Solidarity Economy Shorts #2: Cooperation Among Cooperatives with Co-op Dayton

Cooperative Journal

Solidarity Economy Shorts Episode #2

A collaboration with New Economy Coalition

Solidarity Economy Shorts are conversations with frontline organizations & individuals that are putting solidarity economy principles into practice. They are using different strategies to build an economic system where communities are meeting their own needs outside of capitalism.

Co-op Dayton is developing and weaving a network between cooperative businesses that are meeting the needs of their local community. They are using community and worker ownership as a catalyst to transform Dayton’s Black and working class neighborhoods. In this episode, I speak with program and co-executive directors - Cherelle Gardner and Amaha Sellassie.

They begin with defining what a cooperative is and different ownership structures, how cooperative businesses can meet the needs of a disinvested post-industrial city, some of the models they have incubated like T.R.I.B.E a shared-service co-op of holistic perinatal practitioners. They also invite us to think beyond the metrics of success within capitalism, what solidarity and cooperation looks like in our day to day lives, and how we can show up in solidarity.

Show Notes

Co-op Dayton

National Black Food Justice Alliance

PODER Emma: provides technical assistance, accompaniment, and lending for the development and sustainability of worker-owned businesses, resident-owned mobile home parks, and community-based real estate investment cooperatives.

Seed Commons: ​​national network of locally-rooted, non-extractive loan funds that brings the power of big finance under community control.

Economics for Emancipation: free course with interactive and participatory workshops that offers a deep dive into the current political economic system and explores alternative economic systems.

New Economy Coalition

Episode Music by MADlines