ALAQA

About ALAQA

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 founders - different assets in a portfolio - public and private capital - next-gen inheritors and established wealth - theory of change and deal execution We speak with investors, ecosystem builders, capital allocators and change agents working at the intersection of finance, sustainability, and systems thinking.

Publisher

Alaqa Podcast

Category

business

Language

en

Explicit

No

First episode

8 Sept 2025

Latest episode

14 Oct 2026

Latest episodes

30 episodes in the feed.

1. 

   14 Oct 2026

   #28 Collaboration beyond convening: Inès Mertens on what it takes to bring the impact ecosystem to work together

   Today, I’m joined by the Director of Community at Impact Europe - which calls itself The Investing for Impact Network. Impact Europe brings together Europe’s most committed impact actors: capital providers (foundations, corporates, impact funds, asset managers, financial institutions) and the ecosystem shapers who support them (networks, service providers, academics, research centres). Alongside this, she contributes to expanding access to capital for underrepresented founders as a member of the Investment Committee at Impact Shakers, and serves on the board of Aqcelerator, the corporate venture arm of Aquafin. In this episode, we explore Inès’s journey into impact investing and her work at Impact Europe, the growing need to better connect different sources of capital, and the challenges of moving beyond siloed approaches. We also discuss the limits of the traditional VC model, the importance of patience and collaboration, and why empathy, trust, and a shared objective are essential for contributing to systems change. This special playlist is developed in partnership with ChangeNOW. It brings together conversations with fund managers who presented on stage during Funds for Change, and with investors, operators, and thinkers navigating the tensions of impact, climate, and finance. Key topics: The evolution of impact investing in Europe and the growing interest in climate and impact, alongside the challenges facing institutional investors and family offices. Orchestrating capital for systems change — bringing foundations, investors, corporates, and other actors together around shared priorities rather than working in silos. Rethinking investment models — why VC cannot be the answer to every social or environmental challenge, and why patient capital, fund-of-funds models, and alternative ownership structures matter. Building trust and collaboration across different stakeholders — the importance of empathy, shared goals, and understanding different perspectives, while keeping the focus on meaningful impact rather than impact metrics for their own sake. Episode breakdown: Intro - 00:00:00 Welcome - 00:01:28 Origin & Perspective - 00:02:49 Commenting on Benjamin's Contrarian Thought: 32:14 Contrarian Thought: 00:34:53 Inès's Go-To Person: 00:35:53 Flash Round - 00:37:06 Follow us on: https://linktr.ee/alaqapodcast Designed & Hosted by Imène Maharzi Produced by Taisa Echterhoff

2. 

   29 Sept 2026

   #27 Designing systems interventions: Eva Gladek on a decade of building the Metabolic approach to place-based investing

   Today, we welcome Eva Gladek, Founder and CEO of Metabolic, an impact entrepreneur and systems thinker working at the forefront of sustainability and the circular economy. Eva founded Metabolic in 2012 with a mission to help transition the global economy towards a fundamentally sustainable and circular state. Through her work with governments, businesses, and NGOs around the world, she has helped turn complex environmental challenges into practical strategies, technologies, and scalable solutions. This special playlist is developed in partnership with ChangeNOW. It brings together conversations with fund managers who presented on stage during Funds for Change, and with investors, operators, and thinkers navigating the tensions of impact, climate, and finance.Key topics: Designing investments for systems change and moving beyond individual ventures to understand the wider system, its barriers, actors, and conditions for success. Capital orchestration and investment design: connecting different types of capital to the right needs, sequencing financing, and calibrating risk and reward. Place-based, relational approaches to change and building trust and connections between communities, stakeholders, investors, and opportunities. 12 years of learning at Metabolic: evolving from sustainability projects and systems analysis toward a more integrated approach to mobilizing capital and shaping the future Episode breakdown:Intro - 00:00:00Welcome - 00:02:52Origin & Perspective - 00:05:06Flash Round - 00:35:25 Follow us on: https://linktr.ee/alaqapodcastDesigned & Hosted by Imène MaharziProduced by Taisa Echterhoff

3. 

   17 Sept 2026

   #26 Impact secondaries & market building: Nicolas Muller on making impact more investable for LPs

   Today, I’m joined by Nicolas Muller, Managing Director and Head of Private Equity Partnerships at Blue Earth Capital, a dedicated impact asset manager investing globally across social and environmental impact. With a background spanning traditional private equity, emerging markets, and impact investing, Nicolas works at a particularly interesting point in the impact ecosystem: building the market for impact secondaries and exploring how liquidity can help impact investing grow, mature, and ultimately become more mainstream. At Blue Earth Capital, Nicolas focuses on investing in and alongside impact funds, while developing a secondary market designed to unlock liquidity for investors and fund managers without losing sight of the impact mission. His conviction is that secondaries can do more than provide an exit: they can bring new investors into impact, give existing investors the ability to recycle capital, and give companies and managers the time they need to pursue long-term value creation. In this conversation, we unpack what it really takes to build an efficient impact market, from the tensions between impact investing and traditional asset management, to the role of dedicated impact players, the different forms of secondary transactions, and the question of whether impact should influence how we value a company. We also explore a particularly important tension: how can we create liquidity without undermining the patient capital that many impact businesses need to scale? Ultimately, Nicolas makes the case for looking beyond the individual investment and thinking about additionality at the level of the market itself, asking not only where capital can create impact, but how investors can help make impact investing more investable, scalable, and resilient as an asset class. This special playlist is developed in partnership with ChangeNOW. It brings together conversations with fund managers who presented on stage during Funds for Change, and with investors, operators, and thinkers navigating the tensions of impact, climate, and finance. Key topics: Dedicated impact investors need strong mission and cultural alignment Impact secondaries can unlock liquidity and attract new investors Patient capital helps impactful companies scale without premature exitsCatalytic investors should help build scalable impact markets Episode breakdown: Intro - 00:00:00 Welcome - 00:02:00 Origin & Perspective - 00:03:32 Contrarian Thoughts: 00:37:07 Flash Round - 00:39:15 Follow us on: https://linktr.ee/alaqapodcast Designed & Hosted by Imène Maharzi Produced by Taisa Echterhoff

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