Convening, Recruiting, and Connecting People Who Repair Local Economies
It’s easy to find stories about what’s broken in our economy, how inequality deepens, systems fail, and despair feels justified. These challenges are real and must be acknowledged. But when they dominate the conversation, we risk missing something equally true: there are hundreds of people, enterprises, funds, and initiatives actively repairing their local economies, quietly, […]
How Two Strangers Sparked a Citywide Awakening Sometimes, the most powerful outcomes begin with a single unexpected moment. In 2023, Joe Minicozzi of Urban3 took the stage at Neighborhood Economics in Jackson and revealed how property tax systems often force low-income neighborhoods to subsidize wealthier ones. In the crowd was Patton Dodd, director of storytelling […]
Entrepreneurship Meets the Post Disaster Economy: Get Ready for an Unforgettable Experience An unprecedented assembly of investment funds are going to gather in Asheville in a little over a month, all focused on helping local entrepreneurs succeed and become job creators. There will be sessions to help entrepreneurs learn how to best tell the story […]
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 […]
In the heart of Asheville’s historic Shiloh neighborhood, a groundbreaking initiative is reimagining how communities can finance and implement climate solutions while building reliable neighborhood-based food security. At the intersection of innovative financing, community empowerment, and environmental justice, this project could create a blueprint for sustainable community development through food systems. It starts with a […]
Post Helene, here in Asheville, we are finding that in doing local, small scale convening around pressing problems like water, electricity, connectivity, and community free food, the work of connecting the dots that we do at Neighborhood Economics is more valuable than ever. Gathering the people making a difference works in a disaster. And we […]
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 […]
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 […]
I happened to be in a conversation this past week, and someone said this sentence: “He grew up on the wrong side of the tracks.” It has stuck with me. It has made me wonder what the wrong side of the tracks refers to and what are the conditions on this “wrong side?” Is it […]
