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.

Lisa has been on the TCCP Board since 2019 and is the Board Treasurer and Chair of the Finance Committee.  She has been a TCCP member for over 20 years.  She earned a BA from Miami University in Ohio, a JD from Case Western Reserve University (Ohio), and an MBA from Wharton, University of Pennsylvania.  Lisa has worked in both the food and health care industries holding leadership positions in product development and marketing.

Lisa is passionate about TCCP believing that we raise the bar for all Minnesota grocers by supporting local farmers & businesses that use sustainable practices, help keep our environment clean, reduce global warming and provide valuable tax dollars to the state.  She’s proud to be part of this inclusive co-op community that is a catalyst for the change needed in the world.

(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.

Sara is a long-time public defender, specializing in criminal appellate law, and an Adjunct Professor at the University of Minnesota Law School. She has worked at a broad range of non-profit organizations and was previously a member of the board of the Wedge Community Co-op. With her husband, Sara founded Guthrie CiderWorks LLC, a hard cider production and distribution company in San Diego, CA.

Sara received a B.A. in Political Science from Barnard College, Columbia University, and a J.D. from the University of Minnesota, where she was active with the Human Rights Center, Minnesota Justice Foundation, Civil Rights Moot Court and Advocates for Human Rights; during law school, she interned at the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund Inc. and California Appellate Project. Prior to attending law school, Sara was a fundraiser, for Greenpeace, the Children’s Storefront and Barnard College. She lives in Minneapolis with her husband, a visual artist and musician, and son, a student at Southwest High School.

Christine Page is a collaborative social impact leader with robust experience in program management, marketing and volunteer recruitment. Christine has a heart for working with people, encouraging inclusivity and inspiring action to strengthen our community. Christine spent 15 years as a corporate social responsibility leader at Faegre Drinker, a top 100 law firm. In this role, Christine worked with 21 offices across the country to engage firm personnel in activities to support local communities while fostering partnerships with nonprofit organizations. Christine has served on various boards and committees and is currently the Vice-President of the HandsOn Twin Cities Board. Through these experiences, Christine is aware of the role food security and nutrition has in creating a strong, vibrant and equitable community.  Christine enjoys spending time outdoors with her husband and two kids.