We thought the Next Frontiers conference was an amazing space for activating the mind, and for signposting all the different actors and leaders in the space. We feel intense gratitude to the Joseph Rowntree team, who did such an incredible job in so many ways. It was hopeful and encouraging to see how post-capitalist thought has firmly entered the mainstream; no longer perceived as fringe idealism, creating new kinds of economic systems is now widely understood as essential and urgent work towards the future flourishing of all living beings.

We have been reflecting on the fact that how we do things shapes not only what we do, but also what we are able to imagine.  Going forward, how can we do this challenging, provocative and urgent work that we’re doing together, in a forum that feels entirely transformative? How can we come together in such a way that we’re not just discussing the change we want to see, we’re actively living it too?

Next Frontiers explored radical ideas, yet in a conservative manner and setting. It took place in a conference centre and discussed capital almost exclusively in terms of money. The corporate setting and the financial focus seemed to reinforce exactly what we’re trying to reform. If we’re only interacting with one form of capital, money, we uphold the disproportionate value of money as the “capital of capitals”, but what would a philanthropy of intellectual or experiential capital look like? What would our returns be on investments in natural or spiritual capital?

A core part of our mission at Be The Earth is exploring how we can give different forms of capital their appropriate value in the systems we participate in. We can imagine a future event like Next Frontiers that fully embodies the deep social transformation that we’re looking for, speaking to the intelligence of the whole body: not only the head. What if we held an investment conference outside, for example, under the trees, where we can sit in a circle, listen to one another, and allow the voice of nature to be present in our work? How could bringing in the wisdom and intuitions of our hearts and hands lead us to doing philanthropy differently?

Imagine what it would be like to do the work we do together not just in conference but in congregation; bringing our whole selves, not just our work selves, into the spaces we share. There was already a thrilling spark of this at the start of the conference, when the audience was encouraged to take a moment for breath work and reflection. Seeing the whole human, the rich spirit in each of us, not just the economic relationships we engage in, is an essential part of the post-capitalist project. The philanthropy and investment world has such a vital role to play in manifesting the shared visions explored at Next Frontiers, we are excited to see where this collective and collaborative work can take us in future.

Seth Tabatznik is the founder of Be The Earth and co-founder of 42 Acres, a retreat and event centre in Somerset that promotes personal, social and environmental change. Passionate environmentalist and financial activist, Seth is a second-generation wealth holder who has been dedicating his life to strengthen economic models that prioritise life on Earth.

Renata Minerbo is Head of Philanthropy at Be The Earth, and a Trustee. Since 2020, she has been designing and running programmes that employ creative uses of capital to shift power relations within the philanthropic sector. Previously she was a social entrepreneur in Brazil for over a decade, working on transforming collective spaces with participatory methods with her company Acupuntura Urbana. She also worked with the Warriors Without Weapons international programme, training changemakers in participatory tools.