Co-Founder & Regenerative Steward | Terrabiom - Nanakia

Christa

Sep 21, 2023

Co-Founder & Regenerative Steward | Terrabiom

Terrabiom is an impact-driven association on a mission to unlock the value of soils. We created an integrative & entrepreneurial approach to regenerate the base of life on land from 2017, long before soil attracted the attention of the masses. After 7 years, the intensifying popularisation of interest and initiatives for soil and regenerative agriculture allowed me to shift my focus towards other projects where I can bring an even greater impact.

When: 07.2017 – 10.2023
Where: Lausanne / Zürich (CH)
Scale: local to global
Role: Co-Founder, Regenerative Steward, Organisational Developer, Community Builder, Soil Scientist, Weaver
Affiliation: Terrabiom
Partners & Supporters: WWF Switzerland, 1% for the Planet, Impact Hub, Innosuisse, Swiss Food Research, Patagonia Partner Store Zürich, MyBluePlanet, and many more

Terrabiom is an impact-driven association on a mission to unlock the value of soils. In collaboration with my former Co-Founder Eric Pinto-Figueroa, we built an integrative & entrepreneurial approach to regenerate the base of life on land from 2017, long before soil attracted the attention of the masses (which we love!). Following this popularisation of soil and regenerative agriculture, I shifted my focus towards other projects where I can bring a bigger impact from 2024 onwards.

I have learnt invaluable lessons from these 7 years of building an impact-driven, recognised & respected association from scratch, in particular from an entrepreneurial, community-building and organisational perspective. These experiences continue to shape everything I do.

My roles

Regenerative Steward | Network & Partnerships.

Lead, experiential learning programmes. Focus on the integration of the latest advances in system change, transition dynamics and wisdom from various relevant knowledge systems. In this role, I co-created two complementary verticals:

RE:CONNECT HUMANS X NATURE: Connecting, nourishing and empowering land stewards and pioneering communities for regenerative action. Development & implementation of experiential learning experiences to build capacities and leadership in soil health, biodiversity, and biocultural heritage. Increase of soil- & ecological literacy to empower informed decisions for regeneration at local level.
REGENERATE COMMUNITIES: Amplifying the transition to a regenerative economy within the limits of nature. Designing open spaces to explore regeneration in real settings, aiming to bridge the thinking-doing gap. Initiation and co-creation of regenerative living labs, leading to rural and urban demonstration projects for collaborative regeneration in action.

Co-Founder.

Core responsibilities: team- & organisational development (keyword: organisational culture & flat hierarchies), regenerative strategy: focus on impact measurement & social vertical, network & partnerships, representation at countless events, backoffice. Navigated the core challenges of an entrepreneurial, impact-driven vision in a market-driven environment.

Achievements (selection)

Development & successful sale of 9 experiential workshop format prototypes, from scientific engagements to social lab settings
invited facilitator, eco.ch Naturkongress 2023. Exploratory Deep Dive Session D06: “Lebensgrundlage Boden: Das Wesentliche ist für die Augen unsichtbar”
engaging a vast network of supporting organizations & individuals, including WWF Switzerland, 1% for the planet, Patagonia (Store Zürich) and many more. Personal highlight: building a committed group of >15 committed volunteers from diverse backgrounds who supported our organization & cause on a regular basis
invited Speaker, (y)our2040 Gathering 2023 – Panel with Daniel Christian Wahl (regenerative cultures pioneer) & Chris Lübkeman (ETH Foresight)
formal recognition as tax-exempt association, headquartered in the canton Zürich (CH)

About

Terrabiom is an impact-driven association on a mission to unlock the value of soils. We envision is a world where every being thrives, everywhere. Our purpose is to regenerate lands, communities and ecosystems, from the soil up. Place based. Collaborative. Regenerative by design.

Everybody has unique memories about soil encounters, as children or adults. This makes soils an excellent entry point for a cross-generational, cross-sectoral, intercultural movement to declare peace with nature and each other through active reconciliation and community building. Soils have the power to unite us: over a common vision, rooted in our common ground.

Key take-away of >500 deeply inspiring conversations about soil with people from all walks of life

Through my work with Terrabiom, I had >500 deeply inspiring conversations about soil with people from all walks of life (economy, academia, nature conservation, politics, education, arts & culture, religious movements, general population), leading me to my key take-away which is still shaping the approach of ouf postdisciplinary collective Terravibe: Everybody has unique memories about soil encounters, as children or adults. This makes soils an excellent entry point for a cross-generational, cross-sectoral, intercultural movement to declare peace with nature and each other through active reconciliation and community building. Soils have the power to unite us: over a common vision, rooted in our common ground.