Jim is an infill developer and sustainable development advisor based in Sonoma County, California. Known for his aspirational but practical approach, he works with a range of tools and best practices to communicate the value of inspired design and sustainability within the realities of local market norms. With over forty years experience as an urban designer, land planner, … [Read more...] about I finally found my tribe.
Creative economy
New markets for main street.
NuMarket was born out of the pandemic. Ross Chanowski founded the social crowdfunding platform in 2020 because he felt there wasn’t a way for communities to purposefully support the survival and growth of their local businesses. In an interview with The Boston Globe, Ross said that he wanted to develop a way for customers to meaningfully support the businesses they love while, … [Read more...] about New markets for main street.
Skylight studios.
Stephanie Blake is the CEO of Skylight Studios and an historian at heart. That’s what she studied at Yale, much to her parents’ dismay. They didn’t understand how she could leverage history into a career. But she has. In a big way. Skylight Studios has built a business on taking short-term leases on large, derelict buildings to transform them into venues, often for fashion … [Read more...] about Skylight studios.
Reclaiming your Community.
Majora Carter's career as urban revitalization strategist has spanned environment, economy, social mobility, and real estate development. Her work has won major awards in each sector, including a MacArthur 'genius' Grant and Peabody Award winning broadcaster. Majora’s words -- “Nobody should have to move out of their neighborhood to live in a better one" -- are inscribed on … [Read more...] about Reclaiming your Community.
Amped Kitchens.
In 2015, Mott Smith pivoted his development focus towards commercial food prep and co-founded Amped Kitchens. At the time, Los Angeles’ food industry was expanding rapidly and he saw an opportunity to provide turnkey food production space to both new startups and existing food companies. It took two years, working with the L.A. County, the Department of Public Health, food … [Read more...] about Amped Kitchens.