In this episode of Storytelling for Social Impact, Ravinol Chambers speaks with Zahid Torres-Rahman OBE, co-founder of Business Fights Poverty, about a simple but powerful idea: the most effective way for organisations to contribute to social progress is often by doing what they already do best.
Zahid has spent decades working at the intersection of business, development and social impact. Through Business Fights Poverty, he has helped connect thousands of leaders across companies, NGOs and institutions who are trying to tackle complex global problems together.
What emerges from this conversation is a refreshing perspective on impact.
Not a model driven by grand statements or corporate slogans.
But one grounded in collaboration, humility and practical action.
Ravinol and Zahid explore why the biggest barriers to solving social problems are rarely technical. More often, they are about relationships, trust and the ability to connect people across sectors who would not normally sit at the same table.
They also discuss the role storytelling plays in this process. Stories help us see the human dimension behind abstract challenges. They help organisations communicate purpose in ways that feel real rather than performative. And they help leaders recognise where their work intersects with something larger than themselves.
Some of the themes explored in this episode include:
• Why business has a unique role to play in addressing social and environmental challenges
• The idea that impact often comes from doing what you already do well, not trying to become something new
• Why collaboration between businesses, NGOs and governments is essential, but often difficult
• The importance of human relationships and trust in driving meaningful change
• How storytelling can bring clarity, alignment and shared purpose to complex issues
At its heart, this conversation is about a shift in mindset.
Moving away from the idea that solving global problems belongs to one sector alone. And towards a recognition that real progress happens when people bring their different strengths together.
As Zahid reflects in the episode, the goal is not perfection. It is progress, built through collaboration and grounded in the belief that each organisation can contribute something meaningful when it leans into what it does best.
Whether you work in business, social impact, communications or leadership, this conversation offers thoughtful insights into how purpose, partnership and storytelling can come together to drive change.
00:00 Reconnecting After Covid
00:59 Human First Collaboration
03:40 Origin of Business Fights Poverty
05:00 From Finance to Impact
06:08 Do What You Do Best
08:16 B Corp and Mainstreaming Impact
12:49 Beyond Jargon to Kindness
14:13 Recapturing the Narrative
18:24 Stories With Agency
23:21 Comms That Cuts Through
31:56 Kindness and AI
34:10 Kindness Builds Trust
34:53 Self Acceptance And Growth
38:26 Come As Yourself
39:52 Choosing SDG 17 - Partnerships
42:50 Five Bridges To 2045
45:27 Peer Circles And Bridge Builders
50:22 Human-Centred Solutions
55:57 Trust Through Honest Storytelling
59:06 Campaigns That Cut Through
01:02:52 Unlearning Gender Norms
01:05:48 Where To Find Business Fights Poverty
