One of my co-ops, Social.coop, has actually been trying to avoid engagement with AI wherever possible. For some members, part of the value of membership is that the co-op might protect their data from being collected and used for AI training or the like.

Kick-Start:
Before we begin refining CoopAI’s design, let’s take a step back and reflect together. The Federation of Cooperative Intelligence proposal outlines an ambitious architecture — agents, knowledge stacks, and federated reasoning — but no plan is complete until it’s tested through cooperative dialogue. This first conversation is your… Read more

Kick-Start:
AI can be efficient, but efficiency isn’t the same as ethics. CoopAI must encode human values, not replace them. The cooperative movement has always balanced innovation with integrity — so as we design agentic systems, we must decide what decisions belong to people, and what can safely be automated.

Question:
Where should we…

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Kick-Start:
Every cooperative creates value through its operations, data, and experience. CoopAI envisions turning that participation into shared prosperity — through mechanisms like the Cooperative Data Dividend, where insights and benchmarks return value to the members who generate them. But getting that formula right is… Read more

Kick-Start:
Nearly half the world’s cooperatives — and hundreds of millions of members — are based in the Global South. Yet most of today’s AI infrastructure is controlled in the Global North. CoopAI is designed to change that by letting knowledge remain local and federating only insights, not data. But that vision only works if the… Read more

Kick-Start:
The P6 Mediating Agent acts as the “conductor” of the federation — routing queries, enforcing rules, and maintaining accountability. It’s powerful, but it must never become a central authority. In cooperative terms, it’s a service role, not a governing one.

Question:
What checks, balances, or democratic mechanisms should govern…

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Kick-Start:
At the heart of CoopAI is the idea that each cooperative controls its own data through a local agent. These agents allow learning to be shared without centralizing information — a foundational shift from corporate AI models that extract and hoard data. But in practice, this architecture must balance security, simplicity, and… Read more

GICS-Empowering People to Act
At the Global Innovation Coop Summit, this Innovation Factory session focused on how cooperatives can foster a culture of accountability rooted in ethical practice, transparency, and shared responsibility. Participants co-created practical strategies for strengthening internal governance and aligning values…

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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…

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GICS-Empowering People to Act
At the Global Innovation Coop Summit, this workshop explored how artificial intelligence (AI) can be used to empower people rather than replace them — helping cooperatives make smarter, fairer, and more transparent decisions.  Participants discussed how data-driven insights can strengthen cooperative governance,…

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GICS-Empowering People to Act
At the Global Innovation Coop Summit, this workshop examined how cooperatives can turn Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) principles into practical frameworks that guide every level of operation. Moving from theory to impact requires more than compliance — it calls for cooperative accountability,…

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GICS-Building Trust Together
At the Global Innovation Coop Summit, this innovation lab invited participants to explore how cooperatives can strengthen trust and resilience in the digital age. As our economies and communities become increasingly data-driven, cooperatives must navigate both the promise of digital transformation and the risks…

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GICS-Building Trust Together
At the Global Innovation Coop Summit, this workshop explored how cooperatives can strengthen international partnerships to share resources, expand their reach, and deepen mutual impact.  From knowledge exchange and trade relationships to digital collaboration and joint advocacy, global cooperation allows us…

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GICS-Building Trust Together
At the Global Innovation Coop Summit, this workshop focused on how cooperatives can confront global crises — from climate change and social inequality to healthcare and resource scarcity — through collective, inter-cooperative action.  The discussions highlighted how collaboration across sectors and borders can…

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GICS 2.3-Building Trust Together
At the Global Innovation Coop Summit, this workshop explored how cooperatives can build or strengthen global networks for knowledge and resource sharing in an age defined by artificial intelligence. As AI reshapes every sector, cooperatives face both new opportunities and profound questions:
How can we use…

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GICS-Co-Creating Inclusive and Lasting Change
At the Global Innovation Coop Summit, this workshop explored how cooperatives can translate ecological vision into concrete, everyday actions. From renewable energy and resource efficiency to circular production and green mobility, cooperatives are uniquely positioned to lead a collective…

