Jeanie Wells’ Mighty Community Markets Wins Innovation and Achievement Award
Independent grocers and co-ops face formidable challenges to survival, from WalMart to dollar stores, while often lacking the resources they need. Columinate's Jeanie Wells is providing these retail operations with essential skills and tools. [...]
Ari Derfel: It’s Fine to Love Finance!
Ari Derfel has been advocating for natural and organic foods for the past few decades. He’s been translating his personal values of sustainability and food justice into business practices.
David Cruz Ramirez: Translating, a Catalyst for the Common Good
“The movement toward housing co-ops is very important for low-income and underrepresented communities. It excites me to be able to apply my theoretical knowledge in a practical way.” David Cruz Ramirez learned early the lessons of being resourceful and adaptable. And now, his translation skills and organizing experience are broadening the reach of Columinate. Cruz, bilingual from childhood, was born in Mexico City, raised in northern California, and loves to travel. When I caught up with him to interview for this article, he was in his sister’s smoothie shop and buying the warm clothes he needed to take his dad for a birthday trip to Anchorage, Alaska.
Introducing Tamah Yisrael: A Community Connector
Tamah Yisrael, an energizing and experienced new member of the Columinate team, connects and organizes the community. Thanks to her work as a co-op board member, start-up co-op leader, comptroller, chief financial officer, loan officer, musician, and education/outreach coordinator, Yisrael is invested in figuring out new solutions to old problems from within her community. “The ultimate work is power shifting. What is the path towards shifting power—does it look like cooperatives, does it look like strategies that include cooperative values and principles? I’m happy to offer part of the solution,” says Yisrael.
Introducing L. A. (Ahzjah) Simons: Diversifying the Co-op Ecosystem
I was born to Jamaican parents in Hartford, Connecticut, and later migrated south with a company (the food retail group Ahold), landing in Ellenwood, Georgia. I was working as a commercial property accountant. My husband and I met in Connecticut during our music days as writers, performers, producers, and recording artists on the reggae scene. After our first son was born, we continued to produce and record music, literally changing diapers between recording tracks. Creating music is still a love for hubby and me, but now, creating in our home studio, it's more of a solace for me and personal therapy for both of us. We've also included cooking in our therapy toolkit. After almost forty years together, each moment is precious, and we're making the moments count. My dad has passed on, but my mom is about an hour away and loving life. Our sons are both young adults now and are amazing human beings. And I love to write; I'd love to publish a couple books one day.
Mark Mulcahy is Bringing the Joy
There is an entire genre of films and TV shows dedicated to pointing out the soullessness and drone of American workplaces, with 1999’s Office Space perhaps the most famous example. Columinate consultant Mark Mulcahy has the prescription for both the workers at Office Space’s fictional Initech, and for the real workers at co-ops and independent grocers across the country. “I’m working on bringing joy and balance back to the workplace. That’s gotten lost. That’s what makes people want to come to work: to find joy and purpose in their work. Everyone carries the same products and margin pressures will continue. Businesses who build a culture of doing real work through joy will thrive.”
Assabet Co-op Market: Getting creative in the face of financial headwinds
Ten years ago, the Assabet Co-op Market recruited its first member-owners in the small mill town of Maynard, Massachusetts. Today, the co-op boasts more than 2,100 member-owners from 40 communities, and this spring they'll celebrate the grand opening of their 8,000 square-foot grocery store along the Assabet River. "It's been a pure grassroots effort from the beginning," says Lorne Bell, the co-op's operations coordinator. Bell estimates that he and co-op volunteers have "tabled" at more than 500 farmers markets, festivals, and community events over the years.
Discussion and Process Guide for Board Compensation
Co-op boards periodically need to address questions about board compensation: Should we or shouldn’t we? How much is reasonable? How do we communicate these decisions to our member-owners or include them in the conversation? Allow [...]
Mining the Library: “What Resources Do Our Clients Need?”
Shared challenges in board governance have perennially driven co-ops to establish shared resources and services. Consultants and collaboration around governance and leadership development have been key to building cooperative identity and local community impact. From the early days of the Cooperative Board Leadership Development (CBLD) program, consultants serving co-op boards and other mission-driven organizations have been asking the question, “What resources do our clients need?”
Fresh Food is Fun!
While an aide in her children’s school years ago, Frayer observed young eaters’ behaviors in the lunchroom. Many were opting not to bite into fresh-looking vegetables and fruits, and much was wasted. Indeed, it is one thing for whole, unprocessed food to get onto the tray; it is quite another for it to reach the mouth. Hether’s inspiration to make fresh foods fun is rooted in those lunch hours. Eaters of all ages have propensities, and perhaps biases, around food. Eaters of all ages can benefit from reminders to appreciate the bright colors, flavors and textures that fruits and vegetables provide. Frayer says, “As a Fresh Food Fairy, I encourage good nutrition by making fresh food fun with high-energy, joyful experiences to begin or deepen one’s relationship to fresh food. And anyone who has fun with food is a fresh food fairy!” This inclusive and enthusiastic ethos led her to design classes around food preparation and cooking.