From Moloka'i to Montana: How Story Can Help Close the Capital Gap for Community Ownership

Shared ownership needs venture capital’s PR team. Community-based ownership models are among the oldest in existence. However, in the impact ecosystem, capital has consistently moved around these structures. At World Within, we’re testing how narrative and investment strategy work together to drive capital to these models. Alongside the Moloka’i Heritage Trust, aiming to reclaim one third of the island for its people, and Old Salt Coop, rebuilding the food system through regenerative ranching, we explore the role of story and capital for places and models that have been systematically underleveraged. And what do a fifth-generation rancher from Montana and an indigenous activist from Hawaii have in common? A lot more than you think.