Big Ideas, Small Places - Supporting Strong Communities
What if some of the biggest ideas for building stronger communities are already taking shape in the smallest places?
That's the question at the heart of Big Ideas, Small Places, a new podcast from Purposeful Group. Through honest conversations with change-makers from around the world, we explore fresh ideas, practical solutions, and the people working every day to create stronger, more resilient communities.
It's an invitation to look at community building differently — and to imagine what's possible when local people are trusted to lead change.
Check out our latest episode here!
Watch the full episode below.
In the first episode, host Chelsey MacNeil, Founder of Purposeful Group, chats with three inspiring guests who each bring a unique perspective on what it takes to build better communities.
Matt Pfahlert, founder of the Australia Centre for Rural Entrepreneurship (ACRE), has helped rural communities around the world unlock opportunity through community ownership and social enterprise.
Vinod Rajasekaran, founder of Future of Good, challenges the social impact sector to ask bigger, bolder questions.
Louise Adongo, founder of Caprivian Strip Inc, draws on decades of experience working across governments, nonprofits, and communities to help people navigate complex challenges.
Together, they explore one simple but powerful question: What does it really take to create lasting change?
Chelsey opens the conversation by inviting listeners to rethink the systems we've inherited:
"I don't see this as a shortage of resources. I actually don't even see it as a shortage of ideas. Oftentimes, this is a shortage of courage [and] boldness to take a chance and try to make something better.”
Seeing Opportunity in Community
The conversation begins with Matt Pfahlert, whose work has helped rural communities across Australia turn local assets into opportunities for long-term prosperity.
Matt believes rural communities are often underestimated.
“What we do with very little is extraordinary.”
Sharing the story of how his community transformed a historic jail into a thriving community asset, Matt explains how local ownership can spark confidence, create jobs, and inspire communities to think differently about what's possible.
His advice is simple. Ask yourself,
“What is the issue that you most would like to solve in your local community?... How could you apply an entrepreneurial lens to solving that problem?"
Challenging the Systems We Accept
Next is Vinod, who believes real progress starts by asking better questions.
Instead of assuming today's systems will solve tomorrow's challenges, he encourages organisations to pause, reflect, and be willing to evolve.
"Will today's approaches satisfy tomorrow's needs?"
For Vinod, innovation isn't about chasing the next big idea — it's about having the courage to keep learning and adapting.
The Power of Truth-Telling
The episode wraps up with Louise, who shares what she's learned from working across governments, nonprofits, and communities in both Africa and Atlantic Canada.
She speaks about the importance of bringing different perspectives together, especially the voices of people most affected by the decisions being made.
Louise also reminds us that collaboration has always been part of who we are in Atlantic Canada.
“It's in the DNA of Atlantic Canada to figure it out and use the resources that you have.”
She also speaks honestly about the challenges of speaking difficult truths, and why meaningful change often begins with conversations that aren't always comfortable.
Building What's Next
Although each guest comes from a different background, they all return to the same idea: meaningful change starts with people who are willing to question old ways of thinking, work together, and believe that communities already have the strength to shape their own future.
As Chelsey reflects in her closing remarks, creating change isn't just about recognising what's broken — it's about having the courage to build something better.
And that's what Big Ideas, Small Places is all about.
Listen To The Episode
Big Ideas, Small Places is a Purposeful Group podcast exploring the people, ideas, and conversations shaping stronger communities.
Listen on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, YouTube, wherever you get your podcasts.
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If you're leading innovative work in your community, have a bold idea worth exploring, or would like to be featured on a future episode of Big Ideas, Small Places