From Individual Awareness to Systemic Change: Reimagining the Role of Business in Regenerative Futures（Yasuhiro Kobayashi, Founder of Ecological Memes）

At Ecological Memes, we explore how individuals can live meaningfully in an era when humanity’s relationship with the natural environment is undergoing fundamental re-examination. Working alongside researchers and practitioners from diverse fields, we pursue interdisciplinary research and practical experimentation aimed at reconstructing and implementing new approaches to living, business, and social systems.

Our activities fall into three main areas.First, a learning program offers individuals and organizations opportunities to critically re-examine the foundations of conventional business and social systems through structured programs and forums. Second, our Aida Exploration and Practice Lab (Aida Lab) links ecological and philosophical knowledge to concrete action, facilitating processes of social implementation. Third, we support companies and local governments in creating visions for regenerative and circular societies, guiding business development and fostering the growth of leaders and human resources.

The crisis of the ecology of the mind arising from separation from the chain and cycle of life and matter

The future direction of society is often described as “post-human-centric,” but the prefix post can easily lead to a dichotomous framing of good versus bad, implying that “human-centricity” itself is inherently negative. Yet it is necessary to first confront the human-centric orientation that modern industrial society has pursued.

For example, in the field of modern design, William Morris’s Arts and Crafts movement is well known. It arose out of a desire to restore the humanity of consumers and producers that had been eroded by the industrialization of the Industrial Revolution. Human-centered design emerged as a social movement seeking to restore dignity in an increasingly capitalist society. At the same time, because its worldview remained confined to a strictly human perspective, it has also led us into a situation that is now suffocating us. Thus, to move toward a post-human-centric society and economy, we must first recognize that human life is sustained by the interconnection of life and matter on Earth.

What is particularly important is that the ecological crisis in nature and the ecological crisis in society and the mind—that is, the crisis of individual well-being—are progressing in tandem. If we fail to grasp this, the issue devolves into a dualistic trade-off. Human life has always been sustained by converting and incorporating the life and matter of the Earth, yet in urban lifestyles shaped by the division of labor, this cycle and connection are increasingly difficult to perceive. Recognizing these challenges, the key question is how to create entry points for repositioning lifestyles, social activities, and business within the continuity of life and the cycles of matter, with a view to moving beyond human-centered frameworks. I believe there are three main points to consider.

Perspective on post-human-centric implementation (1): Redesigning our lives

The first point is redesigning our lifestyles. This relates to restoring physical awareness and creating opportunities to reconnect with life and matter in modern contexts, where direct encounters with the reality of life have largely been lost.For instance, by creating points of contact where we can physically experience the invisible cycles of microorganisms and bacteria—such as through rice bran fermentation beds or compost—we can begin to dissolve the boundaries that separate us from other living beings and from nature itself. The key is to design experiences that open the door to new ways of perceiving the world and re-tuning our everyday lives.

Moreover, shifting toward a post-human-centric approach requires not only new systems and structures but also a transformation in individual awareness and mindset. Yet these are often viewed as separate domains. Lifestyle functions as the link between social systems and individual consciousness—a critical node that can transcend this dichotomy. This holds true across both B2C and B2B contexts: no matter what goals or metrics are set, without a focus on transforming lifestyles, changes risk remaining superficial and ineffective.

(1) From July to October 2020, we held a 14-week online program titled Journey of Regeneration, exploring and practicing ways of living and doing business rooted in the principles of nature, with regeneration at the center.

Perspective on post-human-centric implementation (2): Installing a non-human perspective

The second point is installing a non-human perspective. This means establishing frameworks that allow us to think from the standpoint of other living beings and ecosystems, rather than viewing the world solely through a human lens. In fields such as architecture and urban development, companies are already beginning to incorporate the perspectives of non-human actors—creatures, seas, mountains, and rivers—into their designs and planning processes. Even symbolic practices, such as preparing seats for other species at meetings, can be effective in shifting awareness.

