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What happens when you fill a room with young creators and ask them how they really feel about AI? This is the second episode in a three-part Creative Futures Lab series on Be the Change Podcast, so if you haven’t listened to the first part yet, it's worth starting there for more context: Part 1 on Apple Podcasts Part 1 on Spotify Part 1 on YouTube Part 1 on Podbean On 2 September 2026, Be the Change Media Network and Studio Self-Made, together with 100% Human at Work, Spark UK, and FlippGen, hosted the Creative Futures Lab. At the event, participants engaged in honest conversations about whether and how we can use AI creatively, ethically, and intentionally. In this episode, Lily Mott shares a selection of quick interviews she recorded with nine of the people in the room on the day: podcasters, bloggers, communications professionals, and changemakers, each with a very different relationship with AI. Some use it every day, some have drawn firm lines around when they will and won’t use it, and most sit somewhere in the middle. They talk about how AI shows up in their work, whether they’re comfortable with that, and what worries them most. The mood in the room leaned more nervous than excited, but as the guests in this episode discuss, it’s not as simple as being for or against AI. They also share advice for other young creators trying to work all of this out: explore widely and talk to people with different experiences, think about your values and your impact on the planet, don’t rely too heavily on any single tool, and be brave enough to stick to what you believe. To get connected with the guests, find them on LinkedIn: Aaron Campbell - Working across mental health, LGBT rights, youth advocacy, and more Paddy Crump - Campaigns Director at FlippGen Tanya Roy - Marketing Lead at Spark UK Remi Olokun - Content Creator and Social Media Lead at My Life My Say Siddhartha Kurapati - Working in digital media at an independent investigative news organization and co-host of The Political Dispatch Natasha Pavey - Host of the Imperfect Activist Podcast Sandra Rowinska - Host of Formula Amateur Jake Richings - Author of the Authentic Engagement blog Urban Judge - Group CEO of YouthTV To learn more about: Be the Change Media Network: www.bethechangemedianetwork.com Studio Self-Made: www.studioselfmade.com FlippGen: www.flippgen.com Spark UK: www.sparkuk.co.uk 100% Human at Work: www.human-atwork.org Follow Be the Change Podcast on Instagram: @bethechangepodcast. Follow Be the Change Media Network on Instagram: @bethechangemedianetwork. If you have any questions, please email Lily Mott at [email protected]. Opinions shared by the guests and hosts of this show are their own and do not necessarily represent the views of Be the Change Media Network.

Whether you use AI every day, refuse to touch it, or fall somewhere in the middle, chances are you’re still finding your line, and we need to talk about that. This is the first episode in a three-part Creative Futures Lab series on Be the Change Podcast. Lily Mott talks with Conor Warren, founder and CEO of Spark UK, and Paddy Crump, Campaigns and Content Lead at FlippGen, about why they partnered with Be the Change Media Network and Studio Self-Made to launch the Creative Futures Lab. On 2 September 2026, around 40 young creators, founders, AI professionals, funders, and organizations came together at Canva's event venue for an honest conversation about AI, one that wasn’t about deciding whether it’s good or bad. Conor and Paddy open up about their own, very different relationships with AI. Conor shares how it has helped a small charity team stretch further and build a platform for a fraction of the usual cost, while also worrying about the young people turning to chatbots for mental health support. Paddy reflects on the moment when polishing every email with AI became a habit and how that led him to rethink how and why to use it. Together with Lily, they unpack the growing divide between how charities and corporate teams use AI, why we need to have these conversations, and what’s still giving them hope: young people who care about getting it right and a renewed appreciation for work made by humans. Whether you use AI constantly, avoid it completely, or sit somewhere in the messy middle, this conversation isn’t about changing your mind. As Conor, Paddy, and Lily discuss in the episode, there’s no guidebook for any of this, so be kind to yourself. To get connected with Conor, find him on LinkedIn and Instagram. To get connected with Paddy, find him on LinkedIn and Instagram. To more about: Be the Change Media Network: www.bethechangemedianetwork.com Studio Self-Made: www.studioselfmade.com FlippGen: www.flippgen.com Spark UK: www.sparkuk.co.uk 100% Human at Work: www.human-atwork.org Follow Be the Change Podcast on Instagram: @bethechangepodcast. Follow Be the Change Media Network on Instagram: @bethechangemedianetwork. If you have any questions, please email Lily Mott at [email protected]. Opinions shared by the guests and hosts of this show are their own and do not necessarily represent the views of Be the Change Media Network.

