WHEN BUSINESS MEETS THE DOUGHNUT

When business meets the Doughnut
a learning journey for businesses

The Doughnut of social and planetary boundaries envisions a world that meets the needs of all people within the means of the living planet. It's a world that is regenerative, rather than degenerative. And it is far more distributive of value and opportunity than today’s economy. How then can businesses help realise this world? To answer this question, the Amsterdam Doughnut Coalition, DEAL and the Center for Economic Transformation of the Amsterdam University of Applied Sciences are organising a Learning Journey through a series of workshops that will bring together businesses interested in an ambitious discussion about the future of business, and the implications for their own enterprise.

Is this for you?
Do you believe your business needs to undergo deep changes to become regenerative and distributive by design? Are you and colleagues ready for a deep reflection on the organisational design of your business? You may be a private business ready to take a bold leap into becoming regenerative and distributive. You may be a purpose-led brand with principled founders who want to make sure the purpose is locked in over the longer term. If any of this sounds like you, then we invite you to join this Learning Journey.

The workshops
There will be 6 in-person workshop sessions at the Amsterdam University of Applied Science (from mid-January 2022, every 2 weeks). They will be jointly hosted by the Centre for Economic Transformation and Doughnut Economics Action Lab. The workshops will cover Doughnut Economics and its application to businesses. The focus will be on internal enterprise design traits that enable a business to be regenerative and distributive for the long term. This will encompass an exploration of Purpose, Networks, Governance, Ownership and Finance. A small number of businesses will be invited to participate in the workshops, which will be a confidential and ambitious space for exploration of Doughnut Economics and ideas for transformations in business.

What you will get
Businesses who participate will be among the first to explore how Doughnut Economics can be applied to the context of individual businesses. Participants will gain new insights on how businesses can become regenerative and distributive by design, a cutting-edge perspective that is quite different to existing business sustainability initiatives. Business leaders will learn from each other and from the experts facilitating the workshops. The learnings will encompass business transformation approaches, strategies, mindsets, tools and skills. Each business will also develop a confidential transformation plan that they can take back to their business for further reflection.

The Doughnut currently cannot be used publicly by businesses (including consultants), whether for branding, on a website, in presentations, or in publicly available materials. The reasoning is to retain the integrity of the concept and avoid it being co-opted or used for greenwashing, especially as we further develop the tools for how businesses can engage with it. While we are in the process of developing the criteria and tools for how businesses can engage with the Doughnut, workshop participants will likewise not be able to publicly associate with it. For more information, see here.

How to join?
To be considered for this Learning Journey, please email Willem van Winden (w.van.winden@hva.nl) by 8 November 2021 with short answers: 

●    Name, role and background of the individual(s) (up to 2 individuals per business)
●    Business’s name, sector, size (rough turnover or employees), products/services, location(s), headquarters
●    Current ownership model of the business (e.g. listed shares, family-owned, private equity)
●    Reasons for interest in Doughnut Economics and enterprise design (1 paragraph)
●    Availability for the indicative schedule of 6 workshop sessions, every 2 weeks, starting in mid-January (and any other timing preferences)