Interview with Our All-Star Summer Intern, Ian McIlvan

We had the pleasure of welcoming Ian McIlvan as our summer intern, and his creativity and fresh perspective brought new energy to Co-op Cincy. We're excited to share a Q&A with Ian, where he reflects on his experience and contributions to our team.

Can you share what inspired your creative process when designing the illustrations for our by-laws and social media?

When I was thinking about the designs, I knew I wanted it to be animals as that is more inclusive to diverse identities. I ended up settling on farm animals because they have the most characteristics similar to a co-op. The animals all collectively work together to help a business run. Additionally, they all have different talents and jobs that add to the overall functioning of the farm.



What were some of the most valuable skills or lessons you learned during your internship that you feel will benefit you in your future career?

I grew skills including problem solving and communication skills through collaborating with others on different projects or researching solutions as needed. I have found a passion to meet new people and find ways to use my art and creativity with and for others. I also gained a deeper understanding of the diverse stories and experiences of people within the community and was able to practice active listening. These are all activities that will shape how I move forward in society. 

How did working on different projects, from illustrations to other tasks, shape your understanding of Co-op Cincy’s mission and impact?

I have learned about the incredible power of Cooperative Businesses to create sustainable jobs, empower worker voice, and provide ownership opportunities to people from underserved and historically marginalized groups. I was able to meet so many amazing co-ops and learn about people from different backgrounds all working to make the economy work for all. I was also able to go through how the co-op network works to be able to create effective marketing illustrations and designs. 

Were there any challenges you faced while working on the illustrations or other projects, and how did you overcome them?

Some of the challenges I faced included having a limited amount of knowledge on a topic of cooperatives. This made my viewpoint beneficial as I was able to help comb through some of the information and analyze how accessible and clear it was. If there was something that I was unclear on, I was able to go to any of the staff and they were extremely helpful. I was always able to ask questions and use my voice to provide constructive feedback.

What aspect of your internship experience do you feel most proud of, and how do you think it contributed to Co-op Cincy’s goals?

I am proud of all that I was able to accomplish at Co-op Cincy and I was able to engage in so much personal and professional growth. I am so proud of all of the illustrations that I was able to make. This contributed to Co-op Cincy’s goals of making the economy work for all and giving everyone a seat at the table. The illustrations are general and can be used into the future. They can have an impact even after I have left Co-op Cincy.

One of the many joys of summer is biting into fresh fruit from a farmers market and taking home locally grown goods for a delicious summer recipe. Our Harvest is dedicated to expanding this simple pleasure to more people through their 2024 fundraiser, Project Food Access.

From Our Harvest, “This initiative aims to enhance food access by establishing mini farmers' markets in retirement facilities and food-insecure neighborhoods. Volunteers will facilitate these markets, ensuring that nutritious food reaches those who need it most. Additionally, we'll be enrolling customers in Produce Perks, a program that provides free produce dollars to stretch their food budgets further.

Your donation to our GoFundMe campaign will directly support these efforts. By contributing today, you can help us keep our produce affordable and accessible to all members of our community. Every dollar makes a difference in our ability to sustain fair wages for our farmers and continue providing quality products.

It's crucial now more than ever to support small businesses like OHC, where every decision is made with integrity and care for both our workers and the environment. Despite economic pressures, we've made significant strides, reducing debt and optimizing our operations to operate more efficiently.”

Join us in supporting this wonderful cause!

Support Project Food Access

Cherishing the Legacy of Dale Bahr

It is with heavy hearts that we share the passing of Dale Bahr, a pillar of our community and a true steward of the land. Dale passed away peacefully last month, with his beloved wife Carol by his side. For many years, Dale and Carol dedicated themselves to preserving Bahr Farm, the last working farm within the city limits, ensuring its legacy continued through relentless determination and hard work. Dale was a mentor to many at Our Harvest, and his impact on our organization is immeasurable. Thanks to Dale’s generosity in entrusting Bahr Farm to Cardinal, Our Harvest will honor his wishes by continuing to cultivate this historic land. Rest in peace, Dale. Your legacy will live on through the fruits of our labor.

Read More About Dale’s Legacy

We are excited to announce this year’s gathering will focus on the hope that radiates through our community as we showcase "Works for All: A Celebration of Cincinnati's Co-op Economy Through Film," taking place on October 4th, 2024.

The evening will feature a special debut screening of "Works for All," a 30-minute documentary highlighting the vibrant co-op economy in Cincinnati. This inspiring film portrays the stories of cooperatives within Co-op Cincy’s network, led by individuals often marginalized from the mainstream economy. It delves into our unique approach to training and ongoing support, showcasing how worker-ownership transforms lives and communities.

We are thrilled to share that the documentary was created by acclaimed filmmakers Mark Dworkin and Melissa Young, known for their earlier work "Shift Change," which also focused on democratic workplaces.

Event Details:

📅 Date: Friday, October 4, 2024

🕖 Time: 7:00 PM - 9:00 PM

📍 Location: The Woodward Theatre

Our theme this year is the movies! So, wear your best red carpet chic attire and join us for an unforgettable evening of inspiration and community spirit.

Mark your calendars for a night that celebrates the power of cooperative economics and community resilience. Tickets are $50 which include refreshments and movie-inspired lite bites. We can't wait to see you there!

Co-op Cincy welcomed The Praxis Project for Roots and Remedies Conference

Co-op Cincy was thrilled to host The Praxis Project for the Roots and Remedies Conference, a gathering dedicated to empowering organizers and activists. Since 2008, Roots & Remedies has provided a space for addressing issues such as housing, food access, education, and youth empowerment. This community-driven event allows attendees to reconnect, relax, and celebrate the profound work being done to improve health, justice, and racial equity nationwide.

At this year's conference, Co-op Cincy's Racial Justice Educator and Co-op Developer, Cynthia Pinchback-Hines, Ph.D., was a panelist for the Friday evening opening session. The panelists explored the theme "Home, Heart, Hope," addressing questions about their personal journeys, organizational missions, and visions for a just future.

Pinchback-Hines shared how growing up in the Jim Crow South shaped her values around social justice and civil rights. She inspired the audience to imagine a world where people have jobs that pay a fair, livable wage and where workers own businesses that allow them to build and support their communities. "People give me hope -- the grassroots efforts (are) calling on the collective wisdom of our ancestors,” said Pinchback-Hines during the insightful panel.

The 2024 theme, "Home, Heart, Hope," encapsulates the rights and strengths that ground our efforts against injustice and towards collective liberation. We're grateful and honored to have had this opportunity to build a movement for justice, inclusion, and equity.

Honoring Leslie Edwards Jr.— Pioneer of Valley Homes

The village of Lincoln Heights, approximately 12 miles north of downtown Cincinnati was the first all black self-governing city— north of the Mason-Dixon Line. Valley Homes, a housing cooperative founded after WWII, was established in this historic village.

Last month, on July 6th, a memorial bench in Valley Homes was dedicated to honor  documented original Tuskegee Airmen, Leslie Edwards Jr.

Edwards was staff sergeant and flight chief of Tuskegee Airmen Flight A. Leslie Edwards Jr’s dedication and tenacity paved the way for him to lead Valley Homes Mutual Housing Cooperative Board. 

The Valley Homes were sold to its residents as a tenant-owned housing project. By the late 1970s, residents were having trouble making payments on their mortgages to the government. While president, Edwards Jr.  was determined to keep tenants in their homes. His investigation proved that tenants had been deliberately over-charged for their properties. In 1979, his persistence led to the elimination of the over 500k federal government debt. We are so inspired of Leslie Edwards Jr.’s work with the housing cooperative— and honored to say that he was the uncle of our Office and Project Manager, Victoria Russell.

Creating New Pathways with Good Green Jobs

Last September, Co-op Cincy received a planning grant from the Department of Labor to advance green construction and climate-resilient jobs. We created the Good Green Jobs Steering Committee— which includes representatives from various partners striving to build a more strong and diverse workforce through sustainable practices and policies. The committee includes five working groups, with 25 partners, including the Cincinnati AFL-CIO, Urban League of Greater Southwest Ohio, Green Umbrella and industry partners including Sustainergy.

The Good Green Jobs Steering Committee has been meeting monthly for the past year— and continues to meet monthly for meetings to discuss strategies, identify best practices, and assist with follow-ups. Our five groups consists of:

  • The Green Construction Industry Working Group addresses workforce needs and growth strategies under the Inflation Reduction Act. They are currently working on exploring the formation of a shared services cooperative.

  • The Labor & Workforce Development Group focuses on creating a diverse, skilled workforce for the expanding green construction sector. Currently, they are recruiting the right workforce partners to the table.

  • The Project Pipeline Group aims to develop green construction projects and explore consumer purchasing alliances. Led by the City of Cincinnati Office of Environment and Sustainability, they recently applied for a C-Site grant to help fund solar and energy efficiency projects for houses of worship.

  • The Procurement Policy Group works on shaping policies to improve worker treatment and community impact. They are currently researching the best practices around procurement for diverse and values based contracting.

  • The Local, State, & Federal Collaboration Incentives Group identifies and leverages programs and partnerships to support quality green jobs. They are currently working on community outreach to raise awareness to opportunities pertaining to the Inflation Reduction Act.

As part of our work through the Department of Labor, we want to help connect people and organizations to resources, as well as incentives to save energy. Looking to save on electric appliance upgrades, energy efficiency improvements, or solar installations? Thanks to the Inflation Reduction Act, there are incentives available to help you. Use Rewiring America's incentive calculator to see how much you can save. If you're connected to a non-profit, the Clean Energy Tax Navigator can help you understand the benefits available.

Hilary Abel Appointed to New Position at Department of Labor

We are happy to announce that Hilary Abell, co-founder of Project Equity, has been appointed as the head of the Department of Labor’s Division of Employee Ownership. The federal government now has a full-time staff member dedicated to helping employers and employees learn about employee ownership. Hilary brings extensive experience and passion for employee ownership to her new role, which promises to strengthen and expand employee-owned businesses across the country. Learn more about her appointment in the NCEO article and PRWeb announcement.

Check Out the Coolest Composters Around, Queen City Commons on Cincinnati Edition!

Marie Hopkins, founder of Queen City Commons, chats composting: Composting can be a great way to reduce the amount of waste you send to the landfill and add nutrient rich soil to your garden. But how do you get started? What do you add to your compost? And what if you don’t even have a yard? Check it out here

Dig into the details of composting even more by taking a look at Queen City Common’s quarterly newsletter! The most recent newsletter highlighted that they've successfully begun using their new custom-made dump truck, funded partly by the Hamilton County ReSource Impact Grant, which has increased their food scrap capacity and reduced physical labor. They also welcome Tikkun Farm as a new partner, located in Mt. Healthy, focusing on community restoration, growing veggies, and managing a composting operation. Sign up to receive their newsletter here.

Our Next Co-op U and Farming for Refugee Program Begins Mid-August!

We are excited to announce the start of our next program— dedicated to educating worker ownership and farming to refugees— begins the week of August 12! We are seeking Arabic-speaking families to join this enriching 9-month journey. The program includes 12 weeks of farming and 24 weeks engaged in our cooperative business program. To get involved, email Luma Alzubaidi at lumaalzubaidi@gmail.com or call 513-952-3826. Join us in this transformative experience!

