The RēMind, No. 005: Creating Regenerative Organizations
The RēMind, No. 005: Creating Regenerative Organizations
Upcoming Learning Opportunities at Rē / Regenerative Rising / Regenerate Change / Regenerative Travel / Walmart Promises to Be Regenerative?
In this newsletter, we’ll be spotlighting organizations that are pioneering, navigating and attempting to embody the principles of regeneration in their organizational structures, processes and services. The world is rapidly shifting and we need new systems and structures that can assist us in addressing the complexity and challenges that lie ahead. Regenerative Rising, Regenerate Change and Regenerative Travel have caught my attention as emerging regenerative organizations with new disruptive models. I’ve also included an article from Walmart as an example of how existing organizations are embracing the regenerative movement— and hopefully not greenwashing it.
— Ruth Sevigny, Editor
Upcoming Learning Opportunities at Rē:
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More goodness in the works as well— stay tuned for details about an in-person retreat planned for October!
Defining the Regenerative Organization
So, what is a regenerative organization? This article gathers a few key points:
Regenerative organizations will define the future of what we as a society can achieve. They will enable thriving, prosperous companies that transform the lives of employees and the greater society in which they operate. It starts with transitioning from a "What's in it for me?" approach to a mindset of collaboration, creativity, and contribution.
Simply put: they are soul nourishing organizations that make the world a better place, rather than soul-depleting jobs that continues to extract and degenerate people and the planet.
This is an exciting space to navigate because we are all learning as we go - drawing on the best tools, practices, wisdom and systems. There are so many people and projects around the world that are co-creating these purposeful organizations and movements. As we continue to come across more and more of them, these many innovative efforts keep us hopeful, as more and more people are choosing to create a better future for humanity within the infinite possibilities available to us on this planet.
Regenerative Rising
An inspiring team that hosts online events such as their recent Regenerative Earth Summit, the Regenerative Rising Podcast amplifies inspiring regenerative voices and educational social media content.
-photo: https://regenerativerising.org
“Regenerative Rising convenes influencers, innovators and producers from agriculture, fashion, beauty, investment and civic and nonprofit communities. We design our online and in-person gatherings for an exchange of ideas and strategies that elevate transformation of longstanding business and farming practices toward a living systems perspective. Leaders are supported in accelerating their adoption of principles that can lead to more informed and holistic problem-solving to address planetary regeneration through place-sourced agriculture and stakeholder-centric business action.”
Regenerate Change
-photo: https://regeneratechange.com/
This multi-faceted team offers education, consulting and networking with a diverse range of frameworks in systems thinking, biomimicry, social permaculture, business strategy, holistic lifestyle, workplace culture and much more. Their guiding organizational principles outlined below are admirable and show us an example of how regenerative approaches are folded into the organizational structure, mission and services. Regenerate Change has many free events and webinars if you’d like to get a glimpse into their world and work.
-photo: https://regeneratechange.com/
Regenerative Travel
-photo: https://www.regenerativetravel.com
What if the travel and tourism industries stepped into the regenerative paradigm? How would the travel experience then change? Combining a balance of inner and outer regeneration that doesn’t sacrifice or disregard one for the other. It’s all one and the same— healing and improving our physical, emotional, mental and energetic bodies as well as regenerating ecosystems and communities. Regenerative Travel allows tourists to develop a deeper connection to the culture and places they visit by getting involved with the local communities and engaging in activities that generative a positive impact.
Regenerative approaches are reaching higher-end hotels and resorts with this travel magazine and booking agency. Regenerative Travel covers topics of farm to table cuisine, regenerative agriculture, wellness for inner regeneration, host monthly webinar series and have a global network of regenerative retreat locations.
Walmart Sets Goal to Become a Regenerative Company
"We want to play an important role in transforming the world’s supply chains to be regenerative. We face a growing crisis of climate change and nature loss, and we all need to take action with urgency. For 15 years, we have been partnering to do the work and continually raising our sustainability ambitions across climate action, nature, waste and people. The commitments we’re making today not only aim to decarbonize Walmart’s global operations, they also put us on the path to becoming a regenerative company – one that works to restore, renew and replenish in addition to preserving our planet, and encourages others to do the same."
Doug McMillon, President and CEO – Walmart
This a bold claim for a company that has created so much waste, resource extraction and toxicity in many aspects of their business model. When big companies catch on to the latest sustainability trend, it holds the very real possibility of greenwashing. It allows them to continue on with business as usual while funding ecological regeneration projects or carbon offsetting. However, it the company puts real efforts into reforming its supply chains, a corporation as large as Walmart has the potential to make a significant contribution to this movement. Another benefit to this initiative is that it will provide needed funding to support pioneering regenerative projects. Have a look at their article here.
-photo: https://corporate.walmart.com/newsroom/2020/09/21/walmart-sets-goal-to-become-a-regenerative-company