Investing in Regeneration: Transforming Planning and Finance through Systems Thinking | Podcast Guru

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What if finance could be the carrot that pulls us toward a regenerative future? Investing in Regeneration is a podcast about changing how we understand, plan, and finance projects — unpacking real deals and initiatives to show how money can move differently, and why that matters for climate action, nature restoration, and social justice. Each episode takes you inside a real transaction or initiative through three lenses: 1. Understanding the context and theory of change Planning the deal: how it originated, who was involved, and what it took to bring it together Financing: the instruments, structures, blended components, and lessons that made it possible (or nearly didn't). We bring together the people who are actually making these deals happen: financiers and fund managers sitting alongside project developers, community leaders, and indigenous voices. The providers and the recipients of finance, in the same conversation. Because the gap between those two worlds is exactly where the most important knowledge lives, and where the biggest systemic barriers hide. The podcast is built around a simple but powerful idea: the three revolutions we need aren't just technological or political. They are revolutions in understanding — how we read and value complex systems; in planning — how we originate deals that work for people and planet; and in finance — how capital is structured, de-risked, and deployed to unlock regenerative outcomes at scale. Listeners are leaders in finance, development, infrastructure planning, policy, and mission-driven organizations who are tired of siloed thinking and hungry for practical models. You'll hear about nature-based solutions, water and soil restoration, public-private-community partnerships, blended finance structures, and the kind of innovations that rarely make it into mainstream investment conversations — but urgently need to. This is not a podcast about theory. It's about practice: the origination story, the partnerships forged, the financial architecture, the friction that had to be overcome, and the honest lessons guests would share with anyone trying to replicate or scale what they've built. Hosted by Mónica Alejandra Altamirano, Investing in Regeneration bridges the gap between bottom-up changemakers and top-down decision-makers — because systemic change only happens when both are in the room. If you believe regenerative investment is not only necessary but possible, this podcast is for you.

Recent Episodes

Rewiring Global Finance: Natural Capital, Central Banks & the Beyond Bretton Woods Initiative

In this episode of Investing in Regeneration, Mónica Altamirano de Jong sits down with Frank Van Gansbeke — co-founder of the Beyond Bretton Woods (BBW) Initiative, Executive Scholar in Residence at Middlebury College, and former senior executive with over 30 years of experience in corporate finance and capital markets — to explore one of the most fundamental questions in regenerative investing: why does our global financial system still make it more profitable to destroy nature than to restore it, and what would it take to change that? Shaped by deep experience in global banking, the 2008 financial crisis, the defence of the euro in 2012, and a decade of teaching finance at Middlebury College, Frank brings a rare combination of insider knowledge and systemic critique. Through the Beyond Bretton Woods Initiative — a global think tank co-founded at COP26 with James Vaccaro and currently co-writing a book with Professor Jon Isham — Frank and a network of 50 global thinkers are articulating an array of recommendations to redesign the international financial architecture for the 21st century. Together, they explore the three fault lines of our current financial system — an outdated value paradigm, a global power imbalance, and systemic risk agnosticism — and what it would mean to fix them. From natural capital as central bank-eligible collateral and indigenous communities as custodians of global commons, to the role of price signals, the Tropical Forever Forest Facility, and the limits of GDP as a metric of wealth, this conversation maps the architecture of a financial system that places people, nature, and long-term wellbeing at its centre. ▶️Rewiring Global Finance: Natural Capital, Central Banks & the Beyond Bretton Woods Initiative 00:00:00 The Amazon Trade-Off: Why It Still Pays More to Fell a Tree Than to Save It 00:01:32 Introducing Frank Van Gansbeke & the Beyond Bretton Woods Initiative 00:04:27 80 Years On: The Three Fault Lines of Our International Financial Architecture 00:09:11 Theory of Change: Bottom-Up Recommendations & Top-Down Engagement 00:13:51 Frank’s Journey: From Global Banking to Regenerative Finance 00:19:09 Teaching Finance in a Polycrisis: Hope, Diagnosis & the Next Generation 00:23:28 How the Outdated Value Paradigm Shapes Investment Origination 00:29:21 Indigenous Communities as Natural Capital Custodians 00:32:20 Valuing Natural Capital: From Satellite Mapping to Central Bank Collateral 00:42:44 Building Blocks & What Still Needs to Be Developed 00:49:17 The Tropical Forever Forest Facility & In Right Relationship 00:52:33 Beyond GDP: Holistic Wealth, Shorter Work Weeks & Purpose-Driven Economies 00:59:08 Solidarity, the Loss & Damage Fund & the Values We’ve Lost 01:00:39 Magic Wand: Using Central Bank Price Signals to Redirect Capital Notable Quote: “We have a system that favors harm and pollution at a very low cost, and healing or regeneration at a very high cost. We need a pricing equation that makes an investor at least indifferent between letting a tree stand tall — and felling it.” — Frank Van Gansbeke Connect with Guest: 📱 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/frank-van-gansbeke-48199918/ 💻 Website: https://www.beyondbrettonwoods.org/ Connect with Mónica: 📱 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/altamiranomonicaa/

