Bridging the Gap: Jasper van Brakel and the Regenerative Power of Finance
There’s a critical yet often overlooked gap in the financial side of the real estate world. On one side, there are those with capital—investors seeking returns that align with their values. On the other, there are mission-driven entrepreneurs and organizations creating tangible social and environmental impact. But between them lies a chasm: a systemic aversion to complexity that makes it difficult for values-aligned capital to find and fund the change-makers who need it most.
Jasper van Brakel, CEO of RSF Social Finance, has made it his mission to bridge that gap.
In a recent conversation on The Regenerative Real Estate Podcast, Jasper shared his journey from traditional finance to leading one of the most forward-thinking institutions in the regenerative investing space. RSF doesn’t just manage money—it stewards it toward life-affirming systems change.
Mad Capital via RSF
A Finance System Rooted in Relationship
RSF’s approach starts with a simple but radical premise: money should be a tool for healing, not just growth. That belief drives their creation of innovative financial vehicles—fixed income products and Donor Advised Funds—that channel capital into low-risk, medium-return, high-impact investments.
These aren't abstract impact metrics on spreadsheets. These are real relationships with real enterprises doing work that matters—from regenerative agriculture and climate solutions to education and community development.
What makes RSF stand out is its deep tolerance for complexity. Where traditional banks might walk away from a deal deemed “too risky” or “too hard to underwrite,” RSF leans in. Whether it’s a cooperative importing green coffee beans across the Atlantic or a school-based food equity program like Goodr, they take the time to understand the full system—its assets, its interdependencies, and its potential for regenerative return.
Investing With Intention
For van Brakel, investing is not just about returns. It’s about alignment. "There are three legs to the stool," he explains. "Financial return, risk, and impact. What RSF offers is deep impact, low risk, and medium return. There aren’t many places offering that."
This framework challenges the common binary between philanthropy and extractive investing. It introduces a spectrum, where investors can choose how much of their return to keep, and how much to intentionally redirect toward creating public benefit. This isn't concession—it's reimagining what a return truly means.
Goodr via RSF, a memorable investment Jasper van Brakel shared on The Regenerative Real Estate Podcast
Regeneration as a Systemic Shift
RSF’s commitment to regeneration goes beyond investment strategy. They’ve articulated five core principles of regenerative finance:
Act from abundance
Center relationships
Empower everyone
Transcend ego
Move with change
These are more than values—they're design criteria for a financial system that prioritizes long-term flourishing over short-term extraction.
Jasper sees this moment as an inflection point. “We're in a time of crises—but also of opportunity. RSF exists to show that finance can be different. That it can regenerate instead of deplete.”
Restoring Agency
Perhaps the most profound insight Jasper shared is that RSF’s real offering isn’t just capital—it’s agency. In a time when many people feel powerless in the face of climate collapse, economic inequality, and social fragmentation, RSF provides a way to do something. Whether investing $1,000 or $10 million, capital stewards can align their money with their values—and become part of a larger community financing the future.
Finance That Serves Life
The regenerative future won’t be built on extraction. It will be built on relationship, complexity, and care. RSF Social Finance—and Jasper van Brakel’s leadership within it—offers a roadmap for how finance can not only fund change, but be the change.
For anyone seeking to move their capital into alignment with life, this is a story worth paying attention to.
🎧 Listen to the full episode on Apple Podcasts or Spotify.
