Videos
Dive in and enjoy some of our favourite talks from the Meaning back catalogue
Rachel Lilley
Mindful Blinkers & Biases
Rachel offered us an insight into the realities of human biases and decision-making. She called on us to consider the potential for mindfulness to create shared understanding and compassion in work, and in society. And she warned us to be wary of easy remedies that maintain a toxic status quo.
Agamemnon Otero
Repowering community
Community energy pioneer Agamemnon shows us how the best kind of change happens not when it is imposed upon us by powerful corporations or tech entrepreneurs – but when we all feel we have a stake in the innovations and projects that truly improve our cities and our world.
Brett Hennig
The End of Politicians
Brett explains how the practice of sortition – once favoured by the ancient Greeks and now demanded by the Extinction Rebellion movement – could revive the practice of government, by asking ordinary people, randomly selected, to make decisions on behalf of society.
Nilofer Merchant
Onlyness in action
Nilofer Merchant is a champion for the untapped potential lying wasted in organisations around the world. She believes passionately in the power each and every one of us has to help solve the challenges of our time. And she brought her own unique gifts to Meaning 2019 as our guide and host for a day of inspiration and discovery.
Anand Giridharadas
in conversation with Aditya Chakrabortty
In his book ‘Winners Take All’ Anand Giridharadas vilifies the billionaire philanthropists who set themselves up as champions of humanity while propping up the broken system that put them at its top. We invited him to Brighton for a special Meaning Spotlight event.
Jennifer Brandel
People powered journalism
In an ever-changing world, journalism as we know it is struggling to survive. At Meaning, entrepreneur and journalist Jennifer Brandel made a compelling case for a new approach to media creativity using an innovative model for audience-first journalism.
Erinch Sahan
Fundamentally Fair
As chief executive of the World Fair Trade Organisation, Erinch brought to Meaning 2019 his passion and advocacy for fair trade – not just as a certification for products but as a way of operating collaboratively in business that supports communities, enables sustainability and creates prosperity.
Clare Farrell
Extinction Rebellion: ACT NOW!
Clare is an activist and campaigner devoting her creativity, her energy, and occasionally her personal liberty, to fight climate collapse. As a co-founder of Extinction Rebellion she is at the strategic heart of a mass movement of people using non-violent direct action in the firm belief that these are a proven way to create rapid change.
Miatta Fahnbulleh
The Green New Deal
As chief executive of the New Economics Foundation, Miatta leads an organisation that is at the cutting edge of thinking on progressive economics and social policy. At Meaning she helped us understand how a Green New Deal can work in practice to create a more equitable and sustainable economy for all.
Armin Steuernagel
Rethinking Ownership
Armin is an investor on a mission: a mission to help companies protect themselves from the clutches of vulture capital. At Meaning he introduced us to the concept of steward ownership as a way to nurture a business’s growth without risking the integrity of its founding purpose.
Paul Mason
A Clear Bright Future
Paul Mason returned to Meaning 2019 to help us explore what it means to be human in an age of algorithms and markets. He offered us a vision of ourselves as more than puppets, customers or cogs in a machine. An optimistic call to arms for the restoration of our collective humanity.
Maff Potts
The Power of Friends & Purpose
Maff Potts believes the key to a happier and healthier society is friendship. That’s why he founded the Association of Camerados. And he came to Meaning to tell the very personal story and invite us all to become Camerados too.
Sarah McKinley
Community Wealth Building
Sarah McKinley is part of the pioneering team that helped design ‘The Cleveland Model’ – a simple but radically transformative way for co-operative businesses to operate in partnership with public institutions as part of a healthy, resilient localised economy.
Bibi Bleekemolen
Fairphone
Not willing to accept the wasteful, unsustainable, unfair state of the consumer electronics industry, Fairphone decided to do things differently. Co-founder Bibi Bleekemolen shared their story at Meaning 2018.
Andrew Simms
Rapid transitions
Andrew is an author and campaigner with the powerful ability to not only communicate the scale of the challenges we face, but to embolden us to take the actions needed to urgently tackle climate breakdown.
Poppy Jaman
Mental Health First Aid England
In a world where our working culture often takes a toll on the mental health of entrepreneurs and employees alike, Poppy Jaman shares the concept of mental health first aid, and what we can all do to take better care of each other.
Amy Whitaker
Inventing Point B
Bridging the divide between the worlds of art and business, Amy asks us to think differently. She challenges us to approach big challenges with the mindset and methodology of artists, embracing the creativity the emerges from uncertainty.
