Some quotes from participants:
“It was great discussing questions and learning about co-op structures alongside other cooperatives.” – Toma from Intersection Café: A penny university co-op
“I learned a lot during this process, especially during the hands-on training.” – Xiomara from Access Interpreters Co-op
“Co-op Academy 2016 has helped to propel the Diggers documents into a place where we are almost ready to incorporate.” – Scott from Diggers Landscaping Co-op
“It was super constructive to hear from such a diverse group of individuals. There were informative and novel conversations from group collaboration. It was a great incubator for helping us cultivate our business plan.” – Scott from Intersection Café: A penny university co-op
“I like the mega worksheet overview and working with fellow cooperators!” – Jeuji from Intersection Café: A penny university co-op
Results:
This year’s pre and post survey was focused on tangible improvement in business plan features, each category of which saw growth. One area that saw the greatest improvement was in co-ops’ business model canvases – an important tool to help them find their product-market-fit and relationships with customers. Less progress was made on operations and we see this as a need going forward. The cohort has committed to continue meeting and working through challenges together.
