Kylie Sullivan: Salem Main Streets

IN YOUR WORDS… TELL US ABOUT YOUR ORGANIZATION, BUSINESS, INITIATIVE.

Salem Main Streets’ mission is the continued revitalization of downtown Salem as a vibrant, year-round, retail, dining and cultural destination through business retention, recruitment, and promotion of the downtown district.

Salem Main Streets (SMS) provides direct and indirect support to downtown businesses all year round, providing promotion, assistance with business planning, identification of potential storefronts, retail design consultations, and peer support programs – available for free to all businesses within the downtown district. SMS produces and supports numerous community events and initiatives throughout the year, including the Salem Farmers’ Market, Salem Arts Festival, Salem’s So Sweet, and the October Information booth.

TELL US A BIT ABOUT YOU AND WHY YOU DO WHAT YOU DO? SHARE YOUR PASSIONS FOR YOUR BUSINESS, INITIATIVE, ORGANIZATION.

I have been involved in nonprofit work for my entire career, and community work specifically for over a decade. There are few things I love more than working with people who genuinely love their community (and we have so many in Salem!) and helping make connections across businesses, residents, and community partners. I also have a personal passion for how the arts and creativity can drive economic and community development.

WHAT ROLE DO YOU THINK YOUR BUSINESS PLAYS IN SUPPORTING A MORE CREATIVE COMMUNITY?

I personally think it is hard to talk about the success of downtown Salem over the past decade without talking about the impact of creative institutions, businesses, and individuals – from the PEM to the artisans who fill our street fairs and open storefronts to (of course) the work of groups like the Creative Collective. I often say that Salem Main Streets works at the intersection of economic development and community development, and one of the primary ways we do this is by organizing and supporting creative events and individuals – running the Salem Arts Festival, supporting the tenants on Artists Row, being involved with public art initiatives, etc.

WHAT WAS THE LAST BOOK YOU READ?

The Golem and the Jinni by Helene Wecker

WHAT’S THE ONE THING PEOPLE WOULD BE SURPRISED TO LEARN ABOUT YOU OUR YOUR BUSINESS?

That we are not just an events organization, and we are not membership-based! We provide free one-on-one business support to any business working in the downtown district, because it is a primary part of our mission.

Want to learn more? Visit their website at salemmainstreets.org

Interested in having your business featured and partnering with the collective to grow your business? #joincreativecollective today.