CO-OP Dayton
CO-OP Dayton is a Dayton, Ohio-based non-profit founded in 2016 that incubates worker- and community-owned cooperatives in Black and working-class neighborhoods, running the Co-Own accelerator, Co-op 101 workshops, a loan fund, and flagship projects like Gem City Market and Westside Makerspace, funded primarily by donations and community partnerships.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2016
- HeadquartersDayton, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What CO-OP Dayton does
CO-OP Dayton is a non-profit cooperative development organization founded in 2016 and headquartered at 840 Germantown Street, Dayton, Ohio. It addresses food access, job creation, and economic disinvestment in Dayton's Black and working-class neighborhoods by incubating worker- and community-owned cooperative businesses. The organization operates a platform-plus-programs model anchored on the Co-Own six-week accelerator, free Co-op 101 educational workshops, a growing loan fund, and a fiscal sponsorship program, supported by community events such as Coop Fest and the Dayton Co-op Tour.
The organization's core products and collaborative projects include Gem City Market (a community- and worker-owned cooperative grocery store that raised $6 million in capital and engaged 3,000+ members before opening in 2020), Westside Makerspace (a Black-founded cooperative skills-training space launched in 2021), Guided By Mushrooms (a worker-owned mushroom farm), and NuSol Farms (a regenerative agriculture collaboration). All programs and services are offered free to participants.
The business model is donation-supported non-profit. Revenue is generated through fundraising campaigns (notably the 'Future is Cooperative' 10-year anniversary campaign on Givebutter), event sponsorships, third-party 'Gives Back' events (e.g., Fifth Street Brewpub), and one disclosed institutional investment from The Workers Lab ($150,000 in 2019). The organization has driven more than $9 million in cumulative neighborhood investment and supported 20+ enterprise teams in launching cooperatives. To date, the only disclosed funding round is the Workers Lab investment, and no revenue figures are publicly available. Leadership includes Executive Director Cherrelle Gardner and Operations Manager Kacey Trueblood, with board representation from Wright-Patt Credit Union and IUE-CWA labor union.
CO-OP Dayton firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- CO-OP Dayton
- Legal name
- Co-op Dayton
- Website
- https://coopdayton.org
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2016
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- CO-OP Dayton is a Dayton, Ohio-based non-profit founded in 2016 that incubates worker- and community-owned cooperatives in Black and working-class neighborhoods, running the Co-Own accelerator, Co-op 101 workshops, a loan fund, and flagship projects like Gem City Market and Westside Makerspace, funded primarily by donations and community partnerships.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
CO-OP Dayton industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Cooperative Development Services
- NAICS
- Community Food Services (624210)
- SIC
- Services-Membership Organizations (8600)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Worker-Owned Grocery Cooperatives (CRAHALAC)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Multi-Stakeholder Grocery Cooperatives (CRAHALAD)
Keywords
Where CO-OP Dayton is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Dayton
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
CO-OP Dayton business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others
Revenue model
- Donations and Fundraising: CO-OP Dayton is a non-profit organization that generates revenue through donations, fundraising campaigns, and sponsorships. They run annual fundraising campaigns such as 'The Future is Cooperative' 10th anniversary campaign and accept donations through platforms like Givebutter.
- Event Sponsorships: Revenue is generated through event sponsorships where local businesses sponsor CO-OP Dayton events like the 10-Year Anniversary Party, Coop Fest, and Co-op Tours.
- Third-Party Fundraising Events: Partner organizations like Fifth Street Brewpub host 'Gives Back' events where a percentage of sales is donated to CO-OP Dayton.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Freemium | Free | Co-Own Accelerator Program - Free |
| Freemium | Free | Co-op 101 Workshop - Free |
| Freemium | Pay-as-you-go | Dayton Co-op Tour - Free with donations encouraged |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels7 records
CO-OP Dayton product offering
Product offeringCore offering
CO-OP Dayton is a non-profit cooperative development organization founded in 2016 that incubates and launches worker-owned and community-led cooperatives in Dayton, Ohio's Black and working-class neighborhoods. It provides free education, training, fiscal sponsorship, and a growing loan fund through programs such as the six-week Co-Own accelerator and Co-op 101 workshops. It also stewards collaborative cooperative projects including the Gem City Market grocery store, Westside Makerspace, and Guided By Mushrooms farm.
Product overview
Co-op Dayton is a non-profit organization founded in 2016 serving as a social enterprise incubator and community empowerment hub focused on building cooperative models for Black, blue collar, and other disenfranchised communities. The organization operates as a platform-plus-programs model offering the Co-Own accelerator (a six-week training program for cooperative development), Co-op 101 educational workshops, fiscal sponsorship, and a growing loan fund. Major collaborative projects include Gem City Market (worker-owned grocery store), Westside Makerspace (maker space cooperative), and Guided By Mushrooms (worker-owned mushroom farm). Additional offerings include membership campaign tools, templates, and study materials. To date, the organization has driven over $9M in investments to Dayton neighborhoods and supported more than 20 enterprise teams in bringing their cooperatives to life.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Co-Own Accelerator Program
- Co-op 101 Workshop
- Cooperative Development Services
- Fiscal Sponsorship Program
- Loan Fund
- Gem City Market
- Westside Makerspace
- Guided By Mushrooms
Quantifiable outcome
- $9M+ in neighborhood investments driven through collaborative work
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use CO-OP Dayton
Customer profileNamed customers3 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
CO-OP Dayton technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
CO-OP Dayton partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Nine partnerships are on record, tiered minor, core, flagship and foundational.
