When it comes to traditional classroom learning, every day looks pretty much the same. You commute to your lectures, sit in a designated classroom, engage with your instructors and peers, and go home and study. This repetitive grind often leaves students yearning for a more dynamic and flexible educational experience.
Enter online learning.
When you study online, you have the freedom to craft your own schedule, escape the confining classroom setting, and explore diverse learning materials at your own pace.
Of course, this doesn’t mean your day shouldn’t be structured and well-organized. It just means that online learning firmly puts the reins of your education in your hands, allowing you to decide when, where, and how you engage with your coursework.
With this in mind, let’s explore what a day in the life of an Open Institute of Technology (OPIT) student might look like.
How an OPIT Student Spends an Average Day
Before diving into the specifics, let’s get to know the online “classroom” OPIT students spend most of their days at – Canvas LMS (Learning Management System).
Canvas LMS is the world’s No. 1 teaching and learning software, revolutionizing the educational experience for OPIT students. This robust LMS serves as a virtual hub for all academic activities, from live lectures to discussion boards.
Canvas LMS checks all the boxes for an enjoyable learning experience – it’s user-friendly, easy to navigate, interactive, and adaptable. Talk about a superior alternative to a traditional classroom!
Without further ado, let’s visit this platform and commence our day of immersive virtual classes, interactive discussions, and self-paced study sessions.
1. Log In to the Canvas LMS
The great thing about online education is that you can start your day whenever you’d like. Still, most OPIT students visit their Canvas account in the morning to check important updates, assignments, and announcements. Of course, this visit can also jog their memory about upcoming deadlines and live sessions.
But doesn’t the platform get confusing with all these different elements?
Absolutely not!
Here’s a quick breakdown of what OPIT students see once they log in.
First up – the dashboard. This centralized hub provides a neat overview of all the courses our students are enrolled in. So, for instance, if the student is pursuing a Master’s Degree (MSc) in Enterprise Security, they’ll see courses like “Cybersecurity Fundamentals and Governance,” “Data Analytics and Risk Management,” and “Cryptography and Secure Communications.”
On the right, next to the dashboard, students can see all their to-do activities, such as live lectures, study sessions, and student mixers. With this handy list, OPIT allows students to always stay on top of their game, as keeping a to-do list is a huge must in online learning.
If we were to go to the left, we’d see an easy-to-follow menu with tabs like “Courses,” “Inbox,” and “Help.” But these don’t come into play just yet. OPIT students typically first check their “Calendar” tab.
Though keeping tabs on all the activities in the calendar is essential for a productive day, our students typically prioritize two – live sessions and assessments (with their due dates).
When there’s a live session, the entire day is centered around it to ensure active participation.
Let’s make our fictional day one of these days to make it more interesting. As an example, suppose the lecture starts at 7 p.m., which OPIT students can find out by clicking on the live session in the calendar. There will also be a Zoom link to facilitate easy access when the time comes.
As far as the assessments go, students should always make sure there aren’t any with due dates close together. If there are, they know what to do – tackle them on time and avoid any last-minute stress.
2. Check the Course Content
At this point, our student knows exactly what their day will look like. Since the focus of that day will be on the live session, it’s time to get acquainted with the course content relevant to the upcoming lecture.
A quick click on the course in question, followed by the “Modules” tab, is all it takes to access this content.
The “Module” tab offers a neat overview of all the past and upcoming modules, broken down into theoretical and practical portions. With well-thought-out overviews, PowerPoint presentations, and tutorials, OPIT students can prep for the live session hassle-free.
3. Start Studying
Now that our students know what to expect from the live session, it’s time to get down to focused studying. Since the live session is in the evening, there’s plenty of time to go over the new module, revise the past one(s), and solidify their understanding.
To make the most out of their study time, OPIT students usually plan it in advance, especially when they intend to work on more than one module at a time. This helps them stay on track and avoid the ever-so-tempting procrastination.
As far as the studying itself goes, it’s all up to our students. They can tackle the material in short bursts or dedicate larger blocks of time to focus on the matter at hand. Whatever works for them!
