2715 Reading Rd, Cincinnati, OH 45206
USA
Dear Community Stakeholder,
Are you feeling overwhelmed by the extreme inequality that exists in our community and world? We have a hopeful, proven solution that can make a difference at the local level. Come join us for a delicious seasonal lunch from Our Harvest and an inspiring hour where you will hear how:
- Our Harvest Co-op is creating access to healthy local food in a way that honors land and labor with 15 workers and growing.
- Sustainergy Co-op is creating monthly savings on energy bills for families, while welcoming in their first worker owners.
- Renting Partnerships is providing an innovative solution for creating permanently affordable housing where residents can build financial equity as well as community. Have developed a new financing mechanism to grow this model
- Apple Street Market is involving the communities of Northside and South Cumminsville (over 1200 Community Owners) to provide a full-service grocery store in a food desert opening in 2019.
- Childcare is a new initiative of CUCI; we are in the process of creating a childcare staffing agency and shared services co-op for existing childcare businesses to help strengthen the sector and help primarily minority owned businesses tap into Preschool Promise.
- Co-op U Training Program currently in the midst of its inaugural class with 6 teams of entrepreneurs; this 12 week accelerator program for prospective co-ops will launch publicly in the Fall.
- Local Loan Fund CUCI has become a part of a national financial cooperative and has its own loan fund that can help fund regional cooperative projects.
CUCI is also scaling up our ability to save family sustaining jobs by converting existing businesses to co-ops. Did you know that in the manufacturing sector alone there are more than 700 companies in Cincinnati with owners ready to retire? Historically 80% of these companies will close their doors. Think of these jobs, these families. Our co-op model can save these jobs, and sustain these families by helping the owners sell the companies to the employees. We’re working with 3 of these companies right now and this past summer we worked with recent Harvard Business School grad to develop an interesting leveraged buyout model that will enable us to access new sources of capital.
Come and hear some of these exciting stories and meet the people behind this work. We will be hosting this luncheon at the beautiful Civic Garden Center, 2715 Reading Rd, Cincinnati OH 45206, on Wednesday, May 23rd from 11:30 to 1pm. We look forward to talking with you about this exciting work and how together we have the power to transform Cincinnati.
Please RSVP to me or Ellen Vera at ellen@cincinnatiunioncoop.org by May 16th.
Sincerely,
Kristen Barker
Executive Director
Cincinnati Union Cooperative Initiative