The Design for Freedom podcast focuses on the elimination of forced and child labour in global building materials supply chains. By 2030, global spending in construction is set to reach $17.5 trillion. But current estimates have over 28 million people around the world held in forced labour conditions - many of whom extract the materials and make the products that go into our homes, schools, office buildings, and landscapes. The podcast digs into the uncomfortable truths about the global supply of critical products and materials relied upon by the construction sector, and the challenges that persist – and it provides the insights, perspective, information and tools that you need in order to take action and be part of the solution. Design for Freedom is a movement created by Grace Farms Foundation in 2020. Three principles underpin its mission to eliminate forced and child labour from the building materials supply chain; to find and address forced and child labour, to pursue ethical decarbonisation and to prioritise circularity and the use of regenerative materials.
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Host Elaine interviews Mahendra Pandy, Director at Humanity United, and Vardhan Mehta, CEO at Acelab, about the critical role of global data and AI in eliminating forced labor from building material supply chains.
9 Jul 2025
Design for Freedom Podcast: Natural Stone
Elaine interviews Steve Webb and Pierre Bidaud about natural stone's sustainability through ethical sourcing, technological innovation, and circularity to eliminate forced labor in construction material supply chains.
27 May 2025
Design for Freedom Podcast: The Venice Biennale
Chelsea Thatcher and Nina Cooke John discuss the Design for Freedom movement's exhibit at the Venice Biennale of Architecture, highlighting forced labor in building materials and ethical solutions; Elaine Mitchel-Hill hosts this interview.
26 Mar 2025
Design for Freedom Podcast: The Context
The Design for Freedom podcast focuses on the elimination of forced and child labour in global building materials supply chains.
By 2030, global spending in construction is set to reach $17.5 trillion. But current estimates have over 28 million people around the world held in forced labour conditions - many of whom extract the materials and make the products that go into our homes, schools, office buildings, and landscapes.
The podcast digs into the uncomfortable truths about the global supply of critical products and materials relied upon by the construction sector, and the challenges that persist – and it provides the insights, perspective, information and tools that you need in order to take action and be part of the solution.
Design for Freedom (https://www.designforfreedom.org/) is a movement created by Grace Farms Foundation (https://gracefarms.org/) in 2020. Three principles underpin its mission to eliminate forced and child labour from the building materials supply chain; to find and address forced and child labour, to pursue ethical decarbonisation and to prioritise circularity and the use of regenerative materials.
The first episode sets the context for the series and highlights what steps we can all take now. It is presented by Elaine Mitchel-Hill (https://gracefarms.org/team-posts/elaine-mitchel-hill), International Lead at Design for Freedom. The guests are Sharon Prince (https://gracefarms.org/team-posts/sharon-prince), CEO and Founder at Grace Farms Foundation, and the visionary and creator of the Design for Freedom Movement; and John Morrison (https://www.ihrb.org/people/john-morrison), Chief Executive of the Institute for Human Rights and Business, who brings an incredible wealth of experience in human rights and construction across the globe.
You can read a full transcrtipt of the episode here (https://researchpodcasts.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/Design-For-Freedom-S1-E1-Transcript.pdf).
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy (https://acast.com/privacy) for more information.
13 Mar 2025
Design for Freedom Podcast
Have you ever wondered who was involved in supply the materials that built your house, your child’s school, or your office?
Do you work in the construction sector and struggle with the multiple challenges involved in the ethical sourcing of building materials?
And are you someone who wants to see forced and child labour eradicated?
If so this is the podcast for you.
By 2030, global spending in construction is set to reach $17.5 trillion. But current estimates have over 50 million people around the world held in forced labour conditions - many of whom are the people that extract the materials and make the products that go into our homes, schools, office buildings, and landscapes.
Three principles underpin the Design for Freedom mission - to find and address forced and child labour, to pursue ethical decarbonisation and to prioritise circularity and the use regenerative materials.
Across the first series of our podcast we are digging into the uncomfortable truths about the global supply of natural stone, paints and dyes, and glass. We’ll set out the current context in which the construction industry operates, and we’ll provide the insights, perspective, information and tools that you need in order to take action and be part of the solution.
Listen to our series trailer to find out what you can expect from Episode 1 hosted by Elaine Mitchel-Hill, International Lead at Design for Freedom, a Grace Farms Foundation initiative.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy (https://acast.com/privacy) for more information.
Who has been a guest on Design for Freedom Podcast
Names identified in recent episode analyses. Showing up to five guests.
Mahendra Pandy
Vardhan Mehta
Steve Webb
Pierre Bidaud
Chelsea Thatcher
Podcast Authority Score: 20 / 100
A composite of feed quality, social presence, YouTube performance and engagement. Read the methodology.
Quality
40
Social presence
0
YouTube
0
Engagement
0
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Guest appearances
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