Trigger warning: This episode includes discussion of sexual violence, drugging, and the aftermath of assault. Please take care while listening. Today, October 8th, is the National Day of Action to end sexual violence, and Grace Wankelman is helping organize the "From the Frat House to the White House" action in Washington, DC. In this episode of Be the Change Podcast, recorded the day before the National Day of Action, Lily Mott talks with Grace about her experiences with sexual violence and how those experiences led her into advocacy. She also talks about what it was like to be met with dismissal by the institutions she turned to for help. Grace shares what she learned from years of campus advocacy: that healing doesn’t follow one path, that you don’t have to be healed to do this work, and that stepping back to rest is part of keeping a movement going. She explains why this National Day of Action is meant as a catalyst rather than a one-off event, as well as what she hopes this day will start and how it can be sustained. She also speaks directly to men about how to making people feel safer, holding their friends accountable, and sometimes "killing the vibe" are great ways to start making change. Her message for anyone wondering what they can do to get involved: start small, show up for the people in your life, and keep going after the headlines fade. If you or someone you know has been affected by anything discussed in this episode, support is available. In the US, you can call the RAINN National Sexual Assault Hotline at 1-800-656-HOPE (4673). It’s free, confidential, and open 24/7. You can also chat online at https://rainn.org/help-and-healing/hotline/. To get connected with Grace, find her on Instagram. Please engage with the following organizations to learn more and get involved in the fight to end sexual violence: me too. International: https://metoomvmt.org/ Women's March: https://www.womensmarch.com/ FEMINIST: https://www.instagram.com/feminist Feminist Generation: https://feministgeneration.org/ Reckoning Action: https://www.reckoningaction.org/ Follow Be the Change Podcast on Instagram: @bethechangepodcast. Follow Be the Change Media Network on Instagram: @bethechangemedianetwork. If you have any questions, please email Lily Mott at [email protected]. Opinions shared by the guests and hosts of this show are their own and do not necessarily represent the views of Be the Change Media Network.

Change comes when we listen to each other, even when we disagree. In this episode of Be the Change Podcast, Lily Mott talks with Filip Janevski, a member of the Council of the City of Skopje in North Macedonia, whom she met at the Changing Narratives Conference with the No Hate Speech Network in Trenčín, Slovakia. Despite sitting on different sides of the political spectrum, Lily and Filip hit it off immediately, bonding over a shared belief that politics only works when people genuinely listen to one another, rather than just waiting for their turn to speak. Filip shares what it's like to serve as a local councillor since the age of 23, why he believes local government is where people's everyday lives are most directly shaped, and why he thinks integrity, doing the right thing when no one's watching, is the quality missing most from political life today. Filip and Lily also discuss why voter turnout in local elections is so often overlooked and why every single vote genuinely matters. His message for anyone feeling disillusioned by politics right now: don't stop believing that respecting one another and finding common ground are possible, even across our differences. To get connected with Filip, find him on Instagram. Follow Be the Change Podcast on Instagram: @bethechangepodcast. Follow Be the Change Media Network on Instagram: @bethechangemedianetwork. If you have any questions, please email Lily Mott at [email protected]. Opinions shared by the guests and hosts of this show are their own and do not necessarily represent the views of Be the Change Media Network.

Trigger Warning: This episode includes discussion of suicide. Please take care while listening. Some of the darkest chapters of our lives can become the reasons we keep showing up and moving forward, one step at a time. In this episode of Be the Change Podcast, Lily Mott talks with Jessica Arden Lefford, who is running the New York City Marathon with Still I Run, a charity that promotes running for mental wellbeing. Jess shares how a few casual runs in San Diego turned into a full-blown love of running and a found family through local run clubs, and how, after losing her sister and then her mother to suicide, she found her way to Still I Run. Jess reflects on what it means to run for people rather than just a personal best and why showing up, even on the hardest days, has become its own form of self-care for her. When Jess crosses the finish line in New York this autumn, she'll be running for her sister, for her mom, for her team, and for herself, to prove that even after tragedy and through dark chapters, it's possible (and so important) to keep moving forward. To get connected with Jess, find her on Instagram. You can support Jess's fundraiser for Still I Run via this link. To learn more and get involved with Still I Run, visit their page: linktr.ee/stillirun. Follow Be the Change Podcast on Instagram: @bethechangepodcast. Follow Be the Change Media Network on Instagram: @bethechangemedianetwork. If you have any questions, please email Lily Mott at [email protected]. Opinions shared by the guests and hosts of this show are their own and do not necessarily represent the views of Be the Change Media Network.

