The 3rd Annual Austin Co-op Summit will focus on “Cooperation among Coops” and “Local Government Support of Cooperative Businesses.” The keynote speaker will be Brian Donovan, the outgoing director of the Austin Cooperative Business Association.

Educational sessions will include presentations and discussions about: women in co-ops; mapping cooperation among co-ops in Central Texas; converting to a worker co-op, featuring worker-owners from Polycot Associates, who made the first worker co-op buyout in Texas; co-op skill building, including open-book accounting and planning for expansion; a round table discussion about local government support for cooperatives including city staff and co-op developers from Madison, Minneapolis, and New York; and a session for people interested in starting a co-op.

The summit will begin with a river boat cruise on Lake Austin at 6:45 pm on Friday. More information and RSVP online.

Location: University of Texas, Jesse H. Jones Communication Center, Building A (CMA)