Boulder, Colorado, United States
Matthew Wilburn King is a scholar, explorer, and author whose TEDx talk on reimagining capitalism has reached over 1 million views. King believes we are living through a mythological transition. The stories that once organized our world—limitless growth, separation from nature, and hyper-individualism—are falling apart. What comes next requires a new relationship to reality: one grounded in evolutionary truth, ecological interdependence, and scientific awe. Over the last three decades, King has traversed 45+ countries, working with governments, scientists, and communities to understand how human systems adapt or fail. He earned his Ph.D. from the University of Cambridge, mapping the geopolitical realities of resource conflict. King's work is driven by a single question: How can human systems evolve to ensure the survival of life on a finite planet? His path has been an evolution. He began his career designing institutions, while advancing environmental security and governance through public diplomacy and natural resource management. As a U.S. Presidential Management Fellow, Program Manager for NOAA Research International and Principal Investigator for the U.S. Department of State. He led science diplomacy and design efforts to strengthen institutions in Latin America and the Caribbean, wrote policy for the White House's US Ocean Action Plan, and earned a U.S. Department of Commerce Bronze Medal for creativity and innovation. Surviving Stage IV-b cancer in 2012 forced a profound shift from head to heart. King realized that life, like democracy and capitalism, depends entirely on cooperation; it's evolutionarily advantageous. For 18 years, King served as Founder and CEO of Our COMMON Foundation, treating philanthropy as an incubator for social and environmental entrepreneurship, catalyzing over $5.2 million for 40+ initiatives and impacting 50,000+ lives worldwide. King has taught at the University of Cambridge, George Washington University, and the University of Colorado Boulder. He has published academic work and 70+ pieces across the BBC, Mongabay, Earth Island Journal, Princeton University Press, and others. Today, he explores. As a scout, he rides ahead of the caravan amid rapid global change, explores new terrain, illuminates risks, marks routes and delivers maps to navigate the future. Subscribe | Elemental drmatthewking.substack.com Data informs algorithms; stories shift paradigms and people. Forthcoming Books: Vanished — A Novel One Choice. One Act. A Philosophical Guide MatthewWilburnKing.com
I'm a Cambridge-educated scholar, explorer, and author devoted to reimagining our shared story through the lenses of science, myth, ecology, and philosophy, advancing human consciousness that mirrors life itself. My work blends personal narrative, cultural insight, and deep inquiry to help people live life aligned with greater clarity, courage, and compassion for the benefit of people, the planet, and peace. Over the years, I’ve reported on indigenous conservation, climate psychology, conscious capitalism, and creative renewal. My writing spans essays, journalism, and academic work, featured in outlets such as the BBC (Features Correspondent), Mongabay, Earth Island Journal, Princeton University Press, Routledge, Journal of Biological Conservation, World Watch Institute, Marine Policy. My spoken work includes TEDx, guest appearances on Euronews, NBC Universal, affiliates of ABC and CBS, podcasts, and more. Recent work includes: ✍️ “Death Was My Guru” — a story about cancer, mortality, and transformation 🎥 TEDx: Why Capitalism Needs to Empower People Again | 1 Mil + 📘 Upcoming book: One Choice. One Act. The No Bullshit Guide to Living Aligned. I see storytelling as a form of service—an offering to those navigating their own thresholds. Through writing, research, public speaking, and meaningful exploration, I aim to reconnect people with their deepest values and creative agency. 🔗 Newsletter: drmatthewking.substack.com 🔗 Portfolio: MatthewKingPhD.com 🔗 MuckRack: muckrack.com/drmatthewking 🔗 Author Page: facebook.com/DrMatthewKing 2022 Marshall Memorial Fellowship, German Marshall Fund 2010 Distinguished Alumnus Lectureship, Politics and Law, Univ. of Tulsa, Political Science. 2014 Kinship Conservation Fellow 2009 Roster Member, John S. McCain III, Center for Environmental Conflict Resolution. 2007 U.S. Department of Commerce Bronze Medal Recipient. 2006 U.S. Department of Commerce Leadership Award 1999-2001 U.S. Presidential Management Fellow
Bhumi Investments is a private partnership focused on long-term, values-aligned investing in real estate and diversified assets. Since 2007, it has served as the financial engine that secured independence and powered my philanthropic work. The Impact Thesis (2007–2025) We utilized Bhumi returns to seed high-risk, high-reward social innovations through Our COMMON Foundation. This 18-year cycle successfully demonstrated that private capital can outperform traditional aid models. The Multiplier Effect: Every $10,000 invested unlocked over $100,000 in mission-aligned outcomes. Catalytic Volume: Catalyzed over $5.2 million in follow-on funding for 40+ initiatives. Human Impact: Directly improved the lives of over 50,000 people. Current Status Having successfully closed our primary impact fund window in 2025, Bhumi now operates as a private management vehicle, sustaining the financial sovereignty that allows for my full-time focus on writing, scholarship, and art.