4. Ask for Help
With online learning and self-paced studying, it’s perfectly normal to encounter challenging concepts and have numerous questions in the process. Moreover, these questions don’t necessarily have to do anything with the course material. Students might struggle to organize their time, balance priorities, or adapt to the online learning environment itself. Whatever the case, we’ve got great news – OPIT has an incredible support system in place.
That’s why our students will take some time after their study session to schedule a meeting with Sara Ciabattoni, OPIT’s Class Coordinator. During this 20-minute meeting, they will greatly benefit from Sarah’s expertise and guidance, allowing them to return to their studies with renewed confidence.
Like everything in Canvas LMS, scheduling this meeting takes only a few clicks. Visit the Class Coordinator Virtual Office, choose your preferred date and time, hit “Next,” and you’re good to go. Upon confirmation, Sarah will provide all the necessary conferencing details. Best of all? The meeting will automatically be added to the student’s Google calendar, so there’s no need to deal with these technicalities.
5. Take a Break Before Live Session
At this point, the day has already been filled with lots of helpful activities, productive studying, and valuable preparation. Do you know what this means? That’s right – a break is well-deserved!
During the break, OPIT students can do virtually whatever they want. After all, they’re home or in their chosen environment. Most of them use the break to relax, do something enjoyable, or grab a meal. Some will even use it to change the scenery a little before the live session.
The great news is that Canvas can come with them wherever they go. Canvas LMS offers a nifty app that allows students to check their calendars, see relevant activities, and read notifications on the go. This adds another layer of flexibility to this already incredibly convenient learning experience.
6. Attend the Live Session
Cue a ringing school bell – it’s time for the live session!
By this time, our students have already found the perfect environment to immerse themselves in the live session. Once the session begins, they can actively listen, take notes, or ask questions. OPIT’s amazing faculty is there to facilitate an engaging and interactive learning experience with lots of valuable insights and guidance.
7. Check the Grades
Thanks to the revitalizing break before the live session, our students won’t be too tired for some more work even after the session has concluded. But first – a quick check of the grades.
Unsurprisingly, grades can be accessed in two clicks by visiting the tab of the same name under “Courses”. One more click is all it takes to understand how these grades have been earned.
8. Work on Assessments
Let’s say our student enjoys studying in the evening and has a lot of energy left after the live lecture. In that case, it’s time to tackle some assignments.
Since OPIT continually assesses its students instead of hitting them with one huge final, keeping up with assignments is crucial.
These assignments often call for teamwork, which Canvas makes easy. A visit to the “Collaborations” tab under “Courses” and a click on the “Start a New Collaboration” button can be the beginning of an incredibly fruitful collaboration.
OPIT students typically use WhatsApp to communicate outside the “official” Canvas and Slack platforms, so a quick message is enough to get all the teammates together.
9. Talk to a Career Advisor
OPIT students nearing the end of their academic journey at our institution typically have important decisions to make regarding their career paths. That’s why it’s perfectly normal to feel slightly anxious or overwhelmed at the end of the day.
So, let’s schedule a valuable one-on-one consultation with the Head of Career Services at OPIT before signing off. The unbelievably experienced Mike McCulloch is at our student’s disposal for any career-related concerns, guidance, or support.
10. Revel in a Day Well-Spent
At the end of such a day, all our students can do is pat themselves on the back. Here at OPIT, we’d like to believe we also have a part in this sense of achievement, thanks to the unparalleled flexibility, clarity, and support we offer.
But what will your typical day as an OPIT student look like? Start your academic journey at this prestigious institution to find out.
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From the same author
Read the articleThe Open Institute of Technology (OPIT) began enrolling students in 2023 to help bridge the skills gap between traditional university education and the requirements of the modern workplace. OPIT’s MSc courses aim to help professionals make a greater impact on their workplace through technology.
OPIT’s courses have become popular with business leaders hoping to develop a strong technical foundation to understand technologies, such as artificial intelligence (AI) and cybersecurity, that are shaping their industry. But OPIT is also attracting professionals with strong technical expertise looking to engage more deeply with the strategic side of digital innovation. This is the story of one such student, Obiora Awogu.
