REFLECTIONS FROM A WAYPOINT ON FIRST GREEN BANK'S REGENERATIVE JOURNEY
"I've always thought a capitalist democracy was the greatest social experiment civilized man has ever experienced. The problem is it doesn't have a soul."
-Ken LaRoe, CEO of First Green Bank
Finding ourselves at the midpoint of
A Year in the Life of a Regenerative Bank
--the Field Guide's new sister project--we asked our partner, First Green Bank's CEO Ken LaRoe, to pause with us for a reflective conversation. We discussed the significant progress the bank has made to align its practice with its values--to balance the profit motive against the deeper motivation to participate in the regeneration of an economy once dominated by citrus and now by rampant real estate development.
We also talked about a new goal the bank set following our June visit with regenerative design mentor Stuart Cowan--to build Florida's first Living Building. This challenge gives the bank an opportunity to play a truly influential role in transforming Central Florida's too-often-destructive, real-estate-development- driven economy into one that is truly regenerative--linked to the essence of its history and culture. The Living Building Challenge will also provide a platform for the bank's expanding social mission.
With characteristic candor, Ken also talks here about setbacks as the bank's ambitious vision has bumped up against real world constraints. Find out more about this ever-questing CEO's soulful journey along the road to a uniquely American style of values-based banking.
MORE FROM A YEAR IN THE LIFE
Meet First Green Bank Borrower Hugh Kent
...whose work to reverse the damage we have caused our natural world has received strong support from First Green Bank.
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| Watch our video with Hugh Kent here. |
Meet the First Green Bank Investors
...who make it possible for First Green Bank to pursue its regenerative mission.
Meet Design Builder Brian Walsh
...who talks about the Living Building Challenge in the language of regenerative design.
OTHER NEWS FROM THE FIELD GUIDE
Tour Our New "Principles & Practice" Feature
Since its founding in 2010, Capital Institute has been working with leading regenerative design collaborators to develop what we now call our "8 Principles of a Regenerative Economy." The Field Guide has contributed valuable insights to that "source code" from its study of real-world regenerative practice.
To better demonstrate that vital link between theory and practice, we invite you to tour our new "The Regenerative Economy in Principle & Practice" Field Guide feature. There you will find a page devoted to each principle and links to where we see it best "showing up" in our Field Guide partners' work.
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