Author Archives: MikeG

About MikeG

I am an affordable housing developer and consultant. I build bridges to create compassionate, diverse communities. When we resolve conflicts, we strengthen our understanding of best practices toward collective well-being. I combine the value of inclusion with strategic planning, research skills that develop links from the seemingly unlinkable, and a passion for our interconnected lives to draft plans that succeed (photo by www.arnoldadler.com).

Our communities need more music…always!

Posted on July 7, 2013 by MikeG

M-Bibe is a Seattle-based social enterprise connecting the community to local businesses, non-profit organizations, and musicians.  They are on Indiegogo right now to raise the resources necessary to expand their mission and vision.  The music is truly great, and if … Continue reading →

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What is home to you?

Posted on May 3, 2013 by MikeG

Housing and health care may be the right and left Achilles Heels of the US economy.  But there is a C word that could serve as the antidote to both of them: community.  It takes an engaged community to pool … Continue reading →

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Why I support TayaSola

Posted on April 1, 2013 by MikeG

Change starts with a vision, but a vision cannot come to life in a vacuum.  As a Peace Corps volunteer in Niger, I spent most of my time doing one essential activity: developing relationships. I woke, greeted my villagers, learned … Continue reading →

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Development at the Crossroads

Posted on December 16, 2012 by MikeG

Type in the words “Peace Corps Guilt” into a search engine, and you’ll find a post written by a Peace Corps volunteer in Paraguay.  Below that, you’ll see search results from people riffing on what she had to say, along … Continue reading →

Posted in Community, Faith, Stewardship | Leave a comment

How are the people over there? My “Blog Action Day” Power of We post

Posted on October 15, 2012 by MikeG

In honor of this year’s Blog Action Day topic, the Power of We, I will share a story about a group of farmers in the village of Bani Goungu, a couple of kilometers south of my village, Tonkossare.  Back in … Continue reading →

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Putting it to practice: Learning Lights launches as a Fledgling

Posted on July 31, 2012 by MikeG

Hello readers, My travels around West Africa, community and affordable housing development work in the Pacific Northwest, and my studies in sustainable business have brought me to a new chapter.  Yesterday I started as a “Fledgling” in the conscious company … Continue reading →

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Continuously Improving the Neighborhood at Work

Posted on June 22, 2012 by MikeG

I am transitioning.  For the past two years, I spent nearly every waking moment focused on earning my MBA in Sustainable Business at the Bainbridge Graduate Institute.  And when I wasn’t in class over the internet or in person at … Continue reading →

Posted in Education, Organization Spotlight, Stewardship | 3 Comments

Just Graduated…Hello world, again!

Posted on June 21, 2012 by MikeG

Hello readers, my hibernation from blogging due to completing my MBA in Sustainable Business at Bainbridge Graduate Institute has now officially ended.  Expect to see new content shortly.  For now, here’s hope for a bright, resilient future in our communities.

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Using new technologies for the public good

Posted on April 18, 2012 by MikeG

In general, I am a late adopter of technology.  This partly results from having lived in a mud hut during the smartphone explosion and returning after three and a half years abroad to a faster-paced America.  However, being in a … Continue reading →

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What happens when the moderates leave?

Posted on March 8, 2012 by MikeG

Hello readers, You have not heard from me in a while because I’ve been finishing up my penultimate quarter at Bainbridge Graduate Institute, getting my MBA in Sustainable Business.  Only three months and two days to go. In this column … Continue reading →

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