Category Archives: entrepreneurism

Author Amy Cortese on the burgeoning “locavesting” movement, and how we can harness it in Michigan

By Mark | October 25, 2012

Next Tuesday, October 30, Think Local First will be bringing author Amy Cortese to Ann Arbor to discuss her book Locavesting: The Revolution in Local Investing and How to Profit From It. Following is my interview with Amy, who, in addition to being a published author, has written for the likes of the New York […]

Amanda Edmonds on the future of Growing Hope and this weekend’s big fundraiser

By Mark | October 11, 2012

As I’ve mentioned here before, one of my favorite local non-profits is the urban farming education and advocacy organization Growing Hope. And, as they still have a ticket or two available for the big fundraiser this weekend at their new Michigan Avenue facility, I thought that now might be a good time to check in […]

Also posted in Agriculture, Environment, Uncategorized, Ypsilanti | Tagged Bona Sera, Brandon Johns, canning, Chefs in the Garden, Cleveland, co-ops, Enterprising Health, farmers market, food justice, food preservation, food security, food stamps, Garden Leadership Training, Grange, Growing Gardens, Growing Hope, healthy food access, hoophouse, International Public Markets Conference, Michigan Avenue, place making, Project for Public Spaces, snap, social entrepreneurship, solar, urban agriculture, urban food system, urban gardening, winter farmers' market, Wolverine Diner | 9 Comments

Ann Arbor entrepreneurs Dug Song and Paul Saginaw exchange thoughts on employee ownership and the meaning of wealth

By Mark | June 7, 2012

A few days ago, I posted a video in which Zingerman’s co-founder, Paul Saginaw, said the following. “A business shouldn’t exist in order to create wealth. It should exist in order to give people better lives.” Well, that elicited a comment from Ann Arbor software entrepreneur Dug Song, who, among other things, had questions concerning […]

Also posted in Ann Arbor, Economics, Uncategorized | Tagged Arbor Networks, Ari Weinzweig, Beyster Institute, Bob Beyster, business models, Chip Conley, corporate structure, Dancing Sandwich Enterprises, Dug Song, Duo Security, employee ownership, ESOPs, Joie de Vivre Hospitality, Leland Stanford, liquidity, National Center for Employee Ownership, ownership, Paul Saginaw, pirates, Predator UAV, revenue sharing, SAIC, servant leadership, startups, stock options, tech startups, the veneration of wealth, wealth creation, what is wealth, Zingerman's, Zingerman's Community of Businesses | 7 Comments

The emergence of Local Economy Centers

By Mark | June 6, 2012

I didn’t have an opportunity to meet her at the recent BALLE conference in Grand Rapids, but, as luck would have it, I was able to dial in to a conference call during my lunch hour a couple of days ago, and ask a few questions of Kelley Rajala, the woman who runs the Sonoma […]

Also posted in Local Business, Locally Owned Business, Retail, Shadow Art Fair, Sustainability, Uncategorized, Ypsilanti | Tagged alternative currency, Amy's Kitchen, BALLE, Bethesda, biomimicry, Business Allianc, business incubators, California, Cleveland, co-working, Dave Feldman, employee ownership, Evergreen Cooperative, Kelley Rajala, Livability Project, Local Economy Centers, Local Economy Institute, localism, Made Local Marketplace, Maryland, ownership, permaculture, Santa Rosa, Share Exchange, Slow Money, social justice, Sonoma Country Share Exchange, time bank, Transition Town, Transition US | 6 Comments

Zingerman’s: This is Ownership

By Mark | June 4, 2012

The following video, if I’m not mistaken, was produced to coincide with the recent BALLE conference in Grand Rapids, which, to a great degree, revolved around the subject of employee ownership. In this video, Paul Saginaw explains why, ten years after the launch of Zingerman’s Delicatessen, he and his co-founder, Ari Weinzweig, decided upon an […]