all together . better
WEconomy – an economy for the rest of us. A new socioeconomic paradigm powered by a revolutionary set of tools built to restore thriving regional economies.Because, as each boom/bust/bailout illustrates, "Profit at all cost, costs us all"™
make it . own it
finally
WEconomy powers local economies by unleashing a truly FREE MARKETplace where residents are literally paid to buy & sell locally made and offered goods & services.“The WEconomy works the same for farmers, producers, consumers, creators, small businesses and service providers...all over the state, not just at one site."
offshoring . outsourcing . brain-drain
here
Remember when Made In USA was a global mark of quality?
Imagine if all you needed was all you wanted...and it was all made, bought and sold locally...by your family, friends and neighbors. Because that's how most of the world still works."Take back your community and your health. A higher Quality of Life...right here, in your hometown."
buy local . prosper
Choice
We chose to build a better union.
We chose to put a man on the moon.
We can choose a more equitable economy. Together"European cathedrals still standing after 1000 years were built by the people, not funded by church, state or even aristocracy. Imagine what we could build now if money were not as issue. In our WEconomy, it isn't."
Meaningfull . employment
Purpose
Innovating for over 25 years in EdTech, Venture Development and Community Building, we have harnessed enabling technologies and democratizing trends in alternative finance that bypass vulture capitalism and predatory lending, springing communities in crisis into self-reliance, despite artificial federal austerity measures.But thriving, resilient communities require more than just economic stimulus—they must feature real-world entrepreneurship support and meaningful employment opportunities.
Weconomy . Leadership
WEconomy was made possible only through selfless volunteerism by a group of senior executives with hundreds of years combined experience building and running non-profit and for-profit companies.Recognizing that American Capitalism is broken and no longer serves a vast majority of Americans, our leadership and advisors spent over a decade researching how communities throughout history flourished, long before national currencies existed. And now, despite the current system, we know that local economies counterbalance weak national economies, especially in times of crisis."WEconomy now opens up a parallel, complementary economy for all, paving the road to prosperity by fueling commerce, offering guidance and building resilience into any size community."
TIME IS NOW . ACT
Re-engineering society to the benefit of the most is reachable in our lifetime and we need people with (com)passion to join us in introducing the power of WEconomy to uplift and (re)build their communities, now. Together."We welcome your thoughts and hope you join us"
WHAT is a WEconomy?A WEconomy is a resilient, sustainable local economy that emerges by employing the principles of the SCF, a new economic framework designed to provide the necessary ingredients to restore communities in crisis.Over a decade of research yielded detailed evidence of how prosperous communities historically thrived, and continue to, without the constraints and limitations of modern financial models.The SCF (Sustainable Communities Framework) now brings these successes into modern context primarily via three breakthrough technologies: 1) a truly free marketplace open to all residents that actually pays its users to transact with each other; 2) a venture & workforce development ecosystem featuring incubation, acceleration, and training programs; 3) a freely available digital community currency (local dollars) issued through trusted, local non-profits. These three assets, together, support regional innovation, meaningful employment, ample nutrition and sustainable prosperity.More detail on WEconomy's three foundational pillars:1. A truly FREE MARKETplace™ where residents freely list their goods & services for sale & hire, for free.• WEconomy will even pay residents just to try out the platform and introduce its benefits to their friends and neighbors! Because local money, and the profits it generates, stays local longer, ample community capital is created that can be shared more equitably among its stakeholders.• WEconomy is “Better than Barter”™, not only for the convenience of the online marketplace, but digital payments can be used at any business wishing to expand their customer base. And, unlike profits at big box and chain stores where franchise fees, revenue and profits are extracted to corporate banking centers domestic and abroad, WEconomy currencies enjoy what's known as the "Local Multiplier Effect", circulating often even more than 4x longer than US dollars.2. A powerful Entrepreneurship & Workforce Development platform, whether utilized physically or virtually, providing all the resources found in tech hubs.• If you have an idea, you'll have the tools and guidance to take it to market. Our Entrepreneurship programs have been refined over decades, supporting entrepreneurs by providing critical resources for the startup process, including incubation, mentorship and even fundraising after you've proven your project is market-ready,• If you have a small business, our online “roadmaps” guide innovators and job creators in growing their ideas and businesses safely before risking other people's money. And when it is finally wise to seek outside investment, we can even show you how to thank your customers most—by sharing your success with them—as shareholders of a business they already support.• Support from both global experts and area mentors, are valuable contributors motivated to perform by competitive pay, generous incentives, and a deep sense of pride. Breaking through this common roadblock allows more talent to stay local, build legacy enterprises, generational wealth, and help their communities avoid crippling “brain drain”.• Businesses founded, funded and grown locally keep more neighbors employed and keep more profits local, not sending off homegrown capital to Wall Street brokers and offshore tax havens.• Our Workforce development and training programs build in-demand skills and relevant work experience, helping businesses avoid mis-hires which can have devastating effects to both teams and a company's competitiveness.• All this access to local capital expands local production capacity and increases regional GDP.3. A first-ever digital community currency is used in the marketplace to pay for goods and services made or offered locally.• Local currencies are a historic standard and still popular all over the world, but WEconomy money is even easier to earn and spend. Freely available to all residents, there are no means tests, no FICO scores, no collateral, no subjective or artificial hurdles.• WEconomy currencies are simply a medium of exchange, on par with the US dollar, no different than things you likely use already, like grocery coupons, loyalty rewards, or airline mileage awards.• Your WEconomy balance can be used in more places than just at a “buy local” campaign participant's shop. You can spend your WEconomy money just as you shop online now—same as using a debit card. And with vendors who do business outside the FREE MARKETplace online, you can pay them Venmo style, with a digital “wallet” on your smartphone, or a debit card with a QR code. And better than gift cards or paper coupons, you can’t lose WEconomy money!• Blocks of WEconomy grants are issued to and administered by qualified, stable, local non-profits and organizations you already know and trust, and who live in your community and share your goals. These organizations will donate money for community projects, make personal and business loans that match their mission, hire locals to implement plans, offer pay to vital volunteers a living wage and expand their organization's impact.
