A description of the structure and the processes of a community of projects in the Food System. We explored the creation of a co-working space to house some of the projects.
3. A ‘Community of Projects’:
an ekosystem
A community of projects sharing:
An overarching goal, vision or story
Shared space (physical or virtual)
Common Infrastructure and Processes
Technology platform
Events, gatherings
Work towards collective resourcing
An organization… a Community… a Movement!
4. Why form ekosystems?
Systemic Issues Need System-Level Solutions … you
can’t do it alone!
Minimize Redundancies, duplicated efforts and
wasted resources
Build community and make friends
Increase Collective Impact
Shifting Consciousness Towards the Collective
Change the Resource Allocation Paradigm
Solve the Early Stage Social Impact Funding
Bottleneck
Shift from culture of competition to
cooperation
8. Wider community
Ekosystems: the space (the Hub)
is the focus
In Same
Co-Location
Space
Unification and
Convergence are
served by being in
the same physical
location
The Water
cooler effect!
Ekosystem
extends into
the wider
community
13. What is a Co-Operative?
Purpose of Co-Operative: owned and operated by members to
serve the members.
Co-Operative: one member … one vote at AGM
Examples: producer and consumer co-operatives
Financial Investors: don’t have control
Investment Shares: non – voting
Board of Directors (primary operational responsibility): no more
than 20% investors
Rights and Obligations: of membership need to be defined
14. What is a Multi-Stakeholder
Co-Operative?
Purpose: to contain a number of different stakeholders
that are a part of an entire System
Different Membership Classes: Farmers, distributors,
grocers/retail, restaurants, composters, urban
agriculture/technology etc
Challenges: balancing the range of different interests
Opportunity: create a structure that establishes a
framework that supports the economic and social
interests of constituents in the system to support their
effort to work in service of the greater good!
15. Evolving the Multi Stakeholder
Co-Operative Model…
Traditional Co-Operatives, including multi-stakeholder
co-operatives are created by members to serve the
members
The evolution of the co-operative model will be created
by members to serve the members as well as the
Commons!
This structure when formalized will be christened an
ekosystem!
So you can understand an ekosystem as an evolution in
organizational structure…. Corporations, societies, co-
operatives…. And now ekosystems!
16. Potential Membership Classes:
financial classification
Late Stage: Mature, financially profitable
organizations that are financeable alone
Mid Stage: Revenue generating, post proof of concept,
still evolving business model and therefore having
difficulties sourcing profit motivated investment capital
Germination Stage: Pre Proof of concept, early stage
projects, some of which have modest (or no) long term
objectives of making money
17. Potential Membership
Classes: food system
Farmers/Growers
Urban Farmers
Wholesalers and Distributors
Transport and logistics
Retail (restaurants, grocers etc)
Composting
18. Determining Membership
Classes
Keep it simple
What tensions are inherent in the system?
A simple example… two membership classes
Producers
Consumers
Germination Stage Projects
19. The coFood Value Proposition
Access to Food Hub and Convergence Space
Deepened relationships with other food projects
Discounted access to events, workshops etc
Access to Technology Platform
Discounted access to aggregated services
information management, such as accounting and payroll
insurance, such as extended health and liability insurance
Staff recruitment and other human resources support
legal assistance
advocacy
professional development and training
bulk purchasing discounts
20. coFood Business Model
Memberships
Financial Benefits from Tech Supply/Demand
Aggregation platform
21. Investing in Co-Ops
Investment shares are non-voting
Financial profit is paid on a patronage basis… based on
business done within the co-op
Equity generally redeemable at par value, so no
significant capital appreciation
Debt financing possible
22. Next Steps
Develop phase I strategic plan and budget that speaks
to Vancity’s three priorities
Co-operative principles and practices
Environmental sustainability
Social justice and financial inclusion
Explore Vancouver Foundation Field of Interest Grant
Editor's Notes
Take a look around the room at all the people and projects… of varying stages of development…. Different structures. We are all a community… the BIL Community! I am sure you have met a few people you are aligned with…
Two Points
Unity in Difference
Lack of Resources for early stage projects
A late stage, financial stable anchor tenant secures the space and provides for continuity of goals and vision. They attract mid and early stage social ventures that don’t have the capital to join a space, or have some other contribution other than capital.
Because there’s a unity of vision or a unity of purpose, trust is easy to build, cooperation is a natural outcome.
Taking the internal project flows and making the barriers between projects permeable. A balance between autonomy and cooperation.