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Theory of Change

by Devex
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Latest episodes

  • Do think tanks need a rethink?

    October 27, 2026 · 59 min

    If a Washington, D.C., think tank publishes a voluminous policy paper, but barely anyone reads it, does it have an impact? Not really, according to Todd Moss, long-time development think tank leader and founder of the Energy for Growth…

  • How to talk about failure

    October 20, 2026 · 1 hr 5 min

    What happens when an organization built on maximum cost-effectiveness discovers that one of its flagship programs isn't delivering the results it promised? For Evidence Action, the answer was clear — if uncomfortable: follow the data, own…

  • The lessons and warnings of PEPFAR

    October 14, 2026 · 58 min

    The recent history of U.S. foreign aid has been dominated by budget cuts, institutional dismantling, and massive workforce reductions. Against this backdrop, the U.S. President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief, or PEPFAR, feels less like…

  • Zipline's global drone delivery vision

    October 8, 2026 · 1 hr 2 min

    The California-based drone delivery company Zipline made waves last year when it secured a $150 million pay-for-performance grant from the U.S. State Department to scale up its operations in Africa. That announcement came just months…

  • Live from UNGA with Buddy Shah

    September 29, 2026 · 56 min

    In a live episode of the Theory of Change podcast, Buddy Shah, CEO of the Clinton Health Access Initiative and chair of the Anthropic Long Term Benefit Trust, shared an inside look at the intersection of global health, market-shaping…

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  • Live from UNGA with David Beasley

    September 24, 2026 · 1 hr 9 min

    In a live episode of the Theory of Change podcast recorded at the Devex Impact House in New York on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly, David Beasley, the former World Food Programme executive director and former governor…

  • Is the global humanitarian system collapsing?

    September 15, 2026 · 1 hr 10 min

    In an interview on Devex's Theory of Change podcast, Alight CEO Jocelyn Wyatt warned that the traditional humanitarian business model is facing structural failure. Following the collapse of the U.S. Agency for International Development…

  • Is it OK to take 'tainted money'?

    September 8, 2026 · 1 hr 18 min

    In the latest episode of the Theory of Change podcast, human rights activist Kavita Nandini Ramdas discussed the deep systemic contradictions of modern philanthropy, its uneasy relationship with grassroots activism, and why nonprofit…

  • Can communities help refugees where governments fail?

    September 1, 2026 · 1 hr 16 min

    In the latest episode of the Theory of Change podcast, Nazanin Ash, CEO of Welcome.US, discussed how community-driven sponsorship could revolutionize refugee resettlement, bypass political gridlock, and offer a scalable alternative to…

  • What does 'country ownership' really mean?

    August 25, 2026 · 53 min

    What is “country ownership,” really? And what gets in the way of making it a reality? Against a backdrop of historic cuts to development assistance by many of the world’s largest donors, the chorus of voices calling for national…

  • How Jacqueline Novogratz invests for global change

    August 18, 2026 · 53 min

    Twenty-five years ago, when Jacqueline Novogratz founded the impact investing nonprofit Acumen, she still had to prove that markets and entrepreneurship could work for people living in poverty — and help lift them out of it. In the years…

  • Mark Dybul says this was never the plan for PEPFAR

    August 11, 2026 · 1 hr 27 min

    For over two decades, the U.S. government has been a lynchpin in the global fight against HIV, pouring billions of dollars into treatment, prevention, and health systems strengthening through initiatives like the U.S. President’s Emergency…

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About the show

Theory of Change is a podcast about the future of global development — and the people trying to reshape it. Hosted by Devex Senior Reporter Michael Igoe, the show features candid conversations with leaders in philanthropy, foreign policy, technology, finance, media, and humanitarian aid about the forces transforming how global change actually happens: power, politics, money, influence, and ideas. Not a panel. A conversation with a real person. Episodes are published every Tuesday. Subscribe to our YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@devex The podcast is produced by Devex Associate Editor Thomas Cserép and Mai Ylagan.