Cincinnati Union Cooperative Initiative

CINCINNATI UNION COOPERATIVE INITIATIVE PARTNERS WITH INDIVIDUALS AND OTHER ORGANIZATIONS TO DEVELOP WORKER-OWNED BUSINESSES WHICH PROVIDE FAMILY- SUSTAINING JOBS AND CREATE ECONOMY THAT WORKS FOR ALL.

CO-OP DEVELOPMENT THROUGH POWER IN NUMBERS BLACK-LED CO-OP U AND AGRICULTURAL CO-OP U FOR REFUGEES. WE FOSTERED COOPERATIVE DEVELOPMENT THROUGH 2 COURSES: POWER IN NUMBERS, WHICH IS DESIGNED TO ENABLE BLACK-LED TEAMS TO LAUNCH SUCCESSFUL CO-OP BUSINESSES, AND OUR AGRICULTURAL CO-OP U FOR REFUGEES. IN RESPONSE TO LONG-STANDING RACIAL AND ECONOMIC INEQUALITY AND THE RACIALLY EXACERBATED EFFECTS OF THE COVID-19 CRISIS, CO-OP CINCY CONTINUED TO SUPPORT CO-OP ENTREPRENEURS OF COLOR BY OFFERING OUR 2ND POWER IN NUMBERS. IN ADDITION, WE PLANNED OUR 3RD COURSE AND PROVIDED ASSISTANCE AND MENTORING TO THE CO-OP BUSINESSES THAT GRADUATED FROM THE 1ST COURSE. IN TOTAL, WE SUPPORTED THE DEVELOPMENT AND GROWTH OF 6 BLACK-LED CO-OP BUSINESSES. IN OUR 2ND POWER IN NUMBERS COURSE, WE GUIDED 2 BLACK TEAMS THROUGH THE PROCESS OF DEVELOPING AND REFINING CO-OP BUSINESS PLANS. THE TEAM FOR OUR CORNER WORKED ON DEVELOPING A FULL-SERVICE GROCERY STORE IN A HISTORICALLY BLACK SUBURB WHERE BLACK FAMILIES MOVED AS A RESULT OF REDLINING, WHILE THE TEAM FOR OUT CLUB IS WORKING ON LAUNCHING A NIGHTCLUB SERVING LGBTQ CLIENTS. WE OFFERED CONTINUED ASSISTANCE TO THE CO-OP BUSINESSES THAT EMERGED FROM OUR 1ST COURSE: QUEEN MOTHER'S MARKET, WHICH RUNS A BUYERS CLUB TO PROVIDE ACCESS TO AFFORDABLE FOODS AND IS DEVELOPING A BLACK- AND WOMEN-LED CO-OP GROCERY STORE; HOPES FULFILLED FARM 2 TABLE, WHICH PROVIDES FRESH, HEALTHY FOOD THROUGH CATERING AND OPENED A FOOD TRUCK THIS YEAR; A TOUCH OF TLC HOME CARE, WHICH PROVIDES COMPASSIONATE, IN-HOME HEALTH CARE; AND BODY BY BODJI, WHICH OFFERS A VERSATILE COLLECTION OF SWIMWEAR. WE PROVIDED CO-OP TRAINING THROUGH OUR RAPP AGRICULTURE AND CO-OP DEVELOPMENT COURSES FOR REFUGEES. WE BEGAN WORKING WITH OUR COHORT 3, WHICH IS COMPOSED OF 14 BHUTANESE AND EAST AFRICAN REFUGEE HIGH-SCHOOL STUDENTS. WE EDUCATED THEM ABOUT FARMING AND COOPERATIVE BUSINESS, CULTIVATING CO-OP BUSINESS LEADERS OF THE FUTURE. WE ALSO FINISHED AN INTERMEDIATE TRAINING SESSION WITH OUR COHORT 2, WHICH IS COMPOSED OF SWAHILI-SPEAKING AFRICAN REFUGEES. IN THE SESSION, WE DEEPENED PARTICIPANTS' UNDERSTANDING OF FARMING AND COOPERATIVE BUSINESS SKILLS, ENSURING THAT THEY CAN BRING THESE SKILLS INTO THEIR FUTURE ENDEAVORS. 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 ALSO NEARED COMPLETION OF A SERIES OF 7 SHORT INSTRUCTIONAL VIDEOS ON CO-OP BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT AND PRINCIPLES. IN TOTAL, WE HAVE HELPED 43 REFUGEES DEVELOP FARMING AND COOPERATIVE BUSINESS SKILLS.