Neil Mullarkey
Skills for a human future at work
Neil is one of the founders of modern improvisational theatre, best known as co-creator of the Comedy Store Players. At Meaning 2018 Neil hosted an interactive session, using his brains, wit and charm to help us explore some tools and approaches for effective collaboration at work.
Aditya Chakrabortty
The alternatives
Aditya is a renowned journalist with a deep understanding of the world, its problems and the innovations taking place with the potential to improve lives. At Meaning 2018 he asked us consider how to fix a broken society and shared some alternatives.
Dan McQuillan
Losing your voice
Dan’s deep understanding of science and technology is coupled with his acute awareness of humanity and society. At Meaning 2018 he asked us to consider the relationship between AI and our mental health.
Atif Choudhury
Zaytoun
Atif is an entrepreneur who believes business and politics can, and should, mix. Using commerce as a tool to spread justice and fairness, Zaytoun is enabling isolated farmers in the occupied Palestinian territories to find an international market for their produce.
Marjolein Lips-Wiersma
The struggle for meaning
Marjolein’s passion is understanding how academic research translates into practice, so that collectively people can create paid and unpaid meaningful work. At Meaning 2018 she helped us to see the difference between meaning and purpose.
Helen Taylor
Forest Green Rovers FC
Helen Taylor is ambassador for the world’s greenest football club. Working within an established and traditional culture, Helen shows what happens when organisations can find the bravery to take a stand for what they believe.
Lani Morris
The Map of Meaning
Lani Morris has spent her life and career helping people find the ability to take control of their lives. At Meaning 2018 she was guide in the use of The Map of Meaning as an important tool to aid our quest for meaning.
Meaning
Inside the conference
Discover how it feels to be part of this very special gathering of thinkers and do-ers. Hear from the people who come together to make Meaning what it is.
Mark Stevenson
Opening remarks
Mark brought his energetic approach to the whole of Meaning 2017 as our guest director and host. In his opening talk he sets out his hopes for a day full of conviction, optimism, purpose and connection.
Zoë Svendsen
WE KNOW NOT WHAT WE MAY BE
Theatre-maker Zoë Svendsen invites us to participate in a work in progress – exploring how future systems will enable us to live and work through climate change.
Kate Raworth
Doughnut Economics
Kate argues that we must find smarter ways to do business. Her ‘Doughnut Economics’ offers a way to think differently about our planet, our people and our priorities.
Kate Beecroft
Doing business in community
Kate Beecroft shows us how the dream of a collaborative workplace can be empowered by some innovative thinking and practical tools for smart decision-making.
Kyra Maya Phillips
The Misfit Economy
Boldest business innovators aren’t just found in corporate boardrooms or funky tech start-ups, but in street markets, prisons and refugee camps. Welcome to The Misfit Economy.
Jurriën Mentink
Intergenerational living
Jurriën lives at Humanitas – a community young people contribute their time and attention for the benefit of their old neighbours and companions.
Margaret Wheatley
Islands of sanity
Margaret Wheatley – an authority on systems thinking – shares her vision of the kind of leadership we need in order to survive these turbulent times.
Vickie Hawkins
Neutrality, impartiality & independence
Thriving in conditions of extreme disruption and uncertainty, Médecins Sans Frontières is truly remarkable. Vickie Hawkins shares with us an insight into MSF’s role in the world.
Vinay Gupta
The Internet of Agreements
Vinay is one of the world’s leading thinkers on global systems risk. He shares his thinking on the blockchain and its potential to radically alter world bureaucracy for the better.
Carl Jarvis
Challenging the norm
Carl brings powerful lessons from the education sector, based on a deep understanding of how teams learn and work.
Ynzo van Zanten
Chocolate with purpose
Ynzo tells the remarkable story of Tony’s Chocolonely, founded to radically change the way we think about chocolate and the people whose labour brings it to our shelves.
Mark Stevenson
The 8 principles of successful optimists
Mark is the visionary evangelist for the future who brought his energetic approach to the whole of Meaning 2017. In this his closing talk he guides us through the 8 principles of successful optimists.
Paul Mason
PostCapitalism
Paul addresses the ideas set out in his book ‘PostCapitalism – a guide to our future’. He argues that our economic system needs radically rethinking in this information age.
Jo Berry
The disarming power of empathy
Jo shares her deep and powerful insight into the true nature of empathy – and her meetings with Patrick Magee – the man whose actions killed her father.