- Fifth Street BrewpubminorA cooperative business that hosts 'Gives Back' events donating 10% of sales and 100% of raffle proceeds to CO-OP Dayton. Demonstrates cooperation in action between local co-ops.
- IUE-CWA (International Union of Electronic Workers)coreLabor union representing over 150,000 workers. Carl Kennebrew, International President, serves on CO-OP Dayton's board. Represents organized labor's support for worker ownership models.
- NuSol FarmsminorCollaborative farm in West Dayton co-founded by Kacey Trueblood. Represents CO-OP Dayton's work in local food systems and regenerative agriculture.
- Expressions of LifecoreLeads community health and wellness programs at Gem City Market in the community room, teaching kitchen, and small health clinic. Coordinates health and wellness programming for the co-op grocery.
- Third Perk Coffee HousecoreOperates a café on-site at Gem City Market, providing additional services and revenue to the cooperative grocery location.
- University of Dayton Business Research GroupcoreCommissioned a professional market study and administered a market survey for Gem City Market feasibility. Provided business research support to the food access committee.
- Apple Street Market (Cincinnati, Ohio)coreInspired the Gem City Market cooperative grocery project. The committee adapted Apple Street Market's bylaws for use in the Dayton cooperative.
- Mondragon CorporationflagshipCO-OP Dayton is inspired by Mondragon's principles and structure - the largest and most successful cooperative network in the world based in Spain's Basque region. The Mondragon model guides their approach to developing a network of local cooperative businesses.
- City and County Department of Public HealthfoundationalOrganized the initial series of community meetings in 2015 that led to the formation of Gem City Market. Residents reviewed opportunity maps showing health disparities and food access issues, which sparked the cooperative grocery initiative.
Scale indicators6 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
CO-OP Dayton competitors and assessment
Company assessmentOthers
- Local Enterprise Assistance Fund (LEAF): National CDFI supporting cooperative development and small business with cooperative ownership; comparable as a cooperative-focused financing peer serving similar community development missions.
- US Federation of Worker Cooperatives: National grassroots membership organization for worker cooperatives; comparable as a peer organization in the cooperative development ecosystem, though functioning as a membership trade association rather than a direct incubator.
Direct peers
- Democracy at Work Institute: National education and research institute for worker cooperative development, affiliated with the US Federation of Worker Cooperatives; comparable as a cooperative development support and education provider.
- ICA Group: Nonprofit providing cooperative development services, business conversions, and worker cooperative consulting; closely comparable in service model to CO-OP Dayton, with a longer history and broader geographic footprint.
- Seed Commons (formerly The Working World): National nonprofit loan fund and cooperative development organization financing worker co-ops; comparable to CO-OP Dayton's growing loan fund and incubation services, with a focus on financing.
- Project Equity: National nonprofit that helps businesses transition to employee ownership and supports worker cooperative development; directly comparable to CO-OP Dayton's cooperative incubation mission, though operating at a national rather than regional scale.
- Shared Capital Cooperative: National CDFI lending to food co-ops and housing co-ops; comparable as a cooperative-focused financing institution, though focused on lending rather than incubation.
- CoopCincy: Greater Cincinnati cooperative incubator supporting worker co-op formation; highly comparable regional cooperative development peer, sharing the Ohio Midwest context and incubation model.
- The Workers Lab: Accelerator and fund for worker-owned and cooperative businesses; direct peer in the worker cooperative incubation space and an existing investor in CO-OP Dayton ($150K in 2019).
- Evergreen Cooperatives: Cleveland, OH-based network of worker-owned cooperatives (including a laundry, energy, and urban agriculture co-op) focused on wealth building in low-income neighborhoods; highly comparable mission and Rust Belt context, though Evergreen operates as a cooperative network rather than an external incubator.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
CO-OP Dayton social profiles
Digital presenceCO-OP Dayton financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
CO-OP Dayton leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles4 records
CO-OP Dayton subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries3 records
CO-OP Dayton funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds1 record
Investors1 record
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
CO-OP Dayton M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about CO-OP Dayton
What does CO-OP Dayton do?
CO-OP Dayton is a non-profit cooperative development organization founded in 2016 that incubates and launches worker-owned and community-led cooperatives in Dayton, Ohio's Black and working-class neighborhoods. It provides free education, training, fiscal sponsorship, and a growing loan fund through programs such as the six-week Co-Own accelerator and Co-op 101 workshops. It also stewards collaborative cooperative projects including the Gem City Market grocery store, Westside Makerspace, and Guided By Mushrooms farm.
Is CO-OP Dayton a public or private company?
CO-OP Dayton is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was CO-OP Dayton founded?
CO-OP Dayton was founded in 2016. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is CO-OP Dayton based?
CO-OP Dayton is headquartered in Dayton, United States, in the North America region.
How does CO-OP Dayton make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Donations and Fundraising is the primary driver. The others are event Sponsorships and third-Party Fundraising Events.
Who are CO-OP Dayton's main competitors?
Others on record are Local Enterprise Assistance Fund (LEAF) and US Federation of Worker Cooperatives. Direct peers are Democracy at Work Institute, ICA Group, Seed Commons (formerly The Working World), Project Equity, Shared Capital Cooperative, CoopCincy, The Workers Lab and Evergreen Cooperatives.
Does CO-OP Dayton have an API?
No public API is recorded for CO-OP Dayton.
What industry is CO-OP Dayton in?
CO-OP Dayton's product category is Cooperative Development Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is CRAHALAC, Worker-Owned Grocery Cooperatives, with a secondary code of CRAHALAD, Multi-Stakeholder Grocery Cooperatives. Its NAICS code is 624210 and its SIC code is 8600.