Intentionalist: Spend Like It Matters

Local communities need our support.

As national chains replace neighborhood shops, and consumers increasingly turn to the internet for everything from t-shirts to toothpaste, convenience has displaced community.

Small businesses are important to the social and economic fabric of our communities. From bookstores and restaurants to stores that have sustained families for generations, local businesses are part of the heart and soul of the places where we live and work—but they can’t survive without our support.

Busy, well-meaning consumers want to support the local economy, but existing resources emphasize what’s for sale, often with no mention of who’s selling. And yet we know that small businesses are so much more than the product or service they offer. They’re often owned by our neighbors—they’re places where we come together, whether to make new connections or celebrate longtime friendships. They bring cultural diversity, they contribute philanthropically, and they simply make our communities better.

Consider the impact we’ll have with a resource at our fingertips that makes it easy to spend more of our money in support of the diverse small businesses that keep our communities vibrant and diverse. A more inclusive, intentional economy starts with our everyday decisions about where we buy a cup of coffee, work out, or pick up a birthday gift. How we spend our money matters.

Intentional Spending for an Inclusive Economy

Intentionalist is an online guide to intentional spending that supports small businesses and diverse local communities. Our website and future app make it easy to find local restaurants, bars, gyms, shops, and more owned by women, people of color, veterans, LGBTQ, and differently abled people. You get the meal, drink, or service you need and support inclusive communities through the money you spend. Beyond serving as a directory, Intentionalist supports community connection through business profiles based on interviews with local business owners, and meetups that provide the opportunity to meet them and learn about the stories behind their businesses.

Help Intentionalist Continue to Grow

Intentionalist has progressed a lot since our founding in late 2017. We have added more than 600 diverse small businesses to our platform, but we need your help to continue to grow our impact. Our vision is to expand our intentional guides to more neighborhoods and cities throughout the country to make it easier for more people to discover, learn about, and support the small businesses that shape our communities. We also want to hire additional talent so that we can improve and expand our current offering with things like interactive neighborhood maps and a mobile app.