Molly Hemstreet is Executive Director of The Industrial Commons, a nationally recognized organization advancing community-rooted economic development, worker ownership, and industrial revitalization across rural America. She is also the founder of Opportunity Threads, the largest worker-owned cut-and-sew facility in the United States. Molly has dedicated her career to creating pathways for economic opportunity in the communities she calls home. Molly’s leadership has been recognized through her selections as Ashoka Fellow, TED Fellow, Emerson Collective Fellow, and 2026 Champion of the Year by the Industrial Sewing and Innovation Center and was appointed to the Advisory Committee on Western North Carolina Recovery.