Joel Hodroff believes that emerging business models based on cooperation and sustainability have the power to solve our most pressing social, economic, and environmental challenges. He asserts that win-lose competition over money— which modern society inherited from an era of scarcity—is now impeding greater economic security and increased happiness for individuals, families and communities in the US and around the world. Consider that today’s oftentimes stressful workplaces, schools, and community organizations can become organizing centers for personal growth and healing, social innovation, and sustainable community economic development.

In 1997, Joel was issued the first US patents for his novel dual currency pricing, accounting and transaction settlement system. The system was designed to reward socially valuable activities such as community volunteerism, youth academic performance, unpaid domestic labor, employee wellness and green activities, and so forth. The systems stretches dollars (or other national currencies) utilizing a business-community wealth accounting protocol—akin to loyalty rewards, but for more than consumer spending—to turn underutilized business capacity, such as empty restaurant tables, empty college desks, and off hours at the movies, into new economic resources for foster healthier families and communities.

Joel has been a social entrepreneur and environmentalist for over 30 years, launching Solar Consultants, Inc. in 1983, DualCurrency Systems in 1993, and cofounding Responsible Minnesota Business in 1998. He was a Minnesota Finance and Commerce Innovator of the Year in 2005 and a Visa Thought Leader-Innovation Provocateur in 2007. Joel has stayed the course with his economic vision for over 25 years though every imaginable entrepreneurial near miss, wrong turn, and outright failure. He is currently playing for (and praying for) what is termed “a 25-year overnight success story.”

An informative and entertaining speaker, his pioneering work in dual currency commerce is documented in The Future of Money by Bernard Lietaer, The New Alchemists by David Boyle, and the Japanese Public Television Documentary Ende’s Warning to the Future. Joel has been invited to present DualCurrency solutions to senior executives at VISA, US Bank, Wells Fargo, PayPal; United Airlines, Thrivent Financial, United Healthcare, Digital River and elsewhere.

Joel’s personal mission is the pursuit of unlimited human potential through unconditional love in community. He believes that the profit motive can be harnessed for the good of humanity andthe natural environment. To learn more, please check out Joel’s dual currency white paper (written just before the 2008 mortgage industry meltdown) Sustainable Prosperity Now! Awakening a Green Revolution of the Heart http://www.dualcurrency.com/Awakening.pdf an reach out through his LinkedIn page at https://www.linkedin.com/in/joelhodroff/