Press Kit

We welcome media interest in our work. For more information about BALLE or to set up interviews with people in the organization, please contact Alissa Barron, alissa [at] livingeconomies.org, 240-317-2247.

BALLE's mission and vision

Mission: BALLE’s mission is to catalyze, strengthen and connect networks of locally owned independent businesses dedicated to building strong Local Living Economies.

Vision: BALLE believes in the power of local businesses to transform communities for the better by working cooperatively toward a shared vision. We imagine cities and towns of every size and political stripe engaged in shared learning to build community assets like sustainable agriculture, green building, renewable energy, community capital, zero-waste manufacturing and independent retail - what we call the building blocks of Living Economies. We envision a time when local economies not only generate community wealth, but also are catalysts for civic action, social diversity and ecological health - for sustainable communities.

History

Judy Wicks, a Philadelphia restaurateur who built the founding BALLE network the Sustainable Business Alliance of Greater Philadelphia around her business, the White Dog Café, wondered whether she could spread this framework for building a sustainable local economy to the rest of the country. Through her involvement with the Social Venture Network, a community of company founders, private investors, social entrepreneurs, and key influencers who share a commitment to building a just and sustainable world through business, she met Laury Hammel, owner of the Boston area's innovative Longfellow health clubs, and other people exploring the idea of a new organization to promote sustainable local economies.

In late 2001 they formed BALLE, which has since grown to include more than 60 other local business networks encompassing nearly 20,000 entrepreneurs in the US and Canada. For a more detailed history, please click here.

BALLE now

BALLE's principles and approach to economic development and community revitalization are finding an increasingly receptive audience throughout North America.

Selected coverage

Circle of livelihood, Chico News and Review, May 28, 2009, by Ginger McGuire - one of a series in the inaugural issue of a new business monthly devoted to building the local economy in Chico, California.

Creating a lasting green economy, Philadelphia Inquirer, May 4, 2009, by Diane Mastrull.

Greening New York, One Tattoo Parlor at a Time, Green Buildings NYC, April 8, 2009, by Sarah Wesseler.

Social (and Responsible) Networking, Arrive, March/April 2009, by Gwen Shaffer.

To Beat the Recession, Indies Launch Buy-Local Push, BusinessWeek, February 27, 2009, by John Tozzi

The Lure of Local: Q&A with Michael Shuman, Chronogram, February 27, 2009, by Carl Frankel.

An urgent call to 'buy local,' Christian Science Monitor, February 9, 2009, by Tim Holt.

Press contact

Alissa Barron, Communications & Network Services Director

240-317-2247
alissa [at] livingeconomies.org