Podcast appearances and mentions of Michael Shuman

Today, I had the pleasure of co-hosting a special livestream on Substack with Jen Risley, the editor of the Main Street Journal. We're calling it “Jen and Devin Live,” and we hope it marks the beginning of a recurring series to strengthen the ties in our shared community of impact crowdfunding enthusiasts.Jen and I both publish on Substack and share a mission to promote community capital. While we could be viewed as competitors, we see ourselves more as complementary partners. That's why we came together—to cross-promote, build bridges, and amplify the voices in this growing movement.What's New at the Main Street JournalJen highlighted a recent MSJ Extra feature: an in-depth interview with John Abrams, author of the forthcoming book From Founder to Future. John transitioned his company—South Mountain Company, a design, building, and solar firm on Martha's Vineyard—into a worker cooperative. Now retired, he's focused on helping other founders do the same. Jen shared that the response to this piece was overwhelmingly positive, confirming that interest in worker ownership models is growing fast.Updates from Superpowers for GoodOn my end, I shared some exciting updates about Superpowers for Good. Our recent SuperCrowdLA event, which was livestreamed to e360tv and Substack, drove tremendous traffic. But what's been even more rewarding is the success of our new initiative, Super Crowd Voices (read it here, submit your contribution for consideration here). This channel invites new writers to share their perspectives, and it's working better than we imagined. In fact, one of the first posts—by Dorian Dickinson of Funding Hope—became our most-read post ever. His powerful argument for giving investment crowdfunding “a seat at the table” clearly struck a chord.It was particularly rewarding to learn from Jen that our feature on Dorian inspired Main Street Journal to expand their platform listings in their weekly offering summaries. They had initially focused on just a few platforms—but now, they include more, making their coverage even stronger. That kind of cross-pollination is exactly what this collaboration is all about.Shared Admiration for Kathleen MinogueWe also talked about our mutual admiration for Kathleen Minogue and her “Crowdfund Better” methodology. Jen and I both hold her in high regard. Michael Shuman's interview with Kathleen in MSJ Extra—which I was able to read as a paying subscriber—was one of the best practical pieces I've seen. She explains how a rewards-based campaign can serve as a stepping stone to a successful investment crowdfunding raise. Kathleen's approach is a masterclass in how to crowdfund strategically, and Jen shared how Kathleen supported a local crowdfunding initiative in her home region of New Hampshire. It's amazing to see this kind of thought leadership making a real-world impact.Reflections on SuperCrowdLA and a Preview of SuperCrowd25Jen kindly mentioned how much she appreciated the summary I wrote following SuperCrowdLA. She quoted a line I often use: “Capital is not just about dollars. It's about power, purpose, and possibility.” That meant a lot. I shared that we're working on a full book based on the conference's transcripts and insights—something far deeper than a quick summary. We hope to release it by the end of June.I also highlighted some standout speakers from the event:* Doug Willmore, CEO of World Tree, which has raised $17M (including $12M from the crowd) to fund a carbon-sequestering tree farm model.* Sarah Hardwick, former CMO of Aptera, who helped the company raise $140M through Reg CF and Reg A offerings. Her speech was both riveting and deeply insightful.Looking ahead, SuperCrowd25 is coming up on August 21–22, and we're streaming it live again on E360tv. I'm thrilled by how many people discover crowdfunding for the first time through these events. I invited Jen—and Michael Schuman as well—to join us as speakers. Their voices are essential to this community.Closing: Stronger TogetherI closed by encouraging our community to subscribe to Main Street Journal—especially since some of their best content, like the Kathleen Minogue piece, is behind a paywall. It's worth every penny. Jen added that their Monday events roundup is always free, giving folks a way to sample the value before committing. You can subscribe at mainstreetjournal.substack.com or visit their website at mainstreetjournal.org.Jen returned the love, reminding her community to subscribe to Superpowers for Good and promising to keep highlighting our latest work.We both agree: if you're serious about crowdfunding for impact, you need both publications. This partnership is just getting started, and we can't wait to see where it takes us next.Max-Impact MembersThe following Max-Impact Members provide valuable financial support:Carol Fineagan, Independent Consultant | Lory Moore, Lory Moore Law | Marcia Brinton, High Desert Gear | Paul Lovejoy, Stakeholder Enterprise | Pearl Wright, Global Changemaker | Ralf Mandt, Next Pitch | Scott Thorpe, Philanthropist | Matthew Mead, Hempitecture | Michael Pratt, Qnetic | Sharon Samjitsingh, Health Care Originals | Add Your Name HereUpcoming SuperCrowd Event CalendarIf a location is not noted, the events below are virtual.* Impact Cherub Club Meeting hosted by The Super Crowd, Inc., a public benefit corporation, on June 17, 2025, at 1:00 PM Eastern. Each month, the Club meets to review new offerings for investment consideration and to conduct due diligence on previously screened deals. To join the Impact Cherub Club, become an Impact Member of the SuperCrowd.* SuperCrowdHour, June 18, 2025, at 12:00 PM Eastern. Jason Fishman, Co-Founder and CEO of Digital Niche Agency (DNA), will lead a session on "Crowdfund Like a Pro: Insider Marketing Secrets from Jason Fishman." He'll reveal proven strategies and marketing insights drawn from years of experience helping successful crowdfunding campaigns. Whether you're a founder planning a raise or a supporter of innovative startups, you'll gain actionable tips to boost visibility, drive engagement, and hit your funding goals. Don't miss it!* Superpowers for Good Live Pitch – June 25, 2025, at 8:00 PM Eastern - Apply by June 6, 2025, to pitch your active Regulation Crowdfunding campaign live on Superpowers for Good—the e360tv show where impact meets capital. Selected founders will gain national exposure, connect with investors, and compete for prizes. To qualify, you must be raising via a FINRA-registered portal or broker-dealer and align with NC3's Community Capital Principles. Founders from underrepresented communities are especially encouraged to apply. Don't miss this chance to fuel your mission and grow your impact!* SuperCrowd25, August 21st and 22nd: This two-day virtual event is an annual tradition, but with big upgrades for 2025! We'll be streaming live across the web and on TV via e360tv. VIP's get access to our better-than-in-person networking! Get your VIP access for just $25. Soon, we'll open a process for nominating speakers. Check back!Community Event Calendar* Successful Funding with Karl Dakin, Tuesdays at 10:00 AM ET - Click on Events.* African Diaspora Investment Symposium 2025 (ADIS25), Wednesday–Friday, May 28–30, 2025, at George Washington University, Washington, D.C., USA.* Devin Thorpe is featured in a free virtual masterclass series hosted by Irina Portnova titled Break Free, Elevate Your Money Mindset & Call In Overflow, focused on transforming your relationship with money through personal stories and practical insights. June 8-21, 2025.* Regulated Investment Crowdfunding Summit 2025, Crowdfunding Professional Association, Washington DC, October 21-22, 2025.Call for community action:* Please show your support for a tax credit for investments made via Regulation Crowdfunding, benefitting both the investors and the small businesses that receive the investments. Learn more here.If you would like to submit an event for us to share with the 9,000+ changemakers, investors and entrepreneurs who are members of the SuperCrowd, click here.Manage the volume of emails you receive from us by clicking here. Get full access to Superpowers for Good at www.superpowers4good.com/subscribe

Arrancamos con una gran noticia: Ángel Stanich ha iniciado su regreso; a través de sus redes sociales, el músico ha anunciado que el 5 de junio lanzará el primer adelanto de su próximo disco y en Turbo 3 lo celebramos escuchando tres de los mejores cañonazos de su carrera. Además, escuchamos la colaboración entre St. Vincent y Mon Laferte traduciendo al español 'Violent Times' del último álbum de la artista neoyorquina, 'All Born Screaming', y las últimas novedades de GLU (proyecto paralelo de Michael Shuman, bajista de Queens Of The Stone Age), Himalayas (remezclados por Wargasm UK), Wet Leg y Guitarricadelafuente.Playlist:ÁNGEL STANICH - Una temporada en el infiernoÁNGEL STANICH - Escupe fuegoÁNGEL STANICH - Metralleta JoeCARLOS ARES - La boca del loboGUITARRICADELAFUENTE - Babieca!VEINTIUNO - Perder los modalesSAM FENDER - People Watching (Live At The O2 Arena, London)THE WAR ON DRUGS - I Don't Live Here Anymore (feat. Lucius)LUCIUS - Old Tape (feat. Adam Granduciel)JAXSON GAMBLE - Let's GoHIMALAYAS - What If...? (Wargasm UK Remix)HIMALAYAS - A Brand New GodMUSE - Time is Running OutST. VINCENT - Broken ManST. VINCENT - Tiempos violentos (feat. Mon Laferte)PORTISHEAD - Sour TimesMINI MANSIONS - Vertigo (feat. Alex Turner)GLU - Love You To PiecesGLU - Boogie ManGORILLAZ - Cracker Island (feat. Thundercat)WET LEG - CPRARCADE FIRE - Circle of TrustARCADE FIRE - ReflektorQUEENS OF THE STONE AGE - Smooth SailingEscuchar audio

Boogie Man.On this episode I am joined by Michael Shuman from the band Queens of the Stone Age and solo project GLU.Mark and Me is now on YouTube - Please subscribe here https://www.youtube.com/@markandmePlease support the Mark and Me Podcast via Patreon here: https://www.patreon.com/Markandme or you can buy me a coffee here: https://ko-fi.com/markandme.The Mark and Me podcast is proudly sponsored by Richer Sounds.Visit richersounds.com now to shop for all your hi-fi, home cinema and TV solutions. Also, don't forget to join their VIP club for FREE with just your email address to receive a great range of fantastic privileges.The Mark and Me podcast is also proudly sponsored by Vice-Press.If you are a fan of films and pop culture, check out Vice Press. All of their limited edition posters, art prints & collectibles are officially licensed & are made for fans like us to collect & display in their homes. Vice Press work directly with artists and licensors to create artwork and designs that are exclusive to them.This year, Vice Press also launched Vice Press Home Video, dedicated to releasing classic films on VHS. And yes, they play! Get 10% off of your first order using code MARKANDME10 or head to vice-press.com/discount/MARKANDME10All artwork and designs are produced by Dead Good Tees - Dead Good Tee crafts graphic T-shirts for true horror and movie enthusiasts. Drawing inspiration from classic movies, iconic villains, and the darker side of cinema, their designs offer a subtle nod to the genre's most unforgettable moments. Visit www.deadgoodtees.co.ukEvery episode of Mark and Me is for Billy x 

Emotion Sickness. Bass extraordinaire, bonified rock star and the coolest dude to ever wear a pair of designer sunglasses, Michael Shuman, is our guest on Episode 331 of Sappenin' Podcast. The Queens Of The Stonge Age playboy, shares secrets on strutting his way across the worlds most famous stages, having an addiction to create more projects and his biggest internet rumours. In this conversation, Mikey Shoes opens up on his QOTSA status, transitioning from a hired gun to Josh Homme right-hand man, their songwriting vs touring relationship, that birthday joke, headlining festivals worldwide, secret tracks, staying humble vs rock personas, comedy store hangs, a UFO conspiracy, appearing in The Wedding Singer, ending Mini Mansions, his new GLU allies, wanting a excuse to create old school hip-hop, death metal lingerie parties, online memes, fake facts, producing new artists, favourite goths, tour mishaps, journalist beef and more! Turn it up and join Sean and Morgan to find out Sappenin' this week!Follow us on Social Media:Twitter: @sappeninpodInstagram: @sappeninpodSpecial thank you to our Sappenin' Podcast Patreons:Join the Sappenin' Podcast Community: Patreon.com/Sappenin.Kylie Wheeler, Janelle Caston, Paul Hirschfield, Tony Michael, Scarlet Charlton, Dilly Grimwood, Mitch Perry, Nathan Crawshaw, Molly Molloy, James Bowerbank, Amee Louise, Kat Bessant, Kieran Lewis, Alexandra Pemblington, Jonathan Gutierrez, Jenni Robinson, Stuart McNaught, Jenni Munster, Louis Cook, Carl Pendlebury, James Mcnaught, Martina McManus, Jason Heredia, John&Emma, Danny Eaton, RahRah James, Sian Foynes, Evan, Ollie Amesbury, Dan Peregreen, Emily Perry, Kalila Keane, Adam Parslow, Josh Crisp, Vicki Henshaw, Laura Russell, Fraser Cummings, Sophie Ansell, Kyle Smith, Connor Lewins, Billy Hunter, Harry Radford, George Evans, Em Evans Roberts, Thomas O'Neill, Sinead O'Halloran, Kael Braham, Jade Austin, Charlie Wood, Aurora Winchester, Jordan Harris, James Page, Georgie Hopkinson, Helen Anyetta, John Wilson, Lisa Sullivan, Ayla Emo, Kelly Young, Jennifer Dean, Tj Ambler-Shattock, Chaz Howkins, Michael Snowden, Justine Baddeley, David Winchurch, Jim Farrell, Scott Evans, Andrew Simpson, Shaun Croucher, Lewis Sluman, Ellie Gowers, Luke Wardle, Grazyna McGroarty, Nathan Matheson, Matt Roberts, Joshua Lewis, Erin Howard,, Chris Harris, Lucy Neill, Amy Thomas, Jessie Hellier, Stevie Burke, Robert Pike, Anthony Matthews, Samantha Neville, Sarah Maher, Owen Davies, Bethan Downing, Jessica Tiernan, Danielle Oldershaw, Samantha Bowen, Ruby Price, Jule Ferl, Alice Wood, Billy Parmiter, Emma Musgrave, Rhian Friggens, Hannah Kenyon, Patrick Floyd, Hayley Taylor, Loz Sanchez, Cerys Andrews, Dan Johnson, Eva B, Emma Barber, Helen Macbeth, Melissa Mercury, Joshua Ryan, Cate Stevenson, Emily Moorhouse, Jacob Turner, Madeleine Inez, Robert Byrne, Christopher Goldring, Chris Lincoln, Beth Gayler, Lesley Dargie-Walker, Sabina Grosch, Tom Hylands, Andrew Keech, Kerry Beckett, Leanne Gerrard, Ieuan Wheeler, Hannah Rachael, Gemma Graham, Andy Wastell, Jay Smith, Nuala Clark, Liam Connolly, Lavender Martin, Lloyd Pinder, Ghostly Grimoire, Amy Hogg.Diolch and Thank You x Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Today I sit down with the amazing Bass Player, Songwriter Michael Shuman of Queens Of The Stone Age. Mickey has been playing bass at the highest level for Queens for over 18 years. Mickey's whole life changed the day he saw Green Day on MTV. He starting a band when he was 11 years old and was gigging all over Los Angeles. This man if a lifer. We dive in to his love of West Coast Hip Hip, Sneaking in to see Dave Chappelle at The Wiltern and his brand new solo single Boogie Man with GLU coming out Thursday Mar 27th. Please leave a review on iTunes and make sure you Subscribe to my YouTube channel so you don't miss my brand new Comedy Special called 5836.   Queens are hitting the road all summer so catch them out on tour and also see me out on tour. My tour dates https://www.deandelray.com/tourdates  My Patreon for all your bonus episodes needs. https://www.deandelray.com/patreon    Thank you for always tuning in. Keep the Candles Lit DDR  

