Agenda:
Tuesday July 28th:
Programming will take place in the Benedictine Commons at The College of St. Scholastica unless otherwise noted.
10:00 AM | Registration opens
Join us for networking, engaging with resource tables, and enjoying co-op snacks, coffee, and tea hosted by Equal Exchange
Resource tables are open
10:30 AM | Welcome & Opening Remarks
Amy Bergstrom, The College of St. Scholastica
Katie Marty, CoMinnesota
Ariel Kagan, Minnesota Farmers Union
Kristi Kane, Arrowhead Regional Development Commission
Zack Filipovich, Northspan
10:45 AM | Co-ops 101: What is a Co-op and Why Does it Matter?
Cathy Statz, Cooperative Educator
11:10 AM | Cooperative Keynote: Meeting the Moment
Doug O’Brien, National Cooperative Business Association (NCBA CLUSA)
12:00 PM | Co-op History: What Can We Learn from the Past to Build for the Future?
Minnesota has an incredibly rich history of cooperation that we can draw on to meet the needs of today and the future.
Margaret Bau, Former USDA Rural Development Cooperative Development Specialist
Michael Lansing, Augsburg University
Cory Haala, University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point
12:30 PM | Lunch supported by Blandin Foundation
Resource tables are open
1:00 PM | Lightning Talks: There’s a Co-op for That
Lightning talks will feature co-op success stories from various sectors showcasing how powerful, versatile, and sustainable cooperatives can be.
Dan Cooper, Great River Energy
Jennifer Stedt, Northstar Credit Union
Jane Eastes, Lakes County Service Cooperative
Stephanie Peterson, Central Farm Service
2:00 PM | Co-op Tours of Duluth Area Cooperatives
Coach buses will take attendees around to visit 2-3 local cooperatives each during the co-op tours. Be sure to select the free co-op tour ticket to let us know you’ll be joining the tours when you register. There is a sign up form that was sent out to all attendees to indicate tour preference. Be sure to dress appropriately for the weather with good walking shoes as you head out on these co-op tours.
Tour 1: Farm & Forest Co-op (Agriculture) & Whole Foods Co-op (Grocery)
This tour will have the longest drive, taking us up to Two Harbors to visit a Chelsea Morning Farm, a member of a tree seedling cooperative, but a beautiful drive along Lake Superior. Bring or meet a friend to chat with on your bus journey! The tour will end at the Whole Food Co-op's Hillside store in downtown Duluth.
Tour 2: Realife Cooperative of Duluth (Housing), The Golf Cooperative (Consumer), and Halcyon House (Worker)
This tour will kick off with a tour visiting one of Minnesota's many senior housing cooperatives. We'll end the tour visiting two fairly newly established co-ops in Canal Park and downtown Duluth. Starting with the consumer member-owned Golf Cooperative, an indoor golf simulator reimagined with community ownership. Then on to Halcyon House, a worker owned cooperative holistic wellness center.
Tour 3: Bayfield Foods CSA (Agriculture), Northern Communities Credit Union (Credit Union), Positively 3rd Street Bakery (Worker)
We'll begin at Observation Hill Farm, a member of the Bayfield Foods CSA. Please note this stop requires about a quarter mile of walking from where the bus will drop off to arrive at the farm. We'll then head to Northern Communities Credit Union, a cooperative bank with locations in Duluth and Virginia. The tour ends at Positively 3rd Street Bakery, a local worker-owned bakery of over 40 years.
Tour 4: Positively 3rd Street (Worker), Whole Foods Co-op (Grocery), and Bayfield Foods CSA (Agriculture)
This tour begins at Positively 3rd Street Bakery, a local worker-owned bakery of over 40 years. Then moves to the Whole Food Co-op's Denfeld store on the southern edge of town. We'll end at Observation Hill Farm, a member of the Bayfield Foods CSA. Please note this stop requires about a quarter mile of walking from where the bus will drop off to arrive at the farm
5:30-8:30 PM | Networking Reception at Clyde Iron Works
2920 W Michigan St, Duluth, MN 55806
Arrive when you are able between 5:30-6:00PM following the co-op tours. We will have a dinner reception of heavy appetizers and a cash bar with a brief welcome program at 6:30 PM and opportunities to meet start-up cooperatives. Be sure to select the free dinner tour ticket to let us know you’ll be joining the reception when you register.
8:30-10 PM | Optional Informal Co-op Social hosted by Shared Capital Cooperative and National Cooperative Business Association
Carmody Irish Pub, 308 East Superior St. Duluth, MN 55802
After the networking reception wraps up, if you’re still eager for co-op connections, you can head over to Carmody Irish Pub for a social hosted by partners Shared Capital and NCBA.
Wednesday July 29th:
Programming will take place in the Benedictine Commons at The College of St. Scholastica unless otherwise noted.