63 MIN

Making Nature Bankable: Rethinking Finance to Scale Nature-Positive Investment

In this episode of Investing in Regeneration, Mónica Altamirano de Jong sits down with Keiron Brand, nature finance expert and practitioner and former Nature Lead at Barclays Investment Bank, to unpack one of the biggest questions in sustainable finance today: how do we make nature-positive investments bankable and scalable? Drawing from his experience across finance, firefighting, WWF, and global investment markets, Keiron shares how nature is shifting from a niche sustainability topic into a core financial issue tied directly to risk, resilience, and long-term value creation. Together, they explore what sets nature-positive investing apart from more established asset classes—from emerging nature markets and blended finance to transaction costs, regulation and the role of local communities. Through a systems-thinking lens, they examine how large financial institutions and investors, digital tools, enabling policy and new, sometimes non-traditional partnerships can help overcome these barriers and bring nature finance to scale. ▶️ Making Nature Bankable: Rethinking Finance to Scale Nature-Positive Investment 00:00:00 From Firefighter to Nature Finance - Keiron Brand 00:01:07 Introducing Keiron Brand: Nature Finance Expert & Practitioner 00:04:20 Nature as Investment Opportunity & Financial Risk: A New Paradigm 00:09:46 Why Institutional Investors Are Key to Scaling Nature Finance 00:13:05 The Investment Lifecycle for Nature-Positive Projects 00:18:17 From Shell & WWF to Barclays and Beyond Finance: Keiron's Path in Nature Finance 00:22:26 From Opportunity to Investment: How Nature Investment Deals Are Originated & Structured 00:27:31 Connecting Nature Ventures with Impact Investors and DFIs 00:31:54 Why Current Financial Instruments Fall Short for Nature Regeneration 00:38:33 Nature Credits, Biodiversity Net Gain & Lessons from Carbon Markets 00:42:46 Patient Capital, Blended Finance & Non-Traditional Partnerships 00:48:08 Scaling Nature Finance: Regulation, Open Data & Global Cooperation Notable Quote: “ Nature is not a niche topic anymore. It's really about how nature underpins long-term value in investments and assets, and how degradation translates into financial risk. [...] It is a fundamental part of any business model today.” - Keiron Brand Connect with Keiron: 📱 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/keiron-brand/ 💻 Relevant report: https://wwf.panda.org/wwf_news/?364413/Blueprints-for-bankable-nature-solutions-to-help-tackle-nature-and-climate-crises Connect with Mónica: 📱 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/altamiranomonicaa/ 💻 Website: https://altamira-regen.com/

51 MIN

Fondos de Agua: Agua Somos, Acción Colectiva y Colaboración Público-Privada para Regenerar Cuencas

En este episodio de Investing in Regeneration, Mónica Altamirano de Jong conversa con Andrea Yáñez, directora ejecutiva del Fondo Agua Somos, y Martha Ruby Falla González, directora de sostenibilidad corporativa de Postobón y miembro de la junta directiva de Agua Somos, para explorar cómo los fondos de agua se han convertido en plataformas de acción colectiva capaces de transformar la gestión hídrica en Colombia y Latinoamérica. Con más de una década liderando el Fondo Agua Somos en la cuenca del Magdalena, Andrea explica cómo una plataforma multisectorial puede articular empresa privada, comunidades, ciencia e instituciones públicas alrededor de una sola misión: la seguridad hídrica. Por su parte, Martha comparte cómo Postobón, una empresa cuya materia prima fundamental es el agua, pasó de gestionar riesgos endógenos a dimensionar y actuar sobre riesgos exógenos, y por qué la licencia social de operación se ha vuelto tan estratégica como el VPN de cualquier proyecto. Una conversación sobre inversión de largo aliento, gobernanza comunitaria, beneficio volumétrico y lo que significa, en la práctica, invertir en la regeneración de cuencas y el ciclo del agua. ▶️ Fondos de Agua: Agua Somos, Acción Colectiva y Colaboración Público-Privada para Regenerar Cuencas 00:00:37 Introducción: Andrea Yáñez y Martha Ruby Falla González 00:03:07 ¿Qué es el Fondo Agua Somos? Misión, sectores e inversión en territorio 00:05:11 Cómo el fondo transformó la gestión de riesgos hídricos en Postobón 00:08:54 Trayectorias: ser feminista, ambientalista y realista en la empresa privada 00:15:08 Los fondos de agua en Latinoamérica: modelo, alianzas y gobernanza 00:17:42 Planificación estratégica del fondo: ciencia, territorio y flexibilidad al 2030 00:19:57 Criterios de inversión corporativa: pertinencia, efectividad y sostenibilidad 00:30:24 Financiamiento del fondo: siete mecanismos e inversión colectiva 00:40:03 Retos y oportunidades: tecnología, greenwashing y empresas medianas 00:43:46 Participación empoderada: comunidades como corazón del diseño 00:47:09 Éxito, escala y licencia social de operación 00:49:03 Equilibrio dinámico: estandarización vs. contexto local 00:51:28 Pregunta final: si tuvieran la varita mágica, ¿qué pedirían? Conecta con Martha: 📱 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/marthafalla/ 💻 Website: https://www.postobon.com/ Conecta con Andrea: 📱 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrea-y%C3%A1%C3%B1ez-ariza-21595926b/ 💻 Website: https://fondoaguasomos.com/ Conecta con Mónica: 📱 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/altamiranomonicaa/ 💻 Website: https://altamira-regen.com/