Join us as we chat with Josh Homme and Michael Shuman ahead of the Queens of the Stone Age gig in Auckland!See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Join the Hauraki Big Show as they catch up with Josh Homme and Michael Shuman from Queens of the Stone Age ahead of their Auckland gig!See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Remember, you can watch the Superpowers for Good show on e360tv. To watch the episode, download the #e360tv channel app to your streaming device–Roku, AppleTV or AmazonFireTV–or your mobile device. You can even watch it on the web or YouTube.When you purchase an item, launch a crowdfunding campaign or invest after clicking a link here, we may earn a commission. It's an easy way to support our work.Devin: What do you see as your superpower?Dom: I think my superpower is empathy.Dom Kelly is the CEO and founder of New Disabled South, a nonprofit organization that supports disabled people and fights for their rights. Disabled by cerebral palsy, Dom leads from a position of personal experience, empowering him to be effective.While the organization doesn't have a policy to only hire people with disabilities, by making the workplace attractive to them, he's built a team comprising people with that lived experience and perspective.Dom shared some of the tactics used to create an appealing workplace. They include unlimited PTO. “We have it unlimited for a reason. If people need to take care of themselves, they take care of themselves.”“We have a very progressive parental leave policy,” he says. New Disabled South offers “a year of parental leave– that's six months fully paid, full time off, and six months part-time hours fully paid.”In addition, the organization offers a robust insurance package that includes life, vision, dental, and health. “Also, we're a remote organization; we support our employees, making sure they have a comfortable place to work,” Dom says.A final aspect of the hiring practice is a four-day, 32-hour work week that allows people time to rest and enjoy life as well as work.This broad, employee-friendly policy grew out of Dom's superpower: empathy.AI Episode Summary1. Dom Kelly is the founder, CEO, and president of New Disabled South, a nonprofit with an affiliated 501(c)(4), that focuses on advocacy and support for disabled individuals in the South.2. New Disabled South is unique in focusing on disability issues from a regional perspective in the South, addressing common challenges that disabled individuals face in the area.3. Some of the challenges specific to the South include barriers to voting access, non-expanded Medicaid, long waiting times for home care waivers, higher poverty rates, inaccessible transportation, and housing crises.4. Dom mentions that leaders lacking empathy can negatively impact both their leadership and their organization.5. New Disabled South's employment practices are designed to create an inclusive and supportive environment and include benefits like a four-day workweek and fully paid unlimited time off, among others.6. The organization's workplace policies prioritize empathy and support for employees' overall well-being and life experiences.7. Dom believes that his superpower is empathy, which has been shaped by personal experiences, such as the loss of his brother when they were children.8. He shares a story where displaying empathy during a difficult time at his job led to him doubling down on his commitment to help refugees, which reaffirmed his values and eventually brought him on the path to his current work.9. Dom advises that developing empathy starts with genuinely listening to others without interjecting, allowing for perspectives and experiences to be shared openly.10. Dom can be reached and supported through New Disabled South's website (newdisabledsouth.org), with direct donation links available, and he is also on LinkedIn and social media under the handle (at)the_tattooedjew. If you think employers can do better at including disabled people in hiring, please share.How to Develop Empathy As a SuperpowerDom began to appreciate empathy when his fraternal triplet brother passed away when they were six. It helped him to better understand the human connections between people.“I have seen a lack of empathy take down leaders and organizations,” Dom says. “It is something I just go back to often and remind myself to use my empathy as a strength.”Dom shared a story of a time when feeling and manifesting empathy was a challenge but also particularly important, and he could lean on this strength to help a friend.I was in a job that I was feeling frustrated with. It wasn't a good fit. The boss that I had didn't have a whole lot of empathy. He said some things to me–my wife and I were doing some work at the border at the time to help refugees, doing some organizing. At the time, he said something like, “I wish you cared as much about my business as you do about refugees at the border.” It was frustrating because I felt I was working hard. At the same time, it highlighted some misalignment for me.So, I share that because I was feeling frustrated, I was feeling afraid I was going to lose my job, or I was going to quit my job.At the time, we had a couple of friends who came to live with us as refugees from Honduras. When I got home that day, one of them had found out he had got a bad diagnosis and shared it with us. I got to put my stuff aside, be there for him and his partner, and be supportive and listen. It affirmed my commitment to that work. What wound up happening was I lost that job, and it wound up being the best thing that ever happened to me because I wouldn't be down this path that I'm on now. But my ability to put that aside and be there for someone who needed it put it into focus and put things into perspective and made me realign with my values and what was important to me. I showed up in that moment for someone who needed me.Dom offers a few tips for developing your empathy.“Take the cotton out of your ears and put it in your mouth,” he says. “Empathy is just sitting and listening to another person, not having to speak, not having to interject unless it's needed or asked for.”By following Dom's example and advice, you can strengthen your empathy. With practice, you could make it a superpower that enables you to do more good in the world.Remember, however, that research into success suggests that building on your own superpowers is more important than creating new ones or overcoming weaknesses. You do you!Guest ProfileDom Kelly (he/him):Co-Founder, President and CEO, New Disabled SouthAbout New Disabled South: New Disabled South is the first and only regional disability organization in the United States, fighting for liberation, justice, and rights for all disabled people in the South. We are a political home for all disabled people in 14 states across the US South. We are winning policy and narrative change for disabled people through organizing, advocacy, education, and research. New Disabled South exists to win rights, justice, liberation, and material improvements by and for disabled people across the US South. We are working to ensure there is a cost to ableism. We do this by exposing and holding accountable ableist actors in government, business, media, politics, and everywhere – to ensure we achieve transformative change for disabled people in our lifetimes. We also strive to be the go-to resource hub to understand disabled people in the US South – shedding light on where disability justice and rights stand and where they could and should be. Our mission is to improve the lives of disabled people and cultivate strong disability rights and disability justice frameworks in the South, working toward a vision of a South where all disabled people experience liberation and justice in our lifetimes.Website: newdisabledsouth.orgX/Twitter Handle: @DisabledSouthCompany Facebook Page: fb.com/NewDisabledSouth/Instagram Handle: @newdisabledsouthBiographical Information: Dom Kelly is the Co-Founder, President & CEO of New Disabled South, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, and New Disabled South Rising, its 501(c)(4) arm. He previously served as both the Georgia Fundraising Director and the Senior Advisor for Disability for Stacey Abrams' campaign for governor of Georgia. Prior to that, he was Senior Fundraising Manager and a Strategic Advisor for Disability at Fair Fight Action, the voting rights organization founded by Stacey Abrams, where he also created and led the organization's Disability Council, composed of prominent disability advocates and policy experts from across the country. Dom is one of a set of triplets born with Cerebral Palsy and has been a disability advocate since he was four years old. Starting when he was a young teenager, Dom and his brothers played around the world with their rock band, touring and collaborating with artists like Indigo Girls, Joan Baez, Toad the Wet Sprocket, The Bangles and more and releasing six records over 15+ years. He is retired from music, but with a decade of additional experience in digital and editorial strategy, nonprofit development, and community building, he has devoted his life to disability justice advocacy, progressive policy, and nonprofit leadership. He received a Master of Science in Nonprofit Leadership degree from the University of Pennsylvania's School of Social Policy and Practice, where he also received the Excellence in Social Impact award. Additionally, he holds a bachelor's degree in music production, a master's degree in journalism, an executive certificate in social impact strategy, and a graduate certificate in interdisciplinary disability studies. Dom was chosen as a 2024 Rockwood National Leading From the Inside Out Yearlong Fellow and as one of ten winners of The J.M. Kaplan Fund's 2023 Innovation Prize. He was a 2021 New Leaders Council fellow, serves as Chair for the board of The Kelsey, as Treasurer for the board of Disability Victory, as an advisory board member of ADA Watch, and as a member of the NationSwell Council. Dom also occasionally works as a consultant under The Tattooed Jew LLC, helping both political campaigns and nonprofit organizations with strategy. Dom currently lives in Atlanta, Georgia, with his wife, Catie, their daughter, Mahalia, and their dog, Vivi.X/Twitter Handle: @the_tattooedjewPersonal Facebook Profile: fb.com/dominic.kelly1Linkedin: linkedin.com/in/dominic-edward-kelly/Instagram Handle: @the_tattooedjewUpcoming SuperCrowd Event CalendarIf a location is not noted, the events below are virtual.* SuperCrowdHour February with the CfPA Executive Committee: This free event features President Brian Christ, Vice President Jenny Kassan, Secretary Brian Belley and Chair Scott McIntyre. Learn how you can join and make a difference. Earn rewards!* SuperCrowdBaltimore, March 21, 2024. This in-person event at the B&O Rail Museum features some of Baltimore's prominent citizens and community leaders. Save 30 percent with the discount code “SuperCrowd.”* SuperCrowd24, April 17-18: This two-day virtual event is our biggest event of the year. Don't miss it. Save 50 percent with the discount code “SuperCrowd.”* SuperCrowdChicago, June 12, 2024. Save the date! More information coming soon!SuperCrowd Community Event CalendarIf a location is not noted, the events below are virtual.* Local Investment 101 with Michael Shuman, January 27 - February 24, Lake Katrine, NY* CfPA Webinar: A Conversation with Brendan Ballou, Author of Plunder, January 31* Crowdfunding & SBA Lending with Kathleen Minogue of Crowdfund Better, February 6* Neighborhood Economics, February 26-28 in San Antonio, TexasIf you would like to submit an event for inclusion on our community calendar, click here.Superpowers for Good is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. Get full access to Superpowers for Good at www.superpowers4good.com/subscribe

I'm not a financial advisor; nothing I write in Superpowers for Good should be considered investment advice. You should seek appropriate counsel before making investment decisions.Remember, you can watch the Superpowers for Good show on e360tv. To watch the episode, download the #e360tv channel app to your streaming device–Roku, AppleTV or AmazonFireTV–or your mobile device. You can even watch it on the web.Devin: What is your superpower?Jen: My superpower is seeing connections between different topics–different passions that people have. To me, the connection between shopping local and investing local is all the same.Jen Risley is the operations manager for the American Independent Business Alliance (AMIBA), a national nonprofit working to advance the interests of local businesses; she also serves as the editor of the Main Street Journal, a publication advocating for local investing, especially via crowdfunding.Jen's roles harmonize remarkably well. She simultaneously encourages people to shop and invest in local businesses.She describes AMIBA's holiday season push to encourage local shopping this way:From November 1st till the end of the year, we're trying to remind people to shift as much spending as they can to locally-owned businesses. So, from your meals and celebrations to your gifts and gift-making supplies, there are just lots of opportunities to make those decisions to buy locally. It doesn't have to just be those big gifts. It could be what you eat during the day. We're trying to make it clear to people that there are just lots of choices over the holiday season. We're here to help remind you to make those shifts in your spending.The more you spend locally, the more dollars recirculate in your local economy. That means more jobs for your community. It could mean a summer job for your teenager or your grandchild. It means more charitable contributions to the causes that you care about, and it means it could potentially influence what your town or your city looks like in terms of land use. So there are lots of things that happen when you choose to buy local.Similarly, she makes the case for local investing under the Main Street Journal (a substack newsletter) banner:The Main Street Journal is through Michael Shuman. He's a local economist and an author. He spends a lot of time looking at how people can move their money from Wall Street to Main Street through investment crowdfunding where they live.On our website, we have [investment opportunities] allocated by region. So, if you live in the southwest, you could see this huge list. But you can go to the southwest and go, “Oh wait, is there anything in Utah or Arizona?”Of local investing, Jen says, “Their success means your success!”In her work, Jen uses her passion for connecting ideas as a superpower.AI Episode Summary* The guest, Jen Risley, is the operations manager at the American Independent Business Alliance (AMIBA) and the editor of the Main Street Journal.* The focus of the conversation is on the importance of shopping local and supporting locally-owned businesses.* The initiative, known as Shop Indie Local, aims to encourage people to shift their spending to local businesses from November 1st to the end of the year.* Shopping local helps to support the local economy, create jobs, and contribute to charitable causes in the community.* It is easy to be tempted by the convenience and affordability of online platforms like Amazon, but shopping local has a more significant impact on the community.* Tips for shopping locally include making a conscious decision to shift some spending, asking friends for recommendations, starting small with local food options, and exploring local farmer's markets or co-ops.* Jen also works on promoting local investing through crowdfunding in the Main Street Journal.* Local investing through crowdfunding platforms like Wefunder helps to support local businesses and allows investors to make a profit.* By connecting different topics and passions and sharing them on social media, Jen believes that she can inspire others to learn and make connections as well.* Jen encourages people to follow hashtags related to their interests on social media platforms, engage with the conversations, and share their own findings and insights with others.How to Develop Connecting Ideas As a SuperpowerJen's superpower is connecting ideas. She recalls how she first employed that ability for impact during college:I wound up going to Kenya, um, for a semester program, which was something I've always wanted to do but never had the opportunity because of living in a household with a single mom. We never really had the opportunity to travel or get exposed to different cultures like that. I was able to go through my university and have that chance to see how different life can be, how different life is to so many people around the world. I went from thinking small in my suburban town to thinking huge and realizing that everything I ever thought about the world was completely not wrong but just completely limited. By having that experience and coming back from it with a whole new mind view. One of the things that I took with me from that experience was my relationship to food and just how strange it was when my homestay brother was saying, “You go to school all day, or you go to university, who stays at home and makes the food?” I started to explain, “Well, we have grocery stores that we go to…” I realized as I was trying to explain to him what my reality was, how strange the reality became. When I came back home and started looking around and going, “Wow, this really seems wrong to me,” I was able to connect with other people who were doing great work in my community. We started working with some of the local farmers in our community. Back then, bovine growth hormone was the big topic. It was just thinking about how farmers were producing milk and learning from them, why they weren't happy with going in the direction others were telling them to go in terms of their local food system. That was one great opportunity to get frustrated with the system, learn from people who were in the system, and then again, share what I was learning and connect with other people to hopefully change some other people's minds. That was a great experience and taught me a lot that I'm still carrying with me.Having developed this ability to connect ideas, Jen offers some guidance for developing this skill:If we're talking about social media or online media, it's just starting with a platform that you're interested in or that you're already using. I use a lot of hashtags, so I'll start following a hashtag that is connected with something that I want to learn. So, if it's cooperatives or it's employee-owned businesses, you learn what hashtags people use. Then, every day or so, I start to look at the stream of conversation that's happening around that topic. On Twitter or whatever it's called now, I'll like whatever I want to read later, and then I'll go back to it. So, I'll have all these different primary resources to look at.Then, something that I've been lucky to be able to do is we have a weekly paper, and so they let me write an article every month. As I'm looking to see what topics are coming up, I know eventually, I'm going to have to write something that is accessible to enough people in my community. So yeah, I'm learning. But then I have to figure out, “Okay, my neighbors, are they going to care about employee-owned businesses? How can I make that a little bit more important to them?”So it is that kind of like putting your ear up to social media, having questions, but then seeing what other people are talking about and then finding a way, whether it's a blog post or on Substack or something, that's going to hold you accountable for actually producing something that you can then share with others.With Jen's guidance and example, you can improve your ability to connect ideas and communicate them. With practice, you may make this a superpower that enables you to do more good in the world.Guest ProfileJen Risley (she/her):Director of Operations, American Independent Business AllianceAbout American Independent Business Alliance: The mission of AMIBA is to build a strong local economy movement by supporting the growth and development of local business alliances and networks that are committed to the following objectives:- Supporting local independent businesses in growing and thriving- Building a strong local economy that is diverse, inclusive, and equitable- Working to mitigate climate change and adapt to the damage brought on by global warmingWebsite: https://amiba.netTwitter Handle: @theAMIBACompany Facebook Page: http://facebook.com/theAMIBAOther URL: https://monadnock.thelocalcrowd.coopBiographical Information: Jen served as an early organizer of her local food co-op in 2007. In addition to her co-op and AMIBA work, she's program manager of The Local Crowd Monadnock, a community-based crowdfunding program for independently owned businesses. She holds a Master's in Education from Antioch University New England and lives in Keene, NH.Twitter Handle: @MonadnockLocalPersonal Facebook Profile: https://www.facebook.com/MonadnockLocalLinkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jenniferrisley/Instagram Handle: @the.amibaSuperpowers for Good is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. Get full access to Superpowers for Good at www.superpowers4good.com/subscribe

This week on the Zen Perry Project, rock guitar goddess Emily Wolfe calls in from her home in Austin, Texas. A rising star in the scene, she talks about everything from the thought processes of designing her signature guitar and customized pedals to elaborating on the importance of using her songwriting platform to criticize and protest the oppressive, unjust laws passed in both her home state and across the nation. In the midst of her career's busiest year of touring yet, we're excited to see where Emily's combination of immense talent and her diligent hardworking nature will take her next.Photo courtesy of Whitney Hensley, we super appreciate her letting us use these sweet shots of Emily at the Ryman in Nashville! Check out Whitney's stellar photography on her website.  Emily is touring around the United States this fall, we're very pumped to hear her shred the Bowery Electric here in NYC on September 10th. Check out her website for all of her tour dates and music! Support the showIntrospective interviews with artistic individuals - an ongoing audiovisual journal of Zen Perry. Behold a wall of periodically updated webpages!Official Website: https://www.zenperryproject.com/Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/breakingnorthInstagram: @https://www.instagram.com/zenperryproject/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/breakingnorthpodcastTwitter: @BreakingNorthTwitch: https://www.twitch.tv/breakingnorth_Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@zenperryproject160Email: info@zenperryproject.comThanks for listening - hope you enjoy!

Marcelle Parrish, Chief Marketing Officer of Aspen Dental & Michael Shuman, Chief Executive Officer of Membersy discuss the impact of dental membership. Marcelle and Michael discuss: Current trends with the dental insurance market How are membership plans playing a role in expanding access? Why is now the right time to implement a membership plan? How do you ensure consistency throughout all your practices? Complexity of offering a membership plan Much more To find out more about Membersy visit https://membersy.com/. To schedule a demo visit https://bit.ly/44N0lLa . If you would like to find out more about joining Aspen Dental visit https://careers.aspendental.com/us/en . If you like our podcast, please give us a ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ review on iTunes http://apple.co/2Nejsfa and a Thumbs Up on YouTube. Our podcast series brings you dental support organization and emerging dental group practice analysis, conversation, trends, news and events. Listen to leaders in the DSO and emerging dental group space talk about their challenges, successes, and the future of group dentistry. The Group Dentistry Now Show: The Voice of the DSO Industry has listeners across North & South America, Australia, Europe, and Asia. If you like our show, tell a friend or a colleague.

Devin: What is your superpower?Michael: I have what we might say in Yiddish is intellectual shpilke. I have difficulty focusing on one issue. I like to think across boundaries.Michael Shuman, one of the real OGs of crowdfunding, has managed to elude an invitation to be a guest on my show for the past decade, but today we remedy that situation.He is an economist, attorney, author and entrepreneur who focuses on local community investing via crowdfunding. He publishes the Main Street Journal, which is also here on Substack.He noted a fundamental principle that guides his work—and mine—in the local investing community: “We're too few in number to be competitive. We've got to be as collaborative as possible.”Michael has a fascinating superpower, evidenced immediately in a one-sentence bio. He describes it as “intellectual shpilke” using a Yiddish term some describe as ants-in-your-pants. His education and practice include law, economics and entrepreneurship.AI Podcast Summary* Michael H. Shuman is an economist, attorney, author, and entrepreneur focused on community economics.* He played a significant role in the creation of the 2012 Jobs Act and various state laws on crowdfunding.* His passion for local investing stems from his own experience of struggling to raise capital for his businesses.* Michael believes that local businesses are crucial for economic development, job creation, and community success.* He emphasizes the need for a massive organizing movement to shift the investment ecosystem towards supporting local businesses.* Some strategies he suggests include creating groups that bring businesses and investors together, providing information on local businesses seeking capital, and promoting the use of funds for local investment.* Michael publishes the Main Street Journal, which highlights news and innovations in local investment.* His superpower is the ability to integrate various subjects and perspectives to explore bottom-line truths.* Michael encourages reading across boundaries, subscribing to different publications, and engaging in civil conversations with those who have different viewpoints.* To connect with Michael and learn more about his work, visit the Main Street Journal website, his personal blog, or his Twitter account.How to Develop Intellectual Shpilke As a SuperpowerMichael shared a story to illustrate his superpower:'So there is a storyline that I developed during the conversation about creating the Jobs Act that I think was very effective with skeptics. In securities laws, you have securities lawyers who are like twins because they speak to one another all the time early in their childhood. Their speech gets stunted, and they don't even realize it. And one of the things that securities lawyers babble to one another all the time is that we don't want Grandma to buy swampland in Florida, which is a totally reasonable argument. You don't want people to get defrauded. And that's why we have all of these securities laws, strictures to protect grandma from buying swamp land in Florida. What I started to point out to people, and this is back in the late 2000s when my mother was still alive, is that my mother being a grandmother living in Saint Louis, I don't want her to buy swamp land in Florida. But what did she do with her money and her time? She would go to one of a dozen casinos in Saint Louis.And when she entered the casino, she. Would she get a question? “Excuse me, Mrs. Shuman, but can you prove that you are an accredited gambler?” That never happened. And when she sat down to play blackjack, would they say, “Listen, before you enter this risky enterprise, will you please read this thick booklet of all of the risks of playing blackjack and sign?” And that never happened, either. So I pointed out to people that we have two risky activities going on in the US economy. One called gambling, where you could lose everything and probably will–independent of your income. And another called local investing and saving your community, where we're not going to let you play unless you pay a lawyer $25,000. Every human being except a seasoned securities lawyer can understand the logic of that. So, you know, you get people to laugh a little bit. And my mother was sort of amused by the story. But I feel like it's through laughter and through just poking holes with sort of folksy logic that you can move mountains.What a great example! His intellectual ants-in-the-pants helped him cross-pollinate ideas to create a compelling metaphor for legal change. With it, he helped to change federal securities laws.Michael has some simple advice to help you develop your intellectual shpilke, “To help, one of the things that I have my students do to develop a little bit of this is I have them do something that they never do anymore—most people our age would find this shocking—which is to subscribe to a newspaper or a magazine.”By following Michael's example and his advice, you can increase the intellectual ants in your pants to help you cross-pollinate ideas and potentially create a new superpower that enables you to do more good in the world.Guest-Provided ProfileMichael H. Shuman (he/him):Publisher, Main Street JournalAbout Main Street Journal: The Main Street Journal, with sponsorship of the National Coalition for Community Capital (NC3) and funding from the Heron Foundation, is the world's hub for local investing news and events. This newsletter, published every other Thursday, aims to expand the audience, reach, and power of the emerging local investment movement worldwide. For the United States, we believe that shifting even a small fraction of the tens of trillions of dollars Americans have invested in Wall Street, to local businesses, projects, and people on Main Street, can have a huge impact on community prosperity, environmental sustainability, and social justice. For the world, local investing offers the best chance available for solving intractable problems of climate disruption, homelessness, food deserts, economic stagnation, and just about everything else that worries us.The Main Street Journal aims to unify, enlarge, and empower an emerging local investment movement. Every other Thursday, look for a roundup of news, voices from our partners, and a list of key events providing you an easy-to-use entry point into the field. We will also share other content about local investments you might have missed and tools for finding fellow travelers (we call them “Main Street Champions”) in your own community. We don't want you to just read. We want you to be inspired. And to act!Website: www.themainstreetjournal.orgTwitter Handle: @smallmartBiographical Information: Michael H. Shuman is an economist, attorney, author, and entrepreneur, and a leading visionary on community economics. He is an Adjunct Professor at Bard Business School in New York City. He is also a Senior Researcher for Council Fire, where he performs economic development analyses for states, local governments, and businesses around North America. He is credited with being one of the architects of the 2012 JOBS Act and dozens of state laws overhauling securities regulation of crowdfunding. He has authored, coauthored, or edited ten books. His two most recent books are Put Your Money Where Your Life Is:  How to Invest Locally Using Solo 401ks and Self-Directed IRAs and The Local Economy Solution:  How Innovative, Self-Financing Pollinator Enterprises Can Grow Jobs and Prosperity. One of his previous books, The Small Mart Revolution: How Local Businesses Are Beating the Global Competition (Berrett-Koehler, 2006), received as bronze prize from the Independent Publishers Association for best business book of 2006. A prolific speaker, Shuman has given an average of more than one invited talk per week, mostly to local governments and universities, for the past 30 years in nearly every U.S. state and more than a dozen countries.  Personal Facebook Profile: fb.com/michael.shumanLinkedin: linkedin.com/in/mishumanOther URL: www.michaelhshuman.com Get full access to Superpowers for Good at devinthorpe.substack.com/subscribe

