David Eson of the Progress Fund will be speaking in Frable 117 during common period (12:15-1:30pm) on Tuesday, September 16.
Eson will speak about the work of the Progress Fund, a Community Development Financial Institution that creates jobs and improves communities by providing entrepreneurial coaching and capital, and more specifically about their new PGH (Produce Grown Here) program that seeks to link local farmers to local businesses, thereby promoting greater community health, food safety, environmental benefits, and local economic support. Eson was invited by the Introduction to Business (BA 100S) class, but his presentation is open to all students and faculty.
According to the BA 100S instructor, Dr. Lydia Lockhart, the class is incorporating both civic engagement and Teaching Latin America this semester. With the assistance of Sara Ahrens, community engagement coordinator, the class will be exploring the issues of fair trade certified coffee with local (and possibly national) coffee roasters in the context of multiple business topics.
On September 11, Sam Patti, owner of La Prima Expresso, spoke to the class as part of a discussion of ethics and corporate responsibility. On September 18, Alexis Shaffer, owner of 21st Street Coffee and Tea, will speak on the global marketplace.