Author: Julie Wilder

Julie Wilder is a seasoned social entrepreneur, community advocate & activist with a focus on creating sustainable & positive social, economic and environmental change. Since 2007, Ms Wilder has produced and hosted an award winning talk show: Front Porch Radio, Conversations for the Common Good, on WPRK 91.5fm. As co-founder and former co-owner of Dandelion Communitea Cafe, her focus on cultivating authentic community helped birth the now thriving localist movement throughout Central Florida, in part as co-founder the OurLando movement. She is also a mother, writer, graphic designer, amateur photographer, artist, folk doula and hobby herbalist.

The city’s Buy Local Orlando program runs off into the sunset by Billy Manes for the Orlando Weekly

February 25, 2014

Back in 2009, the city caught some local heat when the mayor announced Buy Local Orlando, a window-sticker and membership-card merchant promotion intended to encourage Orlando consumers to patronize local businesses, as many were suffering the effects of the recent recession. The problem was that the city wasn’t able (or, possibly, willing) to distinguish between … More The city’s Buy Local Orlando program runs off into the sunset by Billy Manes for the Orlando Weekly

Balancing act with layoffs: Profits vs. people by Jim Stratton for the Orlando Sentinel

February 10, 2014

Excerpt from a larger article posted January 26, 2014 But the notion that they must try to squeeze profit out of every dollar — reducing staff whenever possible, for example – “is the mantra of the business world,” Henderson said, “not a legal obligation.” It’s a mantra that makes Julie Norris uncomfortable. Like Sharp, Norris is … More Balancing act with layoffs: Profits vs. people by Jim Stratton for the Orlando Sentinel

Rainbow Bridge 2014 Calendar is now published

December 20, 2013

My latest project is the Rainbow Bridge Calendar – bridging the Gregorian method of marking time with the rhythms of our solar system and chakras. Follow & discuss on our Facebook page and read more about the Six Layers of Knowledge on the official website. You can purchase locally at Dandelion Communitea Cafe or online at my Yestermorrow … More Rainbow Bridge 2014 Calendar is now published

Everyday Apothecary: Remedy Recipes for Everybody

August 19, 2013

{This article written for Velocity Magazine July/August 2013. Pick one up on our front porch today or read the magazine online.} In college I had an excessive soda habit, consuming almost a liter a day. The processed sugar and caffeine had me hooked but left me dehydrated and fatigued when the rush wore off, so … More Everyday Apothecary: Remedy Recipes for Everybody

REVIEW “Good Morning, Beautiful Business: The Unexpected Journey of an Activist Entrepreneur and Local Economy Pioneer” by Judy Wicks

April 5, 2013

I was a kindergartener when White Dog Cafe opened in Philadelphia. I wouldn’t know about the cafe until after I opened my own cafe 22 years later. My business was founded on a Triple P bottom line – people, planet & profit – and about a year after we were opened, I came to the … More REVIEW “Good Morning, Beautiful Business: The Unexpected Journey of an Activist Entrepreneur and Local Economy Pioneer” by Judy Wicks

Towards flexibility

March 7, 2013

[A modified version of this article is in the March/April 2013 Edition of Velocity Magazine] March marks the seventh anniversary of my little cafe. Our desire was to offer our neighbors a place to enjoy wholesome food that was better for the environment and optimal for our bodies. Data abounds about the benefits of eating … More Towards flexibility