What if the economy prioritized sustainability over short-term gains, justice over extraction, and people over profit? Today on Next Economy Now, Liza Mueller, Vice President of Knowledge at Echoing Green, joins us to discuss how fearless social entrepreneurs are spearheading the shift toward regenerative economics, sustainable business practices, and social impact initiatives.
Thomas Hübl: Healing Collective Trauma
How does unprocessed trauma shape our economy, leadership, and collective decision-making? In this episode of Next Economy Now, Thomas Hübl, PhD, explores the deep connection between trauma and our broader societal and economic systems.
The Future Of Nature-based Solutions (NbS): Twelve Projects To Watch
As our planet continues to face unprecedented climate disasters, it is more important than ever for philanthropic funders to turn their attention to Nature-based Solutions (NbS) with an Equity-Centered approach. Coined by the World Bank in 2008, the NbS movement aims to support projects that take a whole-systems approach to environmental conservation. Jonas Philanthropies, which outlines their commitment to Nature-based Solutions from an equity lens in this whitepaper, is pleased to share thirteen recipients of funding towards community-led, frontline climate solutions. The billions of dollars that are and will continue to flow into this space must take an equity-centered approach, or we risk perpetuating root causes of the climate crisis, instead of solving it.
Rather than a reductionist approach to ecosystem conservation, each of these projects aligns with several impact areas identified as underfunded and underprioritized within the larger sector of NbS. Furthermore, focusing on these impact areas yield more holistic, integrative win-win solutions to the challenges of our times:
Conservation hydrology (also known as Watershed Restoration; Drought Proofing) to promote tree-growing, reforestation, landscape rehydration, and ecosystem restoration.
Meeting Human Material Needs for food, fiber, medicine, health services, ecosystem services, building materials through Nature-based Solutions.
Human Health Nexus to leverage ecosystem restoration to promote improved nutrition, access to medicine, improved sanitation and access to clean air and water, reduction in risk of zoonotic disease, and a multiplicity of other health outcomes that can be accrued through a focus on ecosystem health.
Rewilding to promote large-scale efforts to restore biodiversity and ecosystem health by engaging human communities to steward core wild/wilderness areas, provide connectivity between such areas, and protect or reintroduce apex predators and highly interactive species (keystone species).
Leveraging Additional Capital (e.g., federal dollars, multilateral funding, impact investment) to expand and sustain the power of collaborative grantmaking to improve NbS outcomes.
Social Enterprise Development to support self-sustaining, community enterprise, leveraging NbS, for durable impact over time independent of continued philanthropy.
Yorenka Tasorentsi Institute, Marechal Thaumaturgo, Acre, Brazil
Photo: Yorenka Tasorentsi Institute
The Yorenka Tasorentsi Institute is an Indigenous-led Institution that integrates traditional knowledge with modern techniques as a response to current planetary challenges. Led by Benki Pakayo, a leader of an Asháninka indigenous community in the Brazilian state of Acre, the Institute implements several programs that aim to meet human material needs while practicing land conservation.
The Institute aims to reestablish an eco-market to exchange food for recyclable materials collected by the local poor, and is currently training Agro-Forest Agents who defend indigenous land from deforestation, protecting forests and lifeways. In addition, the project is leveraging additional capital from Full Circle, Boa Foundation, Equator Prize and Rainforest Foundation (US).
This project was sourced for Jonas Philanthropies via the Amazon Investor Coalition.
Association of Waorani Women of the Ecuadorian Amazon, Ecuador
Photo: Amazon Frontlines
Developed in response to the uncontrolled poaching of wildlife in the Yasuní Biosphere Reserve, Asociación de Mujeres Waorani de la Amazonia Ecuatoriana (AMWAE, or in English, Association of Waorani Women of the Ecuadorian Amazon) is promoting organic cacao cultivation as a wildlife protection measure and a pathway to local sustainable development.
This investment supports meeting human material needs by training women in harvest, post-harvest, and cocoa value chain production for the sale of dried and fermented cocoa, and production of bokashi-type fertilizers and organic insecticides based on chili.
Through this investment, AMWAE aimed to help start diversifying production on 160 farms approximately (1 hectare per family) with species such as peanuts, citrus fruits, and beans to promote food autonomy, and timber species such as balsa and cedar to strengthen the aroma and flavor properties of grains.
This project was sourced for Jonas Philanthropies via the Amazon Investor Coalition.
