This Is Not a Comeback. It’s a Becoming.

Weaving a New World. This Is What Comes Next.

There comes a moment in every journey when the path disappears. In 2024, I stepped away. From the work, the role, the rhythm. I paused a decade-long dance with innovation, real estate, technology, and sustainability – a dance that had taken me across boardrooms, cities, and continents. I had founded movements like PropTech for Good, mentored executives, and stood on stages speaking about futures I deeply believed in. But something inside me grew quiet. Not because I had lost the fire, but because I sensed that the fire needed a new hearth. That was the call. And I answered.

The Known World Ends

We frequently celebrate success in systems that are fundamentally broken. We often applaud achievements in disjointed, debt-laden systems – lauding growth curves that rise on borrowed time, oblivious to the impending collapse they quietly finance. We regularly commend success in burnt-out leadership, praising the tireless leader (with a limitless growth mindset) while ignoring the toll of their exhaustion and the erosion of team spirit. We frequently celebrate success in victories disguised as innovation, revelling in unicorn valuations, while ecosystems, communities, and dignity are quietly being eroded behind the scenes. “You won't see it until you understand it”, as Johan Cruyff said.

For years, I have supported city stakeholders in adopting technology and advancing ESG and SDG-related initiatives, with the hope that these efforts would bridge the gap between intention and actual impact. Scale and accelerate was the dominant narrative. Yet, I often wondered: Are we truly transforming the world, or are we merely renovating the façade, or perhaps fortifying the crumbling walls? This discomfort didn’t arise overnight. It came in fragments: an inner turmoil, a dissonance in meetings and conversations, a longing I couldn’t articulate until I decided to burn my bridges and immerse myself fully in regeneration. I sold my house, closed a chapter in my business, and left the familiar world behind. When one door closes, another one opens.

In Japan, I wandered among ancient cedars and silent temples. In Portugal, I traced coastlines and questioned timelines. Since 2020, I’ve been walking the path of regeneration, connecting with inspiring people around the world, writing reflective blogs, reading deeply, and studying regenerative business principles. I’ve recorded podcast episodes, visited transformative places and events, and continue the journey as part of the 2025 Regenerative Leadership cohort. I didn’t seek answers; I sought essence. Gradually, I began to remember what I had always known: that regeneration is not a tool; it’s a way of being. A relationship. A rhythm. A remembering of how to build, belong, and become again.

Lessons from the Threshold and the Return

Transformation doesn’t occur through strategy decks and continuing to speak the old language. It unfolds when your worldview crumbles, prompting you to choose an inner journey and pursue personal growth. I found mentors, symbols, and mirrors in unexpected places: a piece of Kintsugi pottery, a breathwork session, a carpentry workshop, a festival in the woods, and the smell of pine, among others. I began to let go of the need to create change and instead asked myself, “What wants to emerge through me?”. From that place, something new began to take shape.

“The secret of change is to focus all your energy not on fighting the old, but on building the new.”— Socrates, Greek philosopher

I didn’t return with all the answers. I returned with an invitation. What I am doing is more than a business. It’s a vessel, a movement, a home for those who understand that cities are not merely sites of extraction or efficiency, but rather crucibles of culture, healing, and future-making. It’s for those who are ready to transcend sustainability, compliance, and clever strategies disguised as green. It’s for the leaders, cities, and visionaries who aspire to regenerate the urban fabric and themselves in the process.

Regenerative Leadership: Three Ways to Journey with Me

To support this journey of becoming, I no longer merely give keynotes or provide consulting services. As a Weaver of Worlds, a Trailblazer in Regenerative Urban Futures, and a Storykeeper of Transformation, I partner with a collective of souls, cities, and organisations prepared to move beyond sustainability – towards living systems that regenerate people, place, and purpose.

I am here when you're on the edge of becoming. When the known no longer fits and something deeper calls – not just for answers, but for a new way of seeing, sensing, and shaping the world. Like in every hero’s journey, I, too, left the familiar. I walked into the unknown – not to escape, but to remember. What emerged was not a role, but a rhythm. Not a service, but a soul offering. I now return – not with a roadmap, but with a compass – to walk alongside those ready to regenerate the world from the inside out:

1. I share stories at in-company international events that challenge the status quo and inspire visions of regenerative urban futures – stories that awaken the soul of the city and the spirit of the seeker.

2. I co-create transformational programmes with kindred changemakers – from Regeneration101, Executive mentoring to Operation Dragonfly – rooted in living systems and soul-aligned purpose.

3. I steward urban regeneration labs that bring places to life, cultivating districts that breathe with culture, align with nature, and are shaped by their very essence.

These are not conventional services. They represent an invitation to convene, reframe, co-evolve, and regenerate for a world in profound (urban) transition.

 

I have a dream

My dream is to regenerate the spirit of humanity by transforming how we live, lead, and thrive in harmony with nature and our inner selves. Home. I envision a once-degenerate industrial site nestled by a river and embraced by mountains and ancient forest, a place scarred by exploitation yet still brimming with potential. What if this place could evolve into a vibrant, living system? A resilient, healthy, multigenerational home where people not only survive but are truly connected, rooted, and renewed. I dream of reimagining such places as fertile ground for regeneration. By working with the land, history, and people, we can cultivate ecosystems of evolution – places where the spirit of humanity and the rhythms of nature co-create a flourishing future, where regeneration is not a trend, but the natural way of being.

“I have never tried that before, so I think I should be able to do that.” ― Astrid Lindgren, Pippi Longstocking

Why Now?

We stand at the edge of a world that no longer functions, and a new world is quietly forming beneath our feet. Climate change, social fragmentation, and spiritual disconnection are not isolated crises; they are interconnected signals calling for a more profound transformation. We are in the midst of a perfect storm of interlinked challenges; yet something new is stirring. A new era is dawning; a new earth calls for a new way of working. Capital flows are preparing for a further shift, in search of meaning, resilience, and renewal. The world is ripe for regeneration —not as a trend, but as a necessity. The field is forming with people, places, and projects, remembering what matters. I no longer return to patch up the old, but to participate in the emergence of the new. I do not merely consult or speak; I convene, reframe, and regenerate. I do not engage in business as usual; these are activities of becoming. If this resonates, the door is open. Let us walk this path together and become.

Author:

Menno Lammers

Meanwhile, I’m crafting something profound. Weaving a new world: stay tuned! [Sign up] for the newsletter to stay ahead of the curve.