“Digital transformation, when carried out on cooperative principles, is not just a defensive move—it is an opportunity to lead.”
With more than 20 years of experience serving the cooperative movement worldwide, DotCoop has been at the forefront of helping cooperatives build a stronger digital presence. In this conversation, CEO Violetta Nafpaktia shares her views on the main digital challenges facing cooperatives, the opportunities that digital transformation can bring when rooted in cooperative principles, and the concrete outcomes she hopes participants will take away from this discussion.
GICS: What do you see as the main digital challenges cooperatives face in transforming their operations?
Violetta Nafpaktia: From my perspective at DotCoop, an organisation with over 20 years of experience in serving and interacting with a highly diverse cooperative movement, the biggest challenges can be grouped into three main areas. The first is digital sovereignty and dependency. Too many cooperatives rely on Big Tech and on centralized, for-profit platforms that do not share our values and principles. The second is data protection and trust. Members rightly expect that their personal information is safe, yet a single breach can damage not only the reputation of one cooperative but also trust in the movement more broadly. The third challenge is capacity and inclusivity. Many cooperatives—particularly smaller or emerging ones—struggle to access the technical skills, investment, or infrastructure needed to digitize in ways that are more suitable for cooperatives and more aligned with our values and principles. If we do not address this, we risk widening the gap between digitally advanced co-ops and those left behind.
GICS: What strategic opportunities arise from adopting digital technologies to strengthen collaboration and trust among cooperatives?
VF: Digital transformation, when carried out on cooperative principles, is not just a defensive move—it is an opportunity to lead. One of the first opportunities lies in identity and visibility. Tools such as the .coop domain and the Co-op Marque give cooperatives a distinctive digital identity that sets them apart in the crowded online space, clearly signaling trust, values, and ownership. Another important opportunity is the development of shared digital infrastructure. By pooling their resources, cooperatives can build platforms and data ecosystems that are governed by members rather than investors. This demonstrates to the wider world that alternatives to Big Tech are not only possible but also better.
There is also the potential for global collaboration. Technology enables cooperatives across the world to put Principle 6 into practice more actively in the digital era. It allows us to transcend geography, connect with peers worldwide, and form federated digital communities that strengthen solidarity across borders. Finally, digital transformation provides a way to demonstrate cooperative values in practice and to raise awareness of the cooperative business model. Transparency, democratic governance, and shared benefit can be built directly into digital platforms, making trust not just a slogan but a built-in feature. At a time when so many of the societal challenges we face have been driven by Big Tech, the cooperative movement has a crucial role to play in countering digital capitalism and its wider negative effects on society.
GICS: What tangible results do you hope participants will be able to implement after this session?
VF: I hope participants leave with at least three actionable takeaways. The first is a clearer sense of digital priorities—an understanding of which specific risks or opportunities matter most for their cooperative and how they can act collectively rather than individually. The second is a stronger commitment to cooperative digital identity. Whether through adopting the .coop domain or by using cooperative-built tools, every step that signals “we are co-op” online helps to reinforce trust in the broader movement. The third is momentum for shared projects. Ideally, this session should spark collaborations—whether in the form of data cooperatives, cooperative platforms, or joint advocacy for fairer digital ecosystems—that continue to grow and develop well beyond today’s discussion.
