The Hearth Hypothesis

THE HEARTH HYPOTHESIS

when the hearth matters, humans flourish.

BY KATHRYN LUKAS-DAMER & ERIN LENNON SZUMA

HAVE YOU EVER WONDERED WHY...

In the developed West, where we are wealthier, more educated and have more freedom than at any other time in our history...

WHY HUMANS ARE NOT FLOURISHING AT UNPARALLELED LEVELS?

THESE ARE THE BEST OF TIMES

occupational safety

Each year there are 1.42 work-related deaths per 100K Americans, down from 28.3 in the early Industrial Era.

maternal

mortality rate average life expectancy poverty rate

Annually, there are 32 maternal deaths for every 100K births, down from 850 in the early 20th century.

Americans live to 78 years old on average, up 25 years of life in just the last 100 years.

11.6% of Americans live in poverty, down from 5368% in the 1920s.

education level public health technology access

86% of American households have Internet service. 85% of adults have smartphones.

85% of Americans graduate high school, versus 20% 100 years ago.

10% of Americans smoke cigarettes, down from 40% in the 1960's.

AND THE WORST OF TIMES

36% Americans report serious loneliness (including 51% of mothers and 61% of people aged 18-25)

1 in 4 eighth graders are proficient in math.

37% adolescents aged 12-17 who feel persistent hopelessness or sadness

60% the decrease in marriage rate over the past 50 years.

1 in 3

Teen girls seriously consider attempting suicide (up 60% in the last decade)

78% Americans don't feel their children will be better off.

15% Men are friendless, up 5X since 1990.

27% Americans over 65 years old live alone.

57% Americans don't know their neighbors. Just 18% know & spend time with neighbors.

80% single-parent households are led by single mothers

1 in 5 American children are obese

1 in 4 American children grow up without a father

9.4% American children are clinically diagnosed with anxiety.

30% Americans under 30 say having children is important

47% mothers feel parenting is stressful all or most of the time

WE WONDERED WHY

We are Kathryn, a practical Gen Xer and seasoned entrepreneur, and Erin, a curious Millennial and communications professional, who connected through an online conversation while exploring this very quest from two different perspective

HI I'M KATHRYN

In my four-decade journey in the food industry as a chef, restaurant owner, food company founder, cookbook author and Tedx-er, I’ve been a passionate and outspoken advocate for local food systems. I’ve seen models come and go and have noticed that all have one thing in common- they are invariably unaffordable.

Small food companies with big hearts also struggle to provide reasonably priced products. Many founders start their companies with a vision of healthy delicious food for all, only to discover that by the time their products reach the supermarket shelves, their prices are simply out of reach for the people they hoped to serve. If they’re successful, they face a point where they must take on capital to grow their companies before Big Food comes at them with lower priced versions. If, in the process, they lose majority control of their companies, they often watch profits supersede the quality and integrity of their products. Rather than remaining focused on nourishing their communities with affordable, high-quality foods, they find themselves subsumed by the very system they had hoped to change. You might have guessed by now that I am one those founders.

As a Sociology major (from long ago) I have always been interested in the intersection of food and culture, and in 2016 I became particularly fascinated with women and traditional foods. For most of history, women were revered for their traditional knowledge and wisdom in our hearths and homes but a disturbing trend started to show up in my research: As cultures modernize and women move into the Market economy this type of expertise seems to lose its' social status. Both the soft skills and the practical knowledge that propel humanity forward and ensure our species’ survival have largely been relegated to the lowest rungs of our societal hierarchies. Why?

Finding an answer to this question became an obsession. As I journeyed deeper into our historical record, a compelling story began to unfold that not only shed light on our present predicament, but also hinted at paths towards possible solutions. And then I met Erin, a young woman on the verge of motherhood who was thinking about many of the same topics through a different lens. Her perspective enriched and helped to ignite the Hearth Hypothesis that fuels our work together at Hearth Matters.

AND I'M ERIN

My maternal instinct showed up on my 28th birthday, and after five years of searching for my place in the corporate world as a marketer and business manager, I discovered profound purpose in motherhood. The biological calling transformed my worldview, but it didn’t include a blueprint for building a family and I wasn’t sure where to start. I wondered why.

I began to notice exhausted mothers, struggling children, and viral hopelessness portrayed on social media. I was struck when I came across the fact that, while the overwhelming majority of women want to have a baby at some point in life, half of those who reach age 30 without one will become childless by circumstance. Why?

