In advance of an upcoming conference, I was asked to provide a 200 word response to the following question:

My original answer was about 50% longer than permitted so I trimmed it to fit the conference limit.  I felt like sharing my original though, below.  I welcome feedback and especially additional ideas....

Leadership, mission, and purpose. Whole Foods continues to demonstrate these distinguishing characteristics through the opening of its latest store last week in Englewood, one of the most crime ridden and lower income areas of Chicago. The median income of this neighborhood is $20,500, about one-fourth the average of where most WFM stores operate.  It’s also a food desert. Residents historically have had to either travel long distances (likely on public transportation) or settle for buying their groceries from a convenience store (ie, a gas station).  Think about that – imagine your food selection was limited mainly to highly processed bagged and boxed snacks, bars, and canned goods.  Thanks to Whole Foods and support from the City of Chicago, residents have access to fresh, wholesome, healthy, nurturing food and nutrition, and resources to improve their lives.

​​According to Whole Foods Market, it worked very closely with the community to ensure it heard their voices, met their needs, and made the store about them.  The City of Chicago is also committed to this initiative: it sold the land to the developer where this WFM store now sits, along with other retailers including Starbucks, for $1.  The market value was $3.1 million, according to the Wall Street Journal.