AI and Nature-Based Solutions: Scaling Regeneration and Resilience
The biodiversity crisis is more than an environmental issue — it’s an economic and systemic challenge that could erode $2.7 trillion from the global GDP annually. As nature-based solutions rise to the forefront of strategies for climate action, questions about their scalability, integrity, and impact remain critical.
In this Luminarias fireside chat, Dr. Manuel Piñuela, founder and CEO of Cultivo, will join Impact Entrepreneur’s Laurie Lane-Zucker to explore the transformative role of AI in scaling nature-based solutions and regenerating ecosystems. Cultivo’s innovative platform builds and manages portfolios of high-quality natural capital projects that deliver financial returns, enhance biodiversity, and empower local communities, particularly in the Global South.
From regenerating degraded grasslands to creating economic opportunities for under-resourced communities, Manuel will shed light on how businesses and investors can adopt regenerative practices, safeguard natural assets, and integrate biodiversity into their climate strategies to meet 2030 commitments.
Join us for an engaging conversation about the urgent need for high-integrity nature-based solutions, the transformative power of AI in environmental restoration, and the path to a more sustainable and resilient global economy.
Dr. Manuel Piñuela is the founder and CEO of Cultivo, a technology-driven platform scaling high-integrity nature-based solutions globally. Named an MIT Technology Review Innovator of the Year under 35, Manuel is a seasoned entrepreneur in the fields of science and sustainability. Cultivo leverages AI-enabled technology to unlock the economic potential of natural assets while safeguarding biodiversity and creating opportunities for local communities. Manuel holds a Ph.D. in engineering and has dedicated his career to advancing nature-based solutions and sustainable innovation.
Laurie Lane-Zucker is Founder and CEO of Impact Entrepreneur, PBC, an impact economy business that hosts the Impact Entrepreneur Network — a large, global network of “systems-minded” entrepreneurs, investors, and scholars of social and environmental innovation — and editor and publisher of Impact Entrepreneur, a digital magazine covering the emerging Impact Economy. For over 30 years, Laurie has been a “pioneer” (Forbes) and recognized leader in sustainability, social enterprise, and impact investing. Laurie was the founding Executive Director of the international environmental organization, Orion Society, which publishes the celebrated Orion Magazine, as well as the founder of a global sustainability think-tank, the Triad Institute, and Hotfrog, a Founding B Corporation, GIIRS Pioneer Company, and the first company ever to complete an equity transaction on an impact investment exchange. Laurie is the bestselling and multiple award-winning publisher and editor of books and magazines on sustainability and social impact — having worked with such acclaimed authors as Wendell Berry, Barry Lopez, Terry Tempest Williams, and David James Duncan — and the author of numerous articles on entrepreneurship and impact investing. Laurie is contributing author to the recently published academic textbook from World Scientific, Sustainability: Business and Investment Implications (2023).
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