Media

Can Entrepreneurs Save Capitalism From Itself?

In our new book, Capital Evolution: The New American Economy we argue that capitalism’s next chapter won’t be written by policymakers alone.

Is Capitalism Failing? With Seth Levine from Foundry Venture Capital

Seth Levine shares investing life savings in Foundry only to face failure by May 2007, his wife’s belief that saved everything, and building $4 billion firm.

A New Era For Venture

Dynamic Capitalism, Finding Alpha in the AI Cycle, Are Bubbles a Feature or a Bug, and Why the Future for America Is Still Bright (Seth Levine)

Authors of ‘Capital Evolution’ Share a Bold Reassessment of Capitalism in America

Seth Levine and Elizabeth McBride argue for an alternative model that recognizes the increasing influence of business in society and the need for companies to consider stakeholders beyond just shareholders. 

We need more capitalists, not necessarily more capitalism

Venture capitalist Seth Levine and journalist Elizabeth MacBride spent the past year interviewing business leaders, academics, and civil society experts on this subject for their new book “Capital Evolution: The New American Economy.” Their argument: one of America’s biggest problems is that we’ve stopped sharing ownership; we need more capitalists, not necessarily more capitalism. They make the case for “dynamic capitalism” as a replacement for the shareholder driven capitalism of the last 50 years thats created vast inequality, political division, and distrust in the system.

Capital Evolution and the New American Economy

Seth Levine talks about his book “Capital Evolution – The New American Economy.”  We examine how capitalism must adapt to address inequality, trust, and long-term value creation. Seth is a co-founder and Managing Director of Foundry, a venture capital firm focused on building enduring technology companies.

Seth Levine of Foundry Group on Capital Evolution, AI, and the Future of Company Leadership

Seth Levine, Managing Director at Foundry Group and co-author of Capital Evolution, joins Between Two COOs to talk about how the American economy is changing – and what that means for the people actually running companies

‘Capital Evolution: The new American economy’, by Seth Levine and Elizabeth MacBride

It is an article of faith among founders that start-up ventures need to pivot to remain successful. And on the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence, the focus is on what some see as the ultimate start-up: the United States of America. Is this a moment for the world’s most powerful economic engine to pivot to a better form of capitalism?

Martin Luther King Jr., and resolutions worth keeping

From a macro-view, experts differ on what lies ahead for the US economy. Most would agree it is not working for everyone and that corporate and elected leaders would benefit us all by taking a fresh look at stubborn challenges. That’s where Capital Evolution: The New American Economy, the latest thought-provoking book by venture capitalist Seth Levine and finance journalist Elizabeth MacBride, squarely lands.

Seth Levine / Capital Evolution

Proposing a more sensible & sane approach to capitalism

Elizabeth MacBride and Seth Levine in Conversation with Lori Montgomery

Business overtook government. Now what? The future of capitalism isn’t left or right — it’s forward. 

Seth Levine – Foundry Where Capitalism Meets Purpose: Seth Levine on the New Entrepreneurial Era

Confidence in capitalism has wavered, but our next guest on The Reboot ChroniclesSeth Levine, brings a fresh and reassuring perspective. 

Business leaders are reluctant to acknowledge and address how poorly many of their fellow Americans are faring in this economy

Excerpt from Capital Evolution

Capital Evolution: A Journalist’s Perspective on the Future of Capitalism

Gresham Harkless welcomes Elizabeth MacBride, an author, entrepreneur, and award-winning business journalist specializing in finance, technology, and international business. Elizabeth discusses her latest work, Capital Evolution, which serves as a call to action to embrace change and ensure capitalism remains a dynamic force for progress. 

Elizabeth MacBride Explores Challenges and Needed Reforms to Capitalism in America

Elizabeth MacBride explores how the evolution of capitalism in America has led to systemic inequalities, discusses the impact of shareholder primacy and neoliberalism, and highlights the need for reforms that restore the middle class, promote shared ownership, and address challenges like CEO pay, and environmental externalities.

To Restore the Middle Class, We Need More Owners

In our book, Capital Evolution: The New American Economy, we observe and argue for a new movement to restore the United States economy to a more sustainable, equitable version of capitalism.

Social Capital Reading List

We’re living in an economy where disparities are only widening, and the gap between everyday working people and billionaires has become a vast, seemingly unbridgeable chasm. How did we get here? And how can we make capitalism work for all?

Is Business Becoming Our New Government?

If it feels like corporations have more influence than elected officials right now… you’re not imagining it. Authors Seth Levine and Elizabeth MacBride unpack their new book, Capital Evolution: The New American Economy — and the argument that we’re living through a major transition in American capitalism. They break down how the last 50 years of “shareholder-first” thinking helped concentrate wealth and opportunity, why we’re now in a messy in-between era, and what they believe could come next: a more “dynamic capitalism” that still values markets, but expands ownership and opportunity, encourages longer-term thinking, and redefines the relationship between business, government, and the public.

