Entrepreneurs, nonprofit leaders connect at Spring 2026 WCO Member Meeting in Lock Haven

Entrepreneurs, nonprofit leaders connect at Spring 2026 WCO Member Meeting in Lock Haven

 

Current and potential members of the PA Wilds Cooperative met at The Station Gallery in Lock Haven on Wednesday, April 22, for the first of two WCO Membership Meetings in 2026.

 

These meetings are held twice a year, typically with the spring meeting on the eastern side of the Pennsylvania Wilds region and the fall meeting on the western side, giving as many Wilds Cooperative (WCO) members as possible the chance to attend. The fall meeting will be held September 22 at The PA Wilds Media Lab in Kane.

 

The meetings offer a place to get more information and updates about programs available to entrepreneurs, nonprofits and communities through the PA Wilds Center for Entrepreneurship (PA Wilds Center), the nonprofit organization that manages the WCO. Members can consider how to best take advantage of opportunities in the WCO while networking with PA Wilds Center staff and peers in the WCO network.

 

During the program at The Station Gallery, staff at PA Wilds Center introduced themselves and gave a high-level overview of the Pennsylvania Wilds effort and the Wilds Cooperative membership program, as well as new opportunities on the horizon. 

 

Community Programs and Marketing Director LaKeshia Knarr led the presentation, welcoming members to the space and sharing information about what it means to be a member of the network. Knarr also spoke about how the network is part of a larger entrepreneurial ecosystem being built and managed by the nonprofit PA Wilds Center to help local businesses and communities leverage the regional brand and tremendous amount of public lands to grow and thrive. The ecosystem is intended to help create jobs and diversify local economies, inspire stewardship, attract investment and improve quality of life for the region’s residents.

 

MEMBERSHIP & PROGRAM METRICS

The team shared some highlights and statistics about specific programs within the PA Wilds Center from 2025 and year to date:

  • Value Chain Network
    • 44 new WCO members in 2025 (applications unavailable for part of the year), and 63 new members YTD in 2026
    • Total 710 members by December 31, 2025
    • Total 776 members as of April 20, 2026
  • Regional Lifestyle Marketing
    • More than 500,000 pageviews on PAWilds.com
    • $122,723 of in-kind ads via Google AdWords for 2025
    • Reached 45,000 followers on Facebook and 24,000 followers on Instagram
  • Sustainable Commerce
    • More than $1 million of products purchased from local artisans since 2016
    • PA Wilds Conservation Shops have sold more than $2 million in local products since 2016
    • More than 40 in-region shop vendors at physical PA Wilds Conservation Shops
    • Around 40 online sellers on the PA Wilds Marketplace
    • More than $60,000 collected for Charity Checkout for Conservation since start of the program in 2019

 

REFRESHED NETWORK LOGO

Knarr also shared that the WCO logo and name got a refresh. The “Wilds Cooperative of PA” is now being called the “PA Wilds Cooperative” to better incorporate our place and to reflect the way that membership oftentimes already refers to the network. The Center will still be using “WCO” for short. The refreshed logo uses the same colorful palette from the previous logo, while also pulling in the keystone elk from the iconic trademark. The logo leverages the new OT Wilds font, created by WCO member Kelsey Kleiner of OneTen The Studio, who was present at the spring 2026 membership meeting, as part of the PA Wilds Collaborative Series.

 

GOVERNANCE PLAN UPDATE

The PA Wilds Center team completed the Governance Plan study with Alchemy Accompanied in 2025, and now the Center is working on acquiring funding for implementation of the plan. The plan recommends a multi-tiered governance structure, with county captains, sector captains, and county ambassadors. These would be elected positions and would include a stipend. The initial goal was to hold elections in summer 2026, but the timeline will be pushed back by at least one season, depending on funding.

 

2026 PLANS UNDERWAY

In 2026, the PA Wilds Center is also working with consultants to complete two important plans that will set the stage for the growth of key programs while strengthening important partnerships throughout the landscape. These plans will inform PA Wilds Cooperative membership benefits and opportunities related to trademark licensing, branding and marketing. Bull Moose Marketing of Meadville, PA, was selected for the Regional Marketing Plan project. Caviar Creative Co. out of Louisville, KY, was selected for the Licensing & Franchise Plan project.

 

LEVERAGING THE NETWORK

Attendees were encouraged to become more involved with the WCO in the following easy ways:

  • Join the Wilds Cooperative of PA for free at WildsCoPA.org/join
  • Find places to travel regionally at PAWilds.com
  • Support local businesses and shop regionally at ShopThePAWilds.com
  • Use the Design Guide for Community Character Stewardship at PAWildsCenter.org
  • Leverage the regional strategy by positioning your community or business as part of the region and/or mentioning it in grant applications

 

After the presentation and the interactive business workshop, members and potential members were able to ask questions, share ideas and talk with program managers one-on-one.

 

“Our team is passionate about serving local communities and small businesses, and these meetings help ensure that members have opportunities to meet our team, ask questions, and ultimately dig deeper into membership opportunities and the power of the network. The feedback we receive and ideas we hear through conversation helps ensure we are building out programs and benefits that are meaningful to our diverse membership and communities,” said Knarr. “Special thanks to WCO member Clinton County Arts Council and The Station Gallery, located on East Bald Eagle Street in Lock Haven, for hosting the event!”

 

The Station Gallery, operated by the Clinton County Arts Council, is a vibrant hub dedicated to enriching the cultural landscape of Clinton County, Pennsylvania. With a mission to promote, develop, and support the arts, the gallery connects artists, community members, and visitors through its inspiring events, exhibits, and programs.

 

Membership Meetings will continue to move around the region each year in an effort to make them more accessible to members who may not be able to travel long distances in the middle of the week to attend.

 

For more information about the Wilds Cooperative of PA, visit www.pawildscenter.org/programs-and-services/wildscopa.

Click here to register for the 2026 Fall Membership Meeting.

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