Today we’d like to introduce you to Kimber Lanning.
Hi Kimber, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today?
I’m an entrepreneur and economic development specialist, and my work is all about encouraging strong, flourishing communities and inspiring a higher quality of life for people across Arizona.
My entrepreneurial career began when I was 19 years old. In 1987, I launched a retail store to sell new and used music, Stinkweeds. For nearly four decades, Stinkweeds has established itself as a cultural fixture on the local music scene and a mainstay of the Phoenix marketplace.
As a champion of the local arts community, I opened Modified Arts in downtown Phoenix in 1999. This multi-functional art space transformed a ramshackle building in a neglected neighborhood into a popular and respected art gallery, theater and concert venue. Modified Arts and its neighboring galleries on Roosevelt Row have emerged at the epicenter of the downtown art scene, earning the Wall Street Journal’s Top Ten award for Best Neighborhoods in 2013 and USA Today’s Top Ten Arts Districts in America in 2014.
Cultivating cultural diversity, economic self-reliance, and responsible growth for the Phoenix metropolitan area is my passion. In 2003, I founded Local First Arizona, a statewide nonprofit organization dedicated to raising public awareness of the economic and cultural benefits provided by locally owned businesses.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
Building a nonprofit has been my hardest challenge, especially one focused on new models of economic development. Struggles include growing from zero to a $13 million organization with 70 staff; the operations and infrastructure needed to sustain that are challenges. Convincing people that inclusive economic development is important is an ongoing challenge, too. Most economic development helps people who already have access to tools and resources, as opposed to those who may have been excluded from traditional tools and resources.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know?
Local First Arizona is a nonprofit I founded that’s fiercely dedicated to strengthening Arizona’s economy by supporting local, independently owned businesses. We represent thousands of coalition businesses and certified local businesses statewide, and our work is focused on building resilient local economies, championing Arizona-made products, and connecting communities with the businesses that define them. What sets us apart is that we don’t just promote “shopping local” as a feel-good slogan, but we build the infrastructure, data, and programming, from our Economic Resource Center to the We Rise Business Accelerator, to make local economies genuinely more resilient and welcoming. I’m proudest of the fact that Local First has grown from a grassroots idea into one of the most influential economic development organizations in the state, without losing its founding focus on the communities that traditional economic development commonly overlooks.
Can you talk to us a bit about the role of luck?
I’ve had really good luck my whole life. I feel really fortunate to be in the position to impact so many people positively. I feel lucky to have been born into a family of entrepreneurs, so that when I came home at 19 and said I was throwing away my scholarship to study architecture to open a record store, my parents said, ‘Honey, that’s a great idea!’ I’ve been lucky to have wonderful supporters, a great team, and a few key mentors along the way.
Pricing:
- Local First Arizona coalition membership starts at just $99/year – https://localfirstaz.com/coalition-member
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.localfirstaz.com
- Instagram: @localfirstaz
- Facebook: @localfirstaz
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/local-first-arizona
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@LocalFirstArizona
