2025 College Conference
on Cooperatives
on Cooperatives
February 13-16, 2025 - Minneapolis, MN
The College Conference on Cooperatives (CCOC) is National Farmers Union's premier cooperative education event, bringing together students and young adults from across the country for cooperative education sessions and co-op tours around the Twin Cities. CCOC provides students the opportunity to gain a basic understanding of cooperative business economics, become advocates for cooperative business models, and learn about career opportunities within cooperatives.
Interactive workshops allow participants to collaboratively work through problems that co-op boards often face, and a day of Twin Cities co-op tours offer real world examples of the unique realities of co-ops.
Registration is $85. This cost includes shared lodging, most meals, and tour activities.
Interactive workshops allow participants to collaboratively work through problems that co-op boards often face, and a day of Twin Cities co-op tours offer real world examples of the unique realities of co-ops.
Registration is $85. This cost includes shared lodging, most meals, and tour activities.
Location
Embassy Suites by Hilton Bloomington / Minneapolis
2800 American Blvd W, Bloomington, MN 55431
2800 American Blvd W, Bloomington, MN 55431
Date
February 13-16, 2025
Can't attend in person? This event will be livestreamed!
Many of our student participants attend this conference with their teachers as part of a class curriculum. If you are an educator interested in attending for the first time, please reach out to Lisa Buckner for more information: [email protected]
2025 Agenda - subject to change
Thursday, February 13
4:00 pm
Registration and Room Key Pick-up
The registration table will open at 4:00pm for you to pick up your conference materials and room keys
6:00 pm
Pre-Conference Pizza Social
Friday, February 14
7:00 am
Breakfast Buffet
8:00 am
Conference Kick-off
Welcome to CCOC! National Farmers Union staff will kick off the conference with introductions and interactive activities to encourage you to get to know fellow attendees
8:30 am
Co-ops 101
Tory Clark-West - Executive Director, Northcountry Cooperative Foundation
What is a cooperative, anyway? This 101 session will give participants a foundation of co-op knowledge - from the cooperative principles to the beginning of the co-op movement in the United States - and explain what exactly makes a co-op different than any other business structure.
What is a cooperative, anyway? This 101 session will give participants a foundation of co-op knowledge - from the cooperative principles to the beginning of the co-op movement in the United States - and explain what exactly makes a co-op different than any other business structure.
9:45 am
Panel Discussion: Cooperation in Agriculture and Beyond
Elizabeth McMullen - Public Relations Specialist, Organic Valley
Matt Stommes - VP of Market Sales Development, Compeer Financial
Blaize Dankers-Donnay - Director of Member and Cooperative Engagement, GENEX
This panel will provide a foundational understanding of the cooperative business structure as it relates to agriculture. How does the cooperative business model set these businesses apart, and what can we learn from cooperation in agriculture?
Matt Stommes - VP of Market Sales Development, Compeer Financial
Blaize Dankers-Donnay - Director of Member and Cooperative Engagement, GENEX
This panel will provide a foundational understanding of the cooperative business structure as it relates to agriculture. How does the cooperative business model set these businesses apart, and what can we learn from cooperation in agriculture?
11:00 am
Decision-Making in Cooperatives: How Would You Act?
Todd Schmit - Professor, Charles H. Dyson School of Applied Economics at Cornell University
In this interactive workshop, attendees will take on the personas of newly-elected co-op board members as they work to answer the tough questions that co-op boards are often tasked with answering.
In this interactive workshop, attendees will take on the personas of newly-elected co-op board members as they work to answer the tough questions that co-op boards are often tasked with answering.
12:00 pm
Louis Doering Keynote Luncheon
Young People + Cooperatives = Perfect Match
Young People + Cooperatives = Perfect Match
Keynote Speaker: Sylandi Brown - Cooperative Communicator
Hosted by the Ralph K. Morris Foundation, in conjunction with CoMinnesota. Conference attendees will be joined by members of CoMinnesota, Minnesota's cooperative community, for the keynote luncheon.
