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Global ImpactAlliance

Connecting wisdom with action.

Global Impact Alliance brings together Indigenous and ancestral knowledge, leadership, science and capital, and turns them into systemic change that can be seen, shared and measured.

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Global headquarters
New York
African hub
Kenya
Wisdom and Action, working as one
2 paths
Guardians, Wisdom Pioneers, Stewards and Partners
4 circles

The world's challenges are connected. Our responses rarely are.

Climate, biodiversity, water, inequality and fragile economies are bound together. Yet most responses are designed in isolation: a project here, a fund there, a policy somewhere else. Short-term incentives reward extraction, and the knowledge of those closest to the land is too often left out.

We need different forms of leadership, collaboration and capital.

  1. 01

    Interconnected problems

    Ecological, social and economic pressures feed one another.

  2. 02

    Fragmented responses

    Sectors, disciplines and funders work in parallel, not together.

  3. 03

    Short horizons

    Capital and decisions are tuned to quarters, not generations.

We connect worlds that rarely meet.

GIA creates the relationships, platforms, knowledge and pathways that bring these worlds together, and keeps them together long enough to act.

Knowledge

Indigenous and ancestral wisdom alongside science and systems thinking.

Leadership

Leaders who can hold complexity and think in generations.

Capital

Patient capital that follows insight, not only returns.

Action

Community-led projects with clear goals and honest measurement.

How change happens

  1. 01

    Understand differently

    Bring Indigenous, scientific and practical knowledge to the same question.

  2. 02

    Collaborate differently

    Build trust between people and sectors that rarely work together.

  3. 03

    Invest differently

    Direct patient capital with insight from the people closest to the ground.

  4. 04

    Act differently

    Support community-led action with clear roles, fair terms and time.

  5. 05

    Create lasting impact

    Measure what changes, share what we learn and build on it.

Two paths. One purpose.

Wisdom without action changes nothing. Action without wisdom repeats old mistakes. Our work moves along two complementary paths.

Path of Wisdom

How we think, learn and lead.

  • Leadership journeys and the Wisdom Academy
  • Dialogue with the Wisdom Council of Indigenous Elders
  • Salons, Deep Talks and strategic foresight
Learn more
Women seated together in a circle in a thatched hall

Path of Action

How we turn that wisdom into impact.

  • Indigenous-led, place-based projects
  • Systemic investment and philanthropic capital
  • Measured outcomes and the Wisdom Age Index
Learn more

Eight areas of work

Clear programmes, each with a defined purpose, audience and outcome.

What we do

Leadership & Wisdom

What it is
Learning and reflection for people who carry long-term responsibility for capital, institutions or communities. It combines systems thinking, ecology and inner practice with the perspective of Indigenous Elders.
Who it serves
CEOs and senior executives, family office principals, foundation leaders, investors and policymakers.
What GIA does
  • Runs the Wisdom Academy on systems thinking, ecology and daily practice
  • Hosts Wisdom Retreats with Indigenous Elders for senior leaders
  • Convenes Mothers to the World, a journey for women leading in finance, philanthropy, business and policy
Outcome
Leaders who decide with a longer time horizon, a wider view of consequences and a clearer sense of responsibility.
See it on What we do

Indigenous Knowledge & Partnerships

What it is
Indigenous peoples hold knowledge of land, water and community tested over generations. We build trusted channels between knowledge holders and investors, companies and institutions, on terms set with communities rather than for them.
Who it serves
Indigenous communities and organisations, wisdom keepers and land stewards, and the investors, companies and institutions that want to work with them responsibly.
What GIA does
  • Convenes the Wisdom Council of Indigenous Elders
  • Mediates and builds bridges between communities, corporations and investors
  • Supports Indigenous-led initiatives with fair recognition and benefit
Outcome
Partnerships built on consent and respect, in which traditional knowledge shapes decisions and communities share in the value they help create.
See it on What we do

Impact Investment & Capital

What it is
Capital shapes what gets built. We help capital stewards move beyond compliance-led ESG towards investment that restores ecosystems and strengthens communities over the long term.
Who it serves
Family offices, foundations, philanthropists, banks and institutional investors.
What GIA does
  • Advises on systemic investing and philanthropic strategy
  • Carries out project due diligence with Indigenous and local partners
  • Designs collaborative capital mechanisms that pool resources around shared goals
Outcome
Capital deployed with more insight and less risk, into projects that are wanted, well governed and built to last.
See it on What we do

