Thank you to the nearly 50 people who came out for Cooperative Connections: A Film Screening and Co-operator Panel last month! We screened an episode of Virginia Public Media’s Life in the Heartland series about worker cooperatives (watch it at home here). A recording of the panel will be available on our website as soon as possible to preserve some of the knowledge shared by local co-operators. 

Many additional thanks are due – first, a big shout out to our panelists! Thank you for sharing your time and knowledge. 

• Eric Mason (Afterglow Coffee Cooperative)

• Aaron Linas  (Future Habitats)

• Dilcia Molina (Magic Broom and Madre Tierra)

• Lysandra Petersson (Filmmaker with Deep Structure Productions)

And thank you to Stephanie Toney (CHW Strength), who had planned to be a panelist but ultimately was unable.

Interpretation for this event was provided by the incredible Virginia Language Justice Collective! 

Photography and video production for this event was provided by Luna Cortes (booking email: surgecortes@gmail.com).

Last but not least, thank you to Virginia FAIRS for your generous sponsorship of this event, to Studio Two Three for hosting us, and to Virginia Public Media and Deep Structure Productions for producing this excellent episode about something we hold so dear.

Keep scrolling for more information about upcoming events!

UPCOMING COMMON SHARES EVENTS

May 21, 2026 4-8pm at the Shenandoah Valley Electric Cooperative in Harrisonburg, VA. Free event with English & Spanish interpretation provided.

VSU Small Farm Outreach and Common Shares are teaming up to co-host a co-op development training with VA FAIRS, a film screening about employee-owned businesses in Virginia, and a panel of co-operatives currently operating across the Shenandoah Valley. Come have a meal and learn about the history, present and future of co-operatives in our region. Click below to see the full agenda and sign up!

May 27, 2026 10-12pm at Afterglow Coffee, Richmond, VA. Free event.

Join Sam Gray, co-op lawyer, for first-come, first-serve free legal support at Afterglow Coffee! This will be a first-come, first-serve opportunity to ask your co-op legal questions, and will be set up "fishbowl" style, meaning, everyone will have the chance to listen in and benefit from the knowledge being shared. Learn more and let us know you’re coming by visiting the event page on our website!

OTHER REVELANT UPCOMING EVENTS WITH OTHER ORGANIZERS

Foundations for Cooperation in the Solidarity Economy with the Solidarity Economy Principles Project

Three 2-hour workshops at 7pm EST on April 23, May 21, and June 25. Pay what you can and English/Spanish interpretation will be provided.

As we face the deepening of the war economy, we need spaces that help us strengthen the foundations of our ability to cooperate and build collective self-determination within and across our organizations, neighborhoods, cities, and regions. To that end, the Solidarity Economy Principles Project is convening a workshop series, Foundations of Cooperation for Solidarity Economy, as a three part exploration of the Solidarity Economy organizing framework.

Co-ops 101 with CoMinnesota
June 3 at 1pm EST

Join CoMinnesota for a virtual Co-ops 101 session over the lunch hour. This is a space for the co-op curious to learn more about what co-operatives are all about, their ties to the broader cooperative movement, and how they have the unique power and potential to meet this moment.