Slow Money—Bringing Money Back to Earth
September 20, 2010
Hosted by John D. Schmidt
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Guest Information
Episode Description
Woody Tasch, Founder and Chairman of Slow Money and Chairman Emeritus of Investors’ Circle, a network of investors focused on the flow capital to sustainability minded companies, joins ZOOM’D to explore an essential new strategy for investing in local food systems and what should come after industrial finance and industrial agriculture. Since the government isn’t too interested and industry is too self-interested, Woody suggests we need to assemble a new type of investment structure and put money directly into sustainable farming. He calls it Slow Money, inspired by the Slow Food movement and by realizing the dizzying speed of money flows in the 21st century has ripped finance away from its moorings in reality. Woody proposes the opposite: invest in food systems down the road, slow the money down, and watch it do things in the real world. Join Woody and ZOOM’D host John Schmidt as they investigate how Slow Money could truly take sustainable agriculture to the next level.
ZOOM’D Leadership
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ZOOM’D takes you out to big picture issues of the day, in to up-close-and-personal capacities of leadership, and toward a desirable future of constant renewal.
Whether focused on the economic crisis, energy, climate change, or sustainability at large, ZOOM’D looks at what is really going on. We’ll examine patterns at play, drivers behind them, perspectives of leadership, and the importance of changing the way we pursue the future.
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John D. Schmidt
John D. Schmidt is the founder and CEO of Avastone Consulting, an international consultancy committed to the vitality and sustainability of client organizations and the larger global community. He serves as advisor to global corporations and nongovernmental enterprises, and is a thinker, designer, and practitioner in integral approaches to complex challenges and human development.
John’s expertise offers a rich foundation for ZOOM’D. He is a seasoned consultant with 30 years experience in getting to the heart of matters, discerning what is really going on, and framing appropriate actions. He focuses on deep understanding—listening for surface realities—and deeper truth. He makes sense of complexity, integrating the long view with the here-and-now.
John values the interiority of life and how the developmental nature of mindsets shapes the world we live in—across economic, social, and environmental arenas. He is dedicated to his own growth and contemplative practice, spending 25 days per year in retreat. He is creatively gifted in developing other leaders through deep immersion experiences.
John serves as guest faculty and contributor to learning institutes, universities, and community service organizations. He is a board member of the SHIFT Foundation (which develops young global leaders) and Kosmos Journal (a voice of global awakening). He passionately pursues active enjoyments of life—he is a road cyclist, skier, fly fisher—and lover of the ocean.
