April 14, 2026, was Co-op Day at the Capitol! Nexus joined the Cooperative Network to show lawmakers the power of the cooperative model to address community challenges, showcase worker-owned cooperatives as a solution to the business succession crisis, and demonstrate the benefits of worker co-ops in St. Paul and beyond.
Director of Community Wealth Building Nonkululeko (Nkuli) Tabata, Cooperative Developer Christina Nicholson, and Shared Ownership Center client Dave Abbott, Lead Carpenter and VP at Terra Firma Building & Remodeling Co-op, testified alongside other local cooperative leaders and worker-owners at an informational hearing with the Minnesota Senate Labor Committee.
Nkuli reflects, “Capitol Co-op Day felt like a powerful moment to share the work many of us have been building for years and bring it into greater visibility. Being able to speak directly to the impact and potential of worker co-ops felt both grounding and energizing. The hearing created space to connect our work to real solutions, especially around building community wealth, expanding ownership, and strengthening local economies. It also reinforced how important it is to continue lifting up the stories, experiences, and leadership within our communities. This work does not happen overnight, and moments like this help build momentum and deepen understanding of what a cooperative future can look like.”
Christina says, “Spending time with senators and representatives at the capitol signaled to me a significant increase in interest of the role that worker-owner cooperatives do and can play in retaining jobs and businesses in Minnesota. The connection between national trends in job satisfaction, retention, and equity of roles and stability of income for worker-cooperatives has broken through to the elected stewards of Minnesota. We are hearing more requests for ways to support our work through direct funding of technical assistance, zero-interest and forgivable loans for equity shares, and a general promotion through DEED to current business owners and their teams of how to retain jobs across the state through worker-owned conversions.”
Watch the hearing here!
