Building Local Power

Institute for Local Self-Reliance

The Institute for Local Self-Reliance’s podcast presenting empowering stories and transformative ideas that break monopoly power and drive community resilience, equitable economies, and sustainable futures.

  1. AUG 21

    Internet as a Human Right: Christopher Mitchell on Community Networks

    You'd think a company with as many resources, employees, and facilities as AT&T or Comcast would have good customer service. Surely, with all the billions of dollars flowing through these businesses, there'd be some resources devoted to creating a really good customer experience, right? If only that were the case. The thing is, these telecom […]

    26 min

  2. AUG 7

    Why Solving Waste Has To Be Local: Brenda Platt on Sustainability and Community

    We hear it again and again on this show: neighborhoods that are presumed less likely to fight back are taken advantage of by huge corporations and monopolies. Through predatory decisions and massive market power, a chain grocery store erodes a historically black neighborhood into a food desert. Amazon locates a massive warehouse, and its associated […]

    30 min

  3. JUL 24

    Why Clean Energy Is Not Enough: John Farrell on Lessons from David Morris

    When ILSR co-founder David Morris published his pamphlet The Dawning of Solar Cells in 1975, nearly the only people using solar power were those in the Apollo program at NASA. Yet David saw decades into the future as he laid out a vision for community control and local ownership of a solar power system that […]

    27 min

  4. JUL 15

    The Problems You Can Solve: Stacy Mitchell on David Morris’s Legacy

    On this week's episode of Building Local Power, we continue our series honoring ILSR's co-founder David Morris, who passed away in June. One way to measure the impact of someone's work is to measure their influence on those they mentored. And if you ask Stacy Mitchell, the word "influence" isn't even sufficient for what she […]

    26 min

  5. JUL 3

    What Cities Can Do: Remembering David Morris

    Here at the Institute for Local Self-Reliance, we recently received some shocking news as we learned of the sudden passing of our beloved co-founder, David Morris. A giant in the antimonopoly field, an innovative thinker ahead of his time, and a crucial mentor to so many of us here at ILSR, David will be missed. […]

    34 min

  6. JUN 12

    Increasing Internet Access at the Speed of Trust: Sean Gonsalves on the Digital Equity Act

    The 2021 Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act represented one of the largest ever investments in broadband infrastructure. Many in the digital equity space believed the bill would go a long way to solve the digital divide. Provisions like the Digital Equity Act promised to be powerful tools in ensuring fast and reliable Internet access for […]

  7. MAY 29

    The Human Side of Government Work: Paola Santana on Procurement

    The United States government is one of the biggest purchasers in the world. Few people or entities spend more money on more goods and services. Add state and local governments to the mix, and you have a massive market with the potential for a lot of businesses to make a lot of money. The process […]

    23 min

  8. MAY 15

    The Champion of Local Champions: Recast City’s Ilana Preuss

    One way to build local power is to catalyze change directly in your community. Another, equally important method is to catalyze the catalysts. To really make change and build sustainable local economies, we need not only entrepreneurs but also people connecting entrepreneurs to each other — someone to champion the local champions. There is solid […]

    24 min
See All (145)

4.9
out of 5
96 Ratings

About

The Institute for Local Self-Reliance’s podcast presenting empowering stories and transformative ideas that break monopoly power and drive community resilience, equitable economies, and sustainable futures.

Information

  • Creator
    Institute for Local Self-Reliance
  • Years Active
    2016 - 2025
  • Episodes
    145
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Institute for Local Self-Reliance
  • Show Website
    Building Local Power

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