High Net Purpose

Hosted by Islandbridge

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Jul 2026

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About the show

Most of us are in pursuit of purpose, but it can be especially hard to bring purpose into your business. On this show, we invite growing businesses and industry leaders to share their purpose and give us ‘the pitch’. We want to find out how entrepreneurs and global leaders in our network are allocating capital in a more responsible and purposeful way. But more importantly, we want to know what isn’t in the pitch deck. Joe McCarthy hits his guests with the hard questions in order to find the paradoxes and nuances in their pitches. High Net Purpose is hosted by Joe McCarthy, founder of Islandbridge, a company focused on helping highly successful people allocate their capital in a meaningful way. Whilst traditional investing is often solely focused on the accruement of more wealth, Joe has been working hard to shift the focus to purpose-led investing and show that’s it’s not black and white, but it is worth it. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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31 recent

July 30, 202644 min

The "Prime" Mind - Greg Greeley

In this episode of High Net Purpose, Joe McCarthy sits down with Greg Greeley, CEO of Simon & Schuster and former Amazon and Airbnb leader, for a conversation about purpose, customer obsession, Amazon Prime, transformation, AI and legacy. Greg describes purpose as giving back to society more than you take by building companies that serve customers, suppliers, employees and stakeholders. The conversation moves from his childhood in a farming community and the bankruptcy that shaped his appetite for risk, through Amazon’s dot-com-era pressure and the creation of Prime, to his current role leading Simon & Schuster through a period of change. Greg shares: Why his definition of purpose is simple: give back more than you take What he learned building Amazon Prime alongside Jeff Bezos and the team How childhood adversity and family bankruptcy shaped his appetite for risk Why the best leaders stay obsessed with customers, not competitors Why transformation requires builders, not just operators How AI is changing leadership, decision-making and long-term value creation If you're a senior operator, founder, family office principal, or leader navigating uncertainty, this episode will challenge how you think about purpose, growth and long-term impact. The practical test at the centre of the episode is simple: are you building something that will outlast you, and are you building the team that can carry it forward? Greg Greeley | Bio Greg Greeley is Chief Executive Officer of Simon & Schuster, the 102-year-old publisher now operating as an independent company. He grew up in a small farming community, where his father moved from selling insurance to farmers into running restaurants - an entrepreneurial household whose later bankruptcy, just as Greg left for college, taught him self-reliance and shaped his appetite for doing hard things. Trained as an engineer with a computer systems degree and an MBA in finance, Greg began his career in aerospace before moving to Sun Microsystems in the mid-1990s. In 1999 he left Sun - then at the top of its game - to join Amazon, initially in finance for worldwide operations. Over nearly two decades at Amazon he led the worldwide media business through the digital transition, created Super Saver Shipping, and was central to the creation and global expansion of Amazon Prime. He went on to join Airbnb in a senior leadership role during its period of hyper-growth, and today applies that builder's playbook to publishing, where he is focused on making a century-old company “work like a 102-year-old startup”. He describes his purpose simply: to give back to society more than you take by building great companies - and to be remembered as a builder. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

