On behalf of UC Davis Grand Challenges and the UC Davis College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, it is our distinct honor to invite you to the launch of The Initiative for Cooperatives and Civic Innovation in Davis, California, from April 8th to 10th. We are convening approximately 150 elite stakeholders to move beyond theory and toward a practical “how-to” for achieving a global affordability and ownership agenda. Our discussions will focus on prioritizing:
- Equity and Ownership: Expanding broad consumer and worker ownership models.
- Hybrid Institutions: Leveraging the power of co-ops, ESOPs, and joint powers associations.
- Entrepreneurial Ecosystems: Cultivating world-class systems for small business growth.
A Strategic International Partnership
A central feature of this program is the Northern Italy Collaborative Economic Mini-Summit on April 8th, organized in partnership with the California Governor’s Office of Business and Economic Development (GO-Biz). This collaboration seeks to bridge the California dream with the proven “small-shop capitalism” of Northern Italy to address critical needs in housing, energy, food security, and broadband access.
Agenda
Day 1: April 8, 2026
- Plenary: Toward Internationalizing Civil Society: A Cooperative & Hybrid Business Innovation Ecosystem
- Session I: Educational Programming – The Hidden Economy in Plain Sight
- Session II: Cooperative Journeys as Research in Action: Practitioner Knowledge & the Case for Executive (and public awareness) Education
- Northern Italy–California Cooperative Mini-Summit
- The California–Italy Business-to-Business Opportunity: Collaborative Opportunities Between Best-In-Class Business and Policy Ecosystems
- Panel – The Italian National Cooperative Economy
- Italian Cooperative Excellences — Case Interludes
- Panel: Applying Cooperative Models to California’s Challenges – Localism, Affordability, Resilience (and the Opportunities for International B2B)
- Aperitivo Reception
Day 2: April 9, 2026
- Building the ICCI Innovation Ecosystem: The Need for Co- op and Hybrid Business Acceleration
- Panel One – Agrifoods: What If We Had… One… BILLION… Dollars?!
- Panel Two – Building on Legacy Utilities Infrastructure: The Public Power System as a Platform for Achieving California Climate, Energy, and Broadband Goals.
- Panel Three – Addressing the Missing Middle of Housing by Linking and Leveraging our Latent Community Capacity
- Breakouts I: Would Could -and Should- We Do Together?
- Climate-Smart Agrifoods
- Energy, Utilities & Broadband
- Workforce & Affordable Housing
- Next Steps for ICCI
- Closing reception
Speakers
To Be Updated Soon
