Global Perspective. Local Impact.

Someone recently asked me, “How did your perspective change because of your Peace Corps service?” It was a simple question, but it brought me back to the communities, entrepreneurs, and local economies that helped shape the foundation of what would eventually become Center for Community Wealth.

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I have always carried an innate desire for a better world. But during my Peace Corps service, that desire became sharper, more grounded, and more connected to a deeper understanding of how economic systems shape people’s daily lives. I saw how opportunity is too often limited not by talent, creativity, or work ethic, but by whether people have access to capital, relationships, markets, infrastructure, and decision-making power.

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I also learned something powerful from the entrepreneurs with whom I worked. I learned that there is, in fact, enough for everyone. In community-rooted economies, success is not built through extraction or isolation. It is built through relationship, reciprocity, and shared investment. I saw businesses take care of community because community took care of the business. I saw entrepreneurs make decisions not only based on profit, but on family, neighbors, culture, dignity, and collective well-being.

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Those lessons stayed with me. They inspired me to imagine a more connected ecosystem where entrepreneurs, cooperatives, institutions, neighbors, and community leaders are not working in silos, but building something together. Today, CCW carries that vision forward by supporting BIPOC entrepreneurs, immigrant business owners, worker-owners, cooperatives, and community-rooted small businesses through coaching, technical assistance, peer networks, procurement support, and ecosystem-building.

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Our impact is not only measured in businesses launched, contracts won, or training hours provided. It is measured in confidence, relationships, shared leadership, ownership, and the belief that our economy can be redesigned to help everyone thrive.

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That kind of impact requires all of us. Every purchase, contract, referral, partnership, and investment is an opportunity to decide what kind of economy we are building. When we choose local, community-rooted businesses, we help create more stable families, stronger neighborhoods, dignified work, and wealth that stays in our communities. Together, we can move from believing a better economy is possible to building it, one decision at a time. Join us in turning every choice into lasting impact for local businesses, families, and communities!

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‍Yessica shares more about her journey on a recent podcast. Click to 17:00 to hear her story!

EP 8: Primary Predictions, Bow Mar Gates, Community Wealth | Politics is Personal with Leslie + Cole

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