John Abrams is the president of South Mountain Company (www.somoco.com), an employee-owned build/design firm on Martha’s Vineyard. He is also the author of The Company We Keep: Reinventing Small Business for People, Community, and Place (Chelsea Green Publishing, www.chelseagreen.com, May 2005), in which he explores the role of small business in promoting community, creating social equity, and maintaining ecological balance.