Think Local First | DC Locals Mean Business!

Nizam Ali Named as Chairman of the TLF Board

Think Local First is in growth mode and as we all know, with growth comes change. In the last six months the organization has increased membership, brought on a new Executive Director, added new programming (Listen Local First and Do Good Summit) and now elected a new Chairman, Nizam Ali, owner of Ben’s Chili Bowl & Ben’s Next Door.

Ali, an original Think Local First Steering Committee Member, is excited to move into a leadership role.

“Think Local First plays a crucial role in DC’s local economy. As an owner of two of DC’s independent businesses, I am proud to lead an organization that supports my neighbors,” explains Ali.

A Washington, DC native and lawyer by trade, Ali has been working in his family’s historic restaurant, Ben’s Chili Bowl, since he was a child. He has helped open Ben’s locations at Nationals Park and FedEx Field, and looks forward to opening another in a newly acquired property on H Street. He and his family have also enjoyed success with their restaurant and bar Ben’s Next Door, a Ben’s Chili Bowl gift shop, and their online store where customers can order Ben’s favorites to be shipped to any of the 50 states.

At Ben’s, opened in 1958 on U Street by his parents Ben and Virginia Ali, it was there that he learned some basic fundamental business principles that are rooted in education of Think Local First, including customer service, business and work ethics, and giving back to the community. Think Local First supports independent DC businesses by educating consumers on the benefits of buying local, bringing local business owners together to network and share best practices, and advocating policymakers to cherish, support and foster local and small business development.

“This year we are putting together programs and relationships to strengthen the business environment in DC—- without our independent businesses DC would lose the neighborhood flavor that keeps our city unique.”

The Think Local First Board of Directors is comprised of strong independent business and community leaders from across the city. In addition to Ali, the 2012 Executive Board includes Vice Chairman Andy Shallal of Busboys and Poets & Eatonville, Secretary Michel Heitstuman of Flavor Magazine & Encore Performance Consulting and Raj Aggarwal of Provoc. The Board of Directors slate as includes: Kim Weeks of Boundless Yoga, Constantine Stavropoulos of Tryst, The Diner and Open City, Aman Ayoubi of Local 16, Marullus Williams of Limbic Systems, Theresa Watts of Lettie Gooch, Gina Schaefer of A Few Cool Hardware Stores, Geoff Dawson of Bedrock Billiards, Buffalo Billiards, Rocket Bar, Riot Act and Ripple, Cara Pomponio of Cultural Development Corporation and DJ Saul, iStrategy Labs. Advisory board members include Chris Naoum of Listen Local First and Laura Jordan of Capital Law Firm.

Think Local First is a non-profit organization, supporting over 300 independent DC businesses, leading the local movement in DC.

Founded in 2006 as a program of the Latino Economic Development Corporation (LEDC), a non-profit organization based in Washington, DC, in 2010, the organization spun off from LEDC in order to form an independent organization. In addition to their daily support of independent DC businesses, the 2012 programming includes a one-day “Ingredients for Success: How to Start and Run a Restaurant in DC” workshop in March, the first Do Good Summit, a one-day intensive conference for entreprenuers and the second Eat Local First Week in July. To learn more about Think Local First campaigns visit www.thinklocalfirstdc.com.

For more information about the TLF Board on how you can get involved as a member, partner, sponsor or volunteer please contact the Executive Director, Stacey Price at stacey@thinklocalfirstdc.com or 202.674.2005.