Leading from our emerging future is becoming a more common theme in global economic circles. Long-term prosperity, growth and more holistic returns on capital investments are increasingly influenced by major megatrends like climate change, finite resources, a growing global population with diversified needs and the new lifestyle preferences of millennials. World leaders, innovators, investors and key thought leaders are shifting resources and capital into businesses and regions that are transitioning from a linear based economy to one that is more circular and regenerative.
More companies are realizing the value of investing in proactivity today, instead of falling behind tomorrow. We help businesses manage the regulatory risk, brand risk, and community impact risk of their decisions. By factoring in the environment, transparency and social justice issues from the very beginning, businesses and organizations can create a competitive advantage by implementing the kind of practices that informed consumers demand (and vote for with their dollars).
Better answers start with better questions.
Our partnerships and projects are driven by an innate need to address these (and many other) key questions:
- How does our regional view of innovation, investment and entrepreneurship change when we account for major mega trends and risks we face like those defined in the World Economic Forum’s global risks assessment report which for the first time put environmental and social challenges like climate change, inequity and natural resource degradation at the top of the list?
- How do you create and invest in an industrial system that is more regenerative by design—a “circular economy,” one which restores material, energy, and labor inputs and is good both society, business and living planet?
- What do we better integrate data and analytical decision-making tools that account for critical scientific trends on human health and the environment into the front end of investments from the business and economic communities?
- What types of partnerships can we create to build knowledge-based economies that are better equipped to scale solutions to emerging megatrends?
- How is progress towards a more regenerative, circular economy measured and thereby supported and better valued by the financial community?
- How do we plan for and channel critical investments into entrepreneurs and leaders that are best positioned to scale solutions to major challenges and mega trends that we all face?
- What global and national case examples are useful points of reference for leaders working in this space?
- How can policymaking at the regional and national level accelerate investment into leaders scaling solutions?
- How do we collectively better measure the value of a more integrated approach to building social, ecological and economic capital in our communities?
These are some of the resources that have helped guide our thinking: