Around the Low Country
Business Alliance for Local Living Economies (BALLE) to Address Economic Self-Reliance and Local Change at National Conference
CHARLESTON,
SC - May 20th to 23rd, 2010 - Economic stimulus need not come only from the
Feds. This May, the Business Alliance for Local Living Economies (BALLE)
is bringing together a national community of socially responsible
business owners and thought leaders to create meaningful economic change
at the grassroots level. Hundreds of entrepreneurs, business network
leaders, economic developers, sustainability experts, and local
government and community leaders will gather at the 8th Annual BALLE
Business Conference to explore new practices in growing community health
and wealth and share tested models for social entrepreneurship and
local economic development. The conference, themed “Lighting the Way to a
New Economy,” will include 100 speakers, 10 plenaries, 24 breakout
sessions, an intensive pre-workshop, 3 ‘living economy’ tours, and a
variety of networking and social events. It runs Thursday, May 20 to
Sunday, May 23 in Charleston, SC.
The underlying message to attendees is to ‘Be Your Own Bailout’ through
self-reliance and increased opportunities for locally owned, socially
responsible businesses. The conference program will give participants
the inspiration, guidance and tools needed to address issues facing
communities and to encourage local economic development. “BALLE helps
businesses, whatever their field, learn how to be sustainable in the new
economy — and this conference will harness and focus those efforts,”
said executive director Michelle Long. “The conference is led by
businesses – the entrepreneurs and innovators that are building our
homes, growing and distributing our food, and powering our lives.”
“Every month, we hear from dozens of communities looking to replicate
the economic and community-building successes of local business
alliances throughout North America. Local entrepreneurs are the bedrock
of our economy, and as local businesses work together, they are
empowering communities to build lasting community health and wealth –
from the bottom up," said Michael Shuman, research and economic
development director and author of The Small-Mart Revolution and Going
Local.
Plenary Speakers include:
◊ Michael Shuman, BALLE and author of The Small-Mart Revolution
◊ Jeffrey Hollender, Founder, Seventh Generation
◊ Lyle Estill, Piedmont Biofuels and author of Small is Possible
◊ Eric Henry, TS Designs and Cotton of the Carolinas
◊ Woody Tasch, Slow Money Alliance
◊ Annie Leonard, filmmaker of The Story of Stuff
◊ Marjorie Kelley, Tellus Institute and author of The Divine Right of Capital
◊ Lily Yeh, The Village of Arts and Humanities and Barefoot Artists
◊ David Orr, Oberlin College and author of The Nature of Design
◊ Judy Wicks, co-founder of BALLE and founder of White Dog Café
◊ Leslie Christian, Upstream21 and Portfolio21
◊ Joseph Riley, Mayor of Charleston
Program Topics include:
◊ Increasing the Performance of your Triple Bottom Line Business
◊ Local Living Economy Business Models
◊ Sustainable Economic Development
◊ Building a Thriving Local Business Network
◊ Resources for a Local Living Economy
◊ Harnessing Community Capital
◊ Supply Chain Models for Local Living Economy Manufacturing
Regular
conference rates are: general registrants: $515 through April 15, $565
through
May 13; BALLE Network Leaders: $465 through April 15, $515 through May
13.
Detailed information regarding specific events, speakers, dates and
times can
be found on the conference website: http://livingeconomies.org/
ABOUT BALLE
The Business Alliance for Local Living Economies (BALLE) is North America's fastest growing network of socially responsible businesses, comprised of over 80 community networks representing 22,000 independent business members across 30 U.S. states and Canadian provinces. BALLE networks create local living economies through the building blocks of independent retail, sustainable agriculture, renewable energy, green building, local zero-waste manufacturing, community capital, independent media, and local arts and culture. Founded in 2001, BALLE works to foster vibrant communities, a healthy natural environment, and prosperity for all.
