Co-op Business Presentation Series, July 29-Aug. 19
by Michelle Saport |
Are you interested in learning about economically sustainable solutions to community problems? Then check out the Co-op Business Presentation Series, hosted by the Alaska Cooperative Development Program (part of the UA Center for Economic Development).
Co-op businesses around the world are driving extraordinary changes in their communities-from providing affordable housing to revolutionizing tech companies-all while generating $500 billion in assets in the U.S. alone. (University of Wisconsin Center for Cooperatives, Cooperatives and the U.S. Economy, http://www.uwcc.wisc.edu/whatisacoop/Impacts)
Come learn about these broad and creative business structures through explanations, discussions and examples.
Creating a cooperative Tuesday, July 29, 10-11 a.m. Alaska Small Business Development Center (430 W. 7th Ave., Ste. 110)
This workshop will explain the legal and economic structure of a cooperative business and the first steps to starting one. Admission cost for this event is $10.
Introduction and featured co-ops: REI and Mad River Glen Ski Area, VT Tuesday, Aug. 5, 12-1 p.m. REI (1200 W. Northern Lights Blvd.)
What is a co-op? How can co-ops connect communities with the outdoors? Come learn REI's story, why they chose to be a co-op and how they became the largest purchasing co-op in the U.S. Hear about how a group of skiers bought their own mountain so they could preserve the unique ski style they loved best (sorry, snowboarders). This event is free.
Featured co-op: Equal Exchange Tuesday, Aug. 12, 6-7 p.m. GrassRoots Store (1300 W. Northern Lights Blvd.)
Equal Exchange is the groundbreaking company that made fair-trade products a reality in stores across the country. It is also one of the biggest and most successful worker-owned cooperatives in the U.S. Come learn about co-ops through their story. This event is free.
Featured co-ops: Brooklyn Yoga Collective and Third Root Wellness Tuesday, Aug. 19, 6-7 p.m. Open Space Studio (630 E. 57th Pl.)
Yoga, acupuncture, and massage for all... Learn how wellness centers in Brooklyn, owned and run collectively by their practitioners, are making the benefits of holistic healing available to the those who need it most. This event is free.
Save the dates for upcoming September co-op talks at the UAA Campus Bookstore. More details will be announced shortly.
- Sept. 3, 5-7 p.m. - "Co-op Businesses Today"
- Sept. 9, 5-7 p.m. - "Candles, Flour, Tea: History and Economics of Co-ops"
- Sept. 16, 5-7 p.m. - "Co-ops: Here, There and Everywhere"
For questions, contact the Alaska Cooperative Development Program at (907) 786-4937 or rmballesteros@alaska.edu.
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