Incubate a Local Strategy – Dr. Aurora Dawn Benton

Special Note for 2020: It’s easy to think of an endeavor like this as something that’s not relevant or possible given the current state we’re living in. But now is a time to put thought and effort into the relationships and solutions suggested in the course and when our collective health and economy rebound, you will be ready with hope and a plan. Stay positive and please connect @AstraptoAcademy (Facebook, Twitter, Instagram) or on Linked.

Course Description

The “buy local” movement has been a hot and growing trend in recent years. Not only do local products and ingredients grab the attention of consumers, but it’s an important factor in supporting local economies.

With this course, which includes short lecture videos, toolkits, and motivational case studies, you will be able to

• Define local
• Establish your local strategy
• Discover key opportunities to differentiate with local products
• Identify partnerships for implementing your strategy
• Incubate new ideas and solutions
• Overcome challenges and risks of working with entrepreneurs

Are you an entrepreneur of social enterprise that hopes to sell its products to other businesses?

In this course, you will learn more about what a business customer needs and how to collaborate with them to add triple bottom line value. You might also be interested in coaching services – see below for details!

About the Toolkits: One of my favorite quotes is “Better a mediocre idea with brilliant execution than a brilliant idea with mediocre execution.” (Fernando Trías de Bes). This is so true!! Buying local is not rocket science but it is not always well planned or implemented. The worksheets simply walk you through a step by step process of brainstorming to generate brilliant ideas and planning so those ideas can be well executed.

Coaching Client Testimonial

“My company has received business coaching from Aurora for more than three years. She is passionate about identifying and solving the barriers that social enterprises encounter when trying to scale. She takes great time and care to understand what the mission of the business is, all of the practical strategic help she offers keeps our company’s mission front and center. Our owners are technically skilled in our industry but have benefited tremendously from the expertise in marketing, operations, and investment planning that Aurora offers. She helped us create effective, real-world business strategies, that have been instrumental in choosing high impact business partners that align with our company mission.

Being a small company, our attention is pulled in so many directions, it is easy to start an initiative and then leave it half-finished or not fully implemented in the company. Aurora helps us keep our various initiatives at the forefront of company development. Her practical guidance has been critical in our growth this year. When we had a critical interview with a funder, she was there for us throughout the process and her strategies and suggestions ultimately helped us land the opportunity.

Leadership development is also an area where my company has relied on Aurora. During a period of restructuring and completing a comprehensive governance plan, I can say for certain, our company would not have come through smoothly without her.”

– Katrina Klett, Co-Founder, Elevated Honey Co.

Course Curriculum

Incubate a Local Strategy
Module 1: Course Welcome!

Welcome to the Course! (2:57)

Buy Local, Buy Social (3:45)

Module 2: The Local Movement

Defining Local (includes toolkit) (5:25)

Module 3: What are the benefits of a local strategy?

Triple Bottom Line Benefits (includes toolkit) (11:12)

Module 4: The Three Stages Approach

Local 1.0 (includes tookit) (6:13)

Local 2.0 (includes toolkit) (4:33)

Local 3.0

Inspirational Case Studies and Interviews

Building a Local Food System in Crete, Greece

Bonus Material: Interview with Buy Social Canada (29:11)