“The Only Thing We Can Do Is Fight”: A Conversation with Daryl Upsall, Founder and President of Upsall International

Daryl Upsall is founder and president of Upsall International, and a nonprofit leader with more than four decades of experience working with organizations around the world. Daryl grew up in a small town in England, but from an early age wanted to see the world. He found his way into social causes through music and activism, eventually working in international development, human rights, and the HIV/AIDS crisis. At the Terrence Higgins Trust, he built the first professional HIV/AIDS fundraising program in Europe, working with Elton John, Queen, and others during some of the darkest years of the epidemic. He later joined Greenpeace International, where he helped turn around its global income, pioneered digital fundraising, and helped create the modern face-to-face model. Since 2001, through Upsall International, he has advised and recruited leaders for nonprofit organizations across the globe. In this episode, we trace Daryl’s remarkable journey through music, activism, HIV/AIDS, Greenpeace, and a lifetime spent working for causes — and explore what it has taught him about leadership, change, and making a difference.