Why aren't young adults taught about what it takes to start a family? How does culture and media influence our home lives? Where online can future parents find trustworthy information about pregnancy and child development? How do you raise healthy, happy kids, protect them from harm, and instill resilience in them? What does it mean to "have it all," and can it scale? These are a few of the questions that led to meet Kathryn and her hopeful vision for the future for Home.

As a mom-to-be, I'm embarking upon the adventure of my life in motherhood and entrepreneurship. Through Hearth Matters, I will learn to make home, co-creating the life I envision with my husband and for our family. To me, making home is about having it all, and all at once. It's about building a healthy, resilient household, supporting a vibrant community, and nurturing the next generation of happy people.

Erin Lennon Szuma

THE INQUIRY

AND THE INSPIRATION

When women entered the labor market in droves in the 60’s and 70’s, there wasn’t much of a plan for who was going to mind hearth and home. We quickly discovered that to keep our homes running we had to outsource many hearth activities like cooking and childcare to the Market.

Sixty year later, "Homemade" has in many cases been replaced with "Market-made." And the promise of "having it all" has turned out to be a myth. After working all day, women spend another 4.5 hours caring for their families. We are exhausted and our kids are struggling with alarming rates of obesity, illness and depression. Men aren't faring much better.

Kathryn began to see a possible link between our modern ills and too much "Market" access to our homes. And Kathryn began to wonder if this was in some way connected to the low status given to homemakers, mothers and many of the essential “caring” activities within the Home domain? And then it dawned on her...Could the Information Age and the new Sharing Economy provide an opportunity to reimagine and upgrade how we "do" Home? And if so, where would we even begin?

After 6 years of inquiry and research, the Hearth Hypothesis was born. It poses more questions than answers and is intended to serve as a starting point for a broader conversation about how together we might navigate one of the most profound technological and societal shifts ever faced by humans.

THE BIG IDEA: THE HEARTH HYPOTHESIS

If we re-think, re-value and re-source HEARTH and HOME, we will reach unprecedented lev HUMAN FLOURISHI

The concept of "hearth" as the home's heart is a powerful symbol. In ancient times, the hearth was the place where people cooked their meals, warmed themselves during cold weather, and gathered for storytelling and companionship.

In the modern context, even though many homes may not physically have a hearth or fireplace, the term still evokes images of family, care, warmth and nourishment and hospitality.

HUMAN FLOURISHING

The concept of Human Flourishing was central to classical Greek philosophy, particularly within the works of Aristotle. He referred to it as "eudaimonia," which is often translated to "happiness," "prosperity," or "flourishing."

To flourish as a human, according to Aristotle, is to live a virtuous life, seek wisdom, cultivate good relationships, and actively contribute to the well-being of the community. It's about realizing one's full potential and living in a way that is true to one's nature and purpose.

THE PRIMER

What if right in your neighborhood, a skilled expert could help you with any number of services or goods like childcare and cooking to help your family flourish?

Or, perhaps you're interested in building a cottage business in your home that meaningfully supports other families while supporting your own?

Wouldn't it feel great to know that your money goes directly into the pockets of local families rather than big companies?

What if, together, we could build strong relationships within our immediate communities through networks that we control and manage ourselves.

THE HEARTH: THEN AND NOW

PART 1: FROM CAVE TO COTTAGE

Though our understanding of how our ancient ancestors made “home” is largely speculative, we do know that from around 500,000 B.C. to approximately 8,000 B.C., humans were nomadic hunter-gatherers living in small and perhaps egalitarian groups. During this era the mastery of fire lit our first campfires and served as a significant technological catalyst for human evolution.

Just as fire revolutionized our early existence, another pivotal technology would forever reshape our conception of home–the invention of the plough. Emerging in different places around the world between 8,000-4000 B.C, this seemingly simple tool propelled humans into the Agricultural Revolution, and into fixed dwellings centered around a new type of campfire–the hearth. Our new homes became epicenters of economic activity, where families engaged in farming, crafting, and trading.

PART 2: FROM COTTAGE TO FACTORY

Echoing the profound effects of fire and the plough, the 18th century brought another technology driven epochal shift to our homes. Steam and electricity sparked an Industrial Revolution and a new Market economy.

Work, which had once been rooted in the home and embedded in a cottage economy, now moved to factories. The once blurred space between home and work and the division of labor between the sexes, was now distinctly divided into two separate spheres. The private Domain of Care managed by women and the Public Domain led mostly by men.