Juliet Davenport
How to run an innovative business that does good
Juliet’s business Good Energy is subverting the conventional giants of the energy sector. She describes her journey from physicist to activist entrepreneur.
Oliver Maxwell
Pleasure, partnerships and productivity
Oliver explains why he set up a beekeeping venture on the rooftops of Copenhagen, creating value, purpose, jobs – and delicious honey.
Felix Weth
Platform cooperativism
Felix is founder of platform co-op Fairmondo: a connected marketplace where technology, power and profit belong to its users, not to the big online monopolies.
James Johnston
Democratising energy
James explains his disruptive, democratic approach to energy. As founder of Open Utility, he shows how technology brings transparency and opportunity to the industry.
Frances Coppola
The future of work and why we need a basic income
Frances takes a deeper look at the concept of basic universal income, arguing that we must reinvent the very idea of work if we are to allow everyone to fulfil their potential.
Hilary Jones
Ethical is the new normal
Hilary Jones lifts the lid on cosmetics company Lush, showing us how a firm ethical vision has shaped the development, practices and policies of this growing brand.
Paul Green Jr
Organisations as social technology
Paul provides a unique insight into self-management at US tomato-processing company Morning Star, where colleagues work together without the need for hierarchy.
Dave Birch
The blockchain and ambient accountability
Dave Birch examines the role of blockchain in building the future of business. Can we rethink the mechanisms and conventions of the global economy?
Clare Patey
Walk a Mile in My Shoes
Artist and curator Clare Patey uses participative artworks to show how the transformative power of empathy enriches our society, shifts mindsets and affects global issues.
Paul Mason
What will you do?
Summing up after the rousing talks and bold ideas of Meaning 2016, Paul asks what we – what you – will do to make a difference in our ever-changing world.
2016 panel discussion
21st century leadership
Chaired by Paul Mason, a panel drawn from politics, business and social affairs discusses the idea of leadership, and what it means in the 21st century.
Marcus Coates
Unconscious reasoning
Marcus creates performance art that evokes shamanism and animal spirits. He invites us to recognise the power of our subconscious mind to solve problems.
Julia Rebholz
A purposeful journey
Julia believes the energy industry needs to innovate. She argues that we should support the entrepreneurs bold enough to think differently about sustainability.
Jos de Blok
Organisation without management
Jos is founder of Dutch healthcare organisation Buurtzorg, where autonomous teams of nurses work free from the constraints of management structure.
James Vaccaro
Re-imagining banking
James Vacarro of Triodos Bank helps us look at the world’s challenges from the perspective of sustainable banking. How do we invest for good?
Jaideep Prabhu
Frugal Innovation
Jaideep gives us a refreshing view of innovation, demonstrating how working with fewer resources can lead to smarter results. Welcome to ‘Jugaad’ innovation.
Jackie Lynton
Harnessing community
Jackie tells us about the dramatic change that can be created when motivated people are empowered and motivated to work together as a real community.
Annette Mees
The Almanac Of The Future
Annette tells us about the Almanac of the Future – bringing together young and old people to map our own futures independently of governments of brands.
2015 panel discussion
Where does power belong in the organisations of the future?
Who holds the power in the companies and organisations that seek to be part of a better world? Our panel of experts and business leaders takes a look.
Joel and Michelle Levey
Experiencing mind-fitness workshop
Joel and Michelle Levey run an experiential workshop to help us more deeply understand how the practice of mindfulness helps us cope with our complex, challenging world.
Sun Tui
Horse powered learning
Sun Tui sheds light on her life-changing work, and what we as humans can learn from horses about communication, respect and leadership.
Stefania Druga
Making change
Stefania shows us how the innovation and collaboration engendered by maker culture is enabling grass-roots problem-solving in developing countries.
Neil Mullarkey
Improvising business
Neil explains how ‘improv’ has grown from its educational roots into a powerful form of comedy that is now being used in business to foster trust and collaboration.
Miriam Turner
Co-innovation for sustainability
Miriam Turner helps us see how businesses can adopt the principles of the circular economy – extending the lifespan of raw materials through designed reuse.
Joel and Michelle Levey
Resilience through complexity
Joel and Michelle invite us to embrace the complexity of our world and use mindfulness to promote leadership, change resilience and collective intelligence.
Lauri Feinsod
At lifening speed
Lauri tells the remarkable personal story of how she found herself needing to press life’s reset button. For her, success and consciousness go hand in hand.