At the start of a relationship, how important is that first kiss? This episode begins with some interesting statistics that show the significance and long-term potential of being a good kisser. Source: The Science of Kissing by Sheril Kirshenbaum (https://amzn.to/3J35RkN).  By now you have heard terms like cryptocurrency, blockchain technology, digital art, and NFTs (non-fungible tokens). But how important is it for you to really know and understand them? Maybe you should be buying them. After all, these digital assets do seem to be here to stay and some people are predicting they will transform the global financial system. Here to make these things simple and understandable is Ric Edelman. Barron's ranked him the nation's #1 Independent Financial Advisor. He has written several books on personal finance and holds two patents for financial product innovation. Ric is host of the radio show and podcast “The Truth About Your Future” (https://www.thetayf.com/) and his latest book is called The Truth About Crypto: A Practical, Easy-to-Understand Guide to Bitcoin, Blockchain, NFTs, and Other Digital Assets (https://amzn.to/3SHW8nu). Seems like there is always something to talk about when it comes to The Academy Awards. Controversies, rivalries, egos and ambition all come together on that one night and who knows what will happen. Joining me to talk about the fascinating and sometimes juicy history of the Oscars is Michael Shuman. He is a staff writer at The New Yorker and author of the book Oscar Wars: A History of Hollywood in Gold, Sweat, and Tears (https://amzn.to/3YrrH6h). Do you have a middle name? Do you like it? Why do people have them in the first place? Listen as I explain what purpose they serve and how people feel about having or not having a middle name. https://www.nytimes.com/2014/07/13/fashion/theyre-dropping-like-middle-initials.html PLEASE SUPPORT OUR SPONSORS! The Dell Technologies' Semi Annual Sale is on, with limited-quantity deals on top tech! Save on select PCs powered by the latest 12th Gen Intel® Core™ processors, like thin-and-light XPS 13 laptops, Inspiron laptops and 2-in-1s. Plus, get savings on select accessories, free shipping and monthly payment options with Dell Preferred Account. Save today by calling 877-ASK-DELL Visit https://NJM.com/podcast for a quote to see how much you can save on your auto insurance! With With TurboTax, an expert will do your taxes from start to finish, ensuring your taxes are done right (guaranteed), so you can relax! Feels good to be done with your taxes, doesn't it? Come to TurboTax and don't do your taxes. Visit https://TurboTax.com to learn more. Intuit TurboTax.  Discover Credit Cards do something pretty awesome. At the end of your first year, they automatically double all the cash back you've earned! See terms and check it out for yourself at https://Discover.com/match Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Together with Sean Ulbs of The Eiffels, we had the pleasure of interviewing Michael Shuman over Zoom video!GRAMMY-nominated musician and multi-instrumentalist Michael Shuman is GLU. The frontman of Mini Mansions and member of Queens of the Stone Age is showing another side of himself with his independent debut EP, MY DEMONS out February 24th. Today's title track release features Phantogram's Sarah Barthel and explores how childhood traumas continue to seep into adult life. Emotional explosions emerge in a realm of lo-fi hip-hop with upbeat, poppy moments while the coinciding video turns heads with a steamy, latex-laden Barthel symbolizing the demons that dominate GLU's thoughts as he raps satirically through a leather ball gag. GLU's genesis was rooted in honesty, creativity, and the desire not just to exist but to exist deeply, and with no major concentration of genre aside from melding them, he unravels ribbons of rhyme and musicianship that are introspective and engaging.Self-produced and mastered by Dale Becker (Doja Cat, Chris Brown, Khalid), the MY DEMONS EP as a whole is a look into the late nights, solitude, and the existential crisis that come with surviving alone through a pandemic. Taking influence from Depeche Mode, Gorillaz, Twenty One Pilots, Mac Miller, the back and forth of the artist's soft soundscapes lead way to catchy lyrics touching on relatable subjects of struggle, loss, addiction and trauma. Previous single “Night Shift,” highlights the impending doom we feel, generated by the current state of our world.“For me, ‘MY DEMONS' was about being on my own terms; having my own momentum,” said Shuman. “This is something that is different because I do come from punk rock, but I'm doing this… so it's not going to sound like your typical DJ or Hip-Hop producer. I want it to feel fresh, and that's the most exciting thing for me.”MY DEMONS Track Listing:MY DEMONS ft. Sarah Barthel of PhantogramCOLD SWEATNIGHT SHIFTMOONWALKIN'FUCKED WITH MY DEMONSWe want to hear from you! Please email Hello@BringinitBackwards.com. www.BringinitBackwards.com#podcast #interview #bringinbackpod #MichaelShuman #GLU #QueensOfTheStoneAge #QOTSA #MyDemons #NewMusic #Zoom #NewMusic Listen & Subscribe to BiB https://www.bringinitbackwards.com/follow/ Follow our podcast on Instagram and Twitter! https://www.facebook.com/groups/bringinbackpod

Tune in to Episode 155 of The Michael Anthony Show as we are joined by musician Michael Shuman. A wide variety of topics are discussed throughout the show with the multi-instrumentalist, unique guy.Tune in.Support the show

How true is the slogan, “Jets = Jobs?” Well, jets do create jobs, but so do most development initiatives. What's less understood are the negative economic effects of the Naval installations on Whidbey Island, Washington. Economist Michael Shuman (he/him) joins the podcast to share the true economic impacts of these naval installations, both positive and negative. Listen for a clear breakdown of the costs from the Navy to the local community, how Whidbey Island could greatly benefit from economic diversification, like much of the rest of Washington State has done, and what the Navy can do to benefit the local economy and be a good neighbor.   Resources: Learn more about the Growler jets and how to take action at: www.SoundDefenseAlliance.org   Glossary Terms: Opportunity cost - The loss of potential gain from other alternatives when one alternative is chosen. Subsidized - To underwrite something financially, providing the support that keeps it going.   Nature sounds recorded in the Olympic National Park (Gordon Hempton, The Sound Tracker, Co-Founder Quiet Parks International) Hosted by Terra Huey and Caitlin Epstein Produced by Caitlin Epstein in partnership with the Sound Defense Alliance

"Mini Mansions" are a three piece indie rock band from California, formed in 2010.You could kind of consider them to be a mini supergroup, as the line-up features full-time members from "Queens of The Stone Age" as well as members from "The Last Shadow Puppets" and "Arctic Monkeys".Over the course of three full length albums and a slew of EP's, "Mini Mansions" have explored a lo-fi rock sound that often times aligns itself more with a 60's pop orientated sound, with inspirations such as Pink Floyd and The Beatles.Join us as we dive deeper into the sonic world of this underground band."Roots to Grooves" is a production of SIGNL.https://www.signlradio.comhttps://www.instagram.com/signlradiohttps://www.twitter.com/signlradiohttps://www.facebook.com/signlradiohttps://www.mixcloud.com/signlhttps://open.spotify.com/user/96mhz6qfjoztxbl2dpm0uj903?si=aAZpsoEnRAKdx85kr1QWhg

Welcome to Roadcase!!  Emily Wolfe is an Austin-based rocker who combines 70s rock with 80s pop and 90s grunge to create a truly compelling blend of genres underscored by her deep commitment to rock riffage and high-energy performance.  Her latest album, "Outlier," produced by Michael Shuman of Queens of the Stone Age, successfully blends genres and musical lanes culling influence from a vast spectrum of artists -- Emily cites her love of such widely divergent sources as Judas Priest and Ariana Grande, just to name a few.  Emily's story is as compelling as her musical taste and amazing performance style; as a gay woman in Rock, she fills a very unique lane of what is traditionally a male-dominated genre.  Stepping outside of the ordinary is what Emily does best and she lives comfortable in her own skin, not only personally, but from a professional standpoint as well.  She truly loves what she does, who she is and the unique form of music that she creates -- and we love for that! So hop on the Roadcase bus for this awesome conversation with this true trailblazer and artist, Emily Wolfe.  It's gonna be a great ride!For more information: https://linktr.ee/roadcasepod and https://www.roadcasepod.comContact: info@roadcasepod.comTheme music:  "Eugene (Instrumental)" by Waltzer

In this episode, Capital Insight co-hosts and securities attorneys Jenny Kassan and Michelle Thimesch talk with Michael Shuman, economist, attorney, author, and entrepreneur, and a leading visionary on community economics. Michael is one of our nation's leading thinkers, speakers, and writers on the movement to move money from Wall Street to Main Street. Key Takeaways: “What I see now are a number of unhealthy mutations in our capital system, where most of the money is going to Wall Street, even though Wall Street and the companies it represents are a relatively small fraction of our economy - and the vast majority of our economy, which is occupied by local businesses and institutions, gets little to none of our investment money. If we can fix that, I believe we can fix a whole bunch of other problems that we face.” “More than a million Americans of our 330 million population are actively involved in investment crowdfunding; that is significant, but it's still less than 1% of the population. To go further, we need a lot of education.” Bio: Michael Shuman works on community-based solutions rooted in local markets, small business and devolution and is the author of the acclaimed Going Local: Creating Self-Reliant Communities in a Global Age. Former Co-Director of the Institute of Policy Studies, Shuman founded the Center for Innovative Diplomacy, an 8,000-member nonprofit organization dedicated to promoting global peace, justice, development, and environmental protection through direct citizen and city participation in international affairs. Get in Touch: Website: michaelhshuman.com Twitter: twitter.com/smallmart Facebook: facebook.com/MichaelHShuman LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/mishuman Additional resources: Angels of Main Street is a community of investors with no minimum wealth or income requirement to join. If you'd like to be part of a community of diverse investors who want to make a difference with their dollars, please join us in Angels of Main Street! Voiceover Credit: Intro and outro are voiced by Marina Verlaine. She can be contacted at reel.peach.vo@gmail.com Check out past episodes here!

On Day 3 of the VoizDAO Sustainable Finance Summit we interviewed Michael Shuman, an Economist, Author, and Leading Visionary on Community Economics. Watch to learn how local investing can create impact!

Michael has a drive to apply his finance and economics education into finding practical ways to help local communities invest in themselves.  One way is to get the conversation about creating local stock markets started...so we started one.  Check it out...  --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/larry-a-yff/message

If you don't know the name Emily Wolfe yet, you will soon. The Austin-based singer, songwriter and guitarist is a few months removed from the release of Outlier, her excellent sophomore album that's earned acclaim from listeners and critics alike. Epiphone now produces a signature model guitar that bears her name, and she's about to take that guitar on the road again when she embarks on a Midwestern tour next month before what's sure to be a busy and bountiful 2022. Long before Wolfe was collaborating with Queens of the Stone Age members and sharing the stage with the likes of Joan Jett and Heart, she was playing acoustic brunch sets at restaurants and trying to make a name for herself in the Texas capital. Prior to hitting the road again (including a Dec. 9 headlining show at Cactus Club in Milwaukee), Wolfe spoke with My First Band host Tyler Maas about what it's been like getting back on the road again, the process of recording the new album with Michael Shuman and highlights from her already impressive and still-blossoming career. Over the course of the conversation, Wolfe talked about being drawn to guitar at the age of 5, immersing herself in songwriting in her teens, diving headfirst into Austin's music scene during her college years and some of the formative experiences and opportunities that — combined with her years of hard work and natural talent — helped her become the artist she is today. My First Band is sponsored by Mystery Room Mastering and Lakefront Brewery. The show is edited by Jared Blohm. You can listen to My First Band on iTunes, Stitcher, Spotify and wherever else you get podcasts. You can also listen to rebroadcasts of previous My First Band episodes on WMSE every Wednesday from noon to 12:30 p.m. CST. Music used in this episode comes courtesy of Devils Teeth ("The Junction Street Eight Tigers") and Emily Wolfe ("Damage Control").

Michael Shuman's Website (you can sign up for his newsletter here): Michael's Book Put your money where your life is

Emily Wolfe discovered her passion for the guitar at just 6 years old. Then in college, she found the courage to step forward as a vocalist. Equipped with both a microphone and an electric guitar, Emily's creative potential was unleashed. In this episode we discuss her fantastic new album, Outlier, produced by Michael Shuman of Queens of the Stone Age. Additional topics include the city of Austin's reputation as the live music capital, NFTs and other potential future trends in the music biz, the joys of touring, and more. Intro Music by Eat the Wolf Outro Music by The Vacant Shapes

Michael's Website with his books, workshops and other educational info: michaelhshuman.com 

Find all of Michael's workshops, books and speaking/consulting information on his website: michaelhshuman.comTimestamps:5:06 - Myths about small businesses & local economics 6:17 - 2 examples/studies7:08 - 60-80% of jobs are locally owned biz7:21 - Local biz are competitive but our investments don't match up8:10 - The capital market failure8:24 - Why securities laws were passed and what the effect was for small business9:35 - Why we are biased towards big corporations in ED14:24 - The LOIS and TINA concept - local ownership and import substitution17:52 - Local businesses are alot more competitive than we think. 18:06 - The movement of our economy from goods-centered to services-centered19:51 - It doesn’t make sense to ship water21:30 - The effects of local communities no longer being limited to natural resource businesses

Making a business investment no longer has to be a people or profit decision, it can be a people and profit opportunity. Angela Barbash of Revalue joins the podcast to share her knowledge on values-based investing and the funding mechanisms that support it. Listen to learn about alternative funding and capital sources that aren't a rich aunt and uncle nor a traditional bank! While today's guest is a registered investment advisor, the comments shared should not be construed in any way to constitute investment advice. Discussion points: Angela's journey from the traditional business world to a focus on values-driven investing Alternative sources of funding available to small business owners and entrepreneurs The upsides and realities of values-based investing Values-based investing and the Pandemic — are there particular opportunities? References and Resources: Revalue Investing Angela on LinkedIn For Business Owners: MEDC Field Guide on Investment Crowdfunding Local Investing Resource Center Crowdfund Better Investors: The Next Egg Grubstake on YouTube Ecosystem developers (technical assistance providers, economic developers, local government, higher ed): Michael Shuman's Local Economics 101 CrowdfundingMI.com National Coalition for Community Capital (NC3) More from SCORE: Need help finding or pitching capital sources? Find a local southeast Michigan mentor today! Interested in becoming a mentor? Start here! Visit our Facebook page, and follow us on LinkedIn Connect with Armando, Tom and Marc on LinkedIn Theme music: Let Us Run For It by The Denotes | https://thedenotes.bandcamp.com Music promoted by https://www.free-stock-music.com Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/deed.en_US

