PFE Podcast – S2E5 Centering Place in Sustainability

Welcome to Episode 5 of Season 2 of the People First Economy Podcast. A podcast that brings insight into how our business community, and our partners are all working towards building and participating in a People First Economy. In this episode of the podcast, you’ll hear our two directors here at PFE, Kathleen Roark and Alice Jasper, talk about about the meaning of PLACE and place-based movements (ie. localism, which has a focus of building stronger local communities, organizations, and over all a stronger local economy) and how it ties into the broader sustainability movement which aims to enhance businesses and greater society in a way that is better for all. Our two main programs at People First Economy (Local First of West Michigan and Good For Michigan) center both of these ideas, and they overlap in so many ways. We’re excited to bring you this conversation that highlights the concepts and ideas that fuel our work!

Recent Blog Posts

March 13, 2025

Local First Workshop: How Photography Drives Visual Marketing Recap

A picture is worth a thousand words. That’s the saying that we are all familiar with. When it comes to…
Learn More
January 6, 2025

Resolve to Use Your Business as a Force For Good in 2025

If you’ve been following the Good For Michigan program for a while, you know we’re all about helping companies start and continue…
Learn More
January 5, 2025

Keep Your Money Close to Home: Support Local Businesses in 2025

As we step into 2025, it's time to take a closer look at the way we spend our hard-earned money…
Learn More
December 16, 2024

An Interview With Carlos Martinez, President of People First Economy

Interview by Steven Assarian, Business and Career Librarian View the original interview here. People First Economy is a business support…
Learn More
December 16, 2024

Celebrate 15 Years with Aldea Coffee, MI B Corp

November 2024 marked the 15th anniversary of Aldea Development, Aldea Coffee's nonprofit arm! What an amazing milestone for everyone involved.…
Learn More
December 9, 2024

World of Winter with Downtown Grand Rapids Inc.

The holiday season is well underway and 2025 is just over the horizon. For many people, small businesses included, the…
Learn More