June 25, 202653 min

The "Pocket Money Pioneer" - Louise Hill

What if teaching kids about money was the smartest economic policy we have? Louise Hill did not set out to build a fintech. She set out to solve a problem in her own home. Watching her young children spend money they could not really see, she realised there was nothing to teach the next generation how to handle money in a digital world. That gap became GoHenry, the app that has helped millions of families teach their kids to earn, save, spend and invest. In this episode of High Net Purpose, Louise tells Joe McCarthy the whole story. Founding a company in her forties as a working mum. Breaking the world record for equity crowdfunding. Building across the UK, the US and Europe. And the campaign that put financial education on the primary school curriculum in England. She is honest about the hard parts too, the fundraising rooms, the weight of being the person everything rested on, and what kept her going. It is a conversation about purpose, about impact, and about building something that lasts. Key talking points • Founding GoHenry in her forties as a working mum, inspired by her own children. • Breaking the Crowdcube world record for equity crowdfunding. • Raising over $100m, and the reality of fundraising as a female founder. • Scaling across the UK, the US and Europe, and selling the business twice. • The campaign to put financial education on the primary curriculum. • Why money habits form young, and what the gap before 2028 means for kids. • Staying steady through the hardest moments of building a company. Connect with Louise on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/louise-hill-5197614/ GoHenry / Acorns Early - kids financial education app https://www.acorns.com/early/ Edison Partners - led GoHenry's Series A round https://www.edisonpartners.com University of St Andrews - financial behavioural insights research https://www.st-andrews.ac.uk Louise Hill is Founder and Executive Chair of GoHenry, the money app helping kids learn to earn, save, spend and invest. She co-founded the business in 2012 and built it from the ground up, expanding to the US in 2018, acquiring French fintech Pixpay in 2022, and merging with US fintech Acorns in 2023. A passionate advocate for financial education, she campaigned for years to make it compulsory in primary schools in England, with success. It joins the curriculum from September 2028. She appeared as an expert judge on The Apprentice (Series 19), sits on Innovate Finance’s Unicorn Council for UK FinTech, is a Board Advisor to The Payments Association, and is a dedicated mentor of female founders. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

May 28, 202658 min

The "Impact Pioneer" - Sir Ronald Cohen

Welcome to the hotseat where Joe McCarthy sits with Sir Ronald Cohen, co-founder of Apax Partners, Chair of the Global Steering Group for Impact Investment, and author of IMPACT . Sir Ronald is widely regarded as the father of both European venture capital and impact investing. He arrived in London as an 11-year-old refugee from Egypt speaking almost no English, made his way to Oxford and Harvard, and went on to build one of the defining venture and private equity firms of its generation before stepping away to devote himself to what he calls the impact revolution. His argument is simple and radical: governments are stretched, inequality is widening, and relying on taxation and philanthropy alone has failed. The answer is to redirect the trillions already moving through capital markets by measuring impact the way we measure profit. In this conversation he explains why 2026 is a watershed year for that idea, and how AI is changing what is possible. In this conversation, Sir Ronald and Joe discuss the following topics: Why optimising for impact is a route to superior returns, not a trade-off The hidden risks of impact-blind investing: carbon taxes, consumer flight, and talent Why carbon tax is the single lever that moves the dial on emissions How impact-weighted accounting turns tons of carbon and water into monetary value The 1929-to-GAAP parallel and why transparency built modern markets What Harry Markowitz and the measurement of risk teach us about measuring impact Whether public market sustainable investing has any real additionality Measuring social impact: pay, representation, and the cost of unemployment to a community Where AI meets impact, from education at scale to the first AI-derived drug How families and family offices should build impact at the portfolio level Governments shifting from funding inputs to paying for outcomes His advice to a younger self: start young, think big, stick with it, and bring impact to it Follow us on: YouTube: @HighNetPurpose Instagram: @highnetpurpose Twitter: @HighNetPurpose LinkedIn: high-net-purpose Connect with Sir Ronald Cohen: LinkedIn: Sir Ronald Cohen Website: sirronaldcohen.org Books: IMPACT: Reshaping Capitalism to Drive Real Change (2nd expanded edition, 2025), The Second Bounce of the Ball, ON IMPACT 00:00 Introduction and Episode Overview 02:33 Sir Ronald's Sense of Purpose 05:18 Refugee Roots and Early Life 06:44 Oxford Union and Learning to Speak Without Notes 09:14 From McKinsey to Founding Apax Partners 10:38 Building European Venture Capital from Scratch 11:48 Deciding to Leave Apax at 60 13:02 The Government Call That Started the Impact Mission 15:36 The Social Impact Bond - From Idea to Peterborough 17:57 Challenges and Surprises in the Impact Journey 20:03 Why Impact Is Not a Trade-Off for Returns 22:54 Carbon Tax as an Investor Risk 24:52 Consumer Preferences - Cycle vs Long-Term Trend 28:12 Impact Weighted Accounting - Origins and How It Works 33:24 From ESG 1.0 to Rigorous Impact Measurement 35:27 Additionality in Public Markets 38:10 Leaders and Laggards - Sector-Level Impact Transparency 41:36 How AI Is Unlocking Impact Data at Scale 44:00 Monetising Social Impact - Diversity Deficits and Employment 46:58 Impact Lenses Across the Whole Portfolio 51:06 Advice for Families and Entrepreneurs Deploying Capital 55:53 Where to Go for Reliable Impact Information 58:23 Governments, Outcomes Funds and the Systemic Shift 01:03:13 Advice to a Younger Self - and the Second Bounce of the Ball 01:04:07 How Sir Ronald Stays Energised 01:05:29 Closing Reflections This podcast is prepared by Islandbridge Capital Limited who are authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority. All content on High Net Purpose is provided as general information only. It does not constitute any advice or recommendation or representations, and is not intended to influence listeners or users into making any specific investments or any other decisions. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