PART 3: WOMEN MOVE TO THE MARKET

Women who worked in the Domain of Care championed the home as a sanctuary away from the dehumanizing forces of the Public Domain, while first wave feminists saw an opportunity to break free from traditional roles and pursue equality with men in the Public Domain and the new Market economy.

Influenced by several new technologies including the automobile, home appliances and the birth control pill, the second wave of feminism saw women escaping the confines of their homes at unprecedented rates in the pursuit of selfdiscovery, equality and freedom.

Women have achieved for the most part, parity with men in the Public Domain, a seismic shift that has largely shaped our society for the better.

WHO TENDS THE HEARTH FLAME NOW?

Amidst this sweeping tide of change, and in our collective pursuit of progress, have we inadvertently dimmed the flame that nourishes the human family?

TENDING THE HEARTH

SHELTER

The sanctuary of home and hearth provides protection from the outside world. Home is a place of comfort and privacy, and respite from the demands of the outside world. Within the secure embrace of home, individuals learn about themselves, define their values and cultivate the confidence required to face life's obstacles head-on.

FOOD

Our Hearths are the hub of culinary activity in the home. The act of preparing food for others is an expression of love and care and helps to foster social bonds. The hearth is a classroom, where knowledge is passed down through generations, preserving cultural traditions and promoting selfsufficiency.

FAMILY

HOME and HEARTH are where family bonds are created and strengthened, where values and traditions are imparted and shared across generations. Home is the first place where we learn about trust, empathy, cooperation, responsibility, and countless other social and emotional skills that are essential for our future.

WORK

Throughout human history our survival and prosperity hinged on our ingenuity and labor, and the collective efforts of families and communities. Our homes were sites of production connected to cottage economies, and centers of education, where skills and knowledge were imparted from one generation to the next.

THE UN-TENDED CONSEQUENCES

SHELTER: Today, our homes are more comfortable than ever before, yet their sanctity as havens from the public sphere is at risk. The same technology that streamlines our lives also clandestinely tracks, records, and shares our actions with companies eager to convert our habits into sales.

Devices meant to deepen connections are also vehicles for market-driven algorithms to infiltrate our private lives, vying for our attention in a bid to monetize our interactions. Moreover, this technology offers a potentially damaging gateway to our children, challenging the very essence of our homes as shelters.

FOOD: The pressure and fatigue associated with juggling work outside of the home with family life have resulted in a growing dependency on quickly prepared processed foods contributing to numerous health issues.

Cherished family traditions and bonding over homemade meals have significantly diminished. Culinary traditions passed down through generations have mostly faded away and most young people are barely proficient in the kitchen today.

FAMILY: Family unity is fraying, the vibrant tapestry of traditions and intergenerational wisdom, quietly thinning.

With children often cared for outside the home, the invaluable role of family and community in their upbringing is undervalued, potentially at great societal cost.

When home, family members often retreat into private digital realms that create isolation and subvert the deeply nurturing connections that define the essence of familial bonds.

WORK: Once a hub of entrepreneurship within a bustling cottage economy, the home now stands largely idle in economic terms, its residents labor now owned by the external market economy born of the Industrial Revolution.

This shift also saw women journey from the private Domain of Care to impressive accomplishments in the public sphere. No longer able to care for children while working in their homes, the cost and stress of childcare outside of the home has become a new burden for many families.

Women are made for the Information

HEARTHBROKEN WOMEN

WITH CHILDREN

Women trying to raise children while working in the Public Domain are exhausted, depressed and experiencing high levels of anxiety. In addition to their weekly work in the public sphere, women work an additional of 22.5 hours at home and often bear the emotional burden of managing a home in ways we cannot quantify.

Many mothers and homemakers who work full time in the Domain of Care report feeling lonely and disconnected. Low status is often given to women in these roles and they are seen as either oppressed, misguided or unmotivated by many.

To keep their homes running, women have increasingly outsourced their homes to the Market.

WITHOUT CHILDREN

Many young women who have watched their own mothers and/or peers struggle have realized that “having it all” is a myth. Citing a poor outlook for the future, a growing number of Americans are choosing to forego having families altogether.

Educated women working in the Market struggle to find suitable male partners who share their values and income potential.

Despite their stated desire to have children, half of all women who reach age 30 will go on to experience “unplanned” childlessness.

THE OUTSOURCED HEARTH

In 2022, Americans spent billions on OUTSOURCED products and services that stand in for our Hearths:

$362B on fast food

$61B on childcare

$37B on home entertainment

$12B on residential cleaning services

$9B on prepared meal delivery services

And, companies spent $4.6B on advertising to children in 2021.

