Kat Taylor: Banking to Benefit the Future

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Does a beneficial banking model hold the power to transform our economy and our environment for the better? Kat Taylor works in service of restoring social justice to environmental well-being, to build a more equitable and inclusive world. She is a co-founder of Beneficial State Bank and Radicle Impact Partners venture fund and Founding Director of TomKat Ranch Educational Foundation. She joins us today to explore the scientific and business cases for regenerative agriculture and its role in restoring our world.

Tune in to find out how Kat’s focus has evolved since she was first interviewed on Next Economy Now, the mission behind Radicle Impact, and how it is unfolding today, and an update on the status of Beneficial State Bank. Unpacking the regenerative agriculture efforts Kat is currently driving, we explore the pivotal role of carbon in sustaining all forms of life. We currently find ourselves at a pivotal point in history when it comes to measuring impact and Kat provides an in-depth explanation of what that means for us and how to respond accordingly.

We also discuss the scientific and business cases for regenerative agriculture and Kat shares her impetus to reform the philanthropy landscape, as well as her plans to redirect capital flows and continue on a path of fundraising in support of climate change prevention. Don’t miss this in-depth excavation of the role of regenerative agriculture and impact-driven financial focus on reimagining the future of our society and environment!

 

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Key Points From This Episode:

•   Kat’s background and leadership roles at the forefront of environmental and social justice. [0:00:33]

•   What she finds motivational in her work today and her cumulative approach to getting things done. [0:02:05]

•   Radicle Impact’s mission to change venture capital for good and how it enacts this. [0:07:00]

•   An update on the status of Beneficial State Bank, the benefits of a beneficial banking model, and international institutions following its lead. [0:13:45]

•   Regenerative agriculture efforts Kat is focused on (and the role of carbon in soil and life). [0:16:14]

•   Why this is such a pivotal time in history, especially for measuring impact. [0:29:39]

•   Undergirding the scientific and business cases for regenerative agriculture. [0:31:01]

•   The reasoning behind Kat’s involvement in philanthropy reform. [0:42:18]

•   Plans to redirect capital flows and continue to raise funds for climate solutions. [0:50:00]

•   Replacing a mindset of scarcity and fear with a sense of opportunity to reimagine reality. [0:51:29]

 

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Quotes:

“We realized the importance of storytelling, which is what actually changes hearts and minds.” — @kattaylor [0:05:28]

“We always have a broader mission in all the organizations to change the system for good. Radicle’s mission, at the meta-level, is to change venture for good” — @kattaylor [0:06:57]

“I think of banking as the original and most powerful form of crowdfunding.” — @kattaylor [0:15:02]

“There’s not one reason that people bank with us at Beneficial State Bank; there’s probably a thousand!” — @kattaylor [0:20:52]

“It’s business outcomes that drive societal outcomes more than government or philanthropy.” — @kattaylor [0:44:17]

 

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Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:

Kat Taylor: https://www.kattaylor.com/

Kat Taylor on Medium: https://kat-taylor.medium.com/

Kat Taylor on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kat-taylor-community/

Kat Taylor on X: https://twitter.com/kattaylor/

Beneficial State Bank: https://www.beneficialstatebank.com/

TomKat Ranch: https://www.tomkatranch.org/

Fork to Farm: https://www.tomkatranch.org/what-we-do/fork-to-farm/

Radicle Impact Partners: https://radicleimpact.com/

Ecotrust: https://ecotrust.org/

Good Samaritan Family Resource Center: https://goodsamfrc.org/

Community Development Bankers Association: https://www.cdbanks.org/

NextGen Policy: https://www.nextgenpolicy.org/

Ford Foundation: https://www.fordfoundation.org/

‘Kat Taylor: Can a Bank be an Agent of Radical Social and Environmental Change?’: https://www.lifteconomy.com/blog/2016/7/11/kat-taylor-can-a-bank-be-an-agent-of-radical-social-and-environmental-change

 

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