WHY are we here?Because we all know the current economic system is broken.• 3 individuals hold more wealth than 50% of all Americans combined (tax policy)• 90% of US jobs have been outsourced since 1980 (trade policy)• Creating public money is reserved for private banks (fiscal policy)• 50% of Americans can’t get loans to start businesses to improve their lives or their communities (banking policy)So, do you think your political representatives have your best interest at heart?• The rules of elections, banking, taxation and trade are written by the same politicians commonly entering congress as median earners, yet most "coincidentally" become millionaires within two years of “public” service. What exactly are they teaching at the Capitol?Are you better off than your parents?• 72% of Americans are not, and that # has increased 15% in just two years.Will you leave your children better off than you?• Barely half of Americans own stock, more than half have less than $5000 in savings.Do you have enough money to pay your bills, much less chase your dreams?• 63% of Americans live paycheck to paycheck, and most will not qualify for an affordable loan.Do you love your job?• Most Americans surveyed say they only keep a job they hate because they literally cannot afford to lose their health insurance (that they can hardly afford to use anyway).• USA, the richest country in the history of the world, spends more per person on healthcare than any other country, yet American infant mortality is at 3rd world standards and our life expectancy has been shrinking for years, despite paying more, individually, for insurance than anywhere else.Do you believe that multinational mega-corporations are good for/to Americans? • CEOs now make 400x more than their workers. In 1965 it was 24x.• Corporations have never been larger or more profitable than right now.So, is American Capitalism really working for you?• Americans’ purchasing power has not risen since 1964.• Yet the richest 400 Americans now own 60% of US wealth. (https://mkorostoff.github.io/1-pixel-wealth/)So, does that help you see that status quo is not working for you. . .or for the vast majority of Americans? Because, if you weren't there to see it firsthand, quality of life was better for everyone, when everyone felt they had a fair chance. What if there was another economy built for the rest of us?• There is. WElcome to the WEconomy.
HOW is WEconomy so different from the U.S. economy?For starters, our truly “FREE MARKETplace" takes bartering into the 21st century by allowing anyone to shop for anything...without U.S.dollars. You can even open a shop of your own and sell anything you have or make. WEconomy will even pay you just to try it out!WEconomy money is available to anyone in the region in numerous ways, including getting paid to do the important work that volunteers otherwise do for free, earning a living wage, seeking grants, taking loans or just finding out what's on offer in the marketplace using a local currency you can even purchase with U.S. dollars, for the same price.By contrast, in the US, private banks currently own the privilege of creating new money (by borrowing your tax dollars from the Federal Reserve and then lending it back to you, or not, based on their sole assessment of the risk you pose to their collecting sufficient profits from your repayment.But many Americans are shocked to learn that there is no law against anyone creating money. In fact, Americans have always used "complementary" currencies. Also known as "local", "community" or "virtual" currencies, these people's currencies take shape in the form of grocery coupons, airline miles and buy local campaigns--things we all use happily every day. NOTE: These are not "crypto" currencies—they can not be speculated on or lose value. They're just like U.S. dollars, only digital, and limited to use within a WEconomy.In contrast to what our textbooks insist is already a "free market" economy (hint: it is by no means free), WEconomy's FREE MARKETplace is like if Craigslist was safer, or if Facebook took payments, or if eBay sold only goods and services sourced locally, or if Bezos didn’t horde billions (without paying taxes) by selling cheap stuff on Amazon made by slave labor in China.“Want something you saw online? Check your FREE MARKETplace first, because a neighbor may have it for sale, too. And not only can you pay for it with WEconomy money, but that money then stays local and multiplies, enriching the local economy, not evaporating on Wall Street or to hidden accounts in foreign banks.”
The graphic below illustrates how a WEconomy circular economy can fuel prosperity even in one of America's most distressed communities.
