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Looking Sideways Action Sports PodcastPresented by Matt Barr, Looking Sideways is a pod Author: Matthew Barr
Presented by Matt Barr, Looking Sideways is a podcast about the best stories in skateboarding, snowboarding, surfing, and other related endeavours. www.wearelookingsideways.com Language: en Genres: Hobbies, Leisure, Sports, Wilderness Contact email: Get it Feed URL: Get it iTunes ID: Get it |
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The Announcement: Len Necefer - Pragmatism Beats Purity
Tuesday, 18 November, 2025
In this latest follow-up episode to The Announcement, I’m joined by activist, entrepreneur, engineer, and policy researcher Len Necefer for a conversation in which we discuss the tension between ideological purity and pragmatic action when it comes to genuine environmental and social change.Len, a proud member of the Navajo Nation, works at the intersection of Indigenous peoples, natural resource, and environmental policy. He is the founder of Natives Outdoors, a board member at the Honnold Foundation, and somebody whose work has become essential when it comes to the current debate around how to create meaningful impact in an imperfect system. This, of course, was a key theme of my Announcement series proper. And it is the territory Len provocatively and articulately explores through his work and writings, in which he respectfully yet firmly challenges the comfortable assumptions around ‘purpose’ that tend to dominate the discourse in outdoor and adventure spaces.As you’ll be aware if you’ve read Len’s brilliant Substack or follow him on social media, he is not interested in letting individuals, brands, or organisations mark their own homework. Instead, he is interested in asking the only questions that truly matter: Will this have an impact? Is your work upsetting the right people? Is it calculated to drive forward the change you claim to seek? The more I explore these avenues, the more I think these are really the only honest questions worth asking, which is why I admire Len’s work and his willingness to ask these questions so outspokenly and articulately. From this challenging conversation, you'll gain insights into:- Why accountability matters more than stated intentions in purpose-driven business- How Indigenous perspectives fundamentally shift conversations around environmental policy and outdoor access- What it means to take genuinely bold approaches, rather than performative stands- Why challenging industry orthodoxy is essential to meaningful progressThis was the type of challenging and progressive conversation that Len specialises in— full of provocations, unimpeachable logic, and the moral integrity we sorely need at this time. For bonus and behind-the-scenes material, click here. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.wearelookingsideways.com/subscribe