April 23, 202643 min

Inside the Technology Rewriting Our Future and Why it Changes Everything

Two-time Pulitzer finalist on the scientist who won the Nobel Prize and may not be able to stop what he started. What if the person trying to make artificial intelligence safe is also one of the people racing to build it? In this episode of High Net Purpose, Joe McCarthy sits down with Sebastian Mallaby, bestselling author and two-time Pulitzer Prize finalist, whose latest book explores Demis Hassabis, Google DeepMind and the quest for superintelligence. Over the course of the conversation, Sebastian unpacks the extraordinary story behind DeepMind: why it was built in London, how Demis held onto a mission formed in childhood, and why the race for AI sits at the intersection of science, ambition, safety and power. From AlphaGo’s victory over Lee Sedol to the battle for AI safety oversight inside Google, this is a conversation about what happens when human purpose meets machine intelligence. It asks whether AI will deepen human potential, undermine it, or force us to redefine what purpose means altogether. Along the way, we explore the role of founders, family offices and capital allocators in a world where the technology changes faster than the rules around it. This is the story of the AI paradox, and the man trying to understand the people building the future. 00:00 Introduction and Episode Overview 02:31 Sebastian Mallaby on Purpose and His Career 05:34 Diplomacy, Complexity and the Economist 06:46 How Mallaby Gets Access to Exceptional People 09:24 Research as Therapy: The 360 Method 10:41 Finding the Central Paradox in Every Subject 11:50 First Encounters with Demis Hassabis 14:46 Hassabis as Authentic Entrepreneur: The 1993 Vision 17:44 Mustafa Suleiman, Geoffrey Hinton and the Co-Founders 19:48 Safety Baked In: DeepMind's Founding Tension 22:22 Leaked Documents and the Fight with Sundar Pichai 25:39 Can Governments Actually Control AI Risk? 26:51 The Innovator's Dilemma and the ChatGPT Moment 29:35 Hassabis as Leader: Science, Likability and Scale 30:32 AlphaGo vs Lee Sedol and What It Revealed 33:31 Human Purpose in an AI World 35:19 Hassabis on Consciousness and the Meaning of Being Human 36:18 AI Investment Framework for Capital Allocators 39:27 Health, Writing Discipline and Final Advice Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

February 12, 202627 min

Lessons From 26 Episodes in 2026

For the past two years, High Net Purpose has been a series of conversations about other people’s purpose. What we didn’t expect was how much those conversations would change us. In this episode, we’re taking a break from the usual format to look back at the moments from the first 26 episodes that most influenced our thinking - and ultimately shaped Islandbridge’s journey to becoming the Purpose Driven Multi-Family Office. This isn’t a highlight reel. It’s a reflection on the ideas that challenged our assumptions, sharpened our values, and changed how we think about allocating financial, human, and intellectual capital. Along the way, we revisit lessons from guests including: Martha Lane Fox, Diego Piacentini and David Miliband. This episode is for anyone asking what purpose really looks like in practice - and how listening carefully can shape the way you lead. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

