as the UN FAO, FCDO, and GIZ to shape strategies that bridge innovation, inclusion, and sustainability. Her work brings together modern finance and indigenous, community-led knowledge to build resilient, equitable agrihealth systems.Key points:Why shifting investment logic is necessary for system transformationThe gap between conceptual, long-term transformation goals and the short-term, survival-based realities of farmers or investorsHow Regenerative Agriculture is gaining tractionEpisode breakdown:Welcome - 00:00:00Origin & Perspective - 00:10:35The Relationship at the Core - 00:18:43Tensions, Lessons & Tools - 00:30:47Contrarian Thoughts - 00:35:29Your go-to person - 00:35:49Flash Round - 00:36:50
• #09 Using public money to support change: Laure Blanchard-Brunac on when blended finance actually works 09.12.2025 39m

  Today we are happy to welcome Laure Blanchard-Brunac.Laure is an expert in development finance and blended finance, with over 20 years of experience across leading European financial institutions and the European Commission. She has a proven expertise in EU financial instruments, budgetary guarantees and investment-related policies and regulations. Laure is currently a member of the InvestEU Investment Committee, and a Key Expert with the Trade and Private Sector Development Facility (TPSD) implemented by DAI on behalf of the European Commission. She is also a Senior Advisor with Rud Pedersen Public Affairs Brussels advising private companies on their EU funding strategies.Key topics:How blended finance actually works — where it succeeds, where it fails, and what signals show it’s the right tool.The hidden “EU bubble” dynamicsThe systemic importance of certain individuals inside institutionsEpisode breakdown:Intro - 00:00:00Origin & Perspective - 00:02:22The Relationship At Core - 00:17:37Contrarian Thoughts - 00:28:44Flash Round - 00:33:04
• #08 Catalyzing possible futures during a messy present: Greg De Temmerman’s hybrid lens on Climate Action 02.12.2025 44m

  Today we are happy to welcome Greg De Temmerman.Greg has about 20 years of experience spanning fusion and energy research, philanthropic funding, and climate solutions. Working at the intersection between science, innovation and climate action, he is passionate about building systems that enable bold and transformative initiatives to thrive. Until October 2025 he was deputy CEO and Chief Science Officer of the Quadrature Climate Foundation in London. He is currently advising philanthropists and entrepreneurs on high impact projects. He is a published author and TED speakerKey topics:- The importance of effective Communication in Climate & Energy- Funding, power dynamics and what it really takes to scale Climate Innovation- Philanthropy’s role in Systems Change and infrastructure building- The messy middle of Climate TransitionEpisode breakdown:Intro - 00:00:00Origin & Perspective - 00:02:33The Relationship At Core - 00:12:16Tensions, Lessons & Tools - 00:24:39Contrarian Thoughts - 00:27:20Your Go-To Person - 00:29:43Flash Round - 00:30:25
• #07 Capital access and equitable wealth building: Eric Collins leveraging Urgency and Joy 11.11.2025 46m

  Today, I’m joined by Eric Collins, Co-Founder and General Partner of Impact X Capital Partners and a serial entrepreneur, investor, technology executive, host of award-winning Channel 4 business show,The Money Maker, which is based on the highly successful US show The Profit on CNBC, and author of the award winning book We Don’t Need Permission - How Black Business Can Change the World.In 2018 he co-founded Impact X Capital Partners, a UK domiciled VC fund that has closed 2 funds with 49 investments including Europe’s 2nd Black unicorn, insurtech innovator, Marshmallow. Impact X also invests in select creative projects with the animated series IYANU which launched to commercial and critical success on HBO Max and Cartoon Network in April 2025.Key topics:Urgency vs. Incrementalism in Systemic ChangeAccess to Capital and Representation in VentureCulture as a Vehicle for ChangeNavigating Relationships, Conflict, and ComplexityEpisode breakdown:Welcome - 00:00:00Origin & Perspective - 00:04:33The Relationship At Core - 00:08:14Tensions, Lessons & Tools - 00:33:34Flash Round - 00:38:13
• #06 A Good Pension in a Livable World: Laure Wessemius-Chibrac on Rethinking Finance for the Future 28.10.2025 50m