Sources: www.ibisworld.com & www.statista.com

The quality, care and wisdom of "Homemade" has been replaced with the profit-focused "Market-made."

WHY HUMANS MAY NOT BE FLOURISHING

In our relentless pursuit of progress, have we overlooked the fundamental elements that truly nurture Human Flourishing?

Have we forgotten the pivotal role that Hearth and Home play in our lives, and in a healthy society?

In order to navigate our way home, we must first begin by examining four crucial shifts that might have caused us to lose our way.

#1 - THE HEARTH LOST ITS KNOWLEDGE

The knowledge and the skills of hearth and home, traditionally passed down from one generation to the next, through hands-on learning and shared experiences, have lost their value and status in our culture or have been replaced by the Market.

The effect of this shift is now becoming apparent in younger generations, many of whom struggle to successfully manage their daily lives when they leave their parents homes.

The hearth was once the school of essential life skills. Although the industrial revolution brought about immense progress, it emphasized specialization, leading us to overlook the well-rounded skills that were once nurtured at home and within the community.

– Kathryn Lukas Damer

#2 - THE HEARTH LOST ITS JOB

The shift from home-based cottage industries to public workplaces during the Industrial Era stripped the household of its income-generating capacity.

This transition also recast the perception of work, privileging waged industrial jobs while inadvertently marginalizing the "unpaid" labor in the once economically thriving Domain of Care.

In such homes (pre-Industrial Era), women might tend a smallholding, make food or craft products for sale, make the household’s clothes and perform countless other tasksalong with the care of children-that were every bit as vital to the household as earning money.

– Mary Harrington, Author of Feminism Against Progress

#3 - THE HEARTH LOST ITS CULTURAL VALUE

Because the work in our homes is "unpaid" in terms of Market metrics, and traditionally performed by women, the essential activities in the home have lost their value in our status hierarchies and our collective subconscious.

When we apply market economy metrics to value the labor performed in the Domain of Care we lose sight of its mission critical significance to our survival.

The devaluation of women's work in the home has consequences that reach far beyond individual households; it shapes everything from the global economy to social policy making.

–Katrine Marçal, Author of 'Who Cooked Adam Smith's Dinner?'

#4 WE HAVE LOST HOPE

In a bid to monetize our attention, the Market deploys algorithms and fear-based click bait tactics that trick our primitive brains into thinking things are worse than they really are.

The statistics clearly support the truth that life is significantly better for most humans than ever before. We must let optimism, not pessimism be our self-fulfilling prophecy for the future. It's our only hope.

“The real problem with humanity is that we have paleolithic emotions, medieval institutions and god-like technology.”

The market makes a good servant but a bad master, and a worse religion."

–E.O. Wilson

–Amory B. Lovins

HOW DO WE FIND OUR WAY HOME?

A New Era is upon us, one that presents an opportunity- and a responsibility- to chart a new course Home.

Old structures and ways of thinking held over from the Industrial Era will not endure or serve us in the new Information Age.

…Family structure and gender roles don’t exist in or emerge from a vacuum. Instead, they come from a complex interplay or ostensibly unrelated factors, most of which are sparked or at least accelerated by technological change...”

–Debora L. Spar Author of Work Marry Love: How Machines Shape Our Human Destiny

Now is the time for an upgrade.

The chaos we’re experiencing is typical of massive societal change that emerges with new technologies

THE HEARTH UPGRADE

human flourishing in the new era

Women are made for the Information

WELCOME TO THE NEW ERA

Opportunities

Democratized access to information and learning

Innovation opportunity

Increased efficiency

Global connectivity

New models of partnership between sexes

Do Nothing

Unchecked technological advancement, spurred by market interests drives our future. We delegate key decisions to AI systems that are incapable of understanding the quintessential human experiences of embodiment, connection and spirituality.Civilization comes to halt.

Challenges

Job displacement

Information overload

Privacy and security concerns

Digital divides

Affordability crises

Deconstructionism

The future is not something we enter. The future is something we create.

–Leonard Sweet

or...Take Action

We seek and develop new robust narratives that help us develop the character and strength needed to navigate the transition to a new era. We consciously choose not to become subjugated by our own creations. We innovate new systems that prioritize people and planet above market forces and technological progress. Civilization flourishes.

Women are made for the Information Age:

HEARTH MATTERS TAKES ACTION

Hearth Matters Nonprofit

Innovative new models that revalue and re-source HEARTH and HOME for unprecedented levels of HUMAN FLOURISHING

A Hopeful New Story

The old story needs an upgrade. We’ll unpack the narratives that no longer serve humanity and explore new, more hopeful stories for the future.

