Roots To Foods Podcast

Hosted by RootsToFoods

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Jun 2026

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About the show

The RootsToFoods Capital Series Significant pools of private, philanthropic, and institutional capital, across the United States, Europe, Africa, Eastern Europe, India, and Southeast Asia, do not consistently reach the scalable impact opportunities they are designed to serve. This is not a series about aspiration. It is about mechanics, decision-making, and what it takes to close the gap between intent and deployment. And answer the key question of how capital intent can become capital deployment. Each conversation convenes a senior practitioner who is actively shaping how capital flows in practice, from blended finance structuring and family office transition to domestic capital architecture and entrepreneurship pipeline development. Together, the episodes form a practitioner-grade map of where capital is already moving, what enables it, and what holds it back. The Capital Series is an OviBees Ventures initiative. Founding partners: AV Ventures and ACDI/VOCA. Capital Insight Briefs Each episode of the Capital Series generates a Capital Insight Brief, a practitioner-grade synthesis of the core insight, what is working, what is not, and what it takes to unlock capital deployment in practice. The Briefs are free, downloadable, and designed for practitioners, advisors, foundation programme officers, family office investment teams, and institutional capital professionals who want field-level insight without the full audio episode. Download the latest Capital Insight Brief below. Wave 1 — Where Capital Is Already Moving Episode 1 | Capital Deployment in Practice - Nathaniel Heller, EVP, Geneva Global. Episode 2 | Blended Finance at Scale - Joan Larrea, CEO, Convergence Finance. Episode 3 | Philanthropic Capital in Transition - Jennifer Kenning, Co-founder Align Impact. Episode 4 | Mobilizing African Capital for Africa - Dr. Frannie Léautier, CEO, SouthBridge Investments. Episode 5 | From Capital Platforms to Entrepreneurship Ecosystems - Jeff Hoffman, Global Entrepreneurship Network. Wave 2 and Wave 3 in development - guests include leaders from Forum for Impact, Climate Philanthropy Catalyst Coalition, Harvard Kennedy School, Refugees Investment Network and leading family philanthropy platforms. Learn more at rootstofoods.com .

Listen to episodes

17 recent

June 15, 2026Episode 1445 min

Mobilizing African Capital for Africa: Domestic Wealth, Infrastructure, and the Architecture of Change

In this episode of the Roots to Food Podcast, host Ovidiu Bujorean, CEO of OviBees Ventures, speaks with Dr. Frannie Léautier, Senior Partner and CEO of SouthBridge Investments, about the opportunities and challenges of mobilizing African capital for investment across the continent. Their discussion focuses on the role of domestic wealth in financing infrastructure, supporting economic growth, and reducing dependence on external funding. Dr. Léautier reflects on the potential of pension funds, institutional investors, and other sources of capital to contribute to Africa's development agenda, while highlighting the reforms and partnerships needed to attract and sustain investment. The conversation also explores the relationship between infrastructure and economic development, the importance of strong institutions, and what it will take to create an environment where African capital can be effectively deployed to support long-term growth.