BE SURE TO SEE THE SHOWNOTES AND LISTEN TO THIS EPISODE HERE Eve Picker: [00:00:09] Hi there. Thanks so much for joining me today for the latest episode of Impact Real Estate Investing. Today, I'm talking with Michael Shuman, an economist, attorney, author, entrepreneur and a go-to person on local and community economics. Michael has been credited with being one of the architects of the 2012 Jobs Act. He's one of the fathers of investment crowdfunding. Without him, I wouldn't have my crowdfunding platform, Small Change. Michael's given an average of more than one invited talk per week, mostly to local governments and universities for the past 30 years, in nearly every U.S. state and more than a dozen countries. He says, "I love public speaking because it gives me an opportunity to explain difficult, arcane topics in simple, hopefully entertaining terms to people who care about their communities."  Not being busy enough, Michael has also authored, co-authored and edited quite a few books, most recently 'Put Your Money Where Your Life Is: How to Invest Locally Using Solo 401ks and Self-Directed IRAs.' I'm going to learn a lot from Michael and so might you, so listen in. Be sure to go to EvePicker.com, to find out more on the show notes page for this episode. And be sure to sign up for my newsletter so you can access information about impact real estate investing and get the latest news about the exciting projects on my crowdfunding platform, Small Change.   Eve Picker: [00:01:58] Hello, Michael, I'm really delighted to have you on my show today.   Michael Shuman: [00:02:02] Great to be here.   Eve: [00:02:04] Put your money where your life is. That's the title of your latest book. And it seemed like a really obvious statement. Why do you need to write a book about this?   Michael: [00:02:15] Well, maybe I'm just book-o-philic, that I tend to write a lot of books and that's the way I express myself. But I did feel like there were two bodies of knowledge I was trying to bring together. One was a whole emerging body of knowledge around why local businesses and local economies are so important. And the other is this body of knowledge about how to use these somewhat obscure tax tools, the self-directed IRA and the solo 401k, For local investing. And so, bringing these two things together in a readable form, that was really the objective and I couldn't see a way of doing that just as a pamphlet.   Eve: [00:03:05] But I suppose more than that, like why local? Who are you trying to reach with this book and why? Why do you think it's important?   Michael: [00:03:12] Well, I would say for about 30 years, I have been on a campaign to remake economic development, and the reason is, is that I think there is a very impressive body of evidence that locally owned businesses are the key to community prosperity. They comprise 60 to 80 percent of the private marketplace in the average American community. They are highly profitable. They are highly competitive. They have done great despite the ways in which economic developers and subsidies have overlooked them. And yet, when it comes to economic development, when you talk with an economic developer for any length of time, they will tell you that their mission is to attract and retain business. And when you unpack that term, attract and retain, it's really all about global companies. So a tiny fraction of what constitutes a community's economy is what in fact is driving economic development. And it's totally backwards. So, what I've been arguing is that we have to figure out ways of nurturing and strengthening and getting capital into local business. And if we do that and, we can really enhance jobs, income, wealth and tax receipts.   Eve: [00:04:49] We've got that backwards. Do we have it backwards at the local level, at the state level? What about the federal level?   Michael: [00:04:55] Every level conceivable has it backwards. At the state and local level, it's estimated that something near 100 billion dollars per year is spent on attraction, corporate attraction. At the federal level, it's not really corporate attraction, but what you see is all of these subsidies, which are largely going to larger businesses, big Ag, big cattle, big water, big coal, big oil and gas. I mean, you name it. And small businesses in the end are getting the crumbs. So, yeah, I think this is a systematic problem and requires some systematic solutions.   Eve: [00:05:43] How did you get interested in this?   Michael: [00:05:46] I became interested in this in a circuitous way, so I was graduated from law school in 1982 and really detested the idea of becoming a lawyer. So, I started a nonprofit in the field of peace and justice. It was called the Center for Innovative Diplomacy. And one of the things that we did in the ten or so years that this organization lasted, is we organized several thousand mayors and city council members across the United States to get involved in what we called municipal foreign policy. So, the involvement of cities and say in nuclear free zones or anti-apartheid campaigns or human rights initiatives. And I got very excited about this way of influencing international policy. But I started to think about how to get involved in economic development through these tools. And I had a partnership with an organization based in Europe that was then called Towns and Development. And you can think of Towns and Development as sort of sister cities with attitude. So, they had thousands of links between northern and southern cities built around economic development, and Towns and Development asked me to write a critique, a sort of retrospective of what at that point was more than a decade of work. And at the end of that critique, I said, you guys are doing marvelous work. You have great principles for economic development. The problem is, is that your practice of economic development has no relationship to the principles. That is, if the northern city sends a big company to the southern partner, you celebrate that as a big success. But in fact, success needed to be measured in greater self-reliance. And it was that moment that I realized I needed to pivot and start working on a whole different field. So, I wrote a book in the mid 90's called 'Going Local,' and I thought it would be a one-off book. I would, you know, write it, be done. But it opened so many interesting doors that that's really what I've been doing ever since.   Eve: [00:08:19] What would be good outcomes if we move towards more localized economies?   Michael: [00:08:26] If you look at the evidence out there of lots of different studies, we know that communities with a higher density of locally-owned business have higher per capita job growth rate. They have less poverty. They have more civic engagement, higher voting participation, higher rates of volunteership. We know from an EPA study that locally-owned smokestack businesses pollute about one tenth as much as their absentee-owned counterparts. We know that locally-owned businesses are the dynamism of what promotes entrepreneurship and what promotes people really being committed and excited about a stable city. So, I feel like the list is very long and compelling. And so, I really feel like if we had a world of more localized economies, we would be wealthier, we would be more equitable and we would be less likely to go to war with one another.   Eve: [00:09:37] I have to ask. Is there a gold standard city or community out there that you would point to for localized economies?   Michael: [00:09:45] I have become familiar through studies that I do with many local governments. I've become familiar with several hundred local governments. And honestly, there's none that I would give better than a B or B minus to.   Eve: [00:10:03] Oh, OK.   Michael: [00:10:05] And I think part of the problem is the pernicious impact of these outdated ideas about economic development. And so what a typical city you look at, say, a Portland or a Seattle, which nominally seems like a very green kind of city. And they have all of these departments working on recycling and storm water management and energy efficiency. And by those criteria, these cities are looking really good. And then they have economic development departments that are filled with dinosaurs that all they want to do is spend vast amounts of public money to attract global companies.   Eve: [00:10:52] Yeah.   Michael: [00:10:53] And they systematically ignore their local businesses.   Eve: [00:10:56] Yeah, I live in a place like that.   Michael: [00:10:58] Pittsburgh. Yes. And, you know, in Pittsburgh has despite that, I think, become a more self reliant community. I mean, they turned, but ...   Eve: [00:11:11] But you know, Michael, I think that's because, isn't Pittsburgh, the birthplace of community development corporations?   Michael: [00:11:18] Yes.   Eve: [00:11:20] Community development activity is very, very big here. And that's almost like their own little localized economy. So, that may be part of the difference. Does that make sense?   Michael: [00:11:31] I think it does. And I think the other thing, I mean, I'm not intimately familiar with Pittsburgh, but one of the things as a visitor that I have noted about it is that it's really a city of amazing neighborhoods.   Eve: [00:11:46] Yes, it is. Yep.   Michael: [00:11:47] And the definition of those neighborhoods.   Eve: [00:11:50] Physically quite distinct.   Michael: [00:11:52] Yes. I think that makes a difference, too, because people then self organize around that sense of neighborhood well-being.   Eve: [00:12:01] I think that's right. It's one of the things I've always thought about, like in when I go visit San Francisco, which is a beautiful city, one neighborhood bleeds into the other. And I've come to really love the very distinct neighborhood personalities here and the character, the buildings, and it's really interesting. Yeah.   Michael: [00:12:20] I lived in San Francisco for about 10 years and I used to say to people, it's a terrible place to visit because the only way you can enjoy San Francisco is by slowly taking it in, walking the streets, going from neighborhood to neighborhood. And there's no way you can do justice to that as a tourist going to Alcatraz.   Eve: [00:12:47] Right. Yeah, well, that's how I prefer to visit cities anyway. Would there be any bad outcomes if we move towards localized economies? Like what would we be missing?   Michael: [00:12:57] So, there are different conceptions of localization.  And I believe that critics of localization have in their head what I would call a theory of 'dumb localization.' And what it is, is it, looks at, say, what Brazil did in the 1960s with the idea that, oh, we need to build up our internal economy, we'll put up trade barriers, we'll put up technology transfer limits, we'll punish people for coming into the country with long visa processes. And by that process, we will build up more internal self-reliance. That's the way globalization fanatics think about localization. And if we do that, we will become poorer, and countries will become backward, and we will miss out. So, I really think that localization has to be defined in more market terms, that localization means consumers freely finding great local deals and goods and services and freely choosing those. It means businesses expanding to meet local needs. It means governments getting rid of subsidies that are currently favoring global businesses.   Eve: [00:14:27] So, if you were the mayor of a city that was a D on your scale, what would you do to make it an A, an A local economy?   Michael: [00:14:38] The first thing I would do is I would announce that we were not giving a penny of subsidy to any business, so that automatically would save me a good deal of money that I could spend on other things. I would create a procurement system that really looked objectively at the impacts of local business when they were potential bidders versus non-local business. And I would realize that the local businesses pay more in taxes and therefore they deserve a boost in the procurement process that objectively reflects that. I would change my city's investment policies so that rather than putting money out in the global economy, I would, like the cities of Tucson or Phoenix, put my money in local banks so it could be re-lent to support various economic development projects. I would think about how to use municipal bonds and municipal powers of creating investment funds in order to foster various kinds of economic development projects like affordable housing or local food projects. So, there's a long list of things that cities could do that really is hard to find any city that's doing that right now.   Eve: [00:16:03] I mean, honestly, one of my pet peeves is most cities look outside their borders for the best consultants, whereas they often have a lot of talent inside. And that's also one way to increase the economy of a city. And it's a very weird dynamic, but I think you're probably right. There are tons of things you could do.   Michael: [00:16:23] I've experienced that here. I live in Montgomery County, Maryland, and I can't tell you the number of times I have bid on Montgomery County contracts. And they go for some ...   Eve: [00:16:35] Oh, yeah, I can imagine.   Michael: [00:16:37] ... competitive person a hundred miles away, and they lose out on the tax benefits.   Eve: [00:16:42] Yeah, I may as well be invisible in Pittsburgh, I think.   Michael: [00:16:45] Well, you're not invisible to me and to the rest of the country, so that's the good news.   Eve: [00:16:49] That's the problem, right?  That we want to shift to local. So, OK. And how do you think the pandemic, I have to talk about this, might impact this trajectory? Because I have a feeling in some ways it might actually help.   Michael: [00:17:05] I think it has helped. And what I've noticed is that most of the cities that I'm working with have at least put the word resilience into their vocabulary and are thinking about how they can make their communities more resilient. What they haven't realized yet is that resilience is the opposite of what David Ricardo advocated in 'comparative advantage,' and which is, it's a subtlety, but at some point they're going to realize, oh, yeah, resilience means more diversity of business. It means greater self-reliance. It means greater localization. It means what we're doing in economic development is a little bit outdated. So, that's going to take some time to work its way through the system. But ultimately, it will be a very good thing because we'll be resilient not just against the next pandemic, but will be resilient on the next capital flight and the next climate catastrophe and so forth.   Eve: [00:18:11] Yeah, one of the things that's been fascinating me about the pandemic, which I think feeds into this, is there's definitely people moving out of cities. Not that I believe the cities will die. There's always going to be room in Tokyo and Paris, okay, but there's definitely a shift back to smaller places. And that means that there'll be money in those places. And often there are main streets which are very underutilized. And I'm hopeful that those small local economies will be revitalized. That would be a good outcome in amongst this misery, right?   Michael: [00:18:44] Absolutely. I was in North Carolina. I shouldn't have traveled there in the pandemic, but...   Eve: [00:18:51] No, that's for sure.   Michael: [00:18:53] ... I made the decision to go there when one of the curves was on the down slope. But it was a was a discussion with economic developers in the Charlotte area about how to heal the urban-rural divide. So, I did a lot of reading and thinking about this. And I actually agree with you that, I mean, if you look at the literature out there, there is an assumption that rural is dead and people are moving to the cities. And to some extent that has been true. But I think what you're observing is really happening. That there is a turning point that has happened in rural America that a lot of people don't appreciate. That Internet connectivity has come to much of rural America, not all of it, but much of it, that people of color, particularly immigrants are beginning to move there because it's a cheaper place to live. And that's diversifying rural America. We're also seeing a lot of retirees going there and they bring Social Security and their pension savings, and that money drives the economy in different ways. So, yeah, and if you add resilience to the mix, you really see why for, not all Americans, and you're right, you know, the great cities are still going to be great cities. But for some Americans, some fraction of millions of Americans, they will move into rural America.   Eve: [00:20:25] Yeah, we still have financing issues for investing in rural America. We have an offering on our platform right now that could not find a loan, and were told over and over again by banks that we don't lend in rural areas. And so I think, you know, the whole financing system behind everything is also part of this story. Right?   Michael: [00:20:47] It's another form of redlining, isn't it?   Michael: [00:20:50] Yeah, it is. OK, well, I want to move on to regulation crowdfunding, which is the love of my life. And I know that you've been involved in it since day one, before I was. And I'd love you to tell us about that journey.   Michael: [00:21:04] Yeah. So. As I said earlier, one of the things that I have found fascinating in the whole discourse about local economy is that every answer to a question opens up new questions. And as I, in the 1990s and early 2000s was sort of thinking about how do we change economic development policy, I started to pay attention to the capital system and started to see how difficult it was for a small business to raise grassroots capital. And my very specific experience with this is, for about two years, and I think this was maybe 2001 to 2003, I tried to start a chicken company in the Eastern Shore of Maryland and it was going to be called Bay Friendly Chicken. It was to offer a greener alternative to what the bionic chicken that Tyson and Perdue were offering. And I started to think about ways of raising money. And I'd have meetings with securities attorneys and learn just how extraordinarily difficult ...   Eve: [00:22:32] Ridiculous.   Michael: [00:22:32] And expensive it was to even get a penny of money from a grassroots investor.   Eve: [00:22:38] Yeh.   Michael: [00:22:38] And I started to think about what the rationale of this was. And they would say, well, you know, we don't want grandma to be buying swampland in Florida. It's always grandma. It's always Florida. It's always swampland. And look, I have a mother who is 97, 98 now. I don't want her buying swampland in Florida. But what does my mother do with her money? My mother goes to the local casino. She lives in St. Louis. And when she goes to the casino, do they say to her, Mrs. Shuman, excuse me, but are you an accredited gambler? No. I mean, and she is not an accredited gambler. She is, you know, she is one of tens of millions of Americans who enter into thousands of casinos and they can lose everything independent of their income.   Eve: [00:23:40] Yes.   Michael: [00:23:41] And yet we never regulate that. And so that contradiction was like a chicken bone in my throat. And 2008 crisis came and I said, you know, I'm going to start writing about this. So, I wrote a piece for the Federal Reserve. They have a community journal.   Eve: [00:24:00] Okay.   Michael: [00:24:01] And basically made the suggestion that there should be a 100 dollar exemption in securities law, that any human being should be able to put 100 hundred dollars into a business with absolutely no legal work whatsoever. Lawyer Free Zone. And some friends of mine kind of got wind of this. They wrote a rule-making petition to the SEC, Securities and Exchange Commission, and hundreds of people wrote letters in support. So, that was sort of the beginning of a lot of conversations and there were other people who were simultaneously doing similar conversations. And then, I remember there was a hearing on Capitol Hill about a proposed crowdfunding bill introduced by Patrick McHenry, conservative of North Carolina. And I remember the head of the SEC was being grilled by Tea Party Republicans. And I was sitting in the room watching this. And they asked her, they said, you know, you've got a proposal in front of you for a one hundred dollar exemption. What have you done with it? And at this point, unemployment in the country was running at about 10 percent because of the Great Recession. And she responded with such condescension and contempt and said, look, we get these kinds of proposals all the time. And, yeah, you know, we'll get around to them ...   [00:25:47] Oooh.   [00:25:47] ... and the Congresspeople left and right, were, like, outraged. We have unprecedented unemployment. We know that local businesses can help fix this. And yet you in the SEC are systematically ignoring the simplest of reforms. That committee voted unanimously in favor of McHenry's proposal and the House supermajority passed it. Now, where McHenry went with crowdfunding was not where I suggested. He actually originally suggested a ten thousand dollar exemption for people. And then it got whittled back to two thousand dollars. And all of these additional regulatory things got put on it. So, it was half a loaf, but it was something. And I think crowdfunding has been a qualified success. The bill was passed in 2012. It took four unnecessary years of haggling for the SEC and FINRA to put forward rules for implementation. But in the four years since, the data show 700,000 people putting in almost half a billion dollars into several thousand companies and projects, and that the beneficiaries have been overwhelmingly, disproportionately companies led by women and people of color. I think it's doing some good things out there.   Eve: [00:27:26] Yeah, no, I agree. Well, this is what we use on our platform. And I think it also helps for us, those real estate developers who are doing really innovative and necessary projects, sometimes small, that most banks don't want to deal with. And so, that also propels the economy forward. When you have someone thinking about how to deal with the affordable housing crisis and they can't get a loan for their project idea, that's a problem. So, there's lots of ways that this has helped. It's a fantastic rule, but it's got a long way to go. What's the silliest thing, do you think about this rule? I can probably give you a lot of those, but I'd like to know what you think.   Michael: [00:28:12] What's the silliest thing about the rule? Well, the silliest thing is something they just fixed. And it wasn't so much that it was implicit in this rule. It was a long standing piece of securities law. But they finally, in their discretion, got rid of it. And that was prohibiting businesses and grassroots investors, from having conversations before the formality of the issue was done. And this idea in securities law that communication will somehow pollute the marketplace has got it fundamentally backwards. Communication is what lays the foundation for a marketplace. And when there is a conversation between a real estate project and a grassroots investor before there is any formal transaction, it should be a moment of celebration, not a moment of repression. And when the SEC finally, finally, finally put in some rule changes in the first week of November, which most people overlooked because there was an election happening.   Eve: [00:29:25] Oh, I didn't overlook it.   Michael: [00:29:27] Of course, what election?   Eve: [00:29:33] But I'm you know, I'm on the federal register every day looking for the thing to be posted.   Michael: [00:29:38] Right. Right. We're still waiting, aren't we?   Eve: [00:29:40] Yes. So, for people listening, you know, the rules are not implemented until 60 days after they're posted on the federal register. And so while there was a vote, it's still not moving along. Right, Michael?   Michael: [00:29:53] Right. Right. I think $2,200 per person is too low a number. I think it should be higher. I do think it's getting the number that a company or a project can raise, from a little over a million dollars to five million is a very big step forward.   Eve: [00:30:13] I should probably, like, take a break and just explain to listeners who don't know about regulation crowdfunding that this is really the first step towards democratizing investment. It's a rule that permits everyday people, everyone, not just accredited investors, to invest in businesses or real estate projects that developers bring to them, and business owners bring to them. And they do that by requiring platforms, called funding portals, to be registered with the SEC and to be members of FINRA, the Financial Regulatory Agency, to sort of manage this business of putting everyday investors together with businesses. And the rule really started out as having a cap of 1.07 million that businesses could raise every year, and permitting everyone to invest 2,200 a year, not per project, a year. If they want to invest more than that there is a calculation around income and net worth, and it even capped what accredited investors could invest in. Even Warren Buffett is not currently permitted to invest more than 107,000 a year.   Eve: [00:31:24] So, these upgrades raise the cap that you can raise through an offering to five million dollars. And while they do not raise that $2,200 cap, they do raise what unaccredited investors can invest by changing the way the net worth and income calculation is made, which is a good thing. And they also permit accredited investors to invest as much as they want. So, these are pretty big steps forward, right, Michael? And then the thing that you care a lot about is the 'test the water' piece, which I agree with you on.   Michael: [00:31:57] Yeah, that's a very good explanation. And one other thing I would just add for your listeners is that sometimes there's confusion about donation crowdfunding with investment crowdfunding. And donation crowdfunding on sites like Kickstarter, Indiegogo, that has been always permitted because donations are not securities, and securities are what are heavily regulated and that's, those regulations are what we are talking about.   Eve: [00:32:27] Right. If you go to Small Change or you go to Wefunder or any of those sites and you invest, you really become an investor in the capital stack of that business or that development project. And there's an offering made, an offering of what the business owner might return to you because you invest in their projects.   Michael: [00:32:49] Yeah, and I think it's worth saying to your listeners why this is so revolutionary. And for the last 10 years, at least when I was able to talk to audiences in person, which you can't do now, still, I would I would ask them three questions. And the first question was, by show of hands, how many of you have mindfully bought something locally, maybe at a farmers market over the last week and almost all the hands go up. People love their local businesses and they love the things in their economy. And then I ask, well, OK, how many of you have a show of hands do your banking at a locally-owned bank or credit union. Half the hands go down. And then I say, those of you with pension funds, how many of you put at least one percent of your pension funds in these local businesses that are 60 to 80 percent of your economy, and all the hands go down. And suddenly people realize, oh, my god, why is that? Why is all of my money going to the global minority of businesses in the economy rather than supporting the projects and the businesses that I love? And it's all about securities law. So, what this law represents is the beginning of a transformation, so that we are putting our money into the things that matter in our life.   Eve: [00:34:24] Yes, so you know the way I think that the SEC and FINRA missed the mark with this rule is, the amount of due diligence the platforms have to do is really burdensome. And you have to remember that these platforms are startup businesses. They're small businesses trying to support other small businesses. And a small business can't afford a full-time compliance officer. And essentially, that's really what you need to be able to run one of these platforms. So, I think you're right. If someone is going to invest $2,000 dollars, do you really need to have all of the burden of, I mean, the rule, that if I told you everything we have to do, it's nuts. We do it because we have to, but it is a lot. So, that's my pet peeve.   Michael: [00:35:13] Yeah, I think it's a very important one. And I worry that your platform and many of the other platforms are going to have challenges long-term because the regulatory burdens are so high and that limits your ability to just pay the basic bills and keep the lights on.   Eve: [00:35:36] Oh, yeah. I mean, insurance for our platform is over $40,000 a year.   Michael: [00:35:41] Wow.   Eve: [00:35:42] That in itself is huge. I mean, the compliance piece of it, figured that out in the first few years and we have, come to a simplified and efficient system. So, that's less of a problem for us now. It was excruciating in the early years, but there are expenses that just never go away and it's hard to catch up with those. Insurance is a really big one because the insurance industry doesn't understand this. This is a nascent industry that's emerging and they are going to charge top dollar until there's thousands of platforms like this.   Michael: [00:36:20] It's outrageous. But let me just say, I love your platform. I love its personality. I love the things that you are putting on there. I think it's unique and it's mission-driven. And I think over time you will enjoy success that many of your competitors do not because they are not mission-driven or they are not distinguishable from one another in the same way yours is. And yours is after mission-oriented real estate. And I think now that the ceiling has been raised from one million to five million, I think a lot more projects are going to be coming on to your site. And that augurs well for your future.   Eve: [00:37:05] Yeah, I hope so. I think the missing piece still, and I'm going to keep that in mind in my dark moments when things are difficult as only they can be in a small business, I think still investor education is the most difficult piece. And there's a lot for people to learn who've never been able to invest like this before. No matter what, they invest in, it's a leap. And that's really, I think, probably the hardest part of this. But what would the ultimate end goal be for this ruling in your mind? What should it be?   Michael: [00:37:41] I think currently Americans have about 56 trillion dollars invested in stocks, bonds, mutual funds, pension funds and insurance funds. So, those are all the long-term securities. And right now, about 99 percent of them are in global companies. I would like to see, say, 80 percent of that money in the locally owned businesses and real estate projects that they belong in. And when that happens, I will think we have achieved real success.   Eve: [00:38:20] Wow, that would be amazing.   Michael: [00:38:22] And, you know, it works out per capita. You know, earlier I said that the range, depending on how you define local business, is 60 to 80 percent of the private economy is local. So let's take 60 percent. So 60 percent of 56 trillion dollars, you know, works out to 30 plus trillion dollars and dividing that by the number of Americans out there, 330 million. It's about $100,000 per capita. So, I encourage listeners to think about your community, say you live in a 10,000 person community, multiply that number by 100,000 per capita. And that's what the benefits of local investment could be for your community. It is hard to imagine a more significant stimulus that you could bring to your economy than bringing local investment in.   Eve: [00:39:21] Yeah, you're right. So, you are a very busy guy. You're a prolific author, prolific speaker. I think I read somewhere that you speak once a week. Professor, consultant. What do you love doing the most and why?   Michael: [00:39:38] Well, more and more, I love teaching. I mean, I've always loved teaching. I taught as a way of paying my bills at law school at Stanford. I taught a writing class. And I still teach now, and I have the privilege for the last four years of teaching at Bard Business School, which is a sustainability-oriented program. And the school is expanding and my course load is expanding. And I'm really, I'm liking that a lot because I think young people now are so much smarter than ...   Eve: [00:40:15] Than we were?   Michael: [00:40:16] ... the people I remember. I don't want, Eve, you were very smart person, so I don't want to say "we." I'm going to only take this route myself. But when I was, when I was younger, the way that you changed the world was, And this is, again, from the law school perspective, that I would take a job for about $5,000 a year working for Ralph Nader as a Nader's Raider. And that was doing good. And then, as I understood that world better, I realized, oh, what that world is all about is spending all of your time begging for money from rich people or rich foundations. And that's how they made ends meet. And I did that for about 20 years and I was pretty good at that, but today's young people have a different view of the world. They see the way to change the world is through mission-oriented business, and that by having great businesses out there doing great things, they can change the planet faster. And I think they're right. And so, I love my role as a teacher to support them in that work.   Eve: [00:41:32] And so, like, my final big question is, this is the wrap up question. What's next for you?   Michael: [00:41:39] So, what's next for me is I am going to try to start soon a very simple newsletter that lists all of the local investment-oriented blogs, and all the local investment-oriented sites, and all the local investment-oriented people to try to get some glue, to hold all these various pieces together. Because I feel like there's a proliferation of organizations, a proliferation of sites. But the big picture is still not quite there. So, I see a kind of a swan song act as I get into my mid-60s, a swan song act of really being a networker and bringing of people together for this larger cause. So, that's that's my next act.   Eve: [00:42:38] Well, I can't wait to see the list, and I really enjoyed the conversation.   Michael: [00:42:43] I did as well. Thanks so much, Eve.   Eve: [00:42:45] Thank you.   Eve: [00:42:56] That was Michael Shuman. In everything he does, Michael is focused on the little guy or girl. He firmly believes that our robust economy would not be so robust without all of those little Main Street businesses and startups. And so he follows through on that belief every day, in his support of investment crowdfunding, in the lectures he gives, in his teachings, in the books he writes and in his consulting engagements with local governments. You can find out more about impact real estate investing and access to the show notes for today's episode at my website, EvePicker.com. While you're there, sign up for my newsletter to find out more about how to make money in real estate while building better cities. Thank you so much for spending your time with me today. And thank you, Michael, for sharing your thoughts. We'll talk again soon. But for now, this is Eve Picker signing off to go make some change.

