For Alex Colket, the inspiration to create the hyperlocal social media platform Swidjit was, quite fittingly, close to home. After developing an interest in sustainability and creating his own online meal-sharing program, Colket was driven to take community currency to the next level.

Local entrepreneurs are creating new business models to change the way Ithacans communicate and work with each other in an effort to rejuvenate the local economy in a post-recession era.