Team Blickkontakt

In diesem Gespräch argumentiert Michael Pachmajer, dass die Bürgerinnen und Bürger einer Demokratie die souveräne Macht und Verantwortung haben, die „Spielregeln“ für Wirtschaft und Gesellschaft selbst zu gestalten. Er verweist auf historische Beispiele wie die Zerschlagung von Monopolen, um zu verdeutlichen, dass Machtkonzentrationen reguliert werden können. Michael identifiziert zentrale „Transformationsblockaden“ in der Gegenwart: Veraltete Regeln, die nicht mehr für das digitale Zeitalter geeignet sind, führen trotz vorhandenem Wissen und Wohlstand zu einem gefühlten Stillstand. Angesichts existenzieller Krisen wie dem Klimawandel, dessen „Tipping Points“ bereits überschritten sind oder kurz bevorstehen, betont er eine enorme Dringlichkeit. Ein langes Abwarten sei keine Option mehr – der Wandel muss schnell geschehen. Sein zentraler Appell ist ein Weckruf zur zivilgesellschaftlichen Aktion: Die Menschen sollen ihre Gestaltungsmacht erkennen, zusammenkommen und mutig die notw endigen Regeländerungen einfordern, auch um zu verhindern, dass einige wenige Akteure die Regeln nach ihren Interessen neu definieren. Seine eigene Arbeit sieht er darin, Menschen und Organisationen zu befähigen, diese Blockaden zu überwinden und neue Energie für eine positive Zukunft freizusetzen, in der eine Wirtschaft im Einklang mit Mensch und Planet möglich ist.

In this conversation, social entrepreneur Lieven Callewaert shares his personal and professional journey toward fostering regenerative systems. His quest began with a longing for simplicity, a stark contrast to the complex life he was leading. A pivotal moment was the complicated birth of his second child, Amber, which shattered his perception of conventional systems and catalyzed a profound reconnection with himself, nature, and community.  This journey ultimately led him from Belgium to a small, close-knit island community near Vancouver, Canada. Lieven explains that true, simple connection is the precondition for creating coherence in any group. His work focuses on creating the conditions for deep listening and helping people remember what truly connects them. He emphasizes "place-based" approaches, arguing that physical location provides a natural boundary and common ground that facilitates genuine conversation. By fostering a safe space where a group's collective wisdom can emerge, it's possible to move beyond conflict and toward shared direction and action. The conversation then explores the challenge of applying this "inside-out" approach to drive large-scale systemic change. Lieven notes the frustration that only about 1% of investors and leaders grasp this deep, preparatory work. The solution, he argues, is not to talk about change anymore but to manifest it in tangible projects, such as innovative housing developments. By creating "living labs," it's possible to demonstrate new, regenerative models that can attract capital and challenge existing regulations. He concludes that the key is to remember our innate wisdom and our fundamental sense of belonging—to ourselves, to each other, and to the natural world—as the foundation for building a regenerative future.

In this episode, Ugandan innovator Abdul Semakula shares his profound journey from being a software developer to a leader in regenerative design. He argues that the global poly-crisis—from climate change to social breakdown—stems not from a list of problems to be solved, but from a fundamental broken relationship between humans and nature. Abdul explains that the conventional "problem-solution" mindset often creates a "hamster wheel" of unintended consequences and wicked problems. The regenerative approach, he learned, is to shift focus from fixing what's broken to identifying and nurturing the inherent potential within a community and its place. This work is deeply rooted in rediscovering core principles like the importance of place (our local bio-region), the African philosophy of Ubuntu (which emphasizes our nested interdependence with the whole), and our true human role as stewards of life. He offers a powerful example from his work in Uganda, where by creating safe spaces and facilitating a process of collective dreaming, he has inspired 92% of local landowners to collaborate on restoring a wetland and building a regenerative economy. His story is a compelling case for how rediscovering who we are and our connection to place can unlock the agency needed to build a thriving future.

Felipe Amaral’s journey reads like the plot of an inspirational film. Born into privilege in southern Brazil, he initially followed the well-trodden path: business school, a prestigious corporate job in suit and tie, and parents bursting with pride. Yet inside, Felipe felt increasingly hollow. Disenchanted by the corporate world’s promise, he traded his polished office for volunteer roles at leading nonprofits—only to confront the practical reality that passion alone doesn’t pay the bills. Battling depression, he turned to psychoanalysis to rebuild his sense of self, and in the process discovered a powerful truth: genuine curiosity, when coupled with the ability to create value, becomes the key to personal autonomy. Armed with that insight, Felipe co-founded Instituto Cloudera Data, a 22,000 m² innovation hub powered by a coalition of Brazil’s biggest companies, government agencies, universities, and nonprofits. His boldest vision: Data Generation, an ambitious educational pipeline that each year draws 20,000 applications from underserved Brazilian youth. Two months of rigorous online training winnows the field to 200 scholars, who then spend six months living and learning inside Cloudera Data’s real-world tech environment—where they absorb workplace culture, build networks, and prepare for careers. The payoff? A staggering 90 percent of graduates walk straight into jobs with the very companies that championed their training. But Felipe knows that hard skills alone aren’t enough. He has woven “safe-space circles” into every program, encouraging participants to share their struggles—from fractured family ties to self-doubt—so they can see that their challenges are not unique. This rare vulnerability becomes the glue that unites people across sectors and social strata, transforming a mere “innovation hub” into a living, breathing community. Now, Felipe invites changemakers from around the globe to witness this experiment in action at Cloudera Week, September 29–October 3 in Porto Alegre. Five days of keynotes, side-events, and what he playfully calls “Disneyland for careers” will bring 15,000 innovators together to explore education, sustainability, and the future of work. If Felipe’s story proves anything, it’s that when vision collides with relentless execution—and when you place human connection at the center—transformational change not only happens, it thrives.