Convening, Recruiting, and Connecting People Who Repair Local Economies
Sometimes a church can do a better job of solving the problem of post-disaster emergency housing than either a city government or a federal agency. That was the situation in Asheville when Grace Covenant Presbyterian stepped in to solve the problem for the hundreds of people who lost their homes–apartments, trailers, or houses –thanks to […]
I can’t tell you how excited we are that so many of you are coming to Asheville Neighborhood Economics April 1 & 2. I have to tell you, I’m also so very sad that we are going to end up having to tell you all in just a few weeks that the event is completely […]
Are you ready to revolutionize how you think about funding and entrepreneurship? This November 12-13, in Asheville, NC, we’re bringing together some of the most innovative minds in finance and community development for an exclusive Capital Stack Showcase at the Neighborhood Economics Conference. Whether you’re an entrepreneur looking to grow or a funder eager to […]
We’ve got several exciting and intriguing sessions teed-up for our fall conference in Asheville. Rev. Luke Lingle, who worked with three Methodist churches in Asheville as they became vital community centers while maintaining worship spaces, has joined our team. He is going to lead our faith-based sessions looking at how churches create shared and mixed-use […]
Hustle Economics Leroy Barber I have long been an advocate of any entrepreneur who can read their culture, figure out what is missing or needed, and then create a business or service to meet that need. I am even more impressed with entrepreneurs who have very few to no resources and yet make things happen. […]
There has been little change in the wealth gap between white families and black and brown families over the past 40 years. The stories of successful projects and great conversations are plentiful, but they have not significantly changed the overall lack of wealth for black and brown people. There seems to be something missing–a variable […]
Rabbi Elan Babchuck, who is presenting at Neighborhood Economics on his research into what’s working and what’s not in the faith-based accelerators from across the country, has written a book about a new kind of leadership. Writing with the Rev. Kathleen McShane, Director of Learning and Innovation for Texas Methodist Foundation and Wesleyan Impact Partners, […]
Leroy Barber Executive Director On the day in which we celebrate the work of Dr. King, I began to realize how dangerous it is to dig into what got him assassinated. It wasn’t the wonderful “I have a dream” speech in Washington. It was the push on living wages, the audacity to work for an […]
It seems that sometimes the history of what the Church has done in times of struggle gets overlooked. We seem to get lost in personalities and political agendas that move us away from who we, the Church, are in society. The Church has a long history of stepping into spaces and representing well. I think […]
Dignity is defined as being worthy of respect or honor. I often hear that everyone is deserving dignity at some level. It seems like a fairly understandable concept, but the practice of respecting people seems to be something that is pretty difficult to apply. It seems to be hardest to apply when it comes to […]