Meet Obiora
Obiora Awogu is a cybersecurity expert from Nigeria with a wealth of credentials and experience from working in the industry for a decade. Working in a lead data security role, he was considering “what’s next” for his career. He was contemplating earning an MSc to add to his list of qualifications he did not yet have, but which could open important doors. He discussed the idea with his mentor, who recommended OPIT, where he himself was already enrolled in an MSc program.
Obiora started looking at the program as a box-checking exercise, but quickly realized that it had so much more to offer. As well as being a fully EU-accredited course that could provide new opportunities with companies around the world, he recognized that the course was designed for people like him, who were ready to go from building to leading.
OPIT’s MSc in Cybersecurity
OPIT’s MSc in Cybersecurity launched in 2024 as a fully online and flexible program ideal for busy professionals like Obiora who want to study without taking a career break.
The course integrates technical and leadership expertise, equipping students to not only implement cybersecurity solutions but also lead cybersecurity initiatives. The curriculum combines technical training with real-world applications, emphasizing hands-on experience and soft skills development alongside hard technical know-how.
The course is led by Tom Vazdar, the Area Chair for Cybersecurity at OPIT, as well as the Chief Security Officer at Erste Bank Croatia and an Advisory Board Member for EC3 European Cybercrime Center. He is representative of the type of faculty OPIT recruits, who are both great teachers and active industry professionals dealing with current challenges daily.
Experts such as Matthew Jelavic, the CEO at CIM Chartered Manager Canada and President of Strategy One Consulting; Mahynour Ahmed, Senior Cloud Security Engineer at Grant Thornton LLP; and Sylvester Kaczmarek, former Chief Scientific Officer at We Space Technologies, join him.
Course content includes:
- Cybersecurity fundamentals and governance
- Network security and intrusion detection
- Legal aspects and compliance
- Cryptography and secure communications
- Data analytics and risk management
- Generative AI cybersecurity
- Business resilience and response strategies
- Behavioral cybersecurity
- Cloud and IoT security
- Secure software development
- Critical thinking and problem-solving
- Leadership and communication in cybersecurity
- AI-driven forensic analysis in cybersecurity
As with all OPIT’s MSc courses, it wraps up with a capstone project and dissertation, which sees students apply their skills in the real world, either with their existing company or through apprenticeship programs. This not only gives students hands-on experience, but also helps them demonstrate their added value when seeking new opportunities.
Obiora’s Experience
Speaking of his experience with OPIT, Obiora said that it went above and beyond what he expected. He was not surprised by the technical content, in which he was already well-versed, but rather the change in perspective that the course gave him. It helped him move from seeing himself as someone who implements cybersecurity solutions to someone who could shape strategy at the highest levels of an organization.
OPIT’s MSc has given Obiora the skills to speak to boards, connect risk with business priorities, and build organizations that don’t just defend against cyber risks but adapt to a changing digital world. He commented that studying at OPIT did not give him answers; instead, it gave him better questions and the tools to lead. Of course, it also ticks the MSc box, and while that might not be the main reason for studying at OPIT, it is certainly a clear benefit.
Obiora has now moved into a leading Chief Information Security Officer Role at MoMo, Payment Service Bank for MTN. There, he is building cyber-resilient financial systems, contributing to public-private partnerships, and mentoring the next generation of cybersecurity experts.
Leading Cybersecurity in Africa
As well as having a significant impact within his own organization, studying at OPIT has helped Obiora develop the skills and confidence needed to become a leader in the cybersecurity industry across Africa.
In March 2025, Obiora was featured on the cover of CIO Africa Magazine and was then a panelist on the “Future of Cybersecurity Careers in the Age of Generative AI” for Comercio Ltd. The Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry also invited him to speak on Cybersecurity in Africa.
Obiora recently presented the keynote speech at the Hackers Secret Conference 2025 on “Code in the Shadows: Harnessing the Human-AI Partnership in Cybersecurity.” In the talk, he explored how AI is revolutionizing incident response, enhancing its speed, precision, and proactivity, and improving on human-AI collaboration.
