EP7 - Entrepreneurship for systems change

Episode 7 is out now!

In the latest episode of Rooted to Earth, Niranjana Balram Menon, Program Manager at Metabolic Ventures, challenges the traditional view of entrepreneurship and shares how businesses can be designed for impact rather than just profit.

What is a systemic venture?

For Niranjana, the current economic system rewards short-term gains over long-term resilience. She argues that true transformation happens when ventures focus on root causes, not just symptoms:

"A systemic venture doesn't just aim to solve a problem—it understands why that problem exists, how it connects to the broader system, and what its long-term impact will be."

At Metabolic Ventures, she works to lower the threshold for systemic entrepreneurship, ensuring that more businesses can align financial sustainability with social and environmental impact.

Supporting entrepreneurs for real change

Metabolic Ventures takes a hands-on approach, designing venture studios and mentoring entrepreneurs. One of its flagship initiatives is Fresh Ventures Studio, which helps entrepreneurs develop solutions for food and agriculture.

The team also plays an active role in EU-funded projects like GOV4ALL, where they work with Living Labs to structure sustainable financing models:

"Sometimes, our role is to help commercial entrepreneurs think beyond profit, but in GOV4ALL, we're doing the opposite—helping deeply mission-driven people adopt a business mindset."

Beyond the Western view of sustainability

A key takeaway from the conversation is the need to redefine sustainability beyond the Western perspective. Niranjana emphasises that different cultures and regions have unique understandings of sustainability, and local expertise must be at the centre of solutions:

"Sustainability isn't one-size-fits-all. Too often, we overlook indigenous knowledge and local ways of living that have sustained ecosystems for centuries."

A new way forward

As we rethink the role of business in sustainability, systemic ventures offer a path towards deeper, lasting change. This episode is an invitation to challenge conventional entrepreneurship and explore how businesses can be designed to create real impact.

🎧 Listen now: