Our Team

Audra Krueger

Executive Director

Audra deftly guides Co-operatives First towards fulfilling our mission of promoting and supporting the creation of co-operatives. Her long-standing dedication to co-ops informs her strategic vision for the organization, and she always keeps us on the right track. With her oversight, ability to cultivate key relationships, and extensive non-profit experience, Co-operatives First has quickly become the highly effective organization it is today.

Because of her keen observation skills, Audra excels at matching the right person with the right job and helping them succeed. She loves working with exceptional colleagues and visionary clients.

How she got here

Having grown up Borden, Saskatchewan, Audra earned a bachelor’s degree in Sociology from the University of Saskatchewan and a Master’s degree from the University of Guelph in International Development and Sociology. In addition to working with Oxfam Canada, her dedication to co-ops is apparent: she worked for the Core Neighbourhood Youth Co-op, helped to start the Saskatoon Carshare Co-op, and served as the Research, Education and Liaison Officer at the Canadian Centre for the Study of Co-operatives.

In her free time, you can find her…

  • Skate-skiing
  • Rooting out the best finds at a thrift store
  • Spending time with her family

Fun facts

  • She helped launch Co-operatives First as its first Executive Director
  • She has traveled to over 30 countries

Favourites

  • TV show: any murder mystery
  • Destination: her cabin at a lake in Northern Saskatchewan
Back

“Heather and the team at Co-operatives First are top-notch. Not only their knowledge but their understanding of the project. They have truly helped us along every step of the way. Their timely response and knowledge of the steps are extraordinary. They are forthcoming with information. This is one of the most knowledgeable and friendliest teams I have ever had the pleasure of working with.”

Weyburn Theatre

“Co-operatives First made the process of establishing our Artisan Co-operative a very clear and easy process. The expanse of available tools and resources provided by Co-operatives First answers many questions and lightens the workload. Greatly appreciate having the connections made with Trista and Kyle, they keep the co-operative moving forward.”

Nehiyawaskiy Indigenous Peoples Art Co-op

“Our experience working with the Co-operatives First team was absolutely fabulous. The staff was accommodating, knowledgeable and patient. It was truly a breath of fresh air to have such a wealth of skill and resources available to a non-profit. They were invaluable to our successful launch!”

Heart Linked Community Services Cooperative

“Working with Co-operatives First was fantastic! We are still new to the cooperative world, and we relied heavily on their advice and expertise when drafting our rules/bylaws, and our memorandum of association. The team has experience with many different cooperative models, so they provided advice on what has and hasn’t worked for other cooperatives. We wouldn’t have been able to incorporate without their help!”

Ananda Cooperative

“We have had a very positive experience with everyone at Co-operatives First. They have helped us in multiple ways. Right from the first step in knowing how to incorporate, how to set our business and offering ideas for us to help steer us in the right direction plus allowing us to really make our own decisions. If our decisions go off track, they have gently guided us back to where we needed to be. The Co-operatives first guys are always eager to answer questions, and give ideas to us that got us off the ground.”

South East Butcher Block