Upcoming Events

Movement News

  • Black co-op leaders recently gathered in St. Paul, MN, for the Network for Developing Conscious Communities' third annual national conference to form the National Association of Black Cooperators, focusing on cooperative economic strategies and cultural transformation to support Black communities. Read more

  • Check out the Urban League of Greater Southwestern Ohio's comprehensive State of Black Cincinnati 2023 report. This vital resource highlights the current socio-economic conditions and challenges faced by Black residents in Cincinnati, offering insights and strategies for driving meaningful change and promoting equity in our community. Dive into the report to learn more about the impactful work being done and how you can get involved!

  • The Union Co-ops Council has spent seventeen years building alliances between worker cooperatives and labor unions to enhance worker rights and economic democracy. Discover their achievements and ongoing efforts in the full article here.

The Legacy of Dale— Beautiful words from Stephen of Our Harvest

It is with heavy hearts that we share the passing of Dale Bahr, a pillar of our community and a true steward of the land. Dale passed away peacefully last week, with his beloved wife Carol by his side. For many years, Dale and Carol dedicated themselves to preserving Bahr Farm, the last working farm within the city limits, ensuring its legacy continued through relentless determination and hard work. Dale was a mentor to many at Our Harvest, and his impact on our organization is immeasurable. Thanks to Dale’s generosity in entrusting Bahr Farm to Cardinal, Our Harvest will honor his wishes by continuing to cultivate this historic land. Rest in peace, Dale. Your legacy will live on through the fruits of our labor.

Beautiful words from Stephen of Our Harvest

Monday morning I got some sad news that Dale Bahr, our farm's former owner and my mentor of 12 years, passed away at the ripe old age of 86. As it was neither sudden nor unexepected, it was a sad day here at The Bahr Farm. Dale's legacy is none short of serious recognition. 

Describing Dale in just a few words I would say he was a stubborn, hard-working man with a kind heart and a deep connection with the natural world. When I first started in 2012 he kindly let me eat lunch in his house with him and his wife Carol every day. He also shared raincoats and gloves with me when I forgot to bring mine or they had degraded beyond repair. 

His kindness not only extended to me and other workers on the farm, but also the wildlife here. When he would till the fields he was ever so careful not to disturb killdeer nests tucked away in the weeds. He hated food waste, and made it his mission to save as much from going to the landfill as he could.

Dale loved farming and spent almost every waking hour in the field. When I started as an apprentice under Dale's mentorship in 2012 I learned so many skills that boosted me up to becoming the manager of OHC's farm operations, in large part from skills I learned from him. He even showed me how to save his impossible to find black mustard seed so we could continue planting it for his (now our) greens customers. 

Dale died shortly after breaking his hip after a fall on the farm showing me how to prune the grape vines growing against his old market shed. I believe that he gave up after realizing that he would never come back to the farm as health problems compounded post-fall. I have trouble believing he's really gone because the Bahr Farm lives on. His most precious gift he left us was the Bahr Farm and all it's greatness. We are eternally grateful he put it in the hands of Cardinal Land Conservancy to forever give us the opportunity to grow produce here in the richest soils I've ever seen. Rest in peace Dale. You've earned it!

Farmer Stephen

Community, Popsicles and Gratitude 🌟

Summer is making its way in— and here at Co-op Cincy we are full of gratitude and popsicles after an amazing Co-op Fest!

To all who were able to attend— Thank you for joining us this past Saturday at Co-op Fest! It was a truly beautiful day filled with warmth, community, and connection.

Held at the stunning Our Harvest farm, we were gifted with perfect weather, as the sun gently peeked through the trees. The atmosphere was vibrant, with many of our co-ops setting up booths to engage with visitors and share the unique stories of their cooperative efforts.

Our Summer Intern, Ian, enjoying the Honeychild Popsicles. Ben Nava of our newest co-op, Old Growth, Co-op Cincy Staff

Topia delighted us all with their delectable iced coffee, while our newest co-op, Old Growth, added excitement with a raffle featuring beautiful summertime foliage. The salad bar, stocked with the freshest greens from Our Harvest Farm, was a hit, offering a taste of the farm's bounty. Honeychild Popsicles were a crowd favorite, and they were happily devoured by the end of the event.

Most importantly, Co-op Fest ignited the warmth of community among all who participated. Your presence and enthusiasm made the day unforgettable.

We are deeply grateful for your support and look forward to many more moments of shared joy and collaboration.

Phil Armadon, Old Growth Co-op, Business Developer Paloma Correa

National Conference on Black Cooperative Agenda: Recap

Special Projects Manager, Phil Waller and Office Manager, Victoria Russel attended the National Conference on Black Cooperative Agenda this past weekend.

Phil participated in a talk—  "Empowering Returning Citizens for Successful Reintegration," discussing strategies to support individuals transitioning from incarceration and addressing the intersectionality of racism and exploitation through cooperative economics.

Both returned feeling inspired. “This reignites how important it is to show up in Black spaces and participate with a like-minded and motivated community,” said Phil.

“It gives me a reason to feel hope among all the other reasons to feel hopeless,” said Phil after reflecting on all of the insights gained from the weekend. He also happened upon an inspiring song upon his return to Cincinnati, Lauren Hill’s “Everything is Everything” remind us that change is ever possible.

Everything is everything

What is meant to be will be

Understand that everything is everything

After winter must come spring

Change, it comes eventually

Two Visits in May! Detroit Community Wealth Fund and Momentus Capital

Members of CEND (the Cooperative Economic Network of Detroit) along with reps of Detroit Community Wealth Fund came for a visit last month and we couldn’t have been happier to connect with them and give them a coop tour.

“We could not be more grateful for the connections, pro tips, and good times we had with (Co-op Cincy),” said the Detroit Community Wealth Fund.

Welcome Ian! Our New Summer Intern

Ian McIlvain is a rising Junior at Xavier University studying art with a double minor in Arts Administration as well as Entrepreneurship and Innovation. He is an avid lover of art and currently serves as President of Art Society at Xavier University. In addition to art, he enjoys spending time outside, listening to Taylor Swift, and going on adventures around town. This summer he is helping to work on marketing and communications at Co-op Cincy and is assisting in administrative tasks as needed. His hard work, compassion, and willingness to learn have already aided Co-op Cincy and will continue throughout the summer while he is with us. 

Exciting News from Our Co-ops!

  • We’re thrilled to share that Sustainergy has received an expansion loan from Seed Commons! This funding celebrates their startup success and will help them purchase a warehouse, invest in a new vehicle, and establish a line of credit. Learn more about their mission here.

  • Shine has secured a pre-development loan to double their capacity by building new classrooms on their property, enabling them to extend their valuable childcare services. 

  • Topia has been granted a startup loan to buy equipment and start selling their coffee at events. We can't wait to see them in action! Check out Topia here.

  • We are excited to announce that Queen City Commons has a brand new truck! This addition marks a significant step forward for their range in services.

Our “Works For All” Fundraising Goal is So Close!

🎉 A Heartfelt Thank You! 🎉

We are beyond thrilled to announce that thanks to your incredible support and generosity at Co-op Fest, we are only $1,414 away from reaching our fundraising goal! 🙌

We want to extend our deepest gratitude to everyone who donated and attended our Co-op Fest. Your participation and contributions have brought us so close to the finish line.

Let’s come together one last time to hit our target! Every donation counts. Help us cross the finish line and achieve our goal!

Join Co-op U: Applications Open Until July 19!

Co-op U is a 14-week training and support program designed to help teams develop a worker-owned business. Participants benefit from weekly virtual trainings, 1-on-1 mentorship, hands-on professional training, and assistance with business incorporation and financing. Sessions are held Wednesdays from 6-8 PM EST, with additional weekly commitments of 2-5 hours.

Ideal for teams of at least 2 people with a business idea. Apply now and turn your vision into reality!

Co-op Cincy hosts Roots and Remedies Conference

Co-op Cincy is proud to be one of the hosting committees with The Praxis Project for the Roots and Remedies conference this year— the theme for 2024 is home, heart and hope. The theme explores transformation and finding solutions in these challenging times though transformative community organizing. Check out Roots and Remedies this summer— July 12- 14.

Business Legacy Fund Partners with Goering Center

On June 4th, Business Legacy Fund was thrilled to partner with The Goering Center for an informative luncheon diving into business succession strategies, spotlighting Employee Stock Ownership Plans (ESOPs) and Worker Owned Cooperatives. Attendees had the opportunity to learn from these passionate leaders driving economic transformation: featuring Tim Rettig, Founder/CEO of Intrust IT, who is dedicated to creating 10,000 employee-owners through ESOP successions; Ellen Vera, Co-Director of Co-op Cincy and Flequer Vera, CEO of Sustainergy Cooperative, who advises on worker-owned ventures and champions community-driven initiatives.

Cincinnati Cleaning Cooperative is hiring a new general manager! Click here for more details. Applications are open until June 28.

Upcoming Events

Movement News

Aaagh + Active Hope: A Recap From April

A Heartfelt Goodbye and a Warm, Welcoming Hello

It's been a little while since our last newsletter, hasn't it? Well, there's a good reason for that – our wonderful colleague Clancy has embarked on a new chapter of his journey down in Virginia. We're feeling his absence keenly around here. Clancy really took our communication and fundraising efforts to new heights. We miss his talents, his consistency, his sense of humor, and his knack for clarity.

But as they say, when one door closes, another opens. We're delighted to introduce not one, but two new additions to our team. First up, we've got Phil Waller stepping in to lead our Good Green Jobs Steering Committee, working closely with the Department of Labor. And fresh to our team, Sidney Cherie Hilley has joined us, along with Co-op Dayton, to take charge of our communications efforts.

Let's extend a warm welcome to Phil and Sidney as they join us on this exciting journey ahead!

Power in Numbers: Pitch Night Success!

We’d love to congratulate The Southern BEE Alliance, INC for winning last night’s Power in Numbers Pitch Night!

Here are all of the remarkable individuals behind each of these esteemed cooperatives that gave their pitch last night at our Power in Numbers Pitch Night:

Crenshaw Co-op Bakery: Meet the talented team behind the treats at Crenshaw Co-op Bakery: Eve Fouche, Asia McGinnis, Assata Richards, Lisabeth Ryder, and Geof Gusset. Together, they bring passion and creativity to every batch they bake.

Third Ward: Assata Richards, Tracie Franklin, Connie Edwards, and Grace Ifeanyichukwu are the driving forces behind Third Ward's community initiatives, striving to uplift and empower residents in their neighborhood.

Parable of the Sower Intentional Community Cooperative: Aleta Toure, Yehudit Toure, Cassa Justice Abdullah, Reddit Harris, and Sabah Brinson form the heart and soul of Parable of the Sower Intentional Community Cooperative, fostering a nurturing environment rooted in cooperation and mutual support.

