Our Story
2003
An informal group of business owners gathers around the idea that local ownership matters.
2007
Elissa Sangalli is hired as the Executive Director of Local First.
2008
The first local business directory is printed.
2012
Local First merges with the Lakeshore Independent Business Alliance (LIBA) and starts working with B Lab, a global organization in charge of B Corp certification
2013
Local First and B Lab create a shortened version of the B Impact Assessment, and collaborates with the City of Grand Rapids to launch MyGRCityPoints
2017
Local First launches Good For Grand Rapids to highlight the businesses going through the Quick Impact Assessment
2018
Good for Grand Rapids goes statewide and becomes Good For Michigan.
2023
Southeast Michigan Sustainable Business Forum merged with People First Economy.
2020
Local First takes its first steps into becoming People First Economy.
2021
People First Economy launches the Impact Project now renamed to People First Policy.
2025
People First Economy becomes the parent entity of Local First, Good For Michigan, and People First Policy.
Along the way, we've formed the People First Economy core values to guide our team in the work we do alongside our business community.
Core Value 1
Accessibility
We create accessibility to a socially and environmentally resilient economy for all people. We prioritize justice, equity, diversity, inclusion, (JEDI) and anti-racism through public learning, transparency, and community building.
Core Value 3
Stakeholder Governance
People and the planet must be of equal, or higher, value than short-term profits.
Core Value 2
Accountability
We challenge economic and systemic structures that inhibit equity by holding ourselves and our partners accountable to data and community-informed metrics.
Core Value 4
Interdependence
We collaboratively foster thriving, interdependent economic ecosystems, rooted in human-scale relationships.
We are a 1% for the Planet Environmental Partner
Environmental Partners are organizations working for the benefit of people and the environment, with missions that span across a wide range of impacts, from ensuring vulnerable communities have rights to land to reducing the environmental impact of cities.
1% for the planet members make support directly to approved Environmental Partners and can certify donations as part of their annual commitment.
The 1% for the Planet® logo is on millions of products and services worldwide, featured widely and is growing in awareness every day. In short: this globally recognized, trusted platform gives your giving even more power.
1% for the Planet® Environmental Partners work on a diverse range of environmental problems, ensuring a multifaceted approach to our planet’s most pressing issues.
1% for the Planet accelerates smart environmental giving.
1% for the Planet works to prevent greenwashing, certify reputable giving and provide accountability for environmental giving.
Why 1% of annual sales? For businesses of any size, 1% of sales—not profits—is a real and substantial commitment. You can always give more but you should never give less than 1%
Currently, only 3% of philanthropic giving goes to the environment. Our planet needs more support and the 1% for the Planet® network is on a mission to change that.
The 1% for the Planet® membership model drives critical philanthropic support to address the most urgent environmental issues of our time.
1% for the Planet is a global network with thousands of businesses and environmental organizations working together to support people and the planet.
Creating an economy that works for everybody
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Creating an economy that works for everybody 〰️
We are intentional in our practices to be an organization inclusive of ethnic, racial, cultural, gender, age, religious, disability, family status, sexual orientation and socio-economic diversity in all areas from membership to hiring.
Justice, Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Statement
Justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion are values that People First Economy, as well as programs Local First and Good For Michigan, embrace in order to lead the development of an economy grounded in local ownership that meets the basic needs of all people, builds equitable local wealth and social capital, functions in harmony with our ecosystem, and encourages joyful community. It is our belief that such an economy cannot be fully realized if people are excluded from full and fair participation as a result of racism, poverty, discrimination, cultural ignorance, bias or other conditions of exclusion.
These values also guide our commitment to becoming a local leader in advocating for locally owned businesses as a means to eliminate conditions of exclusion and promote ownership, community wealth and economic equity among all people.
Therefore, we are intentional in practices that are inclusive of ethnic, racial, cultural, gender, age, religious, disability, family status, sexual orientation and socio-economic diversity in the areas of hiring, membership, board governance, volunteering, contracting and vending.
Justice, diversity, inclusion and equity values will also guide our communications, events, forums and programs to ensure the authentic presence, participation and perspectives of all communities. In addition, People First Economy and the programs within are committed to continuous improvement in promoting sustainable justice, diversity, inclusion and equity practices through our board recruitment, Equal Opportunity Employment Policy and other future commitments.
Through our strategic planning work, E3 Equity, Environments of Inclusion and Engagement with Diverse Communities Training and other awareness activities, we hold ourselves to the learning and leadership that will make our values become reality.
Lastly, we look to these guiding definitions of justice, diversity, inclusion and equity as inspiration and instruction in our work to make our region and state nationally recognized for its quality of life, diverse entrepreneurial energy, beautiful environment, and unique local culture.