Do you have a game-changing idea or innovative strategy that can propel the cooperative movement into the future? We invite you to submit a proposal for our Lightning Talks at the 2025 Cooperative IMPACT Conference. Whether it’s a success story, a lesson learned or a bold new idea for sparking change, we want to hear from you!
Inspired by the TED Talk format, our Lightning Talks at IMPACT 2025 are designed to ignite discussion, inspire action and help shape the future of the cooperative movement. These presentations should be short (5-8 minutes), punchy and dynamic.
Submitting your idea
For a chance to be featured at IMPACT 2025, please submit a Lightning Talk idea in one of the following five categories by 11:59 p.m. EDT on July 18:
- Affordability and Accessibility Lightning Talks in this category should focus on how cooperatives help create an economy that is affordable and/or accessible. For example, sharing successes/lessons learned in limited equity housing, food cooperatives serving low-income/low-access areas, cooperative real estate efforts, providing energy/electricity/broadband in underserved areas, policy/advocacy efforts that promote affordability and accessibility, etc.
- Cooperative Ecosystems Lightning Talks in this category could focus on successes or lessons learned relating to P6—cooperation among cooperatives, cooperative support organizations (public or private), or the broader enabling environment for cooperatives.
- AI, Data and Democracy Lightning Talks in this category could focus on how cooperatives are leveraging AI, data and data analytics, or other technologies to enhance cooperative performance in an ethical, democratic way.
- Education and Training Opportunities Lightning Talks in this category should focus on Principle 5—Education, Training, and Information as it relates to internal member/staff education, community education/engagement, or education initiatives about cooperatives in more formal/academic settings.
- Communicating the Cooperative Business Advantage Lightning Talks in this category could focus on successes or lessons learned in marketing cooperatives to consumers, advocacy efforts, or public awareness campaigns that demonstrate the advantages of the cooperative business model, illustrate cooperative identity in action, etc.
Why participate?
Visibility Present your ideas to a diverse audience of cooperative leaders and industry experts, including CEOs and senior executives from top co-ops
Impact Influence the future of the cooperative movement and contribute to a legacy of co-op innovation and collaboration
Networking Connect with other visionary leaders and engage in meaningful discussions that could lead to powerful collaborations.