Pamiri Regenerative Agriculture, Tajikistan
Photo: Advantour
The Indigenous Pamiri community have faced significant challenges in their homelands of Tajikistan. Despite this, they remain important stewards of the “Third Pole” — a collection of glaciers and riverbanks key to fortifying nearby rivers against increasing meltwater from glaciers upstream. This is “farming at the top of the world,” in mountainous regions which critically provide 85% of the water humans need.
This funding supported the Pamiri’s traditional farming practices, which are regenerative by definition, by bringing back medicinal plants and traditional strains of legumes, grains, and other foods. These practices naturally support biodiversity, as these crops grow within and regenerate the thin, rocky soil common in a country that is 97% mountainous.
These communities have created 10 seed banks that benefit 1,500 farmers across the region. These seed banks are populated with wheat, legume and vegetable seeds which play a vital role in preserving adapted local varieties of wheat, which are crucial for maintaining consistent yields and safeguard the local seed gene pool of seeds that produce better yields and are more resilient and well-adapted to the harsh climatic conditions of the region. This ensures food security, preserves biodiversity, and maintains traditional agricultural practices.
All of this ensures that traditional farming practices and knowledge, heritage seeds, biodiversity protection, and food security are carried forward for generations to come.
This project was sourced for Jonas Philanthropies via the Home Planet Fund.
Afforestation Along Glacial Rivers, Afghanistan
Afghanistan’s highest mountains are home to almost 4,000 glaciers, critically important for drinking water and irrigation. However, these glaciers are melting at an alarming rate — almost 14% of the total glacier area was lost between 1990 and 2015, leading to catastrophic, rock-laden floods.
Photo: Kern Hendricks
Combining traditional knowledge and horticultural systems with best-practice forestry management, women and younger generations of Afghanis have grown more than 20 micro-forests, with a goal of creating another 400. These women-led reforestation projects address forest degradation, protect endemic and indigenous species and grow edible and medicinal plants.
Reforestation brings cooler temperatures and increased carbon sequestration. This can begin to slow the melting of the snowpack and glaciers in the high mountains, thus protecting the “third pole,” the largest area of glaciers and permafrost outside the polar regions, of which Afghanistan is a border country, along with Tajikistan which sits across the northern border. Slowing the melting of the glaciers and icefields within the third pole is of critical importance globally and locally, given that more than two billion people rely on its water for drinking, agriculture, and their economies.
This project was sourced for Jonas Philanthropies via the Home Planet Fund.
Ecological Committee of the Aldea de Suyapa, Honduras
Photo: B1GI
COEAS was founded in the 1980s to protect the forests of Mount Triquilapa from Tegucigalpa’s urban growth. A critical watershed that provides water to thousands in the capital city, COEAS organization and its partners have long advocated for legal designation of the area as a national protected area and biological corridor.
In February 2024, as a result of a unanimous congressional vote, 12,620 acres of forest and a water source serving 5,000 families will be permanently protected as the Wildlife Refuge of Suyapa, co-managed by COEAS and the Institute for Honduras Conservation. Funding will help to support ongoing stewardship efforts and the transition to a locally-managed, resilient conservation organization.
Tribal-led Restoration in Santa Fe National Forest
Photo: Trees, Water & People
New Mexico's 19 Native American Pueblos are some of the oldest Tribal communities in the country, and have been farming for thousands of years on the bank of the Rio Grande. Trees, Water, & People has been working with the Pueblos to help restore ancestral forests, grazing lands, and riparian zones harmed by significant fires and flooding in the past two decades.
New Mexico's post-fire reforestation needs are estimated to require 5 million trees per year, and seeds are the biggest bottleneck. This funding will employ Tribal Natural Resource crews in seed gathering efforts, a huge economic opportunity within critical ecological restoration work. This funding will also employ these local crews in upland reforestation, canyon restoration, erosion control, and reducing fuels on both Tribal and public lands.
Pastoralism Tenure in East Africa
“The landscape is our ancestral home. It defines us. Landscape, livelihood, and community are deeply connected.” - Mali Ole Kaunga, Home Planet Fund Partner in Kenya
Photo: Home Planet Fund
Practiced by the Maasai, Samburu and Karamojong for 10,000 years, pastoralism is a way of livestock management based on traditional knowledge and science. These semi-nomadic communities guide flocks of cattle, goats, and sheep nearly 40km per day, tilling and fertilizing the soil, creating biodiversity hotspots, and sequestering carbon as they move across the land.
