FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
September 30, 2020
Contact: Byram Fager, Southern Illinois Community Foundation, 618 997 3700, blfager@sicf.org; Amy McMorrow Hunter, The Climate Economy Education Inc, 618 713 2896, amy@theclimateeconomy.com
Website: www.keepingmoneylocal.com
Investment in Southern Illinois communities and people is the focus of this upcoming webinar series
Local organizations cooperate with the goal to increase regional long-term self-sufficiency
A webinar series coming up in October-November on “Keeping Money Local” will feature experts in local self-sufficiency, supporting local businesses, new business forms and local investment strategies. Speakers and panelists from local businesses will cover topics that can benefit our region, including initiatives that are already underway. The goal is to educate and inspire everyone to action in helping to make our region prosperous, productive and sustainable, and increase our regional self-sufficiency. View sponsorship opportunities and register at www.KeepingMoneyLocal.com. These events are free and open to the public. Registration is required for each seminar. Seminar dates, times, and speakers follow:
Monday – Oct 19, 2020 6-7:30pm – The Big Picture – we’ll be learning about local self-sufficiency, what it means and how we can achieve it, and tools we can start using today.
- James Quilligan – Carrying Capacity of the Land
- Chuck Paprocki – Elements in Creating a Self-Reliant Local Economy
- Amy McMorrow Hunter – CLEANetwork.com – A Local Network for Building Capacity
Monday – Oct 26, 2020 6-7:30pm – Supporting The Local Economy – what it means to support local business creation and growth, and examples of local initiatives to spur growth
- Michael Shuman – Pollinating Local Success
- Amy McMorrow Hunter – ShopCarbondale.com, a Local Pollinator
- Beau Henson – Solarize Southern Illinois – Community Solar Program
Thursday – Nov 12, 2020 6-7:30pm – New Business Forms – Worker cooperatives, what they are and how they work, and how you can switch to this business form
- Sandra McCardell – Worker Cooperatives
- Rob Brown – Transitioning to Workers Cooperatives
- Jennifer Rollison and Leah Maciell – Cristaudo’s & Southern IL Collaborative Kitchen
Tuesday – Nov 17, 2020 6-7:30pm – Local Investing – DIY investment strategies as alternatives to the stock market, including self-directed IRA’s and solo 401k’s, and a new local revolving loan fund
- Michael Shuman – Cutting Edge Local Investment Opportunities
- Kristen Barker – Revolving Loan Funds
- Chuck Paprocki – Carbondale Spring Revolving Loan Fund
About invited speakers:
- James Quilligan: analyst, administrator, and policy adviser in the field of international development since 1975, presently Managing Director of the Centre for Global Negotiations and Global Commons Trust
- Michael Shuman: economist, attorney, entrepreneur, and a leading visionary on community economics, author of several books including “The Local Economy Solution” and “Put Your Money Where Your Life Is”
- Sandra McCardell: Coordinating Director at the Cooperative Catalyst of New Mexico
- Rob Brown: Director of the Cooperative Development Institute’s Business Ownership Solutions (BOS) program
- Kristen Barker: Executive Director at Co-op Cincy
Local speakers include Chuck Paprocki of Carbondale Spring, Beau Henson for Solarize Southern Illinois, Amy McMorrow Hunter of The Climate Economy Education Inc and ShopCarbondale.com LLC, and Jennifer Rollison and Leah Maciell of Cristaudo’s and the Southern Illinois Collaborative Kitchen.
More information about speakers, biographical information and organizations is available on the website.
The events are organized locally by the Southern Illinois Community Foundation, Carbondale Spring, Cristaudo’s and the Southern Illinois Collaborative Kitchen, The Climate Economy Education Inc, Egyptian Electric Cooperative Association, and City of Harrisburg. The webinar series is just the beginning of the group’s work, as working groups for local entrepreneurship, cooperatives and investment will be formed over the course of the series.
Southern Illinois Community Foundation’s Statement of Support (www.sicf.org): SICF is proud to sponsor this community development series. Communities throughout Southern Illinois are facing challenges on how to thrive in this economy. We see the ability to invest in our local economy and the development of local small businesses as a key component to future growth and development in our region.
Carbondale Spring’s Statement of Support (www.carbondalespring.org): We are proud sponsors of the Keeping Money Local Seminar Series because we believe that local self-reliance cannot be achieved without the participation of the majority of local people. To achieve greater self-reliance requires the investment of local dollars in local businesses and services. It cannot be achieved by government doles or loans by multinational corporations. This important Seminar Series will help local people understand how they can become a part of this new economy by investing their hard-earned dollars in their own community, where they will have greater impact for good, instead of on Wall Street that does not have the interests of our local community in mind.
The Climate Economy Education Inc’s Statement of Support (www.theclimateeconomy.com): Finance is a key to the massive transformation that is required to adapt lifestyles and business models that are good for the climate, economy and humanity. This event should inspire action to implement new business models and investment strategies that have been proven to be widely beneficial elsewhere and should be spread community by community. We’re excited to help lead this effort in southern Illinois.
Cristaudo’s/Southern Illinois Collaborative Kitchen Statement of Support (www.cristaudos.com): We are proud to support the seminar series ‘Keeping Money Local’. It is the support of community members that has always been the building block of any local business or organization. It is this collaborative effort that makes our community. The emphasis of this seminar on new business structures and investing locally is a continuation of this notion that can create a stronger and self-sustaining economy for our future.
Egyptian Electric Cooperative Association Statement of Support (www.eeca.coop): Concern for community is one of our cooperative principles that sets us apart from other utilities. We know that our core job is to keep the lights on; but our passion is for our communities. Because we live and work here too, and we want to make it a better place for all.
City of Harrisburg Statement of Support (www.thecityofharrisburgil.com): The City of Harrisburg supports the initiatives as put forth by this web series in the alternatives available to the conventional molds of entrepreneurship that has embodied Southeastern Illinois. In working with new models and forming a community engagement perspective, the possibilities are endless towards the potential revitalization of our area and region.