How to Thrive in a Post-ODA World: Insights from Devex

🌱💸 𝗠𝗲𝗲𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗙𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝗥𝗮𝗶𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗠𝗶𝗹𝗹𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀 𝘁𝗼 𝗥𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝗡𝗮𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲 💸🌱 I sat down with 10 of the most impressive leaders in the nature-tech space. I asked them what it takes to:   • Scale a startup 10x   • Raise capital under tough conditions   • Stay hopeful when the odds are stacked 👉 The result is the Nature Tech’s Startup Leaders Report. Insights from the trenches on scaling, fundraising, resilience, and the future of this ecosystem. Here’s why you might want to open it: ✅ 𝗬𝗼𝘂'𝗿𝗲 𝗮 𝗙𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗿? Learn from people who’ve already walked the path (see the founder-to-founder “Words of Wisdom” section). ✅ 𝗬𝗼𝘂'𝗿𝗲 𝗮𝗻 𝗜𝗻𝘃𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗿? Spot the next wave of opportunities (check the “Key Insights” section). ✅ 𝗪𝗮𝗻𝘁 𝘁𝗼 𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗻 𝗮𝗯𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝗡𝗮𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲 𝗧𝗲𝗰𝗵? This is your entry point into the most exciting climate innovations right now. Plus! Starting next week, I’ll be publishing a more in-depth version of these conversations on Substack. 💬 Which founder’s story should we release first? A big thank you to: Diego Saez Gil from Pachama Dimple Patel from NatureMetrics Sebastian Leape from Natcap Rebekah Braswell from Land Life Gwynant Watson from Restor Dr. Sonja Stuchtey from The Landbanking Group Coenraad Vrolijk from CarbonPool Frederic Fournier from Open Forest Protocol Carsten Brinkschulte from Dryad Networks Ole Seidenberg from Skyseed And to Camille & Elijah for your support creating the report! Brainforest

Well worth a read, a great framework of Adaptive, Inclusive, Moral (AIM) and what this could mean for rethinking development

96 papers a day on cash transfers over the past 40 years, is staggering. The market approach suggests, that the issue isnt clear (probably a complex issue with multiple local contextual differences and more) and likely there wont be a clear answer. And yet, somehow, donors, experts and government officials keep wanting to put this into programming Would not be so bad if we had unlimited resources. But we dont. And so cash transfers keep crowding out alternatives like local measures. Like workng with the communities to develop locally relevant interventions, using tech to simplify and reduce costs, to make development interventions that place money in the pockets of people and give them control over their communities and lives

A fundamental disconnect does seem to persist within dominant scholarly and policy discourse regarding poverty reduction. While an abundance of "evidence" is generated on the efficacy of cash transfers, this work often overlooks this basic historical insight that…no society has achieved large-scale poverty escape through transfers alone. Sustainable transformation has historically been driven by national social development, economic growth, and innovation. It is crucial to state unequivocally that cash transfers serve a vital function in providing immediate relief to individuals facing acute financial distress. The ethical and practical necessity of such interventions is not in dispute. The core issue arises when this form of targeted relief is elevated from a tool of crisis management to a central pillar of long-term development strategy, thereby obscuring the imperative for governments to address the structural drivers of poverty. The widespread institutionalization of cash transfers in India – often championed by political parties across the ideological spectrum under the banner of "women's empowerment" – is a prime example of this flawed paradigm. The purported "evidence" supporting their efficacy often comes from states with established socioeconomic and governance foundations. Attributing their success solely to transfers, without acknowledging the pre-existing investments in growth and institutional capacity, is a significant analytical oversimplification. This trend reflects a political preference for short-term distributive measures over the long-term, complex work of systemic reform and structural investment. The result is a deepening institutional dependence on cash transfers without a commensurate commitment to generating growth, innovation, and systemic reform. This strategy, while politically expedient, offers little prospect for genuinely lifting societies out of entrenched poverty.

