Wednesday, April 1, 2026 at 7 PM E / 6 PM C / 5 PM M / 4 PM P
Leading through the Co-op's Toughest Year
Facilitated by Hether Jonna, Columinate with Panelists: Leslee Keri & Nina Arora Rowland from Prairie Food Co-op, Scott Brix from Food Shed Co-op
Board members from Food Shed Co-op (opened summer 2024) and Prairie Food Co-op (opened summer 2025) will come together for a facilitated, candid conversation reflecting on what it’s really been like to govern during the first year of their stores being open —when expectations are high, resources are stretched, and the learning curve is steep. Opening a grocery store sometimes includes missing one or more important operational mark, followed by gradual improvement as operations improve, systems stabilize, and customer habits begin to form. Assumptions carried into opening—about sales ramp-up, member engagement, pricing tolerance, community awareness, marketing effectiveness, staffing, and operational readiness - will be discussed. Speakers will reflect on how they adjusted thinking and priorities and how governance dynamics shifted under pressure.