Phila Area Co-op Alliance

Thanks to everyone who came out to Gojjo last night for our second annual Spring Co-op Happy Hour! (We know not all of y’all — who passed through — are pictured but thank you all for coming.) So very good spending time and sharing space with so many fellow cooperators. Be on the look out for future opportunities to be in community together!

Happy Black History Month. Gratitude to all the Black cooperators who came before us and to all the Black cooperators with us now who build the way. Co-op history is Black history.

One of our primary objectives at PACA is to support new and existing cooperatives with Technical Assistance (TA) offerings. If you are looking to start a cooperative, convert a standing business into one, or would like support with your existing coop, please reach out to us. We would love to work with you. We provide technical assistance and training on everything from how to start your business, to the history and ethos of coops, to bookkeeping basics, to principles of governance in cooperatives, to working with immigrant-led coops, and to so much more. You can read more about our TA services on our website, as well as book an intake session with us. We look forward to working with you on growing and evolving your cooperative. [Image description: a series of three images. The first is a picture of the PACA team at Life Do Grow farm. We are mostly seated on benches in a loose circle facing a poster. Text in the lower left corner reads "Supporting the Philadelphia Cooperative Ecosystem with technical assistance and training for start-up or existing cooperatives." The second and third images are text heavy slides detailing our approach to Technical Assistance and the services we offer.]

Introducing Six Fishes Acupuncture Worker-Owned Cooperative! We are so proud and thrilled to send the now worker-owners of Six Fishes Acupuncture @six_fishes_acupuncture : Nicole, Amanda, Ona, and Paul — all of the congratulations for buying the business this past May Day 2026!!! They are now Philly’s newest worker cooperative *and* newest cooperative conversion. The founder of Six Fishes, Cara Frank @cara_o_frank , after many years at the helm, sold her beloved acupuncture clinic to the workers. (Three cheers for co-ops as succession strategies.) We wish Cara all the best in retirement. We hope she is a model for other Philly business-owners. The workers have been building out their democratic governance, shared management, cooperative culture, and workplace democracy model for nearly a year. We look forward to seeing their vision in practice while maintaining the heart of the strong gorgeous Six Fishes practice which has been already built. Go check them out today! And many many thanks to our partners at @seedcommons who made this conversion a possibility through their nonextractive financing to worker co-ops and their deep training/guidance and to @phlcommerce for supporting our ability to do the high touch technical assistance necessary to make this a reality.

THANK YOU TO OUR SPONSORS! -Be Intentional Financial -Tender Wealth -Philadelphia Area Cooperative Alliance (PACA) Catch Homo Economicus, running until May 10 at God's Auto Body.

For those of you who know and work with me, it’s no secret that I’ve struggled with the question of retiring. My husband’s moving to Portugal pushed the decision. As I start my 44th year in clinical practice, I’ve been thinking a lot about how to step back, especially since the practice I’ve built is strong and thriving. I wanted to find a way to continue my legacy and my commitment to community, learning, and excellence in Chinese Medicine. I found the perfect solution. Six Fishes Acupuncture is now a member-owned cooperative. Not only that, it’s the first worker-owner conversion! We’ve been working on this transition for nearly a year with an extraordinary non-profit: The Philadelphia Area Cooperative Alliance (PACA) (https://philadelphia.coop/). They have guided us through every step of this conversion. This solution truly aligns with my values and commitment to community service. This new model will help keep the practice connected to the community, with practitioners and admin guiding its future. For now, Nicole Mena, Paul Cybularz, Amanda DeJesus, and Ona McGovern are the member-owners. Later, membership will be open to the entire team.

It’s that time again!! 🎉 The Philadelphia Area Cooperative Alliance is calling for a Cooperative Happy Hour - Pull up and connect, build, and just be with community. Please bring fliers, promotional materials and joy to share! We want to know what you are doing! 📍 May 7th, 2026 | 5:30pm - 7:30pm 📍 Gojjo | 4540 Baltimore Ave, Philadelphia! ✨ All are welcome - PACA members, community partners, stakeholders, friends and co-op curious folks! ✨ No registration needed, just come through!

Register now for Co-op 101 at the Free Library! 🌸 Join the Philadelphia Area Cooperative Alliance at the Parkway Central Library (@freelibrary ) for an informative session that will cover the basics of cooperatives, their benefits and purpose, models and membership structures, and a brief history. Whether you’re new to the concept of cooperative businesses or looking to deepen your understanding, this is the perfect opportunity to dive in and learn about this community ownership structure which works to build democratic community control, participation, and wealth. Get ready to explore the world of cooperative businesses and their impact on communities. Register for free - link in bio!🔗🔗🔗 Saturday, May 23 @ 2:00 PM /calendar/event/166906

We’re doing it!! This Friday we open our apothecary, housed in the front space of Black.Bird.Rising 🤩 We’re so excited to be in this journey alongside incredible practitioners that share our values of community care. Come through and check out what we got!! ✨🌷

We just passed HB 135 out of the Senate Labor and Industry committee, with unanimous support across party lines! My bill makes it easier to form a work coop, businesses owned and run by their workers. Coops are happier, healthier and build wealth for the workers and communities who make them run. When we fight for coops, we’re building an economy that works for all of us 💪🏾

PACA Staff Collective — taking care of business, co-op business, every day.

WE ARE BACK!!! THIRD in a SERIES in Land stewardship & Power!! Join us this year in a visioning and reflective conversations with emerging Black-led intentional communities and black coops , featuring an informative presentation about what intentional communities are and a brief history about black liberatory land projects in the US. We will discuss cooperative & community ownership types - CLT to PRECs. Panelists including Zappa Montag from Black to the Land in Northern California and Russell Maroon Shoatz III grounded in black land advocacy and the black radical tradition sharing inspirations, lessons, and hopes for their up and coming communities and offer learnings to people with similar land visions. Participants will receive information on alternatives to real estate development for community liberation, practical tips for starting and sustaining justice-centered land projects, and reflective exercises for developing their own land dreams. Link in the bio!! When you register you will gain access to previous recording and resource list. Link in the bio!!! EASTCOAST & WESTCOAST LINK UP!!!