The most urgent human rights project of our time is reimagining business. ‘Tech for good’ or ‘purpose’ is not enough, “the goal of the new economy must be shared prosperity.”
A regenerative business builds ecosystem health in both human and more-than-human systems.
Leading regeneratively requires a shift in mindset - from organisations as ‘machines’ to ‘living organisms’. Organisations that mimic life have been found to outperform their traditional counterparts. Source
Case Study: Palermo’s Moltivolti
Regenerative Business Models
| Business Model Concept | Traditional Business | Sustainable Business | Regenerative Business |
|---|---|---|---|
| Value Proposition | Satisfy consumer demands | Satisfies consumer demands while considering environmental impacts | Provide measurable ecological and/or social value in concert with economic value |
| Value Creation & Delivery | Create value based on customer expectations | Create value for a broader set of stakeholders through partnerships or networks. Design products which minimize negative externalities. | Co-create with nature and human systems by understanding cycles and dynamics |
| Value Capture | Maximize profit | Preserve economic value principles while mitigating or reducing damage | Return value to living systems |
| Based on A first attempt in abstracting a regenerative business model framework |
Business Ecosystems
In the regenerative economy, businesses value interdependence over competition.
Success in the digital era will come from the connected and collaborative efforts of business ecosystems more than from the controlled efforts of individual companies. To stay competitive and relevant, companies need to transform their relationships with their various partners and providers to become highly functional ecosystems. — Vala Afshar April 2018
Overall success critically depends on the way businesses optimize for multiple forms of capital by collaborating within the regenerative enterprise ecology they participate in. Such business ecosystems are culturally transformative as they offer “new routes for the flow of financial capital into regenerative venture” — Regenerative Enterprise by Ethan C. Roland and Gregory Landua
Dive Deeper
Topic relates to:
Further reading:
The 7 Laws of Regenerative Enterprises(HBR - soft paywall) The Critical Shifts Needed For A Business To Adopt A Just & Regenerative Mindset Regenerative Platform Design Principles