About Us
Background
The Sustainable Berks Business Network (SBBN) is a newly-formed initiative that emerged out of community efforts to address the City of Reading’s severe fiscal crisis and poverty levels. Through discussions with the Mayor’s “Rebuilding Reading” Poverty Commission and the Act 47 Community Committee, it became clear that new approaches to economic and community development were necessary to address the rapidly declining conditions in the city.
The SBBN seeks to restructure the Greater Reading economy and grow a prosperous economic, social, and environmental regional community using the following principles:
- locally-owned enterprises are the most effective economic engines in terms of building the regional tax base and producing employment opportunities,
- reorienting economic development efforts to locally-owned enterprises increases the economic multiplier effect of recirculating money and building wealth in the community, and
- the impacts of the recession, energy crisis, and climate change demonstrate unsustainable conditions which locally-owned enterprises can most-effectively help reverse while themselves becoming resilient against these rapidly worsening challenges.
The SBBN will operate as a nonprofit, member-based alliance of local organizations and individuals committed to collectively working towards a vision of a thriving and resilient Greater Reading community, as detailed in our vision and mission statements below.
Vision Statement
We envision a just and sustainable global economy comprised of local self-sustaining economies that enhance community life and natural systems, and promote social justice and economic vitality.
Mission Statement
The mission of the Sustainable Berks Business Network is to build a just, green, and thriving economy in the Greater Reading region. We accomplish this by educating and growing a broad base of local, independent businesses and educating policymakers and the public.
