Promoting impact
Professor Ellie Paris-Miranda named Metro South Chamber of Commerce Entrepreneur of the Year
Ellie Paris-Miranda is living her own version of the American dream.
With an innovative idea and the support of her family, she opened the Dr. Ellie Paris Social Bookstore & Ice Cream Café in Brockton last fall. The venture, which seeks to foster literacy, education and upward economic mobility through the American ideals of one book, one scoop, and one community at a time, quickly won a community of fans.
In May, Wheaton’s Diana Davis Spencer Endowed Assistant Professor of Entrepreneurship was named Entrepreneur of the Year by the Metro South Chamber of Commerce.
Recipients of the award are “individuals whose businesses have grown through their commitment to their customers, their product and their community,” said Metro South Chamber of Commerce Board Chair Dan Evans during the award presentation. “This café has, in less than a year since its November 2024 opening, become a beacon of literacy, education and economic empowerment.”
Paris-Miranda was surprised and grateful to receive recognition for the venture, the first of its kind.
“The award reminded me how important it is to empower people around you,” she said. “It’s wonderful to know that people appreciate the value you bring to a community.”
In addition to its literary options, Paris-Miranda’s social impact bookstore also welcomes patrons to its store by offering a variety of food and beverages, including sandwiches, smoothies and ice cream. She explained, “We’ve brought people together through books, bites and ice cream, which makes everyone happy.”
Paris-Miranda has relied on the support of her family members and numerous partnerships to grow her business, located on Main Street in Brockton, Mass., a city challenged by a low literacy rate.
“I poured my passion for education, social impact and community development into an innovative business model,” she explained. “Partnering with other organizations, schools and public libraries, it’s been a miracle,” she said, noting that thousands of people have visited or engaged with her store.
Media attention when the store opened has continued to help spread the word. In June, the store was featured on Boston WCVB-TV’s “Chronicle,” and followed by Paris-Miranda’s appearance on the station’s “CityLine” program in August, where she shared some book recommendations.
“A lot of great things are happening beyond my wildest strategic planning,” she said. The store has collaborated with Brockton’s Sabura Camp, Plymouth County Correctional Facility and the Brockton Public Schools, where she was named Brockton Hometown Hero, to name a few.
The Wheaton community has also played a role in the business’s success. Two students, marketing intern Leah Keating ’25 and social media developer Loic Ebelle ’27, provided initial support and Paris-Miranda has used the store as a business case study in her courses to teach students about entrepreneurship.
“I have to extend my gratitude to the entire Wheaton community for their support of me and my family,” she said. “Some students directly assisted and others gave me feedback, showed their excitement and admiration for what I was doing and kept me going.”
Paris-Miranda is excited to continue the growth and reach of her store. Future plans include launching a reading effort, called the Booksitter program, where individuals can book time with a “booksitter” to read a book of the client’s choice.
Paris-Miranda hopes this program will grow into an independent service that addresses the childcare supply crisis while also supporting student development and literacy.
“We are being creative, innovative and intentional about the ways we can engage our children and our community to fall in love with books and school the way that I fell in love with them,” she said, acknowledging how happy she is with the bookstore’s success.
“I’ve been doing this type of work for almost 20 years, and providing this value to others has been, by far, the highlight of my career.”