Building Local Regenerative Economies Through Business and Finance Innovation With Regenerative Enterprises, hosted by Regen Labs - BFGN Webinar Series #18

Building Local Regenerative Economies Through Business and Finance Innovation With Regenerative Enterprises

The transition to a regenerative economy is gaining momentum—but how can regenerative, social enterprises play a leading role in accelerating this shift? 

Join us for this insightful webinar with Regen Labs, a regenerative enterprise at the forefront of catalysing the shift to local regenerative economies in regional Australia in partnership with communities, enterprises, funders and government.

📅 Date: Wednesday, May 14 2025

⏰ Time: 12 PM (Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane) | 11:30 AM (Adelaide, Darwin) | 10 AM (Perth) | 2 PM (Auckland)

💻 Platform: Online

🎟 Cost: Free for BFGN members, $20 for non-members

What You'll Learn & Do

Regen Labs has just launched WEAVE - a 12-month “Regen Systems Lab”, a collaboration testing business model, finance and social infrastructure innovation with regenerative enterprises, funders and ecosystem actors in places across Australia, to catalyse a regenerative economic transition. 

The team will share more about this 12-month journey, explore your take, and how you can be involved. 

BFGN is excited to be hosting the online space for this collaboration!

Meet the Speakers

Reece Proudfoot, Regenerative Innovation Lead

Reece is an experienced leader in regenerative innovation and systems change, and a Co-Founder of Regen Labs—supporting business model and finance innovation for vibrant, regenerative local economies. 

With a background in innovation and impact investment, Reece was previously Head of Innovation and Impact Investment at WWF-Australia, where he co-founded Panda Labs—WWF-Australia's innovation accelerator which scaled into 12 countries across the WWF global network. Under his leadership, WWF-Australia was named the AFR 'Most Innovative Company' in 2018, and he led the post-bushfire Innovate to Regenerate Challenge, deploying $2 million in seed funding to regenerative enterprises across Australia.

Dr Dimity Podger, Regenerative Enterprise Program Lead

Dimity is co-founder of Regen Labs, and brings deep experience in nurturing and developing regenerative enterprise ecosystems for social and ecological outcomes in regional Australia. 

Dimity was the former Regenerative Communities Portfolio Lead with WWF-Australia, co-designing and delivering Regen Enterprise Learning Labs in 3 regional communities, growing a cohort of 65+ regenerative enterprises, and supportive partners. This followed 10 years leading her own purpose-driven business advisory firm. 

With a background in purpose driven business, learning design, and capability development, Dimity co-leads Regen Labs’ Hills and Coasts Regen Economy Activator Program with local partners, and supports our fundraising strategy to provide the right support to cohorts of regenerative enterprises. Dimity is also known for high quality research, recently collaborating with Really Regenerative CIC on “How philanthropy can catalyse place-based regeneration?”, a study commissioned by Joseph Rowntree Foundation.

Dimity lives and works on Dharawal county in Wollongong.

Phil Freeman, Catalytic Finance Lead

Phil is a change-maker, alliance builder and co-founder of Regen Labs. Phil is a founding team member and Director of Impact at OpenSC.org (a successful food sustainability tech venture, raising over $11 million in impact investment). Phil also serves on two Boards: Grow Your Mind (an award winning social and mental wellbeing program for schools and homes) and Montessori East (a centre of excellence for quality and authentic Montessori education). 

After starting his career in corporate environmental law, Phil moved into environmental advocacy. As Head of Engagement at WWF-Australia, Phil helped instigate WWF’s innovation program ‘Panda Labs’, before joining its first spin-off impact venture - OpenSC. 

Phil is passionate about the roles entrepreneurs, investors and community can play in the transition to a regenerative economy. With Regen Labs, Phil leads the Regenerative Finance work, including the feasibility study for the Regen Community Investment Fund, supported by Paul Ramsay Foundation.

Phil is proud of his family’s rich heritage combining Pacific islander, Chinese and Jewish German cultures, and honoured to live and work on Gadigal land in Sydney.

About Regen Labs - a BFGN Community Partner.

Regen Labs are catalysing the shift to local regenerative economies in regional Australia in partnership with communities, enterprises, funders and government.

Regen Labs is a for-purpose company that supports social enterprises, investors, and communities to design, implement, and fund regenerative enterprise models that create lasting benefits for regional communities. We work with enterprises of all sizes and collaborate with local and state organisations as strategy and implementation partners.

They develop regenerative strategies for both individual enterprises and interconnected enterprise networks, ensuring strong commercial viability, improved value chains, economic partnerships, while maximising regional impact. To unlock funding, they articulate the multi-dimensional impact of these enterprises—how they interact and contribute to a thriving local economy.

Their work spans business incubation, investment readiness, regenerative finance, and systems innovation, with a focus on sustainable agriculture, local food and fibre ecosystems, regenerative tourism, circular manufacturing, nature-based enterprises, and community wealth-building.

Through programs like the Regenerative Economy Activator Program (REAP) and the Regen Community Investment Fund (supported by the Paul Ramsay Foundation), we help enterprises secure fit-for-purpose finance aligned with their growth trajectory.

With funding from federal and state governments, private philanthropy, and corporate partnerships, they are scaling regenerative economic development across Australia—driving regional vitality, circular economy strategies, and inclusive business models that benefit both people and the planet.

Why Attend?

If you're passionate about the intersection of social, ecological and economic impact, enterprise, and finance, this session will provide key insights and an opportunity to be involved in a unique innovation collaboration.

🎟 Secure your spot now and be part of the conversation shaping the future of business!

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