Current Board

(Term Ends 2021)

Sarita Parikh is Board President for the Twin Cities Co-Op Partnership.

Although she grew up eating mostly Doritos and Dr. Pepper, as a young adult, she discovered the joys of healthy foods and the quest to support sustainable food systems. When moving to Minneapolis almost 20 years ago, she found the co-ops to be flourishing examples of businesses that do good and do well. They embody the principles of democracy and sustainability.

Sarita earned a Bachelor of Science in Computer and Electrical Engineering, with a second major in Economics from Rice University. She has filled a variety of engineering and business roles in education, healthcare, retail, finance, and technology. She brings her analytic background and deep leadership experience to the goal of helping Twin Cities Cooperative Partners thrive in the competitive natural food market.

Sarita enjoys yoga, reading, music, dance, and keeping up with her active family.

Sophia has over nine years of experience working as a strategy and management consultant, advising clients on sales and customer service strategy, organization, process and technology transformations. She has worked across multiple industries, including for profit and public sector clients. She grew up in the Midwest, but completed her education in several countries, including: the U.S., Switzerland, Spain and Italy. She earned an M.B.A. at SDA Bocconi School of Management and dual Bachelor of Arts degrees in International Business and Spanish at Gustavus Adolphus College.

Beyond her consulting role, she works on promoting inclusion and diversity efforts to increase employee experiences, building connections and relationships across community groups. She lives with her husband and two dogs in downtown Minneapolis and enjoys spending time outdoors, cycling, yoga, kayaking and trying new foods.

(Term Ends 2022)

(Term Ends 2022)

Steve has served on the TCCP Board since 2019.  He is a former board member of Prairie Foods Co-op in Northfield, MN and five-year resident and board member of Park Cooperative Apartments in Minneapolis, a self-managed, limited-equity cooperative. Since 2003, Steve has worked as the editor of the Minneapolis Labor Review, a union newspaper.

Steve and his family spend nearly 100 percent of their grocery budget at Linden Hills or Wedge, and are deeply invested in and committed to the co-op ideal.  With more choices in the natural foods’ marketplace, Steve believes it is important to use his food dollars to support a local, member-owned business which promotes sustainable food systems and which also provides good jobs.

As a member of the Board’s Ownership Committee, Steve works on spreading word to the community about how our stores are not just a place to buy food, but where you know the dollars spent are building a better future for our community and our planet.

 

Julian (They/Them) has a B.S. in Human Biology with an emphasis in Nutrition from the University of Wisconsin Green Bay. They are the proprietor of Blue Collar Supper Club which invites queer folks to slow down, eat up, and connect through fun and approachable dining so they can feel seen, valued, and cared for. As a consultant for the school food program at Great River School in Saint Paul, they assist with strategic program development and financial planning. They were also a participant of the 20/21 Finnovation Fellowship program which prepares changemakers to lead and launch sustainable social enterprises. They are also the Twin Cities chapter lead for the National Non-Profit Queer Soup Night, which is on a mission to strengthen local queer communities across the country through sharing space, sharing food and contributing to something bigger than themselves.

In their spare time they love hiking and foraging with their wife and pug, trying new things (most recently hockey and bouldering), and connecting with their chosen family.

Tom Pierson was elected to the Wedge Co-op Board of Directors in 2016 and will serve on the newly consolidated co-op board until 2020. He is the Board Treasurer and serves on the Finance Committee.

Tom began working with cooperative enterprises in 2000 after deciding to not pursue formal higher education. Tom has become a specialist in the issues of housing and worker cooperative development. Pierson serves on the board of Shared Capital Cooperative, a Community Development Financial Institution (CDFI) that lends nationally to cooperative businesses. He serves on the board of Riverton Community Housing, a Minneapolis non-profit developer of student housing cooperatives. He coordinates the public policy efforts of CooperationWorks!, a national association of cooperative economic developers. Tom was a founding organizer of the US Federation of Worker Cooperatives from 2003-06.

As an independent consultant, Tom provides facilitation, historical research and technical assistance services to cooperatives across the country. He provides pro bono and sliding scale assistance to groups that advance racial equity, environmental sustainability, and serve low-income members. He volunteers for CoMinnesota and serves as a guest lecturer at the University of Minnesota on topics related to co-op law and economics. In his free time, Tom enjoys theatre, dance, chess, and unstructured play.

(Term Ends 2022)

Emily Anderson served Wedge Co-op Board of Directors, prior to and through the consolidation with Linden Hills Co-op that created Twin Cities Co-op Partners, where she has continued as a board member. After becoming a member of Seward Co-op in the year it incorporated, she joined Cheese Rustlers and Roots and Fruits worker-owned wholesale co-ops, where her roles included sales and marketing management. As the initial director of Northcountry Cooperative Development Services, she collaborated with Bill Gessner to deliver board training and management support for expansion and turn-around projects for co-op groceries in Minnesota. Previously she served on the boards of the Northcountry Co-op Development Fund (now Shared Capital Co-op) and the Indian Health Board Clinic.

She served as a member of the development team for the Cooperativa Mercado Central located at the intersection of Bloomington and Lake Street in Minneapolis. Working for the City of Minneapolis in collaboration with cooperative development associates, she has contributed research, curriculum design and training for the city’s Co-op Technical Assistance Program (CTAP). Before returning to co-op board service at the Wedge, Emily worked in the nonprofit sector as a corporate and foundation relations manager, at Tree Trust and Courage Center. At Eureka recycling, she developed and led a commercial compost pilot project with a cohort of Minneapolis restaurants, including bilingual staff training.

Her educational background includes a B.A. from St. Olaf College, and further studied Spanish and Dakota languages, small business and nonprofit management at the University of St. Thomas, and American Indian Studies at the University of Minnesota.

(Term Ends 2021)

Jane Schommer previously served on the Wedge Co-op Board of Directors and was a member of the Finance Committee. In her second term with Twin Cities Co-op Partners, she continues her service as Secretary and serves on the Finance Committee.

Jane earned an M.S. in Acupuncture and Traditional Chinese Medicine from Northwestern Health Sciences University in 2004, with particular interest in the medicinal properties of food. Her professional background includes ownership of a small business promoting a holistic approach to health, as well as a buying position for The Wedge Co-op’s Health and Body Care Department. She has also been involved in her community through service on her neighborhood association board of directors. Jane currently works as an Intellectual Property Paralegal for CPA Global, a software development and legal support organization. She has been a member-owner of the Wedge Co-op for 20 years and is passionate about food, often introducing new discoveries to her family, friends and co-workers.

Jane enjoys the outdoors and can be found walking local neighborhoods and lakes in warmer weather. Colder weather inspires her to experiment with baking, sharing the results with those around her.

(Term Ends 2021)

Lea Riemann was elected to a three-year term in 2018.  Her cooperative life and support of the cooperative community began with a gifted Wedge Co-op membership. Her toddler son suffered from many allergies and had very specific dietary needs that could not be fulfilled by their local stores. The Wedge Basics staples and availability of hard-to-find items at the Wedge made their life easier and guided them toward a healthier and more active lifestyle. Lea has an MBA in cooperative management and was a 2018 Bush Fellow.