Sarasota Chapter president Jim Miller reflected on breaking ground and the power of the metaphor of planting at the Mennonite Entrepreneurs’ Conference on Longboat Key.

February 2, 2015 – Sarasota, FL — Local Sarasota business owner Jim Miller addressed the Mennonite Entrepreneurs’ Conference on Longboat Key in Sarasota, FL this past Sunday.

Speaking alongside conference leader Scott Hackman of the Delaware Family Business Center, Miller reflected upon unique opportunities for Mennonite entrepreneurs that are founded upon ethical frameworks and Mennonites’ legacy of community. He said,

“There is a surge of interest amongst young entrepreneurs to do more than make money with their businesses – they want to do business with a conscience, in ways that benefit their larger communities. Successful Mennonites know something about that, since Mennonites have been focused on the good of the community for centuries.”

Many of the conference attendees were shareholders in Mennonite-owned businesses, including a brass foundry, a global sports marketing firm, a large chicken producer, a grocery store and garden center chain, a winery, and an owner of apartment complexes – to name a few examples of the types of businesses represented.

The Mennonite Entrepreneurs Conference is a subsidiary of Mennonite Economic Development Associates (MEDA), a global organization committed to reducing poverty through marketplace principles. Last year MEDA delivered more than $42M in relief programs globally.

Jim Miller is president and CEO of JMX Brands, an e-commerce company that he co-founded in 2003. JMX owns several brands, including DutchCrafters, the leading Internet retailer of Amish furniture. JMX is an Inc. 5000 company and recognized by Internet Retailer as one of the top 1000 Internet retailers in America.