The climate, biodiversity, and social systems are under pressure and are in danger of collapsing. Current leadership models are too limited, too short-sighted, and too disconnected from nature. Companies operate according to fundamentally unsustainable principles. They must evolve from being part of the problem to becoming an engine of regeneration. The world is becoming increasingly volatile and unpredictable, requiring a different kind of leadership (adaptive, shared, decentralized). Employees and customers are becoming more critical, fearful, and discouraged. We want to challenge companies worldwide to adopt biosphere-inclusive business practices, caring for the planet and atmosphere we live in. To begin this process, we set off for Davos to engage with large corporations. Along the way, we want to engage with as many entrepreneurs and scientists as possible and "bring them along" on our journey to the World Economic Forum in Davos.
Our vision
Our vision is to develop leaders and organizations that regenerate rather than merely sustain. We believe that regenerative practices and nature-based solutions (NbS) are not only compatible with profitability but essential for long-term business success and planetary health. By embedding biosphere thinking directly into business decision-making, we enable organizations to innovate in ways that align with social, ecological, and economic systems. Our goal is to cultivate leaders who understand interconnectedness, embrace meaningful purpose, and drive long-term, system-aligned transformation across their organizations and industries.
The Initiators
The initiators come from the business and academic sectors: WhatxNext, University of Amsterdam, Wansdonk Architecture, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, and the Anthropocene Navigators. Leadership team: Sjoerd Kluiving, initiator, Associate Professor of Anthropocene Studies and Geoarchaeology, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam; Jorge de Sousa, CEO of WhatsNext: improving decision support systems; Renee Wansdronk, entrepreneur/architect: Solar energy, low exergy, and zero-emission building concepts; Kenneth Rijsdijk, Assistant Professor, Institute for Biodiversity and Ecosystem Dynamics, University of Amsterdam.