Leila Zegna is co-founder and Partner of Kindred Capital, one of the top venture capital firms in the UK. In her day job, she backs entrepreneurs with small startups but huge ambitions. She is also a Trustee of Boston Children’s Hospital and spent most of her career in Silicon Valley. So she has a great perspective on what corporates can learn from startups and the differences between British and American business culture.

In this episode of The Freewheeling Podcast she tells me about the characteristics of successful entrepreneurs, what an established safety-critical business can learn from the tech sector and why British business culture needs more self-belief in the potential for change.

She also has a warning: the world is faster and more unpredictable than ever and businesses of all sizes need to be ready to respond.

This week I’m joined by a council officer. But no ordinary council officer. Colin Knight is doing something extraordinary: working with scientists and automotive engineers to develop an entirely new form of transport.

When challenged by his political masters to reduce the costs of a new tram network for Coventry, Colin realised that the only way to achieve a step-change was to reinvent trams from the ground up. Literally. He has formed a team that has reinvented the both tracks and vehicles.

He joins me on The Freewheeling Podcast to tell me what they’ve done, why they’ve done it and what will happen next with the monumentally ambitious project known as Very Light Rail.

Vernon Everitt is Commissioner for Greater Manchester at a time of transformational change.

On this week’s Freewheeling Podcast, we talk about how much has been done, what’s left to do, why Manchester has been able to move at such pace and whether there are obstacles holding them back.

How does the Treasury work?

How does the Treasury think?

it's time to find out!

Katie-Lee English knows all about the Treasury and reveals all

Daniel Knowles is Midwest Editor of the Economist and author of Carmaggedon: Why Cars Make Life Worse And What To Do About It. He tells me the story of why cars are bad not just for pedestrians but for the owners of them as well.

Almost three years to the day since the previous episode of The Freewheeling Podcast, I'm thrilled to tell you that I'll be back later this week to start Season Two.

We've got a great series coming up, starting on Thursday with Daniel Knowles, author of Carmaggedon. It's a fascinating conversation - please do join me!

The Chief Executive of the Climate Change Committee (the body responsible for setting Britain’s national carbon budgets and reporting on progress to Parliament) talks transport

Climate Champion for road transportation on COP26 and what the Glasgow conference will achieve

The Chief Executive of Network Rail joins me to discuss the creation of Great British Railways

What does an “inspirational pessimist” think of the future of cars?

The Freewheeling Podcast has been live for six months, so let’s look back at some of the key episodes from the first season

13 years ago, Simon Munk decided to take local councillors on a bike ride to show just how dangerous roads were for cyclists.

Without knowing it, he'd started a revolution. He tells his fascinating story as this week’s guest.

As the Government publishes its decarbonisation plan, lets talk to Patrick Warner (Head of Innovation at Brighton & Hove and Bus Decarbonisation lead at Liverpool City Region) about the virtues of hydrogen

Ray Stenning believes that design is of fundamental importance but is often misunderstood and undervalued in transport. He joins me to discuss what it is, and why it matters

The bus strategy is great but the Williams-Shapps review is not. In her last few weeks at Go Ahead, Katy Taylor talks candidly

Horace Dediu doesn’t just “get” micromobility, he invented the very word “Micromobility”!

Brianne Eby is an expert in global transport policy at Enotrans in Washington DC and author of a major study in congestion pricing

Charles Read specialises in history, economics, travel and crises. We explore the rebound from Covid, historic crises and past transitions

With experience of running two types of franchise, a region of Network Rail and HS1, my guest Dyan Crowther is the ideal person to talk to about the post-Williams future.

Professor Alex Edmans focuses on capitalism and social purpose. What can we learn about the world of transport?