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The buy local movement isn’t new. But now, an initiative in Ithaca is offering a different kind of opportunity: to invest in local businesses. Crowdfunding platforms like Kickstarter and GoFundMe are nothing new and are donation based. The new Ithaca Exchange is investment crowdfunding. “Investment crowdfunding works with businesses to create actually SEC approved investment opportunities. Which means the businesses need to promise some type of financial return to investors.” That’s Stephanie Geller. She’s the founder of Community Wealth Builders in Baltimore. The group works to develop more equitable and inclusive neighborhood economies. They launched their Maryland Neighborhood Exchange program in 2019. “Even existing black businesses had a very hard time accessing growth…
WRFI News Intern Tessie Devlin has the story of a young couple that turned their wedding, postponed due to the pandemic, into a very different — but memorable — occasion. Music was used from BlueDotSessions.
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On Friday, June 19th, a rally called “Decriminalize, Demilitarize, Decarcerate Tompkins” was held at the Bernie Milton Pavilion in downtown Ithaca. Speakers and artists addressed local injustices within the criminal justice system, including incarceration, the court system, immigrant detention and policing. The rally was held on Juneteenth, which commemorates the June 19th 1865 announcement of…
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Since the killings of George Floyd, Ahmaud Arbery, Breonna Taylor and countless other Black, Indegenous and People of Color (BIPOC), and the recent mass mobilizations for racial justice, WRFI’s Board of Directors recommitted the organization to diversity and inclusion and pledged that all board and staff members would engage in anti-racism trainings in order to…
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Kenneth McLaurin and SingTrece, the comedy and music duo known as Singing Notes and Slinging Jokes, talk about how the pandemic has affected their creative process and how their online live events have both challenges and silver linings.
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The buy local movement isn’t new. But now, an initiative in Ithaca is offering a different kind of opportunity: to invest in local businesses. Crowdfunding platforms like Kickstarter and GoFundMe are nothing new and are donation based. The new Ithaca Exchange is investment crowdfunding. “Investment crowdfunding works with businesses to create actually SEC approved investment…
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Sabotage Cuts Candidate Forum Short A forum for Ithaca City School Board candidates Thursday night was interrupted and then cut short. The event was hosted by the Ithaca Teachers Association (or ITA) via Zoom. Seven candidates were slated to participate, three of whom are endorsed by the ITA. According to the Ithaca Voice, the attack…
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Cornell President Pollack to Retire After seven years as Cornell’s President, Martha Pollock will retire on June 30. According to the Cornell Sun, in her announcement Pollack stressed that the decision to leave was her own. She added that she had been considering retirement since last fall. But events at Cornell and other campuses lead…
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Housing Market in Tompkins Remains Tight The housing market in Tompkins County continues to shrink. According to the Tompkins Weekly, housing stock is down 14% from last year’s already historic low. Brent Katzmann of the Ithaca Board of Realtors called the decline “disconcerting.” In addition to an overall decline in available houses for sale, he…
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