The Southern BEE Alliance, INC: Crystal Davis, Leeza Stewart, Racquel Washington, Adrienne Troy-Frazier, and Simone Lee are the visionary leaders driving the mission of The Southern BEE Alliance, INC forward, promoting sustainability and environmental stewardship in their community.

Woodhill Community Co-Op: Meet the dedicated team behind Woodhill Community Co-Op - Morgan Bulger, Morgan Ford, Marylin Burns, Yolanda Young, Toni Johnson, Ashley Evans, Tiffany Walker, and Wyndi Moore. Their collaborative spirit and commitment to community empowerment shine through in all they do.

Renting Partnerships Reaches New Heights

We're thrilled to announce a major milestone in Renting Partnerships' journey towards innovative cooperative housing! On January 18, they successfully acquired a multifamily building in Avondale, expanding their revolutionary model.

Renting Partnerships is forming a new community and rehabilitating an existing 10-unit multifamily building in the Avondale neighborhood. To learn more, check us out here.

Co-op Cincy Featured in Three National Articles

  • In this edition of our newsletter, we're excited to bring you three insightful articles featuring Co-op Cincy that shed light on the latest developments in the world of worker-owned cooperatives. The first article, "Cooperative Ways to Weather the Silver Tsunami," explores innovative strategies for navigating demographic shifts, particularly among the aging workforce. You can read more about it here.

  • We have a compelling review by Matt Noyes for Labor Notes, titled "If the Workers Take a Notion: ‘Works for All’ Showcases Union Coops." This piece delves into the intersection of unionization and cooperative models, offering fascinating insights into how these two movements can complement each other. You can find the review here.

  • We present an article titled "How US Social Cooperative Laws Could Accelerate Co-op Development," which explores the potential impact of social cooperative laws on the growth and sustainability of cooperatives in the United States. Dive into the details here.

Movement News

  • Dive into the "Solidarity Economies Building Community Power" series by the Nonprofit Quarterly, which showcases inspiring initiatives across various cities, including the DC Metro area, Oakland, Los Angeles, Buffalo, and New Orleans. Discover the transformative power of solidarity economies and community-driven solutions here.

  • We bring you the empowering story of Empowered Energy Systems' transition into a worker-owned cooperative, as detailed in a riveting piece by KVNF Community Radio. Explore how this transition is reshaping the energy landscape and empowering workers here.

  • A groundbreaking study published in Lancet sheds light on the health and wellbeing benefits stemming from the Preston Cooperative model. Delve into the findings and implications of this research here. We hope these articles inspire you as much as they have inspired us!

Insights + Inspiration From Active Hope

Aaagh! Reading the news.The unspeakable horrors in Gaza, the sheer scale of lives lost and shattered. Ukraine. Congo. Sudan. Yemen. Israel. Yikes . . . Climate chaos. Extreme inequality. The feeling of powerlessness and overwhelm before it all. How to respond?  

I’ve been reading a book called Active Hope: How to Face the Mess We’re in With Unexpected Resilience and Creative Power by Joanna Macy & Chris Johnstone. They highlight how the realities we experience can be painful to face and confusing to live with. Yet sometimes when we are facing overwhelming challenges we surprise ourselves. We discover strengths we didn’t know we had or experience aliveness we never suspected was available to us. We find and reach out to new allies, let go of mindsets that are not serving, and discover new possibilities and meaning together. Active Hope is a practice about waking up to the beauty of life on whose behalf we can act. We belong to this world and are here to play a part.

Whatever situation we encounter we can choose our response , we can situate ourselves into a larger story, an understanding of our experience that can multiply our chances for a better future. The authors describe three major stories of our time. The Great Unravelling where things are falling apart. And clearly there is a lot of momentum for this story. Often as things fall apart there is a deep desire to hold on to what we know, what has worked before, the story of Business as Usual gains more and more traction, making some of the existing challenges worse. Then there is a third story, The Great Turning, about turning towards ways of acting and doing and being that support the flourishing of all of of life. The good news is there are millions of people around the world experimenting with ways to bring a life-sustaining society into being. Chances are you are one of them :)

Will we be successful? We might not be. However, it’s worth being aware of the infinite beauty of life, all that we are grateful for, as well as the planetary emergency, the deep inequality we are facing and recognize that that our individual choices influence what happens next. The story we choose to live from and see ourselves participating in has a profound impact. So, it’s important to get in touch with our hope for our family, our neighborhood, our world and identify how we can begin/keep moving that vision forward. Together our actions add up to a much bigger story. And the future depends on our collective actions. People all across the world are reinventing new approaches, rediscovering ways of being that recognize how interconnected all of life is, how we are part of the unfolding of the Earth’s story, now over 4 billion years in the making, and we all have a role to play.

We may not feel fully equipped. But really who does?  How can we situate ourselves into the story of The Great Turning? How can we each identify our role? By noticing what’s most alive in us, what energizes us, what we caree most about. How do we find and recognize new allies? This moment is calling us to an interior effort as well as an external response. What internal practices are needed to face the realities we see? To cultivate active hope? The authors suggest a process that involves gratitude, honoring the pain of the world, seeing with new eyes, and going forth with others and continuing the spiral. 

Part of Co-op Cincy’s contribution to the Great Turning is to work to create a thriving region with the lowest level of inequality in North America. Deeply inspired by the Mondragon experience in the Basque region of Spain that has led to the thriving communities and the lowest levels of income inequality and poverty in Spain, we have a plan to have 80,000 people in Greater Cincinnati in worker ownership by 2072. In 2022, Greater Cincinnati had just over 100 people in worker-owned co-ops and just over 5000 people working in ESOPs (employee stock ownership plans) that owned 100% of the company. Our favorite kind of ESOP is 100%, with worker voice, participation, and democratic processes. Our vision is to have 80,000 people employed in worker owned co-ops and democratic participatory ESOPS by 2072. That involves an increase of about 6% a year. We have four strategies to get there. 

  1. New start-up co-op development. We have a program called Co-op U that is a 14 week Co-op bootcamp we offer several times a year

  2. Supporting existing business owners to sell to their workers. This is where we anticipate the highest numbers of new worker owners. This is a win-win-win. This option pays the owner fair market value, keeps the business in our community, and broadens ownership to the workers, reducing inequality and building community wealth. Co-op Cincy is a member of the Seed Commons financial cooperative through which it can finance these transactions. Co-op Cincy also offers wraparound technical assistance throughout the process and beyond.

  3. Supporting the existing co-op network. Co-op Cincy meets with co-ops regularly throughout the month, supporting team meetings, helping role out open book management, build communication skills, problem solve challenges. Our co-ops can access Seed Commons financing and Cooperative Management Certificate we partner with Xavier on as well.

  4. Participating in Networks and Policy Efforts. We are always so much stronger together than we are a part. Our big vision requires us to connect with and work synergistically with as many partners as possible. We are part of so many local, national, and international networks and coalitions. And we also recognize the power of policy to help shape the future we want to see and participate with partners in moving policy forward. 



Co-op Holiday Highlights & More

Sustainergy has a "Winter is Coming" pre-season special: Free home energy assessment and instant $200 discount off energy efficiency upgrades. Just call (513) 647-6695 to schedule your assessment between now and 12/31/23.

Queen City Commons has a new Community Drop-Off Bin at Unity Christian Church in Hartwell/Wyoming. QCC composted more than 3,700 pounds of pumpkins with Hyde Park School this November, and they have some new customers: Christ Church Cathedral, Cafe Alma, the Kinetic Vision office building, and Wildweed Pasta. 

Our Harvest, the oldest co-op in our network, has a membership program for those who want to support access to healthy, local food in a way that honors land and labor. The program offers unique access and content, from farm events to educational opportunities! Learn more at ourharvest.coop/cultivators!

Cincy Cleaning Co-op is looking for new customers! Want to have a healthy, clean home with less stress in your life? Give them a call! Also, they're hiring a part-time Administrative Assistant! 

Renting Partnerships recently threw an open house at 6037 Cary Avenue, a renovated duplex with rents well below market rates. RP's next development project is a multifamily building in Avondale with 8 total units: 2 one-bedroom units, 2 two-bedroom units, and 4 three-bedroom units. Want to learn more? Get in touch!!

Massage 4 the People has gifts card available on their website! And, as always, they encourage you to fill out an online survey, which entitles you to a $45 credit!

Showing of Works for All

On Dec. 8, the Union Co-op Council and Moving Images held a special virtual screening of Works for All, a 30-minute documentary about Cincinnati's co-op economy.

The event, streamed on Zoom, included a post-screening discussion with film director Melissa Young, our Co-Director Ellen Vera, and others featured in the film.

Works for All portrays the cooperatives in Co-op Cincy’s network, which are led by people marginalized from the mainstream economy, and Co-op Cincy’s approach to training and ongoing support.

The documentary was made by Mark Dworkin and Melissa Young, who made the earlier documentary Shift Change about democratic workplaces.

Some praise of the film:

"Co-op Cincy has been plowing new ground, both literally and figuratively, sowing the seeds for a better future since 2011, and Works for All gives us first-person accounts about the power of worker-ownership from these workers themselves."

-Rob Witherell, United Steelworkers

“As a film about co-ops, this one is a must see. It is unique and important in that it highlights both the role that unions have played in supporting co-op development, and it looks at the context of building co-ops in struggling communities, where many of those involved are people of color.”

-Emily Kawano, Wellspring Cooperative 

Co-op U Manual Now Available!

Our Co-op U Manual is now available!

You can buy a print version on our website!

The Co-op U Manual is a practical guide to helping build cooperatively owned businesses that we developed for our Co-op U course.

Written by our Co-Director Kristen Barker and Racial Justice Educator and Co-op Developer Cynthia Pinchback-Hines, the Manual includes exercises, tools, resources, and more!

See coopcincy.org/resources!

Apply by Dec. 15 for Power in Numbers!

Our co-op business boot camp for Black-led teams starts Jan. 16! Applications are due by Dec. 15!

The free, 14-week course helps Black-led teams of entrepreneurs work through the process of launching a cooperative business and build wealth for the long term.

We support participants in the process and offer technical assistance and loan access after they launch their co-op business.

Know someone who might be interested? Share our info.

Movement News

  • From Shareable, a story about how Etsy sellers came together and created a cooperative marketplace!

  • More businesses are transitioning to the cooperative model!

    • From Capitol Hill Seattle Blog: “After more than a decade of providing walk-in veterinary care to Capitol Hill, Urban Animal will be transitioning to a co-op business model.”

    • From the Portland Press Herald: “O’Donal’s Nursery of Scarborough has entered a fresh chapter in its long history, becoming a worker-owned cooperative.”

The Countdown Is On for Cincinnati Gives!

Let’s Build Community Wealth Together!

Since 2011, Co-op Cincy has worked to nurture cooperatively owned businesses that build long-term community wealth.

This holiday season, can you support our work by donating as part of the Cincinnati Gives Challenge? We're seeking to raise $15,000 to boost our impact! 

You can donate now or during the challenge, which runs from 5 p.m. Mon Nov. 27 to 5 p.m. Thu. Dec 7. We'll be sending e-mail updates during this special fundraising campaign, as well as posting on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn.

