The Cooperative Solution: Cooperative Conversions and Succession Planning

CPE: 1.5 Credit Hours

Learn how worker cooperative conversions are serving as viable succession plans for entrepreneurs who are ready to exit their business.  This course will highlight common goals among business owners who have sold their business to employees, the benefits of converting to worker cooperatives, steps in the process, and support available.

Key Learning Objectives:
1. Converting to a worker cooperative may be the best option for entrepreneurs who are ready to sell their business.
2. Technical support for employees is available to help develop governance structures and acquire necessary business acumen.
3. Preparing the business for succession is key to a successful conversion.

Presenter and Moderator Bios

Presenter: Kristin Forde, Cooperative Development Specialists, Cooperative Development Services

Kristin Forde is part of the team of Cooperative Development Specialists at the Center who supports worker cooperatives in rural community with an emphasis on worker cooperative conversions. She emphasizes the importance of both individual and collective commitment to the significant cultural and organizational change that is required to shift toward democratic and participatory decision making. She enjoys learning about the many creative ways cooperatives organize and structure themselves; and developing effective formats for group processes.

Kristin arrived to the worker co-op world via taxi in 2004 as a Union Cab member. While working as a cab driver, she helped launch member education initiatives, participated in newly developed cooperative grievance procedures and conflict resolution systems, was a founding member of Madison Worker Cooperatives (MadWorC), served as Board president for one term, and participated in the planning of Madison’s first Cooperative Business Conference in 2012. She comes to UWCC after working for ten years in a non-profit agency providing and managing crisis childcare. She is a UW-Madison graduate with a degree from the School of Education.

Presenter: Emily Stewart, Associate Director, North Country Cooperative Foundation

Emily works closely with the Executive Director in leading the development and implementation of the organization’s lending programs. Emily also oversees the organization’s cooperative technical assistance team. Before joining NCF, Emily founded BreadHive Worker Cooperative Bakery (Buffalo, NY) and worked in community organizing. Emily has an undergraduate degree from Grinnell College and a master’s in Community Development in Action from Vanderbilt University.

Presenter: Char Vrieze, Cooperative Development Specialist, Cooperative Development Services

Char Vrieze joined CDS as a Cooperative Development Specialist in April 2022 as a Cooperative Development Specialist. Most recently Char was the Executive Director of 40 Square Cooperative Solutions.

Char’s background growing up on a farm picking pickles, eggs, potatoes, and helping her family clean apartments lends itself well to the main focus of her role working with worker-owned cooperatives. Vrieze also works with a wide variety of sectors, reflecting on her passion for the cooperative model throughout multiple sectors of businesses.

She was the Executive Director of 40 Square Cooperative Solutions from 2017-2022. 40 Square is an independent agricultural cooperative providing health coverage options for Minnesota’s agricultural community.

Char also served for six years as the Executive Director of the Minnesota Cooperative Education Foundation, nonprofit organization which provides education on co-ops and scholarships for students seeking careers in cooperatives.

Her background brings fourteen years of governmental experience in the Wisconsin State Legislature, serving as a senior policy advisor to several lawmakers in leadership positions, including the state’s budget writing committee. She later worked for Cooperative Network, the trade association for cooperatives in Wisconsin. Char’s work has resulted in several awards from well-respected organizations. Most recently, she received the Association of Cooperative Educators (ACE) William J. Nelson Contribution to ACE Award.

Char is active in her church and enjoys history, running, ATV’ing, snowmobiling, and spending time with her family. She and her husband reside in western Wisconsin and have two active young boys.

Presenter: Dustin Wiesner, CPA, Partner, WIPFLI

Dustin Wiesner, CPA is a Tax Partner with WIPFLI and focuses on midsize businesses in the manufacturing, distribution and agribusiness industries. A valued business partner to clients, he has more than 15 years of experience in public accounting. Dustin’s broad experience and technical knowledge enable him to handle anything from daily bookkeeping issues to technical tax consulting. Dustin is a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA), the Wisconsin Institute of Certified Public Accountants (WICPA), and the National Society of Accountants for Cooperatives (NSAC).  He has a Bachelor of Business Administration and Accounting from the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire.

Moderator: Wayne Sine, CPA, MBA, Director of Education, National Society of Accountant for Cooperatives (NSAC)

After retiring as Tax Director for Southern States Cooperative, Wayne Sine was asked to serve as Education Director for NSAC. He has been a long-time and active member of NSAC, having served as past President of the Atlantic Chapter and past Chair of the Tax Committee. In addition to his work with NSAC, Wayne has served on the Legal, Tax, and Accounting (LTA) Committee of the National Council of Farmer Cooperatives, Chaired the Tax Committees for both the Virginia Chamber of Commerce and the Virginia Manufacturers Association, served on the Tax Policy Committee of the Virginia Society of CPAs, and served as past Region Vice President for the Tax Executives Institute.