What is “Local Economy” anyway?

We want to build community resilience in these chaotic times and help neighbors find each other and share interesting ideas. One active and concrete response to this moment is to create a  local space where these things can happen. So here we are. Local Economy is not trying to fund our space through retail sales or event rentals (though some of those things will be available). Instead, we’re asking the community to fund the space directly through memberships. While there will be some events exclusively for members, this direct financial support will let us design programming with an eye towards building a real, inclusive community. These memberships work like they do with public radio: that is to say, they make the space available for everyone.

So… it’s a club?

Yeah, sort of. But an open door club, where the goal is to include more people in our circles of care, concern, and understanding, not … create an exclusive space based purely on monetary means. 

How much does it cost to become a member?

We’re offering three levels of membership—$20, $50, and $100 per month—which you can read about here. Here’s how we thought about pricing: it costs about as much as a no-frills gym membership. But we know that’s not nothing in this economy, and we recognize that not everyone will be able to swing it. That’s OK. We’re here to make it work and we know there are a lot of ways to contribute to a community space. Student? Social worker? Artist? Between gigs? Just reach out to us at hi@thelocaleconomy.com. We’ll work something out. NOTAFLOF!

What if no one joins?

We will be sad. And broke. 

But hundreds of people signed up to hear about memberships, so … our hopes are high. 

What if too many people join?

Have you been stealing our dreams slash nightmares?? The way we see it, the larger the collective, the more things we can do together. Lease some land to gather on and farm outside the city? Lease another urban space with different capacities? The vision is expansive.

But yes, it is theoretically possible that we will have to pause taking new members, so the space is not overwhelmed. We’re currently filing this under “We’ll Cross That Bridge When We Get There” slash “Beyond Our Wildest Expectations.” 

When are you going to be open?

At our launch, we’re going with fairly limited regular hours. We don’t want to overpromise! So, we’re planning to be open from Wednesday to Saturday from 11am to 4pm. There are also going to be many early evening events and things happening on the weekends. We are going to be monitoring whether this is meeting our members’ needs, however, and invite your feedback on this at hi@thelocaleconomy.com

What are you going to be doing in the space? 

You know that scene in Ferris Bueller, where Ferris picks up Cameron at school for their day in the city, and he says, “The question isn't 'What are we going to do?' The question is 'What aren't we going to do?'" It’s like that. Truly, though, since we announced this endeavor, dozens of people in the East Bay have reached out to work with us to host events, workshops, and clubs-within-the-club. You can check out a list of Coming Attractions. We’re really trying to have something for everyone. Elder neighbors can share their life work. Caregivers can hear a reading about the meaning of their work. Creatives can post up and do some writing. Artists and gardeners and somatic therapists, chefs and sci-fi nerds and liberation ecologists, cookbook lovers and picture-book lovers and utopian-book lovers. 

Anyway, you get the point. There’s a lot happening. Plus, we’ll have coffee from Painted Leopard, who are the coolest microroaster around, and a tightly curated, quite utilitarian retail section that does not include candles (nothing against candles, but you’ve got other options there). 

Can I host an event/meeting/something in your space?

Maybe! If you want to work directly with us to create an event at Local Economy, we’re excited to talk with you. We’re developing a little form to fill out, but in the meantime, just get in touch at hi@thelocaleconomy.com. The space is ideal for events and workshops of 10-50 people, but it can be set up in a variety of different ways. 

If you’ve already got an organization and you want to rent the space as a venue, we’re open to that, too. We’re not sure how much demand there will be for this, or how much supply we’ll have to offer once all the in-house programming gets on the calendar.  

Now for the unfun parts: Our lease dictates that we can’t be making noise after 9pm. And we don’t host parties organized by other organizations. 

Are all the events in the space going to be free for members? 

As currently envisioned, no. We’re imagining that many events that we (as Local Economy) produce will be free. But there are a variety of artists, creatives, teachers, and others who want to host workshops and do other things as part of their work. We want them to get paid. Our commitment is to offer the space at the lowest possible cost to people in the community, and to make sure that we’re fostering a healthy ecosystem around LE. 

All that said, there’s gonna be a ton of free stuff for members and the broader community. 

Are there going to be members-only events?

Yes, some. We’re approaching this from a place of inclusivity, but there are some meetings, workshops, and events that will make sense to do only with people who have officially joined the community.

I don’t have the money right now to join, but I want to be a part of the community. Would it be possible to do some kind of volunteering in exchange for a membership?

Totally. Get in touch with us at hi@thelocaleconomy.com and just tell us a bit about your situation and we’ll figure out something that feels mutually good.

Who funds this thing? 

It’s just us, partners in life and community, Sarah Rich and Alexis Madrigal, working through the Department of Invisible Labor LLC. 

So, you’re not a non-profit? 

Nope. And we don’t intend to become one. In our ideal scenario, this idea works as a simple small business that generates much-needed community.

After we get established, we are considering some different governance options for members, though, as you often see in long-established clubs. 

There will be a monthly members meeting, and we can foresee different working groups, if and when we all decide to take on some projects together. Alexis is particularly excited about leasing farmland together, but if we really do end up with hundreds of members, there will be incredible possibility and power in that collective to do many things. 

If I’m a member, can I work in the space when it’s open? 

Yup. We’re shying away from calling this a coworking space because … we don’t really want people doing Zoom calls and setting up their monitors and keyboards, you know? But we DO want people to feel like they don’t have to be isolated in their various houses and apartments or crammed into corners at coffeeshops. Our general rule here is: if you would do a kind of work in a coffee shop, you could almost certainly do that work at Local Economy. 

This is also an area where we’re very open to feedback and will evolve to serve our community best. 

Is there a family membership? 

Not exactly. We’re hoping that families choose the “FAM” option, if there is more than one person who is planning to use the space a lot. But we’re not being intense about it. Use your discretion, you know?