54 MIN

From Impact Investing to Regenerative Investing: Co-Investing with Living Systems

In this episode of Investing in Regeneration, Mónica Altamirano de Jong sits down with Sidney Cano - serial regenerative entrepreneur, investor, innovator, and lifelong researcher of regenerative investing - to explore one of the most profound paradigm shifts in finance today: the transition from investments in regeneration to truly regenerative investing. Drawing on nearly 15 years of experience in business innovation, entrepreneurship, and investing - and grounded in hands-on experimentation with syntropic agriculture, watershed restoration, and community finance in Mexico - Sidney unpacks why investing is not a transaction but a continuum, why there is no such thing as regenerative projects (only regenerative work within living systems), and how finance, when placed in right relationship with economy and investing, can become a force for the emergence of economies of life. From care holders to co-investors, from financial structures to evolving ecosystems, this conversation challenges everything we think we know about where money should go, and why. ▶️ From Impact Investing to Regenerative Investing: Co-Investing with Living Systems 00:00:00 Introduction to Investing in Regeneration 00:01:10 Introducing Sidney Cano: Regenerative Entrepreneur & Lifelong Researcher 00:03:12 The Paradigm Shift: From Investments in Regeneration to Regenerative Investing 00:06:16 Syntropic Agriculture, Living Systems & the Role of the Co-Investor 00:13:00 Why Investors Must Humble Down and Learn With Nature 00:16:29 Sidney's Journey: From Education to Regenerative Investing 00:24:39 The Nested Framework: Economy, Investing & Finance 00:33:22 Deal Origination Reimagined: From Stakeholders to Care Holders 00:36:53 The Acatlan Case: Farmers, Digital Nomads & Regenerative Co-Investment 00:47:04 Lake Chapala: A Long-Term Watershed Regeneration Investment 00:52:41 How Regenerative Investment Structures Differ from Traditional Deals 00:58:03 Removing Finance from the Center of Decision-Making 00:59:04 What One Shift Would You Drive Tomorrow? Notable Quote: “We have to remove financing from the center of all our decision-making. The decision-making has to come from the understanding of our right relationship with the ecosystems — and then bring in financing resources in the right position and the right time. Because you can have tons of money and still have no life.” — Sidney Cano Connect with Sidney: 📱 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sidney-cano-1b0a1813/ 💻 Substack: Towards an Economy of Life Connect with Mónica: 📱 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/altamiranomonicaa/ 💻 Website: https://altamira-regen.com/

62 MIN

Nature Finance at Scale: Lessons from Europe’s Natural Capital Finance Facility

In this episode of Investing in Regeneration, Mónica Altamirano de Jong sits down with Stephen Hart, Principal Advisor for Nature and Water at the European Investment Bank (EIB), to explore the evolution of nature and climate adaptation finance in Europe. Drawing on his experience leading the Natural Capital Finance Facility (NCFF), Stephen reflects on more than a decade of experimentation in biodiversity finance, nature-based solutions, and water resilience investments. Together, they unpack what worked, what did not, and why financing nature requires much more than innovative financial instruments. From funding gaps and ecosystem services to nature credits, water resilience, and landscape-scale restoration, this conversation explores the structural changes needed to move nature finance from isolated success stories to mainstream investment. ▶️ Nature Finance at Scale: Lessons from Europe’s Natural Capital Finance Facility 00:00:00 Introduction to Investing in Regeneration 00:04:06 The Origins and Theory of Change Behind the NCFF 00:13:11 From Financial Engineering to Funding Fundamentals 00:18:05 Expanding the Scope of Nature Investments 00:22:28 Stephen’s Journey into Nature and Finance 00:28:42 How Nature and Adaptation Investments Are Sourced 00:37:16 Financing Nature: Lessons from the NCFF Structure 00:48:10 Building Revenue Models for Nature Restoration 00:50:51 Reducing Transaction Costs in Ecosystem Restoration 00:55:06 Measuring Success Beyond Financial Returns 01:00:16 The Limits of Traditional Banking for Nature 01:02:55 Balancing Nature Restoration, Climate Adaptation, and Human Needs 01:08:28 What Needs to Change to Finance Nature at Scale Notable Quote: “When we say we're investing in nature, you can say we're trying to, at the end of this, create biodiversity, create biological growth, or connectivity, but the investing level ultimately comes down to a social and economic level that lies on top of it. That is really where you can create things that were not there before.” - Stephen Hart Connect with Stephen: 📱 LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/stephen-d-hart 💻 Website: https://www.eib.org/en/stories/climate-change-biodiversity Connect with Mónica: 📱 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/altamiranomonicaa/ 💻 Website: https://altamira-regen.com/ Produced by Ideablossoms

71 MIN