Erika Block is the Founder and CEO of Local Orbit, which provides thoughtfully designed sales and business management software for local food aggregation and distribution. Local Orbit’s tools and services enable farmers, food makers and aggregators to efficiently sell to restaurants, grocers, and institutions. Local Orbit recently launched a vendor management service to help high volume purchasers streamline and simplify procurement from numerous vendors, while maintaining a transparent, traceable supply chain. Local Orbit currently supports customers in 16 states and Canada, which provides a unique perspective on the transformation of local sourcing and supply chains.
Prior to Local Orbit, Erika founded and ran an entrepreneurial arts organization, producing cross-sector partnerships in the US, Great Britain and South Africa. She also led the renovation of a vacant building in Detroit into a theater, gallery and bar where she worked with vendors to source local food for events. Throughout her career, Erika has created collaborative environments that facilitate learning and action. She has an MFA from Columbia University, and did graduate work in Interactive Technology at NYU. Erika comes from a family of fruit peddlers, meat processors, restaurant owners and wholesalers. She is a PopTech Social Innovation Fellow. Other awards include Crain’s Detroit Business 40 Under 40.