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GICS 3.2 Co-Creating Inclusive and Lasting Change

At the Global Innovation Coop Summit, this workshop explored how artificial intelligence (AI) can accelerate the energy transition by optimizing renewable systems, reducing waste, and improving energy efficiency. Participants discussed how cooperatives can use AI to manage smart grids,…

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GICS 3.3 – Co-Creating for Inclusive and Lasting Change
At the Global Innovation Coop Summit, this workshop explored how cooperatives can move beyond mere resilience and become key drivers of systemic transformation. Instead of just weathering crises, cooperatives can lead the shift toward circular economies — regenerating local resources,… Read more

Test

Engage with high level allies at a global level and ask them to be a voice for the movement/sector, or to explain the value they see and obtain from cooperatives.

Necessidade de criar marketplace global. Este marketplace não tem de ser gerido por uma troca monetária. Um dos grandes desafios é o facto de cooperativas já estarem a desenvolver os seus marketplace para eliminar intermediários, e que não estão a colaborar. Há um desconhecimento destas novas plataformas. Outra preocupação é a perda de…

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be inclusive about different types of cooperative with different social missions rather than exclusive and judgemental

make the distinction between Cooperatives as businesses and people’s conception of them as charities or political organisations.

Our group discussed the need for a shared cooperative marketplace — a common digital space where cooperatives can showcase their products, services, and potential exchanges, not limited to monetary transactions but possibly including other value forms such as tokens or mutual credits.

Several participants noted that regional or national…

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Availability of technology (accessibility).
Accessible networks
Access to computers or smartphones, and education on using them
Basic information to know what questions to ask
Story-sharing and telling- in depth examples of the how, why, who
Resource sharing and development
Consultation and expertise, coaching, mentoring

speak the same language as the decisionmakers. explain what people have to gain from corporatives. tackle a common culture of individualism. be ready to use the current jargon being used in policy circles.

Education, visibility, services:

Tools to support education and sharing what we learn. Digital tools are useful for sharing practices, but access to education and training is important (need resources and time)

visibility of the hidden coop economy, like what .coop is trying to do with the .coop domain, the World Map and Stories.coop

More…

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Be very intentional about pushing an inclusive definition of cooperatives as well as going more precisely explaining our own model. (When you meet one coop, you meet one coop)

It has to be both inclusive and concrete, applied. Both explanations have value.

Aligning interests (individual and collective)

Speaking the same “language” as the decision makers. (Economic impact, tap into local and global issues and show value)

How can we raise the cooperative voice on the global stage?  
This discussion asks how we can work together — through storytelling, shared campaigns, or collective representation.

What tools, systems, or partnerships would make cooperation easier and more scalable?  Strong cooperation depends on strong infrastructure — from finance and data to governance and digital tools. This discussion explores the enabling conditions that could make it dramatically easier for cooperatives to collaborate and scale impact globally.

What shared markets or services could cooperatives build together?  Cooperation among cooperatives is our greatest untapped advantage. Imagine new cross-sector business networks — shared marketplaces, logistics alliances, or digital tools that help co-ops trade, market, and grow together globally.

Hi! I’m based in Athens, GA, and unfortunately we have a very siloed co-op ecosystem here in northeast, GA. We have multiple credit unions (Georgia United, Robins Federal, Peach State being the most prominent) which all seem like frenemies with each other, a few electric co-ops which have monopolies (but at least Walton EMC has a sign on its…

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What could we achieve if we stopped working in isolation? And just as importantly: What small step can I take today to connect my co-op with others?

Subscribing to this discussion.

Hi
I’m interested in this discussion.

What was one best practice presented at Accelerate 2025 that you will take back home and use to transform your business?

I would like to learn more about LLM. Does anyone use this feature with their members? How does it work for you?

I agree with Justin. This is a really helpful best practice.

This is a helpful best practice.

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