Speakers & Program

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Featured Speakers

Annie Leonard
 Lily Yeh
David Orr
 Eric Henry Baye Adolfo-Wilson
Marjorie Kelly Lyle Estill Judy Wicks Elissa Sangalli Hillary Michael Shuman
Don Shaffer Michelle Long David Korten Matt Bauer Woody Tasch
Jennifer Buffet Ben Burkett April Harrington    

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Program Overview

 

Friday, May 21

5 pm  Main Conference Opening Reception: We'll open the conference with a true southern welcome: a hosted reception on the lawn of the Pratt-Thomas Walker offices housed in a restored 1850s mansion in downtown Charleston.

  • Matt Bauer (BetterWorld Telecom, Lowcountry Local First) and Jamee Haley  (Lowcountry Local First) will begin with a warm welcome about what Charleston has to offer.
  • Joseph Riley, Mayor of Charleston, will speak about Charleston's efforts to build a local green economy.
 

7 pm  Local Dine Around: Our local guides are lining up some great restaurants for you to enjoy! Watch for more updates regarding reservations.

 

Saturday, May 22

8:30 am  Morning Plenary Sessions in the Physicians Auditorium

  • Welcome: Michelle Long (BALLE, executive director)
 
 
  • Local Living Economy Manufacturing Supply Chains: Cotton of the Carolinas:
    • Introduction: Elissa Sangalli Hillary (Local First, Michigan)
    • Eric Henry (TS Designs)
    • Ronnie Burleson (Thurman Burleson & Sons Farm, cotton grower)
    • Brian Morell (Mortex Apparel)
 
 
  • Bringing Feminine Energy into our Economy: A Conversation with Judy Wicks (BALLE, co-founder) and Jennifer Buffett (NoVo Foundation)
 
 
2:30 pm - 5:30 pm  12 Breakout Sessions
 

7 pm  Bluegrass and Brew: Jimmy Hagood of Food for the Southern Soul, a Memphis BBQ champion, will cook up some southern-style BBQ. We’ll also enjoy hearing and seeing a creative demonstration of network innovations, Pecha Cucha-style.

 

Sunday, May 23

8:30 am  Morning Plenary Sessions in the Physicians Auditorium

  • Welcome: Merrian Fuller (BALLE, board chair, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory)
 
 
  • Local Exchange: the Future of Social Finance:
 
  • Network Innovation Spotlight:
    • Introduction: Guillermo Quiroga (Rural and tribal entrepreneurship initiatives, University of Arizona)
    • Kimber Lanning (Local First Arizona)
 
  • Arts as Economic Renewal:
    • Introduction: Baye Adofo-Wilson (LPCCD)
    • Lily Yeh (The Village of Arts and Humanities, Barefoot Artists)
 
  • Sustainable Communities:
 
2:30 pm - 5:30 pm  12 Breakout Sessions
 

7 pm  Closing Reception and Dinner, Taste of the Lowcountry: We’ll gather in Marion Square, home of Charleston's Farmers' Market, for a "Taste of the Lowcountry" featuring local chefs, the great flavors of the region, and an excellent local jazz trio!

 

Breakout Sessions

Our 24 breakout sessions will be within the following tracks:

  • Increasing the Performance of your Triple Bottom Line Business
  • Local Living Economy Business Models
  • Sustainable Economic Development
  • Building a Thriving Network
  • Resources for a Local Living Economy (LLE)
  • Harnessing Community Capital
  • Supply Chain Models for LLE Manufacturers

We will announce our lineup in the coming weeks, so please continue to visit our conference website for more details!

 

Pre-Conference Workshops and Tours

 

Thursday, May 20

9 am - 5:30 pm  Pre-Conference Training Workshop:
How to Build a Local BALLE Network with Michelle Long (BALLE, executive director)
 
2 pm - 6 pm  Living Economy Tour (I) with Green Drinks near the old Navy Yard:
Join us as we will travel via bio diesel bus to North Charleston. We will view some of the businesses that have set up shop at the redeveloped Navy Yard at Noisette, which is being reshaped to form a sustainable community – one that is equally attuned to social needs, environmental responsibility, and economic vitality. We will be visiting organic microbrewery COAST and green innovator Fisher Recycling, and ending up with a happy hour with Green Drinks at Lowcountry Local First member EVO Pizzeria where they are committed to sourcing from local farms and serving up COAST beer!
 

Friday, May 21

9 am – 3 pm  Annual BALLE Network Leaders Meeting: a day for peer-to-peer exchange between staff and board members of current BALLE networks!
The meeting agenda is still in development and is being planned by a committee of network leaders. Please send Network Services Director Alissa Barron your priorities or let us know if you'd like to join the short-term committee. This special meeting will be open to network staff and board members and will also include BALLE staff and board.
 
12 pm – 4 pm   Living Economy Tours (II & III): these Friday afternoon concurrent tours will give you two very different views of Charleston, so you will have to decide if you are a country mouse or a city mouse!
 
Living Economy Tour II ("City Mouse Tour") will be about the progressive preservation of Charleston’s historic downtown. The afternoon will start with a picnic lunch and an overview of the history of Charleston with Bulldog Tours. We will then head to historic Broad Street where you can experience firsthand the work of Meadors Construction. Meadors maintains the philosophy that preservation is at the core of the concept, “the greenest building is the one that is already built.” Charlestonians were among the most forward-thinking Americans when they took measures to preserve and protect their heritage as early as the 1800s. James Meadors is taking a leadership role and has made a strong commitment to employing and encouraging sustainable building practices with LEED certified renovation. From there, we will head to the Old Charleston District Jail, which serves as home to the American College of the Building Arts. The only school of its kind in the country, The American College of the Building Arts educates and trains artisans in the traditional building arts to foster exceptional craftsmanship and encourage the preservation, enrichment, and understanding of the world's architectural heritage through a liberal arts education.
 
Living Economy Tour III ("Country Mouse Tour") will be a Farm-to-Table experience. Aside from being known for great culinary experiences, Charleston is known for having innovative chefs making great strides in procuring from area farms. Lowcountry Local First has played an integral role in the implementation of the South Carolina Department of Agriculture’s “Fresh on the Menu” program, which commits participating restaurants to sourcing a minimum of 25% of their menu locally. We will join Chef Sean Brock, nominated for the James Beard Awards “Rising Star Chef” and “Best Chef of the Southeast,” of McCrady’s restaurant as we travel to McClellanville via bio diesel bus to Thornhill Farm. Our Local Foods at Thornhill Farm has partnered with Chef Brock to grow heirloom seeds and reintroduce these treasures back into the community. Maria Baldwin of Thornhill Farm also serves as one of the farm instructors to Lowcountry Local First’s apprenticeship program, Growing New Farmers. This will be a great time on a beautiful farm. Lunch will be served on the bus while traveling to the farm.
 

Register Now!