  Today, I’m joined by Laure Wessemius-Chibrac, a seasoned investment professional with nearly three decades of experience in the financial sector, specialising in sustainability, impact investing and the mobilisation of institutional capital. Based in the Netherlands, she has built a solid exposure to emerging markets. She currently serves as the Founding Managing Director / CEO of Netherlands Advisory Board on Impact Investing (NAB). In this role, Laure has been driving the agenda to scale up impact investments from pension funds, insurance companies and asset managers and alter structural investment patterns.In this episode we talk about:how culture is a key factor to achieve change in financehow risk is a mix of facts and perception, which therefore can be shiftedEpisode Breakdown:Welcome - 00:00:00Origin & Perspective - 00:02:46The Relationship At Core - 00:10:23Tensions, Lessons & Tools - 00:28:40Contrarian Thoughts - 00:44:13Your go-to person - 00:45:03Flash Round - 00:45:59
• #05 Investing with trust: James Burrows on how experiments, time and proximity unlock new avenues for impact 14.10.2025 47m

  Today, I’m joined by James Burrows. James currently looks after the social lending team at Better Society Capital (BSC), which includes work on Blended Finance, Ethical Banks, and Social Outcomes Partnerships. These are all ways of connecting capital to communities that need it most. He is also actively involved in shaping and building out the practice looking at investing for more transformative systems change. Previously, he led on the Places strategy, looking at ways investment might play a role to support places and communities to thrive.In this episode, we’ll explore:Trust and Stewardship in FinanceImpact Investing and Systems Change Poverty Premium and Financial Inclusion Place-Based Investing and Local Agency Humility, Feedback Loops, and Hope in Systems Work Episode Breakdown:Welcome - 00:00:00Origin & Perspective - 00:03:08The Relationship At Core - 00:04:56Tensions, Lessons & Tools - 00:21:55Contrarian Thoughts - 00:41:39Your go-to person - 00:42:48Flash Round - 00:44:21
• #04 Questioning mental models for a Just Climate Transition: Tess Dury on power dynamics in VC and the nature of capital 07.10.2025 36m

  Today I'm joined by Tess Dury, Director of Impact and ESG at Extantia, a deep tech climate fund, known for not shying away from hardware tech, as well as first of a kind industrial investments. At Extentia Tess works with investors in climate startups to support them in the difficult journey of both designing and delivering sustainable growth that is part of the solution, not the problem. Today's episode is honestly quite surprising for me because not only did we explore the usual personal journey into sustainability and impact, but Tess managed to uncover so many difficult and interesting questions around colonial history and how it should be interconnected with a general systems approach, which I found particularly fascinating, and she did not shy away also from approaching power and relationships in venture capital.In this episode, we dive into:Colonial History & Systems Thinking – how her Belgian-Portuguese background and family history in the Congo shape her understanding of capital, systems, and justicePower & Relationships in Venture Capital – the dynamics between investors, founders, and LPs, and how trust and relationship-building help navigate tensionsNavigating Complexity & Impact Frameworks – insights into balancing systemic thinking with practical decision-makingContrarian View on Capital – Tess argues that climate tech doesn’t just need more capital, but less extractive capital, emphasizing fairness, non-exploitation, and systemic responsibilityEpisode Breakdown:Welcome – 00:00:00Origin & Perspective – 00:02:13The Relationship at the Core – 00:10:35Tensions, Lessons & Tools – 00:13:04Contrarian Thoughts – 00:26:13Your go-to person – 00:29:44Flash Round – 00:32:41
• #03 Networks, Trust, and System Change: Krisztina Tora on Catalyzing Inclusive Economies 30.09.2025 36m