INNOVATE: The Hearth Matters Nonprofit

Our Initiatives:

We believe that because our mission is critical to a flourishing future, it must be led by citizensnot the Market. The non-profit model ensures our success is measured by the lives we touch, rather than by the profits we accumulate.

teach and valorize the knowledge required for human flourishing

foster economic resilience through entrepreneurship

a vibrant cottage economy model for the information

age

LEARN INITIATIVE: Key challenges

Home Economics needs a makeover

For most of the 20th century, practical skills like cooking, budgeting and household management were commonly taught in secondary or high schools. Also included were classes on dating and family dynamics, and early childhood education. Facing backlash from feminists who saw marriage and family life as oppressive, Home Economics classes slowly disappeared from the educational landscape.

Today, two generations of young people have been urged to focus 100% on career development with little regard or attention given to cultivating the practical skills necessary to take care of themselves.

Most young people venture into the world ill equipped to meet life’s challenges let alone the complexities of the New Era.

Our societal norms need an upgrade

Industrial Era norms place a higher value on succeeding in the Market than they do on excelling as human beings. The New Era demands new norms. Without the necessary tools and preparation needed to navigate the steep demands of our rapidly complexifying society, our young people are not faring well. They struggle to find meaning in their lives and are experiencing heartbreaking levels of mental anguish, depression- and disturbing social unrest seems to be everywhere.

Fortunately, profound new insights into the human experience are also rapidly developing. We have more knowledge and more tools to help humans become self-authoring, emotionally mature individuals than at any other time in history.

Prioritizing this type of education for everyone -but especially for our youth -is mission critical to the survival or our species. Not “taking action” is simply not an option.

LEARN INITIATIVE: Pragmatic Solutions

HEARTHOLOGY: The Study of Human Flourishing

We believe it is essential that our young people have open-source access to the skills and knowledge required to successfully navigate the complexities of our new era. Taking inspiration from both the practical skills taught in early Home Economics and the "whole person" educational philosophy of the Scandinavian Bildung movement (see case studies below), our program will aggregate online classes from the best thinkers and educational institutions in the world and blend them with courses we develop to create two levels of Hearthology curricula.

Level 1: A six-week course that will focus on the development of the “whole” person by teaching practical life skills along with evidence-based psychology to help individuals cultivate self reliance and encourage personal growth.

Level 2: A more comprehensive six-month version of Level 1 for either continued personal development or the pursuit of a vocational pathway that will include an apprenticeship.

*Sample Curriculum Coming Soon

...home is the organic unit of society, that to raise the standard of living and of life in the home is to elevate the whole social system."

–Ellen Swallow Richards, Home Economics movement founder

LEARN INITIATIVE: CASE STUDY #1: 19th Century Home Economics

Home economics was established in the late 19th Century by a group of radical women committed to making the world a better place through the household.

Through their remarkable efforts, Home Economics helped many families navigate the technologies of the new industrial world, and to survive the terrible deprivation brought on by the depression and two world wars.

The Home Economics legacy is far-reaching, pioneering essential concepts such as health and nutrition standards, the food pyramid, the federal poverty level, consumer protection, clothing care labels and school lunch programs. Pragmatic scientists, home economists were the first to measure the labor performed by women at home. A number of universities offered degrees in home economics which eventually laid the foundation for the first women’s studies programs.

For nearly a century classes were mandatory in secondary or high schools but today have mostly disappeared from the educational landscape. Home Economics is now called Family and Consumer Science and struggles to remain relevant in the new era.

A revival seems long overdue.

Often referred to as the "mothers" of the home economics movement, Margaret Murray Washington and Ellen Richard allow saw homemaking and domestic ponsibilities as a profession that uired specific knowledge and skills d that applying scientific principles to mestic life could improve living nditions, reduce racial inequality and ntribute to greater human welfare.

Women are made for the Information Age:

LEARN INITIATIVE: CASE STUDY #2: Bildung- the 150 year Scandinavian Experiment

An educational and cultural philosophy, Bildung emerged in Scandinavian countries in the late 19th century with the goal of helping its citizens develop the moral and emotional maturity needed to navigate the new Industrial era.

Early thinkers and proponents thought that by providing its citizens with a holistic education that emphasized personal development, critical thinking, adaptability, and active citizenship, individuals (and society) would be better prepared for the complexities of society in the new industrial era.

