REAS, Network of Networks for the Alternative and Solidarity Economy, is a group of more than 500 entities from smaller territorial and sectoral networks within the Spanish State. REAS was created to offer alternatives to the dehumanization of the economy, the degradation of the environment, and the loss of social values.
The increase in poverty and social inequality, social and economic exclusion, unemployment and precarious work are problems that pose challenges and demand responses. This is why REAS promotes the Solidarity Economy, their instrument for creating a more just, solidarity-based, sustainable and engaged society.
REAS’ main goal is to enable another way to focus and manage the economy. REAS believes that it is time to stop suffering from decisions taken by others and to rise up and put humanity at the core of our economies. Find out more about REAS on their website.
Shernee Bellamy is the 31 year old Co-Owner of Concrete Dreamers, LLC., a full-time Youth Leadership teacher in Gainesville Florida, and in May completed a master's degree in English and Language Arts from Mercyhurst University. She also holds a B.F.A in Theatre, minor degree in Speech Communications, served two years in AmeriCorps, and has over 10 years of experience teaching students K - College. Taking from her personal experiences as a black female who grew up in poverty, Shernee uses Experiential Learning Design to develop innovative lessons for her students at Project Youth Build in Gainesville, Fl. Her well-developed curriculum centers around culturally sensitive issues such as: poverty, trauma, systemic oppression, resiliency, privilege, financial literacy, empathy, and much more.Her passion from theater enhances each lesson using role play and team building. She stands firm in her conviction that this curriculum is best taught by black women. Her goal is to empower more people of color to enter the Education Sector; where our voices are often absent. She envisions herself getting a Ph.D in Educational Leadership so she can educate teacher candidates about best practices when teaching students who are enrolled in schools that are referred to as alternative.
Tom Llewellyn is the Strategic Partnerships Director at
Peter Harris is the Founder and CEO of Resonate, a streaming music cooperative.
Matt Cropp has an MA in history from the University of Vermont, where he focused on the history of the credit union movement. He currently works as Co-Executive Director of the Vermont Employee Ownership Center, serves as chair of the Vermont Solidarity Investing Club (which invests exclusively in co-ops), and is involved with a number of co-op start-up and cross-sector initiatives including Full Barrel Co-op, social.coop, and Cooperative Vermont. He lives in Burlington, VT.
Isabel Marlens is a Special Projects Coordinator for Local Futures. She studied Ecology and English Literature at Bennington College, has a Permaculture Design Certificate from Quail Springs Permaculture, and has done native plant conservation and education, forest ecology research, and research and writing for various documentary film and online publications in the areas of social and environmental justice.
Nina Ignaczak writes and edits stories about all aspects of people and place: development, entrepreneurship, transportation, education, energy, policy, tech, the sharing economy, local food and agriculture, and the environment. She also loves telling (and visualizing) the stories behind the data.