TED Talks Daily - What sex, soap and alcohol taught me about making an impact | Myriam Sidibe

Episode Date: August 22, 2025

What if saving lives and growing a company went hand in hand? Public health expert Myriam Sidibe thinks many businesses are going about social impact all wrong — and leaving millions of dollars on the table at the same time. Drawing from decades of experience, she reveals a playbook for brands to create real impact, proving that what’s good for society can be great for business.For a chance to give your own TED Talk, fill out the Idea Search Application: ted.com/ideasearch.Interested in learning more about upcoming TED events? Follow these links:TEDNext: ted.com/futureyouTEDSports: ted.com/sportsTEDAI Vienna: ted.com/ai-viennaTEDAI San Francisco: ted.com/ai-sf Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This episode is sponsored by Airbnb. A few years ago, I went to Vancouver for work, and I remember sneaking in a little time to wander Granville Island and grab something from the public market. It reminded me how much I love discovering new corners of Canada with Airbnb. Because let's be honest, when you're traveling with kids, sometimes you just need a kitchen at 6 a.m. That's one of the things I love about Airbnb.

You actually get to settle in. We can have breakfast together around a table, put the kids to bed in real bedrooms, and still stay up with my partner after. That's the kind of setup that makes trips in Canada so much more fun. You're not just getting a place to sleep, you're getting experiences that feel authentically yours, whether it's a lakeside cabin in Bruce Peninsula

where you can literally roll out of bed and into a canoe or a cozy spot in Cape Breton where you can make your morning coffee and watch the sunrise without anyone rushing you to check out. This summer, when you're planning those trips that matter, the ones where you want to actually connect with your loved ones, check out some of the most loved homes across Canada on Airbnb. This episode is sponsored by Colgate Periogard.

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Our mouths are trying to tell us something, and it's worth listening. So next time your gums feel sensitive, don't shrug it off. Help take care of it with Colgate Periogard, healthy gums, confidence smile. This episode is sponsored by Sell Off Vacations. You know, there's something about travel that shifts. us beyond the scenery or the sunshine. It's the feeling of connection. And when it comes to that kind of experience, Cuba is Unica. Cuba is unique. It's no wonder Canadians love it. Whether you're strolling Havana's colorful streets, relaxing on Varadero's white sand beaches, or exploring

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She shares a proven blueprint for how companies can thrive more by aligning with societal needs and not just their bottom lines. Everyone talks about building a better world. But let me tell you, without a business model designed to get us there, it's just wishful thinking. In the private sector, we've seen retreats, DEI diluted, ESG scaled back,

brands that were once bold, are afraid of being called woke. It was like a purpose, gold rush. They all rushed in, dug around for a bit, thought it was hard, and they're moving on. And I say, stop. Your business models are failing you. Your business models are failing society, and they're failing us. And you know what? And just as the private sector is retreating, aid is disappearing. Progress on everything from women's health, climate change, The education isn't just stalling, it's reversing.

Yet the needs have not shrunk. They have grown deeper, louder, more urgent. Now, the key question is, how are we going to reduce the gap between what is really needed and what's being done? The answer isn't more philanthropy, and it isn't finger-pointing. appointing. We need to fix business models. And the way we will fix business models is together,

because we need to create new kind of value for people, planet and profit. And this is what I came to speak to you about. I've been working at this space for decades at the intersection of public health and global brands. I'm an otter, a long-time campaigner on ethical business. And you know what excites me the most is when I get companies to dream up their mission in a way that they can help solve a global problem whilst being great for their business. And let me show you how that's worked. So first, I never expected to be working in a corporation trying to solve a global problem. I grew up at dinner table where the main course served. was justice.

Me and my youngest siblings were raised between refugee camps and UN report briefing, and every night was a lesson in inequality and possibility. This is us living in rural Mali, next to Timbuktu. And it is in places like this that I grew my conviction that I wanted to make a difference for the most vulnerable in this world. Years later, when I went on to do my doctorate in public health,

I came across a staggering fact. Over one million people could be saved by something as simple as hand-washing with soap, and mostly children under five. And yet only one person in five washed their hands after the toilet. Oh, well. And a massive opportunity for a bar of soap.

So fueled with all this conviction and this desire to save lives, I joined the world's largest soap manufacturer. Unilever. In countries like India and Bangladesh, where child mortality was obscenely high, soap was already in eight out of ten households, and the iconic bar of soap, red, life boy,

was in the market leaders. So what was the problem? The technology was there. Obviously, the challenge was behavior change at scale, because soap on shelves doesn't save lives. Behavior change does. So we reimagine our business model around three things. We committed for the long haul

because behavior change takes time, trust, and trial. Two, we put the impact need at the core of our business model. Life Voice mission became Help a Child Reach 5. And that single focus enabled us to think about product innovation, marketing and market expansion very differently. Three, we embrace radical collaboration. collaborations with government, foundations, NGOs, even our competitors.

We didn't just attract partners. We built believers. And you know what happened? We co-created the largest hygiene program in the world. We changed the behavior of one billion people. Let me repeat that. One billion people. That's the equivalent of one in seven people.

And Life Boy did become a $1 billion brand. Proof that what's good for society can be great for business. I spent 15 years of my career working on Life Boy, and this is what I've learned through persistence, failures, and belief. Real impact does not happen overnight. It never happens alone. and when you create value for both business and society, that's when real change happens.

