In September, Prospera had the incredible opportunity to connect with other amazing cooperatives and cooperative allies in Philadelphia at US Federation of Worker Cooperatives’ annual Co-op Conference. It was a weekend filled with learning, unlearning, connecting, and creating to further this very important movement. Thanks to our amazing sponsors and supporters at Capital One, Cooperative Development Foundation, and USFWC, we were lucky enough to send six of our staff members and three Prospera participants to the conference.
On Friday, we attended the Solidarity Fair to connect with and meet other attendees. We were able to join a conversation with immigration activists with other allies. It was an inspiring conversation where we were able to share our experiences and connection with this important movement.
On Saturday, we headed to downtown Philadelphia to attend Day 2 of the conference, where we headed to our chosen tracks to learn more about topics we were interested in; from holistic health in the cooperative movement to conflict resolution.
Take a look at some of our groups’ reflections from what we learned!
“Being my first time both in Philadelphia and at the conference, the entire experience seemed magical and unforgettable. The learning in the workshops, the connection with other cooperative businesses at the national level, and the coexistence with my fellow travelers were a wonderful gift for me. There was shared wisdom, inspiration, fun, laughter, tears, and lots of personal growth. Thank you Prospera for inviting me to participate with you.”
-Celia Alvarez, 2021 Prospera Fellow and co-founder of De Colores Consulting
“This was my first time attending a National Conference of Cooperatives so I didn’t know what to expect, but being able to be in the same place with many cooperatives from around the country made me realize how big the cooperative world is. I also realized that there are so many resources and opportunities out there for coops. I was glad to share this time with my colleagues and entrepreneurs of our programs and thankful for the learning opportunity.”
-Claudia Delgado, Director of Finance and Operations
We are so grateful for the opportunity to have attended this incredible event, full of powerful conversation, learning, and lots and lots of fun. Thank you USFWC for putting together this inspiring event!
