Luise Yang

• Handled all social media for the 2013 national conference of the Business Alliance for Local Living Economies (BALLE). Helped with events and networking of organizations and experts within the new economy/localist movement with local stakeholders.
• Responsible for establishing sustainable practices at the BALLE conference including implementing a recycling plan to reduce waste for the entire conference at multiple events and venues.
• Facilitated partnership with Squeaky Wheel’s Youth Media Institute to produce a documentary where youth were able to explore the region’s up-and-coming West Side community and learn about some of the unique grassroots businesses flourishing on the West Side. 

"When finalizing my summer plans, I knew that I wanted a richer experience than spending my days just sitting in a cubicle. I knew that choosing the High Road would provide me with a unique opportunity to actually become an integral part of my sponsor organization.

I see the High Road method as one that emphasizes cooperation, creativity, and commitment as the keys to solving problems. At Buffalo First!, I get to apply the knowledge I obtained from courses such as Work, Labor, and Capital in the Global Economy and Governing Economic Development: The U.S. Experience to the projects that I’m working on. Although I was nervous my first day, Sarah Bishop, the Executive Director, and the rest of the staff immediately put me at ease and made me feel like part of the staff. Working for a grassroots nonprofit organization like Buffalo First! is giving me a deeper understanding of localism and the ways in which it benefits individuals, communities, and businesses. "