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Intersections Podcast

Intersections Podcast

By: Dr. Hitendra Wadhwa
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A podcast for leaders and changemakers, Intersections reveals what it takes to make an outsized contribution to humanity—cutting across disciplines, uncovering principles and practices, and drawing from the lived truths of those who have been walking that path. Hosted by Mentora founder and Columbia Business School professor Hitendra Wadhwa, Intersections seeks to activate our best selves by dissolving boundaries—between profit and purpose, theory and practice, east and west, science and spirituality, inner and outer, and more.

Hitendra Wadhwa 2025
Personal Development Personal Success Social Sciences
Episodes
  • The Greatest Human Experiment | Lynne Twist
    May 22 2026

    What can one little individual do that could positively impact all of humanity? What mindset has silently shaped, distorted, and even destabilized our institutions, our economies, and even our sense of self? What is our relationship with money—and how can we align it with the deepest longing of our souls? Are we living inside an inherited story that no longer serves us—and if so, what would it take to author a new one? And in a time of collective fracture, could the real revolution be ontological—a shift not in what we have, but in who we are?

    Find out from Lynne Twist, exclusively in conversation with Dr. Hitendra Wadhwa on Intersections Podcast.

    Lynne Twist is a globally recognized humanitarian, author, and visionary who has spent more than forty years working to end hunger, empower women and girls, advance social justice, and protect the Amazon rainforest. As a senior leader and global fundraiser for The Hunger Project, she worked in more than 50 countries—from Mother Teresa’s mission in Calcutta to refugee camps in Ethiopia—gaining profound, firsthand insight into the human experience of scarcity and sufficiency. She later co-founded The Pachamama Alliance at the invitation of the Achuar people of the Amazon, forming a unique partnership that safeguards rainforest ecosystems, supports Indigenous sovereignty, and offers global education programs that cultivate ecological awareness, spiritual responsibility, and collective action. She is also the founder of the Soul of Money Institute, which has worked with over 100,000 people to transform their relationship with money and align financial resources with purpose and integrity. Her best-selling book The Soul of Money is considered a classic in conscious leadership, and her newest book, Living a Committed Life, distills her decades of activism into a guide for finding freedom and fulfillment in service of a larger purpose.

    In this episode, Lynne reveals:

    - The greatest experiment one visionary thinker undertook

    - The mindset at the root of all human misery—and how to transcend it

    - The hidden architecture of our relationship with money—and how to realign it with the soul

    - The inherited story shaping our institutions, identities, and destinies—and what it would mean to rewrite it

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    1 hr and 35 mins
  • Getting the Whole World to Agree | Christiana Figueres
    May 1 2026

    What does it take to get the whole world to agree with you? Where do all great change movements begin—and what kind of leadership can unify nations in a time of deep division? Which leadership coach can you turn to in every season of change—timeless, wordless, and always present? What’s the connection between personal and planetary resilience? And why is spiritual grounding essential for today’s leaders and changemakers?

    Find out from Christiana Figueres, exclusively in conversation with Dr. Hitendra Wadhwa on Intersections Podcast.

    Christiana Figueres is one of the world’s most influential climate leaders, best known for her role as Executive Secretary of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change, where she led the six-year diplomatic effort that culminated in the landmark 2015 Paris Agreement, uniting 195 nations in a shared climate commitment. After leaving the UN, she co-founded Global Optimism, a social-purpose organization advancing the mindset and momentum needed for global climate solutions. She also co-hosts the award-winning podcast Outrage & Optimism, one of the world’s top climate podcasts, and is the co-author of the international bestseller, The Future We Choose: Surviving the Climate Crisis, which introduces the mindset of “stubborn optimism” and outlines the actions required to build a regenerative future.

    In this episode, Christiana reveals:

    - How to get the whole world to agree with you

    - Our best leadership coach in epic and everyday moments

    - Why spiritual grounding is essential for today’s leaders and changemakers

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    48 mins
  • How Systems Change | Jeff Raikes
    Apr 17 2026

    What kind of work ethic sustains greatness, and lays the foundation for enduring impact? How do successful leaders carry themselves in a room full of people? What are the underlying ingredients of systemic change, and how can one aspire to evolve systems that benefit everyone?

    Find out from Jeff Raikes, exclusively in conversation with Dr. Hitendra Wadhwa on Intersections Podcast.

    Jeff Raikes is the co-founder of the Raikes Foundation, which he and his wife, Tricia, established in 2002. The foundation helps empower young people to reach their full potential by supporting innovative work in education, youth homelessness and expanded learning programs. Jeff retired from his role as chief executive officer of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation in 2014, having guided the global organization through six years of significant growth. He came to the philanthropic world from a 27-year career at Microsoft Corporation, where he was a member of the senior leadership team and president of the Microsoft Business Division. Jeff serves on the boards of Costco Wholesale, Hudl, Green Diamond Resources, Epicrop, and the Jeffrey S. Raikes School of Computer Science and Management at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. He has served as chair of the Stanford University Board of Trustees, where he received a bachelor’s degree in engineering-economic systems.

    In this episode, Jeff reveals:

    - The hidden risk of being the smartest person in the room

    - The work ethic every successful leader and changemaker must cultivate

    - How systemic change happens, and how to evolve systems that benefit everyone

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    1 hr and 16 mins
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