What is the
Local Business Institute?
The Local Business Institute is a nonprofit organization based in Austin, Texas that is dedicated to the creation and support of thriving, sustainable local business communities through education, research and community-building programs.
Shop Local Week is May 1-7
At the Local Business Institute, we don’t refer to businesses as the classic B to B (Business to Business) or B to C (Business to Consumer). We refer to all business as H to H (Human to Human) because that’s what local business really is. It’s easy to lose sight of...
Hope
Do you have it? Can you find it? Does it exist? These were the questions I recently asked of local business owners through 20 discussions in one on one interviews and focus groups about how local business is doing in year three of the pandemic. There were other...
Communities Make a Nation
The economic health of America lies not in the accumulation of individual wealth but in the greater exchange of dollars in local communities across the country. The current income disparity reaches far beyond individual bank accounts. The unbridled growth of the top...
More about what we do at LBI
Part think tank, part school, part national leadership, part training ground for local leadership, the Institute will be home to local leaders from across the country. Through special projects, distance learning, virtual and eventually live conferences, lectures and events, we will work to foster local, national and even global conversations around entrepreneurship and local economies. We will bring substantial resources to students of all ages and in many under-served regions, including many who are not currently engaged in education, policy work or business ownership at all.
