A few months ago, when I was in Grand Rapids, attending the annual BALLE (Business Alliance for Local Living Economies) conference, I had the occasion to hear a speech given by the city’s Mayor, George Heartwell. I can’t find my notes at the moment, but I seem to recall that, buried somewhere in the long […]
Tag Archives: BALLE
Grand Rapids shows us how economic development is done right… home-grown food entrepreneurship over dollar stores
BALLE founder Judy Wicks on the origins of Urban Outfitters, the birth of the Localist movement, and the necessity of local ownership
Recently, while in Grand Rapids, I had the occasion to meet Judy Wicks, the founder of the White Dog Cafe in Philadelphia, and the woman who, ten years ago, brought the Business Alliance for Living Local Economies (BALLE) into being. Since the meeting, we’ve been chatting by way of email… Here’s the interview. MARK: Having […]
Zingerman’s: This is Ownership
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 […]
Marjorie Kelly on the emergence of the generative economy
I suspect I’ll give up after a few days, as my memory fades, and my enthusiasm wanes, but, for the foreseeable future, I’d like to keep sharing tidbits that I picked up during the recent BALLE conference, on the subject of strengthening local business ecosystems. Tonight, I’d like to share my notes on the presentation […]