NICE — Thrive Lake County, a new socially responsible business network, will hold a workshop from 5:30 to 8 p.m. on Jan. 30 at the Featherbed Railroad Bed and Breakfast, located at 2870 Lakeshore Blvd. in Nice. The workshop will also take place online via webinar.
“Real Prosperity Starts Here” is the organizing principle for Thrive Lake County, a grassroots movement made up of business owners, nonprofit leaders and people who support a move away from Wall Street capitalism and toward a Main Street market economy.
Thrive Lake County emphasizes a local cooperative approach that focuses on the “Triple Bottom Line:” creating business economic success, a healthy environment and fair and just relationships with all people. This “people, planet, profit” social entrepreneurship is recreating communities and livelihoods around the world.
Thrive Lake County is a member of the Business Alliance for Local Living Economies (BALLE), a network of socially responsible businesses, comprised of more than 80 community networks in 30 U.S. states and Canadian provinces representing more than 22,000 independent business members across the United States and Canada.
For more information about BALLE visit http://livingeconomies.org.
The Jan. 30 workshop agenda includes:
* An introduction to Thrive Lake County and the international BALLE movement;
* A new look at community financial “leakage” (money leaving Lake County) and resulting opportunities;
* Case studies describing how prosperous Lake County businesses achieve success through their “triple bottom line” approach; and
* A look at ways attendees might use BALLE tools and processes to improve their own triple bottom line.
Tony Barthel, proprietor of the Featherbed Railroad B&B and a member of the Thrive advisory committee, commented on the new organization, “It”s time we move away from investing in Wall Street businesses that use our money to make themselves money, and look toward providing a way to put Lake County investor dollars into local enterprises.”
Carol Cole-Lewis, director of the Lake County Time Bank and Internet marketing consultant, attended BALLE training this year. “According to BALLE research, more than $4 billion of Lake County citizens” assets are invested in Wall Street financial instruments alone,” Cole-Lewis said. “If we were to redirect even a fraction of that investment to locally-owned ventures, we could significantly improve our local economy.”
Denise Rushing, Northshore District 3 county supervisor and business development entrepreneur, attended a BALLE training in 2009 and again in September. “The only way we can achieve real prosperity here in our county is if we look to ourselves to co-create solutions,” Rushing said. “Many local groups have a piece of this puzzle. Thrive Lake County will not only provide a forum for connection, but will also look toward nurturing current and new businesses seeking to solve our most pressing community needs.”
To join the Thrive Lake County movement or to find out more, visit the Thrive Lake County website at http://thrivelakecounty.org. To sign up for the Jan. 30 meeting and online webinar, go to www.thrivelakecounty.org/. There is a requested donation of $5 for Thrive members and $10 for non-members to defray expenses.