November 27, 202556 min

Building Culture That Wins: Inside Ric Lewis’ Playbook

The most enduring companies aren’t just built on strategy, they’re built on culture. For over two decades, Ric Lewis, founder of Tristan Capital Partners, has been showing what that really looks like. His firm has grown into one of Europe’s leading real-estate investment platforms, managing over $16bn in assets. Ric was also ranked #1 on the Powerlist 2019, recognising him as the UK’s most influential person of African or Afro-Caribbean heritage . In this episode, Ric reveals the cultural architecture behind Tristan: the balance between what he calls the “Ministry of Science” and the “Ministry of Magic” - the discipline to execute and the imagination to differentiate . In this episode, you will learn: How to build a culture that becomes a competitive advantage. Why authenticity and integrity can unleash high performance. Insights into some of Ric’s most important leadership principles. Ric's golden rule for managing time efficiently. Why radical candour is the most important thing in mentorship. If you want to understand what it really takes to build high-performance culture, this conversation is essential listening. Chapters: 01:33 Building Tristan Capital Partners 02:11 Ric's Personal Philosophy and Purpose 10:03 Lessons from Competitive Sports 12:04 The Journey to Building a Real Estate Empire 17:55 Creating a Unique Company Culture 25:42 Challenges and Strategies in Real Estate Investment 27:56 Balancing Time and Saying No 29:19 The Importance of Self-Care 30:09 Finding Time to Think 31:38 The Journey of Philanthropy 40:21 Challenges in Mentorship 42:11 Staying Authentic and Honest 49:57 Next Generation and Succession 52:55 Maintaining Health and Wellness Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

October 30, 20251 hr 0 min

Saving Nature at Scale with African Parks’ Founder, Peter Fearnhead

What if the only way to save nature was to run it like a business? In this episode, we sit down with Peter Fearnhead, CEO and co-founder of African Parks, the organisation protecting more of Africa’s wild landscapes than any other. Under his leadership, African Parks now manages 24 national parks across 13 countries, covering over 20 million hectares - a model that proves conservation can be financially sustainable, socially empowering, and ecologically transformative. Peter shares how he’s built one of the most ambitious conservation networks on Earth - from turning near-bankrupt parks into thriving ecosystems, to uniting governments, investors, and local communities behind a single mission. Along the way, we explore why conservation may hold the key to tackling wider economic, humanitarian, and climate crises, and what true leadership looks like in some of the world’s most hostile environments. This is the story of how business strategy is saving the wild. Chapters: 00:00 Introduction to High Net Purpose 00:42 Meet Peter Fern: CEO of African Parks 02:17 Peter's Early Life and Passion for Nature 04:51 Founding African Parks and Early Challenges 07:17 The Public-Private Partnership Model 11:35 Conservation Strategies and Law Enforcement 14:25 Community Engagement and Economic Impact 18:10 Restocking Wildlife and Park Success Stories 24:07 Scaling African Parks and Future Goals 26:09 Competition and Collaboration in Conservation 29:12 The Importance of Authenticity in Leadership 30:44 Inspiring Individuals in Conservation 33:16 Challenges in Selecting the Right People 34:43 Managing Media and Mistakes in Conservation 36:57 Complex Trade-offs in Conservation Efforts 47:51 Translocation and Conservation Strategies 56:00 Personal Reflections and Advice Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

September 25, 20251 hr 7 min

How to Build Unicorns Beyond Silicon Valley with Linda Rottenberg

The next wave of billion-dollar companies aren’t being built in Silicon Valley – but everywhere else. For nearly three decades, Linda Rottenberg co-founder and CEO of Endeavor, has been at the centre of that shift. Known as “The Entrepreneur Whisperer,” she’s backed over 350 companies (64 of them unicorns), created “mafias” of founders paying it forward, and built a global movement that’s reshaping economies across 45+ countries. In this episode, recorded at Trinity College, Cambridge, Linda shares: How to scale a business while staying true to your mission. The secret underestimated multiplier behind entrepreneurship. Why the next generation of entrepreneurs will become more women dominant. What makes female founders different. The inside view on emerging frontiers and regions to watch. Linda shows how purpose-driven founders everywhere can scale big - without losing sight of their people or their values. If you want to understand how high-growth entrepreneurship is being redefined beyond Silicon Valley - and why it matters for the future of innovation - this conversation is a must-listen. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

