Do One Better with Alberto Lidji in Philanthropy, Sustainability and Social Entrepreneurship

Charles Li spent over a decade running one of the world's major stock exchanges and chairing JP Morgan China before turning his attention to an entirely different challenge: bringing institutional capital to small businesses — franchise owners, landlords, and local shopkeepers — that Wall Street has traditionally struggled to reach. In this episode, Charles, Founder and Chairman of Micro Connect, joins Alberto Lidji to explore how institutional capital might finally find its way to the small businesses that need it most.

This conversation was recorded at the PBC 2026 Forum — Philanthropy for Better Cities 2026 — in Hong Kong, and forms part of a special series made possible by the Hong Kong Jockey Club, marking the forum's 10th anniversary, convened by The Hong Kong Jockey Club Charities Trust, in association with the Institute of Philanthropy.

What does it take to convince Wall Street investors to back a business model built on the transparency of everyday transactions rather than traditional balance sheets? How does artificial intelligence change what's possible when it comes to assessing risk at that scale? And what can decades spent inside the world's biggest financial institutions teach us about building something entirely new for the world's smallest ones?

Charles also reflects on his own path, from working on an oil rig, to Columbia Law School, to the top of Hong Kong's stock exchange — and what that journey tells us about reinventing yourself as the world around you changes.

About Charles Li: He was appointed Chairman of JP Morgan China from 2003 to 2009. He joined Merrill Lynch in 1994, where he served as President of Merrill Lynch China from 1999 to 2003. He holds a BA in English Literature from Xiamen University, an MA in Journalism from the University of Alabama, and a JD from Columbia Law School.

Visit our Knowledge Hub at Lidji.org for information on 350+ case studies and interviews with remarkable leaders in philanthropy, sustainability and social entrepreneurship.

Across Asia, philanthropy takes markedly different forms — from mass individual and faith-based giving to corporate mandates and state-led funds. Brian San, Secretary General of the Institute of Philanthropy in Hong Kong, sheds light on twelve playbooks the Commission on Asian Philanthropy has identified as proven models: built in one market and ready to travel to others. In this episode, Brian joins Alberto Lidji to unpack what's actually working in Asian philanthropy, and why.

This conversation was recorded at the PBC 2026 Forum — Philanthropy for Better Cities 2026 — in Hong Kong, and forms part of a special series made possible by the Hong Kong Jockey Club, marking the forum's 10th anniversary, convened by The Hong Kong Jockey Club Charities Trust, in association with the Institute of Philanthropy.

Brian discusses the Institute of Philanthropy's work co-convening the Commission on Asian Philanthropy alongside the Asia Philanthropy Congress, set up by the Nippon Foundation, bringing together thirteen of Asia's most influential foundations, and their interim report, published in September 2026, "Strengthening Asia's Philanthropic Ecosystems for Inclusive and Sustainable Growth by 2050," with a final report due in Tokyo in December 2027.

Brian explains why each giving model's real value lies beyond the money itself, in the technology, supply chains, and community trust that different actors bring to bear, and why understanding a model's underlying objectives and constraints matters more than assuming a single shared goal across the sector.

Useful link: Commission on Asian Philanthropy

Visit our Knowledge Hub at Lidji.org for information on 350+ case studies and interviews with remarkable leaders in philanthropy, sustainability and social entrepreneurship.

Helen Clark served as Prime Minister of New Zealand for three consecutive terms and went on to become Administrator of the United Nations Development Programme for two terms, one of the most senior roles in the entire UN system.

In this episode of Do One Better Podcast, Alberto Lidji sits down with Helen for a wide ranging conversation covering her grassroots political beginnings in New Zealand's anti-apartheid movement, the state of global progress towards the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals, and the fragile state of the international order. Helen and Alberto discuss the importance of building pragmatic coalitions and cross sector collaboration, the role philanthropy can play amid shrinking development aid, the future of Asian philanthropy on the world stage, and her work chairing Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance. They also explore the powerful role sport and volunteering play at grassroots level in building stronger communities.

This conversation was recorded at the PBC 2026 Forum (Philanthropy for Better Cities 2026) in Hong Kong, and forms part of a special series made possible by the Hong Kong Jockey Club, marking the forum's 10th anniversary, convened by The Hong Kong Jockey Club Charities Trust, in association with the Institute of Philanthropy.

It is a candid and ultimately hopeful conversation about how each of us, whatever our platform, can choose to do good.

Visit our Knowledge Hub at Lidji.org for information on 350+ case studies and interviews with remarkable leaders in philanthropy, sustainability and social entrepreneurship.

James Cowan, CEO of the HALO Trust, joins Alberto Lidji on the Do One Better Podcast to explore what happens when the fighting stops, but the dangers of war remain.

The HALO Trust has been working since 1988 to save lives and restore livelihoods in communities affected by conflict. Today, it operates across 32 countries with around 10,000 staff, clearing landmines and other explosive remnants of war, while also tackling small arms and light weapons.

James shares his perspective on the lasting impact of conflict and why landmines can continue to threaten civilians, often children, decades after a war has ended. He explains how HALO is using new technologies, including AI, satellite imagery, drones, robotics, ground penetrating radar, and magnetic resonance, to make clearance faster and safer.

The conversation also looks at the people behind the work, the importance of employing and empowering local communities, and the role of governments and philanthropy in addressing the enormous scale of the challenge.

They discuss mine risk education, the changing nature of conflict, the growing use of drones, and how humanitarian action can contribute not only to saving lives, but also to restoring livelihoods and helping countries move towards greater stability.

And despite the sobering realities of today's conflicts, James leaves listeners with a powerful message: there is hope.

Visit our Knowledge Hub at Lidji.org for information on 350+ case studies and interviews with remarkable leaders in philanthropy, sustainability and social entrepreneurship.

Aunnie Patton Power, Founder of the Innovative Finance Initiative, joins Alberto Lidji on the Do One Better Podcast as she shares her views on how finance can be redesigned to better serve people, communities, and the planet.

The Innovative Finance Initiative brings together more than 2,000 funders, intermediaries, and changemakers exploring what is possible beyond traditional approaches to finance. Aunnie explains why she believes the goal should not simply be to shift the existing system, but to build credible alternatives to it.

The conversation explores some fundamental questions. What does it really mean to invest for impact? Who should decide where capital goes? Does “market rate” actually mean what we think it means? And how should asset owners think about their responsibilities to the communities and people ultimately affected by their investments?

Aunnie also shares examples of alternative approaches to fund design, governance, ownership, and capital allocation, while challenging some of the assumptions that have come to underpin modern impact investing.

Visit our Knowledge Hub at Lidji.org for information on 350+ case studies and interviews with remarkable leaders in philanthropy, sustainability and social entrepreneurship.