Rangelands managed under pastoralist systems are home to the region’s greatest populations of wildlife, including The Great Migration. Up to 500 kg of carbon per hectare are sequestered per year while maintaining this traditional way of life.
This project was sourced for Jonas Philanthropies via the Home Planet Fund.
Vlahoke Climate-Positive Ecolodge at Ekvn-Yefolecv, Maskoke Territory (Alabama)
Photo: Ekvn-Yefolecv
Ekvn-Yefolecv (ee-gun yee-full-lee-juh) is an intentional ecovillage community of Indigenous Maskoke persons who returned to their homelands to practice language and cultural revitalization, ecological restoration, natural building construction and regenerative agriculture. This project supported the creation of Vlahoke, an off-grid, climate-positive, eco-learning space for retreats, meetings, spiritual gatherings, academic field immersive education and other events.
In addition to offering guests the opportunity to experience integrated regenerative systems, Vlahoke will feature a farm-to-table restaurant and a museum that serves as an educational platform centering on historical and contemporary Indigenous justice. The project is registered to meet the Living Building Challenge certification.
Mangrove Action Project Coastal Education Program Expansion
Photo: Mangrove Action Project
Education is often a missing link in conservation programs, especially when it comes to future generations. Mangrove Action Project has taught over half a million students in coastal communities around the world to inspire youth of all ages to appreciate & conserve their local mangroves.
Funding will help the expansion of this model, employed in 17 countries, which flexibly adjusts to diverse geographic, ecological, cultural + socioeconomic contexts.
Proyecto Rosenda, Mexico
Photo: Proyecto Rosenda
The state of Oaxaca is home to one of the largest diverse Indigenous communities in the continent. It is also situated on the front lines of climate change, with longer droughts, floods and increasing yearly wildfires.
Proyecto Rosenda is a grassroots community project focused on holistic solutions to mitigate the impact of climate change. They are working directly with 45-50 families in six communities encompassing three ecologically diverse regions. This funding helped to provide water pumps and irrigation for their tree nursery as well as water for community use.
Native Health in Native Hands, California
Photo: Balance Hydrologics
Native Health in Native Hands promotes culturally responsive pathways for intergenerational wellness, with an important focus on the human health nexus. This project supported a collaboration between Native Health in Native Hands and Symbiotic Restoration to train Indigenous communities on Beaver Dam Analog (BDA) development.
These low-tech, human-made structures mimic the natural processes beavers help maintain in healthy streams and riparian systems. BDAs create habitat for fish, maintain connection between the water table and wetland vegetation, increase complexity in the stream channel, and catch sediment.
Be-Le Bo-m Landback, California
Photo: Native Roots Network
The Be-Le Bo-m Landback Initiative is a story of ancestral healing. The land, once a place where Indigenous peoples fled to when they were faced with genocide, persecution and forced removal, is now a rural, predominately poor area facing ever-increasing threats of extreme heat, catastrophic wildfires, and dangerous reactionary political unrest.
Funds will help to support efforts to acquire and rematriate the land, wiith plans to develop a community resilience center and an Indigenous framework for a Regenerative Economy to benefit people, land and living systems.
Expanding The Reach and Impact of Nature-based Solutions
Each of the communities and projects shared represent a powerful new way of thinking about addressing our collective climate crisis while supporting human and community flourishing and resilience. There has never been a more important time to shift philanthropic capital towards community-centered initiatives.
If you are a funder interested in supporting Nature-based Solutions projects, or if you have a project that would benefit from philanthropic or organizational support, get in touch with LIFT Economy.
Meklit Hadero: How Solidarity Economies Can Reshape the Music Industry
What if the way we support artists is broken, but the answers have been with us all along? Today on Next Economy Now, we’re joined by Ethiopian-American vocalist, composer, and cultural activist Meklit Hadero to explore how migration shapes music, why the traditional music industry is collapsing, and how collective economic models could be the key to artists' survival.
Jenny Morgan: Cancel Culture in Climate – Bridging Accountability and Action
How can we move beyond shame and blame to foster collaboration in addressing climate challenges? In this episode, Jenny Morgan, climate strategist and author of Cancel Culture in Climate, discusses the intersection of cancel culture, regenerative economics, and sustainable business practices.
Janelle Orsi: What if No One Could Save Money?
