Cooperative & community ownership models: 2026 COO learning series
Join the first Learning Community + Seattle Cooperator meetup learning series session of 2026. This year we are continuing to uplift cooperative ownership and models to strengthen worker & community self-determination, democratic collective governance and well-being.
On March 12th we will hear the stories of two wellness business employee ownership journeys. These industries commonly have individual practices (counsellor / dietician) and speakers will share why they decided to pursue cooperative ownership models -- how they work together and still retain some independence; the pros and cons they found in forming their co-ops; and their future plans post collective organizing. There will also be time to ask questions and network with others interested in cooperative models and employee ownership, as well as evening refreshments.
Date/Time: March 12, 5:50-7:30pm
Location: Delridge Library Branch - Seattle Public Libraries, 5423 Delridge Way SW, Seattle (updated: 2/23!)
Speakers:
Dr. Rachel Hughes, PhD, LMFT (Divergent Minds Collective):
I’ve spent my career moving between research and the clinic, earning my PhD in Medical Family Therapy. My studies focused on collaborative care and the importance of a medical team working together. I worked in community mental health, in graduate universities training couple and family therapists, and started my own practice, Connect Counseling in 2020. Through interaction with the greater therapy community in Seattle, I saw how the "hustle culture" of private practice wears down both therapists and the neurodivergent families we serve. I found it confusing in a helping profession that group practices were often exploitative and failed to generate quality care. To push back, I co-founded Divergent Minds Collective with Hailee Windsor in early 2025 as a retail co-op for neuroaffirming therapy businesses to support each other, shifting our focus from profit to practitioner autonomy and community-rooted support.
Maria Taylor:
Maria Taylor is a registered dietitian specialized in disordered eating and sports nutrition. After the small, local practice she was working at was acquired, she and three other dietitians decided to start a cooperative practice called Common Table Nutrition Collective. Maria and her partners are working through the process of forming their coop and are excited to build a practice where everyone is welcome as equals at the table.