By giving just $10, you can help us nurture family-sustaining jobs and offer ownership opportunities to individuals from historically marginalized communities. 

Your donation funds training and loans for our growing network of worker-owned businesses, helping build an economy that works for all. 
 

Our Impact


Araceli Ortiz was one of the women who started Cincy Cleaning Co-op in 2018 with the "purpose to create jobs in the community because there was a need."

In the early stages, team members worked just a few days a week. Soon they lost people who needed full-time employment. Then the Covid-19 pandemic started, presenting a new set of challenges.

With a loan and coaching from Co-op Cincy, they managed to overcome these barriers and grow.

Earlier this year, they paid off their loan. They now have 8 employees, all immigrant women. Two are worker-owners and 2 are in the process of becoming worker-owners.

"For us, it's a huge accomplishment," Araceli said of paying off the loan.

Members of the Cincy Cleaning Co-op team at the recent Union Co-op Symposium in downtown Cincinnati.

In addition to loan access, Co-op Cincy has provided ongoing coaching, such as software training, while connecting Cincy Cleaning Co-op to customers.

"It is really important to have that support," Araceli said.

Please donate via Cincinnati Gives to help more businesses like Cincy Cleaning Co-op offer family-sustaining jobs and build community wealth!

An Inspiring Symposium + Annual Event

Last month we had two energizing events: our 2023 Union Co-op Symposium and our Cheers to Cooperatives celebration!

We're so grateful that we had a chance to be together, dream together, and create some new pathways forward for greater impact. So much collective intelligence was unleashed! So many connections were formed and deepened. So many new partnerships were forged. It will be exciting to see what happens next. 

200 Gather in Cincinnati for 2023 Union Co-op Symposium 

Around 200 cooperative members, labor movement leaders, economic development professionals, and others gathered at our Symposium to co-create specific visions of an economy that works for all.

Sessions focused on varied topics, from Black ownership to workplace democracy, from mutualism to co-op policy goals.

What were the takeaways? There were so many! Here are a handful of examples. Various participants committed to:

  • Provide a course on unions for co-op developers

  • Offer a Co-ops 101 for union members

  • Create study groups about how Black cooperation and shared ownership have been foundational to African cultures and to helping African-Americans survive oppression

  • Join the National Black Cooperators

  • Promote a resident-managed housing model aligned with Mondragon's principles

  • Reach out to existing business owners to share the power of transitioning to employee ownership

  • Build union co-op coalitions to achieve policy goals

  • Explore deeper partnerships with worker co-ops and HBCUs

Our Symposium was titled From Dream to Action: The Transformative Power of Co-ops, Labor, & Community

Supporters Celebrate Co-op Movement at Cheers to Cooperatives Event

We had a great time at our Cheers to Cooperatives celebration, held at the Art Academy of Cincinnati after the first day of the Symposium. 

We shared food and made connections. We also gave awards highlighting contributions to our work and movement:

Don Barker, Co-op Champion Award: For his involvement from the inception of Co-op Cincy to the end of his days, including raising money and serving on our Board of Directors.

Melissa Young and Mark Dworkin, Expanding the Movement Award: For their inspiring work to document democratic workplaces and portray efforts to create a more equitable economy in Cincinnati, the U.S., and around the globe.

Lola McAllister, Phil Amadon Solidarity Award: For her contributions this past summer with Co-op Cincy, when she fully immersed immersed herself in our activities as an intern and exemplified solidarity. 

Barbara Bell, Exceptional Civic Partners Award: For her amazing display of solidarity in advocating for the broadening of worker-ownership in our region and across the country.

Mo Manklang, Exceptional Civic Partners Award: For working closely with us on a variety of issues and including us in important national policy conversations.

Shine Nurture Center, Co-op Cincy Network Award: For their exemplary display of inter-cooperation as a member of our co-op network.

Our Cheers to Cooperatives celebration included food, drinks, and good company! 

Co-op Cincy Awarded Half-Million-Dollar Federal Grant to Bolster Clean-Energy Jobs 

Some big news: We've been awarded a half-million-dollar federal grant to design strategies that improve equity and strengthen clean energy and sustainable construction jobs in Greater Cincinnati.

The grant will support good jobs for individuals from historically marginalized communities, particularly women, people of color, and blue-collar workers."

“We’re so honored and excited for this opportunity to drive equitable economic growth, creating an economy that works for all,” said Ellen Vera, Co-Director of Co-op Cincy. “Our goal is to empower workers and build community wealth as we transition to a more sustainable economy.”

Read more about the grant on our site. We’ll be building a broad-based coalition. More updates to come.

Sustainergy is a local worker-owned business that provides energy efficiency and solar power services in Greater Cincinnati, demonstrating the potential of combining worker power and sustainable construction.

Documentary on Co-op Network now Available

Works For All, a documentary on Cincinnati's co-op economy, is now available for viewing!

Works for All portrays the cooperatives in Co-op Cincy’s network, which are led by people marginalized from the mainstream economy, and Co-op Cincy’s approach to training and ongoing support.

The documentary was produced by Mark Dworkin and Melissa Young, who made the earlier documentary Shift Change about democratic workplaces. 

"Works For All is a beautiful and compelling glimpse into the inspiring work of Co-op Cincy. I loved getting to see inside these businesses, the people who make them run, the union partnership in their successes, and how worker-ownership has moored the values of cooperation, sustainability, and dignified work."

- Ra Criscitiello, Deputy Director of Research at SEIU UHW

Renting Partnerships Holds Open House on Monday 11/20

Renting Partnerships' newly renovated property at 6037 Cary Avenue

Renting Partnerships is having an open house from 2-5 p.m. on Monday, November 20 at their newly renovated property, which is located at 6037 Cary Avenue Cincinnati, OH 45224. 

The house has beautifully updated 2-bedroom and 4-bedroom units that can provide adequate and affordable housing for generations to come. 

As with their housing in the Avondale neighborhood, Renting Partnerships will use a renting model designed to fight gentrification and help tenants build long-term wealth. The units will be leased to low-income residents at below-market rates, and tenants will earn financial credits while participating in the maintenance of the building.

Bring a friend, walk through, and learn about Renting Partnerships!

Co-Director Ellen Vera Elected to USFWC Board

We’re thrilled that our very own Co-Director Ellen Vera is one of the new Board of Directors for the U.S. Federation of Worker Cooperatives! Congrats to Ellen and the other Board members! And thank you to USFWC members for voting! 

Co-op Cincy To Participate in Cincinnati Gives Challenge!

This year, we're participating in the Cincinnati Gives challenge with the goal of raising $15,000 to support worker-owned businesses, building an economy that works for all!

The Challenge runs from 11/27 to 12/7. We'll share more next week!

Movement News

  • From NPR: "The United Auto Workers staged an unprecedented strike against the Big Three Detroit automakers—and they emerged with three big, lucrative deals." 

  • From the The Portland Press Herald: “O’Donal’s Nursery of Scarborough has entered a fresh chapter in its long history, becoming a worker-owned cooperative.”

  • From The Capitol Hill Seattle Blog: “After more than a decade of providing walk-in veterinary care to Capitol Hill, Urban Animal will be transitioning to a co-op business model.”

  • In Forbes, Evan Edwards writes about the power of employee ownership to create quality jobs and build wealth for workers daily.

  • Did you know that 60% of manufacturing businesses have owners who are near retirement and lack a succession plan? See Project Equity's new report, Employee Ownership for Manufacturers

Our Symposium is Almost Here!

Our 2023 Union Co-op Symposium is almost here! 

You don't want to miss this unique and inspiring gathering!

The Symposium, our 6th, will take place in-person on Oct 20 and Oct 21 in downtown Cincinnati, Ohio. 

Sessions will explore topics ranging from workplace democracy to community ownership of solar to cannabis cooperatives.

Learn more and register now: 

Can't make our whole Symposium?

You can still join us on Friday, October 20 for our Cheers to Cooperatives celebration, scheduled for 7-9 p.m. at the Art Academy of Cincinnati.

A $50 ticket includes a free drink and tapas provided by Texas Joe, a catering service run by a third-generation Mexican-American. Additional drinks will be available for purchase.

You'll get a chance to connect with other people interested in creating an economy that works for all.

And you'll hear a profound conversation about balancing economic and social well-being.

Learn more and register:

Symposium Overview


What happens when we co-create a dream that energizes and inspires?

Co-op Cincy and 1worker1vote.org present our 6th Union Co-opSymposium, From Dream to Action: The Transformative Power of Co-ops, Labor, & Community. 

Dream + Action


Day One (Oct 20) is the day for dreaming. After a session that opens participants to multiple ways of knowing, we will break into smaller groups to co-create a specific vision (dream) that truly energizes and inspires. 

Day Two (Oct 21) is the action day. Groups will turn their attention to practices, tactics, and strategies for realizing the specific vision they developed. 

Session facilitators and participants will include cooperative members, labor movement leaders, representatives from the Mondragon cooperative association, faith community members, ESOP leaders, and representatives from finance institutions. 

Our Cheers to Cooperatives celebration, scheduled for 7-9 p.m. on Friday Oct 20, will include drinks, food, a star studded speaker line-up, and more! 

Learn more and register:

Documentary from Makers of Shift Change to Premiere at Symposium 

Works For All, a documentary on Cincinnati's co-op economy, will premiere on Saturday, October 21 at the Union Co-op Symposium!

Works for All portrays the cooperatives in Co-op Cincy’s network, which are led by people marginalized from the mainstream economy, and Co-op Cincy’s approach to training and ongoing support.

The documentary was produced by Mark Dworkin and Melissa Young, who made the earlier documentary Shift Change about democratic workplaces. 

"Works For All: Cincinnati's Co-op Economy shows us the magic–as well as the hard work, and detailed planning and education–that goes into developing co-ops through Co-op Cincy." 

- Jessica Gordon Nembhard, Professor of Community Justice and Social Economic Development at the City University of New York and author of Collective Courage: A History of African American Cooperative Economic Thought and Practice 

"The Cincinnati union co-op movement should be an inspiration to everyone looking for what racial and economic justice looks like in practice."

- Esteban Kelly, Executive Director of the U.S. Federation of Worker Cooperatives

Learn more and register for our Symposium:

Co-op Cincy Awarded Half-Million-Dollar Federal Grant to Bolster Clean Energy Jobs in Greater Cincinnati

Co-op Cincy Chosen by U.S. Department of Labor To Support Transition to Green Economy

CINCINNATI — Co-op Cincy has been awarded a half-million-dollar federal grant to design strategies that improve equity and strengthen clean energy and sustainable construction jobs in Greater Cincinnati.

The 18-month grant is part of $16 million awarded by the U.S. Department of Labor to center the needs of workers while transitioning to a green economy.

The $495,816 grant will support good jobs for individuals from historically marginalized communities in Greater Cincinnati, particularly women, people of color, and blue-collar workers.

“We’re so honored and excited for this opportunity to drive equitable economic growth, creating an economy that works for all,” said Ellen Vera, Co-Director of Co-op Cincy. “Our goal is to empower workers and build community wealth as we transition to a more sustainable economy.”