  Today, I’m joined by Krisztina Tora, a global leader in impact investing and impact markets, known for shifting capital flows toward real impact in over 70 countries.Krisztina has advised financial institutions, governments, and civil society on building inclusive impact economies, while also creating partnerships that help diverse stakeholders co-design systemic solutions. Her work is driven by a conviction that finance must serve equality, dignity, and sustainability — and by a willingness to challenge entrenched belief systems.In this episode, we’ll explore what it takes to transform finance from within, and why breaking out of our bubbles is essential for real systems change.Episode Breakdown:Welcome – 00:00:00Origin & Perspective – 00:01:44The Relationship at the Core – 00:07:14Tensions, Lessons & Tools – 00:21:20Contrarian Thoughts – 00:25:10Your go-to person – 00:27:52Flash Round – 00:29:24
• #02 From Banking to Biodiversity: Laura Ortiz on Redefining Capital for the Climate Transition 23.09.2025 59m

  Welcome to Alaqa — a podcast about the relationships shaping systems, capital, and the climate transition.Today, I’m joined by Laura Ortiz Montemayor, Founder of SVX México and Managing Partner at Regenera Ventures Fund, where she works to finance regenerative transitions in Mexico and Colombia.Through SVX and Regenera, Laura has educated thousands of investors and entrepreneurs in Latin America, challenging conventional finance and promoting social entrepreneurship, gender lens investing, and nature-based solutions. Her mission is to ensure capital works in service of life — not the other way around.In this episode, we’ll dive into why redefining success, rebuilding trust, and resisting reductionist narratives are key to financing truly regenerative systems.Episode Breakdown:Welcome – 00:00:00Origin & Perspective – 00:02:04The Relationship at the Core - 00:14:11Tensions, Lessons & Tools - 00:33:41Contrarian Thoughts - 00:40:09Your go-to person - 00:49:20Flash Round - 00:52:35
• #01 Dancing with Systems: Roberta Benedetti on Investing for Deep Transitions 16.09.2025 31m

  Today, I’m joined by Roberta Benedetti del Rio, Co-founder and Managing Partner of Radia Capital, a specialised firm scaling industrial transformation and decarbonisation solutions in Europe.At Radia Capital, Roberta focuses on bridging the funding gap for scale-ups in hard-to-abate sectors like steel, cement, and heavy transport — industries that are both urgent and often overlooked. Her work, from co-chairing the Deep Transitions Lab to shaping climate impact standards, has influenced how investors think about systemic change and measure impact.In this episode, we’ll explore how systems thinking reshapes industrial decarbonisation — and why the future of investing calls for humility, plurality, and community.Episode Breakdown:Welcome - 00:00:00Origin & Perspective - 00:01:34The Relationship at the Core - 00:08:58Tensions, Lessons & Tools - 00:19:47Contrarian Thoughts - 00:26:42Your go-to person - 00:28:26Flash Round - 00:29:18
• ALAQA Podcast - Teaser Season 1 08.09.2025 1m

  In Arabic, ALAQA means relationship — a word that invites us to look deeper at what connects (and sometimes disconnects) the parts of a system.In the age of climate urgency, economic uncertainty, and social fragmentation, relationships — between people, portfolios, institutions, sectors, and generations — are no longer soft infrastructure. They are the levers of change. And yet, they’re often overlooked in strategy rooms, investment decks, or governance models.ALAQA explores the structural, strategic, and human dimensions of relationships in the world of capital — particularly for those seeking to finance solutions in a complex, interdependent world.Each episode unpacks a relationship that matters:between investors and foundersbetween different assets in a portfoliobetween public and private capitalbetween next-gen inheritors and established wealthbetween theory of change and deal executionWe speak with investors, ecosystem builders, capital allocators and change agents working at the intersection of finance, sustainability, and systems thinking — and ask:What does it take to build, repair, or evolve the connections that drive resilient and just transitions?