Hi. I'm Taylor.

By day, I am the Executive Director of an urban historic small business district. Building stronger communities isn't just how I make my money—it's my love letter to people. It’s been a way of life for me as a professional who has traveled and observed community in 34 different countries over the last decade. This experience has taught me a lot about what makes places truly work for the people who live in them.

I've learned that the most powerful changes happen at intersections—where different communities meet, where old systems encounter new possibilities, where individual stories become shared understanding.

I believe in building systems on purpose—through small business, local community development, and storytelling. When we invest locally, value circulates rather than disappears. When we build places to be, we empower people instead of extracting from them. When we tell meaningful stories, we remind one another of our shared humanity and the ties that unite us. It's not abstract policy—it marks the line between belonging and breakdown.

The Exchange is where I explore these connections. I write about nonprofits finding their footing, communities discovering their voice, small businesses anchoring neighborhoods, and conversations that shift us as people. Building community isn’t one thing—it’s woven through the places we preserve, the missions we serve, and the stories we tell about what matters.

If you're interested in how community actually gets built—the messy, intentional, deeply human work of it—this is your place.

In Exchange,

Taylor

Crowdfunding

Most blogs + newsletters survive on ads or affiliate sales. I choose a different path—giving you graduate-level insights without the noise, manipulation, or constant sales pitches cluttering your experience.

This approach costs more and pays less, but it means you get research-backed content designed for readers, not advertisers. No data harvesting, no algorithm games, just purpose-driven writing that respects your time and intelligence.

Your support makes this sustainable. It covers research databases, website costs, and allows me to make this part of my focus, instead of squeezing posts into evenings and weekends. More importantly, it proves there's an audience for independent voices who prioritize substance over clicks.

If you find value here, back it. For the price of a coffee you can keep the lights on and the content coming.