The philosophy was shared through a network of “Folk Schools” which were distinct from traditional schools in that they did not focus on academic preparation. The schools were often located in residential settings where students lived and learned together with the aim of cultivating a love of learning, developing moral and emotional maturity, adaptability and instilling a sense of community, and the importance of active citizenship.

These institutions left a lasting impact on Scandinavian culture and their influence is thought to have significantly contributed to their remarkable 150 year evolution from extreme poverty, ignorance and feudalism to some of the most prosperous, democratic, and socially cohesive societies in the world.

Lene Rachel Andersen is a respected Danish futurist, economist, metamodernist and Bildung activist. In her book “Bildung” she suggests that the Folk School model is in need of an upgrade for the new era and she is helping do just that as president of the non-profit organization Nordic Bildung.

EARN INITIATIVE: Key challenges

THE TWO INCOME TRAP

In today's economic landscape, one income is often insufficient to cover all the family's financial needs. The situation is particularly stark for families with young children, where the cost of childcare can be prohibitively high.

According to a 2019 report from Child Care Aware of America, the average cost of childcare in the United States exceeded $11,000 per year for one child.

As a result, some families find themselves in an impossible situation where, despite both partners' earnings, they can barely afford childcare. The prospect of transitioning to a single-income household with a full-time homemaker seems almost inconceivable.

ECONOMIC VULNERABILITY

An additional challenge that affects women far more than men, is the economic vulnerability that comes with stepping out of the workforce and giving up financial independence to be a full-time homemaker and/or parent. This risk is what drove women to abandon the industrial era “traditional” model in the first place. Today, many young women, especially those who observed their mothers grapple with the challenges of single parenthood if their parents’ marriages failed, understand the potential pitfalls of surrendering financial autonomy, and are seeking a balanced path that respects both their caregiving roles and their economic independence.

Women are made for the Information Age:

EARN INITIATIVE: Pragmatic solutions

Our EARN INITIATIVE revives the entrepreneurial spirit of the Hearth

Creating a hearth-based business, provides a way for people to transition from dependence on two market incomes, and the heavy burden of associated childcare costs while substantially reducing the economic vulnerability for those opting to create a nurturing home and/or raise a family.

Business Training

Embedded in our Hearthology curriculum is a home-based business training course for those interested in providing Domain of Care services like childcare, food and a host of other services and products to their community. Our goal is to demystify and simplify the complexities of small business management for newcomers.

Mentorship

Our mentorship program will pair those willing to donate their experience in the market economy with those creating businesses in the new “domestic economy”.

Grants and low interest loans

Hearth Matters will offer grants and help to arrange low interest loans for those who need assistance in making the transition to a home based business.

Result: Homemade Economic Resilience

A New Era model where homemaking, parenting and income-earning harmoniously coexist, and our priorities and status hierarchies come back into alignment with human flourishing.

A TALE OF TWO HEARTHS

LAURA earns $52,000 per year working 40 hours per week outside of her home

OLIVIA earns $52,000 per year from her home-based business and has a flexible schedule.

TOTAL EARNINGS....

$52,000

INCOME TAX (32%).... $16,640

CHILDCARE FOR 2 KIDS.... $15,000

NET INCOME... $20,350

In addition to her eight hour workday and daily commute, Laura comes home to an additional four hours of work in her home. She's exhausted, missing out on valuable time with her children, all for less than half the net income of her neighbor Olivia who works from home.

TOTAL EARNINGS....

$52,000

BUSINESS TAX (15%).... $7,800

CHILDCARE FOR 2 KIDS.... $0

NET INCOME... $44,200

Between caring for other children in her Hearth Hub and her clothing business, Olivia is able to generate income in her home, while looking after her own kids.

CONNECT INITIATIVE: Key Challenges

When Marketmade replaces Homemade...

When Marketmade replaces Homemade

Long and complex supply chains drive inflated prices for consumers and put food security at risk, should they fail. According to a study by the World Economic Forum, global supply chains can account for up to 90% of production costs, driving up the retail prices.

Corporations often prioritize profits over healthy ingredients, humane treatment of animals and environmental stewardship. Foods produced at scale are more affordable but are often highly processed and/or lacking essential nutrients. Companies often heavily market these unhealthy products which has adverse effects on public health. Government subsidies can sometimes lead to market distortions. In agriculture, subsidies favor conventional farming, influencing the final prices of goods in the market and putting smaller and more sustainable producers at a distinct disadvantage.

