When do cooperatives work well together, and when do they run into problems? This session uses real stories to explore how co-ops can build stronger networks—and what happens when good intentions hit democratic roadblocks.
We'll dig into the activities that make cooperative federations thrive, like shared buying power, pooled resources, joint advocacy, and member education. But we'll also look at the flip side—times when democratic decision-making led to crippling paralysis.
To reinforce the learnings, this session will end with group participation looking into a live case study. Together, we’ll brainstorm opportunities for the intentional communities that recently started building their *own* solidarity network. In September, I'll be attending their conference focused on cooperation. I’ll share my observations at NASCO Institute 2025, and our audience will get to think about opportunities for a federation of intentional communities, contributing their own unique perspectives.
After Institute 2025, I’ll share these insights back into the intentional communities network, and close the solidarity loop between both conferences.