“As part of our efforts, we’re going to form a broad-based coalition that includes local businesses, government entities, labor groups, local organizations, and educational institutions,” Vera added. 

Co-op Cincy will identify practical strategies to improve job quality, the availability of good jobs, and worker influence in the climate resiliency sector, among other impacts. Vera pointed to Sustainergy Cooperative, a residential energy energy efficiency and solar power business in Co-op Cincy’s network, as evidence of how we can combine sustainable construction and good jobs.

Sustainergy is a local worker-owned business that provides energy efficiency and solar power services in Greater Cincinnati, demonstrating the potential of combining worker power and sustainable construction.

The federal grant will help Cincinnati tackle wealth inequality while benefiting from the transition to a green economy. Nearly 25% of Cincinnatians live in poverty, while 6 of Ohio’s 10 most common jobs pay too little to support a family of 3. Around the country, the climate crisis is expected to create dramatic job growth in clean energy and sustainable construction. The recently passed Inflation Reduction Act will help drive expansion in the climate resiliency sectors.

“This is a historic opportunity to build community wealth while responding to the climate crisis,” said Vera. “We have to be very intentional about how we meet this moment.”

Brent Parton, Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary for Employment and Training at the Department of Labor, said the recent grant awards “will enable recipients to create and expand partnerships to develop training programs to provide the workforce needed in high-demand industries.” 

2023 Union Co-op Symposium Sessions

Symposium Basics


What happens when we co-create a dream that energizes and inspires?

Co-op Cincy and 1worker1vote.org present our 6th Union Co-op Symposium, From Dream to Action: The Transformative Power of Co-ops, Labor, & Community. The dynamic event will wake us up to the possibilities of being networked in meaningful ways. Activities will highlight equity, labor, community wealth-building, and care for the earth and ourselves.

This year's Symposium will take place in-person on Oct 20 and Oct 21 in downtown Cincinnati, Ohio. Register today: 

Dream, Then Action


Day One (Oct 20) is the day for dreaming. After a session that opens participants to multiple ways of knowing (mind, body, and spirit), we will break into smaller groups of approximately 20 to 30 people. The groups will co-create a specific vision (dream) that truly energizes and inspires. The day will close with keynote addresses offering concrete examples of dreaming boldly. 

Day Two (Oct 21) is the action day. Groups will turn their attention to practices, tactics, and strategies for realizing the specific vision they developed. The day will close with sharing and activities that focus on deepening solidarity and staying in the work for the long haul. 

Session facilitators and participants will include cooperative members, labor movement leaders, representatives from the Mondragon cooperative association, faith community members, ESOP leaders, and representatives from finance institutions. 

Our Cheers to Cooperatives celebration, scheduled for 7-9 p.m. on Friday Oct 20, will include drinks, food, a star studded speaker line-up, and more! Get your tickets now!

Our last Union Co-op Symposium, Economics of Well-Being: Building a Just Economy, drew over 200 people from around the world. 

Our Dream Sessions


Here are some of the sessions we're planning.We're still putting the finishing touches on the schedule and will update the list of sessions and facilitators on our symposium web page in the coming weeks. 
 

Mutualism: Learning from Emilia-Romagna, Mondragon, & Argentina to Energize the Solidarity Economy


By connecting with the wisdom of long-established cooperative ecosystems as well as the fresh perspectives and experiences of budding cooperative ecosystems, participants will share their questions, learnings, and insights on how to deepen and catalyze our regional ecosystems in a way that helps consciously shape a future where the planet and people thrive. 
 

Unleashing Workplace Democracy: The Power of Labor & Co-ops Together


Worker-ownership is a proven strategy for achieving many of the goals of the labor movement, as well as for creating resilient, family-sustaining jobs that workers own and control. What is stopping us from having unions embrace co-op development as one of the essential tools for rebuilding the labor movement? What is stopping the cooperative movement from fully joining forces with the labor movement to overhaul our economy and put people over profits?
 

Affordable Housing: Cooperatives, Land Trusts, & Faith Community Assets in Transition


How can we enable caring people from faith and other communities to create housing opportunities that allow people to overcome racial, social, and wealth inequalities?


Place-Based ‘Maker’ Ecosystems: Re-localizing Textile Manufacturing & Beyond


It’s possible to employ ourselves and our communities by making goods in the US again. Industrial Commons is an exciting example of a thriving, apparel-based cooperative network that is re-localizing apparel manufacturing in North Carolina. Learning from Industrial Commons and other examples from around the country, this session will delve into the nuts and bolts of how to create and strengthen place-based cooperative “maker” ecosystems, relocalize apparel manufacturing, and create transparent value chains where worker rights are centered.
 

Policy & Co-ops: Creating Policy-Enabling Environments for Worker Co-ops


We’ll share examples of municipal policy efforts that have been successful, including in Massachusetts, Colorado, California, and Washington, and how worker co-op advocates can move policy forward in their town, cities, regions, and states.
 

Community Ownership of Solar: How Worker-Owned Solar Installers, Purchasing Co-ops, & Rural Electrics Can Partner To Power the Country 


Solar power can knit together disparate urban and rural communities and create shared purpose and wealth. In order to make solar this transformative, we have to ensure that everyone, and especially communities that have borne the brunt of the current energy system, has material access to solar. The Inflation Reduction Act has given us many of the tools we need, but it’s up to us to come together and build the solar-powered world we want to live in.
 

Dignified Work: Individual & Collective Responsibility in Democratic Workplaces


In this dream session, we will explore the border between personal responsibility and the role of the collective, seeking to reconcile our personal and collective traumas with the dreams we want to make real. We will consider the following questions: What does it mean to be a leader in a democratic workplace? What does sovereignty of labor mean for us (as worker-owners, cooperative advocates, workers)? What's the role of personal growth in a democratic workplace? How can we re-imagine workplace democracy through community and resource synergy? Join us for an honest exploration of our own values and needs within democratic workplaces.
 

Black Ownership: Creating an Economy For Us, By Us


How can we strengthen and deepen relationships among Black professionals and business owners to create supportive business communities that share resources and foster connection? How can we tap into our collective power to overcome challenges such as racial trauma, historical distrust, and systemic disempowerment? In this dream session, we will delve into the impact of Western society’s emphasis on individual gains. We will examine how to cultivate trust and connection as the foundation for a thriving Black economy.
 

Cannabis & Co-ops: Building High-Paying & Empowering Jobs


The United Food and Commercial Workers Union has identified union co-ops as a tool for building worker power, investing in sustainable communities, and pursuing racial justice in the cannabis industry. These businesses combine democratic governance and financial ownership with strong labor protections and institutional resources. This dream session will explore how to build union co-ops in the cannabis industry and unlock financing.
 

Own the Metrics: Building a Broad Movement for Sustainable Development


If we all do our part to build sustainable communities and economies, the UN’s sustainable development goals present a surmountable challenge. This is not just a challenge for Fortune 500 corporations and sovereign governments; it's one for those of us in the social and solidarity economy. We can lead by example, showing that greenwashing is unacceptable; that inclusive governance is doable; that ownership needs to take a seventh-generation perspective of profits; and that social transformation of the economy can be humane and inclusive. We need to catalyze community wealth in a way that does not recreate the problems of the current economy, but instead fosters business and organizational development that aligns with the sustainable development goals.
 

Manufacturing Renaissance: Rebuilding Our Manufacturing Sector Inclusively


Advanced manufacturing is at the heart of international best practices in economic democracy (Mondragon, the Basque Country in general, and Emilia-Romagna). We need to rebuild our manufacturing sector in a way that’s profoundly inclusive, such as through the dramatic expansion of worker-owned companies, and we need policies at the national, state, and local levels that reflect this objective—Inclusion & Industry 4.0!—and provide the needed funding. This session will use the values, experiences and perspectives of attendees as a foundation for a shared campaign to create an economically, socially, and environmentally sustainable society. This campaign will offer an alternative to industrial policy guided by securing the personal wealth of a tiny segment of society. Specifically, we will build a Federation for a Manufacturing Renaissance that will represent our interests in shaping national, regional, and local economic policies inspired by the Basque Country and other international models and that promote advanced manufacturing, economic democracy, and community development. 
 

Broadening Ownership: Reducing Inequality & Creating a Thriving Tri-State through Employee Ownership


If we bring together local leaders involved with ESOPs, B-Corps, Conscious Capitalism, and worker-owned co-ops, there is breathtaking potential to move the needle on broadening ownership and reducing income inequality. Across the country, 2/3 of privately owned businesses belong to baby boomers. Private companies generally provide 50-60% of the jobs in a community, yet only 20% of businesses have a succession plan. The upcoming wave of retirements by baby-boomer business owners could be a destabilizing crisis for our communities. Or, local leaders could turn this potential disaster into an unprecedented opportunity with the help of organizations like Co-op Cincy and the Ohio Employee Ownership Center, which provide technical assistance and access to funds enabling owners to sell to their employees. Imagine the impact a powerful group of leaders can have by inspiring business owners to sell to their employees, thereby broadening ownership and helping create a Tri-State where all people have an opportunity to thrive. Join us for this powerful dream/action session!
 

More Than Just Money: Restorative Investing & Capital


Restorative investing and capital represent a transformative approach to finance that prioritizes equitable wealth distribution and the empowerment of marginalized communities, especially those impacted by systemic racism. Rooted in principles of justice and inclusivity, restorative investing redirects resources to uplift those historically kept in cycles of disadvantage, focusing on healing, restoring, and reinvigorating these communities. By challenging traditional financial paradigms that prioritize profits over people, this approach aims to bridge the racial wealth gap and foster shared prosperity. Inspired by the ethos of restorative economics, the objective is not merely financial return, but societal healing and holistic community development. It's about more than just money; it's about recalibrating the financial system to be in service of all, ensuring an equitable, inclusive, and resilient economic future. We invite impact investors and community builders to embrace and champion this revolutionary approach.

Movement

Unions + Co-ops: A Labor Day Appeal

Can You Support Our Work?

This Labor Day, will you donate to help us combine the best of the labor and cooperative movements?

With your support, we can enable more workers to thrive in businesses that are both jointly owned and unionized.

On this Labor Day, we recognize the contributions of workers and the labor movement. As we wrote in a recent blog post, unions have a long record of improving the lives of working people. 

We’re thrilled that there’s been a recent resurgence of unions. However, this comes after decades of declining union membership and growing economic inequality.

We believe combining unions and co-ops is a powerful way to create an economy that works for everyone. If you think so too, you can donate to support our work. You can also sign up for our upcoming Union Co-op Symposium here in Cincinnati.

One business that uses the union co-op model is Sustainergy, the second oldest cooperative in our network. We’ve supported Sustainergy’s growth through business coaching and loan access. 

As a cooperative, Sustainergy is owned and operated by its worker-owners. As a unionized workplace, the workers can negotiate with the appointed CEO to improve their working conditions.

Kristen Barker of Co-op Cincy (center) and Austin Williams of Sustainergy (right) during a recent coaching session.

Austin Williams, a worker-owner at Sustainergy who was recently elected Vice-President of the United Steelworkers Local 14734, said that being in a unionized cooperative (or union co-op) means workers have all the information they need to ensure the company is making the best possible decisions, including about working conditions. Recently they re-negotiated their collective bargaining agreement and increased paid holidays, among other improvements.

