Conversat­ions Shaping Tomorrow’­s World

Originally from Zimbabwe, Georgina is a renowned independent broadcast journalist who works extensively in cultural and geopolitical radio (hosting Monocle Radio’s ‘The Globalist’) and an Honorary Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature.

Visionary is a podcast about those who think, create, and lead – exploring the bold ideas and original thinkers behind tomorrow’s technology, culture, and business – and since launching earlier this year, Georgina has interviewed a range of experts from across industries.

From exploring the intersection of art and science with acclaimed artist, Conrad Shawcross, to how immersive audio can reshape the music industry with the founder of Bonza, Fiona Ryder – many eye-opening conversations have been had. But this time, we’re handing the microphone to Georgina to get her take on innovation culture, embracing risk, the friction between AI and creativity, and much more.

Read on to find out more.

What makes Visionary unique?

Georgina: “Visionary brings global, creative minds into one room and pushes past the usual polite panel chatter. We dig into how ideas are made, scaled, and challenged – not just what people do, but why it matters. Guests walk away energised; audiences walk away changed.”

Why is Here East the perfect backdrop for Visionary’s bold conversations?

Georgina: “Here East isn’t just a venue, it’s a living laboratory of innovation. You feel the collision of tech, culture, design, and entrepreneurship the moment you walk in. That energy feeds the programme: it's a place where ambitious ideas feel normal.”

How does Visionary capture Here East’s culture of creating at scale?

Georgina: “We don’t talk in hypotheticals — we spotlight people actually building things: companies, movements, art, technology. Visionary shows the machinery behind ‘big ideas’ and the people brave enough to execute them. Scale here isn’t hype; it’s ambition with outcomes attached.”

Which episode has changed your perspective the most, and why?

Georgina: “We recently caught up with Ranya Nehmeh, an HR strategist and author of a new book on the modern office. So many firms are scaling back remote work, but Ranya makes a compelling case for designing workplaces people want to be in – spaces that build culture, not just house it. It’s a message that resonates at Here East, too. The diversity of talent on campus here fosters a kind of spontaneous interaction between people from different backgrounds that I think is so important in life.”

At our recent Future Talks, were there any ‘dangerous ideas’ that stood out to you?

Georgina: “Yes: the push to embrace risk, not manage it out of existence. The idea that safe thinking kills progress faster than failure does. Also the notion that cultural spaces must disrupt, not comfort — complacency is the real threat.”

Do you think AI has a place in arts, culture, and creativity? If so, what could it unlock?

Georgina: “Absolutely, if handled with intention. AI isn’t replacing creativity; it’s expanding the toolkit, opening new forms of storytelling and collaboration. The real value will come from artists shaping AI, not the other way around: humanity stays at the centre, technology amplifies it.”

Watch the latest Visionary podcast with Georgina below.