Every year during the first decade of the twenty-first century, the Business Alliance for a Local Living Economy (BALLE) would hold its annual conference.  Those conferences were a celebration of local economies and the small businesses that built those economies.  Judy Wicks, Michael Shuman, David Korten, Laury Hammel, Don Shaffer, Michelle Long, and Merrian Goggio Borgeson were among the regular masters of ceremonies. Part an articulation of a new economic vision, part story telling from the field, part a three day party -- the conferences inspired the growth of a movement.Judy Wicks and Michael Shuman were part of the original group that founded BALLE.  They have continued to dedicate their energies to support just, diverse, and place-based economies.  Both are prolific writers and engaging speakers, as demonstrated by their E. F. Schumacher Lectures.  

In this episode of Mindfulness Monday, Ora Nadrich shares a discussion with Michael Shuman, author of Put Your Money Where Your Life is: How To Invest Locally Using Self-Directed IRA's and Solo 401(k)s. Michael H. Shuman is an economist, attorney, author, and entrepreneur, and a leading visionary on community economics. He's Director of Local Economy Programs for Neighborhood Associates Corporation, and an Adjunct Professor at Bard Business School in New York City. He is also a Senior Researcher for Council Fire and Local Analytics, where he performed economic-development analyses for states, local governments, and businesses around North America. He is credited with being one of the architects of the 2012 JOBS Act and dozens of state laws overhauling securities regulation of crowdfunding. He has authored, coauthored, or edited ten books. His three most recent books are Put Your Money Where Your Life Is: How to Invest Locally Using Solo 401ks and Self-Directed IRAs; The Local Economy Solution: How Innovative, Self-Financing Pollinator Enterprises Can Grow Jobs and Prosperity; and Local Dollars, Local Sense: How to Shift Your Money from Wall Street to Main Street. One of his previous books, The Small Mart Revolution: How Local Businesses Are Beating the Global Competition (Berrett-Koehler, 2006), received as bronze prize from the Independent Publishers Association for best business book of 2006. A prolific speaker, Shuman has given an average of more than one invited talk per week, mostly to local governments and universities, for the past 30 years in nearly every U.S. state and more than a dozen countries. Learn more: https://michaelhshuman.com/?page_id=6

July 29, 2020 Mom to Millionaire Margaret Curlew and Local Incentives Michael Shuman

Michael H. Shuman is the Director of Community Portals for Mission Markets and a Fellow at Cutting Edge Capital and Post-Carbon Institute.  He is a founding board member of the Business Alliance for Local Living Economies (BALLE). He is also an adjunct instructor in community economic development for Simon Fraser University in Vancouver and is one of the architects of the crowdfunding reforms that became the “JOBS Act,” signed into law by President Obama in April 2012.An economist, attorney, author, and entrepreneur, Shuman is one of the nation's leading experts on community economics and the advantages of small-scale businesses in an era of globalization. A prolific speaker, Shuman has given talks mostly to local governments and universities, for 30 years—in 47 states and eight countries.  He has appeared on numerous television and radio shows, such as the Lehrer News Hour and NPR's “Talk of the Nation,” and NPR's “All Things Considered.”He delivered this speech at the 27th Annual E.F. Schumacher Lectures in October 2007.If you would like a physical copy of this lecture or others like it, visit centerforneweconomics.org/order-pamphlets to purchase pamphlets of published works and transcripts.The Schumacher Center's applied work seeks to implement the principles described by these speakers within the context of the Berkshire hills of Massachusetts. Our work, both educational and applied, is supported by listeners like you. You can strengthen our mission by making a donation at centerforneweconomics.org/donate, or call us at (413) 528-1737 to make an appointment to visit our research library and office at 140 Jug End Road, Great Barrington, Massachusetts.

We're signing off for the year with an episode of highlights from our brilliant array of guests throughout 2019. With sincere thanks for tuning in, continuing to share and rate the podcast, and of course for donating and supporting its production. It couldn't happen without you. Thanks also for getting in touch throughout the year to share stories, questions and insights, and to tell us how much you've valued the podcast. It's been great to see our listener numbers spike further this year, and even more fulfilling to hear how the stories are landing and what the podcast means to you. Thank you very much! You'll see the track list for our 2019 Soundtrack below. Have a wonderful festive season and we hope to join you again for a regenerative new year. 1. Podcast Theme, featuring Let Them Know, by the Public Opinion Afro Orchestra (& a range of guests from the podcast's first year in 2017) 2. Albert Wiggan (young Aboriginal leader from episode #034) 3. Stephen Jenkinson (from #035) 4. Mother Canoe, by Stephen Jenkinson and Gregory Hoskins (Stephen's choice) 5. Michael Shuman (from #036) 6. Nora Bateson (from #037) 7. Damon Gameau (from #038 live at the premiere of the film ‘2040') on Velvet's Unicorn, by Bryony Marks on the ‘2040' original motion picture soundtrack 8. David McLean (from #039) 9. Emma Lee (from #040) 10. Douglas Rushkoff (from #041) 11. Karen O'Brien (from #042) 12. Darren Sharpe (from #043 live at the National Sustainable Living Festival) 13. David Pollock (from #044 at Wooleen Station) 14. Miriam Lyons, Ian Dunlop and Jan Owen AM (from #045 live at the National Sustainable Living Festival) on The System, by the Public Opinion Afro Orchestra 15. Kate Raworth (from #046) 16. Economic Man vs Humanity a Puppet Rap Battle, a collaboration between Kate Raworth, puppet designer Emma Powel, and song-writer Simon Panrucker 17. Amy (from #047 live at the Global Climate Strike) 18. Katherine Trebeck (from #048 live at The Platform in Perth) 19. Frank Fisher (tribute feature from #050 live at Swinburne University in Melbourne) 20. Hazel Henderson (from #049 and #050) 21. What If? (Impact: The Musical), by Jacqueline Emerson and co. (Hazel's choice) 22. Jake Claro (from #051) on Food, by Land of Milk and Honey Due to licencing restrictions, most of our guests' nominated music can only be played on radio or similarly licenced broadcasts. We hope podcast licencing falls into line with this soon. Get more: To access the full catalogue of episodes, head to our website https://www.regennarration.com or wherever you get your podcasts. Title pic: Anthony introducing episode #048 live at The Platform in Perth. (Joni Sercombe) Thanks to our community of donors and partners for making the podcast possible. Please consider joining them by donating or becoming a podcast partner at https://www.regennarration.com/support And say hello & send us your comments by text or audio any time - https://www.regennarration.com/story Thanks for listening!

Jake Claro is the Director of the Vermont Farm to Plate Program, widely regarded as the most comprehensive state-wide food system plan in the United States, and the only one with full government engagement. It is approaching the end of its first decade, and gearing up for the next, with a growing global reputation. The program takes a coordinated, long-term and collaborative approach with all parts of the food system - beyond a simple focus on agricultural output. Since 2010, and in the wake of the GFC, as so many communities and industries have struggled, the program has helped Vermont achieve enormous value – such as a rise in local food purchases of around 75%, 742 new businesses, over 6.5k new jobs in food-related industries, and a sharp reduction in the increasingly critical area of food insecurity. And that's just the quantifiable stuff - all on the basis of improving the health of people and country. Jake himself is a recipient of the Rachel Carson award at the Bard Centre for Environmental Policy, sits on a multitude of boards, and shares the story here of his instructive beginnings in this work. This podcast bookends our year, in a way, exploring the rewriting of our economic source code via the transformation of local economies. The first conversation recorded this year was with Michael Shuman, one of the architects of the crowdfunding reforms that became the “JOBS Act,” signed into law by President Obama in April 2012. In this episode, we hear about one particular local economic success story that's capturing international attention. Jake will be a special guest at the Food for Thought Festival in Albany, Western Australia, between the 19th and 23rd of March 2020. For that and other possible dates around Australia, stay tuned to our partners supporting the production of this episode. Episode #051 of The RegenNarration is produced with thanks to Community Food Events, the Food for Thought Festival, Sustain: the Australian Food Network, Commonland, and the Centre for Social Impact at UWA. Title slide pic: Jake Claro, Farm to Plate Director at the Vermont Sustainable Jobs Fund provides an update on the next 10 years of Vermont Farm to Plate, at the recent annual gathering. Get more: https://www.vtfarmtoplate.com - Vermont Farm to Plate Program https://www.vsjf.org - Vermont Sustainable Jobs Fund https://www.foodforthoughtfestival.com - Food for Thought Festival Music: Food, by Land of Milk & Honey. Concluding tune by Jeremiah Johnson. Due to licencing restrictions, our guest's nominated music can only be played on radio or similarly licenced broadcasts of this episode. We hope podcast licencing falls into line with this soon. Thanks to our community of donors and partners for making the podcast possible. Please consider joining them by donating or becoming a podcast partner at https://www.regennarration.com/support And say hello & send us your comments by text or audio - https://www.regennarration.com/story Thanks for listening!

Die Mini Mansions ist das Nebenprojekt drei Musiker, die ansonsten bei den Queens Of The Stone Age, The Last Shadow Puppets und den Artic Monkeys aktiv sind. Seit 2009 kommt das Trio in unregelmäßigen Abständen zusammen, um gemeinsam Musik zu machen. Vor kurzem ist "Guy Walks Into A Bar..." das dritte Album der Mini Mansions erschienen, ein launiger Mix aus Glam, einem Hauch Bee Gees und straighten Indierock. Man spürt, dass Michael Shuman und seine Kollegen viel Spaß im Studio hatten. Und Spaß werden die drei versierten Livemusiker auch heute Abend bei ihrem Auftritt im Bi-Nuu haben.

On July 24th 2019 Lisbon Live chatted to Michael Shuman, lead singer and guitarist of LA rock outfit Mini Mansions, before they opened for Muse in Lisbon, Portugal. Michael is also the bassist in Queens of the Stone Age. Listen in to discover how the band formed, what their new record 'Guy Walks into a Bar...' is like, what rescued them from almost splitting up, and what it is like opening for one of the biggest rock bands in the world, Muse, on their global tour. Tracks: 1. "Works Every Time" by Mini Mansions 2. "I'm In Love" by Mini Mansions Click the subscribe button to be connected to all future episodes of Lisbon Live, where we interview the newest and most exciting artists to be playing in and beyond Lisbon! Thank you for listening!

Mini Mansions frontman Michael Shuman joins Kyle Meredith to discuss the band's new album, Guy Walks Into A Bar. Together, they chat about how it was written and recorded in real time with all of the highs and lows of a relationship. Shuman also shares how he worked in a dark duet with Alison Mosshart and tapped Queens of the Stone Age drummer Jon Theodore. Elsewhere in the conversation, he revisits the time he opened for Sparks. For information regarding your data privacy, visit acast.com/privacy

Welcome to episode 36, the 2nd since becoming The RegenNarration. Michael Shuman is an economist, lawyer, author, entrepreneur, and globally recognised expert on community economics. He is also one of the architects of the crowdfunding reforms that became the “JOBS Act,” signed into law by President Obama in April 2012. Michael is re-writing the story of business and development, to one that makes much more sense if your interest is in creating more prosperous, equitable and regenerative societies. It all revolves around local business. And moving away from the ‘protectionism' inherent in the massive public subsidies that often prop up large transnational companies. A dollar spent in local business, Michael argues, compared to a dollar spent in non-local business, generates on average 2-4 times the income, jobs, and other positive knock on effects. Observations like these, and the stories of communities and cities putting this into action, have only become more compelling since his 2006 book ‘The Small-Mart Revolution: How Local Businesses Are Beating the Global Competition'. Michael and Anthony talk here about some of his life's work and observations – what's changed, what still needs to change, and how do we go about that change? How do we get global finance to go to more of the right places, how do we grow where there really are no limits, and what is the sort of economy that can bring about what we're really after in life? Michael conducted a workshop at local Perth landmark, City Farm, in February. We caught up during the lunch break for this conversation. Music: Let Them Know, by Public Opinion Afro Orchestra And the acoustic tune accompanying the introduction is by Jeremiah Johnson. Due to licencing restrictions, our guest's nominated music can only be played on radio or similarly licenced broadcasts of this episode. We hope podcast licencing falls into line with this soon. Get more: http://michaelhshuman.com - Michael's website, which includes info on Michael's most recent book, published by Chelsea Green – ‘Local Dollars, Local Sense: How to Move Your Money from Wall Street to Main Street and Achieve Real Prosperity'. With thanks to Gilbert and Village Well for having me along to City Farm for the day. For more on Village Well, and its Place School, visit http://www.villagewell.org. And for the story of the first social enterprise in Australia to successfully engage the new equity crowd funding laws, raising more than $2m, tune in to episode #028 to hear Rob & Emma-Kate from Food Connect - https://soundcloud.com/regennarration/028-transforming-food-finance-society-with-food-connects-rob-pekin-emma-kate-rose. Thanks to all our supporters for enabling the production of this podcast. Please join them by donating or becoming a podcast partner via our new website https://www.regennarration.com/support. Thank you, and thanks for listening!

Bass player from Queens Of The Stoneage and drummer of Mini Mansions Michael Shuman becomes one of Steve's favorite episodes! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Ralph talks to author and entrepreneur, Michael Shuman about ways local businesses can actually beat big business in your town.  And we discuss the enormous cost of Medicare fraud and how you can report it with Professor Malcolm Sparrow.    

Michael Shuman has been the bass player in Queens Of The Stone Age for the last 10 years. He is a co-writer on the most recent album '...Like Clockwork' and also has another band called Mini Mansions who have released two albums. The Most recent Mini Mansions record has guest vocals from both Alex Turner and Brian Wilson and is a bloody great listen! Hear us talk music and life and a bunch of other stuff.

