How stories create systems | Kasem Rodriguez Mohsen | TEDxMtHood

Kasem Rodriguez Mohsen explores how stories, metaphors and language harden into governance norms — and how systems maintain inertia until those norms are tested by failure. He asks what assumptions are quietly shaping how climate capital moves — and how might those assumptions be influencing urgency, risk tolerance, and responsibility? Kasem Rodriguez Mohsen is a capital systems architect working at the intersection of philanthropy, venture capital, and public funding. He helps foundations, investors, and institutions move beyond grants-as-default and toward investment strategies that align capital with real-world outcomes. As the founder of LION Strategies and a partner at Willohsen Capital, Kasem designs and deploys innovative funding models—including mission-related and program-related investments—to unlock capital for entrepreneurs tackling complex social and climate challenges. His work spans ecosystem design, governance, and the cultural shifts required for institutions to take intelligent risk. Previously an exited founder and former data scientist working with elite teams across the U.S. and U.K. defense systems, Kasem brings a rare blend of analytical rigor and human-centered design to finance. His work asks a simple but disruptive question: what if capital actually did the job it was meant to do? This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at https://www.ted.com/tedx