June 1, 2026Episode 1344 min

Philanthropic Capital in Transition: From Intent to Deployment

Guest: Jenn Kenning, Co-Founder & Former CEO, Align Impact Why does philanthropic capital stay stuck even when the intent is genuine and the money exists? Jenn Kenning has spent 25 years at the intersection of wealth management and impact — partnering with financial advisors, institutions, foundations, and families to turn values into capital strategy. Her answer to the deployment gap is not structural. It is human. In this conversation, Jenn and host Ovidiu Bujorean unpack three key things: → The biggest myth: that impact investing requires sacrificing returns or taking more risk. It does not. → The gap is not products or instruments. The most powerful unlock in impact investing is a client who has found their own why — and an advisor with the capacity to ask the question that surfaces it. When those two things meet, capital moves. → Just 5–10% of global philanthropic giving redirected toward impact unlocks $115–230 billion annually. The donor intent is already there. The roadmap is not. Jenn introduces the quarterback co-pilot model, goals-based planning as the unlock for scarcity psychology, and the one question that changes everything in an advisor-client conversation. This is Episode 3 of the RootsToFoods Capital Series — a five-episode practitioner series on the mechanics of capital deployment, hosted by Ovidiu Bujorean, CEO of OviBees Ventures. The series brings together senior practitioners across blended finance, impact capital, and emerging market development to talk honestly about why capital does not move even when the intent is there. Capital Series Wave 1 · Episode Arc ✅ EP01 · Nathaniel Heller, EVP · Geneva Global — The conditions problem ✅ EP02 · Joan Larrea, CEO · Convergence Finance — The blended finance instrument 🎙 EP03 · Jenn Kenning, Co-Founder · Align Impact - The human dynamic ← YOU ARE HERE 🔜 EP04 · June 16, 2026 · Dr. Frannie Léautier, CEO · SouthBridge Investments - Mobilizing African Capital: Domestic Wealth, Infrastructure & Change 🔜 EP05 · June 30, 2026 · Jeff Hoffman, Chairman · Global Entrepreneurship Network - Building the Ecosystem That Absorbs Capital: The Entrepreneur's Lens. Stay Inside the Capital Series: Subscribe to Capital Deployment LinkedIn newsletter - publishing one practitioner issue per episode — three key insights, the data, and an editorial frame. 👉 linkedin.com/newsletters/capital-deployment-7454225038356013056 Download the Capital Insight — EP03 A free two-page practitioner brief with key insights, data, and verbatim takeaways from this conversation. 👉 https://www.rootstofoods.com/episodes Follow the full series: Website: www. rootstofoods.com Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/roots-to-foods-podcast/id1712747151 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/6bodsZnw1IEGcf3KLdmxif RootsToFoods Capital Series ·Host: Ovidiu Bujorean, CEO, OviBees Ventures

May 19, 2026Episode 1246 min

Blended Finance At Scale, Structuring Capital for Impact

Wave 1, Episode 2 of RootstoFoods Capital Series interviewed Joan Larrea, CEO of Convergence Finance - the world's leading data platform on blended finance. Joan brings three decades of evidence to one of the most important questions in impact investing: how do you structure capital to actually move? In Episode 2 of the RootsToFoods Capital Series, she maps the anatomy of deals that work, where catalytic capital creates the greatest leverage, and why the right structure can turn $1 of concessional investment into $4 of private capital deployed in emerging markets.

May 5, 2026Episode 140 min

Capital Deployment in Practice: What Gets Funded and Why

A new episode of the RootsToFoods Podcast part of the newly launched Capital Series explores “Capital Deployment in Practice: What Gets Funded and Why,” featuring Nathaniel Heller, Executive Vice President at Geneva Global and Global Impact Ventures, in conversation with host Ovidiu Bujorean, CEO of OviBees Ventures. The discussion examines how capital is actually deployed in practice — including the conditions that enable high-impact opportunities to attract funding, how investors balance impact and risk, and the institutional and relational dynamics that shape capital allocation decisions. The episode offers practical insights for foundations, family offices, and institutional investors, as well as advisors, entrepreneurs, and ecosystem builders, seeking to better understand how funding decisions are made and how to deploy and position capital and opportunities more effectively. Each episode is accompanied by a Capital Insight Brief, providing a concise, practitioner-grade synthesis of key takeaways.

February 17, 2025Episode 1144 min

Building prosperity through entrepreneurship and partnerships

Welcome to Roots to Foods, where we explore innovative solutions at the intersection of food, business, and social impact. In this special episode, Building Prosperity through Entrepreneurship and Partnerships, we sit down with two visionary leaders driving change in global food systems: Sarah Farley, Vice President at the Rockefeller Foundation, and CD Glin, President of the PepsiCo Foundation & Global Head of Social Impact at PepsiCo Inc. Join us as we discuss how strategic collaborations, innovative funding models, and entrepreneurship can create sustainable prosperity—boosting livelihoods, strengthening food security, and fostering inclusive economic growth. Tune in for insights on how partnerships are shaping the future of food and development in Africa.