Host Lisa Kiefer interviews John Kuhry from Economic Development & Financing Corp. on how to connect money and ideas with entrepreneurs to create sustainable prosperity by providing gap financing and acting as lender-of-last-resort for small businesses.TRANSCRIPTSpeaker 1:Method to the madness is next. Speaker 2:We're listening to method to the madness of biweekly public affairs show fun, k a l x Berkeley Celebrating Bay area innovators. I'm your host, Lisa Keifer. And today we're talking with John Kuri, the executive director of the economic development and financing corporation, [00:00:30] also known as e d f c Speaker 3:[inaudible]. Speaker 4:Welcome to the program, John. Hi, you're the executive director of economic development and financing corporation. What is that and what is the problem you're trying to solve? Okay, so we are a nonprofit five oh one c three economic development corporation. And we are also [00:01:00] certified as a community development financial institution. And what we do is we provide financing to people that can't get money, act as a lender of last resort, primarily to businesses. And we do economic development, which is basically diversifying the economy. And where are you located? Oh, we're located in Mendocino county. We do business in [inaudible], Mendocino Lake counties. We focused on rural economic development. How did this get started? Uh, in 1994 partners in the, in our community of Mendocino, um, the four city and the county [00:01:30] itself looked at how can we better utilize our resources to try and diversify our economy. Speaker 4:So they formed this organization and we were supported by the county and each of the four incorporated cities. And from there we went out and were able to get funding and uh, apply for loans from the USDA. And what we are is an intermediary re lending partner, which is, we borrowed the money from the USDA and then we lend it out to two projects that have economic development. The biggest issue, especially in rural communities [00:02:00] is the lack of population density and just the lack of economic activity really, there needs to be support for businesses that are trying to bring income into the economy. And so this was noted in the 90s when things were kind of going well, right? Our economy supposedly, and one of the big projects that came out was the city of Ukiah. It was looking to do a infrastructure development of a bridge. Speaker 4:And we're tapped out in the terms of resources. So ESC is a nonprofit, was able to work with the economic development administration to [00:02:30] bring in funds through our nonprofit status to help build a bridge that was important for development in the community. From there, you know, we were pretty much just doing financing because redevelopment agencies existed and then about six or seven years ago, redevelopment dissolve. And so all the communities in California are looking at ways to address the funding issue. So what's going on with funding and where are the banks right now? The big thing that's happening, at least in lake and Mendocino counties, is we're forming an economic development district for communities to receive [00:03:00] funding, especially from the economic development industry. [inaudible] they need comprehensive economic development strategies put together and if counties or our communities can come together and do it, an economic development district, the uh, matching requirements, cause usually grant funding is required to match one for one. Speaker 4:A, it reduces significantly when there's, when there's an economic development district. So this is one way that the economic development administration is trying to address the issue. Um, we, we try to approach something a little bit differently. Up where we're at. We worked with cutting edge capital to do a direct public offering [00:03:30] to address a problem for nonprofits like ourselves who are eligible for grant funding but have difficulty coming up with matching funds. We received a grant from the EDA to study small scale meat processing and our award was cut down because we didn't have the matching funds. The other undercurrent that we were addressing was that the desire for local investors to move their money off of Wall Street into their community. So we work with cutting edge capital to create a direct public offering. I believe the first of its kind, which is a economic development [00:04:00] corporation allowing non-accredited investors to invest in their community. Speaker 4:How does this work? What is the process? You know, first thing we would say is we work in conjunction with our banking partners because banking will offer a overall low lower interest rates. But in the case of where you aren't eligible for financing or you don't get enough financing, that interest rate will be higher or you may not even get it at all. So you come to us. But there are instances where we found that there was a community benefit. We were looking at small scale meat processing. That project which we received grants funding for culminated with a peace ability [00:04:30] study and a business plan. And the next step is to build out. But there were three pieces missing. One was finding an operator, second was finding a piece of land and third was financing. So we, we think we've found the operator and found the land. Speaker 4:And so we looked at a direct public offering but the project was not ready to move forward. So we decided to, to address, um, this community benefit need by creating a social benefit revolving loan fund, which local investors can invest in. And Luckily a project came forward, which was a wool mill and that wool mill had social benefit enough [00:05:00] to where we said, okay, we what gave it social benefit. Oh, that had been there a long time ago. The wool mill was a startup and it was a young family. That principal, Matt Gilbert was a sheep shear and he actually is a forester by trade but been sheep shearing. It really got uh, impassioned with wool mill and there's a burgeoning local fiber movement in the bay area. That's amazing. If I ever shut up Marin created a locally sourced jeans can be a CSA Jean blue jeans. Speaker 4:Yeah, cotton cotton that was grown in the KP valley indigo that was got done in the KP valley. Unfortunately the milling, it had to be done [00:05:30] out in the east coast and there's a, again, a local, you know, wool movement in this happening and there's no fine spun fiber. So Matt came up with a business plan, but given the startup nature of it, the tech intensive capital needs and just his lack of capital was not turned. It was turned down by a bank. And we've, we thought this is a great resource. Wool was an important industry in Mendocino back in the day, but subsequently died out. A lot of people have animals on their property to comply with William Snack, which has tax status. And so they're shearing the sheep [00:06:00] and it's a cost center for them. Whereas Makin to aggregate this stuff that's normally taken to the dump or sold off for pennies on the dollar and turn into a value added product. Speaker 4:By definition, what we do is we do social benefit, we create jobs and jobs, create wealth in our community. Our mission statement is connecting money and ideas with entrepreneurs to create sustainable prosperity in lake and Mendocino counties. So by definition we have a mission, but we've expanded that mission to incorporate the social benefit, which in Matt's case would be adding value to a resource, which unfortunately in our community, a lot of our resources are extracted [00:06:30] and then the value that is added elsewhere. And so the people who were producing those resources aren't able to get to have a sustainable lifestyle. What other kinds of things besides like will extraction that you are looking at? Um, you know, again, we were, we're an agricultural community, um, and you've look go north of San Francisco. A lot of prime agricultural real estate has been turned over to grape growing, but Mendocino county and parts of northern Sonoma County, we built San Francisco with our redwood product. Speaker 4:Unfortunately, the redwood market has changed and and the need [00:07:00] for redwood and just the, the extractive nature of that business. We don't like to say extraction our community more because that means that we're not renewing. But with the wool you already renewing projects that we'd like to see come back would be, you know, how do we create more sustainable fisheries? Farming is is important and we up in where our area consider farming a social entrepreneurship type of endeavor because Mincey has a very large county, but when you actually look at how much row crops are being grown, there's probably less than a hundred acres that have grown crops that are being grown commercially. [00:07:30] And that's just a function of the other competitive resources which are being grown, which are grapes, timber, and of course our illegal economy. Cannabis. How much money do you want to ultimately be in this fund? Speaker 4:Or have you already reached that goal? We, yeah, we reached that goal. I mean really this was a kind of a Beta test. You know, we chose a local impact investing because we were, we wanted to try and be as conservative as possible and when we batch or in the community social benefits, it would mean that we could offset that with a lower financial return, which would then [00:08:00] build in some sustainability of the project. We had a minimum raise of $250,000 we needed to reach and we were had a maximum of a million. And that idea was maybe we would have the meat processing plant come online and we didn't have a project designated for this. In the process of doing this direct public offering to say to someone, would you invest in economic development? It's a little esoteric, but do you want to invest in a wool mill? Speaker 4:Was a much more tangible kind of ask. So we, the board of directors approved [00:08:30] the wool mill for a loan and so we were then we were able to use the [inaudible] mill as our flagship project to be a fundraise for. So we reached out to our minimum of 250,000 in January and in February we raised 350,000 which was the exact amount that's needed upon the wool mill. Isn't the goal to have a lot of money, so it's not just one, uh, you know, we'll mail, but many different companies could come to you and say, many local entrepreneurs could come and say, oh, I want to start this restaurant or I want to, isn't [00:09:00] that the goal of it or is it project by project? The intention of course is to have a larger fund, but given the time constraints and limited capacity that we had and also the brand recognition of the wasn't there. Speaker 4:A lot of people said, I want this to go to the wool mill. Given the time frame of when we had to fundraise, the wool mill was the only project. But now we've got credibility and if we're able to, you know, successfully pay back all the investors, then we can go back to a larger question of how do we fund projects to revitalize, you know, uh, manufacturing [00:09:30] and in Mendocino county, how do we revitalize the know your harbor? Okay, well how do we fund social entrepreneurs which need a lower interest rate and need more patient capital? So we created a fund to deploy it. But one of the things, as a community development financial institution, we are able to access grants and portfolio insurance programs. So if you were to go invest the wool mill, you're, you're, you're risking your investment and you're basing it on the intrinsic value of the project. Speaker 4:By us taking in that investment, we are then able to insure that loan and be able to service that loan or an intermediary. Exactly, [00:10:00] exactly. And we're nonprofit intermediaries, so a lot of intermediaries, when you look in the financial world, take a a return based on, you know, paying CEOs and things like that. What is EDF? See what EDF sees fulfilling its mission. I've got, you know, we're a nonprofit. For us, what we're doing is we're building sustainability to our mission. We're also fulfilling our mission in creating new markets for our community to be able to, to bring entrepreneurs in. So we look at it as a multi-tiered facet. So you're, if you're an existing business that needs, or a startup business that needs capital, there's a loan fund, but [00:10:30] there are projects such as the meat processing facility, which doesn't have an entrepreneur yet. Speaker 4:We're able to leverage grant funding because of our nonprofit status to be able to then develop those markets. And how will you do that? We also do direct public offerings or what is your plan for that? Well, the meat processing, ideally, you know, EFC does not want to be in the business of running other businesses. But what we are willing to do is kind of shepherd them and incubate them to the next level. So when we explored the meat processing facility, we wanted it to be owned by producers. But the producers that exist right now, the, [00:11:00] the mainstream producers are pretty satisfied with their existing contracts. And it'd be hard for them to move away. And so it's also a very controversial subject in our community. We had a lot of people who were back to landers. We have a Buddhist monastery and Buddhist school up there, so it's been tough to figure out whether this project can move forward. Speaker 4:But that being said, the producers that haven't been really wanting to take on this project, even though I've had talked to several prominent wine producers who have this problem breaking the Napa cache [00:11:30] like we made, we produced some of the best wines and grape juice in Mendocino county and a lot of it goes into Napa valley wines, but there's a good understanding that we could become the Napa Valley of grass fed organic beef and some of the proofs that we have are making that kind of impact. So the idea of value added processing is important. That being said, nobody really wants to take the risk. This is a risky endeavor. The returns don't justify venture capital. So in that question of how do finance this ETFs, he said, well, let's create a direct public offering model to lipper local investment. Then what we [00:12:00] would do is maybe start it, there's a, there's an economic development corporation, Taos who operates a meat processing facility. Speaker 4:And we would do it to start it off and then spin it off as a worker owned cooperative. But because we don't want to be in the business of running business or cu it sounds like, yeah, you're helping businesses stay in the community. And our other big project we're doing is we're doing a coworking facility and that's really brought up from a project we took on, which was broadband. You know, when we talk about rural communities, we are, you know, we're very behind the um, in the, in terms [00:12:30] of creating 21st century infrastructure for these information based economy. I feel like that in Berkeley, when I lived in Berkeley, I was really happy with my internet. I ran a brewery up in Mendocino on a satellite internet and that was really tough. So we came together with the community foundation and started talking about it and created the broadband alliance for Mendocino County. Speaker 4:And through that process we become really vocal and, and have gone to the congress and talked about the issues of the incumbents taking away copper and the importance for nine one one emergency services. [00:13:00] So we've become this very much a, a figurehead for this, this rural community. Cause when you look at the northern California rural communities where less than 5% of the population of California, so that's the margin of error for a lot of companies. Unless you make a lot of noise, they're not gonna be interested. Now that Mendocino is partnered with Sonoma and Marin, we've, we've created so much noise now that ATNT starting to take, take voice, but you really a region, right? You know, it's unreasonable if you're living up in a rural community that you have of highway up to your house. I also think that it's unreasonable that you're going to have fiber out in the middle of [00:13:30] nowhere. Speaker 4:But that being said, the real issue is how do you address our urban cores or our incorporated cities? How do you get the faster Internet and how do you address really the socioeconomic, digital divide of a cheaper access to people there? So those are some issues that we want to bring up. And this coworking facility that we're developing, we have a very, very large land area with a very large small population and we have some very, very creative people, you know, from battery pipe, which is a manufacturer of OEM exhaust systems for, you know, [00:14:00] motorcycles and ATVs and things like that. Operating on a, on a, on a global competitive scale in Mendocino county that started out from a local boy, two um, little startup c corporations. There's one up there, Peter Pucker, which is the main equipment for mixing ceramics and the primary equipment for Plato. Speaker 4:These types of entrepreneurs are scattered around and sort of bring people together, which into a hub, to a hub and be able to network will help create a, a culture of entrepreneurship because we, and then you can also [00:14:30] get economies of scale on when it is they need, whether it's accounting, back office, deffer Internet, right? Yeah. And you know, the, the, the coworking movement has been phenomenal in the bay area and we are, you know, it takes someone like UTFC, which is a nonprofit and has access to partnerships and things like that to offset the costs. But we really believe that the next major employer industry in our community going to be homegrown. It's not going to be attracting a, you know, Mason [inaudible], which was, uh, the biggest industry when the biggest companies in Ukiah for a long time moved away [00:15:00] for environmental and cost issues. Speaker 4:But we're not gonna attract another company like that or another Nike. And really what we are, what we're looking for is lifestyle businesses. I was in the bay area for 10 years and I'm up there for a much quieter lifestyle and it's artists and all things are, are very popular everywhere. Do you see this kind of thing happening elsewhere in the u s oh yeah. I mean, there are other EDF c type organizations, especially in rural communities. I mean, it's funny when you look at funding, um, criteria for grant [00:15:30] funding, there's two top of the list. One would be low income and the other one would be rural. So there are organizations that operate in, in Los Angeles, county of San Francisco County that are acts have access to funds and the rural communities are habit, but we don't have the population base. And so the impact is a little bit different. Speaker 4:But that being said, economic development corporations are all around the state, all around the country. And then the community development financial institutions really CDFIs are really unique. They're a designation by the Department of Treasury and banking and insurance [00:16:00] companies have to comply with community reinvestment act dollars. And so they fund the CDFI Fund, which then gives out money. But we, I could go to a bank right now and get money and be able to deploy it into a low income and rural projects. As a matter of fact, that direct public offering we did, it was probably the hardest money that I could've gotten to $350,000 well, you know, we raised for the direct public offering. Why is that a, because he had to go out, I mean, I was on a road asking, your average investment was $4,000 the number of people we had [00:16:30] was 80 when I could have gone to a bank and said, okay, I'll offer you the same terms, but the value back to the community, it binds the community. Speaker 4:Right, right. And also it was, it was important to to, I mean I think when we look at, you know, wealth inequality, it's really based on people having ownership of assets. And so this is a way that non-accredited investors can not only have ownership of assets but have it locally. And the conversation we have is, Berkeley's a good place for this. Where you talk about localization by local, where 45 cents of every dollar spent locally stays locally, whereas 15 cents of [00:17:00] a non local business stays locally. Well, if you look at that in a bigger scale, a scheme, if you go out and you buy apple stock, you're getting your dividend and apple. But if you put that same amount of money in, you know, Berkeley Bowl, you're not only getting that dollar back in div terms of dividends, but you're also getting that community benefit of those dollars circulating in the community. Speaker 4:So as you make it a little lower percentage, right. In this case, in this case we did, but you get a, an intangible return in the community because if you like a business, you want to stay. Yeah. The [00:17:30] other thing is that this is a prototype. So when we look at rolling out a, a more general economic development fund, we'll be able to offer a risk adjusted return. What does that mean? The reason why the Mendocino Wall project couldn't get funded was that it was a startup. The lack of experience from the, um, from Matt. He's young. Yeah. He's young. You know, he was for sure by trade. So the risk was there at that, you know, if you talk about venture capitalists, they, they, one of the reasons why they justify a high stake, either equity or rate of return is that [00:18:00] these things are inherently risky. Speaker 4:So when you look at the 2% return we asked for investors isn't quite risk adjusted. Then again, we are a nonprofit. And so because because of that and because we're a CFI, we're able to ensure this. So we mitigate a lot of that risk. But that being said, if it did, people would have been much more apt to invest that they were being offered a five, six, 7% rate of return, which would be more reflective of the risks that they're taking. So did you feel, um, is it something that you would recommend to others after going through this process of getting all of these investors locally? It was [00:18:30] CR. It was a great experience. I think that you're actually meeting face to face and with your invest. It was meme and sometimes I had to meet with them three times, you know? Well that's what the big, um, you know, IPO is they have to go around and do their dog and pony show too, right? Speaker 4:Eh, you know, but when they're getting checks of 10 million, $100 million, I mean, relatively speaking, you still have to do that face to face. But that's, you know, if you look at the way our world is moving, we're moving from a way, we're moving to more of a transactional experience and people are missing [00:19:00] the relationship. And so one of the things I've been working on with, you know, on the side is with some high net worth investors talking about how do we create direct relationship driven investment. And this, this what we're, what I was doing was directly, I mean, I shook hands with everybody. Everyone talked to Matt. You know, the, one of the things that investors really wanted to have was this feeling of community. So we're having these investor meetings where we're having one coming up at a, a very nice retreat place up in Ukiah. Speaker 4:I mean, this is a very unique, unique thing for you bring in the wool makers and [00:19:30] they give a presentation and went to the product. Yeah. So, you know, I think as our world gets more and more online and it goes from warm faster, it's that relationship that people are craving. And especially when you're talking about $1,000, I mean, you know, Michael Shuman talks about moving 1% of your income and what the impact that would make in our local communities. For some people $1,000 was what they would write a check for a philanthropic endeavor. But here they're going to build some sustainability into it. And this whole world of social, a social impact investing is [00:20:00] just growing leaps and bounds. Having learned about it five or six years ago, the market is just exploding and people wanting it. It is interesting. I feel like it's this whole other parallel universe going on outside of this crazy other financial market. Speaker 4:Yeah. And in some ways it's more tangible. Even if you have your money in a large commercial mega bank, you know, you think is FDI seeing insured? And it is. But that bank's exposure to derivative instruments and things like that. Or even if you have it in a, in a, your money, in a, in a stock somewhere. But if you have your, your money at Joe's, [00:20:30] you know, fish market, you can go by there every day and you'll see whether he's got people coming in or he doesn't. Or if you are, you get to taste this product and you know, whether you know he's going to fail or not. Yeah. Cause you know, if you know this person, you have a different responsibility. What, what was really unique is not, you know, the money was definitely the focus. But what came out of this was some of the captains of industry in our community came together and said, we want to mentor this guy. Speaker 4:Oh that's, so you're talking about another added [00:21:00] effect of like, wow, this guy, you know, this guy really, you know, we believe in him and we're gonna, we're going to take time out of our busy schedules running our multimillion dollar corporations to give him some mindshare. Yeah. So it's really, it was really community, you know, community focused. I was talking to a bank of America guy who specialized in CDFIs and he explained to me that, uh, he'd been working in the CDI Department at Bank of America for 25, 30 years and that he loved it and still financing. And if he wasn't doing that, he'd be working in a CDFI because CDFIs are [00:21:30] the most innovative and creative places where community capitalism is being deployed. And I think this place where CFIs like us are coming in and being able to take on that risk intermediary is really interesting because when we went out to the community and you know, in the bigger conversation of, in the wake of 2008 people were moving their money out of big banks and their communities like Willis economic localization, which was a group of people who came together and said, how do we invest locally? Speaker 4:And when I went to those meetings, it was great cause you hear these people going, I wanted [00:22:00] us locally, but I don't want to take any risk. I don't want to find the deals. I don't want to vet the deals. I don't want to service the deals. And so that EFC as a [inaudible] is a economic development corporation. The CFI, we have the skill set, we have the tools, and then we had the risk mitigation things. So this, this is a technique now that there are a lot of CDFIs are looking at what we're doing. Yes, it's a great alternative to this donation based crowdfunding. I don't want a tee shirt. I want to invest in your company. Well until recently, you know, and that's not been able to be possible. The SCC rules have just [00:22:30] finally come down. I'll tell you what, I spent more money on Kickstarter. Speaker 4:But that idea of having a relationship with an investment where you can go and you can meet and see and that it's in your community. I think I've done both too. And I just, I liked the connection that's made in the community. And there's also a bigger conversation that I'm having with people like in Berkeley or in San Francisco, is that places like Mendocino are your source of food, energy and water. And there has to be mechanisms that allow wealth building in those communities [00:23:00] so that families can continue to supply food, energy, water in an equitable way. And this is a great mechanism. You can people here investing. So these projects like meaning not Mendocino but you know, Berkeley, San Francisco and they did, they actually did. So because of the mechanism of the direct public offering is as a state exemption, as long as you register within the state, but it's open to all everyone in California. Speaker 4:So we did our road show in Mendocino, but 30% of our investment came from the bay area. Well it makes sense like you say, I mean [00:23:30] that's where we get our right and dude. And the other side of it is that, you know, a $50,000 investment from someone in San Francisco is a lot different than a $50,000 investment in someone in Willets. And um, so that was one of our largest investments was a $50,000 investment. Do you find that, you know, getting a couple of those big ones makes the rest easier? No, I don't think the big investment was really it and it's a matter of fact, I, I would've preferred to get it all through small investors. But that being said, I'm not going to turn away money and it made things easier. But um, we were late. We had a year [00:24:00] to, to be able to fundraise and we were authorized in February of last year and so the state gives you one year. Speaker 4:Okay. And then you can file an extension. But W we decided not to. We really didn't kick off our marketing effort until late, like six months later. And part of it was I was able to get grants from our local bank savings bank of Mendocino mental, a credit union, PGE gave us a grant, community foundation gave us a grant to be able to create a marketing campaign and a video or video was phenomenal. Really well done. I highly recommend you go to see it. It's think still, how would listeners go see [00:24:30] this video and you know your website? Yeah. Go to go to ww. Dot. E D F C. Dot. Org and state video about it. It's just the wool mill. It's really well done and just the local investment opportunity. But that really kind of kicked off the initial investment. And then once we started getting momentum and people saw this was for real, we'd brought Michael Shuman up to the community twice and everybody loved what he had to say, but nobody really believed that anyone was going to make this happen. Speaker 4:And when they finally saw money [00:25:00] coming in and the amounts of money that was coming in, it created a snowball and it was just, it was amazing. Shit. Bode well for the future. What are some other things that you foresee or you're hoping to get done in the future? Well, you know, one of the things that you know, we look at is there's such a beautiful harbor and the [inaudible] harbor up in Mendocino county and there's other issues other than just financing. But you know, creating a, a community, revitalizing that fishing community and that timber community in Fort Bragg is so important. It's so isolated and it's so beautiful and such a great lifestyle. I also think that [00:25:30] if you look at what happened, as a lot of people went to back to land, they went up to those areas, Mendocino and Humboldt counties, and they bought land from timber companies that have been just raped and pillaged. Speaker 4:These things were devastated and they were able to eke out a living and now they're looking at, hey, maybe I want to become a commercial cannabis grower and become legitimate and compliant, but they've got issues with erosion and road control, which can cast them, you know, anywhere from tens to hundreds of thousands of dollars and how do you get, how can they fund these things? So there needs to be a way, a mechanism to fund compliance [00:26:00] in this world. I'm not saying that we're ready to do that, but there is going to be a need to fund compliance in the future. In California, especially in rural areas, you couldn't probably get federal sources, but community capital could be raised to do that. And there's talk about trying, there's a bunch of people in the cannabis community we're talking about doing a direct public offering to create cooperative processing. Again, it's the issue of the people that make grow things don't make as much money as the people who distribute things. Speaker 4:And so you have to, in order to build equity in our community is to add value to it. All these regional [00:26:30] hubs are going to become more and more important. It's a redundant system. Yeah. And if you look at ancient Greece, right? Ancient Greece was not countries, they were nation, they're city states. And it's that aggregation, that economic activity that allowed them to weather the d vacation events that happened when I ran the Inner Sun Valley Brewing Company, which was a regional brewery when in a time it was in the top 50 craft breweries. Um, in terms of size and probably in the top two or three in terms of quality, but our core markets were San Francisco, Santa Rosa and Sacramento. [00:27:00] And even though we distributed out to Paris, China and Brazil and Sweden, if we lost market share in those areas, it was very concerning because those are your core markets. Speaker 4:And there is an intrinsic relationship between, especially Mendocino, Lake County, Sonoma county as to the bay area, being tied in acres, the bay area in building those relationships was really important. I want to talk a little bit about you. You've said that you grew up in Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz. You were in that brewery industry. What drew you to this CDFC work? I would say I [00:27:30] grew up in Santa Cruz. I actually was born in Vietnam and spent some time in Saudi Arabia. My Dad was a civil engineer, but for the most part, most of my child who was grown, you know from high school on our junior high on was in Santa Cruz. So I never thought I'd leave, but then realized going back to Vietnam, I had an opportunity to get an education, so I got into school, got out really quickly with a master's in economics and finance and realized I didn't really want to be in a bank. Speaker 4:Got Involved in Thai tech and so on and so forth and started some companies and then this opportunity to run the Anderson Valley [00:28:00] brewing company came up. When you go to a party, running a brewery was always, you know, popular. Yeah. You know, but I, I didn't, there were things in terms of things I didn't like about the business. One thing is I don't really drink that much. I don't enjoy drinking that much. And so that led to a clash. But at that time, being a very large employer in a very small area, I was asked to be on a lot of boards. And so being coming onto the economic development, financial risk and board of directors, which is 21 board members, uh, which includes two county supervisors, a city counselor from each of the four cities and then major employers [00:28:30] and things like that. I really liked the work. Speaker 4:We funded a brewery up in Lake County and my brewing experience came into that. And, or going into the wool mill or going to talk to another restaurant tour, the community really opened up. And so I love the myriad of things I get to do and the questions, it's just you're really connected in a network and I really love what I do. And just the, the community impact of it. If somebody wants to get ahold of you and ask questions, yeah, they can either email me, uh, John j o h n at EDF C. Dot Org Echo David, [00:29:00] frank, Charlie, um, they can call me, um, (707) 684-4084. You know, and I'm actually presenting, I'm going up to Comcast up in, uh, in poor ladies, Comcast, it's community capital conference about people creating ways to fund, uh, socially beneficial organizations or small businesses. One of the speakers and, uh, Amy Pearl up there has done some amazing things in community capital legislation to allow crowdfunding of community benefit organizations. Speaker 4:Yeah, I, I just loved the idea. I mean [00:29:30] I'm maybe growing up in Santa Cruz, but having that kind of social responsibility and I think that income inequality is solved through people taking ownership of assets and instead of redistribution, it's just basically able to be onerous of cooperatives or businesses. And being able to leverage that money. My next big passion is to create a mechanism for non-accredited people to put tax deferred investment away. Ultimately, like the litmus test for my job is healthy, happy kids. If families can live in [00:30:00] my community and are able to keep their kids here to have happy kids under themselves, then I've done my job. John, that's a nice way to end it. Thanks for being on the program. Oh, thank you very much. It's been pleasure. That was John Curry, the executive director of Ed FC Economic Development and financing corporation. This has been method to the madness. We'll be back again in two weeks. Speaker 3:Him. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

