Media Mention, Video

Simone Hardeman-Jones on Butternomics: Reimagining Philanthropy from the Inside Out

Jun 17, 2026

Twin Cities

In this episode of Butternomics: The Business of Culture, host Brandon Butler and Simone talk about what it actually takes to change the way philanthropy works — not in theory, but in practice. Simone shares how GreenLight Fund Twin Cities listens before it leads, why she stopped leading with deficit statistics in funder conversations, and what it looks like to build accountability structures with community instead of for it.

3 Quick Takeaways

  • Listening means being willing to say no. After going into the community with a program Simone believed in, resident feedback told her it wasn’t the right fit — so GreenLight walked away from it. Real listening changes outcomes, not just optics.
  • Dream-centered conversations close more rooms than deficit stats. When Simone stopped leading with what’s broken and started asking funders to dream alongside her, the dynamic shifted. People invest in possibility differently than they invest in problems.
  • Who sets the KPIs determines whose definition of success wins. GreenLight co-creates its key performance indicators with the organizations it funds — so impact is measured by what community says it should look like, not what looks good in a report.

Show Notes

  • 0:35 — Who is Simone: Third-generation Minnesotan, Executive Director of GreenLight Fund Twin Cities, and why public service was never optional in her family.
  • 1:36 — The GreenLight model: What “community-led change” actually means when you peel back the layers.
  • 6:24 — Minnesota’s paradox: Ranked #1 for quality of life, #50 for the racial income gap between Black and white residents — and why that’s exactly where GreenLight belongs.
  • 13:46 — Co-created KPIs: How GreenLight measures impact differently, and why it matters who’s at the table when you define success.
  • 21:44 — Dream with me: Why Simone stopped using deficit framing in rooms with major funders — and what she does instead.
  • 32:29 — Not for, but with: The principle that separates reimagined philanthropy from the traditional model.

Resources & Links

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