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UW–Madison Extension Backs Bipartisan Bill to Boost Employee Ownership
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UW Madison Division of Extension has registered in support of Assembly Bill 17, bipartisan legislation that encourages entrepreneurs with interest in exiting their businesses to sell to their employees through tax credits, capital gains deductions, and education and outreach on employee ownership. Kristin Forde Hurckes and Charity Schmidt, cooperative development specialists at the UW Center for Cooperatives (UWCC), provided in person testimony at the Assembly Ways and Means Committee hearing on April 15. The bill passed out of the committee on May 14 with a unanimous and bipartisan 10-0 vote and is now available to be scheduled on the Assembly Floor.
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UWCC Co-op Development Specialists, Kristin Forde Hurckes and Charity Schmidt, testified that there has been a greater interest in employee ownership as a succession strategy for retiring owners.
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Additionally, UWCC staff participated in a listening session at Cooperative Veterinary Care (CVC), a worker-owned veterinary cooperative. The event brought together co-op members, UWCC staff, and key policymakers to discuss employee ownership and cooperative models in action.
Attendees included Wisconsin State Representatives Alex Joers, Karen DeSanto, and Sarah Keyeski, as well as José Rodriguez from Senator Dianne Hesselbein's office. The session featured a tour of CVC’s clinic, an overview of their transition to a cooperative, and a conversation about AB17, the proposed legislation to support employee ownership in Wisconsin.
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CVC staff with legislators.
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The visit highlighted the power of employee ownership to build more resilient, inclusive workplaces—and the importance of policy in helping these models thrive.
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Food Cooperators Gather in Duluth, Minnesota, for CCMA 2025
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In May, grocery cooperative leaders from across the United States and Canada gathered in Duluth, Minnesota, for the Consumer Cooperative Management Association (CCMA) 2025 Conference. This year’s conference theme, Lighting the Way: Cooperatives Build A Better World, is inspired by the United Nations’ International Year of Cooperatives and the Northern Lights over Duluth, celebrating how cooperatives—like auroras—illuminate a path to a brighter, more sustainable future through collective action, resilience, and shared prosperity.
CCMA encouraged participants to explore and discuss the ways in which cooperatives serve as catalysts for positive change—fostering prosperity, social justice, and environmental sustainability. Food cooperatives contribute to the local economy while embodying values with global significance, creating a unique and interconnected community identity. The annual national conference for grocery cooperatives was hosted by UWCC along with host Whole Foods Co-op. CCMA 2025 brought together over 350 food co-op leaders from 84 cooperatives to discuss pressing issues and innovations.
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CCMA kicked off with "The Great Grocery Squeeze" by Stacy Mitchell, co-director of the Institute for Local Self-Reliance. Stacy shared how deliberate policy decisions that have consolidated corporate power and abandoned antitrust enforcement have rigged the playing field against small independent grocers. Allanah Hines, a cooperative consultant, facilitated a fireside chat to dig deeper into the issues and explore how cooperatives can contribute to the movement currently underway to restore fair competition.
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Stacy Mitchell and Allanah Hines during the plenary.
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L-R: LaDonna Sanders Redmond, Gabby Davis, Fran O'Farrell, Ray Williams, and Ray Simpkins.
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Saturday's general session "Everyone Welcome?" Challenging the Myth of Inclusion in Food Co-ops, featured cooperators who have felt othered in the food co-op community. Facilitated by LaDonna Sanders Redmond of Columinate, the panel included: Gabby Davis of National Co+op Grocers, Fran O'Farrell of Seward Community Co-op, Ray Simpkins of Outrpost Natural Foods, and Ray Williams of Seward Community Co-op. While the food co-op space has the best intentions, exclusion still shows up. In this session the group examined the gap between our ideals and actions.
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At the conference, the 2025 CCMA Cooperative Excellence Awards recognized outstanding leadership and innovation in food cooperatives, highlighting individuals and organizations that have made significant contributions to the cooperative movement. The awards celebrated achievements in various categories, showcasing the diverse ways in which cooperatives are making a positive impact on their communities.
- Cooperative Service Award: Rochelle Prunty of River Valley Food Co-op and Stephanie Merriman of Sacramento Natural Foods
- Cooperative Board Service Award: Maria Isley of Whole Foods Co-op
- Cooperative Impact Award: Gabby Davis of National Co+op Grocers
- Cooperative Innovation & Achievement: Takoma Park Silver Spring Food Co-op
- Bill Gessner GM Coaching Award: Jessie LaRose of Potsdam Food Co-op
- Bill Gessner startup of the Year Award: Suncoast Market
- Food Co-op Startup of the Year: Detroit People's Food Co-op
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Rochelle Prunty, general manager of River Valley Co-op, with co-op board and staff.
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Takoma Park Silver Spring Co-op staff and board accept the CCMA Innovation Award
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Stephanie Merriman with Sacramento Natural Foods board and staff.
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Maria Isley holds her Cooperative Board Service Award surrounded by board and staff from Whole Foods Co-op
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Allanah Hines and Gabby Davis.
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As the CCMA Awards Committee reviewed this year’s nominations, they were struck by a powerful reminder: true impact isn’t always tied to a title or years of service—it’s about ideas that challenge the status quo and actions that spark lasting change. While the Cooperative Service Award has traditionally honored leadership at the store or operational level, we recognized a gap—an opportunity to celebrate those shaping the cooperative movement on a broader scale.
That reflection led to the creation of a new honor: the Cooperative Impact Award. This award recognizes individuals whose visionary efforts have inspired others, driven meaningful change, and helped build a more just and thriving cooperative ecosystem.