Systemic Change

What it is
Many crises share the same roots: short-term incentives, extractive business models and metrics that miss what matters. We work on those roots, not only on their symptoms.
Who it serves
Policymakers, institutions, business leaders and investors ready to question underlying assumptions.
What GIA does
  • Co-develops the Wisdom Age Index, a framework for assessing stewardship beyond conventional metrics
  • Advances the principles of the Wisdom Age Charter
  • Brings actors together around specific shifts in finance, economy and governance
Outcome
Shared frameworks and standards that make long-term, regenerative decisions easier to take and to measure.
See it on What we do

Research & Knowledge

What it is
Good decisions need good knowledge. We research, document and share insight where ecology, economics, leadership and Indigenous knowledge meet.
Who it serves
Researchers, universities, policymakers, investors and practitioners.
What GIA does
  • Leads systems analysis and applied research with academic and field partners
  • Publishes perspectives, case studies and reports through GIA Insights
  • Documents what projects learn, so it can be shared and reused
Outcome
Evidence and ideas that decision-makers can act on, with knowledge properly recognised and credited.
See it on What we do

Convening & Strategic Dialogues

What it is
Change often starts with the right conversation. We host small, curated gatherings that bring Indigenous leaders, investors, executives, scientists and policymakers into honest dialogue.
Who it serves
Alliance members, partners and invited leaders from every sector.
What GIA does
  • Hosts Wisdom Salons on leadership, nature and responsibility
  • Runs Deep Talks for focused strategic dialogue
  • Brings people together at Mycelium Dinners to build trust across networks
Outcome
Trusted relationships and shared commitments that grow into partnerships, investments and projects.
See it on What we do

Place-Based & Community-Led Impact

What it is
Lasting impact is local. With our implementation partner, the Wisdom Age Foundation, we support Indigenous-led and community-led projects focused on biodiversity, water and regenerative livelihoods.
Who it serves
Indigenous and local communities, and the funders and partners who back them.
What GIA does
  • Identifies and supports community-led projects with the Wisdom Age Foundation
  • Connects projects with funding, expertise and markets
  • Tracks progress together with the communities involved
Outcome
Healthier ecosystems and stronger local economies, owned and shaped by the people who depend on them.
See it on What we do

Africa Initiatives

What it is
Africa holds some of the world's most important ecosystems, its youngest population and deep knowledge traditions. From Kenya, we are building partnerships in conservation, regenerative economies, leadership and investment.
Who it serves
African communities, entrepreneurs, institutions and investors, and the international partners who work with them.
What GIA does
  • Builds partnerships across East Africa and the continent from our Kenya hub
  • Connects African leaders and knowledge holders with the global Alliance
  • Develops initiatives in conservation, youth entrepreneurship and impact investment
Outcome
African-led initiatives with the partners and capital to grow, and African perspectives at the centre of global conversations.
See it on What we do

A global alliance, rooted in place

Our headquarters in New York connects us with global finance, philanthropy and multilateral institutions. Our African hub in Kenya anchors our work across the continent. Through our implementation partner, projects are already under way with Indigenous and local communities in the Amazon and Indonesia.

  • New York
  • Kenya
  • Brazilian Amazon
  • Indonesia
A desk globe in warm evening light, turned towards Asia and the Indian Ocean

Africa is not a place that needs saving. It is where much of the future is being built.

Africa holds deep knowledge traditions, extraordinary ecosystems and the world's youngest population. From our hub in Kenya, we work with African leaders, communities and entrepreneurs as partners in shaping what comes next.

Our work in AfricaCollaborate with us

An alliance, not an agency

GIA works through relationships. Members and partners bring knowledge, capital, platforms and the capacity to act. Together we do what none of us could do alone.

Implementation partner

Wisdom Age Foundation

Turns the Alliance's collective intelligence into concrete, on-the-ground projects for people and planet.

Our partners

Four circles of the Alliance

Guardians

Who
Indigenous organisations, communities, land stewards, water protectors and wisdom keepers.
Role
Protecting what sustains us: land, water, culture and the wisdom of life.

