Our Contribution
TWIST’s contribution to the field of systems change is guided by deep intentionality and core principles: joy, emergence, co-creativity, stewardship, and transcending paradigms. We recognize that true transformation is not just technical—it is deeply human. By creating safe, brave spaces for asset owners and enablers, we weave together the personal and relational aspects of investing.
Our mission is to support and accelerate the shift toward a regenerative future by building the infrastructure and systems-aware relationships that the field needs next.
Explore our evolving Theory of Transformation (ToT) and the specific pathways we use to strengthen the field of systemic investing.
TWIST Theory of Transformation
Our Theory of Transformation represents how TWIST contributes to shifting investing into a force for regenerative systems.
Starting by recognising that today’s polycrises are rooted in growing divides, it calls for a change in how capital flows and how we show up within the systems we are a part of.
Grounded in our guiding principles - joy, emergence, co-creativity, collaboration, global perspectives, stewardship mindset and transcending paradigms - TWIST strives to enable inner, relational and financial capital for change. We do this by weaving together community, inner work and knowledge, while strengthening the field of investing for systems change.
Our role is to align capital with our vision of a world with resilient systems that sustain and regenerate life.
Watch the explanatory video for a brief breakdown of our evolving Theory of Transformation:
You can also explore TWIST Theory of Transformation through our interactive flywheel. The visual illustrates six core feedback loops that demonstrate how TWIST contributes to its near star, ultimately enabling progress toward its guiding star:
Nurture a Learning Community of Practice
TWIST intentionally builds and nurtures its Community of Practice. The Community brings together investors, practitioners, and facilitators who are actively deploying capital and/or enabling processes for positive systems change.
We believe that a strong Community of Practice is essential for building the field of investing for systems change. Nurturing this community means cultivating trust, enabling peer support, and creating space for mutual learning. By sharing strategies, challenges, and insights, members inspire and support one another, building the connective tissue that a resilient systems investing field needs.
Members of the Community of Practice help co-create TWIST’s vision and activities. Each Community of Practice member contributes their experience and learning to the TWIST collective by sharing their strategy and one or two concrete examples of “investing for systems change.” These examples are documented as Case Studies, which help build a living library of real-world efforts to shift systems, resources that are also shared with our academic partners to support research and broader field-building. The qualifying criteria for what constitutes a Case Study can be found here.
While the case studies shared by the Community vary widely in context, geography, and form, they all share a defining characteristic: they involve the deployment or facilitation of capitals with the explicit intention to drive systemic change. These efforts reflect the values of experimentation, learning, and stewardship that lie at the heart of TWIST.
Create a Living Knowledge Base
TWIST focuses on building evidence to support learning, credibility, and replication in the emerging field of systemic investing. To truly advance this field, a growing body of evidence is needed to document how this work is happening in practice.
Through research partnerships with the MIT Sloan Sustainability Initiative and the Deep Transitions Lab, TWIST is creating a platform to capture, analyse, and publish real-world examples of systems change investing. Members of our Community of Practice contribute directly to this effort by completing a detailed case study template, co-designed with our academic partners. These case studies templates are data-rich reflections that explore how systems-level strategies differ from traditional sustainable or impact investing approaches.
Building the Field
TWIST recognises the importance of cultivating the knowledge, language, and leadership capacities that can support a new generation of systemic investors.
We’re committed to helping practitioners, investors, and changemakers understand what it means to invest with systems change in mind: how to see interconnections, surface leverage points, and act with both courage and care. To support this mission, TWIST collaborate with pioneering educational programmes to help design, deliver, and amplify transformative learning experiences that equip individuals and institutions for this emerging practice.
Integrating Inner Work and Outer Work
TWIST integrates inner work and outer work by providing safe, brave spaces for mutual support and growth within the community