Brilliant!
25 big ideas from 30 geniuses for how to make Charlotte a better, more interesting city -- and how to make it matter
By Miriam Durkin, Jarvis Holliday, Tamela Rich, Jen Pilla Taylor, and Richard Thurmond
Photographs by Chris Edwards
Got any big ideas of your own for how to make Charlotte a better place? Submit them via form or email them directly to editor@charlottemagazine.com, and we’ll post the best ones on this page.
 | Todd Mansfield The environmentalist developer |  | Josh Thomas Accidental environmentalist |
 | Carlos Espin Art collective facilitator |  | Mark Peres Celebrator of the creative class |
 | Donna Scott Independent theater producer |  | Will Miller Social venture capitalist |
 | Sharon Portwood Working on the nonprofit holy grail | |
Saving Us From Sprawl
Tom Low will not rest until we all think differently about planning and design
The Future of Journalism
Justin Ritchie, Justin Ruckman, and Matthew Tyndall are citizen journalists, but their vision goes beyond CLT Blog
The Global Mentor
Ann Francke is helping women in North Carolina help women around the world
Making Eating Local Easy
Christy Shi will deliver farm-fresh food to your house -- along with recipes
Housing the Homeless
Kathy Izard thought someone here should start a program offering permanent housing to the homeless. Then she thought, "Why not me?"
Speaking of Art ...
Manoj Kesavan's lunchtime salon has grown into a full-blown support group for creatives
The Urban Frontiersman
Rich Deming is an evangelist for self-sufficiency -- while still living an urban lifestyle
The Avetts' Arrival
On the cover of the October 2005 issue, this magazine proclaimed the Avett Brothers as the local music scene's best hope. This month, the band starts making good on that
The Sweetest Thing
Marco Casol's big idea is to make gelato ubiquitous in the U.S. -- and to do it from Concord
The Online Migration
Ex-Observer staffers David Boraks and Glen Burkins have launched hyperlocal Web sites. Welcome to the future of news
Speaking Truth to Power
Armed with a keyboard and an audience, Mary Newsom is doing her damnedest to coax Charlotte to grow better
Keeping an Eye on the Americas
Someone has to make sure the president doesn't forget about this side of the world. That someone is Russell Crandall
Soccer Anywhere
Akbar Majeed's love for soccer turned into an avenue to help underprivileged youth
Big Idea: A Trauma Collar You Can See Through