December 16, 2024Episode 850 min

Oceans of Opportunity: Unlocking the Potential of the Blue Economy

Welcome to RootsToFoods, the podcast exploring food systems, entrepreneurship, technology, and climate adaptation. I'm your host, Ovidiu Bujorean, Sr. Technical Director at AV Ventures, the impact investing arm of ACDI VOCA. Our oceans cover more than 70% of the Earth's surface, yet their full economic potential remains largely untapped. From sustainable aquaculture to innovative financing and transformative partnerships, the blue economy offers opportunities to drive economic growth, combat climate change, and create livelihoods—all while protecting marine ecosystems. In this episode, we’ll unpack the practical steps needed to unlock these opportunities. We’ll look at challenges, innovative solutions, and real-world success stories that can inspire action across industries and communities. Let’s set sail on this fascinating conversation!

October 16, 2024Episode 1048 min

Celebration of World Food Day

In this special World Food Day episode of the Roots to Food podcast, we explore critical issues surrounding global food security and sustainable agriculture. Featuring expert guests, Ambassador Mark Green, President and CEO, The Wilson Center and Katherine (Katie) Meighan, Chief Legal and Governance Officer; Associate Vice-President External Relations Department Ai, IFAD - United Nations. The episode dives into how we can address food insecurity, climate change, and economic challenges through innovative approaches in the agricultural sector. The conversation touches on how to close the growing food gap in developing countries, emphasizing the need for better access to nutritious food. The guests also discuss the impact of climate change on food systems and share practical, climate-smart solutions that help farmers adapt and thrive in a rapidly changing environment. Be sure to share and join the conversation using #RootstoFoodPodcast!

September 25, 2024Episode 947 min

Scaling Agribusiness Ventures: Opportunities And Challenges In Taking African Agriculture To The Next Level

Welcome to another episode of the Root to Foods podcast!. The session, titled “Scaling Agribusiness Ventures: Opportunities and Challenges in Taking African Agriculture to the Next Level,” explored the vast potential and significant hurdles involved in expanding African agribusiness. As Africa looks to transform its agricultural sector, scaling up operations and integrating advanced technologies are critical. The session, featuring a panel of experts including Dr. Mima Nedelcovych, Chairman of AfricaGlobal Schaffer, Hon. Mr. Matthew Miller, Director of Agribusiness Investments at U.S. DFC, Eren K., Chief Investment Officer at the African Development Bank Group, Mrs. Colleen Zamba, Chief Secretary to the President and Cabinet, Republic of Malawi. Dele Odufuye, Vice President and Country Director at Cavista Holdings, and Mr. Ovidiu Bujorean, Sr. Director of Investments, Innovative Finance at ACDI/AV-Ventures.

August 29, 2024Episode 853 min

From Food Insecurity to Thriving Agribusinesses – The Case for a U.S.-Africa Strategic Agribusiness Partnership

Welcome to another episode of the Root to Foods podcast!. In this episode, we’ll delve into "From Food Insecurity to Thriving Agribusinesses – The Case for a U.S.-Africa Strategic Agribusiness Partnership." As we confront the pressing challenges of food insecurity and agricultural instability, it becomes increasingly clear that forging strategic partnerships between the U.S. and Africa could be a game-changer. We examined how these collaborations can not only address the immediate needs of food security but also build resilient agribusinesses that drive sustainable growth. Join us as we uncovered the potential for transformative change, discuss successful case studies, and envision a future where strategic partnerships pave the way for thriving agribusinesses and food security across the globe.

June 17, 2024Episode 749 min

Women-Focused Agritech Innovations

Welcome to another episode of the RootsToFoods podcast. In this episode, we delve into the technologies, tools, and services designed specifically to empower women farmers and entrepreneurs. Our discussion will highlight how these innovations improve women’s access to crucial resources like information, finance, market opportunities, and enhance their roles in decision-making processes. From mobile apps that democratize market data to platforms that facilitate micro-loans, we're unveiling the women who are making a real difference. We’re also showcasing several case studies of successful women-focused agritech projects. These stories not only illustrate the positive impacts on women's empowerment but also demonstrate how these innovations support climate-smart agriculture practices, ensuring sustainability and resilience in farming communities.