WHAT DO WE THINK OF WHEN SOMEONE SAYS “INVESTMENT?” A 401K? The equity in a home? Our speaker, Steve Shapiro wants to show us there is more to it. In a wider sense, the decisions we make each day —large and small — are all investments. When we step back and look at the big picture of our lives, what can we do to invest in the outcomes we really want?

At our November conversation, we discussed ways of making our Whidbey community stronger through regenerative real estate. In December, we continued exploring our financial levers of buying local. In January, Steve will share his experience with investment approaches that are local, unique and effective, from Whidbey Island Local Lending to the Whidbey Community Foundation.

STEVE SHAPIRO has been building community on Whidbey since 1976, when he and his wife, Debora Valis, bought the family practice clinic in Langley. Motivated by his personal and professional commitment to physical fitness, the couple opened Island Athletic Club in 1996. Steve retired in 2013, but never stopped “investing” locally: Steve leads Whidbey Island Local Lending (WILL), and in 2016, he became a founding Board Member of the Whidbey Community Foundation and served for three 3-year terms.