Bill Gessner Startup Food Co-op Award

Bill Gessner Startup Food Co-op Award

The Bill Gessner Startup Food Co-op Award honors Bill Gessner, the principal creator of the Four Cornerstones in Three Stages Development Model, which not only served as the primary guide of dozens of startup food co-ops that opened between 2013 – 2024, but also served as the foundation of the creation of FCI’s current Food Co-op Development Framework.

The annual recipient is chosen based on effective use of the most up-to-date best practices, strong community organizing and support, and realistic prospects of feasibility.

Criteria for selection include: 

  • effective use of current startup food co-op development best practices
  •  strong co-op organizing and community support, and
  • A realistic feasibility process that has resulted in a plan with a strong chance of becoming an open, sustainable food co-op.

The award will include an unrestricted grant of $2,000 and the winner will be announced and celebrated at the CCMA conference in May 2026.

Bill Gessner inducted into the Cooperative Hall of Fame with Marilyn Scholl

Bill Gessner inducted into the Cooperative Hall of Fame with Marilyn Scholl

Congratulations to

SunCoast Market Co-op

winner of the 2025

Bill Gessner Startup Food Co-op Award!

A special thank you to the Bill Gessner Memorial Committee and the Cooperative Development Foundation (CDF) for making this grant possible. CDF promotes self-help and mutual aid in community, economic and social development through cooperative enterprise. CDF administers a family of funds that provide grants to promote cooperative development and innovation. The foundation also engages in educational programming that both enables networking among cooperative development practitioners and raises awareness about cooperatives in the public policy arena. Learn more about Bill Gessner and his deep and lasting impact on startup food co-ops.

Previous winners:

2024 Caledonia Food Co-op in Saint Johnsbury, VT
2023 Hudson Grocery Co-op in Hudson, WI
2022 Detroit People’s Food Co-op in Detroit, Michigan
2021 Prairie Food Co-op in Lombard, Illinois
2020 Assabet Co-op Market in Maynard, Massachusetts

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