Hosted by the Ralph K. Morris Foundation, in conjunction with CoMinnesota. Conference attendees will be joined by members of CoMinnesota, Minnesota's cooperative community, for the keynote luncheon.
2:15 pm
Should We Cooperate? When to Form a Cooperative
Katie Marty - Cooperative Director & Senior Consultant, Collectivity
Ashley Anderson - Loan Closer, Shared Capital Cooperative
When and how do you know if a cooperative is the answer for your community's needs? And if it is, how exactly do you go about starting one?
Ashley Anderson - Loan Closer, Shared Capital Cooperative
When and how do you know if a cooperative is the answer for your community's needs? And if it is, how exactly do you go about starting one?
3:30 pm
Panel Discussion: Co-op Careers
LuAnn Werner - Deputy Executive Director, U.S. Overseas Cooperative Development Council
River Cook - Owner and Sales Representative, Equal Exchange
Kristi Johnson - Chief Human Resources Officer, Agtegra Cooperative
Moderated by: Natasha Mortenson - FFA Career and Alumni Coordinator, Minnesota FFA Association
What kind of careers may await you within the world of co-ops? There are more than you might realize - this diverse panel will dive into areas of co-op careers that will have you thinking "I could get paid for that?"
River Cook - Owner and Sales Representative, Equal Exchange
Kristi Johnson - Chief Human Resources Officer, Agtegra Cooperative
Moderated by: Natasha Mortenson - FFA Career and Alumni Coordinator, Minnesota FFA Association
What kind of careers may await you within the world of co-ops? There are more than you might realize - this diverse panel will dive into areas of co-op careers that will have you thinking "I could get paid for that?"
5:00 pm
Twin Cities Night Out
Busses will take interested participants to the Mall of America for a night out with your fellow conference attendees!
Saturday, February 15
7:30 am
Breakfast available
8:30 am
Load busses for Full Day of Twin Cities co-op tours
We'll visit a consumer food co-op, a student housing co-op, and a credit union, and learn more about the intricacies of what it means to be a member-owner.
3:00 pm
Visit Mill City Museum
Soon after Minneapolis was born on the Mississippi's west bank, the city's flour milling industry skyrocketed. Powered by the mighty river and fed by boxcars of grain rolling in from the plains, the industry gave Minneapolis bragging rights as the “Flour Milling Capital of the World.” Explore where old mingles with new at Mill City Museum, built into the ruins of what was once the world’s largest flour mill.
5:00 pm
Dinner at The Market at Malcolm Yards
Sunday, February 16
8:00 am
Breakfast Buffet
9:00 am
Leadership in Action: Your Role in Community Engagement
Oybek Turayev, Ph.D. - Assistant Professor, Agribusiness Program, University of Minnesota Crookston
This interactive session will explore various ways individuals can get involved in their communities and lead initiatives that make a positive impact.
This interactive session will explore various ways individuals can get involved in their communities and lead initiatives that make a positive impact.
10:15 am
Check out of hotel
A short break to allow you to check out of your hotel rooms and load your bus/cars.
10:45 am
Co-opportunities: What's out there for me?
Hear from National Farmers Union staff about the next steps you can take to advance your participation in cooperatives, and what other opportunities Farmers Union has to offer
12:00 pm
Boxed Lunch and Farewell
“I liked that this conference had non-stop relevant experiences and information. As someone who was not knowledgeable about co-ops beforehand, I appreciate the diversity in perspective given. I also greatly enjoyed getting to know the attendees of the conference.”
"I enjoyed visiting the cooperatives in the community on Saturday because they were all types of cooperatives that I had never had much experience with or given much thought about. It proved to me that the cooperative way can be implemented for most any business."
See some of the cooperatives National Farmers Union has worked with in the past for our College Conference on Cooperatives in this behind-the-scenes video