Being in a union also connects them to the larger labor movement, he said, enabling them to support workers around the country. 

“We’re entering precarious and very conflict-heavy times,” Austin said. “And if we don’t build institutions that can survive that, we’re going to be really struggling.”

“I hope that this integration of organized labor and the co-op model can be a step forward. And it may not be a step forward immediately. But it’s at least a step in a different direction. And with experimentation and patience, I hope we can really change things.”
 

Please Donate Now to help us support the union co-op model. 
 

As a nonprofit, our work is funded by grants and donations. Your gift will go toward coaching and loan access for union co-ops like Sustainergy. 

*Please consider making a monthly recurring gift. 


Sincerely,

Ellen Vera
Co-Director
Co-op Cincy 

Unions + Co-ops

Reflections Ahead of Labor Day

As Labor Day approaches, we’ve been thinking about the importance of unions to our work.

As you may know, we were inspired by a historic 2009 pact between Mondragon and the United Steelworkers (USW), the largest industrial union in North America. In that agreement, Mondragon and the USW pledged to adapt collective bargaining principles to the cooperative model.

Co-op Cincy formed a few years later in the belief that combining unions and co-ops is a powerful way to generate family-sustaining jobs. By launching co-ops whose workers were unionized, we were the 1st organization to bring the 2009 Mondragon-USW agreement to life.

Unions have a long record of improving the lives of working people in this country. They ended child labor. They fought for a 40-hour work week, health benefits, and compensation for injured workers.

After decades of declining union membership, we're heartened to be seeing a resurgence of collective action around the country. Workers have organized at companies ranging from Starbucks to Amazon.

You might be wondering: Why should co-ops, whose workers already have a vote in key decisions, be unionized?

When a co-op grows, disputes can arise between management and workers. There can also be other conflicts. A union creates a defined space for addressing workplace issues. It's also a reinforcing structure, helping a co-op keep its value intact. In addition, it connects workers to the larger labor movement, helping improve working conditions for all.  

Lewis Connell of Sustainergy, a union co-op in our network, said that being in a union ensures each worker has a voice in their “experience as a worker”. And it ensures they can fix any workplace problems, he said. Sustainergy’s workers recently re-negotiated their contract, increasing paid time off, among other improvements.

Lewis Connell (right) of Sustainergy talks with CEO Flequer Vera.

On our Resources page, you can find tools to help support the growth of union co-ops, including our Worker-Owner Workbook and the Union Toolkit for Cooperative Solutions.

We're hosting our 6th Union Co-op Symposium from October 20-21 in Cincinnati to promote the union co-op model (see below for more info).

To help us support the growth of union co-ops, you can also donate today.

More Details on 2023 Union Co-op Symposium

We're still finalizing the schedule for our Union Co-op Symposium, From Dream to Action: The Transformative Power of Co-ops, Labor, and Community, which we're co-hosting with 1worker1vote. The Symposium will take place in-person on Oct 20 and Oct 21 in Cincinnati, Ohio.

Here's info on 3 of the sessions we're planning:

  • Community Ownership of Solar: How Worker-Owned Solar Installers, Purchasing Co-ops, and Rural Electrics Can Partner To Electrify the Country – Solar power can knit together disparate urban and rural communities and create shared purpose and wealth. In order to make solar this transformative, we have to ensure that everyone, and especially communities that have borne the brunt of the current energy system, have material access to solar. The Inflation Reduction Act has given us many of the tools we need, but it’s up to us to come together and build the solar-powered world we want to live in.

  • Unleashing Workplace Democracy: The Power of Labor and Co-ops Together – Worker-ownership is a proven strategy for achieving many of the goals of the labor movement, as well as for creating resilient, family-sustaining jobs that workers own and control. What is stopping us from having unions embrace union co-op development as one of the essential tools for rebuilding the labor movement? What is stopping the cooperative movement from fully joining forces with the labor movement to overhaul our economy and put people before profits?

  • Mutualism: Learning from Emilia Romagna, Mondragon, and Quebec to Energize the Solidarity Economy – By connecting with the wisdom of long-established cooperative ecosystems as well as the fresh perspectives and experiences of budding cooperative ecosystems, participants will share their questions, learnings, and insights on how to deepen and catalyze our regional ecosystems in a way that helps consciously shape a future where the planet and people thrive. 

See our Symposium page for more info on our dream sessions:

Co-op Cincy Selected to Host Young African Leader

We're proud to share that we have been selected to host Arindo Akweni, a Fellow from the Democratic Republic of Congo, in the Professional Development Experience (PDE) component of the U.S. Department of State’s Mandela Washington Fellowship for Young African Leaders from August 7 to September 1.

Arindo is an agricultural engineer who holds a PhD in crop production and food processing from the University of Zululand in South Africa. During his Fellowship, he will deepen his understanding of the cooperative business model, agricultural practices, and grant writing while helping support food-related cooperatives.

Arindo said, “As an agricultural expert, I intend to contribute to changing the sad narrative of my country which is known to possess the largest fertile lands in the world and a lot of business opportunities but is still ranked among the poorest countries in the world with the highest rate of food shortage and poverty.”

Stanford Intern Joins Team for Summer

We’re very excited to have Lola McAllister interning with us this summer. Lola studies Anthropology and Spanish at Stanford University, where she lives in a co-op on campus. She’s been involved in various activities and communities throughout her time there, from hosting a social entrepreneurship speaker series to consulting for social enterprises to teaching English as a second language to Spanish-speaking workers.

She is working on a senior thesis about worker cooperatives and the experience of worker-ownership, which is what brings her to Co-op Cincy and Cincinnati! This summer she is working with our co-op coaches and interviewing worker-owners in our network.

New Book Explores Mondragon-Style Economic Practices

ICYMI, the book Humanity @ Work & Life: Global Diffusion of the Mondragon Cooperative Ecosystem Experience is out! 

The book explores how solidarity and innovation can forge Mondragon-style, sustainable economic practices.

It's edited by Christina A. Clamp, a professor of sociology and the director of the Center for Cooperatives and Community Economic Development at Southern New Hampshire University, and 1worker1vote Executive Director Michael A. Peck.

Our co-directors, Kristen Barker and Ellen Vera, have a chapter in the book, as do many of the presenters at our Union Co-op Symposium.

Sustainergy CEO Joins Clean Energy Event

Flequer Vera, CEO of Sustainergy, participated in a Sustainable Finance Hub event as part of the Midwest Regional Rally Up earlier this summer. 

The gathering convened sustainable investors, labor and community leaders, and business partners to foster a collaborative approach to best position the Midwest-Upper Appalachian region to compete for the historic clean infrastructure funds ushered in by the Biden Administration and Congress.

Movement

Co-op Cincy Selected to Host Young African Leader

Co-op Cincy is proud to announce that it has been selected to host Arindo Akweni, a Fellow from the Democratic Republic of Congo, in the Professional Development Experience (PDE) component of the U.S. Department of State’s Mandela Washington Fellowship for Young African Leaders from August 7 to September 1, 2023.

The Mandela Washington Fellowship, the flagship program of the Young African Leaders Initiative (YALI), empowers young African leaders through academic coursework, leadership training, mentoring, networking, professional opportunities, and local community engagement. YALI was created in 2010 and supports young Africans as they spur economic growth and prosperity, strengthen democratic governance, and enhance peace and security across Africa. 

Arindo is an agricultural engineer who holds a PhD in crop production and food processing from the University of Zululand in South Africa. During his Fellowship, he will deepen his understanding of the cooperative business model, agricultural practices, and grant writing while helping support food-related cooperatives.

Arindo said, “As an agricultural expert, I intend to contribute to changing the sad narrative of my country which is known to possess the largest fertile lands in the world and a lot of business opportunities but is still ranked among the poorest countries in the world with the highest rate of food shortage and poverty.”

Since 2014, the U.S. Department of State has supported nearly 5,800 Mandela Washington Fellows from across Sub-Saharan Africa to develop their leadership skills and foster connections and collaboration with U.S. professionals. 

Kristen Barker, Co-Director of Co-op Cincy, said, “I am really grateful to have someone with Arindo’s background and fresh perspective to help us with some of our food cooperatives, which have the lowest margins.” 

Kristen pointed out that the cooperative business model is common across the world and that Arindo was already familiar with it. “For many people, this is just how business works,” she said.

Twenty-eight U.S. educational institutions hosted Leadership Institutes for the approximately 700 Mandela Washington Fellows in June and July. The six-week program supported the development of Fellows’ leadership skills through academic study, workshops, mentoring, networking with U.S. leaders, and collaboration with members of the local community.  

After the Leadership Institutes, Fellows participated in the Mandela Washington Fellowship Summit, where they took part in networking and panel discussions with each other and with U.S. leaders from the public, private, and non-profit sectors. 

Up to 100 competitively selected Fellows also participate in four weeks of professional development with U.S. non-governmental organizations such as Co-op Cincy, private companies, and government agencies. The PDE component allows Fellows to learn and grow as young professionals while providing enriching opportunities for U.S. organizations to participate in collaborative exchanges. 

Thank you for a wonderful Co-op Fest! 🎉

We're incredibly grateful to our co-ops and supporters for celebrating with us!

Last month, we had an amazing time at our 3rd annual Co-op Fest! We connected with supporters, ate delicious food from Hopes Fulfilled Farm 2 Table, and enjoyed a beautiful afternoon on Our Harvest's urban farm.

A big thanks to everyone who joined us. Special thanks to the students from Xavier University who volunteered.

Here are some photos from the event. Feel free to share.

If you attended, we’d love for you to complete a brief, 3-question survey. Your feedback will help us shape our activities going forward.

Did you enjoy the Co-op Fest? You can support our work by donating today!

Notes from Black Cooperative Agenda Conference

Cynthia Pinchback-Hines, our Racial Justice Educator and Co-op Developer, has a new blog post about the recent Black Cooperative Agenda conference in Las Vegas. 

Cynthia talked to Jessica Gordon-Nembhard, acclaimed author of Collective Courage: A History of African American Cooperative Economic Thought and Practice, and other attendees and speakers.

She was joined at the conference by Mona Jenkins, our Cooperative Food Justice Coordinator.

Cynthia Pinchback-Hines (left) with Jessica Gordon Nembhard at the Black Cooperative Agenda conference.

We Just Finished 2 of Our Trainings!

3rd Cohort Receives Cooperative Management Certificates

Participants in the recent Cooperative Management Certificate course celebrate with Co-op Cincy staff after the final class.

After completing our recent Cooperative Management Certificate, Morgan Hood, Community Programs Manager of Dayton's Gem City Market, said:

“I loved taking this class with Kristen and Paloma! It was so enlightening, expansive and helpful. Their willingness to be of service and passion for this work is evident. I appreciate their attention to detail, abundance of materials, and intent to create lasting relationships of collaboration.

“I am excited to move forward with the knowledge I have gained and sharing it with my community. This class is valuable for anyone who is interested in mindful business practices, cooperative philosophy, and/or has passion for incorporating social needs into economic development.”

