Suggestions
Amy J.
Strategic Leader | Building Inclusive and Restorative Economic Ecosystems | Food Systems & Gender Equity
Amy Jermain is an accomplished international consultant with extensive experience in economic development. With a passion for social impact projects and building programs that help vulnerable populations participate in the economy, Jermain is a systems thinker with an ability to synthesize strategy into feasible programming in environments that are non-linear and ever-changing. She brings a wealth of experience in strategic planning, project management, capacity building, partnership building, program design, non-profit governance, process improvement, performance measurement, stakeholder consultations, training, and needs assessment. Jermain has an equity lens and is culturally competent with a reputation for high integrity and a compassionate approach. She is comfortable working in international environments, fluent in French, and has undertaken work in Europe, Africa, Latin America, and Southeast Asia. Her past clients include the UN, IKEA, Mastercard, and various donor organizations. She is UN-trained in reports officer and child protection agent, and she is UNDSS security in the field certified.
Highlights
I recently had the privilege to work with a fun and exciting new economic development initiative out of Columbia, South Carolina. I was brought in to support the development of two entities and forge their strategy for creating the change they wanted to see in their city while crafting a creative and sustainable financial strategy. Made with Cola Love and Cola Love have taken off and I wanted to share the hard work and supreme love and care these organizations took to embody community centered economic development that centers humans and our collective love and life joy. We designed a Theory of Change around the problem they were trying to solve and identified the components that each entity was going to take on as outcomes to amplify the impact, tackling it from multiple different angels with different business structures and different missions.
Made with Cola Love is a 501c3 nonprofit organization, activating and mentoring ‘creative hospitality’ entrepreneurial endeavors in their community with experiential learning via pop-up activations. Emerging entrepreneurs also receive skills building and education so they can be more successful, learning as they go. Such a cool and modern approach to helping folks out while they are experiencing the ups and downs of business ownership! https://lnkd.in/gteCyMGy
Cola Love is an LLC focused on providing the economic development expertise, advocacy and thought partnership that would work with city leadership to collaborate and test out new ideas and more community centered approaches to its inevitable and upcoming growth. They love their city and want the talent and the voices and the creativity that is there to lead the city into its next iteration, with more art, more food, more love and more opportunity for all. https://www.colalove.co/
Please give them a follow. Go check out the mission/vision/values work we did on their websites.
I really believe if institutions took more time to partner with their communities through organizations that represent them well, with care and intention, then we can have a powerful effect on the type of growth our neighborhoods and cities invest in. Cola Love is a prime example of small efforts that catalyze big wins from humans that care. I am proud to be their Strategist, to be in community with them and I hope you are also inspired by the possibilities. Reach out and let’s chat about your hopes and aspirations for your city.
Nell Fuller Julie Tuttle Mara Zepeda
Just wanted to stop by to toot someone's horn. I love reading about the good work of the colleagues I get to align myself to everyday. John Boyle is no exception. The work he does with his team at Market of Choice in supporting small local makers in Oregon is nothing short of astounding. This family-owned, locally-owned grocer goes out of its way to support the growth and development of these small makers by providing them shelf space in grocery where they would rarely be able to access at their stage of growth. They provide critical support in areas like distribution and promotions, a barrier for most small businesses in getting their product to markets that provide meaningful sales (that all important last mile of the supply chain).
Thank you Progressive Grocer for highlighting the MOJO program and sharing some of our best practices in Oregon as a shining example for other grocers wanting to make a difference with their power.
https://lnkd.in/gshsBEY7
John, horn tooted. Well deserved!