“If you're a business that has a strong public constituency network, a lot of fans, I would seriously think about how to convert them into investors, because once you convert them into investors, you’re also converting them into your fan base, marketers and loyal customers.” It’s one of the juicy nuggets Michael Shuman, renowned economist, educator, author and community economic developer, shares with Elizabeth and Gene about raising money from your community. You’ll also hear about his other small businesses essentials for funding, including the laws and benefits around growing capital, and choosing the right path to acquiring it, be that through crowdfunding, a community cooperative, a direct public offering or small business loan. So if your community is where your heart is and where you want your business to grow, don’t miss Xero Gravity #37!  Invest locally, listen anywhere.

Many thanks to José (Nokjaw) for today's fan-pick, The Great Pretenders by Mini Mansions! The fans of two other bands will also be pleased as the Mini Mansions ensemble was forged out of the hiatus of Queens of the Stone Age (bringing over bassist Michael Shuman), while today's album, The Great Pretenders, has seen the addition of Alex Turner (from Arctic Monkeys). Influences aside, let's see how this latest project compares! Finally, stick around for a discussion on the importance of 'challenging music'---that is, music that confronts us head-on and forces us to do a little more work than we'd like to. What are the benefits of a challenging work, and how to quantify it? Continue reading

Host Lisa Kiefer interviews Colin Pape, CEO and Co-Founder of ShopCity.com. Located in Berkeley and Canada, ShopCity.com helps local businesses leverage the Internet to compete against online retailers like Amazon.com and other global chains. Its mission is to create thriving local communities with strong, prosperous economies - places where bustling local shops and vibrant downtowns are filled with proud local shoppers happy to support their friends and neighbors as they shop locally first!TRANSCRIPT Speaker 1:Method to the madness is next. You are listening to method to the madness, a biweekly public affairs show on k a l ex Berkeley celebrating the bay area innovators. I'm Lisa Kiefer and today I'm interviewing Collin Pape, the Co founder and CEO of Shop city.com. [00:00:30] Welcome to the program, Collin. Thanks Lisa. So what is shop city? Speaker 2:A shop city. It's basically a platform that enables communities to build a stronger, more sustainable local economy with a platform that's similar to amazon.com. Okay, so you're located in Berkeley and also in Canada. You just opened in Berkeley? That's correct. Oh, we're in the, we work a coworking facility corner of Shattuck and university. Okay. So I want to understand this better. What is the problem you're [00:01:00] trying to solve with Shoppe city.com? Yeah, so, uh, the Internet, uh, to date has really been a tool to drive globalization, global commerce. It's kind of been breaking down and geographic and boundaries and unfortunately that's really been to the detriment of local economies. But we really see a huge opportunity to enable local businesses to use the internet to reach local customers. And to decrease their marketing costs and to make it easier to shop locally first. And so [00:01:30] that's the platform that we've built. Speaker 2:Okay. So tell me about how you're doing this. Sure. So, uh, basically each community gets its own local site, so there's a URL for each community. So, and how did you get those? It's been a long process. We've been at this for about 15 years and so we secured a about 8,000 domains starting in 2000. Okay. And so once you got those domains, what happened? Yeah, so, so there's a URL for just about every community, about 85% of the ones across [00:02:00] the u s so we have big ones like shop New york.com, shop boston.com down to a smaller shop, sf.com we effectively provide at, at Turnkey model to a local entrepreneur. Could be a municipal government, could be a local business group. And, uh, so we provide them with the URL and then a, a platform that enables them to do the marketing out in the community and then, uh, to use the internet to basically drive local commerce. Speaker 2:Can you give me, walk me through an example from [00:02:30] the point of view of a small business or medium sized business? Sure. Yeah. So, so there's, yeah, really a, a multiple stakeholders that we serve. So, so the top is the partners, but uh, effectively it's about the businesses and so we provide them with the ability to create an online storefront. They can do email marketing and they can update their social media accounts and they can have their content published on a trusted local domain like shop SF dot conference. Who manages that shop domain? Is it the city of San Francisco? [00:03:00] It could be a city. We've got a couple of city governments that are running the platform, but generally it's a local entrepreneur, somebody who's got a, an interest in the local business community. And what has been the reaction of cities to this sort of chamber of commerce like, right. Speaker 2:Well it's a, it's something, especially here in California because there is a sales tax that's, that's fed into the city coffers. We don't really have that up in Canada. So they've got a pretty strong interest in ensuring [00:03:30] that purchases happen within their borders. And so they're very supportive. A lot of them are already running shop, local campaigns, shop city campaigns and a, so this is a way to really activate those campaigns and enable people to take action online. Uh, we give them a, a brand that they can market all through the community, drive people to a destination where they can find all the products, services and business available locally. So you're trying to create strong economies, it sounds like local economies. That's right, yeah. Using the Internet. [00:04:00] What was your inspiration to do this in the first place? Yeah, so it started in my hometown, which is a Midland, Ontario. Speaker 2:It's a recreational community, about 20,000 people. My parents had a retail paint store for 28 years and a around the turn of the Millennium, uh, home depot came to town. Walmart came to town and, uh, I'd started building small business websites. A lot of the local merchants were really fearful that they were going to be forgotten as these flashy new stores came into the community. And so [00:04:30] a thought that there had to be an opportunity to use the internet to provide the community with information about what was available locally. And then it was really just about marketing and getting it out into the community so we could hit home your own family. Big Time, big time. Definitely they were concerned. I mean paint is a competitive industry. There were probably six, seven places where you could buy paint already in the small town. And then yeah, you've got the Walmart and home depot during the outcome of you creating this local platform there. Speaker 2:It [00:05:00] was really well received. So, so it was really about the marketing. Uh, we, we did a bit of a grill and marketing campaign. We, we went out to, we put core plus signs all over the community. Two foot by one foot shot, midland.com support your community signs and a did it on a Sunday night. Everybody came into work on Monday and all the street posts had signs. And, uh, so that then we started getting businesses really getting behind us, uh, wanting to put signs in their windows. A Chamber of Commerce wanted to get involved. The, the town of Midland asked us to do a deputation. [00:05:30] And so, uh, everybody really, uh, just saw the value in, uh, supporting local. And what is the cost to a local business to become part of this local community? Or is there a, yeah, there's a, a range of different, uh, uh, opportunities. Speaker 2:Uh, everybody has the ability to create a profile page. They can tell their story. Uh, but if they wanted to use some of the more advanced features, the shopping carts, uh, the ability to send email newsletters, uh, they would pay. It's anywhere from 30 to $400 per month. At the high [00:06:00] end, they're getting a dedicated account manager. So if somebody, uh, if they don't really have the time or the technical capabilities, they can hire somebody to do it. It's your background in technology, is that how you yeah, exactly. I started building small business websites and then develop the platform and now we've got a team. But, uh, yeah, yeah. A lot of people have written about the value monetary economic value of small communities versus the big box stores like Michael Schumann. Had you been reading some of these books in college or I mean like when did you [00:06:30] I get inspired about this. Speaker 2:I just intrinsically understood it growing up in a, a small business environment. My parents, they'd come home and we'd have dinner every night and we talk about just the trials and tribulations of running a local business. We really understood intimately the need to have reciprocal relationships. So you're spending money with somebody, they're spending money back with you and just that, that every dollar that you spend is really a vote for what you want to see more of in the community. And [00:07:00] uh, it's, it's a way to support the people who are doing good things in the community but also creates a lot of intangible benefits. You know, like you can see in the u s especially in the Midwestern areas, the small cities, there's nothing there. They're just a shell of their former self. Yeah. And they have a lot of problems. They have a lot of problems with young people and people leaving and Yep. Speaker 2:Yeah, they, they, they've really been gutted. And it is an unfortunate because I think the, the small community model is actually one that's a [00:07:30] little bit more sustainable and a little bit more connected. You're, you're closer to your local food producers. Uh, you end up having stronger relationships. You have less of the financial nightmares created by Wall Street. And uh, it is unfortunate that things have not gone in their favor over the past, uh, 30, 40 years. But I, I think you're going to see, uh, the tide turning and we're certainly hoping to be a part of that. Speaker 1:If you're just tuning in, you're listening [00:08:00] to method to the madness on k a l x Berkeley. Today I'm interviewing Collin Pape, the CEO and founder of Shop city.com. Where are you now in the process here in the u s I know that you, you started in Canada, you were successful with shopping and this is your next forum. So where are you in that process? Speaker 3:Yeah, it started in Canada with shop midland.com. We've got about 25 markets up there that [00:08:30] are currently in operation, but one of our founding partners, Speaker 2:he is from the bay area, born and raised in San Jose. What's his name? His name's Jim Terry. Great Guy. And uh, so now, uh, what we're doing is a kind of a, a master franchise if you will, and we've kind of, uh, sectioned off the 430 California communities. So we, we've got a new company called Shop california.com. Uh, it has the rights to all those different territories. We're doing a direct public offering through a company cutting edge capital [00:09:00] and we're, we're now actively, uh, working with people who are interested in bringing the model to their community. And we're going to do the expected, it's going to be up and running. Uh, so we're, we're launching a pilot project in September, so, uh, we've got a couple of different communities that are on the shortlist, right? We're right now down to three. Uh, so, uh, it's going to depend on the order, but a shop, sonoma.com shop, alameda.com shop pleasanton.com. Speaker 2:So as a consumer I [00:09:30] can instead of local can mean many different things. Let's say I, I'm loyal to a town in New York, maybe out in upstate New York, so I could search online potentially someday in the future and shop locally and in that small town versus going to Amazon for a product that, that maybe previously carried it. Yeah. Ultimately the model is actually going to funnel up to shop locally.com. So it's basically going to be an aggregator so that, uh, for instance, if you wanted to buy Michael Schumann's new book, uh, you could go onto [00:10:00] a single page that has that a book and then you could buy it from wherever is closest to you. And what are the statistics about local? If I buy a book in my local bookstore versus on Amazon, do you know the statistics on the benefits? Yeah, and there's a, a lot of different ones out there. Speaker 2:Uh, but one that we, uh, have have found to be fairly valid is a 45 cents return to your local community with an independent store versus 15 with a local chain store. If you're shopping on Amazon, odds are there's zero [00:10:30] return to your local community. Where's that money going? Yeah, it's uh, it's going, going to corporate headquarters in somewhere. You interface to city government if they want to. That's right. What do they get from it? Do they get anything? Uh, yeah, so, so for instance, we're working with, uh, the city of Corona in southern California Shop corona.com and uh, for, for them it's really just the kind of more intangible longterm benefit of enabling their local merchants to be more competitive online. Uh, they're trying to, again, keep the tax dollars local and they're trying [00:11:00] to ensure that they don't have vacancies and they're just trying to build a more vibrant economy. Speaker 2:Uh, so we're kind of helping them do that. It seems like you could disrupt Yelp and all the chamber of Commerce's and become like the new 21st century chamber of commerce slash she helped because you could also have rating systems. You have local companies, right? Or are you already planning yet? We do have that and yeah, certainly we're, we're looking to disrupt Yelp. We'd like to disrupt Google. We'd like to disrupt Facebook, we'd like to disrupt Amazon. It's all [00:11:30] the big guys and it's about putting all that money back into the community. Uh, chambers of commerce. We actually work with them. They're one of our partners. So we've got a way for any local organization, but in particular chambers to get their own business directory that's powered by kind of the master, uh, shop city directory and a, they can get mobile apps, they can get lots of tools to basically minimize their costs and improve their online experience. Speaker 2:I think it would make them better actually. Yeah, we work so in, in Midland, [00:12:00] uh, it's a huge benefit for the local business. They can update their shot midland.com profile and it automatically updates their chamber of commerce profile if they're in the downtown BIA, it updates that it'll update the business directory and the town of Midlands website. And that's really the model that we're looking to build out all throughout. Uh, the communities that we operate in. There is the opportunity for rev share so that these partners can actually earn money through the system. So, yeah, it's a pretty holistic offering. Everybody can win. That's right. Except the big, big companies. [00:12:30] Exactly. That's right. I wanted to talk to you about redundancies in the system. Yeah. You know, with drought and there's so many problems and there are more stresses on the planet as we go forward. Speaker 2:So people are talking about creating redundant food systems, redundant financial systems, and this feeds right into that. It does. Yeah. It's, it's all about resilience. And, and so you asked earlier about, did I read Michael Schulman's Book Smart Revolution for instance? Uh, I didn't at the time, but, uh, the more [00:13:00] that that we've studied it, the more we see that this is extremely relevant to, yeah. The future of, of the world environment. It's a about building a stronger, more resilient economy that is not so susceptible to these, uh, systemic shocks. Uh, like what happened in 2008. And it's really just a, about enabling people to focus on their own backyard and not so much to worry about what's happening in the rest of the world. So they have an impact locally. Then it feeds up to uh, [00:13:30] uh, the global level. So what are your challenges in this process? Speaker 2:Have you encountered anything unusual in the u s that you did not encounter in Canada? Uh, what we, we had, uh, some challenges with Google actually back in 2011. And, uh, they, they ended up blocking our sites and, uh, they just didn't like the business model where we are running multiple domain names. We're enabling each community to have their own site. They, uh, wanted us to all do it through one domain, one brand, which was really, uh, not the strongest model for communities. [00:14:00] And so we, we ended up, uh, going to battle with them and we were involved with the FTC investigation. We connected with, uh, a lawyer, Gary reback, who was the man who was responsible for the antitrust regulations against Microsoft with windows and Internet explorer back in the day. And, uh, we actually made some progress with them. We were on the, the front page of the San Jose Mercury News business section and Google ended up actually building it with a whole bunch of processes around some of the complaints that we had. Speaker 2:So that was probably the big one, [00:14:30] sort of one that we did win that one. Yeah. Yeah. It was a, a big challenge and uh, certainly I, I, it was unprecedented. Nobody really had done it, but, uh, yeah, we came out on top. I mean, in general, um, yeah, we're, we're going against all the, the largest companies in the world. And so, I mean, there's, there's, uh, a lot of, just overall resistance to the model, but at a local level, everybody is really supportive of it. Everybody intrinsically kind of understands it. It's a message that the merchants and the local [00:15:00] stakeholders, the people in the community want to see promoted. And so we've got this kind of dichotomy where on the larger level, I mean raising capital from a venture capitalist for instance, that's really not something that a, we're, we're, you know, seeing success with or not even anything that we're pursuing at this point because they want to steer us in a direction that is contrary to strong communities. Speaker 1:Food comments has been on my program and one of the things that they say is, um, it kind of helps getting the message out that they aren't competing head to head with these large systems. [00:15:30] They think of themselves as another alternative track running alongside them. And then over time that track gets bigger and bigger and bigger. But there's room for both. That's right. And so people can digest it a little bit better I think. Speaker 2:Yeah. We've, we've, we've slowly been shifting our message from, you know, shop local to shop local first and trying to just give people that, that choice and make sure that, that the merchants are represented and that the community is represented and ultimately it is up to, [00:16:00] uh, to the consumer, the person spending the money. Speaker 1:Yeah. Cause you know, you can go on Amazon and order vacuum cleaner bags, but there's a little store down the street and I don't know what people would prefer to do now. So that to me is a challenge. A certain we've gotten used to not having to deal face to face or look for something or walk down the street and find something Speaker 2:that's right. And yeah, I think that's really where we can play a role in. And Yeah, there is just, there's a disconnect because nobody wants to live in a holiday community that has vacant storefronts that [00:16:30] doesn't have the services immediately available and accessible when you do want them. Everybody wants the best of both worlds. They don't want to have to support local, but they want it there when they need it. And it really is. Speaker 1:And they want to see people walking down the sidewalk and the restaurants open. Yeah, Speaker 2:that's right. You want it. You want to be in a, in a vibrant community. Um, and, and so there is this kind of dichotomy, but I think that is where we can, can really have an impact, uh, enable people to have that convenience shopping from home in their pajamas in the middle of the night whenever they want, but still have that money [00:17:00] feed back into the community and enable that merchant to thrive and maintain a storefront and, and provide the infrastructure and the support to the community that Speaker 1:they are small businesses provide the same amount of money into the economy. I think it's $7 trillion as the big corporations, right? I mean, I didn't know it was 50, 50. I think if that, the word gets out about that, people will look at their communities a little bit differently. Speaker 2:People don't realize that there's a, something called the