Project Stand Launch Party!

Join the Project Stand Team and Friends on Thursday, June 11th, as we celebrate the release of our newest website and 2 new videos!

Projectstand.com has graduated from blog to website and is beautiful! Our recent interviews are with Rick and Anne Steves who used their retirement funds to facilitate housing for women coming out of difficult situations; and Jerilyn Brusseau of Peacetrees Vietnam who is clearing landmines and building homes on war-torn land.

We'll be enjoying wine from Ashley and Ryan of elementalimporters.com and live music provided by Joseph Spada.

• The party starts at 6:30pm
• 1st and Denny at 3131 Western Ave, Suite 321
• Northwest Lofts, next to Boat Street Cafe and Canlis Art Gallery
  

Questions? email val@projectstand.com. Stay tuned for more updates as we get closer to the big event. We'll post pictures and a wrap-up after the event as well!

Project Stand is Getting a NEW Website!

The Project Stand team has been working hard on a new website for projectstand.com, to be released at the Launch Party on June the 11th.

Our version 1 website allows for new levels of expansion and function. Users will have greater access to the videos, interviews, and more information. There are fields for comments, and requesting further information, as well as opportunities for direct interaction with and contribution to Project Stand itself.

People will be able to participate in an ongoing dialogue about the things they personally find important and much more!

We're looking forward to our Launch Party on the 11th. The party will be hosted at the offices of fuseiq, near the corner of 1st and Denny at 3131 Western Ave, Suite 321...in the Northwest Lofts. The party starts at 6:30pm. We'll premier our latest interview, with Jerilyn Brusseau of Peacetrees Vietnam, at 7:30pm.

If you have questions, or for more details, email val@projectstand.com. Stay tuned for more updates as we get closer to the big event. We'll post pictures and a wrap-up after the event as well!

Facebook and Project Stand

There are so many things suddenly about to happen with Project Stand it's making my head spin a little.

First things first...we have set up our Facebook Page. Click on the link, login and add us to your profile. Be our Fan! Please share us with anyone and everyone you think would be a good match. You may know people working on projects similar to the ones we've already profiled, or people who simply could use a little inspiration.

You may know potential sponsors, or groups or events we can speak at and share our videos and vision! It's all good and we appreciate your taking the extra effort in making the connections!

Thanks!

Val

Billy’s Brownies for Bikes Bake Sale

SEATTLE, WA – Billy Treese met Britt Yamamoto, Executive Director of iLEAP and Core Faculty with the Center for Creative Change at Antioch University, at iLEAP’s annual fundraiser (co-sponsored by Project Stand) last fall. That night Billy and Britt had a conversation about how the incoming group of iLEAP Fellows (community leaders from around the world) would need bikes as transportation during their stay in Seattle.

Without being asked, Billy, who lives in Enumclaw, created a plan to raise money to purchase the bikes for the iLEAP fellows by baking and selling brownies!

To pull this off, Billy negotiated a 4-bike deal with Recylced Cyces (http://www.recycledcycles.com/). He then baked the brownies at his home in Enumclaw, WA, carted them all over Seattle and made arrangements with different businesses who sold his brownies for $1 each. Merchants helped by wrapping the brownies and holding the money for Billy to collect later.

In just a couple weeks, he raised enough money from the bake sale to deliver 4 bikes to Britt and the iLEAP Fellows. Here’s what Britt Yamamoto had to say about Billy’s work:

"This guy is amazing and so full of passion! Last year all of our Fellows said at one time or another that they wished they had bikes. I spoke to Billy about this at the iLEAP Event and his creative mind was on it in, like, 10 seconds. A few week later the 'brownies for bikes' plan was hatched and dozens of tasty morsels (he's also a great baker!) were fanned out all over Seattle. I can't tell you how much I appreciate his efforts. It is creative collaborations like this--and getting the chance to meet and work with inspired folks--that make me love iLEAP so much!" –Britt Yamamoto

Project Stand recently caught up with Billy to ask him why he decided to “take a stand” for the iLEAP fellows:

Q: Billy, what made you want to get involved with iLEAP in the form of manifesting these bikes?

“I love bikes recreationally -- what they do for us physically and our environment. Bikes are an affordable, accessible way to make a difference, and it seemed a natural fit for the iLEAP students to have access to them during their stay in Seattle.

“If you want to have a tighter butt, ride a bike. If you want to save mother earth, ride a bike. If you want to save money on insurance, ride a bike. Bikes are an accessible revolution. It’s the easiest way to make so much change.

“I don’t have a million dollar budget. Anyone can go get 4 bikes. It’s so doable and they give access to many different scenes you can be a part of: hipster…environmental….sustainable.”

Q: What were some of the things you most enjoyed about the doing your bake sale?

“I literally had bags of brownies around to eat and sample. It was a blast handing them out to people!

“The people that were helping out got really into the bake sale . The people at Recycled Cycles were super stoked on the idea. They would call me and ask me when I was bringing more brownies. It felt like a neighborhood project. Half the money raised for the bikes supplied by Recycled Cycles was raised by the employees who actually work there and just liked eating the brownies. We got to know each other on a friendly basis. It was so fun!” -Billy T.

Britt Yamamoto and iLEAP

Britt Yamamoto, a professor at Antioch University, Seattle, created a powerful organization called iLEAP. iLEAP's mission is to cultivate and inspire a new generation of global citizens who are committed to service, and gives them the practical skills to execute and support positive social change. Brit has an incredible vision of what's possible for the world community and is bringing together people and enhancing lives all around the globe!

To see this video in high quality click here, and then click "high quality" in the bottom right corner, right under the video window.

Carol Schillios - part 2!

Wow. On September 1st 2008, we posted part 1 of an interview where Carol Schillios shares her vision of opening a retail store in the Seattle area to sell products made by women in Africa who are participants with the Fabric of Life Foundation. On November 8th 2008, the foundation celebrated the grand opening of the Fabric of Life store in downtown Edmonds, Washington! It's a fantastic demonstration of the power of intention and saying yes! to one's vision.

Jeremy and Jesiah attended the opening and put together a video of the event.

Be sure to watch part 1 here...and get the full story!

Project Stand Partners with iLeap

There are going to be many leaders from the social enterprise community in Seattle at this event. Come make connections with a bunch of diverse and interesting people and see all the differences that can be made when powerful and committed people get together. The Project Stand team is proud to be part of this event and invites you to join us!

you can register and get your name made at: http://ileap.eventbrite.com/