Nick W.’s Post

🔓To unlock regenerative business, we need new models of business ownership! Check out Julie Menter and Erinch Sahan's article in Pioneers Post published today. 💪Some good quotes: - Investors [...] might support your mission when it helps those financial parameters, but challenge it where returns are below expected benchmarks - Alternative Ownership Enterprises (AOEs) have demonstrated better financial performance, lower turnover, improved job quality, and higher wages, while expanding wealth-building opportunities to more people and reducing gender and racial inequality - The question that faces us now is not whether Alternative Ownership Enterprises are desirable (socially, ecologically and economically), but how to ensure they are financed. This requires innovation and ambition not just among entrepreneurs, but among investors as well 📰 Read the full article here:  https://lnkd.in/g_K-r6kR

BLOG BY JACINT SINGLA Business owners have always had one main goal, maximizing their profits. However , businesses are now evolving in order to comply with sustainable development goals which comes under corporate social responsibility (CSR). Corporates have realised that they own a responsiblity towards society especially towards there own employees and share holders. It is generally broken into 4 categories ENVIRONMENTAL - it is considered an organisations job to be as environment friendly as possible. Some measures corporates take in order to maintain this is - providing shuttles in areas where employs are concentrated, providing paper cups, etc which helps them reduce their carbon footprint. ETHICAL- it aims at ensuring companies perform with both corporates and employees woth proper ethics. This includes not exploiting employes with schemes such as employement bonds. PHILANTHROPY- its name is really self explanatory . Philanthrophical responsibilities include activities like donation, NGO's under the organisation etc. ECONOMIC- it aims at ensuring that buisness comit to good to the economy. Marpu foundation, a telangana based NGO founded by Mr. Kadhiri ranu vamsi. He is a respected national youth awardee. The foundation focuses on ecological development, mindfullness and volunteerism while following the SDG's or the sustainable development goals. Their vision is to harness individual potential for positive change through innovative, empathy-led projects promoting sustainability and social empowerment. Their vision is to become a beacon of transformation, crafting a future that's equitable, compassionate, and sustainable through collective efforts and partnerships. They offer a variety of programs with the aim to empower individuals to voice their aspirations, work towards being sustainable and form alliances with organizations doing the same work. Buisness oqners also need to ensure to be transparent and accountable to be able to follow all the 17 SDG's. Marpu ensures the same. This foundation follows all the 17 sustainable development goals and also excells in all the 4 areas of CSR. To conclude, i would say that it is important to maintain a good alliance with organizations in order to ensure a good corporate social responsibility and marpu aims exactly at doing that. The world regularly tackels harsh situations like poverty, climate disasters and pther epidemics. It should be a corporates responsiblity to provide to their own community with the help of NGO's or by their own self. NGO's like marpu help buisness owners to have a good organisation with them and help buld a sustainable

I had a fascinating discussion last week with Christopher Marquis, Professor at the University of Cambridge, and author of 'The Profiteers', where we dove deep into the complex world of corporate accountability. Our conversation shed light on critical issues related to the environment, income inequality, and the future of business ethics. Here are three golden nuggets I took away from our interview: 💭 Rethinking Profit and Responsibility: Many businesses privatise profits while socialising costs, passing the burden of environmental and social damages to taxpayers and consumers. Chris argues for a shift in corporate accountability and the need for businesses to internalise these externalities. 💰 Income Inequality & CEO Pay Ratios: The dramatic increase in CEO-worker pay ratios contributes to income and wealth inequality, negatively impacting societal economic performance. Traditional solutions like trickle-down economics and philanthropy are being questioned for their effectiveness in addressing these disparities. 🌳 Regenerative Business Practices: Companies like Patagonia are pioneering the shift from sustainability to active repair and restoration of the environment. By embedding regenerative principles into their business models, they set a powerful example of how businesses can contribute positively to solving environmental challenges. Take a listen to our Business Elevation Show conversation to help understand how we can drive a paradigm change in business models towards a more equitable and sustainable future - https://lnkd.in/ehQdNZcS

When you put together Erinch Sahan of Doughnut Economics Action Lab (DEAL) and Julie Menter of Transform Finance, you are sure to get some worthwhile perspectives. Come for the interesting cover photo, stay for the content!

We agree, Transform Finance! This is a great reminder of why we need new models of business #ownership - and how business leaders and investors can shift their practices to accelerate the changes we need to see. 👍

You don't know if "new" or "different" things will work until we give them a go, explore them, make them different. You know that many of our current systems and practices haven't aligned to life sustaining principles. Look at elements of your business & you soon see how they contribute to the "problems", not the solutions of our complex systems. (I'm still on this journey myself!) The fear & vastness of the unknown "change for better" can leave us stuck in our "same ways". Regenerative Business & Leadership often packaged as some new, profound approach to business. But let me let you in on a not-so-secret-secret. Regenerative principles are a rebirth, a recreation or evolution of 3.8 billion years of Nature's knowledge, wisdom, research and design. Learned & loved from the natural world and deep connection of indigenous wisdom. (people who know, respect and live with the land and wild, not extract from it at perilless consequences) This isn't new. It's simply forgotten. Ours to be remembered. Human & wild can (and have) lived and thrived together. In life & business. There is a lot of sussing out to do of course.To understand yourself & your business change, against the tide of "business as it is now" Sarah Elliott Spencer and I have created two frameworks and a big dollop of resources, to help you with bringing old wisdom, in new ways to your world. Whilst everyone's outcomes are different here are a few things I feel confident to celebrate as part of our Think Like A Forest exploration. - More clarity and confidence on what regenerative business means for you and how you might make changes to you business and leadership. Or enhance what already exists. - Less shame, guilt or fear about whether "little you" can make a difference. Resulting in many impactful actions. - ways to enhance your supply chain, find products and procurement that support your ethos with influence to supply chain markets. - Find community connections that reduce feelings of loneliness and open up opportunities for business collaboration, learning and financial stability. - Discover or deepen your connection with the natural world For enhanced mental and physical health for you and your team as well as new perspectives that could inspire everything from communication to health & safety strategies and policies. - a conscious focus on increasing diversity of thought within your business, team or self which leads to solutions and innovations you hadn't known were available before. - Real, raw and wild conversations about financial stability and regenerative business. With a focus on balancing making money whilst achieving regenerative behaviours and ethos in your business. (Just a few examples here) Sound like something to be interested in? Our final week of sign ups begins today.With business leaders and employees from a diverse range of business sectors and business "shapes and sizes" signed up Nature is inviting you to pay attention. #LinkInBio

