What would it take to truly transform Seattle’s bifurcated economy—with its growing and deeply damaging inequities—to a community-based economy that is more democratic, diverse, and resilient? With support from the Seattle Foundation, we’re convening a crack team of local economy leaders to collect and vet their best, most inspiring ideas. 

The challenges we face, from climate change, to growing inequities, to political disfunction are tightly connected. In The Case for Local, read more about how places with thriving concentrations of small and mid-sized community owned businesses are havens of hope and models for more democratic, diverse, and resilient economies.

Could Seattle rebuild its sewn-goods industry based on the principles of sustainability and equity? With support from the Duwamish River Opportunity Fund, we’re working with a large group of local designers, manufacturers, service providers, and non-profits to map the current landscape of sewn-goods manufacturing in Seattle, with the goal of developing a road map for a revitalized, next-generation industry.