Understanding & Advancing the Co-op Business
A two-part workshop with John Holdsclaw IV, President & CEO of Rochdale Capital
đź“… Wednesday, 28 October and Monday, 2 November 2026
đź• 5:30 PM
đź“Ť BEDC, Sofia House
đź’˛ $20 per session | $30 for both sessions
What happens when a business is owned by the people it serves? Cooperatives give members a shared stake in ownership, decision-making and profit, and they’re powering businesses in communities around the world. This two-part workshop explores how the model works and how it could work for Bermuda.
Join John Holdsclaw IV, a leading voice in cooperative development and community finance, for practical, interactive sessions. They’re designed for entrepreneurs, community groups, business owners and anyone curious about building a more inclusive economy.
Session 1: Understanding the Cooperative Model
Wednesday, 28 October | Principles, Structures and Global Context
Get grounded in the fundamentals of how cooperatives work and why they matter. The session covers:
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The foundations of the cooperative model
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Cooperative identity and principles
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Cooperative structures and types
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Governance and member control
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Bermuda and the cooperative model
Session 2: Advancing Cooperative Impact
Monday, 2 November | Finance, Formation and Real-World Practice
Move from understanding to action, with a practical look at what it takes to launch and sustain a cooperative. The session covers:
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The cooperative advantage
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Steps to starting a cooperative
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Cooperative finance
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Cooperative case studies
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Closing reflections and call to action
Each session stands on its own, but attending both gives you the full picture, from first principles to first steps. Register for both and save.
About the Facilitator
John Holdsclaw IV is President and CEO of Rochdale Capital, a certified community development financial institution (CDFI) that promotes cooperative and community ownership. Rochdale provides financing and technical assistance to cooperatives and community-based organisations, with a focus on under-resourced communities, particularly those owned by women and minorities. He also serves as Chief Policy Officer at the National Cooperative Bank (NCB), where he leads its work on public policy, community development finance and cooperative expansion.
John sits on the boards of several organisations, including the Cooperative Development Foundation, the CDFI Coalition and the Opportunity Finance Network. In 2019, he received NCB’s Stanley W. Dreyer Spirit of Cooperation Award. In 2022, ImpactAlpha named him one of its Agents of Impact.
