Business introductions are a networking staple—and they run the gamut from the ho-hum ‘We are here to sell you something’ to the dynamic, ‘We love to support communities and make a difference in people’s lives.’ As co-ops continue to seek out ways to innovate, offer more goods and services, and reach out to new communities, it is worth the investment of time and resources [...]
You can't have a conversation about inclusion without first expanding the circle and inviting everyone to the table. Prasanna Regmi, General Manager at Davis Food Co-op in Davis, CA talks about the work being done at Davis starting with the core of the co-op network, the store.
1 + 1 = 3 according to Dan Arnett, General Manager of Sacramento Natural Foods Co-op. The co-op can, through its interrelationships with the community, amplify the missions of all involved.
Co-op donation and local giving programs is sometimes not enough. In order for the cooperative to remain a central and key player in the local community it can sometimes mean getting involved in local government, planning committees, and more. These are the kinds of strategies employed by Liz Haywood, CEO of People's Food Cooperative of LaCrosse and Rochester. Here Haywood calls co-ops out for [...]
The board of directors at People's Food Co-op in Kalamazoo, MI have committed to developing their awareness around racial equity. Board President Hether Frayer tells the Kzoo board story about how they ensconced their social justice values into co-op policy and monitoring.
Change can be uncomfortable. By discussing what we may be afraid of losing it can be a valuable process to get to being excited about what we might better, or more of. Chris Maher, General Manager of BriarPatch Food Co-op in Grass Valley, CA tells the story behind the BriarPatch name, and its deep connections to a rich history of cooperation across the Northern [...]
The closing of a nearby neighborhood grocer presented what could have been a great sales boost for Whole Foods Co-op in Duluth, MN. But the neighbors weren't beating down the doors of WFD. Sarah Hanningan, GM, tells the story of what it took to reach out to their neighbors and their communities. Having 'Everyone Welcome' printed on their awning simply wasn't going to be [...]
As food co-ops forge ahead in the “the new normal,” they often find themselves in the precarious place of trying to both differentiate from and conform to competitors. From the consistent progression of conventional grocery stores towards natural products offerings, to the growing threat of internet retailers, food co-ops are experiencing an increasingly urgent pressure to raise the bar on business operations while still maintaining and better communicating their distinctiveness as community-owned institutions.
At the Local Government Federal Credit Union in Raleigh, NC Michael Spink has the enviable title of Innovation Strategist. In this brief video Michael shares a few stories of how the LGFCU is creating an impact in the lives and communities of its members.
Willy Street Co-op Madison, Wisc. Year founded: 1974 Equity investment: $56 single/$91 household + $2 service fee Number of members: 34,000 Number of employees: 420 Number of locations: 3 retails, commissary kitchen, central office Every day food co-ops must make decisions within the context of one of the most intractable dilemmas of the grocery industry. How does the co-op reconcile customer desire for lower [...]