What would life look like if saving money became impossible for everyone? In this thought-provoking episode of Next Economy Now, Janelle Orsi, lawyer, writer, cartoonist, and activist for social and environmental justice, shares her journey of questioning traditional systems. From her early days as a “sharing lawyer” to her leadership at the Sustainable Economies Law Center, Janelle explores how wealth redistribution, Indigenous land relationships, and love-driven collaboration can redefine society.
Tameka Peoples: Creating Partnerships to Move Your Business Forward
How can businesses create sustainable products while supporting historically marginalized communities? Joining us to share the transformative work being done within the industry is returning guest, Tameka Peoples, Founder of Seed2Shirt. As the first Black woman-owned, ethically produced blank t-shirt company, Seed2Shirt connects cotton farmers and textile workers to a regenerative, community-driven system.
Aaron Goggans: Collective Liberation in Action
What if the way we build our lives, jobs, relationships, and communities is fundamentally flawed? Join us as we explore how Aaron Goggans, co-creator of WildSeed Society and Black Lives Matter DC, is reimagining society by rewriting some of its most basic agreements.
Kristy Drutman: Climate Change in the Digital Age
Climate change affects every aspect of our existence, and to fight it, we need to assess every part of our lives to see what needs to change in the hopes of preserving our planet. Joining us to unpack the intersectionality of media, diversity, and environmentalism is the speaker, consultant, media producer, and environmental educator, Kristy Drutman.
Matt Stinchcomb: From Rockstar to Climate Advocate
As environmental and social challenges intensify, what actions are needed to build a sustainable future? In this episode, we explore the story of Matt Stinchcomb, who turned his early passion for ecology into impactful work that champions sustainability and community engagement. Matt is a social impact leader focused on sustainable community development and climate action. Through Partners for Climate Action, he supports local climate initiatives, sustainable growth, and community engagement.
Kevin Bayuk and Erin Axelrod: Next Economy Living
No matter how much you've aligned your lifestyle with your values, there’s always room to take it further. Next Economy Living, a new online course from LIFT Economy, is designed to fill essential knowledge gaps and empower those eager to build the next economy. In this episode, we dive into the course concept and share actionable tips for your next steps, such as budgeting, investing in durable goods, and navigating administrative hurdles.
You’ll hear about our vision for Next Economy Living and why it's core to living our values. We discuss the diverse range of people who can benefit from this knowledge and explore the course’s unique framework, outlining the incremental steps participants might take. Registrations are open for our upcoming free Next Economy Living Q&A sessions, where we’ll preview upcoming trainings. If resources are a barrier, please reach out via email or social media. We look forward to seeing you there!
Key Points:
Next Economy Living: its purpose, goals, and how it fits within Next Economy Now [0:01:28]
What’s at stake in reimagining the way we meet our needs in the current system [0:09:29]
The intended audience and the ultimate goal of Next Economy Living [0:20:41]
How the course can benefit those engaged in aid, activism, or those with access to wealth [0:30:51]
The framework for “next steps” and participant-driven learning [0:34:00]
Practical next steps that participants will discover in the course [0:39:03]
The overlap between cutting expenses, building skills, and finding growth areas [0:43:01]
How everyone, regardless of their involvement in the next economy, can identify a next step [0:47:41]
Quotes:
“One of the challenges and opportunities that we often provocatively try and present is to rethink the economy from a principles-first perspective.” — @kevinbayuk [0:04:46]
“It’s not just about changing the nature of business. It’s actually about changing the nature of culture and how we think about our needs.” — @kevinbayuk [0:08:57]
“We’re going to create, in the container of the learning community, a place where people can request or solicit feedback, advice, and resources for taking their next step.” — @kevinbayuk [0:38:18]
“We are going to hold people in a compassionate, accountable, loving embrace as we support them in taking that step.” — @erinaxelrod [0:41:06]
“Even building community is a next step that many can take.” — @erinaxelrod [0:46:19]
Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:
Kevin Bayuk on LinkedIn — https://www.linkedin.com/in/kevinbayuk/
Kevin Bayuk on X — https://x.com/kevinbayuk
Erin Axelrod on LinkedIn — https://www.linkedin.com/in/erinaxelrod/
Erin Axelrod on X — https://x.com/erinaxelrod
Michael Kramer: The Power of Sustainable Finance and Purpose-Driven Ownership
What can businesses do to meaningfully align their operations with social and environmental values? In today’s episode, Michael Kramer, Manager and Trust Steward at Natural Investments, and co-author of The Resilient Investor: A Plan for Your Life, Not Just Your Money, shares his insights on the intersection of socially responsible investing (SRI), resilience, and purpose-driven business models.