Gabby Davis, Equity, Inclusion & Community Engagement Manager of National Co+op Grocers, was award the inaugural Co-op Impact Award.
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UWCC looks forward to bringing food cooperators together in Tacoma, Washington, May 28 - 30, 2026!
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Expanding Cooperative Education: Cómo Desarrollar Cooperativas Now Available
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This 16-page resource serves as a foundational tool to help people understand what cooperatives are, the different types of co-ops, how they compare to other business structures, and how to start a cooperative. By making this publication accessible to Spanish-speaking communities, we are taking a significant step toward a more inclusive cooperative movement.
The process went beyond translation—we engaged in transcreation, a process that adapts content not only linguistically but also culturally. The goal was to create a resource that feels authentic, relevant, and empowering to Spanish-speaking audiences across the state.
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This effort responds directly to feedback we’ve received from the communities we serve. Over the past three years, Spanish-language materials have consistently emerged as one of the most critical needs among startup co-op groups that have received our technical assistance. And with the growing population of older Hispanic adults in Wisconsin, providing culturally and linguistically appropriate resources is more important than ever.
We are excited about the impact Cómo Desarrollar Cooperativas: Una Guía Práctica will have on expanding cooperative knowledge and capacity. We are thankful to the co-ops that shared photos and their stories; cooperative education partners who provided feedback throughout the process, and the Cooperative Development Foundation for their support. Together, we’re building a more inclusive and accessible cooperative future.
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In Brief: Resources and Updates
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Respite Care Association of Wisconsin (RCAW) Launches Cooperative Development Technical Assistance Award
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Recruiting and retaining a strong home care workforce is increasingly difficult in Wisconsin due to low wages, limited benefits, and the emotionally and physically demanding nature of the job. With few incentives and little structural support, turnover remains high and new workers are hard to find.
Worker cooperatives offer a promising solution. As worker-centered businesses, co-ops focus on improving job quality through better training, higher wages, and supportive workplace structures. This results in greater job satisfaction, lower turnover, and ultimately more consistent, higher-quality care. (Source: ICA Group)
This opportunity is open to groups of at least three individuals who have completed RCAW’s free online training, Bringing Respite to Your Community. An additional Start-Up Grant is available for groups ready to formally launch their cooperative.
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Cooperative Forestry Grants Awarded
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Every winter, UWCC solicits proposals from cooperatives and non-profit organizations to fund the development of Wisconsin-based cooperatives or cooperative groups focusing on forest management, forest-related products, biomass energy, or forest-owner policy initiatives. This year, UWCC received eight applications totaling $164,425 in grant dollars requested. UWCC awarded two grants totaling $47,500 to the Timber Professionals Cooperative (TPC) and the Wisconsin Prescribed Fire Council (WPFC). TPC recently supported the creation of a new cooperative, Timber Professionals Cooperative Enterprises (TPCE), which is in the process of acquiring a chip mill and working to identify other possible acquisitions. TPC will support TPCE in developing policies and procedures for cooperative mill operations, securing mill contracts, and building TPC and TPCE membership. WPFC will develop at least three cooperative Prescribed Burn Associations, develop training programs for their members, and produce a report about the process to enable replication. See UWCC's website to learn more about Cooperative Forestry Grants.
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UWCC Advisory Committee Updates
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Since its founding, UWCC has benefited from the guidance of an advisory committee providing counsel on Center initiatives and perspectives on developments in their cooperative sector. UWCC is pleased to welcome the following individuals to the advisory committee:
- Brian Mueller, Project Manager, Isthmus Engineer & Manufacturing
- Julia Ugo, Vice President of Cooperative Stewardship and Governance, CROPP Cooperative/Organic Valley
- Jennifer Wickman, Interim Executive Director, Cooperative Network
We also want to thank the following committee members for their service: Ole Olson of Isthmus Engineering, Kimberly Turnmire of CROPP Cooperative, and Monica White of UW-Madison.
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Upcoming Events
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¡Unete Al Cambio Colectivo!
Wednesday, June 25, 2025, 5:00 p.m.
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On June 25 at 5pm we will give a co-ops 101 Zoom webinar in Spanish. This presentation is in partnership with Worker Justice Wisconsin and the Wisconsin Latino Chamber of Commerce. No pre-registration required. Please help spread the word to Spanish-speaking communities! Contact Jesus Vargas Gutierrez with any questions - vargasgutier@wisc.edu.
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Cooperatives as a Form of Resilience and Resistance
Friday, July 25, 2025, 3:00 – 4:30 p.m.
Aubergine: A Willy Street Co-op Community Space, 1226 Williamson St, Madison, WI
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Join us for an insightful discussion with Jerome Warren, a German-American political economist focused on the intersection between democracy, cooperation, sustainability, and business. He will share examples of successful cooperative economies in other countries, explore how cooperatives can not only revitalize rural economies and help bridge the rural-urban divide, but also act as bulwarks against fascism and authoritarianism, and offer ideas and inspiration for funding the work. Jerome will also share insights from his recent and forthcoming co-edited volumes, the Routledge Handbook of Cooperative Economics & Management and Global Cooperative Economics and Movements.
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Training for New Employees of Cooperatives
October 22, 2025, 9:30 a.m. - 11:00 a.m.
October 29, 2025, 9:30 a.m. - 11:00 a.m.
Zoom
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This training is designed for employees of cooperatives seeking to deepen their understanding of the cooperative model. By the end of this training, attendees will have a stronger grasp of the cooperative identity and its impact on communities and economies.
This training is only for cooperatives based in Wisconsin.
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