Wisdom Pioneers

Who
Visionaries, systems thinkers and experts in finance, policy, materials, ecology and leadership.
Role
Advancing the ideas, capacities and infrastructure that systemic change needs.

Stewards

Who
Capital stewards and senior leaders from family offices, foundations, financial institutions and purpose-driven organisations.
Role
Resourcing what matters through long-term capital stewardship.

Partners

Who
Organisations and individuals contributing expertise, platforms, research and implementation capacity.
Role
Enabling and amplifying Alliance initiatives across sectors.
Join the Alliance

From insight to the ground

Projects led by communities and supported through our implementation partner.

All projects

Indigenous women's leadership and conservation in the Amazon

Ongoing · Jordão, Acre · Brazilian Amazon

  1. 01

    Challenge

    In the remote Jordão region of Acre, Huni Kuin women face barriers to education and economic independence, limited protection from domestic violence, and growing pressure on the forest their community depends on.

  2. 02

    Approach

    Back the women's own organisation to lead: strengthen rights and skills, open access to education and care for the forest, with decisions made by the women themselves.

  3. 03

    Partnership

    Aibu Dayá, the Huni Kuin women's association and the first Indigenous organisation in the region run by women, working with Living Gaia e.V. and the Wisdom Age Foundation.

  4. 04

    Action

    • Training and workshops on women's rights and potential
    • School and university scholarships for women
    • Conservation work led by the community
    • Basic income support for women leaving domestic violence
  5. 05

    Impact

    Women in the community are building leadership, education and economic independence while caring for the forest. Detailed results will be published as they are gathered with the association.

See the full story

A natural fertiliser rooted in Javanese knowledge

In development · Java, Indonesia

  1. 01

    Challenge

    Dependence on chemical fertilisers degrades soil, contaminates water and squeezes farmers' incomes.

  2. 02

    Approach

    Develop and bring to market a 100% natural liquid biotic fertiliser based on local knowledge, creating income for the community while keeping it affordable for Indonesian farmers.

  3. 03

    Partnership

    Jack, a Javanese healer, wisdom keeper and inventor, and the Mandala Wisesa community, with the Wisdom Age Foundation.

  4. 04

    Action

    • Development of the natural liquid fertiliser
    • Testing and certification for the European market
    • A revenue model in which European sales help subsidise access for Indonesian farmers
  5. 05

    Impact

    Designed to improve crop yield and quality while reducing the need for chemical fertilisers. The product is in development and seeking European market certification.

See the full story

Jumpiotic: bringing Indigenous innovation to market

In development · Indonesia

  1. 01

    Challenge

    Indigenous inventors create valuable solutions but rarely have the means to formalise them, reach markets or earn a fair return.

  2. 02

    Approach

    Help formalise and commercialise a natural remedy developed by Indigenous scientists, so that their knowledge generates income for the people who hold it.

  3. 03

    Partnership

    Indigenous scientists and inventors in Indonesia, with the Wisdom Age Foundation.

  4. 04

    Action

    • Formalising Jumpiotic, a natural liquid remedy made from Indonesian plant leaves
    • Preparing the product for wider markets
    • Building a revenue stream for its Indigenous inventors
  5. 05

    Impact

    Opens a route for Indigenous innovation to create fair economic value for its inventors. The project is in development.

See the full story

Guided by experience across worlds

Our founder and advisors bring together philosophy, investment, ecology and leadership.

Meet the team

Dana Ulrike Glatz

Dana Ulrike Glatz

Founder · Vision & Partnerships

Dana founded Global Impact Alliance to connect Indigenous wisdom keepers, leaders and capital stewards, and builds the partnerships at the heart of the Alliance.

Tomas Björkman

Tomas Björkman

Applied philosopher & social entrepreneur

Co-author of The Nordic Secret, founder of the Ekskäret Foundation and initiator of the Inner Development Goals.

Satish Kumar

Satish Kumar

Speaker & activist

Editor Emeritus of Resurgence & Ecologist and founder of Schumacher College.

Peter Jäderberg

Peter Jäderberg

Impact investor

Founder and CEO of Jäderberg & Cie and co-author of The Nordic Secret.

Let's build what comes next, together.

Partner with GIA, join the Alliance or invest in impact. Every collaboration starts with a conversation.

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