7:45 AM | Networking Breakfast
Join us for networking, engaging with resource tables, and enjoying light breakfast fare. Co-op coffee and tea hosted by Equal Exchange
Resource tables are open
8:30 AM | Welcome
Kyle Erickson, Blandin Foundation
Senator Jennifer McEwen, Minnesota State Senate
8:40 AM | Keynote: Cooperative Development is Economic Development
Tony Sertich, Northland Foundation
9:10 AM | Co-ops as a Path to Economic Opportunity
Cooperatives are a realistic, important tool for wealth building and economic opportunity, especially for historically marginalized communities.
Nkuli Tabata, Nexus Community Partners
Denise Butler, ACER
Victoria McWane-Creek, Onyx Collective
9:40 AM | Indigenous Cooperative Perspectives
Long before the formal 19th-century cooperative movement in Europe, Indigenous societies worldwide practiced communal economics. We’ll learn about historical and present day cooperation with leaders from Fond Du Lac Band and the Duluth area.
Caleb Dunlap, Fond du Lac Band of Lake Superior Chippewa, Communications Director (Moderator)
Jeff Savage, Fond du Lac Cultural Center and Tribal Museum
Tawny Savage, Spirit Lake Native Farms
Sarah Agaton Howes, Heartberry / 8th Generation
David Wise, NativeWise, LLC
Naawakwe William Howes, Minnesota Indigenous Immersion Network & Fond du Lac Band Ojibwe Language Department
10:30 AM | Break
Resource tables are open
Co-op snacks, coffee, and tea hosted by Equal Exchange
10:45 AM | Keynote: What’s at Stake if We Miss the Moment?
Many of us know cooperatives are solutions, but why they are needed more than every right now is critical for us all to understand.
Zephyr Teachout, Fordham University
11:15 AM | Advocacy Panel: Exploring Co-op Policy and Civic Engagement in Minnesota
These impactful leaders will outline opportunities for co-op policy and civic engagement at the various levels of government in Minnesota.
Jennifer Wickman, Cooperative Network (Moderator)
Senator Aric Putnam, Minnesota State Senate
Representative Paul Anderson, Minnesota House of Representatives
Liz Olson, McKnight Foundation
Soren Stevenson, Minneapolis City Council Member
12:15 PM | Lunch Sessions
Resource tables are open
Lunch Session A: For those new to co-ops:
What are the First Steps for my Co-op Idea? - S3207
Margaret Bau, Former USDA Rural Development Cooperative Development Specialist
Lunch Session B: For those familiar with co-ops:
How does Cooperation Amongst Cooperatives Make us all Stronger? - Benedictine Commons
Doug O’Brien, National Cooperative Business Association (NCBA CLUSA) (Moderator)
Joleen Baker, Cooperative Partners Warehouse
Brent Rempe, First Alliance Credit Union
Jill Casper, CTC
1:30 & 3:00 PM | Breakout Sessions: Creative Cooperative Solutions for Thorny Community Issues - Science Classrooms
Co-ops have been and will continue to be key for economic development in our state, from succession planning to incorporating marginalized groups to solving challenges that cannot be done alone. The breakout sessions will dig into four thorny issues that face communities across the state of Minnesota and showcase cooperative solutions for each topic.
Attendees can attend two different sessions, one at 1:30 p.m. and the other at 3 p.m. There will be a break in between sessions from 2:45-3 p.m.
Breakout Sessions:
Small Business Changes - Room S2122
Kirsten Kennedy, MNCEO (co-host)
Zach Filipovich, Northspan (co-host)
Sara McGarraugh, The Improve Group
Marty Ruddy and Ben Ratzlaff, Terra Firma Building and Remodeling
Childcare - Room S3207
Electra Skrzydlewski, MCCD (host)
Char Vrieze, Cooperative Development Services
Courtney Greiner, Esko Minis Childcare and Preschool
Johanna Villa, Seward Child Care Center
Housing - Benedictine Commons
Gretchen Nicholls, Twin Cities LISC (host)
Gunnar Carlson, Riverton Community Housing
MaryClaire Picard, Emerson Housing Co-op
Dennis Johnson, Cooperative Housing Resources
Robert Murphy, Applewood Pointe Cooperative at Langton Lake
Emily Stewart, CoNorth
Marjory Gilsrud, Madelia Mobile Village
Healthcare - Room S3312
Marie Barry, Rural Wisconsin Health Cooperative (host)
Susan Rosette, Cardinal Comfort Care Cooperative
Bill Oemichen, Chippewa Valley Health Cooperative (recorded video)
4:30 PM | Dreaming Bigger: How Co-ops Build the Future
From data to green energy to our food system, innovation is happening but who owns these solutions is up to us.
Cory Neeley, Cooperative Development Services
Theresa Schneider, The Good Acre
Eric Sannerud, GrownBy
4:40 PM | Resources, Opportunities, and Next Steps for Minnesota
Katie Marty, CoMinnesota
5:00 PM | Closing Reception Happy Hour hosted by Members Cooperative Credit Union - Somers Lounge
Featuring Broken Clock Brewing Co-op
6:00 PM | Adjourn