Introduction to Series: Welcome to our new LinkedIn series, where we explore how major corporations, especially within the manufacturing sector, are embracing social business to drive not only economic growth but also positive social and environmental outcomes. Each post will delve into a specific company, starting with a global leader in the food industry, Danone. Join us as we uncover the transformative power of social business across the globe. Company Overview: Danone, headquartered in Paris, France, is a multinational food-products corporation known for its dairy products, bottled water, and baby food. With a presence in over 120 markets, Danone’s commitment to health-focused products is matched by its dedication to sustainability and social responsibility. Social Business Overview: Challenges and Targets: Danone has long recognized the need for a sustainable and health-focused approach to business. Faced with the global challenges of malnutrition, environmental degradation, and economic disparity, Danone set ambitious targets to transform their business model to address these issues while promoting better health through their products. Initiatives and Results: One of Danone’s standout social business initiatives is the creation of the Danone Communities Fund, which invests in social businesses that aim to fight malnutrition and bring health through food to as many people as possible. An example is their investment in Nutri'zaza, a social business in Madagascar that distributes affordable, nutritious baby food and educates mothers about child nutrition. This initiative has not only improved health outcomes but also created economic opportunities in local communities. Danone also launched the "One Planet. One Health" framework, which reflects their vision that the health of people and the health of the planet are interconnected. This approach has driven innovation in product development and sustainability, significantly reducing carbon footprint and water usage across their production processes. Learnings: Danone’s journey into social business teaches us that integrating social goals with business objectives can lead to substantial impacts. Their proactive approach to tackling global challenges head-on demonstrates how businesses can play a critical role in societal well-being and environmental sustainability. Conclusion: Danone's efforts in the social business realm illustrate the potential for large manufacturing companies to influence global health and environmental outcomes positively. Their commitment to social innovation provides valuable insights for other companies looking to make a significant social impact through their business operations. Call to Action: What are your thoughts on Danone’s approach to social business? How can other companies in the manufacturing sector leverage their resources to address global challenges? Share your views, and let’s discuss how businesses can contribute to a healthier planet and society.

Some of you will have spotted a post I wrote a few weeks ago about regenerative organisations. I've been trying to think about to apply this lens to councils. The first thing is to define what a regenerative organisation actually is. Emily Bazalgette has a nice take on this: "Regenerative organisations heal and improve their ecosystems, rather than simply mitigating harms. Their users, partners, employees, communities (and the planet) are healthier for them existing." I think you could summarise that as 'by enabling systemic thriving, regenerative organisations put in a lot more than they take out'. There are three obvious dimensions around which you could apply this principle in a local authority. 1. Regenerative economics: the new government wants housing and major new infrastructure, but in some parts of the country economic growth has a bad name precisely because it's seen as extractive. It doesn't increase health because it's growth aimed at the bottom line rather than creating thriving communities. Councils need a really strong narrative about how growth can put more in that it takes out. 2. Regenerative communities: how can councils deepen their engagement with communities and civil society to put more in than they take out? I saw Paul Taylor speaking earlier about Bromford's work to integrate its teams around localities and pool their budgets together. I was also, briefly, at the Stir to Action festival in Bristol where there was much interest in Labour's plans to double the number of co-ops. More community business feels regenerative. 3. Regenerative services: I think we've now established that the future of public services is relational, asset-driven and place-based. But we don't have the resources to do this in the face of what's likely to be ongoing budget constraint. I think this is where technology comes in to enable us to automate more processes and aspects of customer service. I've always had this vague idea that with decent AI we could basically turn any library or post office into a one stop shop for easily doing business with the council. Hopefully that's enough to inspire some useful feedback!

Great post on what "regenerative" could mean for councils (regenerative economics, communities and services). With my typically internal-focused org design hat on, I'm interested in what regenerative finance, regenerative communities and regenerative services look like "within" a council (i.e. for staff) too.

The Power of Purpose: Why Social Enterprise is the Future of Business Gone are the days when profit was the sole measure of success. Today, consumers and employees alike are increasingly drawn to businesses that make a positive impact on the world. That's where social enterprise shines! What is social enterprise? It's a powerful business model that combines commercial strategies with a social or environmental mission. Think: delicious coffee that empowers women farmers, stylish clothes made from recycled materials, or tech solutions that bridge the digital divide. ☕️♻️ Why does it matter? Social enterprises are: Making a difference: They tackle pressing issues like poverty, inequality, and climate change, creating a ripple effect of positive change. Financially sustainable: They operate like businesses, generating revenue to reinvest in their mission, proving purpose and profit can go hand-in-hand. Creating jobs: They provide meaningful employment opportunities for marginalized communities, fostering economic empowerment and social inclusion. #socialenterprise #impactinvesting #makeadifference #purpose #sustainablebusiness