Inefficient and corporate influenced regulatory bodies hinder competition, allowing monopolistic practices and price manipulation. This along with excessively high regulatory fees and unreasonable requirements, hinder small producers' ability to compete on price.

The erosion of community bonds is partly due to an increased reliance on distant supply chains. Market economy options isolates us, weakening connections with neighbors we once relied on, and can diminishin our sense of community and belonging.

The cumulative effect of these factors can disproportionately impacts the prices of essential goods and services, making high quality options unaffordable for many individuals and families.

Women are made for the Information Age:

CONNECT INITIATIVE: The Hearth Hub Model

The Hearth Hub model reimagines our ancestors Cottage Economy with an Information Era Upgrade that meets the needs of modern families.

OurHomemadealternativeto Marketmadeproductsandservices unitesproducersandconsumersina home-based"sharing"economy model. Unlikeprofitdrivenmodelssuchas Shef.com,Care.comorNextDoor.com wheretheproducersmustsharetheir profits,theHearthHubmodelis ownedandoperatedbyitsmembers,a winwinapproachthatprioritizes humanflourishingoverprofits.

HUB MEMBERS reap the benefits of higher quality products and services, at more affordable prices than the Market can deliver because many of the financial barriers between producers and consumers are reduced or eliminated.

HEARTHOLOGISTS&PRODUCERS benefitbyearningmoremoney, workingfewerhoursfromhomethan theycouldinthesamejobsinthe Marketeconomy.Thisempowers individualsandfamiliestoshape fulfillinglivesthatalignwiththeir needs,ratherthantheMarket's demands.

CONNECT INITIATIVE: The Anatomy of a HUB

A Hearth Hub is a membership based group of around 150 adults based on Dunbar’s number). Members/families buy, sell and informally trade goods and services with each other.

The membership format is a legal strategy intended to eliminate or reduce obstacles like unreasonable and/or expensive regulations that stand between producers and consumers.

Hearth Hubs will in all cases meet or exceed Market regulatory criteria with higher standards and procedures. A reputation-based system, and the transparency that comes with the close proximity between producers and consumers, will help to ensure high levels of trust and quality products and services within the system.

We estimate that around 20-30% of members will actively contribute as producers, supplying homemade goods and services to both members who work within the hub system and those who work outside in the Market economy.

In order to stay within the parameters of U.S. law and to build trust within the system, membership is by invitation only and all applicants are screened before acceptance (screening protocols still need to be determined as do requirements for acceptance into a hub). There are two types of applications: One for producers and one for consumers. The producer application is more involved with a site inspection and samples of products or services.

Acceptance of new members is at the Hub Founder’s discretion, whose job it is to retain members by maintaining robust and relevant service and product offerings for the community.

CONNECT INITIATIVE: Hearth Hub Founders

Hub Founders are at the Heart of our model

Although Hearth Hubs are owned by members, they are initiated and managed by Hearth Hub Founders who invite, screen, and oversee members.

Founders determine size, dues and set the tone and theme, if any (i.e., vegan, omnivore, organic, secular, religious, etc..).

In exchange for a percentage of the membership dues, Founders, in most cases, offer a space where the community gathers to sell and buy goods, take classes and socialize. They coordinate all logistics between producers and members including the assembly of goods from producers into "hub boxes" for members.

Multiple Ways to Earn from Home

Founders may add a nominal fee of 5% to each Hearth Hub weekly box of preordered goods to cover their labor but will earn most of their income through a percentage of membership dues for the service and space they provide to the community.

They can earn additional revenue as producers, by selling their own goods and services and/or by providing bulk products for cost plus 10% (using the buying club model) to the community.

Women are made for the Information Age:

CONNECT INITIATIVE: Hub Math

FULLY SUBSCRIBED HUB

= 150 MEMBERS

We estimate that approximately each hub would be comprised of around 40 family and 70 single memberships for a total of 110 memberships.

110 memberships x $20 for singles and $30 for families

= $2,600 average revenue per month

The monthly fee for each hub is set by the Hearth Hub Founder (based on demographic and needs of their community) and will land somewhere between ($20-30) with a minimum commitment of 90 days after which members can choose an annual or monthly membership. Members can cancel at anytime.

The division of the $2,600 is still to be determined but might look something like this:

70% ($1820) to Hub founder

20% ($520) to Hub community fund

10% ($260) to Hearth Matters

Some examples of uses for the community fund: grants or loans to new Hearthologist led businesses, investment in community space infrastructure, or special events and classes, an elder network (see a Hearth Tale). Members vote annually on the use of community funds. Eventually multiple hubs will exist within each region which will open new opportunities to form associations where collective buying power is pooled to purchase products and services at discounted prices, including health insurance plans.

