The Little Engines That Still Can
Written by PEL Lab Leader Deric Gruen What is the true engine of our economy? In Washington State, we are told that large corporations are the key to our livelihoods…
Economic Narratives to Watch Out for in Local Elections
Written by PEL Lab Leader Laura Nash Why Narratives Matter Financial success and security are mostly a product of individual choices and hard work. Not feeling financially secure? It’s because…
Watch the recording of our Lunch Lab featuring Jackie Mena
On June 4, People’s Economy Lab launched our Lunch Labs virtual guest speaker series. Lunch Labs are opportunities to dive deeper on some of PEL’s favorite topics, including solidarity economy,…
Strong Solidarity Economies Require a Strong Public Sector
Written by PEL Lab Leader Deric Gruen The federal government is undergoing seismic cuts, the Washington State Legislature just finished wrestling with a $15 billion budget crisis, and the City…
How Three Community Assemblies Addressed Climate and Economic Justice
Participants in MLK Labor's Community Assembly
It’s 5:30pm on a Thursday. A large classroom slowly fills with adults, most at the end of a long workday, ready to unwind. They’re greeted by smiling hosts, invited to…
Meet Mary Mitchell, Our New Administration & Operations Coordinator
Q: Tell us a little bit about yourself. Where did you grow up? What’s your educational and career background? A: I was born and raised in south Seattle between Rainier…
How a Public Utility can Support our Local Economy to Thrive
Illustration by Natalie Dupille from the Shape Our Water Community Vision
This blog is about public utilities and progressive procurement. But we swear it isn’t boring! Because it’s also about how water shapes our lives, how community members are envisioning the…
Revitalizing Traditional Reciprocal Economies Among Seattle’s Indigenous Communities
Image from the Native Neighborhood Community Study
Wealth means different things depending on who you ask. To one person it might mean their investment portfolio. To another, maybe it means their home. To a third, it may…
2024 Year in Review
The People's Economy Lab team visiting yəhaw̓ Indigenous Creatives Collective in Rainier Beach
To all of our partners, our funders, and everyone who participated in our programming in 2024, thank you for a year full of relationship building, learning, sharing ideas, and…
Economics for Emancipation King County Recap
To get to the economy we need, we need to better understand why our current economy isn’t working. To create an economy that serves people, instead of people serving the…