DiscoverTED BusinessA bold idea to rebuild the working class | Molly Hemstreet
A bold idea to rebuild the working class | Molly Hemstreet

A bold idea to rebuild the working class | Molly Hemstreet

Update: 2025-11-03
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Struggling communities don’t need handouts — they need bold new ways to root wealth. Meet Molly Hemstreet — a TED Fellow, Southern Appalachia native and cofounder of worker support network the Industrial Commons — who’s flipping the script on generational poverty by turning textile waste into $9-per-pound yarn and factory workers into business owners. Discover how her long-haul approach is rebuilding rural economies stitch by stitch, proving that opportunity grows when we stop extracting and start empowering. After the talk, Modupe reflects on how much change-making is site-specific and how you can think about showing up for your communities?

Interested in learning more about upcoming TED events? Follow these links:

TEDNext: ted.com/futureyou


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A bold idea to rebuild the working class | Molly Hemstreet

A bold idea to rebuild the working class | Molly Hemstreet