Pay, recognition, competition for opportunities... oh my! Somewhere along the way, the youth sector may have lost the plot on why it does this work in the first place. In this episode of Be the Change Podcast, recorded to mark the second anniversary of The Forgotten Generation Podcast, Lily Mott chats with its host, Troy Njenje Mbanga, to talk about what's really missing in the youth and charity sectors today. Troy traces the podcast back to a poem he wrote about disability and feeling unheard, and reflects on the last two years of conversations. But the heart of this conversation is his diagnosis of a deeper issue: a youth sector increasingly focused on pay, recognition, and competition for opportunities, when the real driving force should be connection, community, and genuine passion for change. Troy and Lily unpack what it means to stay youth-led, what real youth power looks like, and why remembering where and why you started (as well as keeping the work fun) might be the key to avoiding burnout. To get connected with Troy, find him on Instagram and LinkedIn. Listen, read, and subscribe to The Forgotten Generation Podcast and Blog: Wherever you get your podcasts: https://theforgottengenerationpodcast.podbean.com On Substack: https://substack.com/profile/411756950-the-forgotten-generation Listen to my first interview with Troy here: https://bethechangepodcast.podbean.com/e/troy-njenje-mbanga/ Follow Be the Change Podcast on Instagram: @bethechangepodcast. Follow Be the Change Media Network on Instagram: @bethechangemedianetwork. If you have any questions, please email Lily Mott at [email protected]. Opinions shared by the guests and hosts of this show are their own and do not necessarily represent the views of Be the Change Media Network.

What does creativity mean in a world increasingly shaped by AI? And how does creativity shape politics? In this episode, Lily Mott is joined by Tom Spare, the creator of Spare a Thought and co-host of The Political Dispatch, to explore both of these questions. Lily and Tom talk about what creativity actually means, why expressing the ideas in our heads can help us understand ourselves and the world around us, and what happens when we start relying too heavily on technology to do that thinking for us. They also explore how AI is changing the creative industries, what this means for young people entering an increasingly uncertain job market, and why skills like communication, curiosity, authenticity, and critical thinking are becoming even more important. The conversation then turns to politics. Lily and Tom discuss the growing role of humor, graphic design, storytelling, and social media in political communication, and why politics needs creative thinking to tackle some of the biggest challenges we face. To get connected with Tom, find him on Instagram and LinkedIn. Listen, read, and subscribe to Spare a Thought: Wherever you get your podcasts: https://spareathought.podbean.com/ On Substack: https://tomspare.substack.com/ Listen to The Political Dispatch wherever you get your podcasts: https://thepoliticaldispatch.podbean.com/ Listen to my first interview with Tom here: https://bethechangepodcast.podbean.com/e/tom-spare/ Follow Be the Change Podcast on Instagram: @bethechangepodcast. Follow Be the Change Media Network on Instagram: @bethechangemedianetwork. If you have any questions, please email Lily Mott at [email protected]. Opinions shared by the guests and hosts of this show are their own and do not necessarily represent the views of Be the Change Media Network.

For climate activists, watching the impacts of the climate crisis unfold can bring a particular kind of anxiety: knowing what is happening, understanding what is at stake, and still having to find the energy to keep fighting for change. In this episode of Be the Change Podcast, Lily Mott sits down with climate activist and refugee rights advocate, Natasha “Tash” Pavey, during the UK’s fifth heatwave of 2026 to talk about climate anxiety, rising temperatures, and what it means to keep taking action when the future can feel overwhelming. Tash shares what it was like to start climate activism as a teenager, how her understanding of the climate crisis has changed as its impacts become increasingly visible, and why she believes community can be one of the most powerful responses to climate anxiety. As the climate crisis becomes increasingly difficult to ignore, how do we turn our anxiety and frustration into action? Please leave a rating, share a comment, and subscribe! Check out the following resources and organizations to learn more and get involved: Force of Nature: https://www.forceofnature.xyz/ Climate Cafés: https://www.forceofnature.xyz/climate-cafe #StopRosebank Campaign: https://www.stopcambo.org.uk/ To get connected with Tash, find her on Instagram and LinkedIn. Listen to my first interview with Tash here: https://bethechangepodcast.podbean.com/e/natasha-pavey/ Follow Be the Change Podcast on Instagram: @bethechangepodcast. Follow Be the Change Media Network on Instagram: @bethechangemedianetwork. If you have any questions, please email Lily Mott at [email protected]. Opinions shared by the guests and hosts of this show are their own and do not necessarily represent the views of Be the Change Media Network.