Conferred a lifetime appointment to the Senate, the University's highest governing body upon earning my doctoral degree in 2008, with voting rights on administrative officers, university statutes, and the Chancellor. During my doctoral research in the Faculty of Earth Science and Geography (2004-2008), my work focused on equipping scholars with rigorous analytical tools to deconstruct power and policy to better understand environmental security and governance in the 21st Century. Graduate Instruction: Taught Documents and Discourse Analysis for the Joint Schools Postgraduate Course in Social Science Research Methods. Undergraduate Supervision: Supervised students in Society, Environment, and Development, State and Society, Latin America/South Asia, etc.
After 18 years of incubation, experimentation, and service, I transitioned from CEO to Executive Board Member on January 1, 2026. This marked the evolution of the foundation from a broad incubator to a focused philanthropic platform operating at the intersection of creativity, ecology, and spirituality. Legacy of Impact (2007–2025) Founded and led a nimble, impact-driven incubator for mission-aligned ideas lacking an institutional home. Whether serving as President (2007–2019) or CEO (2020–2025), I oversaw all operational, legal, and financial strategies while mentoring the visionaries behind our initiatives. The Multiplier Effect: In partnership with Bhumi Investments, every $10,000 invested unlocked over $100,000 in mission-aligned outcomes. Catalytic Funding: Seeded over 40 high-impact initiatives, catalyzing more than $5.2 million in aligned funding and directly improving the lives of over 50,000 people. Diverse Portfolio: Projects ranged from immigrant legal advocacy and WASH initiatives to grassroots conservation, fine arts residencies, and humanitarian relief. The Strategic Pivot (2026 & Beyond) Moving forward, the foundation shifts focus to support specific creative and democratic endeavors. I have handed operational leadership of our core programs to two outstanding directors: Parsonage Gallery: A historic space for art at the intersection of ecology and spirit (Dir. Dr. Aaron Rosen). Ukraine Under Fire: A documentary project defending democracy through storytelling (Dir. Jordan Campbell). I remain committed to the foundation's long-term vision: creating a future marked by clarity, courage, and contribution.
As an international consultant and strategic advisor, I worked at the intersection of research, vision, and systems change—helping clients explore complex social and environmental challenges with clarity, integrity, and creativity. My work supported leaders across government, philanthropy, social enterprise, think tanks, and mission-driven organizations in the U.S., Latin America, and Europe. Each engagement was anchored in empirical research and designed to help clients think forward, navigate uncertainty, and pursue bold solutions. Representative Engagements by Theme: Systemic Evolution & Capitalism Rethinking capitalism and moral ambition (Future of Capitalism). An evolutionary theory of governance. Networked governance and systems thinking in practice. Impact Accelerators and the UN Sustainable Development Goals. Environmental Security & Peacebuilding Post-conflict peacebuilding and environmental cooperation in Central America. Corruption and integrity in international development. Food security, population, and ecosystem resilience. Understanding psychological barriers to climate action. Conservation Finance & Strategy Biodiversity offsets and protected area financing (Biological Conservation). Market-based coral reef conservation strategies. Coastal and mangrove ecosystem governance in Latin America. Institutional Design Advised on the design of international fellowship programs and research agendas to foster long-term institutional change.