Thanks to Morgan and everyone who joined us and made the course such a meaningful experience! Our next class will be in 2024 — stay tuned for more info.

The Culture Collaborative Takes 1st Prize in Co-op U Pitch Night

Three teams recently completed Co-op U, our co-op business boot camp! 

Congratulations to The Culture Collaborative, an emerging consulting, training, and coaching co-op, whose business plan took 1st place during our recent Pitch Night.

Congrats also to Sew Valley (a sustainably focused apparel company) and NuSol Farm (a BIPOC farming collective), who put together exciting co-op business plans.

And thanks to our Pitch Night judges and speakers:

  • Cynthia Pinchback-Hines, our Racial Justice Educator and Co-op Developer

  • Brianna Dzuricsko, Director of Funding and Impact at Main Street Ventures

  • Aharon Brown, Racial Justice Fund Manager at Greater Cincinnati Foundation

  • Rebecca Fisher-McGinty, Worker-Owner at Round Sky Solutions.

2023 Union Co-op Symposium is 4 Months Away

We're putting the finishing touches on the schedule for our Union Co-op Symposium, From Dream to Action: The Transformative Power of Co-ops, Labor, and Community, which we're co-hosting with 1worker1vote. The Symposium will take place in-person on Oct 20 and Oct 21 in Cincinnati, Ohio.

The Symposium will focus on combining the best of the co-op and union movements, and it will highlight equity, labor, community wealth-building, and care for the earth and ourselves.

Our Cheers to Cooperatives celebration, scheduled for 7-9 p.m. on Friday Oct 20, will include drinks, food, a star studded speaker line-up, and more! Get your tickets now!

Queen City Commons Welcomes New Soil Slinger

Queen City Commons, a composting co-op in our network, recently welcomed a new team member!

Kaelee has a background in business marketing, retail, and restaurant work. 

In addition to picking up food scraps, Kaelee has been managing the residential drop-off program and spreading the good word about compost!

Sustainergy Team Members Elected to USW Local

Sustainergy worker-owner Austin Williams has been elected Vice President of the United Steelworkers Local 14734, and fellow worker-owner Lewis Connell has been elected Trustee. Co-op Cincy Co-Director Ellen Vera has been voted Secretary. Congratulations all!

Representatives from Morehouse and Tuskegee Visit Co-op Cincy

We recently had the pleasure of hosting Dr. Cynthia Hewitt of Morehouse College, Dr. Abdul Salau of Tuskegee University, and Terron Ferguson of Morehouse's Black Employee Ownership Initiative, a partnership with Project Equity. 

The trio are exploring how to close the racial wealth gap through employee ownership and union organizing. As part of their visit, they met with some of the co-ops in our network, including Heritage Hill, Our Harvest, Shine Nurture Center, Queen Mother’s Market, and Calabash Distribution.

Our Business Legacy Fund Helps Cleveland Company Become Worker-Owned

Earlier this year, our Business Legacy Fund helped The Fund for Employee Ownership, a project of Evergreen Cooperatives, acquire an industry-leading manufacturer of custom wood crates and heavy-duty skids. As part of the deal, the company will transition to the employee-owned model, with 20 employees that will become owners.

The Fund is looking to help more businesses become worker-owned. Learn more at becomeworkerowned.org.

Clare Kennedy, Xavier Student, Joins Us for the Summer

We're excited to have Clare Kennedy of Xavier University interning with us this summer!

Clare is a rising senior majoring in Psychology with minors in Communications and Population Health, and she serves as a peer educator for the Student Wellbeing Advocacy Group on campus.

This summer she’s assisting with events like Co-op Fest, collaborating with staff on communications work, and helping systematize and streamline internal processes. 

New Mandela Washington Fellow Starting in August

Arindo Akeni will be joining us later this summer as a Mandela Washington Fellow from the Democratic Republic of Congo! 

The Mandela Washington Fellowship for Young African Leaders is the flagship program of the U.S. Government’s Young African Leaders Initiative.

We’ll share more info in August about Arindo on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn, as well as through our newsletter.

Our tour of the Mondragon cooperative association in Spain was featured recently in Next City and on WVXU's Cincinnati Edition.

Here's a quote by Pastor Damon Lynch, III from the discussion on Cincinnati Edition:

“We all live in a democracy but most of us don’t work in a democracy. You don’t get to make decisions; decisions are made for you. And I think it’s more empowering to be part of an economic society where you get to help make the decisions.”

Pastor Lynch, III was joined on the show by Vice-Mayor Jan-Michele Kearney, our Co-Director Ellen Vera, and Barbara Bell, District Director for Congressman Greg Landsman.

In April, we brought a delegation of 40 civic, philanthropic, faith, and business leaders to tour the Mondragon cooperative association in Spain, one of the largest networks of worker-owned businesses in the world. Our goal was to help our region learn from this proven model for equitable economic growth. After we returned, we presented our takeaways to the City Council.

Movement

  • This month, the Department of Labor announced a new initiative to help “create and promote business ownership by America’s workers.”

Notes from the Black Cooperative Agenda Conference in Las Vegas

A MESSAGE FROM CYNTHIA PINCHBACK-HINES, RACIAL JUSTICE EDUCATOR & CO-OP DEVELOPER FOR CO-OP CINCY

Jessica Gordon-Nembhard with Cynthia Pinchback-Hines at the Black Cooperative Agenda conference in Las Vegas

Jessica Gordon-Nembhard, acclaimed author of Collective Courage: A History of African American Cooperative Economic Thought and Practice, was honored at the 2nd annual conference on the Black Cooperative Agenda.

Jessica is widely acknowledged for initiating the fourth wave of the Black economic movement. The first wave occurred in the Reconstruction Era, followed by the second wave during the post Jim Crow period, and the third after the civil rights movement. Each wave met with oppressive measures in response to Black economic and social progress. The current, fourth wave started in the post Obama era.

Organized by Ron Hanz and staff of the Network for Developing Conscious Communities (NDCC), the recent Black Cooperative Agenda conference took place in Las Vegas in early June. Distinguished speakers from across the Black cooperative spectrum shared their insights and experiences on conference topics centered on “Advancing Black Cooperative Economies Through Liberatory Practices.”

Co-op Dayton’s Amaha Sellassee, who participated in the panel discussion “Developing Cooperative Grocery Markets Within Underserved Neighborhoods,” expressed his enthusiasm for the event, describing it as “super powerful.” Amaha noted the intergenerational engagement of attendees and remarked, “The elders like to see the energy of the youngsters. Our history provides context for our present.”

Mona Jenkins, Cooperative Food Justice Coordinator for Co-op Cincy and Co-Founder of Queen Mother’s Market and Calabash Distribution, served as a panelist for the session on “Propelling Black Political Power.” She and Kathi Thomas Gibson, Executive Director of the Las Vegas Department of Neighborhood Services, presented a compelling argument emphasizing the importance of understanding the political landscape while fostering community and solidarity. Their aim is to prevent displacement through gentrification or other means detrimental to the African American community.

Mona commended the NDCC for establishing the National Association of Black Cooperators, an ecosystem of Black cooperators dedicated to reinvesting in the African American community. Mona also expressed hope that reinvestment would encompass healing, stating, “We need to heal because we try to bury trauma we’ve experienced. It will fester if we don’t address it.”

The conference underscored the significance of self-determination and sovereignty for the Black community.

It's Co-op Fest Time!

On Sat 6/24, you can meet our co-ops & connect with people interested in the cooperative movement

There will be music & free food 

On Saturday June 24 from 4-6 pm, come celebrate with us!

You’ll meet our co-op teams, learn about their products, and connect with other people interested in the cooperative movement!

There will be locally grown food from Hopes Fulfilled Farm 2 Table and Our Harvest, plus popsicles from Honey Child Artisan Pops. 

The festival is at Our Harvest's beautiful urban farm in College Hill, located at 969 W. North Bend Road Cincinnati, OH 45224. Please bring your own blanket or chair. 

The food (and popsicles!) will be free. 

2022 Annual Report Released

We've released our 2022 annual report, Setting the Stage for Scale.

The report details what we've learned at this point in our organizational development and key strategies going forward.

It also details our accomplishments from this past year, including helping a childcare center and apparel company become worker owned.

Check out the report.

Join Our 2023 Union Co-op Symposium 

From Dream to Action: The Transformative Power of Co-ops, Labor, and Community

We're 4 months away from our Union Co-op Symposium, From Dream to Action: The Transformative Power of Co-ops, Labor, and Community, which we are co-hosting with 1worker1vote. The Symposium will take place in-person on Oct 20 and Oct 21 in Cincinnati, Ohio.

The Symposium focuses on combining the best of the co-op and union movements to forge a new economy rooted in connection. The event will be dynamic and inspiring, waking us up to the possibilities of being networked in meaningful ways. Activities will highlight equity, labor, community wealth-building, and care for the earth and ourselves.

Staff and Supporters Present to City Council About Mondragon Tour

On 5/31, Co-op Cincy and supporters presented to the City Council's Healthy Neighborhoods Committee about our tour of the Mondragon cooperative association, one of the largest networks of cooperatives in the world.

We toured Mondragon in Spain at the end of April with a delegation that included civic, business, philanthropic, and faith leaders from Greater Cincinnati and Dayton, as well as worker-owners from our own network of worker cooperatives.

Our goal? Help our region learn from a proven model for equitable economic growth.

During our 5/31 presentation, we discussed how the city can support and fund the growth of worker-owned businesses in Cincinnati.

A big thanks to everyone who spoke!

You can learn more about our trip on our Learning from Mondragon blog post.

Our tour has been covered in a variety of media outlets, from Soapbox to the Cincinnati Business Courier!

Power in Numbers Applications Due Soon

Beginning in the fall, we’re offering another Power in Numbers, our co-op business boot camp for Black-led teams!

The free, 14-week course helps Black-led teams of entrepreneurs work through the process of launching a cooperative business and build wealth for the long term.

As a co-op business incubator, we support participants in the process and offer ongoing technical assistance after they launch their co-op business.

Applications are due by June 31 – apply today! Know someone who might be interested? Share our info!

Victoria Russell, Cooperative Owner, Joins Team

We’re excited to welcome Victoria Russell to our team as our new Office & Project Manager!

Victoria Russell is an entrepreneur and mortgage analyst with over 20 years of experience, most of which is in the mortgage industry. Her diverse professional background has equipped her with valuable skills in organization, communication, attention to detail, and problem-solving. She is a founder and worker-owner of A Touch of TLC Home Health Care. 

Read more about her at coopcincy.org/staff-and-board

Events on Cooperative Ownership

Ellen Vera, our Co-Director, and Mary Wilder, worker-owner of Shine Nurture Center, participated in a recent webinar, "Preserving Your Legacy: How to Sell Your Business to Your Employees," about how owners can sell their businesses to their employees, preserving their legacy and positively impacting the community. You can watch the webinar online!

