on January 17, 2021
The Buy Nothing Somerville community has been enormously rewarding. I’m really grateful to have been an admin for three years now and to shepherd its monumental growth. Growth has its limits, however. Today, I built Buy Nothing Somerville (#2), a parallel group that will eventually take over as the new publicly facing Buy Nothing Somerville [...]
on January 2, 2021
Today, I made a Kiva loan to a grocer in Gisagara, Rwanda. The business is located near a refugee camp, most customers are refugees and he has hired six refugee employees.
on December 26, 2020
Today, I made a donation of books to More Than Words, which is so much more a used book store. More Than Words works with youth in the foster care system, court involved, homeless, or out of school to get them involved with different aspects of running a business. Great organization.
on November 1, 2020
Today, I finished watching the Green Loan Roundtable, hosted by the Greater Boston Association of Realtors sustainability group. The presentation by a Freddie Mac representative was particularly interesting, with empirical data on home value premiums of 3-5% for more energy efficient homes, and the lower delinquency rates for homeowners in energy-rated homes. And there is [...]
on October 26, 2020
Two years ago, I invested some savings in CNote, an intermediary that channels investment to community development financial institutions (CDFIs). I increasingly believe that such place-based investments can have a real impact. Today, I channeled more savings into my CNote account.
on October 9, 2020
Today, I attended a pitch session for the participants in the most recent cohort of Start.coop’s cooperative incubator program. Six really interesting companies and some opportunities for investors large and small.
on September 7, 2020
Today, I made a kiva loan to a soil health restoration business in Colorado. Regenerative food-waste and gardening practices will help us sequester more carbon (thus mitigate climate change) and make nutrient dense food more accessible for all. Glad to support businesses that are moving this forward.
on August 30, 2020
Today, I connected with several potential admins to chat about some potential changes to Buy Nothing Somerville. We’ve grown to over 5,500 members, which is getting a bit too large. We’ve got a plan; just have to figure out how to pull it off now.
on August 18, 2020
Today, I made a Kiva loan to an entrepreneur starting what may be the only ethnic media outlets for Pacific Islanders in the US. They intend to represent the Pacific Islander community through contemporary and islanesian indigenous music, and content from DJs and social influencers.
on June 19, 2020
Today, I made Kiva loan to Candace, a Mississippi caterer looking for a small loan to get her Black-owned, woman-owned business off the ground. Today, I also joined a city council meeting (online, of course), during which our Mayor presented the 2021 budget to the council.