PROMOTION OF CO-OP MODEL & COOPERATIVE MANAGEMENT. WE PROMOTED THE CO-OP MODEL THROUGH OUR 5TH UNION CO-OP SYMPOSIUM, WHICH DREW MORE THAN 200 PEOPLE FROM AROUND THE WORLD. DURING THE 2-DAY HYBRID EVENT, WE DISCUSSED TOOLS TO START AND RUN UNIONIZED WORKER COOPERATIVES AND FOSTER WEALTH IN COMMUNITIES HISTORICALLY EXCLUDED FROM THE OWNERSHIP ECONOMY. HERE'S WHAT ONE PARTICIPANT SAID: "SO MUCH PROFOUND EXPLORATION OF IDEAS AND SHARING OF EXPERIENCES" OUR STAFF MEMBERS ALSO SPOKE ABOUT THE CO-OP MODEL AND NURTURING NEW AND EXISTING CO-OPS AT NUMEROUS CONFERENCES AND EVENTS AROUND THE COUNTRY. WE ALSO OFFERED OUR 1ST AND 2ND COOPERATIVE MANAGEMENT CERTIFICATE COURSES IN PARTNERSHIP WITH THE XAVIER UNIVERSITY LEADERSHIP CENTER. THE 12-WEEK COURSES HAD A TOTAL OF 14 PARTICIPANTS AND EXPLORED THE POWERS OF COOPERATIVES TO STRUCTURE BUSINESSES IN WAYS THAT MAKE THEM PROFOUNDLY ACCOUNTABLE TO WORKERS, ENVIRONMENTS, AND COMMUNITIES. OWN. OUR STATEWIDE OHIO WORKER OWNERSHIP NETWORK RELEASED THE BUILDING LEGACIES REPORT ON OHIO'S BUSINESS SUCCESSION CRISIS AND WHY WORKER- OWNERSHIP IS THE SOLUTION. THE REPORT GARNERED COVERAGE IN WCPO 9, 91.7 WVXU, AND ELSEWHERE. FORMED IN 2021 WITH CO-OP CINCY AS THE LEAD ORGANIZER, OWN STRIVES TO EXPAND WORKER-OWNERSHIP IN OHIO BY RAISING AWARENESS, PROVIDING TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE, AND CONNECTING BUSINESS OWNERS WITH RESOURCES. OWN GREW FROM 3 TO 10 MEMBER ORGANIZATIONS AND HELD ITS FIRST IN-PERSON MEETING. OWN MEMBERS GATHERED AT THE COMMUNITY-OWNED GEM CITY MARKET IN DAYTON TO CONNECT, DEVELOP COOPERATIVE SKILLS, SHARE BEST PRACTICES, CREATE LEGAL TOOLS AND TEMPLATES, AND DISCUSS STRATEGIES FOR EXPANDING WORKER-OWNERSHIP IN OHIO. IN ADDITION, OWN HELD REGULAR VIRTUAL MEETINGS.

TRANSITIONING BUSINESS TO EMPLOYEE OWNERSHIP. WE SUBSTANTIALLY ACCELERATED OUR WORK TO HELP OWNERS TRANSITION THEIR COMPANIES TO WORKER OWNERSHIP BY EXPANDING OUR MULTI-MILLION BUSINESS LEGACY FUND. WE HIRED CHRIS BENNETT, A TALENTED, EXPERIENCED MANAGER WITH STRONG CONNECTIONS AND TRUST WITHIN CINCINNATI'S AFRICAN AMERICAN AND BUSINESS COMMUNITIES TO BE THE FUND'S ACQUISITION MANAGER. WE TRAINED AND ENGAGED 6 BUSINESS LEADERS OF COLOR ON WORKER OWNERSHIP, AND OPEN BOOK MANAGEMENT BY PARTNERING WITH XAVIER UNIVERSITY LEADERSHIP CENTER TO LAUNCH A COOPERATIVE MANAGEMENT CERTIFICATE. WE ALSO TAUGHT THE SEARCH AND ACQUISITION PROCESS. WE GAVE 6 PRESENTATIONS TO PROFESSIONALS AND POLICYMAKERS. WE ALSO CONDUCTED A SEARCH PROCESS THAT ENGAGED 15 COMPANIES. AND WE DEVELOPED DEEP RELATIONSHIPS WITH KEY SERVICE PROFESSIONALS, PARTICULARLY 3 BUSINESS BROKERS. AFTER A LONG PROCESS, WE TRANSITIONED 2 LOCAL COMPANIES TO WORKER OWNERSHIP. WE HELPED 5 WOMEN PURCHASE SHINE NURTURE CENTER, A NATURE-FOCUSED CHILDCARE CENTER, FROM THE EXITING OWNER, AND WE HELPED THE OWNER OF HERITAGE HILL, AN APPAREL COMPANY FOCUSED ON BLACK CULTURE, EXPAND OWNERSHIP TO A TEAM OF 3 BLACK INDIVIDUALS. FOR THIS PROCESS, WE UTILIZED 375,000 THROUGH OUR LOAN FUND PROGRAM WITH SEED COMMONS TO SUPPORT THESE WORKERS TO PURCHASE THEIR BUSINESSES.

