Shaping change.
Growing thriving places.
Imagine if regional areas could use the transitions ahead to create ongoing prosperity.
The energy transition, a changing climate and new technology are all landing on regional communities at the same time, creating compounding effects.
If managed well, communities have a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to shape and prosper from these coming transitions - not just weather them.
Regen Labs partners with local stakeholders to navigate disruptive, fast-moving change and thrive.
Our work combines community organising, co-design and systems thinking, grounded in fairness and a community's right to decide for themselves.
Services include:
Research to understand what's actually happening in a place and discover opportunities for innovation
Strategy and advisory to help local stakeholders and investors chart a path forward
Capability building so that path is one the community can walk on its own
Shaping change
Energy, climate and technology
Protecting what matters whilst growing local value means regional communities and enterprises must get to the table early enough to set the terms – so that the opportunities these transitions offer can genuinely deliver ongoing community benefit.
Whether it’s renewable energy infrastructure, regenerative data centres, or climate-adaptive food systems and landscapes — investment and transformation can either repeat the extractive patterns of past booms, or be built place-first from the outset.
What we offer
The moment
For councils and government agencies facing major transitions
Community-led economic development strategies
Opportunity mapping - energy, land, food, tourism, wellbeing
Local collaboration platforms for collective action and community buy-in
The bridge
For community groups, enterprises, and regional bodies building fairer models
Benefit-sharing frameworks
Business model support
Facilitated negotiation
Communities of practice
Excited to know more?
A thriving future
For funders and policymakers shaping what the whole sector looks like in five years
Governance design
Catalytic investment structuring
Long-term community ownership arrangements
Growing thriving places
Transformational Adaptation and Community Wealth Building
Adaptation managed defensively just delays decline. Done as transformation, it's a new business model, an innovation, or a more robust local system. For regions already living through disruption, there is a narrow but significant opportunity to rebuild local economies to be even stronger than before.
Our research, strategy and capability-building services help local communities, enterprises, and governments manage today’s risk whilst adapting to create inclusive, prosperous, and viable new models.
What we offer
The moment
For enterprises and regions managing acute climate and economic exposure today
Business transformation diagnostics
Readiness assessments
Opportunity mapping
The bridge
For funders and government partners who want to support communities to localise value, and own local assets
Local food hub feasibility studies
Enterprise ecosystem convening
Learning collaborations
Capability-building programs
Excited to know more?
A thriving future
For funders and governments backing long-term, place-based transformation
Catalytic investment design
Long-term governance structures
Community-led economic development strategy
Core team
Reece Proudfoot
Co-founder and Director -
Regenerative InnovationReece is the former Head of Innovation and Impact Investment with WWF-Australia and founder of Panda Labs. Capability areas include: Strategic Design, Partnerships, Business Model Innovaiton & Impact Investing, Engagement and Community Organising
Dr Dimity Podger
Co-founder and Director -
Regenerative Enterprise ProgramsDimity is the former Regenerative Communities Lead with WWF-Australia, following 10 years leading her own purpose-driven business advisory firm. Capability areas include: regenerative business and leadership, capability building program design and delivery, community engagement, sustainability, and impact measurement.
Phil Freeman
Co-founder and Director -
Regenerative FinancePhil is the Co-founder & Director of Impact Venture OpenSC. He has a background in corporate law and climate advocacy (building alliances). He is a board member of social venture Grow Your Mind and Montessori East School.
Partners in place
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Matthew Wright-Simon
Local Associate - South Australia
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Liz Sanders
Food Systems Activator
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Dave Booth
First Nations Cultural Advisor
Places we work across Australia
Partners and clients
