Roger Miller of Mico-Advocates Cooperative. Photo courtesy of Robin Garwood.
Did you know that Minnesota is the #1 state for sheer number of cooperatives (at 1023)? Well, that number may increase as the city of Minneapolis (118 co-ops here!), following the lead of cities like New York and Madison, has decided to invest in further cooperative development. A new program called C-TAP (Cooperative Technical Assistance Program) will offer support over the next three years to Minneapolis residents who want to start co-ops.
Why invest in more co-ops when Minneapolis already has so many? Basically, the city recognizes cooperatives’ potential in three crucial areas:
Economic development and job creation through locally controlled/community-owned businesses
Increasing racial and ethnic diversity in business ownership
Innovation and community-building
Bam! Want to see all the nerdy co-op numbers? Need help starting your co-op? Check out C-TAP’s website.