For many young people, the biggest barrier to making change isn't a lack of ideas or opportunities. Instead, it's the confidence to act on them. In this episode of Be the Change Podcast, Lily Mott sits down with autism practitioner, researcher, and #iwill Ambassador Folusho Bello to talk about how confidence has shaped her journey. Folusho shares how her early volunteer work sparked a passion, what it was like to deliver a keynote speech at the Council of Europe despite deeming herself "very shy," and the research she's conducted (and hopes to pursue further) into early brain-based markers of autism, with a particular focus on young women and girls of color, who are too often overlooked in existing research and diagnosis. To get connected with Folusho, find her on Instagram and LinkedIn. Please leave a rating, share a comment, and subscribe! Follow Be the Change Media Network on Instagram: @bethechangemedianetwork. Follow Be the Change Podcast on Instagram: @bethechangepodcast. If you have any questions, please email Lily Mott at [email protected]. Opinions shared by the guests and hosts of this show are their own and do not necessarily represent the views of Be the Change Media Network.

In a world of AI and algorithms, it's easy to feel more connected than ever... and further apart than ever, all at once. In this episode of Be the Change Podcast, Lily Mott talks with award-winning public speaker and poet De-Mario Knowles about how a single poem, written almost by accident during the pandemic, launched him into a speaking career built around connecting with people. De-Mario shares how losing his community involvement to COVID lockdowns pushed him toward public speaking, the moment a stranger's message showed him the real impact of his words, and the nerve-wracking, unforgettable experiences that came after, including MC-ing a global leadership conference and introducing a Member of Parliament as "bestie." Along the way, he opens up about balancing his public speaking career with his pre-med studies, and why finding someone doing what you want to do and replicating it in your own way is often the best place to start. De-Mario's story is a reminder of something simple: change often starts with connection. To get connected with De-Mario, find him on Instagram and LinkedIn. Please leave a rating, share a comment, and subscribe! Follow Be the Change Media Network on Instagram: @bethechangemedianetwork. Follow Be the Change Podcast on Instagram: @bethechangepodcast. If you have any questions, please email Lily Mott at [email protected]. Opinions shared by the guests and hosts of this show are their own and do not necessarily represent the views of Be the Change Media Network.

Finding your passion is one thing. Finding your people is another, and sometimes if you're lucky, they arrive together. In this episode of Be the Change Podcast, Lily Mott talks with Thomas Grimwood, host of two Be the Change Media Network podcasts, Performing Passions and Super Summers, and a fundraiser for the National Autistic Society, about the winding road to finding his passions and his community. Thomas shares how performing arts became the thing that "helped him find his people" after years of trying different hobbies and workshops. He also discusses how finding real community (your "wildcats," as he puts it in reference to High School Musical, of course!) is always worth the wait, even when it takes time. As Thomas' story shows, sometimes the biggest change comes not from a single big leap, but from finally finding the people who make you feel like you belong. To get connected with Thomas, find him on Instagram. Listen to Performing Passions wherever you're listening to this episode: https://performingpassions.podbean.com/ Listen to Super Summers on all podcasting platforms, as well: https://super-summers.podbean.com/ Please leave a rating, share a comment, and subscribe! If you have guest suggestions or would like to join me on Be the Change Podcast, please email me at [email protected]. Follow Be the Change Media Network on Instagram: @bethechangemedianetwork. Follow Be the Change Podcast on Instagram: @bethechangepodcast. Opinions shared by the guests and hosts of this show are their own and do not necessarily represent the views of Be the Change Media Network.

