Tag Archives: White Dog Cafe

Pondering the death of retail as Urban Outfitters leaves Ann Arbor

Earlier this evening, having just read that Gap was planning to close approximately 200 stores over the next three years, I heard from my friend Jean that Urban Outfitters had decided not to renew the downtown Ann Arbor space that they’ve held for the past several decades. While I don’t suppose it’s that terribly surprising, […]

Posted in Ann Arbor, Local Business, Marketing, Uncategorized | Also tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 38 Comments

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 […]

Posted in Economics, Local Business, Locally Owned Business, Sustainability | Also tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 13 Comments

Accelerating Community Capital (part one)… at the BALLE 2012 conference

I spent the day in Grand Rapids, participating in a workshop on new models that are evolving for local businesses to raise capital from lenders, investors and donors, at the 10th annual conference of the Business Alliance for Living Local Economies (BALLE). What follow are my rough notes, for those of you who care about […]

Posted in Economics, entrepreneurism, Uncategorized | Also tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 13 Comments

So, what do you recommend we do in Pittsburgh?

Linette and I have been wanting to go to Pittsburgh ever since the Warhol Museum opened fifteen years ago, and I think we might actually do it this summer. Right now, we’re in the information gathering phase. We’re reading up on things like the Mattress Factory, Frank Lloyd Wright’s Fallingwater, and a little hipster bar […]

Posted in Architecture, Art and Culture, Mark's Life, Other, Pop Culture | Also tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 16 Comments

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