This summer, the 19 cooperatives and solidarity economy organizations that make up the BCI Network gathered for our first in-person convening, a gathering we have been building towards for 2+ years. At the convening, which was attended by more than 50 people, staff from BRED and Seed Commons shared about the DC Solidarity Economy Loan Fund, and BCI held sessions on the most common legal questions co-ops face, democratic governance and consensus tools, and the phases of cooperative incubation. Co-ops shared challenges, made requests for administrative technical assistance, and got to know one another better.
The 19 cooperatives and solidarity economy projects at the convening were diverse in industry, from cab drivers to food service to cleaning to dog walking, and they included all kinds of experience: from long term co-ops that have been in operation over 10 years all the way down to pre-operational projects, including interpreters and bike couriers. Together, we shared our dreams of what a regional solidarity economy could look like, which which Monica Curca, our talented graphic note taker, illustrated in this dreamscape:
The BCI Network is a sliding-scale membership network where co-ops receive admin and legal technical assistance from BCI, access support for retreats and strategic planning, and share their resources with each other. The Network launched in 2020, after listening sessions with local cooperatives, and is now made up of 19 organizations, including 4 pre-operational groups, 75% of which are projects led by people of color, poor and working-class people, and/or queer people. You can learn more about the BCI Network, including how to join, here.