Mary also joined the webinar “Remaking the Economy: Caring for the Care Economy" organized by Nonprofit Quarterly. Here's one of Mary's quotes from the webinar: “Childcare workers are not in the same conversation [with] regular teachers…. We’re an afterthought, so we have to fight harder for funding than normal schools—and there is funding out there, but you just have to dig for it and find it. But those are the things that we are seeing in childcare that workers need: they need higher wages, they need healthcare, they need more benefits." Watch the webinar online!

And Flequer Vera of Sustainergy spoke at an international webinar on June 7 organized by CICOPA Americas (the International Organisation of Industrial and Service Cooperatives) called "Contribution From Worker Cooperatives on Environmental Sustainability, Territorial Development, and Decent Work."

Movement

  • ICYMI, last month the U.N. General Assembly adopted its first resolution on the social and solidarity economy and spotlighted the role of cooperatives!

Learning From Mondragon

Co-op Cincy and Delegation Members to Present to City Council

At the end of last month, we got back from visiting the Mondragon cooperative association in Spain.

Mondragon has always been our North Star, and we were thrilled to tour the association with a delegation of civic, business, philanthropic, and faith leaders from Greater Cincinnati and Dayton, as well as worker-owners from our own network of worker cooperatives.

Since being launched in 1956, Mondragon's network of cooperatives has been an engine for economic growth while giving the Basque region the lowest levels of poverty and economic inequality in Spain.

Today Mondragon employs 70,000 people in an association of 80 cooperatives, which range from a grocery chain to engineering and logistics firms. It's the 10th largest corporation in Spain, with sales in 150 countries.

So, what did we do during our visit? Besides enjoying some delicious food and wine, we

  • toured cooperatives in Mondragon's network

  • spoke with business and solidarity economy leaders

  • visited a campus of Mondragon University

Among the cooperatives we toured were Fagor Electronica, a semiconductor supplier, and Grupo Ausolan, an industrial catering company.

The business leaders we met with included Josean Yela, managing director of Eroski, a Spanish grocery chain with over 1,600 stores. We also heard from the dynamic Armin Isasti, founder of Saiolan (Mondragon's co-op incubator), and co-writer of an extraordinary book on one of Mondragon's founders, Jose Maria Ormaetxea. 

Our tour was covered in the Cincinnati Business Courier, Movers & Makers, The Cincinnati Herald print edition, and other outlets.

In this 2 minute video, delegates reflect on the tour of the Mondragon cooperative association.

Key Takeaways

 

1. The cooperative model has the power to transform Cincinnati’s economy


The cooperative model may be unfamiliar to some in the U.S., but Mondragon demonstrates what’s possible when we embrace worker-ownership. Mondragon has transformed the Basque region, which has a similar population size as Greater Cincinnati. In addition, the conditions at Mondragon's founding (such as widespread polarization and inequality) are similar to conditions here.
 

2. We can build wealth by balancing the needs of people and business


In the Mondragon association, there’s an emphasis on balancing community needs (jobs, people) and business competitiveness (profits). Ten percent of each cooperative's profits goes toward the community.
 

3. Work is changing because of tech – and we can intentionally build our future economy


We can cultivate an economy of shared ownership and decision-making. We are on our way. In Greater Cincinnati, there are currently about 5,000 workers employed in businesses with 100% employee-owned ESOPS (employee stock ownership plans).
 

Next Steps


On Wed. May 31 at 12:30 pm, we (Co-op Cincy and members of the delegation) will give a presentation to the City Council in Council Chambers (Room 300) of City Hall about our visit to Mondragon.

We'll discuss how the city can support and fund the growth of worker-owned businesses in Cincinnati. We encourage you to join us and show your support! 

Since 2011, Co-op Cincy has worked to nurture a network of worker-owned businesses through training, ongoing coaching, and loan access. Our network now includes 16 worker-owned businesses ranging from an energy efficiency and solar power business to an urban farm.

As a nonprofit, we are funded through grants and donations. You can donate today to help us support worker-owned businesses!

2023 Co-op Fest Scheduled for June 24

On Saturday June 24 from 4-6 pm, come celebrate with us at our annual Co-op Fest! You’ll meet our co-op teams, learn about their products, and connect with other people interested in the cooperative movement!

We’ll listen to music, eat delicious food, and hang out on Our Harvest's beautiful urban farm in College Hill. The farm address is 969 W. North Bend Road Cincinnati, OH 45224.

The food (and popsicles!) will be free. Register now so we can get an idea of attendance!

Join Us at 2023 Union Co-op Symposium 

From Dream to Action: The Transformative Power of Co-ops, Labor, and Community

Our 6th biennial Union Co-op Symposium, From Dream to Action: The Transformative Power of Co-ops, Labor, and Community, will take place in-person on Oct 20 and Oct 21 in Cincinnati, Ohio.

The Symposium will focus on combining the best of the co-op and union movements to forge a new economy rooted in connection. The event will be dynamic and inspiring, waking us up to the possibilities of being networked in meaningful ways. Activities will highlight equity, labor, community wealth-building, and care for the earth and ourselves.

Sustainergy Wins Impact Award

Congrats to Sustainergy for winning the IMPACT Award from the Midwest Regional Sustainability Summit!

The award recognizes significant and measurable sustainability impact that increases natural resource conservation with/for diverse audiences.

Cincy Cleaning Co-op Featured in UK Media

Cincy Cleaning Co-op was featured in the article "More than a paycheque: How can co-ops offer a better future of work?" in Co-op News.

Araceli Ortiz, a founding member, explained that the co-op's team of women worker-owners have been able to “find more stability by coming together as a collective."

Queen City Commons Brainstorms with Michigan Grad Students

Queen City Commons met with a group of MBA students from the University of Michigan.

The students  are offering research-based insights to businesses as part of their graduate work. 

Business Legacy Fund Presents to Multiple Chambers of Commerce

Chris Bennett, Acquisitions Manager for the Business Legacy Fund, presented "Leave an Enduring Legacy: The Benefits of Selling Your Business to Your Employees" to members of 6 Cincinnati-area Chambers of Commerce on 5/17.

After 2 successful acquisitions in 2022, the BLF is looking to acquire 3-4 businesses in 2023. The BLF helps business owners sell their companies to their workers.

Movement

From Cincinnati to Mondragon

Getting Ready to Tour Influential Co-op Association in Spain

We're gearing up for a transatlantic trip! From April 23-27, we're leading a delegation of civic leaders from Greater Cincinnati on a tour of the Mondragon cooperative business association in Spain.

A group of 40 will tour Mondragon, our North Star, an international benchmark for cooperation, and the largest industrial association of cooperatives in the world. Mondragon has transformed a region with a similar population size as Greater Cincinnati, reducing economic inequality while fostering long-term growth.

The diverse delegation includes business, philanthropic, and faith leaders; worker-owners from Co-op Cincy’s network of cooperatives; and representatives from Co-op Cincy’s sister organization in Dayton, Co-op Dayton.

We initially planned to take this trip before the pandemic; we're thrilled it's finally happening.

For more on why this trip is important, check out this 1-minute video. If you want to donate to help a group of 6 worker-owners join the trip, you can do so here.

We'll keep you posted on how everything goes! 

2023 Union Co-op Symposium Registration Opens

From Dream to Action: The Transformative Power of Co-ops, Labor, and Community

We're excited to announce our 6th biennial Union Co-op Symposium, From Dream to Action: The Transformative Power of Co-ops, Labor, and Community, which will take place in-person on Oct 20 and Oct 21 in Cincinnati, Ohio.

The Symposium will focus on combining the best of the co-op and union movements to forge a new economy rooted in connection. The event will be dynamic and inspiring, waking us up to the possibilities of being networked in meaningful ways. Activities will highlight equity, labor, community wealth-building, and care for the earth and ourselves.

Property Management Co-op Joins Network

E Team became our newest co-op last month after Martin Eisen (one of 3 co-op members) signed the articles of incorporation last month! 👏👏👏

E Team is a property management and repair company that emerged from our Construction Co-op U. Stay tuned for more news on them!

Queen Mother's Market Included in Congressional Funding Request

Queen Mother’s Market was one of the 15 local projects that Congressman Greg Landsman put forward for federal funding! 

Landsman's request was for $2 million of the expected $5 million cost for QMM's co-op grocery store. From his description: “The Queen Mother’s Market Establishment project would establish a brick-and-mortar grocery store in Walnut Hills. The new grocery store would primarily benefit seniors and vulnerable community members who have lacked nearby access to quality food options since 2017.”

Watch a short video of the announcement on Instagram.

Sustainergy Offers Free Assessments

Sustainergy, the 2nd oldest co-op in our network, is offering a free residential energy assessment: "Considering the 30% federal solar tax credit, as well as brand new rebates and incentives for insulation, there has never been a better time to explore improving your home energy performance!" Contact Sustainergy at 513-667-6900 or www.sustainergy.coop.

Queen City Commons Nears Half A Million Pounds of Compost

In a few months, Queen City Commons will hit a half a million pounds of scraps diverted for composting since starting operation in 2020! Check out their newest community drop-off bin at Cincinnati Recycling & Reuse Hub in Lower Price Hill.

Co-ops and Boot Camp Featured in Spectrum News

Spectrum News Ohio highlighted some of the worker co-ops in our network, along with our co-op business boot camp! 💜💜💜

A Touch of TLC Home Care and Queen City Commons were both interviewed for the article, as was our Co-Director Ellen Vera.

“We want to build an economy that’s equitable and inclusive — an economy that works for all,” Vera said.

Business Legacy Fund Builds Off Success

After 2 successful acquisitions in 2022, the Business Legacy Fund is looking to acquire 3-4 businesses in 2023!

Chris Bennet, the BLF Acquisitions Manager, will be presenting "Leave an Enduring Legacy: The Benefits of Selling Your Business to Your Employees" at Maple Knoll Auditorium on the campus of Maple Knoll Village from 11 am-1 pm on Wed 5/17.

Board Convenes for Retreat

We had a great time at our board retreat last month! 💫

We visited 3 of the worker-owned businesses in our network: Our Harvest, Sustainergy, and Shine Nurture Center. We also deepened connections while conducting strategic planning. Thanks to our board members for making it so special and for helping us launch and support worker-owned businesses!

Movement

  • Rutgers School of Management and Labor Relations has developed a free online program to help minority and female business owners learn about employee ownership strategies for business succession planning. The program will help business owners assess the relevance of establishing an ESOP or worker co-op.

  • An article in Next City highlights the efforts to build community wealth through worker ownership on both sides of the Atlantic. The article spotlight’s Cleveland’s Evergreen Cooperatives, Colorado’s Center for Community Wealth Building, and the UK’s Centre for Local Economic Strategies.

  • Some news from the wave of unionizations happening around the country: “by an overwhelming majority vote, workers at REI, Inc. in Beachwood, Ohio, a suburb of Cleveland and the only REI location in the greater metropolitan area, have voted to join the RWDSU, making this the third unionized REI store in the nation.” 

  • WePower is hiring a Vice President of Community Wealth Building.

  • Belén Marco and Tori Kuper of the New Economy Coalition reflected on the cooperative and economic democracy movements from Barcelona in Nonprofit Quarterly.

Sign up for our newsletter

Co-op Cincy on Instagram