Why Crisis-Born Companies Thrive, and the Rise of the Systems Founder When markets wobble, founders often scramble for quick fixes and cosmetic pivots, mere deck-chair rearrangements that do little more than make them look busy. Yet history shows that the most enduring ventures emerge from turmoil. Their secret? A new breed of leader we call the systems founder: someone who … Read More

Why Contribution Matters Lessons Learned in Outcomes-Based Business Models: Addressing the Risks Outcomes-based business models have been widely adopted in healthcare, climate finance, and social services to align incentives and improve efficiency. However, they often introduce misaligned risk structures, favor incumbents, and lead to financialization that extracts rather than contributes to ecosystemic health. Instead of forcing narrow attribution, a better … Read More

From Economic Driver to Shared Responsibility In many regions in the US, healthcare and life sciences make up 15-18% of the local economy—a major driver of jobs, research, and investment. But what if these ecosystems were designed not just for industry growth, but for measurable contributions to health, air quality, and community well-being? Instead of treating healthcare as a siloed … Read More

For the concerned AI crowd headed to the Paris AI Summit, I may not be there in person, but the urgency of our moment compels me to send this message by carrier pigeon, Substack, and LinkedIn, with a few links shared on BlueSky. In light of the recent earnings reports from the major tech titans and the emergence of DeepSeek’s … Read More

Combinatorial Models: Business + Capital + Multiple Forms of Value We often talk about business models as the key to scaling impact. But business models alone don’t determine success. What truly drives long-term contribution is the combination of business models, capital models, and multiple forms of value—economic, health, environmental, social, and civic. The most exciting shifts we’re seeing today involve … Read More

Ecosystem Strategy Offer: Contribution Design Methodology Overview Our Ecosystem Strategy service applies Contribution Design to help organizations and regions catalyze meaningful, systemic change. Designed for leaders in the bioeconomy—spanning regenerative medicine, agriculture, and sustainable development—this offer reimagines how ecosystems are conceptualized, built, and sustained by focusing on shared purpose, dignified work, and addressing the stakes of communities most impacted by … Read More

For scientific founders, discovery is just the beginning. But moving a breakthrough from the lab into the world is an entirely different challenge. Commercialization isn’t just a necessity—it’s a powerful mechanism for impact. When done well, it ensures that innovation reaches people, scales effectively, and sustains itself over time. But not all commercialization models lead to the full realization of … Read More

Beyond Capital to Shared Purpose Raising capital isn’t just about funding—it’s about who you’re building with. The right investors don’t just write checks; they shape your company’s trajectory, influence key decisions, and define what success looks like. For founders focused on health, climate, and systemic change, finding investors who align with your values is critical. But it’s also one of … Read More

Turning Evidence into Scalable Impact For many nonprofit leaders, the challenge isn’t proving what works—it’s scaling what works. Years of research, pilots, and community-based programs generate evidence-based solutions that create measurable impact. But traditional nonprofit funding—grants, donations, and philanthropy—rarely supports scaling beyond the pilot phase. This is where spinning out a venture becomes a powerful strategy. By structuring an evidence-based … Read More

Moving Beyond Capital to Contribution Investing isn’t just about deploying capital—it’s about shaping the future. For investors who want to back ventures that align with health, climate, and systemic transformation, the challenge isn’t just finding promising companies. It’s ensuring that capital reinforces long-term contribution, rather than forcing short-term trade-offs. Many investors claim to be mission-aligned, but when it comes down … Read More