We’re accustomed to thinking of stinger-enhanced bees as pollinators, but Michael Shuman says there’s a whole different type of pollinator than can add zing to your community’s economic development practices.

Shuman – an economist, attorney, author, and entrepreneur – says that locally-owned businesses can deliver far more economic development impact than global corporations, and at a lower cost. This can be accomplished by taking advantage of business “pollinators” – self-financing enterprises committed to boosting local business by undertaking one or more of five key economic development functions – business planning, local purchasing, entrepreneurship, business partnerships, and local investment.

Come to Shuman’s Thursday morning general session to hear business pollinator success stories and how you can deploy this model in your own community. Get the details.