HISTORY OF THE COALITION

In early 2020, the world was launched into chaos as an invisible virus shuttered the global economy, upended our health care system and threatened our lives. In Denver, Colorado, a team of change agents concluded that the systems that shaped our lives were changing whether we liked it or not, and we should use this upheaval to build a better future.

The Alliance had been known for hosting in-person meetings. Prior to the pandemic, the organization would convene and mobilize nearly 20,000 people a year through 450 events on average. In April of 2020, we pivoted to create the Colorado Emergence Series: seven virtual meetings facilitated to initiate a community-based conversation on how to emerge from the pandemic with the momentum to create a regenerative future. This conversation would invite Coloradans from all walks of life to share their vision of a regenerative post-pandemic recovery.

245 total people convened, representing diverse sectors, geographic regions, cultures, communities and generations. The virtual room included members of the Governor’s cabinet, farmers, community groups, climate experts, youth leaders, financiers, large corporations, small business owners, private citizens and more. By the end of the series, participants had identified more than 1,000 actionable solutions to help build Colorado forward, which became the Guidebook to a Regenerative Recovery, published in October 2020.

Twelve key themes to building a regenerative economy had emerged. Eight presented as systemic building blocks, while the remaining four are foundational elements that must be present in any project. The building blocks act as the “what” while the foundational elements act as the “how.” These eight building blocks and four foundational elements became the framework for volunteer-led working groups, which identify and advance regenerative projects in their focus areas.

The pandemic was the starting point for the Regenerative Recovery Coalition, now the Coalition for a Regenerative Future. Since then, The Coalition has grown to more than 400 members, representing more than 29,000 Colorado jobs and $7.3 billion in revenue. The Coalition has influenced 66 state laws and directed $1.1 billion in state funding toward regenerative funding.