As a small business owner, my community’s success is my success. Traditional economic development approaches have failed community-connected businesses like mine, but the District’s Ward 8 is pioneering a new model that offers real promise.
My neighbors work at our store, and as a brick-and-mortar retailer, we rely heavily on foot traffic from local customers. Our community depends on my business, too. When I opened The Fresh Food Factory Market in 2019, Southeast D.C. was already recognized by the Department of Agriculture as having few, if any, accessible options to buy fresh fruits and vegetables and other nutritious foods. Our store puts healthy food options within reach, making it significantly easier for neighborhood residents to do what so many in other parts of our city take for granted: put wholesome food on the table that helps children grow and learn and keeps everyone healthy. When my neighbors thrive, my business thrives, and vice versa.
In traditional economic development,…
Read the full story from the Washington Business Journal.
