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Dear cooperators and friends,
In any food co-op around the country, you are likely to see the phrase “Everyone Welcome” proudly displayed somewhere in the store. It’s a fundamental piece of food co-ops’ identities, and one we grapple with as we strive to live up to that statement and have our full communities truly feel welcome in our co-ops. Increasingly, the LGBTQIA+ community (especially trans people and LGBTQIA+ people of the global majority) is facing attacks on their lives, safety, access to healthcare, and their freedom to express and be themselves. They are not feeling welcome in many spaces in their own communities. Co-ops can, and must, be a safe and welcoming space for our LGBTQIA+ neighbors. They must have inclusive and representative leadership, membership, and when they open their doors, inclusive and representative staff. A truly welcoming food co-op won’t solve everything; we need to advocate, to celebrate, and to be strong allies. But, a food co-op can be a type of “third place” in a community, and when it comes to having safe, stable, and reliable access to food, can be a lifesaver. June is Pride Month, and it’s a joyful time to celebrate and lift up the LGBTQIA+ community. And, it’s a time for allies to take action. Startup cooperators are working to build inclusive, welcoming, food co-ops in their communities. This is daily, ongoing, work that never ends, and I’m proud that FCI is here to support that work. There is a lot of exciting news in our letter this month. Read on to learn more about FCI Live: Summer Series, the Up & Coming Conference, exciting celebrations in the startup community, new resources for inclusive market studies, and more. And, keep your eye out for our 2022 Impact Report coming out later this month. The sheer amount of hard work by startup organizers around the country that is reflected in this report is stunning, and inspiring. In the meantime, if you're eager for some additional reading about the impact food co-ops are having in communities around the country, check out NCG's 2022 Food Co-op Impact Report! In cooperation,
P.S. Heading to CCMA this week? We will see you there! Keep your eye out for FCI staff (JQ Hannah and Mychaela Brandle) and check out our table to learn more about the next wave of startups opening in the next 12 months. |
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Resource Spotlight |
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What: two powerful recordings of presentations that name the need and vision new ways of creating financially accurate, culturally-competent market studies.
Where: both recordings are available on the Food Co-op Initiative YouTube page Cost to use: None! All videos on the FCI YouTube page are offered as a free resource that all cooperators are welcome to utilize. Thank you to our partners for trusting FCI as a home for sharing these presentations. Learn more about these powerful presenters at the following links: |
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Startup UPDATES & Celebrations |
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Bethlehem Food Co-op – GM Hired – This stage 3 startup from Bethlehem, PA, announced the hiring of Eric Shamis as their first General Manager and in May he began the work of readying their store for an estimated late 2023 opening.
Grand Rapids Food Co-op – 500 Owners Reached – This stage 2A startup from Grand Rapids MI, has had rising ownership growth momentum in 2023 and has recently passed the 500 owner mark! Next up: continuing to grow ownership and finishing their assessment of all four areas of feasibility for their future store.
And, in case you missed it - Assabet Co-op Market is open! Learn more about their grand opening here. |
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Upcoming Events & WORKSHOPS |
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FCI Live! Summer Edition: June 19 - 29th Registration is now open for our two week live webinar series. See what’s on the agenda, and register today!
Up & Coming: September 14 - 16th It’s almost time to register for THE conference for startup organizers. More information about the conference, registration information, and scholarship information are all available here. We hope to see you in St. Paul! |
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SUPPORT SUCCESSFUL STARTUPS |
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FCI provides customized technical support, curated Peer Groups, and trainings & resources every month to startups across the country – and YOU can support FCI every month, too! Sign up today to be a monthly sustaining donor to FCI. Instead of making an annual gift, a monthly donation is a budget-friendly way to give to FCI over the course of the year. The contribution automatically comes from your credit card or bank account – just like you’d pay for your Netflix or Spotify subscription. It’s easy for you, and provides a steady source of income that FCI can turn into the trainings, resources, and support that startups count on. Thank you for making our work possible!
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Thank you to NCG for sponsoring the upcoming FCI Live Series!
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Market studies are a critical piece of the feasibility of a startup food co-op, serving as the very foundation of the financial pro forma that will answer the question of whether a co-op’s store plans can be viable. Yet it has been pointed out by many, especially Black food co-op organizers, market studies as we know them today in our industry are built on decades of assumptions about who food co-ops serve and where they have thrived over the past four decades, upholding biases about the economic capacity of predominantly non-white communities.