local multiplier effect, which we've actually got a website, local multiplier.com [00:17:30] with some information, some statistics. Uh, but it, it's, there's really two components to the economy. There's the, the volume, and then there's the velocity and the velocity is equally as important as the volume. So how quickly money is spent, uh, has as much of an impact as the amount that's spent. Everything that we've statistically shows that small businesses actually spend money a lot more rapidly than the big companies. If you look at apple for instance, they've got about $170 billion in the bank that is not being spent. [00:18:00] So it's not circulating, it's not creating a wealth and enabling people to offer products and services. Whereas most small businesses, they run extremely lean and they're spending that money pretty much as soon as they get it in and it's actually creating a stronger, more prosperous local economy. And so it's about how quickly that money is spent as well. Speaker 1:So Colin, you have a son, what kind of future are you envisioning for him with what you're doing right now? Speaker 2:Right. Yeah. So Jackson is, [00:18:30] uh, just over two years old. I'd love for him to have a future. Certainly we're where we've addressed a lot of our environmental challenges. I think those are all all looming. And then from an economic standpoint, I'd love to see just a fairer, more just systems, something that is a little bit more focused on the producers and the people that are really adding value to the economy versus the financial architects that are figuring out how to extract money. So I'd love to see a future where he and his friends [00:19:00] can, can start up their own local businesses to find the money to do it. Exactly. Community capital, just to have that support from the community where people recognize the value of the services that they're offering and the fact that they are local. Just a bit of a more connected world as far as where we all, I think idealistically believe things should go. And then where we're actually spending, Speaker 1:I'm on it. If you're just tuning in, you're listening to method to the madness on [00:19:30] k a l x Berkeley. Today I'm interviewing Colin [inaudible], CEO and founder of Shop city.com. Do you think generally speaking, Canada leans more toward community than the u s Speaker 2:I I think actually it's, it's, it's fairly similar. Uh, I think there is really a, a strong pull to community. I think, uh, ultimately everybody supports it. It's just a, again, these, uh, these big brands [00:20:00] have, have made it so frictionless to, to go in and to, you know, spend your money in. And I mean, local merchants need to do a better job as well. I mean, it's hours of operation, it's a just selection. It's all those different types of things. And, uh, so I, I think intrinsically everybody wants to shop locally, support their community. It just needs to be, if not as easy, very close to, as easy Speaker 1:to do that. When you, as a business person, beyond marketing help marketing my business, [00:20:30] do you provide other things too, like say business analysis tools or is that something you guys are staying away from? Speaker 2:Uh, so that, that's definitely on the roadmap. What we'd like to do at some point is, is be able to share the statistics across comparable. So there's always just that challenge of, uh, of data integrity and you know, sharing information that's too personal, uh, within a competitive environment. But if you have a, a similar community and [00:21:00] you can show them what's happening in another community, then there's, there's an opportunity to improve Democrat study, demographics, trends, and, and if this community to this, this was the, the outcome. Uh, I think internally within our community, there's a huge opportunity to help businesses and nonprofits close gaps. So identify places where there's a lack of service and an abundance of demand, and then the city could benefit from that. Definitely know your data says [00:21:30] you're lacking a pub or you're lacking a restaurant on this corner and it looks like it could be really successful. Speaker 2:That's right. Definitely. Yeah. And then ultimately we, we'd actually, local currency is something that's very interesting as well. So enable people to create and circulate a local currency. I mean, all that stuff's pretty far down the track, but I think in the next 10 years, things are gonna they're going to be so many stresses that we're not seeing. Right. That's right. That's what at least the futurists are saying. Yup. Do you involve students at all here? We haven't yet, but that is the plan. Yes. There's [00:22:00] a, I think, a big opportunity to build a community for the creative, uh, economy. So, so people who are building websites here in graphic design, social media, marketing, these are all services that local businesses use and need. And a lot of the challenge is really just, it's around the sales side. It's around the operational side as far as just, you know, billing goes and customer support. Speaker 2:But we, we'd really like to create a bit of a marketplace so that all of those services are fulfilled locally [00:22:30] by local creatives. And so we can, uh, help them on the sales side, connect them with the businesses that need their services, help them on the invoicing side and just maintaining customer relationships but enable them to actually fulfill the work. Right now we've, we've got, you know, people in, in Midland, we've got a couple of different satellite offices where, where people are doing that work, but ultimately we'd like it all to be done at Berkeley for the Berkeley businesses for instance. And uh, that will definitely require tech savvy, creative [00:23:00] students. I would say fulfill that demand. And how would they reach you? We've got a couple of different websites you can go to shop city.com that's got some information on the company, kind of the opportunity to open up a local market. Speaker 2:And then we've got, right now it's just a landing page woodshop california.com, which is really just more specific to the opportunity, uh, in California. And uh, he'll be able to find all the different, uh, local communities, the 430 that are, that are on there. And uh, ultimately it will aggregate all of that content [00:23:30] that's put into the California communities. They can, uh, find me on that site. All the contact forms. I uh, I'm on those lists that, that those go into a, so you could just fill out the contact form and it'll come across my awareness for sure. Creative idea. And I wonder if anyone else in the world is doing some type of in Europe or do you know of any other examples? Generally people end up doing it with a, a, a single brand. And so it doesn't become really local in the same regard that [00:24:00] our platform enables that to happen. Speaker 2:Our, our sites are only about that community and they're, they're very specific and it's really a, a grassroots bottom up approach. And it is about marketing it out in the community. That's how you drive local awareness and you drive participation. And it's difficult to do that if you don't have that local brand. And so we were fortunate that we recognize the opportunity back when domain names were a little bit more plentiful and we've certainly spent a lot of money acquiring them and, and we've taken some risks, uh, you know, dot com bust everything [00:24:30] everybody's getting out. And uh, Jim Terry for instance, he went all in one day, he bought a $50,000 worth of domain, 750 of them dropped and he bought them all. So yeah, so we've got them. Yeah. And uh, and yeah, nobody that we know of is really doing it in that same way. Speaker 2:Well, I can envision somebody like, let's say Lancaster, Pennsylvania, the Amish community where they sell their quilt. I only think they would love something like, you know, little communities like [inaudible] you can go in and, and it almost becomes a tourism draw. Yeah, that's right. [00:25:00] I think that the, the world is, is changing and, and uh, we've gone through different waves. Uh, you know, used to be a very localized world. And then, uh, ever since mass transportation, airplanes and mass communication with the television and phones, things will become more globalized. But I, I think there were really, I'll, I'll, there's a lot to be said for the original local model and then layering some of these newer technologies and opportunities on top, but to just create that stronger [00:25:30] core where we are more connected to a community, uh, I think everybody's is really longing for, for more of a connection. Speaker 2:And, uh, and I think local is really the, the, the way to do it where it's a true, authentic connection. A lot of the stuff that's just online, if it, if it's Facebook, uh, you know, some of the other, you know, channels, Twitter for instance, uh, you can reach a lot of people and you can have a frequent connection. But, uh, you know, it's not [00:26:00] the same as, as walking into a store and bumping into somebody that, you know, who intimately knows that all the same things that you do, the areas, the businesses, uh, the people, uh, the politics, all those different things. I mean, ultimately everything is still local here. You're still getting all of your services locally. And, uh, I think that that, that's where things are going over the next, uh, you know, 10, 20 years because it's, it's a lot more sustainable people. Speaker 2:Honest. I [00:26:30] think it does, you know, you're seeing people that in doing business, spending your money with them and they are with you as well. It's sort of this, that that's right. It's, it, it really is. Uh, it's, it's a lot deeper as far as the, the connection goes. I think it, it just builds a better world when people are more authentically connected to community. I saw you came in here with a book. What are you reading? It's by Michael Shuman. It's called the local economy solution. Uh, we were actually featured in the, in the book, which I'm really excited about and [00:27:00] very proud of. And, uh, it's, it's, yeah, it really, it's a, a practical book. It's a different economic and technological and business models. He calls them pollinator businesses that, uh, that really do a great job of, of building up a local economy and they're, they're sustainable financially, so they're, they're profitable models. Speaker 2:I, I did some research over the past 10 years and I've looked at the history of money. Basically. There's, there's a one documentary that really influenced my thinking, uh, called money masters. [00:27:30] And it talked about, uh, the role of money throughout the, the past millennium basically. And, uh, I think we have a really distorted view of money currently versus what it really is. Well, ultimately money, it's, it's just a, a way to account for things. It's really a debit and a credit system and we've distorted it so that it's all about finances and about, uh, kind of shifting the responsibility [00:28:00] and the control of money to the centralized organizations when it's really in the age of Bitcoin, for instance. Uh, it's really not, not going to be necessary in the future to, to delegate that control. And so, uh, by doing that, you can build just a, a tighter economy where those, those debits and credits are a lot more aligned than they aren't now. Speaker 2:Right now we've, we've got a whole bunch of leaks in the system. Really. We're, we're entrusting the control of, of that accounting [00:28:30] system basically to somebody who has the, the right and the ability to create their own debits and credits at will. And I think that that, that really does a huge disservice to the people that are actually producing things and, uh, particularly locally. And, uh, so, so yeah, really excited to, to prove out the community capital model where the, the money that comes to fund this, this operation is from the community, the, the money that is generated, returns to the community. And ultimately, yeah, to look at a, [00:29:00] a different type of accounting system that returns things a lot more freely to the community. It's a huge, huge subject. It's, it's all very recent. A lot of these new mechanisms that have been put into place. Speaker 2:And I mean they, they're not working. If you look at quantitative easing, how much money is being pumped into the economy just to keep things going at kind of the snail's pace that they are. It is a system that's broken and it needs a, a solution that that is more sustainable. That's what is really intriguing about small business. Growing up [00:29:30] in that environment, we knew where all of our dollars were going and we were very aware of the connection and of the power of spending and you would know that, okay, if I spend money with guy, he's got a project coming up to to supply it and so you just start building that. Really, I would say it's a, it's a relationship and it's an awareness and I think that's lacking in a lot of the models today. The community itself has basically been replaced with all these different networks that don't ultimately work for [00:30:00] the greater good and work for the community as a whole. Speaker 1:Colin, I really wish you luck on this and I want to thank you for being on this program. Thanks for the opportunity. Lisa, you've been listening to method to the madness, a biweekly public affairs show onK , a l ex Berkeley, celebrating bay area innovators. If you have questions or comments about the show, go to the Calex website, find method to the madness and drop us an email. You'll also find a link to previous podcasts. [00:30:30] Tune in again in two weeks at the same Speaker 4:[inaudible]. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

  As China rises to superpower status, the country is challenging the United States not just economically and politically-- but also ideologically. Its leadership is asserting its own political and economic model as an alternative to American-style democracy and capitalism-- one Beijing believes is based on its own non-Western traditions.The ancient Chinese philosopher Confucius is, according to Michael Schuman's new book, Confucius and the World He Created, critical to China's political agenda today. The Chinese Communist Party is reviving Confucius as an attempt to legitimize its authoritarian rule by linking it to the country's political history. Confucius, they believe, can also act as a bulwark against dangerous democratic ideals from the West. Whether or not this Confucian campaign succeeds will have huge implications for China's political future, its role in the world, and Beijing-Washington relations.Join New America NYC for a conversation with journalist and author Michael Shuman, along with Hua Hsu and John Bussey, on the steps it will take for Americans to contend with China in an ever-shifting world.

Our oldest pal, Michael Shuman, stops by Harsh Toke HQ in between touring the new Mini Mansions record, THE GREAT PRETENDERS (available March 23rd) to discuss growing up playing in bands with Zach Dawes and our very own Evan Weiss, selling pot to finance his first record, meeting Josh Homme and joining Queens of The Stoneage.

Why is it so hard to invest your money locally? Grassroots activists trying to build economic alternatives in the US encourage investing in the businesses in your neighborhood, instead of in far-off corporations. However, it turns out that it's not so easy to move your money; there are even laws against it in the US. Laura Flanders talks with local finance expert Michael Shuman, and profiles a grassroots success story, CERO Group, that's funding its start-up without deep pockets or Wall St cash. Find out more at grittv.org.

Hi I'm Laura Flanders of GRITtv. When it comes to elections, there's the “who” of politics and then there's the “what” of it, by which I mean what do parties and politicians actually do to win support? While they're not brilliant at covering the first, the money media in the US tend to be truly terrible at even considering the latter. The historic election in Greece is a case in point. Read the US press and you'd gather the following: Greece's new Prime Minister, Alexis Tsipras, is its youngest ever (at forty); he's “far left,” “leftist,” a “leftist political maverick,” a “tough talker” and “charismatic.” Syriza, the party he leads, is usually called “radical," "far left," "extremist” or some mix of all the above. What's it to you? As public radio's market report put it on the eve of the vote, “The potentially massive repercussions of this weekend's election in a small corner of Europe is one more risk for the world to worry about.” So there you have it. Mad leftists win. Americans better watch out. If you read a little deeper, you might get a slightly fuller picture. After five years of recession and cuts, 1.3 million Greeks – some 26% of the workforce -- are without a job; wages are down by 38%, pensions by 45 %. Almost a third of Greeks are living below the poverty line and about that many have no health insurance. Running on a pledge to roll back spending cuts and renegotiate Greece's loans, Tsipras's victory was generally described as a protest vote, or a vote against austerity, which it certainly was, but there's a bit more to it, and it's interesting. On The LF Show we had a chance to talk with a member of Syriza's Central Committee, Yiannis Bournous not long ago. It's “not charismatic speeches from balconies” that win support, he said. It's concrete help, and Syriza's offered a good deal of that to Greeks in need in the last few years. As we've reported in the past on the show, a solidarity movement has been growing in Greece in this crisis. It runs some 400 health clinics, a network of community kitchens, what they call Food Solidarity Centers and cooperative grocery stores. When the first Syriza members were elected to parliament in 2012 they voted to give 20% of their monthly salary to that movement, and as of this August, Bournous said Syriza volunteers were participating in 150 “networks of local solidarity" offering everything from free prescription drugs to free legal advice. Left or right, effective leadership is important, but it's possible, just possible, that Greek voters were swayed less by one guy's charisma than they were by hundreds of volunteers' with a daily presence in their neighborhoods. If we looked at politics that way, how would US parties rate? You can watch The Laura Flanders Show on LINKtv and TeleSUR — or subscribe to the audio podcast on GRITtv.org. This week, author Michael Shuman on why it's so hard to invest your money locally, and a poor people's cooperative that's funded its start up without deep pockets or Wall Street cash. To tell me what you think, write to: Laura@GRITtv.org.

Michael Shuman is author of several books on local economic development, an attorney, an economist, and is currently Director of Community Portals for Mission Markets. He spoke to Transition Network's Rob Hopkins.

- Michael Shuman, Author of "Local Dollars, Local Sense: How To Shift Your Money From Wall Street To Main Street..." - Please call 1-800-388-9700 for a free review of your financial portfolio

Michael H. Shuman is an economist, attorney, author, and entrepreneur, and a leading visionary on community economics. He's Director of Local Economy Programs for Neighborhood Associates Corporation, and an Adjunct Professor at Bard Business School in New York City. He is also a Senior Researcher for Council Fire and Local Analytics, where he performed economic-development analyses for states, local governments, and businesses around North America. He is credited with being one of the architects of the 2012 JOBS Act and dozens of state laws overhauling securities regulation of crowdfunding. He has authored, coauthored, or edited ten books. His three most recent books are Put Your Money Where Your Life Is: How to Invest Locally Using Solo 401ks and Self-Directed IRAs; The Local Economy Solution: How Innovative, Self-Financing Pollinator Enterprises Can Grow Jobs and Prosperity; and Local Dollars, Local Sense: How to Shift Your Money from Wall Street to Main Street. One of his previous books, The Small Mart Revolution: How Local Businesses Are Beating the Global Competition (Berrett-Koehler, 2006), received as bronze prize from the Independent Publishers Association for best business book of 2006. A prolific speaker, Shuman has given an average of more than one invited talk per week, mostly to local governments and universities, for the past 30 years in nearly every U.S. state and more than a dozen countries. Website: http://www.michaelhshuman.com  If you love this show, please leave us a review. Go to:- https://ratethispodcast.com/rate and follow the simple instructions. Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/the-dave-pamah-show/donations