When everyone is talking about a poly-crisis... ...I see a starting point. The difference is not semantics — it is strategy. Today we launch the Bluerain Coherence Series — essays on the forces that will shape business, society, and governance for decades to come. The opening piece, “Beyond the Poly-Crisis: Toward Coherence”, reframes the debate: • Ecology — the base of all life under strain • Demography — aging societies, migration, and the need to extend productivity • Technology — advancing faster than governance and minds can keep pace At their convergence, risks multiply — but solutions can emerge. My conviction: future-proof businesses must remain profitable even when ecosystem services are valued at full replacement cost. Future-proof profits must cover risk reward, reinvestment for growth and value, and reserves. Anything less is not building value — it is consuming both the past and the future. This perspective builds on decades of practice across finance, governance, and entrepreneurship — the vantage point from which I engage with boards and entrepreneurial leaders and projects. The question: How can boards and entrepreneurs design enterprises that thrive when coherence — not fragmentation — defines the market? https://lnkd.in/dU5ayzUx #FutureOfBusiness #Sustainability #Governance #BluerainCoherence World Economic Forum Stockholm Resilience Centre Bluerain Partners Group Inc.

Why do some economies thrive while others stall, despite massive investment? The answer isn't just in the numbers, but in the 'psychocultural.' I uncover the social and cultural codes that accelerate or derail economic progress, transforming development from a top-down model into a bottom-up, community-led reality. #EconomicDevelopment #GlobalDevelopment #HumanCapital #Innovation

This investment in AI tools highlights the importance of creating technology that supports frontline workers rather than adding to their burden https://lnkd.in/gDaqS3Tr . To succeed, we must co-create with frontline professionals and ensure governments strengthen digital governance so communities are protected as technology expands. In my work, I co-created the Digital Supervision and Mentorship Platform (DISC), a digital health tool that helps track supervision visits, follow up on action plans, and use real-time data for decision-making. DISC has been piloted successfully and is being considered by Kenya’s county governments for scale-up, showing the potential of inclusive, government-owned digital tools to drive accountability and impact.

Excited about MSS2025! Times have changed, from a few years ago when so few related to using systems thinking as core to our work, to now when systems language is floating everywhere in our sector. But how do we root it in local context and high quality approaches? My reflection earlier today was how we ensure robust systems thinking is at the core of all of our conversations at MSS2025.

🚑 How can we make life with chronic illness easier? 🤳 In the latest episode of An Innovator Explains, hear from juli Health CEO and Founder Bettina Duehrkoop on how her solution is harnessing digital tools to enable patients take a proactive role in managing their own health. 📺 Watch the episode on UpLink: https://ow.ly/2Mxh50WLgGY Through the Global Longevity Innovation Initiative, we are partnering with Manulife and the World Economic Forum's Centre for Financial and Monetary Systems to build an innovation ecosystem around early-stage entrepreneurs that drives collaboration and helps unlock new opportunities across the #LongevityEconomy.

Watch the full first episode of Wealth Office on Spotify and also on YouTube at: https://lnkd.in/ekiaiAUy 🚀 The next trillion-dollar revolution isn’t just AI. It’s longevity. UBS projects the global longevity economy will hit $8 trillion by 2030—driven by a simple but urgent challenge: the gap between how long we live (lifespan) and how long we live in good health (healthspan). 👉 Today, the average person spends the last 9–10 years of life in poor health. 👉 Healthcare systems worldwide are stretched thin and financially unsustainable. 👉 The opportunity? A shift from “sick care” to preventive and lifestyle-driven healthcare. That’s the mission Allen Law is spearheading. From building a $70M VC fund to committing $156M to launch Morrow, a global chain of lifestyle medical centres, Alan is betting on innovation, prevention, and purpose-driven entrepreneurship to reshape healthcare. In this conversation, he shares: 💡 Why longevity is as transformative as AI for the next decade 💡 The 6 lifestyle pillars that can close the lifespan–healthspan gap 💡 How Asia’s rising wealth and intergenerational entrepreneurship are fueling global impact 💡 Why family businesses may hold the key to driving bold, purpose-led change If you’ve ever wondered how business can solve one of humanity’s biggest challenges, this is a must-watch. 🎥 https://lnkd.in/ekiaiAUy Do you believe the future of healthcare is prevention over treatment? Let’s discuss 👇