Rewriting the Rules: Designing an Economy for the 21st Century

Registration Deadline March 17th

The Biodiversity Funders Group (BFG) will host a New Economy funders meeting to explore how to rewrite the rules in designing an economy for the 21st Century.

Please join us from Wednesday March 27 through the morning of Friday, March 29 in Cleveland, Ohio, a model city for community wealth building and new economic thinking.

The set of ideas and rules that have dominated western political economy for the past 40 years are rapidly losing legitimacy. An emerging confluence of people are concerned about the harm our economic system is causing – political threats to open democratic societies, climate change and environmental degradation, growing inequality, accelerating technology change – and understand that the economy is undergoing a significant transition. 

These problems have spawned a growing movement across academia, civil society and business to bring about a new economic paradigm. There is a hunger for new intellectual frameworks to make sense of these intertwined issues and help guide action. 

We need new economic models and narratives that can unify activists and inspire greater civic engagement. This meeting will explore philanthropy’s role in building the social, institutional and political infrastructure needed to ensure that this transition results in real and positive change.   

The agenda purposely includes significant time for interaction, learning and networking, including field trips to inspirational projects and companies. 

BFG members and participants will note that this briefing serves as a continuation to the meeting held in Boston in March 2017. Join us: share your ideas and examples, ask hard questions, and leave inspired with new colleagues and plans! 

Press the Agenda tab to see more details for the meeting. Please note that the agenda is a draft that will be updated in the lead up to the meeting.

Please contact Albert Buixade Farre at (415) 561-6575 x301 or abuixade@biodiversityfunders.org if you have any questions regarding the program for this event.

This meeting is intended only for professionals and leaders working in grant-making organizations. Both BFG members and non-members are welcome to register. If you work for a different kind of organization and are interested in attending, please do not register and first get in touch with BFG.

Key questions we will seek answers to are:

• How can the disruptive power of technological change be harnessed to protect the environment?
• How do new generations bring new societal values and solutions to environmental and societal problems?
• How can a new economic approaches address climate change?
• How can we align the purpose of the economy with human and environmental wellbeing?
  
  

The meeting objectives are to:

• Unpack the underlying flaws in the current economic orthodoxy.
• Learn about new economic thinking, approaches and narratives that could result in a more sustainable and equitable economic system.  
• Come away inspired with good ideas and new partnerships.  
  

BFG has secured a room block at the Renaissance Hotel in Cleveland. The group rate is of $122 per room per night. Each registrant is encouraged to make their hotel reservation soon through this link. Reservations to the room block will be accepted until 3/12/2019. 

The rate applies to the three nights between March 26-29, as well as offering three shoulder dates before and after the event for those who wish to extend their stay.

The Renaissance Hotel will serve as the lodging venue, as well as the location of most of the meeting (except for the field trips), and the dining.