An OPIT Success Story
Talking about Obiora’s success, the OPIT Area Chair for Cybersecurity said:
“Obiora is a perfect example of what this program was designed for – experienced professionals ready to scale their impact beyond operations. It’s been inspiring to watch him transform technical excellence into strategic leadership. Africa’s cybersecurity landscape is stronger with people like him at the helm. Bravo, Obiora!”
Learn more about OPIT’s MSc in Cybersecurity and how it can support the next steps of your career.
Read the articleOpen Institute of Technology (OPIT) masterclasses bring students face-to-face with real-world business challenges. In OPIT’s July masterclass, OPIT Professor Francesco Derchi and Ph.D. candidate Robert Mario de Stefano explained the principles of regenerative businesses and how regeneration goes hand in hand with growth.
Regenerative Business Models
Professor Derchi began by explaining what exactly is meant by regenerative business models, clearly differentiating them from sustainable or circular models.
Many companies pursue sustainable business models in which they offset their negative impact by investing elsewhere. For example, businesses that are big carbon consumers will support nature regeneration projects. Circular business models are similar but are more focused on their own product chain, aiming to minimize waste by keeping products in use as long as possible through recycling. Both models essentially aim to have a “net-zero” negative impact on the environment.
Regenerative models are different because they actively aim to have a “net-positive” impact on the environment, not just offsetting their own use but actively regenerating the planet.
Massive Transformative Purpose
While regenerative business models are often associated with philanthropic endeavors, Professor Derchi explained that they do not have to be, and that investment in regeneration can be a driver of growth.
He discussed the importance of corporate purpose in the modern business space. Having a strong and clearly stated corporate purpose is considered essential to drive business decision-making, encourage employee buy-in, and promote customer loyalty.
But today, simple corporate missions, such as “make good shoes,” don’t go far enough. People are looking for a Massive Transformational Purpose (MTP) that can take the business to the next level.
Take, for example, Ben & Jerry’s. The business’s initial corporate purpose may have been to make great ice cream and serve it up in a way that people will enjoy. But the business really began to grow when they embraced an MTP. As they announced in their mission statement, “We believe that ice cream can change the world.” Their business activities also have the aim of advancing human rights and dignity, supporting social and economic justice, and protecting and restoring the Earth’s natural systems. While these aims are philanthropic, they have also helped the business grow.
RePlanet
Professor Derchi next talked about RePlanet, a business he recently worked to develop their MTP. Founded in 2015, RePlanet designs and implements customized renewable energy solutions for businesses and projects. The company already operates in the renewable energy field and ranked as the 21st fastest-growing business in Italy in 2023. So while they were already enjoying great success, Derchi worked with them to see if actively embracing a regenerative business model could unlock additional growth.
Working together, RePlanet moved towards an MTP of building a greener future based on today’s choices, ensuring a cleaner world for generations. Meeting this goal started with the energy products that RePlanet sells, such as energy systems that recover heat from dairy farms. But as the business’s MTP, it goes beyond that. RePlanet doesn’t just engage suppliers; it chooses partners that share its specific values. It also influences the projects they choose to work on – they prioritize high-impact social projects, such as recently installing photovoltaic energy systems at a local hospital in Nigeria – and how RePlanet treats its talent, acknowledging that people are the true energy of the company.
Regenerative Business Strategies
Based on work with RePlanet and other businesses, Derchi has identified six archetypal regenerative business strategies for businesses that want to have both a regenerative impact and drive growth:
- Regenerative Leadership – Laying the foundation for regeneration in a broader sense throughout the company
- Nature Regeneration – Strategies to improve the health of the natural world
- Social Regeneration – Regenerating human ecosystems through things such as fair-trade practices
- Responsible Sourcing – Empowering and strengthening suppliers and their communities
- Health & Well-being – Creating products and services that have a positive effect on customers
- Employee Focus – Improve work conditions, lives, and well-being of employees.
