Ralph K. Morris Foundation

Ralph K. Morris Foundation &

Tom Lyon Family Leadership Symposium Presents:

What connections are worth keeping and which need ditching? 

Audra Krueger, Executive Director, Co-operatives First 

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In the last 15 years there have been drastic changes in the co-op ecosystem. Support organizations struggle to maintain their relevance as the big players and funders walk away from long-established relationships. While some view their disengagement as a threat to the co-op movement, perhaps we are better served by asking ourselves: are we connected in the best ways? Or do we need to build something new?

 

Join Audra to learn from the Western Canadian example of how one of the big co-op players made a bold decision to fund the creation of a new co-op support organization. While this disruption created some turmoil and fear in the Canadian co-op ecosystem, it has resulted in a new generation of modern and relevant co-ops and spurred the education of thousands of people. In her talk Audra will reveal if she is still the skunk at the garden party and a saboteur of nice co-opy things, or if she is working to welcome new people and ways of connecting within the co-op movement.

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Audra Krueger is the Executive Director of Co-operatives First, a non-profit organization promoting the co-operative model in rural and Indigenous communities across western Canada. Before joining Co-operatives First, Ms. Krueger was Research Liaison at the University of Saskatchewan’s Centre for the Study of Co-operatives. She is former vice-chair of Good Food Junction Co-operative, first director and treasurer of Saskatoon Car Share Co-op, director of Saskatchewan Co-operative Association and Executive Director of the Core Neighbourhood Youth Co-op.

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Ms. Krueger has also researched and written on Mexican agrarian co-ops, which earned her a Master’s degree in Collaborative International Development and Sociology from the University of Guelph. Ms. Krueger’s focus on strategic partnerships and pragmatic solutions has positioned her organization for strong short and long-term impacts.

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Within the first few years of operations, Co-operatives First has delivered educational products to thousands of people. The organization has helped to create over 140 co-ops in western Canada. Plus, her community engagement team has directly engaged thousands of community leaders and business, economic and community development professionals with the co-operative model. Her long-term goal is to increase the number of co-operatives forming across western Canada.