Tech Scenes

This episode explores explores the intersection of technology, capitalism, and the future of work. Seth Levine shares insights from his latest book, Capital Evolution, examining how AI, innovation, and ownership models can drive a more inclusive and dynamic form of capitalism — one that rebuilds the middle class, empowers employees, and strengthens community.

The Frankenstein Economy

How America lost its balance-and how it might find it again

Dynamic Capitalism & Building Entrepreneurial Ecosystems Anywhere w/ Seth Levine, Co-Founder of Foundry

In this episode of Outsider Inc., host Ian Hathaway sits down with Seth Levine, co-founder and longtime partner at Foundry, to explore a two-decade journey at the center of entrepreneurship, venture capital, and ecosystem building outside traditional power centers. Levine reflects on helping build Foundry into a top-tier venture firm based in Boulder, his belief in entrepreneurship as a driver of economic mobility, and the lessons behind his new book Capital Evolution. He also discusses backing overlooked founders, the philosophy of “give first,” winding down Foundry by design, and his latest chapter launching Good Bread, a lending platform that expands access to capital for small business owners traditionally shut out of the financial system.

The New Capitalism and What It Means for Founders Today

In this episode, Shubha Chakravarthy speaks with Elizabeth MacBride and Seth Levine to explore: 

– Why this moment in fundraising feels broken and why it is actually something else entirely
– The subtle signal investors are responding to now that most founders are not even naming
– How capital concentration quietly reshapes who gets funded and who never gets a second look
– Why ownership has become more than a compensation issue and what it reveals about long-term company strength

And much more. 

Capital Evolution: A New Era of Capitalism with Seth Levine and Elizabeth McBride

In this conversation, Seth Levine and Elizabeth McBride discuss their new book, ‘Capital Evolution,’ which explores the shifting landscape of American capitalism. They delve into the challenges posed by neoliberal capitalism, the consequences of prioritizing shareholder value, and the need for a more inclusive economic model. The authors advocate for ‘dynamic capitalism,’ which emphasizes the importance of meritocracy, economic mobility, and the role of businesses in society. They also touch on the impact of AI on the workforce and the necessity for government reform to restore balance in power dynamics.

How Capital Evolution Reimagines American Capitalism

For decades, the American economy has run on an operating system built for another era—one shaped by deregulation, globalization, and shareholder primacy. That model powered remarkable growth, but in 2025, it no longer fits the world we live in. Economic anxiety is rising even when the data looks strong. Trust in institutions keeps eroding. Innovation accelerates, yet its benefits are unevenly shared.

The Next Evolution: How Dynamic Capitalism Can Rebuild Trust and the Middle Class

One of the key features of capitalism is its capacity for evolution. Seeing the signs of strain that our current iteration of capitalism is creating everywhere around us, Seth Levine and Elizabeth MacBride believe it is time for another evolution and demonstrate how, working together, we can create an economy that works for everyone.

Capital Evolution: Seth Levine

Seth Levine is a longtime venture capitalist and global advocate for entrepreneurship. He serves as a partner at Foundry, a Boulder Colorado venture capital firm he cofounded in 2006 that now manages nearly four billion dollars in assets.
I ultimately believe in the long run that technology, humans, human ingenuity, will solve many of these problems, but we need to be deliberate about it. And we talk about the environment in the book, and we also talk about the middle class in the book, as kind of the same, same sort of actors in our economy, which are, these are things that we extract from under oursort of neoliberal form of capitalism.”

5 Questions: Seth Levine, Co-Author of “Capital Evolution”

Venture capitalist and author Seth Levine breaks down “dynamic capitalism,” entrepreneurship and his new book, “Capital Evolution.”

Colorado Innovators: Seth Levine, Co-Founder and Partner at Foundry

In this episode of The Bear Roars, Dan sits back down with Seth Levine—Founding Partner at Foundry Group—for part two of their conversation, diving deep into the experiences that shaped his path from telecom dealmaker to one of Colorado’s most influential venture capitalists.

How Capitalism Can Save Capitalism: The Case for Stakeholder Capitalism

The American economy is a numbers game and those numbers are becoming more and more unfair. “30 years ago, if you were born in the bottom 25th percentile of wealth, you had about a 25% chance of dying in the top 25th percentile.” notes the venture capitalist Seth Levine. “Today you’ve got a 5% chance.” So what to do? What Levine wants is more rather than less capitalism. As he argues in his new co-authored (with Elizabeth MacBride) book, Capital Evolution, “if we want more people to have a stake in the economy, more people have to have a stake in the economy.” Thus the case for what he calls stakeholder capitalism. Only capitalism can save capitalism, Levine argues. Whether that’s Davos-style tautology or the way to right the wrongs of American capitalism is a more complicated question.

