CCWBE Report

100%

Corner Store Co-op has reached its goal to hire the Store Operations Project Manager, Jumaani Bates. Jumaani’s primary responsibility is to assess the co-ops current systems, develop a business plan and operating procedures, lead recruitment and training, develop staffing structures and other human resources protocols for the store and help assign work to the store operations team to execute. The team is excited and confident in Jumaani’s capacity to help lead this phase of work over the next 9 months.

70%

Corner Store Co-op has implemented a temporary logo/brand on materials and updated the e-commerce website, including a logo obtained through an online logo tournament, in order to help external constituents more clearly distinguish between the store and the museum, a concern that was expressed in a user experience audit. User testing will continue to serve as a way for the team to assess the effectiveness of the brand identity expression on the website, and will inform the final branding. The team continued to refine their online website, updating the front page, as well as ways to sort material. Although the temporary logo is still in place, the website is ready to fully relaunch once the new logo has been decided by the team. Feedback from the co-op, including a desire for MBE representation as part of the store fabrication contractor team, led to adding BKE as a collaborator and two contractors have officially signed on and begun work. This has resulted in a delayed timeline for the store fabrication process, but has also created an opportunity for deeper conversations between the museum and the co-op around our collective values, decision-making processes, and collaborative relationship.

20%

The new store operations project manager has continued developing the project plan for this goal, which includes researching and developing the Corner Store Co-op’s business plan and financial structures. We are also continuing to work with Teresa Prim to research and reach out to sources that may be able to provide additional start-up capital to fund furnishings, inventory, and the store buildout. The team, led by Dante, is creating a 1-pager and made contact with Share Capital to discuss the upcoming loan possibilities. The museum is also developing a lease agreement and fiscal sponsorship agreement, which will outline the in-kind, programmatic, and financial contributions that the museum will contribute to the store in this next phase. The Co-op is drafting a proposal to submit the CR-61 (resale license) and obtain a virtual address. MOUs for all working group members were written collaboratively between working group members and the Museum and have been distributed for signature. The working group team is working internally to create a program which will bring together potential vendors and the Co-op to discuss what it means to be a vendor and for the vendors to pitch products that will be made available in the store.

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Now that the full team has been hired on to complete this project, including the Store Operations Project Manager, there is increased human capacity moving forward. Mr. Bates has helped the team organize around finalizing a draft of the store’s business plan and has helped the team prepare for a loan meeting with Shared Capital Cooperative to potentially support financing for startup costs, including the buildout of the store. The challenge in the next phase is related to increase financial capacity and to support the store in becoming more financially independent, while maintaining sustainability, effectiveness, and efficiency.

Members of the Corner Store Co-op and NPHM teams have been attending CWB meetings for networking and collaboration purposes.