What Can Regenerative Finance Teach Us About Real Wealth
The finance world is at a turning point. For decades, money was seen mainly as a tool for profit, not purpose. But that mindset is changing.
More people now ask how their money affects workers, communities, and the planet. They want a financial system that builds rather than drains, one that rewards fairness as much as success.
This growing awareness is where regenerative finance steps in, it’s about using money to restore balance, create shared value, and support long-term well-being instead of endless extraction.
Alex Saingchin, Co-Founder of Just Futures PBC in Quito, Ecuador, stands at the heart of this shift. After years in corporate consulting, law, and philanthropy, he saw how traditional finance often deepened inequality.
Through Just Futures, he’s working to change that. The firm is 55% owned by BIPOC-led nonprofits, proving that ownership and power can stay with communities, not corporations.
Alex leads efforts that offer 0% loans, values-aligned retirement plans, and investment models that blend ethics with performance. His experience shows that finance can serve people and still thrive.
In this article, you’ll learn how Alex’s journey redefines success beyond money. We’ll look at how community ownership builds trust, how values-aligned investing works in practice, and how regenerative finance creates a fairer system where profit and purpose finally work together.
Why Alex Left Corporate Success for Regenerative Finance
Leaving a stable corporate job sounds strange to many, but for Alex, it felt necessary. His parents had struggled to build a new life, his mother escaped Cuba’s revolution, and his father left Thailand after facing hunger.
Their dream was simple: for their son to live comfortably and never worry about money. So when Alex joined one of the Big Five consulting firms, it looked like everything had fallen into place. But inside, he felt something was missing.
The long hours, the corporate language, and the shallow focus on “diversity” didn’t match his values.
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When 9/11 Changed Everything
After 9/11, Alex saw how fear and bias took over the workplace and society. People of Arab, South Asian, and Middle Eastern backgrounds were treated unfairly. He wrote openly about it, hoping to start change. Instead, his honesty caused discomfort.
Management didn’t want to talk about racism; they wanted silence. That silence was the final push. Alex realized he couldn’t fix a system that protected profit before people. So, at just 23, he resigned with two days’ notice. It was scary but freeing.
The Cost and the Clarity
Walking away wasn’t easy. His family had big dreams for him, and he didn’t want to disappoint them. Still, they saw how serious he was and chose to stand by him.
Alex went to graduate school for law and policy, wanting to serve people, not corporations. The move gave him direction, peace, and purpose.
He gained:
Freedom to live by his values.
Community that shared his purpose.
Clarity on what real success means.
Redefining Success Through Just Futures
That decision later inspired Just Futures, a company Alex co-founded. It’s 55% owned by BIPOC-led nonprofits, ensuring profits go back to communities.
The company offers retirement plans and 0% loans, proving finance can serve fairness, not greed. For Alex, success now means using money to build justice, not wealth alone.
How Community Ownership and Regenerative Finance Work Together
Building a fair financial system takes time. It doesn’t happen overnight or through grand gestures. Just Futures began with 30% community ownership and plans to reach 55% once it becomes debt-free and profitable.
This slow, thoughtful process keeps things stable while giving people time to learn, grow, and take real responsibility.
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Shared Power with Real Roles
Community ownership isn’t just a title. It comes with real say in how things work:
Equity: 30% of ownership belongs to community partners.
Governance: 30% of the board seats go to them.
Decision-making: 30% representation on the investment committee that reviews financial choices.
This structure gives genuine power, not just a token role. It also helps people understand how financial systems work, preparing them for full ownership later. The idea is simple, share power step by step so it lasts.
Questioning “What Is Enough?”
Traditional finance often values profit above everything. Just Futures asks a different question: what’s enough? For workers, enough means security and a fair chance to save. For wealthy investors, it means realizing when they already have more than they need.
The 0% loan funds come from investors who want their money to close wealth gaps and support people, not just chase higher returns.
From Redistribution to Pre-Distribution
Giving back is good, but fairness should start earlier. Pre-distribution means building equity and justice into the structure of business from day one.
It focuses on:
Shared ownership at the foundation.
Fair pay and shared decisions across roles.
Community growth that values stability over endless profit.
Regenerative finance that strengthens, not drains, communities.
This approach turns finance into a system that supports people, builds trust, and creates balance that lasts.
How Values-Aligned Investing Powers Regenerative Finance
Values-aligned investing is about making money work for people, not just profits. It connects financial growth with fairness, community well-being, and care for the planet. The idea is simple, earn returns while doing something meaningful with your money.