Ben Dyson
Positive Money
Ben explains why he founded Positive Money, a campaign for a banking system that works for society. He challenges us to imagine a truly sustainable system.
Alexander Kjerulf
How to be a workplace rebel
World-renowned happiness-at-work expert Alexander calls for a movement of workplace rebels willing to embrace their principles and stand up for what is right.
Iain Chambers
The story of Exeter Street Hall
Two years after appealing for help, Iain tells us how a community with drive and vision has come together to create something very special in Brighton.
Mark Stevenson
An optimist on tour
Mark examines how emerging technologies will disrupt and transform the future of geo-politics, industries, organisations, careers, and life as we know it.
Dr Sue Black
Technology for change
Sue Black knows that access to technology needs to be fair and equitable. So her ‘TechMums’ project takes up the challenge of equipping everyone with the skills they need.
Dave Birch
The future of money
A thought-leader in financial technology, Dave gives us an entertaining tour of money: what is does, how we use it and how it is evolving in our ever-changing world.
Mikel Lezamiz
Cooperative working
How do employee-owned businesses manage to grow and thrive in a troubled economy? Mikel tells us the story of MONDRAGON, its people and its success.
Anne-Marie Huby
Reinventing charitable giving
As founder ofJustGiving, Anne-Marie Huby tells us how innovation can disrupt all kinds of services, creating opportunities for entrepreneurs and charities alike.
Rick Falkvinge
How to start a revolution
Founder of the Swedish Pirate Party, Rick Falkvinge inspires us with a story of how firm conviction, strong networks and a little technology can change the world.
Lee Bryant
21st century business and leadership
Lee’s command of business, technology and international relations has given him a vision of how we should work and lead. He shares it with us.
Mary Alice Arthur
The power of stories
Mary Alice shares with us her belief in the power of stories to build connections, share meaning and understand each other’s purpose.
James Watt
A different kind of business
Punk brewer James tells the story of how he co-founded BrewDog, who – with a big vision and a load of passion – overturned an entire industry to become Scotland’s biggest brewer.
Umair Haque
The future of capitalism
Rogue economist Umair Haque suggests to us that capitalism is broken. It is no longer fit for purpose. So where do we go from here?
Honor Harger
Seeing in the dark
Artist Honor Harger takes us on a creative journey where technology, infrastructure and human beings are combined to create a vision of the future.
Stowe Boyd
Imagining the post-normal business
Stowe is one of the big thinkers in the world of innovative business. His research and insights helps us see how the near-future of business could actually look.
Caroline Lucas
When is enough enough?
As the UK’s only Green Party MP, Caroline fights for better ways to live and work, arguing that our traditional ideas of economic growth have become a distraction.
David Hieatt
Purpose in action
David Hieatt believes in quality. With a single-minded focus, he has built companies, manufactured products, created employment and rebuilt the livelihood and well-being of a town.
Indy Johar
The future of capitalism
Beginning what has become a strong future-focussed theme among Meaning speakers, Indy asks us to imagine what the future of life and work may hold.
Karen Pine
Do Something Different
Karen Pine shares with us her work on how we achieve significant personal growth not by changing what we think, but what we do. Hear the stories of the people she’s helped.
Alex Kjerulf
Happiness at work
Meaning’s first brush with renowned happiness evangelist Alex Kjerulf. What does happiness at work really look like and feel like? How can you be happier?
Pam Warhurst
The power of small actions
Pam Warhurst likes to shake things up. She tells her story of seized opportunities, healthy communities and working quickly with great impact.
Margaret Elliot
Mutuality Forever
Margaret Elliot believes we should do the right thing by one another – not just in our daily actions, but in the way we create, own and run businesses.
Vinay Gupta
Plausible Utopias
What does the future hold? Will it be brutal and volatile, or intelligent and full of goodness? Vinay considers all the possibilities as he opens our minds to uncertainty.
Luis Suarez
A collaborative future
Does email hold us back? Can we find smarter processes that improve our communication, enable our work and keep us happier and healthier? Meet the man who gave up email.
Iain Chambers
Finding meaning in unexpected places
Brighton community leader Iain Chambers took a stand at Meaning 2012, feeling the goodwill in the room giving him inspiration on his quest to save a community venue.
Andrew Simms
Rapid transitions
Andrew is a journalist and author with the powerful ability to not only communicate the scale of the challenges we face, but to embolden us to take the actions needed to create a more positive future.