August 28, 20251 hr 2 min

How Compassion Rewires Your Brain with Dr. James Doty

What if compassion wasn’t just a virtue, but a science that could rewire your brain, reduce stress, and even extend your life expectancy? This conversation is one of our earliest recordings, now released for the first time, with the late Dr. James Doty: Stanford neurosurgeon, New York Times bestselling author, entrepreneur, and founder of Stanford’s Center for Compassion and Altruism Research and Education (CCARE). Recorded in our early days but never shared until now, this conversation captures Dr. Doty’s extraordinary wisdom on the science and practice of compassion. He explains how compassion rewires the brain, simple self-compassion techniques to silence the inner critic, and why compassionate organisations consistently outperform those built on fear. Along the way, he reflects on his own journey - from losing $80 million at the height of success to finding true fulfilment in service, and the role the Dalai Lama played in shaping his work at Stanford. Dr. Doty’s life was devoted to proving that compassion is not soft, but the foundation of human flourishing. We’re honoured to share this conversation from our archives as a tribute to his enduring legacy. To learn more about Dr Doty's life and legacy, visit: https://www.jamesrdotymd.com/ Follow High Net Purpose on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/highnetpurpose Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

July 24, 20251 hr 10 min

How We Lose Control of AI - and How to Stop It, with Kristian Rönn

Everyone’s talking about ChatGPT—but what if the real threat from AI is happening elsewhere? Kristian Rönn is the co-founder of Lucid, a company helping governments track the movement and usage of AI chips globally. He previously founded Normative, the carbon accounting platform that helped shape EU and UK climate disclosure rules—and began his career researching existential risk at Oxford’s Future of Humanity Institute. He’s also the author of The Darwinian Trap , a bestselling book that explores how misaligned incentives—and short-term thinking—can push systems toward catastrophic outcomes. It’s a framework he now applies to AI, arguing that without global coordination, the very infrastructure powering this technology could spiral out of control. In this conversation, he explains why AI’s biggest risks aren’t in the models—but in the chips, supply chains, and silent diffusion happening behind the scenes. We explore: • Why frontier models are a distraction from the real governance challenge • The one global policy move governments must make before it’s too late • What a chicken sandwich teaches us about AI’s hidden complexity • And what carbon accounting taught Kristian about building systems that actually scale If you care about who’s really in control of AI—and how we avoid losing the plot—this is essential listening. Chapters 00:00 – Intro: Welcome to High Net Purpose 00:29 – Kristian Rönn: From Philosopher to AI Safety Pioneer 01:31 – Early Life: What Shaped Kristian’s Worldview 04:29 – The Impact of Peter Singer and Utilitarian Thinking 08:31 – Exploring Existential Risks and the Road to AI 13:20 – Building Normative: The Startup That Changed Carbon Accounting 21:29 – Why Kristian Left Climate Tech for AI Governance 23:22 – The Darwinian Trap: Why Good Incentives Lead to Bad Outcomes 25:36 – Darwinian Demons vs. Cooperative Systems 34:47 – The Challenge of Global AI Governance 35:23 – Centralization vs. Decentralization in AI Control 37:33 – The Chicken Sandwich Analogy: AI and Hidden Value Chains 39:28 – Can Decentralized Governance Actually Work? 40:49 – Enlightenment Thinking and Biological Drives 45:11 – AI Assurance, Risk Management, and Value Chain Complexity 48:27 – Who Should Govern AI? Security, Policy, and Global Standards 53:09 – What the Future of AI Regulation Could Look Like 01:05:18 – Final Thoughts: Purpose, Power, and What Comes Next Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.