COIN Up Close: A Deeper Dive into Memphis’ New Co-Op Movement
Memphis showed out! Across two COIN (Co-Op Opportunity for Inclusive Neighborhoods) Cafés, we saw nearly 200 people walk through the doors ready to learn about community ownership, cooperative business models, and what it looks like to build wealth together. The energy was powerful. People didn’t want to leave. Folks started connecting, forming groups, swapping ideas, and imagining futures rooted in shared ownership.
Huge gratitude to ENCORE Events and Church Health Center at Crosstown Concourse for hosting us with care and helping make these gatherings feel like true community spaces.
Now that the cafés are wrapped, the COIN application is officially open to the public! All co-op applications must be submitted as a group of four, and each team has until January 5 to complete its materials. The application link is available here and across all our social platforms. You’ll find a full list of requirements on the first page of the application.
For those who couldn’t attend the cafés — or for folks whose questions went deeper than our standard Q&A — we sat down with Director of Programs Sameka Johnson for a follow-up conversation. Below, we’re answering the biggest questions we heard about community ownership, the COIN program, and why this movement makes perfect sense at Historic Clayborn Temple.
You can still download our standard FAQ online, but this conversation gives insight into the heart of the work and how to prepare for the entrepreneurial incubator.
Kameron: So, let’s start with the foundation. When people hear “community ownership,” what does that actually mean?
Sameka: Community ownership means you don’t have to build a business alone. One person can get an LLC, get their license, open the accounts, and grind by themselves. With a co-op, you and your partners do all of those things together. You build the business as a group. You share the work and you share the reward. And when someone has an off day, the co-op can still keep going because you’re not carrying the weight by yourself. Community ownership is the idea that we all want to succeed, and we can succeed together. When you look back, you get to say that you progressed as a team. That creates wealth and creates strength inside your community.
Kameron: At the cafés, we saw almost 200 people show up for this vision. That’s rare energy in a city where people often say Memphis doesn’t care, or folks don’t want to work together. What was it like for you to witness that?
Sameka: People repeat things they’ve heard without thinking about whether they’re true. Sometimes you have to ask them why they believe that, and they don’t have an answer. What The Big We is doing is offering a new conversation. We’re showing people they can think differently about Memphis and about each other.
At the cafés, I loved seeing their faces and watching their minds work. They met people who were like-minded. They started forming potential teams. They lifted each other up. And many of them were already running informal co-ops without realizing it. They just didn’t have the tools yet. What we’re offering is a way to run a co-op correctly so people don’t carry more weight than they should. The turnout told me that Memphis is ready. People want this, and they’re still reaching out even after the cafés ended.
Kameron: Now let’s talk about this application a little bit more...
Sameka: Of course...
Kameron: For those preparing to apply, what do they actually need before they start?
Sameka: The best thing you can do is start with your group of four. That is your first act of collaboration. After that, fill out the application together. Think through your ideas as a team. If you already have a business, consider how it could transition into a co-op model. Look up co-ops locally and nationally. Many successful co-ops exist, and they look like any other business — that’s the point. The goal is for you to begin the process with shared thinking and shared commitment.
Kameron: Once they submit the application and, hopefully, get accepted into the program, what should people prepare for in 2026?
Sameka: Come in ready. This is your business, and we’re walking with you. You’ll need to commit to three online sessions each month from 6 to 8 PM on Tuesdays, plus an in-person session on the fourth Tuesday. Be open to refining your idea and adjusting where needed. We want your co-op to be successful, and our advisors, speakers, and partners are here to support you. But you have to want it more than we do.
Kameron: And I know they do, because they were packed in there! And didn’t want to leave!
Sameka: Yes! And I love that energy- that's that Memphis energy we’ve been looking for!
Kameron: That brings me back to something I heard someone ask about at the November café. They went from that to talking about the idea of competition. Some folks were worried about multiple co-ops in the same field. How do you address that?
Sameka: We need more than one laundromat. We need more than one wellness company. Different neighborhoods need different services. Your job is to understand your niche and focus on that. There is so much room for everyone to grow, and we want people to understand that. You’re working within a community, not fighting against one. When we build co-ops, we create a landscape where everyone can succeed, and that is the kind of community ownership we’re aiming for.
Kameron: Speaking of community, I've been talking to them.
Sameka: Okay, and what they say?
Both: *laugh*
Kameron: I think some people are confused about why Historic Clayborn Temple is leading this effort!
Sameka: Mhmm!
Kameron: Some people are very surprised that Clayborn is leading a co-op program for the city. And of course, it makes sense to us, but can you talk about why this is the perfect home for COIN?
Sameka: Clayborn Temple has always been a place where people gathered to organize, protect their community, and build collective power. During the Sanitation Workers Strike and throughout the Civil Rights Movement, people met at Clayborn to ask hard questions and make a plan for the future. It was a safe haven for strength, strategy, and community.
That spirit still lives here. COIN carries that legacy forward. We’re creating a space where people can come together, think boldly, and build something that uplifts their community. It’s the same work our elders did. We’re simply continuing the legacy.
Kameron: Yes, indeed it does. So January 5th- deadline with COIN applications. They gotta get their group and get it in?
Sameka: Yes. Get your group together, complete the application, and get it turned in. This is your opportunity!
Kameron: On period?
Sameka: It’s on period!
COIN applications are due January 5th, 2026, and can be completed by clicking here. Following your application submission, the team at The Big We + Historic Clayborn Temple will reach out to all group members to complete assessments before the cohort begins sessions in late January 2026.
For more information about our COIN program, contact Director of Programs Sameka Johnson by clicking here. To support Historic Clayborn Temple’s culture-shifting and community-building programs, click here. Stay up to date on all things Historic Clayborn Temple by following us on Instagram, LinkedIn, and Facebook.