GICS-Empowering People to Act
At the Global Innovation Coop Summit, this workshop explored how cooperatives can unlock the full potential of their human capital to drive innovation and shared responsibility. Participants reflected on how talent development, ethical leadership, and collaboration can serve as catalysts for cooperative transformation — aligning people, purpose, and performance. Cooperatives thrive when members are empowered to lead, innovate, and take ownership of change. Building cultures of trust, transparency, and engagement ensures that innovation grows from within. The question for all of us now is: how can cooperatives cultivate the skills and culture that turn human potential into collective innovation?

How can cooperatives strengthen their human capital to drive innovation, engagement, and long-term responsibility within their organizations?

Some things to consider in the discussion:
Challenge:  What structural or cultural barriers prevent members and employees from taking initiative or participating in innovation efforts?
Opportunities:  What practices — such as leadership development, shared learning, or transparent communication — can help nurture trust and creativity?
Intercooperation and Innovation:  How can cooperatives collaborate to share training programs, leadership frameworks, or learning networks that enhance cooperative capacity globally?