Community Capitalism - 2nd Edition: How Communities Can Use Capitalism to CReate a Shared Economy that Works for Everyone

Corporate capitalism is increasingly blamed for the social, economic, and environmental decline apparent in today’s world. Millions of us hope for a more equitable society with a new shared economy in which all people have access to food, clothing, affordable housing, living-wage jobs, medical care, education, and opportunities to improve their lives together on a planet in which: • The condition of the environment is improving • Local economies are vibrant, democracy is growing stronger, a greater sense of community is developing in cities and towns, small businesses are flourishing, family farmers are profitable, poverty is in sharp decline, and children do not go to bed hungry • The economically powerful special interests that receive favorable treatment from governments are communities, rather than lobbyists for wealthy private interests • The purpose of the shared economic system is not to produce maximum profits and growth for the few, but adequate profits and sustainable growth for the good of all–to create a brighter future You may think this a utopian dream, but it is not. Community Capitalism details how we can create this shared economy anytime we want – without the need for any new legislation, any government action, or the approval of the wealthiest, most powerful elite. Most surprising is that, when used in a different way by the community itself, it is the much maligned tool of capitalism that can bring us the shared economy and society we are hoping for! In fact, it is ours for the taking! If you are open to the idea that a new beginning is possible, this just might be what you’ve been looking for.

In 1964, Michael Garjian left the farm for the university with a dream to become an inventor. From 1969 to 1999, he was granted nine worldwide patents and employed more than 400 people in his companies in the U.S. and Australia, manufacturing and distributing his inventions globally. In 1999, after concluding his manufacturing career at Neon Technology Corporation to become a social entrepreneur, he was offered the position of Director of Small Business Development at the nonprofit Valley Community Development Corporation in Western Massachusetts. From 2000 to 2005, he helped low-income entrepreneurs launch more than 60 small businesses. Garjian helped launch a tenant owned coop for the Alliance to Develop Power, a group of 10,000 very low-income individuals occupying tenant-owned apartment complexes throughout Western Mass. In 2002 he was awarded the Alliance's Champion of the Year award for his work. He is a consultant to sustainable energy companies, and is a principal in several companies involved in sustainable energy and agriculture, with a focus on advanced biofuels, and indoor agriculture. His companies produce carbon-smart agricultural products to restore food quality and soil vitality while removing carbon from the atmosphere. As a proponent of wind power, Garjian was one of three winners of the Scientific American Magazine's "Ten World Changing Videos" contest in 2010. He has been a member of the board of directors of several nonprofit organizations as well as for-profit private or publicly traded corporations. On January 1, 2000, Garjian founded E2M.org (www.e2m.org) to establish E2M, an Economic Model for Millennium 2000, a sustainable, free-market economic model based on an investment goal of adequate profits and sustainable growth for the common good. He led the establishment of a pilot E2M regional shared economy in Western Massachusetts and has received the support of local and federal elected officials, economists, educators, students, clergy, labor leaders, entrepreneurs, and community members.