WE BELIEVE THE HEARTH MATTERS

HEARTH MATTERS NONPROFIT:

Pioneering the Future of Home and Hearth

Setting Standards & Principles: We will establish guidelines for Hearth Hubs, ensuring high-quality and reliable community-driven systems.

Online Platform: Our interactive online platform will connect founders, hearthologists, producers, and consumers for seamless interactions and resource sharing.

Continuous Improvement: Through research and community feedback, we will continually upgrade our models to meet our communities' needs.

Support & Resources: Founders and hearthologists will receive comprehensive support, including training, mentorship, grants and access to low interest loans.

Empowering Growth: We will encourage knowledge exchange and resource sharing, accelerating the collective intelligence of our model.

OUR VISION

We envision a world where Hearth and Home are valued for their significance to our well-being and as a result, an era in which humans flourish at unprecedented levels.

OUR MISSION

is to elevate the social and economic status of activities associated with the hearth through education, entrepreneurship and interdependent communities.

Women are made for the Information Age:

IGNITE: A CONVERSATION ABOUT THE FUTURE OF HOME

Storytelling to Spark a Movement

Kathryn and Erin, with their unique blend of multi-generational perspectives and complementary life experiences, are extraordinarily suited to breathe life into the Hearth Matters vision.

Kathryn, embodies the wisdom and practical knowledge of an accomplished entrepreneur and her wealth of experience and foresight enable her to perceive patterns and new possibilities for the future. Erin, standing on the threshold of motherhood and creating her own family, brings the energetic perspective of a new generation facing today's unique challenges.

Together, their synergy allows them to share a hopeful story that bridges generational gaps, encouraging a discourse that is both broad and inclusive.

Substack: This space will serve as the digital hub for Hearth Matters, presenting in-depth articles on our vision, research, and other relevant topics, and engaging our community in thoughtful discourse.

Social Media Engagement: We’ll harness the power of platforms like TikTok, Twitter and Facebook to expand our reach, share updates, stimulate discussion, and strengthen our online community.

Podcast (Hearthcast): Our podcast to engage audiences in conversations about Hearth Matters, featuring guest experts, documenting Erin's journey, and sharing Kathryn's wisdom.

Strategic Partnerships: We’ll establish collaborations with aligned influencers, organizations, and media outlets to spread our message and expand our influence.

Speaking Engagements: Telling our story at key events and forums to personally share our vision, stimulate direct action, and inspire change.

Books and Documentary: Long-form content will provide a thorough examination of our vision and mission, making our cause accessible to a wider audience.

DOES THIS MOVEMENT CALL TO YOU?

If so, this is an ideal time to build your voice into our mission.

We are seeking non-profit leaders, volunteers and interns to help us jump start our initiatives.

Are you interested in Hearthology as a vocation? Or starting a Hearthology focused home based business ? If so, we would love to offer you support in exchange for the ability to track your progress for our research.

Do you see yourself as a Hearth Hub Founder? We are looking for passionate leaders to help us a prototype the first Hearth Hubs.

Partnerships: If you belong to an organization that aligns with our mission, we would love to explore potential synergies.

Funding and Grant Opportunities: Are you a grant guru? Would you be willing to help us identify (and possibly write) grants that can fuel our mission? Or are you a philanthropist interested in fueling our mission and human flourishing?

If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together.

- African Proverb

WILL YOU SHARE YOUR THOUGHTS?

We are deeply grateful for the time you've dedicated to engage with our presentation.

Would you consider spending just a few more minutes to share your thoughts in a short anonymous survey here? Your feedback is vital to our work and a chance to make your voice heard.

Thank you!

Kathryn and Erin

CONNECT WITH US

Subscribe to our Substack at thehearthmatters.com and help us #MakeHearthMatter by following Kathryn, Erin, and Hearth Matters on social media:

HEARTH MATTERS:

@thehearthmatters on Facebook, Instagram

@hearthmatters on TikTok and Twitter Hearth Matters on LinkedIn hearthmatters@gmail.com

Coming soon: Locals, YouTube

KATHRYN:

@LukasKathryn on Twitter

@kdlukas on TikTok

Kathryn Lukas on LinkedIn

ERIN:

@MakeHomeMatter on Twitter & TikTok

Erin Lennon on LinkedIn

Hearth Matters founding retreat, Boulder Creek, CA – April 2023

APPENDIX

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