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Building Investments Around Shared Values
Most financial systems chase profit without asking who benefits. Values-aligned investing flips that mindset. It lets investors support causes that matter, like gender equality, clean energy, or fair labor. The goal isn’t charity; it’s balance. You can grow your savings and still stand by your values.
Technology makes it easier. Investors can manage everything online, track results, adjust plans, and stay transparent about where their money goes. It takes the fear out of responsible investing.
Keeping Performance and Principles Together
Good intentions mean little without follow-through. That’s why these portfolios go through yearly reviews.
Each one is checked for two things:
Financial strength – Is it performing well?
Values alignment – Does it still reflect what investors care about?
If something doesn’t fit, it’s replaced. The idea is to keep improving so investments stay both profitable and principled. Some funds even back long-term community projects that build housing, jobs, and clean energy.
A Step-by-Step Path for Organizations
For businesses, aligning money with values starts small. Know your purpose, plan realistic steps, and grow from there. Perfection isn’t the goal, progress is.
When finance runs on ethics instead of greed, it creates stability and trust. It shows that success doesn’t have to come at someone else’s expense. Values-aligned investing proves that money can do more than earn interest. It can build a better, fairer future, one decision at a time.
How to Tell Extractive Business from Regenerative Finance Models
A regenerative business focuses on giving more than it takes. It supports people, protects nature, and builds long-term value instead of short-term profit. Understanding where your business stands helps you decide how to improve it.
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The Four Levels of Impact
Every business sits somewhere on a spectrum:
Extractive: Profit rules everything. The business ignores how its actions affect people or the planet.
Less Extractive: It starts caring about ethics but still puts money first.
Restorative: Profit and purpose carry equal weight. The business gives back what it uses.
Regenerative: People and the planet come first. Growth supports renewal, not depletion.
Most businesses sit in the middle. What matters is the effort to move toward regeneration, step by step.
Seeing It in Practice
Imagine a laundromat. If it wastes huge amounts of water, it’s extractive. Installing better machines makes it less extractive. Reusing or recycling water makes it restorative. A system that cleans without heavy water use would be regenerative.
The same logic applies to workers. Paying minimum wage just meets the law. Offering fair pay and ownership creates balance. Building a cooperative where everyone shares profits takes it a step further.
Changing How We Measure Success
Regenerative thinking asks a simple question: What is enough? It’s not about endless profit. It’s about stability, fairness, and shared well-being.
Real change takes time and patience. But with the right mindset and intention, any business can start that journey. Each small step, saving water, sharing profits, choosing ethical suppliers, shifts the system.
The goal isn’t perfection. It’s progress that builds stronger communities and a future where business and humanity grow together.
Conclusion
Regenerative finance is about changing how we think about money. It’s not just about earning more. It’s about making sure that what we earn and invest helps people and the planet grow stronger together.
This kind of finance asks a simple question, how can money give back instead of just take? Real change doesn’t happen overnight. It starts when people make small, consistent choices. A company shares ownership with workers.
An investor funds local projects instead of quick profits. A community builds wealth that stays where it’s needed most. Each action might seem small, but together they create lasting impact. The goal isn’t perfection. It’s progress that feels real and fair.
Everyone can take part, whether you run a business, manage money, or simply decide where to spend. When money flows in ways that support life, not just profit, the whole system starts to heal.
Regenerative finance shows that growth and responsibility can exist side by side. It builds trust, fairness, and long-term stability. If we keep asking what’s enough and choose balance over greed, we can create an economy that truly works for everyone. It’s not an ideal, it’s a practical path forward, one step at a time.
FAQs
What makes Regenerative Finance different from traditional investing?
Traditional investing focuses on profit first. Regenerative finance focuses on people, communities, and the planet along with profit. It builds systems that give back more than they take.
Can small investors take part in Regenerative Finance?
Yes. You don’t need to be rich to start. Even small investments in values-aligned funds or local projects can make a difference.
How does Regenerative Finance support local communities?
It funds projects that create jobs, housing, and fair pay. The goal is to keep wealth circulating within communities instead of sending it away.
Is Regenerative Finance only for nonprofits?
No. Any business can adopt regenerative practices. It’s about building fairness and care into how money is used.
How do investors measure success in Regenerative Finance?
They look at both financial returns and social impact. Success means strong profits and stronger communities.
