A Summit on Small Business and Sustainability
Berlin, Germany – September 17th & 18th, 2011
Hello Etsy: A Summit on Small Business and Sustainability is a hands-on gathering for small business owners who want to connect with their peers, learn the skills to find success and independence, and be part of the movement to build human-scale economies.
Decades of an unyielding focus on economic growth and a corporate mentality has left us ever more disconnected with nature, our communities, and the people and processes behind the objects in our lives. We think this is unethical, unsustainable, and unfun. However, with the rise of small businesses around the world we feel hope and see real opportunities: Opportunities for us to measure success in new ways… to build local, living economies, and most importantly, to help create a more permanent future.
Join us, and learn the skills to help you succeed with your small business and hear the words that will inspire you do so.
Areas of Discussion
The conference will be organized loosely around the entire process of coming up with an idea, turning it into a product, taking it to market, and building a business that is mindful and sustainable. Accordingly, the sessions will fall into one of four tracks listed below. Inspirational sessions will be held for all in attendance, and are followed by a variety of hands-on workshops that will take place in the smaller rooms around the venue. The goal of the conference is to both educate and inspire.
The Big Picture
The why and how of human-scale economies
The Product
What you make and how you make it
The Business
The nuts and bolts of establishing and running your micro-enterprise
The Market
Getting your product or service out there.
The Participants
Among this year’s participants are:
Chad Dickerson, CEO of Etsy.com
Douglas Rushkoff, author of Life Inc.
Natalie Chanin, founder and designer of sustainable fashion and housewares company, Alabama Chanin
Tom Hodgkinson, author of the books How to Be Free and How to Be Idle
Michiel Schwarz, author of the book Sustainism Is The New Modernism
Moritz Grund, co-founder of the Sustainable Design Center Berlin
Ulla-Maaria Engestrom, founder and CEO of Thinglink
Marco Clausen, director and founder of the community agriculture project, Prinzessinnengarten
Charlie Festa, former community director at Threadless.com
Jakob Berndt, co-founder of LemonAid Beverages
Emma Jones, founder and CEO of Enterprise Nation
Biba Schoenmaker, chairman of Solidair and co-founder of De BroodfondsMakers
Judy Wicks, co-founder of BALLE
Tony Greenham, Business director of The New Economics Foundation
Charty Durrant, writer
Doug Richard,founder of the School For Startups
Among the workshops also being held: product photography, SEO, branding, blogging, community building, social media, tax and legal information for creative businesses, understanding advertising, and selling online.
The Location
Hello Etsy will take place at ewerk, Germany’s oldest preserved commercial power plant. Built in 1885, the ewerk has been witness to Berlin’s constantly evolving history, surviving two world wars, communist rule, and the rise of democracy, which in Berlin meant becoming one of the world’s most influential clubs for the emergent techno music scene. In 2005, the historical complex underwent a complete restoration and is now one of Germany’s most unique event venues.
The Audience
Hello Etsy will be attended by 500 individuals who are looking to learn the skills to grow their small business in sustainable ways. Delegations from around Europe and the United States will gather in Berlin to hear success stories from other business owners, tips and tricks from social media and marketing experts, sound advice from legal and financial experts, and ideas and inspiration from ecologists, entrepreneurs, and community organizers.
The sessions will also be streamed, recorded, and available to anyone online. Hundreds more will also attend affiliated satellite events in London, Paris, Brussels, Helsinki, New York, Portland, Seattle, Washington DC, and Los Angeles.