Crucially, this perspective is not separate from, nor in conflict with, human health and well-being. Especially since the COVID-19 pandemic, consumers have increasingly sought ways to live in harmony with nature and improve their quality of life. In this context, the relationship between business and the environment is no longer a zero-sum trade-off but an opportunity for mutual flourishing.

(2) Aida Lab consists of three seminar-style groups focused on “forest–field–sea interdisciplinary studies,” “sustainable entrepreneurship,” and “post-human-centered design.” Beyond intellectual learning, the lab emphasizes connecting theory to practice by cultivating physical awareness through sessions and fieldwork in diverse environments.

Perspective on post-human-centric implementation (3): Regeneration

The third point is regeneration. While humans have long benefited from ecosystem services and exploited natural resources, we have rarely incorporated mechanisms to regenerate the environment or enhance biodiversity. Regeneration is not simply about reducing negative impacts; it is about designing systems that enable humans to prosper together with other living beings and the natural world.

Nature functions as a complex system in which diverse elements are interwoven. Maximizing a single entity—such as through monoculture—is ultimately unsustainable. One example of regenerative practice can be found in DYCLE, a Berlin-based startup producing biodegradable diapers. By composting infants’ waste to cultivate plants within the community, DYCLE seeks to create a society in which children directly experience the interconnectedness of nature and the continuity of life, receiving diverse benefits from ecosystems as multiple streams of value.

Achieving this vision requires moving beyond conventional yardsticks such as GDP and rejecting the paradigm of infinite growth rooted in human convenience. Instead, businesses must be repositioned within the principles of nature—conceived not as external to the economy but as ecosystems of which we are an inseparable part.

(3) Exploitative and hierarchical organizational structures remain a major obstacle to fostering ecological awareness and practices among individuals and institutions. To counter this, leadership and human resource development programs incorporate residential training in natural settings, creating opportunities to soften rigid relationships and nurture new ways of working together.

The pandemic as an accelerator of ecological awareness and the end of businesses that amplify desire and ego

At present, humanity stands on the brink of exceeding the Earth’s environmental limits, and it has become inevitable that the very structure of society must be transformed to ensure survival. The coronavirus pandemic not only exposed the fragility of human systems but also accelerated shifts in lifestyles and ways of living beyond expectations, fostering ecological awareness, a recognition of the others who sustain human life, and a renewed sense of connection with local communities.

Within this context, the role of business itself is changing. The traditional model of business—premised on infinite growth through the stimulation of desire and consumption—is reaching its end. At the same time, business holds a unique capacity to expand the systems of daily life and society. Looking ahead, opportunities for business will increasingly lie in creating services and systems that support societal paradigm shifts and transformations in individual consciousness. Businesses that articulate regenerative visions aligned with sustainable futures, and whose corporate and management practices follow the principles of life cycles and natural material cycles, will be those that attract empathy and expand their influence. The pressing question is whether businesses can recognize this shift in role and undertake the changes required.

Author: Yasuhiro Kobayashi

Yasuhiro Kobayashi is the founder of Ecological Memes, a cross-disciplinary collective of researchers and practitioners exploring human–nature interrelationality beyond dualistic, mechanistic, and siloed perspectives. He also works as an eco-systemic catalyst and a regenerative facilitator. After building a mission-driven community for social entrepreneurs, he went on to support new business creation, purpose design, leadership cultivation, and organizational transformation across industries, working toward a co-thriving future.He also operates a community farm practicing regenerative agriculture in urban Tokyo. Specializing in co-creative facilitation, the Art of Hosting, vision design, and authentic leadership approaches that integrate inner and outer living systems, he creates regenerative flow, nurtures conditions for emergence, and catalyzes transformation at individual, organizational, and ecosystemic levels. Yasuhiro is the Japanese translator of Regenerative Leadership (Hutchins & Storm, 2019) and co-founder of Regenerative Leadership Japan. Balaton Group Donnella Meadows Fellow 2025. His motto is “Like drifting clouds and flowing water” (行雲流水). He is also the proud father of one.

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Originally written in Jan 2022 Translated into English by Tomomi Howe