Member / Donor Spotlight

Denise La Buda

Denise La Buda is a money education activist, product developer, and consultant. She founded the Economic Independence Group (EIG) to support and empower families, individuals, and organizations in finding harmony and sufficiency in their relationship with money, in our complex money-oriented society. EIG has recently launched its flagship product, Money Wizdom, in which families with young kids can find the tools and programs to bring simple money training into everyday family life.

Denise has spent more than two decades working in positions of leadership at Fortune 500 companies such as Intuit Inc., Charles Schwab & Co., Inc. developing tools and services to help individuals and families learn fundamental money management and investing skills. Through her experiences she has developed a deep wisdom about our relationship to money and the way it can overpower, control and stress our lives.

Denise says, “The Global Sufficiency Network can help all of us look deeply at a very important question: “what is enough?” We live in a world where we are all running on a treadmill of More, More and them some More! GSN is bringing together thought leaders, tools, resources and a commitment to help us find a way to change our mindset from More to Sufficiency that will lead us to building a better and sustainable way of life.

Joey Gibson-Gonzalez

Joey Gibson-Gonzalez is a passionate young adult advocate for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender rights, using mediums such as film, radio, music, art and his own voice. Joey is currently a Producer and Director for films in Austin, Texas. Having been bullied and harassed, Joey transformed his past and brought it before the Committee on Public Education at the Texas State Capitol. He lobbied for bills to prevent bullying and harassment and gave speeches to schools. Once Joey graduated from high school, he went on to study film making.

Joey’s first independent film, “La Vida Bella” (www.lavidabellamovie.com), shows the harsh reality that youth are sometimes subjected to. “Now that we have finished the movie, we are working with schools to showcase it to staff and the students,” says Joey. He has also developed a pod cast (Epic Radio), which he and his partner Tara Vaughan co- host.

Joey says, “Global Sufficiency Network is helping benefit not just our world, but our youth. Meeting Marilyn and being a part of the local Austin Global Sufficiency Network Community Group has shown me ways of helping myself and others that hadn’t even occurred to me as possible." Joey is looking forward to creating a Public Service Announcement on the subject of Acceptance for All People. Joey believes that the work that the Global Sufficiency Network is doing to address scarcity thinking will have a big positive impact on youth who are typically harassed and mistreated and he is proud to be a part of that.

Joel Hodroff

Joel Hodroff is an authority on Money Innovation and the use of noncash currencies for commercial and community development applications. He is also the Founder of Minnesota-based DualCurrency Systems. http://www.DualCurrency.com In 2005, he was selected an Innovator of the Year by Minnesota’s Finance and Commerce newspaper.

Joel has been a social entrepreneur for over 25 years, launching Solar Consultants, Inc. in 1983 and DualCurrency Systems in 1993. He is a Founder and former Co-Chair of Responsible Minnesota Business. He urges leaders to advance the Triple Bottom Line in business (people, profits and the planet) and to model healthy balanced lifestyles as well.

Joel says, “I became a Founding Member of Global Sufficiency Network (GSN) because the organization holds a vision of “a world that works for everyone.” The philosophy of sufficiency contends that, by moving beyond the scarcity paradigm, peace and sustainable prosperity are possible now! I appreciate that GSN does not pick sides ― left versus right; small versus large; local versus global ― in bringing sufficiency consciousness to the world.” He adds, “I encourage us to focus more attention on two key economic questions: ‘Why is there enormous underutilized business capacity side by side with vast unmet needs across the planet?’ and ‘How much is enough?’ I also recommend that you become a Founding Member of GSN and get involved in this important conversation.”

AmyLeo Barankovich

AmyLeo Barankovich is a passionate voice for the animals, advocating recognition of their inherent value and beauty, beyond merely their utility to humans. She suggests that while environmentalists, by-and-large, pay attention to saving threatened habitats and species, the plight of billions of abused and exploited animals — brought into the world, solely, for human food, clothing, medical experimentation and entertainment — is below the green radar screen.

AmyLeo appreciates that GSN operates at the cutting edge of the sustainability movement, expanding the conversation to include sufficiency, holistic thinking, inclusivity and win-win economics. Her hope is that the conversation will further expand to also include the plight of animals not living in the wild. The little known film “Ashes and Snow” reflects AmyLeo’s spirituality, as it heartwarmingly depicts a world of peaceful coexistence between species.

In 2004, AmyLeo founded Teaching Compassion, a program for children grades K-3 and early childhood educators. www.teachingcompassionmn.com Ten different classes help children to develop empathy for animals and nature. AmyLeo playfully engages the children using stuffed animals, stories, games, music and movement. She also volunteers as a representative for the Animal Rights Coalition at conferences and events. She is a lead facilitator with the Alternatives to Violence Project. AVP is an international, volunteer-run program, conducting workshops in conflict resolution and non-violence within prisons and communities.

AmyLeo facilitates a dance workshop entitled Dancing Your Own, helping people to discover and liberate their inner dancers. She loves camping, kayaking, vegan cooking, dancing and playing in nature — befriending creatures, great and small. Her mission in life is to inspire peace, compassion and sustainability.