CINCINNATI UNION COOPERATIVE INITIATIVE

WE FOSTERED COOPERATIVE DEVELOPMENT THROUGH 3 COURSES: POWER IN NUMBERS CO-OP U, WHICH IS DESIGNED TO ENABLE BLACK-LED TEAMS TO LAUNCH SUCCESSFUL CO-OP BUSINESSES, OUR AGRICULTURAL CO-OP U FOR REFUGEES, AN ACCELERATED CO-OP U STUDY GROUP.IN RESPONSE TO LONG-STANDING RACIAL AND ECONOMIC INEQUALITY, CO-OP CINCY CONTINUED TO SUPPORT CO-OP ENTREPRENEURS OF COLOR BY OFFERING OUR 4TH POWER IN NUMBERS CO-OP U. IN ADDITION, WE PLANNED OUR 5TH COURSE AND PROVIDED ASSISTANCE AND MENTORING TO THE CO-OP BUSINESSES THAT GRADUATED FROM THE PREVIOUS COURSES. IN TOTAL, WE SUPPORTED THE DEVELOPMENT AND GROWTH OF 15 BLACK-LED CO-OP BUSINESSES. IN OUR 4TH POWER IN NUMBERS COURSE, WE GUIDED 6 BLACK-LED TEAMS THROUGH THE PROCESS OF DEVELOPING AND REFINING CO-OP BUSINESS PLANS. OUR 4TH COHORT FROM POWER IN NUMBERS FEATURED AN ARRAY OF TALENTED TEAMS FROM ACROSS THE COUNTRY. WE MENTORED SOUTHERN BEE COLLECTIVE, A BIRTHING AND HEALING JUSTICE IN SOUTH CAROLINA; PARABLE OF THE SOWER FROM CALIFORNIA; THIRD WARD CHILDCARE FROM HOUSTON; CRENSHAW BAKERY IN LOS ANGELES AND WOODHILL COOPERATIVE IN CLEVELAND, OH. WE LAUNCHED THREE NEW CO-OPS, COMP.COOP, A WORKER-OWNED TECH COMPANY; OLD GROWTH, A REGENERATIVE LANDSCAPING AND DESIGN COOPERATIVE; AND TOPIA COFFEE COOPERATIVE. THREE OF THESE NEW COOPERATIVES, COMP.COOP AND OLD GROWTH WERE PARTICIPANTS IN OUR CO-OP U ACCELERATED STUDY GROUP, ALONG WITH ROSE ELECTRIC FROM COLUMBUS. WE PROVIDED CO-OP TRAINING THROUGH OUR AGRICULTURE AND CO-OP DEVELOPMENT COURSES FOR REFUGEES PROGRAM. WE COMPLETED OUR WORK WITH OUR COHORT #4, WHICH WAS COMPOSED OF 14 BHUTANESE AND EAST AFRICAN REFUGEE HIGH-SCHOOL STUDENTS AND FINISHED WORKING WITH COHORT 3 WITH 8 BHUTANESE AND EAST AFRICAN REFUGEE STUDENTS. IN THE SPRING OF 2024, WE WORKED WITH AND COMPLETED COACHING FOR CO-HORT 5, CONSISTING OF AIKEN HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS (GRADES 9-12). THIS COHORT CONSISTED OF 10 STUDENTS HAILING OR DESCENDED FROM BURUNDI, DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF CONGO, NEPAL, AND CENTRAL AFRICAN REPUBLIC. OUR TRAINING INCLUDED DEEPENING SKILLS AND LEARNING TOWARD BUSINESS MANAGEMENT AND BUSINESS OWNERSHIP, FACILITATING ACCESS TO GOVERNMENT SUPPORTIVE SERVICES AND OFFERINGS (IN PARTNERSHIP WITH COMMUNITY PARTNER REFUGEE CONNECT, ALONGSIDE OUR TYPICAL CURRICULUM OF INSIGHTS INTO THE DYNAMICS AND CONCEPTS OF COOPERATIVES AND TIME ON THE LAND LEVERAGING OUR PARTNERSHIP WITH OUR HARVEST.WE EDUCATED THEM ABOUT FARMING AND COOPERATIVE BUSINESS, CULTIVATING CO-OP BUSINESS LEADERS OF THE FUTURE. WE ALSO CONTINUED PROVIDING ASSISTANCE TO THEM AFTER THEY GRADUATED. FINALLY, WE SUPPORTED THE ONGOING FARMING AND BUSINESS ACTIVITIES OF OUR COHORT #1, WHOSE MEMBERS FARM AND SELL PRODUCE TO THE BHUTANESE REFUGEE COMMUNITY IN GREATER CINCINNATI. WE COMPLETED A SERIES OF 7 SHORT INSTRUCTIONAL VIDEOS ON CO-OP BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT AND PRINCIPLES.

