Planet Impact

About Planet Impact

Planet Impact is a show on how non-conformist individuals are changing the world. In this show, we speak with the most impactful individuals such as the Ashoka fellows, Forbes 30 under 30 nominees, and TEDx Speakers. With support from Google-PRX, Bridge from Billions and Ashoka, this podcast aims to inspire everyone to become a changemaker.

Publisher

Manthan Shah

Category

business

Language

en

Explicit

No

First episode

29 May 2020

Latest episode

13 Aug 2026

Latest episodes

1 of 38 episodes have a transcript.

1. 

   13 Aug 2026

   Ep. 36. Amit Chandra: Bain Capital and ATE Chandra Foundation

   Amit Chandra is the Chairman of Bain Capital India, a board member of Tata Sons, and a founder-trustee of Ashoka University who has committed to give away 90% of his wealth. Through the A.T.E. Chandra Foundation, he and his wife Archana have rejuvenated thousands of water bodies across drought-prone India, including in Ahmednagar, where I grew up. Tiny lessons: India is the place to be and build, if you are playing the long game. Early in your career, optimize for the best apprenticeship, even if the paycheck isn’t the highest. Investing is 20% theory, 80% practice and feedback. Judge feedback by the intent behind it, not how it’s delivered. Perseverance is the singlemost important train he would look for in a mentee. Essay (a few personal highlights from the conversation): If you want to become a good investor, find yourself a good mentor and seek feedback. Amit chose DSP, the lowest-paying offer he had, because building quality foundation offered mattered more to him. He describes his early bosses as ironsmiths who beat him into shape with brutal feedback. Robert Greene writes something identical in Mastery: “The goal of an apprenticeship is not money, a good position, a title, or a diploma, but rather the transformation of your mind and character.” A test of a good mentor, Amit adds, is that they stop you from making really stupid mistakes, but also push you to aspire for things you never imagined you were capable of. Say what they need to hear, not what they want to hear. In a world driven by strongmen of questionable morals, honesty can be refreshing . Early in Amit’s career at DSP, Kumar Mangalam Birla’s group invited bankers to present for raising project capital. Every banker knew the expected answer. Amit, a junior banker at the time, ran the analysis, felt the project didn’t make sense, and was pretty direct with the answer he thought was right. That honesty laid the foundation for a relationship with the Birla group that lasted decades. After a point, the amount of wealth matters less. In a private chat two years ago, Amit told me something that stayed, “We start our lives in pursuit of wealth, but after say 30 crore rupees, each additional crore adds far less to your life.” Chuck Feeney, the cofounder of Duty Free Shoppers who was once the 23rd richest American alive. Feeney secretly transferred his entire fortune to his foundation, Atlantic Philanthropies, and gave away over $8 billion during his lifetime. Amit often references Feeney’s teachings, and the Chandras have taken that philosophy and made it their own, aiming to give away 90% of their income every year, not after death but right now. Link to the transcripts; spotify; youtube, and everywhere else you listen to my show. Resources and Episodes mentioned: People: Hemendra Kothari (Hemendra): Veteran investment banker, founder of DSP Financial Consultants / DSP Merrill Lynch, and one of Amit Chandra’s early bosses/mentors. Kumar Mangalam Birla: Chairman of the Aditya Birla Group, referenced during a key early DSP pitch story. Chuck Feeney: Renowned American billionaire, co-founder of Duty Free Shoppers (DFS), and pioneer of the “Giving While Living” movement. Rumi: The 13th-century Persian poet (quoted: “Yesterday I was clever, so I wanted to change the world. Today I am wise, so I want to change myself.”). Books: Sri Guru Granth Sahib (Sacred Hymns and Shabads) Mastery by Robert Greene The Billionaire Who Wasn’t: How Chuck Feeney Made and Gave Away a Fortune Without Anyone Knowing by Conor O’Clery

2. 

   26 Dec 2021

   Ep. 34. Kayalin Akens-Irby: Planet FWD

   Kayalin Akens-Irby is an impact-driven strategist focused on building a sustainable future through her work across tech, investment, and policy. As Head of Growth at Planet FWD, she helps consumer companies measure and reduce their carbon footprint and decarbonize supply chains. Previously, she served as Head of VC and Growth Equity at Malk Partners, where she developed ESG investment strategies for top private equity funds, contributing to over $500B in AUM. A frequent speaker at global climate conferences, Kayalin co-built a 26,000-member climate tech community on Clubhouse. She is a Claremont McKenna College graduate, a Board Member of the Upcycled Food Association, and an advisor to green tech startups.

3. 

   5 Dec 2021

   Ep. 33. Tim Dunn: Terra Alpha Investments

   Mr Tim Dunn is the co-founder and CIO of Terra Alpha Investments, a firm offering sustainable public equity investment strategies to accredited investors, combines decades of investment experience with a science-based understanding of environmental risks and opportunities. Terra Alpha uses two proprietary research frameworks—Enduring Business Models and Environmental Productivity—to identify companies that can deliver strong financial returns while contributing to a sustainable economy. With over 30 years in professional investing, including 19 years at Capital Research as a lead manager of major global equity funds, Mr Dunn draws on experience with environmental organizations, emphasizing the importance of aligning capital markets with sustainable resource use and societal needs.

Inside a recent episode

Ep. 25. Dr. Arunabha Ghosh: Founder-CEO, Council on Energy, Environment and Water (CEEW)

Published 30 Jul 2021 · Transcript excerpt

[…] Our funders can be philanthropic organizations, corporates, multilateral institutions. And one cannot tell, you know, us what to work on and the client cannot tell us what to write, you know. And it's like it's not even holding your nose from the other side of your face, but it's more about making not only your business model difficult, but making your business model disruptive, right. And if we could prove, if we could demonstrate, and that was the whole, that was the litmus test. If you could demonstrate that you can survive by making your business model that difficult, that you can remain independent, that you can create a platform, that people can come here and build careers, that people from rural areas with nothing for privilege will be able to, you know, walk into the Prime Minister's office and make a presentation, because there is value to the analysis they've done, and there's value to the place where they've done that analysis from. […]

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Public platform figures. Ratings count people who left a rating, not total listeners.

Apple Podcasts (US)

5.0 / 5

4 ratings

Spotify

5.0 / 5

1 ratings

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