Join ASBC, AMIBA and your colleagues nationwide for this ground-breaking, opportunity to learn, share best practices and expand the Local Economy Movement to play our role in the most pressing issues our communities face today.

Bring your business owners and local leaders, and use this opportunity to build a shared strategy for growing our inclusive local economies.MaryAnne Howland,Chair, ASBC’s Race & Equity Working Group;Founder and CEO, Global Diversity Leadership Exchange will give a presentation on”Racial Equity and theLocal Economy Movement.”

As the most personalized local-level providers of goods and services to our communities, independent local businesses have the greatest potential to impact the everyday life-experiences of the individuals in our communities. Successful business owners come from all backgrounds, and they offer an extraordinarily diverse range of approaches and solutions. As communities nationwide grapple with the dual challenges of a persistent pandemic and increasing awareness of racial inequities, local independent businesses can play a central role in reclaiming the health and inclusive resilience of our local economies — if they get the support that they need.

With a fast-paced mix of speakers, breakout sessions, networking opportunities and pre-and post- conference strategy development, these two afternoons will equip you to lead an effective Local Economy Movement in your community – one that helps independent businesses from all backgrounds to survive and thrive in a new normal.

As the historic effects of the nation’s COVID-19 outbreak continue to impact the businesses we know, love, and run, we anticipate this year’s national convening of worker cooperatives will be our most important conference to date. Responding to this crisis requires collective action capable of rebuilding an economy that values workers, honors collective fates, and centers equity.

Therefore, we’re shifting to hosting a virtual 2020 Worker Co-op Conference, including online sessions and topical gatherings this September. The in-person Worker Co-op Conference will still be held in Philadelphia, in 2021. We will relish meeting up with event attendees in real life next year. We are excited about the possibilities for this year’s online convening, and look forward to sharing more information in the coming weeks.

One of the main ways we can create more fair and just legislation is by voting for officials who will drive change. However, voter suppression – especially in Black and Brown communities – has proven to be a major area of concern and systemic oppression.

The Protecting the Election working group, a section of ASBC’s Race and Equity Working Group, addresses central voting issues such as access to polls, vote-by-mail reliability, bridging the generational gap that defines if and how people vote, and how grassroots organizations can continue to make positive change regardless of what federal policies may dictate. Join us for a Town Hall on Protecting the Election on Thursday, August 27th to learn what you can do as a leader in the business community to increase voter turnout. Voting is our pathway to bring racial equity to the forefront of legislation, and to therefore build a more fair and prosperous economy and society.

The Town Hall on Protecting the Election will be hosted by MaryAnne Howland, Chair of ASBC’s Race and Equity Working Group. Speakers will include Tequila Johnson, Co-founder and VP of The Equity Alliance, and Mark Hanis, Co-founder of Inclusive America and Progressive Shopper.

One of the main ways we can create more fair and just legislation is by voting for officials who will drive change. However, voter suppression – especially in Black and Brown communities – has proven to be a major area of concern and systemic oppression.

The Protecting the Election working group, a section of ASBC’s Race and Equity Working Group, addresses central voting issues such as access to polls, vote-by-mail reliability, bridging the generational gap that defines if and how people vote, and how grassroots organizations can continue to make positive change regardless of what federal policies may dictate. Join us for a Town Hall on Protecting the Election on Thursday, August 27th to learn what you can do as a leader in the business community to increase voter turnout. Voting is our pathway to bring racial equity to the forefront of legislation, and to therefore build a more fair and prosperous economy and society.

The Town Hall on Protecting the Election will be hosted by MaryAnne Howland, Chair of ASBC’s Race and Equity Working Group. Speakers will include Tequila Johnson, Co-founder and VP of The Equity Alliance, and Mark Hanis, Co-founder of Inclusive America and Progressive Shopper.

One of the most pivotal and important presidential elections of our time is just a few short months away – but thousands of Americans face barriers to voting, especially given the limitations from COVID-19. Our responsibility as business leaders to break down these voting barriers is now at its most urgent.

Voting access is inextricably tied to racial equity: votes from Black and Brown communities are those most often suppressed. The reality of this structural racism is outrageously unjustand stands in direct opposition to our values of dignity and respect for the voices of Black, Indigenous, and People of Color, and our commitment to creating an equitable economy for all.

We look forward to seeing you at this very important Protecting the Election section of ASBC’s Race & Equity Working Group on August. 27th

An overview on creating a more inclusive economy through Greyston’s Open Hiring model.

COVID-19 and the recent outcry for racial justice have amplified the need for businesses to do more than turn a profit and issue statements. It’s time for business leaders to put words into action and walk the walk.

How can companies rebuild an economy that’s more supportive for those who’ve been left out?

Learn how resources can be better spent investing in employees rather than screening them out. Open Hiring – no resumes, no background checks, no interviews – removes unnecessary barriers to employment and provides marginalized populations with real opportunities to prosper.

Since 1982, Greyston Bakery has opened its doors to people who ordinarily face rejection, transforming lives and communities, and breaking the cycles of poverty in the process. Today, we are scaling our mission to impact the millions of people facing barriers to employment.
Topics to be discussed include:

• Key Elements of Open Hiring
• Success Stories – Hear from The Body Shop about its success implementing the model
• Business and Social Impacts
• Employer Concerns/Mitigating Risk

Participants also will be encouraged to reflect on the viability of Open Hiring as a possible staffing solution in their organizations.
Come discover how to create a level playing field for all.

The growth of economic inequality over the past decade has convinced millions of Americans that our economy is failing them. For many, the link between hard work and reward has grown more fragile, creating retirement insecurity and depressing the entrepreneurial spirit that creates companies and helps them to thrive. There is good news though! Worker-owned companies are expanding at a rapid pace. Cooperatives, employee stock owned companies (ESOPs), union co-ops, and other hybrid models are taking hold in every economic sector and helping to redefine capitalism.

As the ASBC ‘Making Capitalism Work for Fall’ Summit (Dec 10-11) will highlight, the era of shareholder primary is being replaced by a focus on how a broader set of stakeholders can own a piece of the economy. Worker-owned companies have a track record of increasing wages, strengthening local economies, and saving companies that otherwise might close. Also, they’re resilient. During the Recession, they had fewer layoffs, higher survival rates, higher productivity, less turnover, and faster recoveries. Worker-owned companies allow more Americans to share in a company’s success. Also, when workers buy a company, they buy equity in the business. And, the decision-making process is more democratic and inclusive.

Join us on October 24th to learn about:

• Current trends in the worker ownership movement,
• Federal, state and local legislative efforts to support worker owned companies,
• The culture of leadership within worker owned companies,
• The benefits of worker ownership to communities, retirement security, and creating a sense of belonging.

Presenters:

• Doug O’Brien, President and CEO, National Cooperative Business Association
• Matt Gomez, Counsel, House Small Business Committee, Chairwoman Nydia M. Velázquez (D-NY)
• Dan Wolf, President, Cape Air; Former Massachusetts State Senator
• Michael Peck, 1worker1vote co-founder/executive director; ASBC Board Secretary

Worker-owned businesses are neither radical nor partisan. The Main Street Ownership Act, signed into law in 2018, was supported by Republicans and Democrats. To restore prosperity for all, we need to spread the benefits of economic growth to entrepreneurial citizens through profit-sharing and the ownership of capital. If the middle class is to survive, we must move toward a more inclusive capitalism.