New Columinate consultant Brandon Kane has areas of expertise that include business development and operational and financial improvement. He offers interim general manager (IGM) services and can help assess retail performance, including developing strategic plans for rapid implementation. Kane answered some questions about what brought him to Columinate and his areas of focus.

What is your background and work history before joining Columinate?

In the mid-1990s I moved to Philadelphia from the surrounding suburbs. I was eighteen and had yet to be exposed to all the alternative culture that Philly had on offer. Through my involvement in the music/political activism scene, I became exposed to diverse thriving cooperatives in West Philly, which included co-op housing, music venues, and record labels. I also became a member of Mariposa Co-op, which at the time was little more than a small room where members shopped for products using the honor system, leaving cash behind for our purchases. I deeply enjoyed the community that arose from these co-ops, and I saw the potential that this structure had to improve the quality of life of our communities, especially as it became clearer to me how our existing institutions failed so many.

Eventually, I found myself managing a natural foods store in Maui, Hawaii, for a few years in the early 2000s. Although this was not a co-op, the experience I gained from that bustling business was invaluable to my professional development.

I moved back East in 2004 and opted for Ithaca, New York, only a few hours’ drive from Philadelphia. I started as the grocery manager at GreenStar Co-op in 2004 and eventually was contracted as the general manager in 2011. As the co-op’s GM, from 2011 to 2021 I oversaw the addition of two satellite storefronts, an expansion of our flagship store, and the development of a central production kitchen. GreenStar grew by leaps and bounds in this time, surpassing $24M in revenue in 2021.

After having seen GreenStar through many periods of growth and development, in late 2021 I decided it was time to move on, reaching out to Columinate with an interest in applying my skills and experience to the development of cooperatives in other communities. It just so happened that at about that same time, Abundance Co-op in Rochester, New York, was discussing working with Columinate to fill an interim general manager position while they posted for and hired a permanent GM. My proximity and relevant experience seemed like a great fit, and I quickly found myself contracted as IGM for Abundance Co-op in early February.

What are you working on right now, and what are your focus areas as a Columinate consultant?

I am contracted as Abundance Co-op’s interim general manager through at least June. My focus is on the overall performance improvement of Abundance, ultimately to establish positive cash flow and a long-term vision and strategic plan for future leadership. To accomplish this, I’ve been mostly focusing on a full-store reset, a product line refresh and expansion, systems implementation, and restructuring debt to lower short-term expenses and increase cash flow.

As a Columinate consultant, my primary services are as an interim general manager; developing business turnaround strategy and implementation; and providing mentorship/training for general managers.

Why did you choose to become a Columinate consultant?

I’ve had the opportunity to work with many Columinate consultants over the last seventeen years in a variety of capacities, and I’ve always had positive, insightful experiences that helped me grow professionally and improve my co-op’s performance. I know many of the members of Columinate and hold them in high regard. After many years of managing a singular cooperative business, I wanted to be involved in the growth and development of cooperatives on a national and perhaps international level. Columinate was the ideal organization to align myself with, and so far it has been an amazingly positive experience.

What are you excited to take on in the near future?

Ideally, I will continue to foster growth and improvement for a wide variety of cooperatives in a diverse range of locales!

Learn more about Brandon Kane and get in touch with him here