by Brock Horning | February 2026
In a world that is increasingly obsessed with algorithms and data, Kate Dimbleby has created a safe space for serendipity and random connection.
Our second series of the Story Islands podcast is all about creative innovation. We have four incredible guests coming on to talk about their creative journeys. Each of them, in their own way, has navigated that complex space of media innovation and creativity. We ask them to share five ‘Story Islands’ – that is, people, places, and themes from their life and work – that we journey through to discover their thoughts and ideas on creative innovation.
For Story Islands Series 2, we are honoured to have been joined by
(Click on the image above to go straight to their guest appearance)
Episode 1: Margaret Heffernan
Former US tech CEO and radio producer and a writer with incredible books about business, creativity and innovation
”I sometimes think, 'Really, Margaret? You think the solution to the world is for us all to become more artistic? That’s ridiculous.' But on the other hand, I think, 'Yeah, but doing more of the same feels even more ridiculous.'
Margaret HeffernanFormer US tech CEO and author
Creativity, arts and the corporate world are rarely thought about in the same sentence, but that is what Margaret Heffernan has always championed. For Margaret, the gigantic problems that the world is facing at the moment are down to imaginative and creative malnourishment. Senior leaders across the board feel hemmed in by stakeholder expectations and the intensity of the ever-growing demands placed upon them.
Kate and Margaret also discuss the role of uncertainty in innovation. How individuals and businesses need to embrace uncertainty and remove themselves from the loop that we can all find ourselves stuck in, so that we can ultimately thrive.
Episode 2: David Dimbleby
Legendary broadcaster who spent over 50 years at the BBC shaping how the UK watched politics, culture and major national moments
”I once did an interview with a famous actress who was a political activist, very left wing, at her house. When I arrived, she was drinking champagne and reading the Financial Times. I said, 'what are you reading Financial Times for?' She said, "know your enemy." It's a very important lesson if you want to have traction with your ideas.
David DimblebyUK Broadcasting Legend
In a world of AI feedback loops and social media bubbles, it’s easy for your thoughts to get stuck in an echo chamber. To make your ideas resonate with people with other perspectives, you need to listen to other voices – especially those that you don’t necessarily agree with.
In our interview with legendary broadcaster David Dimbleby, we discuss one of the things that has been a constant in his career: curiosity. The ability to sit with disharmony, to interview people that he didn’t necessarily agree with in a curious manner. It’s this underlying trait that has defined David’s ability to creatively innovate.
Episode 3: Martha Lane Fox
Co-Founder of lastminute.com, digital pioneer and a passionate advocate for a fair and just internet.
”It's the job of leaders to make people feel as though things are possible. That things might be out of reach right now, but they are going to become more in reach and that everybody has got something to aim for.
Martha Lane FoxDigital pioneer and Founder of lastminute.com
Getting the right environment that sparks creative innovation often comes down to leadership. Your team needs to feel safe to challenge the status quo and believe that new ways of doing things are attainable. If we empower every individual with the personal possibility and, indeed, responsibility to innovate within everyone’s sphere of influence, amazing things will happen.
Episode 4: Rebecca Atkinson
Children’s TV producer, freelance journalist and creator of Mixmups
”We're all the product of everything we've consumed before. And then we regurgitate it creatively. So if people have been misrepresented historically, we're just regurgitating it. So how do I break that?
Rebecca AtkinsonChildren's TV producer and creator of Mixmups
After launching a campaign calling to the toy industry for better representation – and getting little back – Rebecca Atkinson decided to launch “a brand that does disability in the way that I think it should be done”. And so MixMups was born.
At the heart of this is the realisation that innovation can be stalled by harmful misrepresentations. However, as our discussion with Rebecca showed, sometimes you just have to put that idea into the world, and the right people will emerge to help you push it up the hill and into reality.