In (another) solo episode, I reflect on the last six years of Be the Change Podcast and shares a vision for its next six. After spending the past year immersed in a community of changemakers, social impact leaders, and purpose-driven storytellers, I took some time to ask myself some difficult questions: What is the purpose of Be the Change Podcast? What about Be the Change Media Network? What happens when we surround ourselves only with people who share our values? Am I truly practicing the openness, curiosity, and dialogue that I encourage in others? Using Tommy Robinson's appearance at The Oxford Union as a catalyst, I explore the dangers of echo chambers, the growing polarization of public discourse, and why meaningful change often requires engaging with ideas that challenge us. To be clear, this episode is not about defending controversial viewpoints. It is about defending the importance of conversation, critical thinking, and intellectual curiosity. As Be the Change Podcast enters its seventh year, I announce a new direction for the podcast: creating space for thoughtful, respectful conversations with people whose perspectives differ from my own. Rather than debates, clickbait, or "gotcha" moments, this new era will focus on listening, learning, and understanding across disagreement. If you've ever changed your mind, held an unpopular opinion, or wondered how we can bridge divides in an increasingly polarized world, this episode is an invitation to you. Come join me on this podcast... I want to hear from you! Please leave a rating, share a comment, and subscribe! If you have guest suggestions or would like to join me on Be the Change Podcast, please email me at [email protected]. Follow Be the Change Media Network on Instagram: @bethechangemedianetwork. Follow Be the Change Podcast on Instagram: @bethechangepodcast. Opinions shared by the guests and hosts of this show are their own and do not necessarily represent the views of Be the Change Media Network.

The first episode of Be the Change Podcast was released on June 2, 2020, and this episode marks six years since that first episode. I've spent six years asking my guests: "Lots of young people want to make change but might not know where to get started. What is your advice for those people who might be listening?" So, I devoted this anniversary episode to answering that question myself. Thank you so much to my family, friends, guests, and listeners because, without all of you, there is no way Be the Change Podcast would still be around six years later. Keep being the change you wish to see in the world! Please leave a rating, share a comment, and subscribe! Follow Be the Change Media Network on Instagram: @bethechangemedianetwork. Follow Be the Change Podcast on Instagram: @bethechangepodcast. If you have any questions, please email Lily Mott at [email protected]. Opinions shared by the guests and hosts of this show are their own and do not necessarily represent the views of Be the Change Media Network.

This episode features Anita Okunde, Michael-Akolade Ayodeji, Zander Moricz, and Kahlil Greene. On 14 May 2026, Zander Moricz, founder and executive director of SEE Alliance, and Kahlil Greene, also known as the Gen Z Historian, debated at The Oxford Union, where I recorded a live interview with them. The debate was sponsored by VoxPop, which is an app that teaches young people about politics, as well as encouraging them to get involved in politics. I also interviewed Anita Okunde and Michael-Akolade Ayodeji, who are the co-founders of the app to learn more about their work. To learn more about VoxPop, visit: https://www.voxpopco.org/ To get connected with Anita Okunde, find her on Instagram and on LinkedIn. To get connected with Michael-Akolade Ayodeji, find him on Instagram and on LinkedIn. To get connected with Zander Moricz, find him on Instagram and on LinkedIn. To get connected with Kahlil Greene, find him on Instagram and on LinkedIn. Please leave a rating, share a comment, and subscribe! Follow Be the Change Media Network on Instagram: @bethechangemedianetwork. Follow Be the Change Podcast on Instagram: @bethechangepodcast. If you have any questions, please email Lily Mott at [email protected]. Opinions shared by the guests and hosts of this show are their own and do not necessarily represent the views of Be the Change Media Network.

For Dyar Hussain, changemaking doesn't fit neatly into one box, and neither does he. In this episode of Be the Change Podcast, Lily Mott talks with Dyar Hussain, Director of Education and Knowledge Exchange at YouthTheGap and host of Be the Change Media Network podcast Legacies Lost & Found, about the path from growing up curious about identity and power to building an alternative education hub rooted in critical thought and community. Dyar shares how his youth work in Brighton shaped his belief in equitable access to education, what his new podcast is trying to give young changemakers space to tell their stories while situating them in a wider structural context, and how recent community organizing at Ridley Road has reminded him what real, collective power feels like. His advice for anyone wanting to get started: incorporate your creativity into your work in whatever way feels true to you because it's the thing that will keep you going when the work gets tough. As Dyar's story shows, staying connected to what you love isn't a distraction from changemaking; it's often what sustains it. Legacies Lost & Found launched on Be the Change Media Network on March 24, 2026, so you can listen now via wherever you get your podcasts. To get connected with Dyar, find him on Instagram and LinkedIn. To learn more about YouthTheGap, you can listen to Episode 270 of Be the Change Podcast featuring Kaia-Allen Bevan or visit: https://youththegap.uk. Please leave a rating, share a comment, and subscribe! Follow Be the Change Media Network on Instagram: @bethechangemedianetwork. Follow Be the Change Podcast on Instagram: @bethechangepodcast. If you have any questions, please email Lily Mott at [email protected]. Opinions shared by the guests and hosts of this show are their own and do not necessarily represent the views of Be the Change Media Network.