Building Economic Momentum for More People in More Places
Photo Credit: Iwan Bann, 2020 / Shorefast
To create economies where people, nature and cultures thrive, local communities need to be economically resilient. That’s the core belief of Shorefast founder Zita Cobb. Founded in 2004 with a focus on building the economic and cultural resilience of Fogo Island, a 400-year-old fishing community devastated by the decline of the cod fishing industry, Shorefast’s mission is to unleash the power of place by building, learning, and sharing economic development practices that activate the assets of local places.
Shorefast’s approach of asset-based community development initiatives puts local knowledge, culture, and infrastructure at the heart of sustainable growth. Building on its work in Fogo Island, Shorefast is now collaborating with other communities, big and small, to share insights and practices that will enable them to thrive in a global economy.
Community members gather on the Fogo Island shoreline.Photo Credit: Jane Brokenshire, 2024 / Shorefast
With support from The Hilary and Galen Weston Foundation, Shorefast recently launched the new Shorefast Institute for Place-Based Economies. The goal of this national initiative is to share Shorefast’s learnings and partner with communities across Canada to develop resources, tools and opportunities that bring together the key pillars of society – business, government, and community – to advance economic momentum for more people in more places.
Development is about uplifting the inherent assets of a place… The essence of asset-based community development is these questions: What do we know? What do we have? What do we love? What do we miss? What can we do about it? That is very empowering.Zita Cobb, Founder & CEO, Shorefast
A key component of the Institute’s work will involve continuous knowledge exchange via a virtual learning hub, workshops, consulting and immersive convenings on Fogo Island and elsewhere. With the Foundation’s support, Shorefast has hosted programming activities and gatherings to build the knowledge base of the Institute’s network and facilitate knowledge sharing. Shorefast has also been able to develop the human resource capacity needed to support the Institute’s work.
The Shorefast Institute for Place-Based Economies is a bold initiative that will not only help shape stronger communities that enable people and their environment to flourish, it will help build a stronger Canada.
