On the path to a just, equitable, and regenerative economy, some things are getting closer and some are getting farther away. It can be hard to tell which is which. We have to be willing to look directly into the light.
This is Red Light/Blue Light.
What is the point of a movement to democratize access to capital if it mainly benefits extractive businesses and white male founders? Without a set of guiding principles, crowdfunding - particularly debt and equity crowdfunding that can lead to significant wealth creation - will only accelerate the worst aspects of capitalism that manifest as the massive racial wealth gap, climate destabilization, and so on.
Read MoreOn August 29th, a community forum in San Francisco discussed proposed legislation in California to create more transparency around donor-advised funds (DAFs). For the most part, representatives from opposing sides and opposite ends of the nonprofit spectrum used that time to posture and talk past each other, highlighting the deepening fractures within our community.
Read MoreIn late July, I was fortunate enough to appear on the Next Economy Now podcast and be interviewed by Ryan Honeyman, Worker-owner at LIFT Economy and co-author of the B Corp Handbook v2.0. We talked a bit about my social enterprise journey, each other’s processes of unraveling layers of privilege towards being a better partner in social justice work, and why the misuse of donor-advised funds is a prime example of how philanthropy is deepening wealth inequality and oppressive systems. Also, dinosaurs!
If you like podcasts and social justice, check it out here! Runtime is 52:22 so mentally prepare yourself and maybe just play it on your long ass commute.
Read MoreIn the wake of last week’s historic reparations hearings, this felt like the right time to finally try and write down what I’ve been thinking about a lot this year (or really since my daughter was born 10 months ago). This odd, burning question: how can I be a great ancestor in this time?
Read MoreIn another year full of unlikely events, one of the things I least expected from 2018 was a book to send shockwaves through the social impact sector and challenge my fundamental belief in the importance of social enterprise.
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