Case Studies
Building on the concept of regenerative business models, Roberto Mario de Stefano shared other case studies of businesses that are having a positive impact and enjoying growth thanks to regenerative business models and strategies.
Biorfarm
Biorfarm is a digital platform that supports small-scale agriculture by creating a direct link between small farmers and consumers. Cutting out the middleman in modern supply chains means that farmers earn about 50% more for their produce. They set consumers up as “digital farmers” who actively support and learn about farming activities to promote more conscious food consumption.
Their vision is to create a food economy in which those who produce food and those who consume it are connected. This moves consumers from passive cash cows for large corporations that prioritize profits over the well-being of farmers to actively supporting natural production and a more sustainable system.
Rifo Lab
Rifo Lab is a circular clothing brand with the vision of addressing the problem of overproduction in the clothing industry. Established in Prato, Italy, a traditional textile-producing area, the company produces clothes made from textile waste and biodegradable materials. There are no physical stores, and all orders must be placed online; everything is made to order, reducing excess production.
With an eye on social regeneration, all production takes place within 30 kilometers of their offices, allowing the business to support ethical and local production. They also work with companies that actively integrate migrants into the local community, sharing their local artisan crafts with future generations.
Ogyre
Ogyre is a digital platform that allows you to pay fishermen to fish for waste. When fishermen are out conducting their livelihood, they also collect a significant amount of waste from the ocean, especially plastic waste. Ogyre arranges for fishermen to get paid for collecting that waste, which in turn supports the local fishing communities, and then transforms the waste collected into new sustainable products.
Moving Towards a Regenerative Future
The masterclass concluded with a Q&A session, where it explained that working in regenerative businesses requires the same skills as any other business. But it also requires you to embrace a mindset where value comes from giving and that growth is about working together for a better future, and not just competition.
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Related posts
The Open Institute of Technology (OPIT) began enrolling students in 2023 to help bridge the skills gap between traditional university education and the requirements of the modern workplace. OPIT’s MSc courses aim to help professionals make a greater impact on their workplace through technology.
OPIT’s courses have become popular with business leaders hoping to develop a strong technical foundation to understand technologies, such as artificial intelligence (AI) and cybersecurity, that are shaping their industry. But OPIT is also attracting professionals with strong technical expertise looking to engage more deeply with the strategic side of digital innovation. This is the story of one such student, Obiora Awogu.
Meet Obiora
Obiora Awogu is a cybersecurity expert from Nigeria with a wealth of credentials and experience from working in the industry for a decade. Working in a lead data security role, he was considering “what’s next” for his career. He was contemplating earning an MSc to add to his list of qualifications he did not yet have, but which could open important doors. He discussed the idea with his mentor, who recommended OPIT, where he himself was already enrolled in an MSc program.
Obiora started looking at the program as a box-checking exercise, but quickly realized that it had so much more to offer. As well as being a fully EU-accredited course that could provide new opportunities with companies around the world, he recognized that the course was designed for people like him, who were ready to go from building to leading.
OPIT’s MSc in Cybersecurity
OPIT’s MSc in Cybersecurity launched in 2024 as a fully online and flexible program ideal for busy professionals like Obiora who want to study without taking a career break.
The course integrates technical and leadership expertise, equipping students to not only implement cybersecurity solutions but also lead cybersecurity initiatives. The curriculum combines technical training with real-world applications, emphasizing hands-on experience and soft skills development alongside hard technical know-how.
The course is led by Tom Vazdar, the Area Chair for Cybersecurity at OPIT, as well as the Chief Security Officer at Erste Bank Croatia and an Advisory Board Member for EC3 European Cybercrime Center. He is representative of the type of faculty OPIT recruits, who are both great teachers and active industry professionals dealing with current challenges daily.
Experts such as Matthew Jelavic, the CEO at CIM Chartered Manager Canada and President of Strategy One Consulting; Mahynour Ahmed, Senior Cloud Security Engineer at Grant Thornton LLP; and Sylvester Kaczmarek, former Chief Scientific Officer at We Space Technologies, join him.
