Local Leaders Join Together for Think Local First’s for Fixing the Future

Nevada City, CA - Think Local First brings together a panel featuring regional influencers and experts on locally-driven economies for a live discussion following this Sunday’s screening of Fixing the Future.

In Fixing the Future, host David Brancaccio (of public radio’s Marketplace and NOW on PBS) visits locations across America that are using sustainable and innovative approaches to create jobs and build prosperity, inspiring hope and renewal in spite of economic strain. These issues are particularly relevant to western Nevada County where unemployment remains above the state average, and the threat of economic drain from out-of-area chains looms.

On July 22, 2012 Nevada City and Grass Valley will join dozens of other communities across the country that have shared the film. The event takes place at the Nevada Theatre in Downtown Nevada City.

Think Local First is one of more than 50 groups around the country participating in the campaign, using Fixing the Future to encourage American communities to create resilient, local economies through innovative approaches to job creation. The panel will focus on tools, ideas and examples that focus on building local economies from the ground up.

The panelists include:

• Tim Yamauchi: EVP &CFO, PRIDE Industries, prideindustries.com

• Shea Smith: herbalist and founding member, HAAlo, haalo.org

• Mike Mooers: board of directors, Sierra Commons, sierracommons.org

• David Benson: produce manager, BriarPatch Co-op, briarpatch.coop

• Reinette Senum: founder, Sierra Roots, sierraroots.org

• John Paul, CEO: Spiral Internet, spiralinternet.com

Carol Scofield will moderate.

Preceding the live discussion, there will be pre-recorded onscreen discussion panel featuring:

• Bill McKibben: Author, environmentalist, Schumann Distinguished Scholar at Middlebury College 

• Majora Carter: Peabody Award winning broadcaster & Urban Revitalization Strategist 

• Mike Brady: CEO, Greyston Bakery & social entrepreneur 

• David Brancaccio: Host, NOW on PBS

“Small, locally-owned businesses create jobs,” says Mooers. “It’s time for us to stop looking for a silver-bullet – the one big company – to move to western Nevada County and bring us a bunch of jobs. When we focus on encouraging our vast variety of local entrepreneurs to launch their ideas, and give them the hard tools with which to do it, we will build a functional, grassroots economy - one that is too diverse to fail.”

Sierra Cinemas has generously agreed to screen the film at their Nevada theatre in partnership with Think Local First and the event’s other co-hosts: BriarPatch Co-op, Sierra Commons and Green Life Eco fest. Tickets are $8.00, and available at the Nevada Theatre box office at 401 Broad Street in Nevada City.

ABOUT THINK LOCAL FIRST, NEVADA COUNTY FOOTHILLS

Since 2008, Think Local First has worked to build a just and sustainable economy in the Western Nevada County region by connecting, promoting and strengthening locally owned, independent businesses which seek to serve the needs of customers, employees, our community and the earth. Learn more at localfirstfoothills.org, or on Facebook at facebook.com/localfirstfoothills.