Black Solidarity Cooperative Conference

At Repaired Nations, a cooperative is more than a business model—it’s a way of organizing our lives and economies around shared ownership, shared responsibility, and shared benefit.

A cooperative (or “co-op”) is a group of people who come together to own and govern something collectively—whether that’s a business, land, housing, or a service. Instead of one owner making decisions and taking profits, members make decisions together and share in the outcomes.

But in the Repaired Nations context, cooperatives go deeper.

They are tools for:

• Community wealth-building

• Economic self-determination

• Cultural alignment and collective care

Co-ops allow us to move away from extractive systems and toward models where people are not just workers or consumers—but owners.

That can look like:

• A group owning land together for farming or housing

• A worker-owned business where employees share profits and decision-making

• A buying club that pools resources for better access to goods

• A financial cooperative that circulates money within the community

At their best, cooperatives are not just about structure—they’re about trust, relationships, and long-term commitment to one another.

A cooperative conference—especially as hosted by Repaired Nations—is about much more than presentations or networking. It’s a space where people come together to learn how to build and sustain shared ownership in real, practical ways.

At its core, the Repaired Nations conference focuses on cooperative economics—how communities can own businesses, land, and resources collectively instead of individually. But it doesn’t stay theoretical. The goal is to move people from interest to action.

Participants engage in:

• Skill-building workshops on forming cooperatives, governance, and conflict transformation

• Real-world case studies from existing co-ops and community-owned projects

• Cultural grounding, connecting economic practices to history, identity, and ancestral knowledge

• Relationship-building, because cooperatives depend on trust, not just structure

What makes a Repaired Nations conference distinct is its emphasis on Black and Indigenous economic self-determination. It centers culture, land, and collective care as essential parts of building sustainable economies—not add-ons.

It’s also designed to be immersive. Instead of quick panels, sessions often go deeper—giving participants time to really understand how to start a cooperative, how to navigate group dynamics, and how to access land, capital, and markets.

No, the conference is open to everyone.

The Repaired Nations Black Solidarity Cooperative Conference is rooted in Black and Indigenous cooperative traditions, history, and leadership, and it intentionally centers those experiences. That grounding shapes the conversations, the culture, and the vision of the space.

At the same time, we welcome people of all backgrounds who are aligned with the values of cooperation, collective ownership, and community care.

What we ask is simple: come with respect, come ready to learn, and come willing to engage in a space that uplifts Black-led work and perspectives.

Yes, children are welcome!

We will have a dedicated Children’s Zone on-site with a licensed childcare provider providing supervised activities throughout the day for the children. This space is designed to be safe, engaging, and supportive so that parents and caregivers can fully participate in conference sessions.

A small fee will be requested to help compensate the caregiver and cover materials for the children’s activities.

We believe cooperative spaces should include families, and we’re committed to making the conference accessible for parents and children.

Email us at repairednations@gmail.com