Course content includes:
- Cybersecurity fundamentals and governance
- Network security and intrusion detection
- Legal aspects and compliance
- Cryptography and secure communications
- Data analytics and risk management
- Generative AI cybersecurity
- Business resilience and response strategies
- Behavioral cybersecurity
- Cloud and IoT security
- Secure software development
- Critical thinking and problem-solving
- Leadership and communication in cybersecurity
- AI-driven forensic analysis in cybersecurity
As with all OPIT’s MSc courses, it wraps up with a capstone project and dissertation, which sees students apply their skills in the real world, either with their existing company or through apprenticeship programs. This not only gives students hands-on experience, but also helps them demonstrate their added value when seeking new opportunities.
Obiora’s Experience
Speaking of his experience with OPIT, Obiora said that it went above and beyond what he expected. He was not surprised by the technical content, in which he was already well-versed, but rather the change in perspective that the course gave him. It helped him move from seeing himself as someone who implements cybersecurity solutions to someone who could shape strategy at the highest levels of an organization.
OPIT’s MSc has given Obiora the skills to speak to boards, connect risk with business priorities, and build organizations that don’t just defend against cyber risks but adapt to a changing digital world. He commented that studying at OPIT did not give him answers; instead, it gave him better questions and the tools to lead. Of course, it also ticks the MSc box, and while that might not be the main reason for studying at OPIT, it is certainly a clear benefit.
Obiora has now moved into a leading Chief Information Security Officer Role at MoMo, Payment Service Bank for MTN. There, he is building cyber-resilient financial systems, contributing to public-private partnerships, and mentoring the next generation of cybersecurity experts.
Leading Cybersecurity in Africa
As well as having a significant impact within his own organization, studying at OPIT has helped Obiora develop the skills and confidence needed to become a leader in the cybersecurity industry across Africa.
In March 2025, Obiora was featured on the cover of CIO Africa Magazine and was then a panelist on the “Future of Cybersecurity Careers in the Age of Generative AI” for Comercio Ltd. The Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry also invited him to speak on Cybersecurity in Africa.
Obiora recently presented the keynote speech at the Hackers Secret Conference 2025 on “Code in the Shadows: Harnessing the Human-AI Partnership in Cybersecurity.” In the talk, he explored how AI is revolutionizing incident response, enhancing its speed, precision, and proactivity, and improving on human-AI collaboration.
An OPIT Success Story
Talking about Obiora’s success, the OPIT Area Chair for Cybersecurity said:
“Obiora is a perfect example of what this program was designed for – experienced professionals ready to scale their impact beyond operations. It’s been inspiring to watch him transform technical excellence into strategic leadership. Africa’s cybersecurity landscape is stronger with people like him at the helm. Bravo, Obiora!”
Learn more about OPIT’s MSc in Cybersecurity and how it can support the next steps of your career.
Open Institute of Technology (OPIT) masterclasses bring students face-to-face with real-world business challenges. In OPIT’s July masterclass, OPIT Professor Francesco Derchi and Ph.D. candidate Robert Mario de Stefano explained the principles of regenerative businesses and how regeneration goes hand in hand with growth.
Regenerative Business Models
Professor Derchi began by explaining what exactly is meant by regenerative business models, clearly differentiating them from sustainable or circular models.
Many companies pursue sustainable business models in which they offset their negative impact by investing elsewhere. For example, businesses that are big carbon consumers will support nature regeneration projects. Circular business models are similar but are more focused on their own product chain, aiming to minimize waste by keeping products in use as long as possible through recycling. Both models essentially aim to have a “net-zero” negative impact on the environment.
Regenerative models are different because they actively aim to have a “net-positive” impact on the environment, not just offsetting their own use but actively regenerating the planet.
Massive Transformative Purpose
While regenerative business models are often associated with philanthropic endeavors, Professor Derchi explained that they do not have to be, and that investment in regeneration can be a driver of growth.
He discussed the importance of corporate purpose in the modern business space. Having a strong and clearly stated corporate purpose is considered essential to drive business decision-making, encourage employee buy-in, and promote customer loyalty.
