“REGENERATION: The Future of Community in a Permacrisis World.” Seminar summary

During the meeting, key aspects of the community regeneration project were discussed, focusing on collaboration and the common good. Central to the presentation were two free guidelines available on regentmarketing.org: one for organizations and one for communities. The project originated from the book “Brand Activism,” which encouraged large companies to act for the common good, evolving into the “Wicked 7 Project” addressing the world’s biggest problems. A local implementation example is Palermo, where communities began self-initiated regeneration efforts without top-down support. The presentation emphasized that the current business model, based on exploitation and colonialism, is degenerative. Instead, a regenerative model is proposed, focusing on meeting community needs. An example is the story of Lucia Lauro from Palermo, who created a business providing employment to youth after incarceration. Her company not only achieves financial success but primarily measures its success by the well-being of its employees.

The future of business, according to the presenters, lies in deeper integration within local communities and in regeneration, i.e., actions for the common good. The dual value model was also discussed, where companies must simultaneously create value for customers and the community. The presentation concluded with cases of companies that have successfully implemented this approach, resulting in greater loyalty and business growth.

The presentation ended with a call for a shift in business education, emphasizing collaboration and creating community value, rather than competition and financial profit.