The Economist tells the story of the new economy through the eyes of the people who are trying to make it happen, because we know the only number that really matters is your economy.
Jess Hirsch is the owner and operator of Fireweed Community Woodshop, a Minneapolis-based business that teaches the art of woodworking.
Hirsch was inspired to start the company for a variety of reasons, most notably by teaching a young girl how to use power tools at a women's shelter. "That's when I decided to go back to teaching, especially women and non-binary people, how to use tools to build trust."
Since the company was founded, Hirsch has seen an increase in the demand for classrooms. They said, "We have a waiting list of about 40 people and not enough teachers to teach."
Hirsch is also having difficulty sourcing timber and meeting demand.
"Our head of the desk drives 40 minutes south to buy a guy who grinds his own lumber, mostly because there's not a lot of good walnut in Minneapolis and it's twice as expensive."
Over the next two years, Hirsch and the Fireweed team plan to set up an outdoor classroom near Pollinator Park.
“We can form little sawdust circles where people can carve outdoors with spoons or work with axes in the summer,” he said.
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