And any one of us can do the same, which may sound impossible. But in this playbook of not overnight, never alone creating value in business and society, we have the playbook for success. No, I can already hear you say, well, that's easy. It's a soap bar.

How difficult can that be? Low-risk, benign functional products? But our playbook applies to any business. Now, let me take you to South Africa, where one in three women face gender-based violence, where most murders are committed by an intimate partner, an unlikely ally, a beer brand? Well, carling black label, long-trusted by men, use that influence to confront toxic masculinity. Since 2017, they've been driving their hashtag no-excuses campaign, and workshops in township with grassroots organizations

and redefining what menhood should be. Strength through respect. Teaching men how to drink smartly. And the results of that, 40% of men publicly standing up against gender-based violence and more brand love from women and men. Now, we have not solved gender-based violence. Let's just get that straight. But we've seen what can be done

and likely ally do step up. And when brands do align with their consumer to try to shift something and change norms, real things just change. Change happens right there and then because you're not just selling a product. Our playbook has worked across the world, and here's something else that we've learned in the process.

A mission isn't what one brand can and should do alone. A mission is what none of us can do alone. Let me now introduce you to someone very brave and close to my heart. Her name is Fatima. She's 15, smart, brave, curious. She's a voice, and she's built through a radical collaboration between local partners and AI. She represents millions of girls,

girls who miss school every month because of their periods. Girls who navigate and hides in shame and stigma and sometimes violence. Girls who in the most desperate moment will trade sex for pads. Yes, it happens. And yes, it's preventable. Now, we've gathered hundreds of stories

across Africa in their own languages and soon the world. And what Fatima does is that she synthesizes their voice, not to speak for them, but to speak with them and tell us what they want, which is mental health support, contraceptive access, dignity, creative freedom, leadership skills, safe places to dream and grow and learn. Now, these stories are not just emotional, they're systemic.

I always say that everything I've learned about building a mission-driven economy, I have learned from sex, soap, and alcohol. You know, strange bad fellows, yes, but there I'm a good fellow, yes, but there are the front lines of inequality, culture and transformation. And they've taught me that when you deal with what's hard and you do it ethically, then brands can be a powerful engine for dignity and change. Now, we have a chance to create the world we want to live in,

a world where business doesn't perform just for optics. We don't need to have many, many, many more chief marketing officer, but what I need is for each one of you to unleash this inner chief mission officer. You know, that person who's obsessed about driving positive impact for billions of people, because that's within reach. But you can't do this overnight, not alone.

And by creating value for business and society, that's when we go from Mission Impossible to Mission Possible. Thank you very much. That was Miriam Sidibe speaking at TED 2025. If you're curious about TED's curation, find out more at TED.com slash curation guidelines. And that's it for today's show. Ted Talks Daily is part of the TED Audio Collective.

This episode was produced and edited by our team, Martha Estefanos, Oliver Friedman, Brian Green, Lucy Little, Alejandra Salazar, and Tonzica Sarmar Nivon. It was mixed by Christopher Faisi Bogan, additional support from Emma Tobner and Daniela Ballerrezzo. I'm Elise Hugh. I'll be back tomorrow with a fresh idea for your feed. Thanks for listening. This episode is sponsored

by Airbnb. A few years ago I went to Vancouver for work and I remember sneaking in a little time to wander Granville Island and grab something from the public market. It reminded me how much I love discovering new corners of of Canada with Airbnb. Because let's be honest, when you're traveling with kids, sometimes you just need a kitchen at 6 a.m. That's one of the things I love about Airbnb. You actually

get to settle in. We can have breakfast together around a table, put the kids to bed in real bedrooms, and still stay up with my partner after. That's the kind of setup that makes trips in Canada so much more fun. You're not just getting a place to sleep. You're getting experiences that feel authentically yours, whether it's a lakeside cabin in Bruce Peninsula where you can literally roll out of bed and into a canoe or a cozy spot in Cape Breton where you can make your morning coffee and watch the sunrise without anyone rushing you to check out. This summer, when you're planning those trips that matter, the ones where you want to actually connect with your loved ones, check out some of the most loved homes across Canada

on Airbnb. This episode is sponsored by Colgate Periogard. You know, when we get a paper cut or nick a finger while prepping dinner, we don't hesitate to grab a bandage or clean it up right away. But when it comes to our gums, a little tenderness or bleeding when we brush, we tend to ignore it. Why is that? Especially when the fix can be so simple. Use Colgate periogard to significantly reduce gum bleeding and inflammation. It helps fight bacteria that can cause early gum disease and improves gum health with daily use. Our mouths are trying to tell us something and it's worth listening. So next time your gums

feel sensitive. Don't shrug it off. Help take care of it with Colgate Periogard. Healthy gums. Confidence smile. This podcast is brought to you by Wise, the app for international people using money around the globe. With Wise, you can send, spend, and receive up to 40 currencies with only a few simple taps. Plus, Wise won't add hidden fees to your transfer. Whether you're buying souvenirs with pesos and Puerto Vallarta or sending euros to a loved one in Paris, you know you're getting a fair exchange rate with no extra markups. Be smart. Join the 15 million customers who choose Wise. Download the Wise app today or visit wise.com. Terms and conditions apply.