Eyeing Today's Capital Evolution Economy

In this urgent and hopeful work, Levine and MacBride deliver a bold reassessment of capitalism in America, not as something to discard, but to reimagine. They argue that capitalism itself isn’t broken-it’s just the outdated version we’ve been practicing that’s no longer serving us.

Seth Levine: The Future of Capitalism

In this episode of Conscious Millionaire, Seth Levine joins JV Crum to discuss the future of capitalism

Seth Levine Interview with Michael Covel on Trend Following Radio

In this episode of Trend Following Radio, we discuss American on the precipice, the messy middle of capitalism, immigration and border policy, diversity, merit, and DEI, and governance, safety, and the rule of law. 

The Road Ahead: Capital, Innovation & American's New Economic Story

Elizabeth MacBride and Seth Levine join us for a conversation that reaches far beyond the pages of Capital Evolution. Their work explores how economic renewal is unfolding at the ground level, through entrepreneurs, community builders, and innovators who often go unseen in traditional narratives. 

Seth Levine | Foundry Group - On building a $4B platform, the future of capitalism, and navigating life's transitions with intention

Meet Seth Levine, co-founder of Foundry Group and longtime venture investor. He shares the story behind building a $4B platform, why the firm chose not to raise future funds, and how he’s thinking about the next chapter of his life and work. We explore the ideas behind his new book, Capital Evolution, from capitalism as a social compact to declining mobility to how regulation, opportunity, and community shape the future.

5 Lessons for Global Leaders in a System of Dynamic Capitalism

In a story that uses Armenia as a case study, Elizabeth MacBride argues today’s most important strategic actors are business leaders.

Seth Levine on Get Down to Business with Shalom Klein

This week, Seth Levine joins Scott “Shalom” Klein to discuss small business.

Seth Levine knows how to fix Capitalism

In this episode I am continuing to look at pathways to save us from the slow motion economic collapse of late stage capitalism. Today we’ll be talking to an author who has a roadmap to a new system the calls Dynamic Capitalism. Let’s see if we can find a Rational View to a solution. A passionate advocate for entrepreneurship and long-time venture capitalist, Seth Levine, works with venture funds and companies around the globe.

America at a Crossroads: Book Review of Capital Evolution by Billy Linehan

American capitalism is at a crossroads. Economic anxiety, political polarisation and the thinning of the middle class have made this unavoidable. Capital Evolution addresses this moment directly. Seth Levine and Elizabeth MacBride ask what form of capitalism can still offer a fair chance to most people, and what kind of economic model the United States is now drifting toward.

How Capital Really Works Today — Honest Talk with Capital Evolution Authors

In this episode of the Startup Istanbul Podcast, Burak Buyukdemir speaks with Seth Levine and Elizabeth MacBride, authors of Capital Evolution and The New Builders. Together, they explore one of the most urgent questions in today’s economy: Is the American Dream still real — or has upward mobility collapsed?

Capital Evolution: Seth Levine Joins CoinGeek Weekly Livestream

In Capital Evolution, the authors call for a mindset shift toward “Dynamic Capitalism.” This involves zooming out to see the long-term picture, rather than focusing solely on quarterly profits and shareholders at the expense of everything else. They make a compelling argument for a more modern form of capitalism that considers profits, long-term goals, social obligations, and other factors.

Get Down to Business Podcast: Dean Foster, Anthony De Grado, and Seth Levine

For venture capitalist Seth Levine, the next era of capitalism won’t be defined by what we take away – but by what we rebalance.  

The Frankenstein Version of Neo-Liberalism: When American Business Overtook Government

For financial journalist Elizabeth MacBride, the New American economy is like the old one – only worse. Describing it as the “Frankenstein version of neo-liberalism”, MacBride explains that business has overtaken the government to create ever-more-powerful bankers like Larry Fink and Jamie Dimon. But all is not lost. In her upcoming new book, Capital Evolution, co-authored with the VC Seth Levine, MacBride argues that there’s a new consensus taking shape – what she calls “Dynamic Capitalism” – which balances profits with purpose.

Trump Is Copying China. That’s a Terrible Idea

Guest Opinion: Seth Levine and Elizabeth MacBride

“We need a system that adapts by encouraging innovation, empowering entrepreneurs and ensuring that risk and reward are fairly shared across society. America thrives when markets are large, rules are stable and opportunities are open to those willing to take risks, not just those with the best political connections.”

Revive America’s innovation economy before it’s too late

Guest Opinion: Rep. Ro Khanna, Seth Levine and Elizabeth MacBride

Innovation and entrepreneurship are the twin engines that create jobs and raise our standard of living. Innovative companies founded in the last 50 years accounted for nearly half the value of the U.S. public markets. There are approximately 4.1 million startups in the U.S., which create around 3 million jobs annually. Without them, job growth in America wouldn’t exist, as they account for more than 100% of the growth in the number of jobs nationally (larger firms are actually shedding workers).