Nairuti Shastry and Zac Chapman: In Pursuit of More Just Economic Futures
What does it take to reimagine our financial structures so that social movements can thrive in abundant ecosystems rather than being starved for resources? In this episode, Zac Chapman and Nairuti Shastry from the New Economy Coalition (NEC) join us to explore the Solidarity Economy Funding Library, a powerful initiative that helps organizers access funding, investment, and fiscal sponsorship opportunities while fostering stronger relationships between movement organizations and funders.
Dr. Richard Schwartz: Internal Family Systems (IFS) and the Next Economy
We are all made up of various parts that dictate how we relate to and engage with the world around us. And when these parts are hurt, we struggle to find joy, peace, and comfort. These revelations formed the basis of Dr. Richard Schwartz’s Internal Family Systems Model (IFS), and today, he joins us to discuss how his groundbreaking philosophy can help to build the Next Economy.
Jasmine Rashid: The Financial Activist Playbook
Financial activism is more than just making trades on Wall Street; it’s about making impact-driven investments that sustainably grow entire communities and about providing a platform for a more equitable society. The Financial Activist Playbook is a comprehensive resource designed to empower everyday people with insider knowledge on moving money for a more equitable economy, and we are thrilled to be joined today by its author, Jasmine Rashid.
Natalie Foster: Fighting for America’s Next Economy by Raising the Floor for Everyone
How would America’s economy change if we could guarantee financial support for everyone? In this conversation with Natalie Foster, Economic Security Project president and author of The Guarantee, we explore how stability can be found for American people if the government provides an economic floor through which no one can fall and that can provide guaranteed income.
Exploring Overworking Through the Lens of Nonviolent Communication
In our fast-paced society, many of my clients face the challenge of overcommitment and overworking. This tendency is influenced by various socio-economic pressures, such as the need to perform and keep up with the rapid changes in our world. While some of these pressures are systemic and vast, recognizing and detaching from the internalized beliefs about productivity can offer significant freedom. Rather than enacting habitual programming that may have been helpful in the past but is no longer supportive, you can make decisions that are more aligned to your needs and self-awareness. You may realize you have more choice in the moment than you may have thought.
Below are some journal prompts crafted to guide your exploration through the principles of Nonviolent Communication (NVC). These prompts are designed to help you connect more deeply with your feelings and needs in relation to overworking. As you reflect on each question, please use the accompanying feelings and needs list link to support your inquiry.
Reward and Recognition: Reflect on times when you received belonging, acceptance, or appreciation for exceeding expectations. Using the NVC feelings and needs list, identify the emotions and needs that were met during these instances.
How does striving for perfection or excellence relate to your sense of self-worth and identity?
Have there been other ways that these needs were met while you were in alignment with your deepest self?
Past Experiences and Validation: Think about moments from your past where being capable, helpful, or productive brought you validation or a sense of belonging. Acknowledge the feelings of joy or fulfillment from these achievements.
How can you integrate this understanding into a more balanced work-life approach while honoring your emotional needs?
Introducing 'Beyond the B,' Our New B Corp Podcast!
LIFT team members Emmy Allison and Ryan Honeyman facilitate an ongoing conversation about what is working and not working in the B Corp movement, advise companies on how to increase their impact, and provide a deep dive into the new B Corp standards that are shaping our community.
Dana Brown: The Next System of Healthcare
While healthcare has the potential to function as an essential pillar of the next economy, it’s no secret that the current US healthcare system is dysfunctional. Today, we are joined by Dana Brown, a leading expert in public-sector pharmaceutical production, to imagine a non-extractive system of healthcare that prioritizes the health and wellbeing of people over profits.
Chris Marquis: A New Regenerative Paradigm for Tomorrow’s Economy
From climate change to inequality, many of society's most pressing issues are deeply intertwined with the prioritization of wealth accumulation at the expense of broader societal and environmental concerns. Today, we are joined by Chris Marquis, the author of The Profiteers: How Business Privatizes Profit and Socializes Cost, to discuss how we can rebalance interactions between corporations, governments, and civil society to deliver outcomes that benefit both people and the planet.