But today, simple corporate missions, such as “make good shoes,” don’t go far enough. People are looking for a Massive Transformational Purpose (MTP) that can take the business to the next level.
Take, for example, Ben & Jerry’s. The business’s initial corporate purpose may have been to make great ice cream and serve it up in a way that people will enjoy. But the business really began to grow when they embraced an MTP. As they announced in their mission statement, “We believe that ice cream can change the world.” Their business activities also have the aim of advancing human rights and dignity, supporting social and economic justice, and protecting and restoring the Earth’s natural systems. While these aims are philanthropic, they have also helped the business grow.
RePlanet
Professor Derchi next talked about RePlanet, a business he recently worked to develop their MTP. Founded in 2015, RePlanet designs and implements customized renewable energy solutions for businesses and projects. The company already operates in the renewable energy field and ranked as the 21st fastest-growing business in Italy in 2023. So while they were already enjoying great success, Derchi worked with them to see if actively embracing a regenerative business model could unlock additional growth.
Working together, RePlanet moved towards an MTP of building a greener future based on today’s choices, ensuring a cleaner world for generations. Meeting this goal started with the energy products that RePlanet sells, such as energy systems that recover heat from dairy farms. But as the business’s MTP, it goes beyond that. RePlanet doesn’t just engage suppliers; it chooses partners that share its specific values. It also influences the projects they choose to work on – they prioritize high-impact social projects, such as recently installing photovoltaic energy systems at a local hospital in Nigeria – and how RePlanet treats its talent, acknowledging that people are the true energy of the company.
Regenerative Business Strategies
Based on work with RePlanet and other businesses, Derchi has identified six archetypal regenerative business strategies for businesses that want to have both a regenerative impact and drive growth:
- Regenerative Leadership – Laying the foundation for regeneration in a broader sense throughout the company
- Nature Regeneration – Strategies to improve the health of the natural world
- Social Regeneration – Regenerating human ecosystems through things such as fair-trade practices
- Responsible Sourcing – Empowering and strengthening suppliers and their communities
- Health & Well-being – Creating products and services that have a positive effect on customers
- Employee Focus – Improve work conditions, lives, and well-being of employees.
Case Studies
Building on the concept of regenerative business models, Roberto Mario de Stefano shared other case studies of businesses that are having a positive impact and enjoying growth thanks to regenerative business models and strategies.
Biorfarm
Biorfarm is a digital platform that supports small-scale agriculture by creating a direct link between small farmers and consumers. Cutting out the middleman in modern supply chains means that farmers earn about 50% more for their produce. They set consumers up as “digital farmers” who actively support and learn about farming activities to promote more conscious food consumption.
Their vision is to create a food economy in which those who produce food and those who consume it are connected. This moves consumers from passive cash cows for large corporations that prioritize profits over the well-being of farmers to actively supporting natural production and a more sustainable system.
Rifo Lab
Rifo Lab is a circular clothing brand with the vision of addressing the problem of overproduction in the clothing industry. Established in Prato, Italy, a traditional textile-producing area, the company produces clothes made from textile waste and biodegradable materials. There are no physical stores, and all orders must be placed online; everything is made to order, reducing excess production.
With an eye on social regeneration, all production takes place within 30 kilometers of their offices, allowing the business to support ethical and local production. They also work with companies that actively integrate migrants into the local community, sharing their local artisan crafts with future generations.
Ogyre
Ogyre is a digital platform that allows you to pay fishermen to fish for waste. When fishermen are out conducting their livelihood, they also collect a significant amount of waste from the ocean, especially plastic waste. Ogyre arranges for fishermen to get paid for collecting that waste, which in turn supports the local fishing communities, and then transforms the waste collected into new sustainable products.
Moving Towards a Regenerative Future
The masterclass concluded with a Q&A session, where it explained that working in regenerative businesses requires the same skills as any other business. But it also requires you to embrace a mindset where value comes from giving and that growth is about working together for a better future, and not just competition.
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