Michelle Long

Michelle Long is the executive director of Sustainable Connections, a business network in northwest Washington State made up of more than 600 locally owned independent businesses and organizations committed to buying local first, a healthy environment, meaningful employment, and a strong community. She has founded and run several businesses and organizations that focus on supporting mission-driven small and medium-sized business, including coordinating BALLE in its first two years of operation, and co-founding Viatru (aka World2Market). Her organization's work has been featured in places such as CNN, USA Today, the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, NPR, Orion, In Business, and Grist. She is a regular speaker about local living economies and sustainable economic development, and gives workshops on creating Think Local First campaigns, running successful grassroots non-profit organizations, and forming local business networks.