Building a Just and Regenerative Economy

I am honored to be a fellow with the Just Economy Institute, an organization that brings together leaders from across the country who are working to shift how capital flows in our economy.

Fellows come from many corners of the system — community development, finance, philanthropy, investment, entrepreneurship, and place-based leadership — all grappling with how to redesign economic systems so that they generate prosperity while strengthening communities and ecosystems. Earlier this month, during our second immersion at Paicines Ranch, this question became much more tangible.

The fellowship is intentionally immersive. It’s not just about ideas or strategy. It creates space for honest conversations about power, capital, lived experience, and the realities of the systems we’re trying to change. At Paicines Ranch, a landscape known for regenerative grazing and viticulture, convening, and stewardship, we spent several days together reflecting on the deeper social conditions needed to build a just and regenerative economy.

We spent time having conversations that don’t always happen in professional settings. People shared their lived experiences, cultural backgrounds, and perspectives on access, opportunity, and belonging. Some moments were uncomfortable. Many were illuminating. All of them were necessary.

To build a regenerative economy, we have to be willing to listen across differences. Farmers, fishers, investors, policymakers, and community leaders experience the same systems in very different ways. When those perspectives come together with humility and curiosity, new solutions emerge that none of us could design alone.

As a leader of Regenerative California, this is the work beneath the work. Launching projects, aligning capital, and advancing new models are essential — but they only succeed when the relationships underneath them are strong, and we operate with curiosity and humility.

In partnership, 
Kristin Coates