CO-OP TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE, CULTURAL BUILDING, NETWORK BUILDING & LOAN PROGRAM. THROUGH OUR TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE PROGRAM, STAFF MEMBERS SUPPORTED THE STABILIZATION, DEVELOPMENT, AND GROWTH OF CO-OP BUSINESSES IN OUR NETWORK, INCLUDING THE CO-OPS MENTIONED ABOVE. STAFF MET WITH CO-OP TEAMS AN AVERAGE OF 2 HOURS WEEKLY, TAILORING MEETINGS TO TEAM NEEDS AND HELPING TEAM MEMBERS TACKLE CHALLENGES. STAFF PROVIDED TRAINING ON OPEN BOOK MANAGEMENT, BUSINESS BEST PRACTICES, FINANCIAL LITERACY, HR SYSTEMS, LEADERSHIP SKILLS, COMMUNICATION AND MARKETING STRATEGIES, AND CONFLICT MANAGEMENT. STAFF ALSO CONNECTED CO-OP TEAM MEMBERS TO RESOURCES. THROUGH WEEKLY MEETINGS AND THE OCCASIONAL RETREAT, WE DEVELOPED GOALS AND TRACKED TEAM PROGRESS. WE EVALUATED RESULTS AT LEAST QUARTERLY. IF WE DETERMINED THERE WAS INSUFFICIENT PROGRESS, WE DEVELOPED INTERVENTIONS. ONE CO-OP BUSINESS THAT BENEFITED FROM OUR TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE WAS CINCY CLEANING CO-OP, WHICH PROVIDES RESIDENTIAL CLEANING. CINCY CLEANING CO-OP WAS FOUNDED IN 2019 BY LOW-INCOME IMMIGRANT WOMEN SEEKING TO INCREASE THEIR WAGES AND BUILD A SECURE ECONOMIC FUTURE. IN 2021-22, THE CO-OP TEAM MEMBERS CONTINUED TO MEET WEEKLY WITH STAFF TO TACKLE CHALLENGES SUCH AS MARKETING, GROWING THEIR CUSTOMER BASE, AND NAVIGATING THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC. OVER THE COURSE OF THE YEAR, THEIR TEAM WENT FROM WORKING 2 TO 5 DAYS A WEEK. THEY ALSO WELCOMED A NEW CO-OP WORKER-OWNER NAMED NAYELI ROBERLO. WHEN ROBERLO IMMIGRATED TO CINCINNATI FROM GUATEMALA AT 16, SHE WAS UNAWARE OF THE CO-OP BUSINESS MODEL. SHE JOINED CINCY CLEANING CO-OP TO TAKE CONTROL OF HER CAREER. "I FEEL SUPPORTED," SAID NAYELI. "I'VE ALWAYS HAD A DREAM OF OWNING A BUSINESS AND BETTERING MYSELF." IN ADDITION, THROUGH OUR LOAN PROGRAM, WE HELPED REMOVE BARRIERS TO DEVELOPMENT FOR NEW AND EXISTING CO-OPS.THROUGH OUR PARTNERSHIP WITH THE SEED COMMONS FINANCIAL CO-OP, WE LOANED 95,000 TO 3 CO-OP BUSINESSES IN OUR NETWORK. A 68,000 LOAN ENABLING SUSTAINERGY, A RESIDENTIAL ENERGY EFFICIENCY CO-OP, TO EXPAND INTO SOLAR PANEL INSTALLATION. A 20,000 LOAN ENABLED HOPES FULFILLED FARM 2 TABLE, WHICH EMERGED FROM OUR FIRST POWER IN NUMBERS COURSE, TO BUY A FOOD TRUCK. FINALLY WE FORMALIZED OUR CO-OP NETWORK AND POLICIES, CREATING THE FOUNDATION FOR THE NETWORK TO SUPPORT MEMBERS DURING ECONOMIC UPS AND DOWNS. IN APRIL, OUR NETWORK OF 14 CO-OP BUSINESSES GATHERED IN-PERSON TO STRENGTHEN CONNECTIONS. WE ALSO FORMALIZED NETWORK POLICIES.