Discovering and applying new and innovative economic development tools, models, policies, and programs
Creating Jobs and Wealth in Distressed Michigan Communities
2015: Policies and Practices to Support Triple Bottom Line Development
Co-Learning Plan - 2015
Authors: Terry Link, Starting Now, LLC; Bill Stough, Sustainable Research Group
Summary
New profit and nonprofit enterprise models are capturing the imagination of innovative entrepreneurs to create a way to make a good living while addressing urgent environmental and social needs like quality food, community, inequality and climate change. Community economic development organizations should consider strategies to foster and grow these enterprises which provide additional community wealth. This orientation requires an approach that does not depend on attracting the largest international conglomerate possible, but on cultivating local entrepreneurial enterprises whose business model purposefully addresses improving community wealth and quality of life.
Project Updated As Of September 30th, 2015
Author Information
Terry Link, Starting Now, LLC
Terry Link is the retired president of Starting Now LLC, a sustainability consulting firm that helps small business, nonprofits, schools, and government agencies improve their social, environmental and economic performance. Previously he was Executive Director of the Greater Lansing Food Bank, a regional charity that rescued food and developed community gardens to help feed those in need. Before that he was director of Michigan State University's Office of Campus Sustainability, an office he started in 2000. For nearly 25 years he was an academic librarian focusing on public policy and environmental studies. He was elected a county commissioner and was associate editor of the 2014 encyclopedia, Achieving Sustainability: Visions, Principles and Practices (Gale/Cengage). He has served on the boards of numerous non-profit organizations; written and spoken widely on public policy, sustainability, information, environment, food, and education.
Bill Stough, Sustainable Research Group
Founder of Sustainable Research Group (SRG) a consultancy that provides sustainability design and management services to advance sustainable business practices for its clients. SRG helps its customers reduce their ecological footprint and increase their value proposition to stakeholders through its unique perspective based on sustainable development principles. Bill has over 30 years experience in environmentally sustainable business initiatives, industrial ecology, pollution prevention and ISO 14001 environmental management systems. He is the founder/organizer of several regional sustainable business networks and was the project manager for the development of the BIFMA e3 Sustainable Furniture Product Standard. Bill has completed over 60 Green Supplier Network Lean and Clean Assessments. He is active in the green manufacturing movement, is the immediate past chair the Sustainable Manufacturing Network and a recent inaugural Sustainable Business Hall of Fame inductee by the West Michigan Sustainable Business Forum.
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