Shop More Local (shopmorelocal.org)

A New Jersey native and former Montessori teacher, Meredith DiMuzio seems an unlikely champion for local business. However, if you run a store, restaurant or other small operation, chances are, she’s dropped in personally to hear about your needs. That’s because in the last year, she has excelled as the Executive Director of Shop More Local, representing more than 450 local businesses. Though she grew up in the garden state, she’s called the Lowcountry home for fifteen years. A mother of three, she personally knows many of the business owners she supports—they are fellow parents, neighbors, friends. On a Thursday, you may find Meredith with her kids at the Bluffton Farmers Market browsing its bounty of local goods. Don’t hesitate to say hi.