WE CONTINUED WORKING TO EXPAND OUR BUSINESS LEGACY FUND PROGRAM. WE ENGAGED WITH 13 BUSINESSES IN THE CINCINNATI AND NORTHERN KENTUCKY AREA, WITH 8 OF THEM CURRENTLY IN THE PROCESS OF EXPLORING WORKER OWNERSHIP AS A SUCCESSION STRATEGY. THESE BUSINESSES COLLECTIVELY EMPLOY A TOTAL OF 360 WORKERS. TO DATE, WE HAVE PROVIDED TRAINING TO 7-10 EMPLOYEES, REFLECTING THE EARLY STAGES OF THE TRANSITION PROCESS FOR MANY OF THESE COMPANIES. AS THE TRANSITIONS PROGRESS, WE ARE POSITIONED TO TRAIN SIGNIFICANTLY MORE WORKERS IN THE COMING MONTHS. WE CONTINUED OUR ENGAGEMENT WITH A GARDEN CENTER AND GREENHOUSE, WHICH EMPLOYS 18 WORKERS AND GENERATES.CO-OP CINCY PARTNERED WITH THE GOERING CENTER FOR A WELL-RECEIVED LUNCHEON FOCUSED ON BUSINESS SUCCESSION STRATEGIES, SPECIFICALLY SPOTLIGHTING EMPLOYEE STOCK OWNERSHIP PLANS AND WORKER-OWNED COOPERATIVES. THE EVENT PROVIDED ATTENDEES WITH PRACTICAL TOOLS AND INSIGHTS, WHETHER THEY WERE PLANNING AHEAD OR EXPLORING IMMEDIATE SUCCESSION OPTIONS. CHRIS BENNETT, CO-OP CINCY'S BUSINESS LEGACY FUND ACQUISITION PROGRAM MANAGER, PRESENTED AT THE NCEO FALL FORUM IN INDIANAPOLIS. BENNETT CO-LED AN INTERACTIVE SESSION ON THE POWER OF EMPLOYEE OWNERSHIP, FOCUSING ON HOW COMBINING FINANCIAL STAKES WITH A PARTICIPATORY CULTURE CAN UNLOCK THE FULL POTENTIAL OF THIS MODEL. THESE INITIATIVES CONTINUE TO ADVANCE OUR MISSION OF EMPOWERING WORKERS AND SUPPORTING BUSINESS OWNERS IN TRANSITIONING TO EMPLOYEE OWNERSHIP.THE BUSINESS LEGACY FUND ENGAGED WITH KEY STAKEHOLDERS TO EXPAND AWARENESS AND FOSTER PARTNERSHIPS AROUND EMPLOYEE OWNERSHIP TRANSITIONS. WE PARTICIPATED IN A WOMEN'S CHAMBER EVENT TO CONNECT WITH LOCAL WOMEN BUSINESS LEADERS, AND HELD MEETINGS WITH FIRST FINANCIAL BANK AND HUNTINGTON BANK TO EXPLORE POTENTIAL COLLABORATION ON FINANCING OPTIONS FOR BUSINESS OWNERS TRANSITIONING TO WORKER OWNERSHIP. ALSO, A PART OF OUR OUTREACH INITIATIVES WE HOSTED A BOOTH AT A RECENT SCORE EVENT TO BROADEN OUR AUDIENCE AND NETWORK. WE MET WITH A BUSINESS ADVISOR TO DISCUSS STRATEGIES FOR SUPPORTING BUSINESS OWNERS WE ALSO HAD PRODUCTIVE CONVERSATIONS WITH MERGERS AND ACQUISITIONS LAWYERS TO ENSURE LEGAL FRAMEWORKS FOR THESE TRANSITIONS ARE ROBUST. WE DEEPENED RELATIONSHIPS IN THE BUSINESS COMMUNITY AND PARTNERED WITH ORGANIZATIONS ACROSS OHIO. THIS INCREASED OUR REACH AND IMPACT IN EDUCATING THE LARGER COMMUNITY ABOUT THE VALUE AND VIABILITY OF WORKER-OWNERSHIP.