MILA participatory supermarket: Who we are!

We are a diverse, growing group of people of different ages from various professional backgrounds with a common goal: the MILA participatory supermarket in Vienna, and thus good food for everyone!

v.l.n.r. Caroline Holper (Einkauf), Alexander Arndt (Mitgliederbüro), Elisabeth Jost (Vorstand), David Jelinek (Geschäftsführung), Beatrice Stude (Schichtkoordination), Margherita Hameter (Vorstand), Julianna Fehlinger (Geschäftsführung), Brigitte Reisenberger (Öffentlichkeitsarbeit), Ralph Grossmann (Vorstand), Helmut Adam (Vorstand), Joachim Pranzl (Vorstand).

You are not yet a member of the cooperative?

The Coooperative

The cooperative is the most democratic legal form in Austria for collective economic activity and therefore ideal for MILA: Anyone who supports the MILA concept and acknowledges its rights and obligations can become a member. Our role models also operate their participatory supermarkets as cooperatives. The MILA Participatory Supermarket Cooperative was founded on February 1, 2023.

The board members of the cooperative contribute their time and experience on a voluntary basis:

• Helmut Adam is a retired business economist and has worked for organizations including FAIRTRADE, Südwind, Global Responsibility, and Austrian Food Banks.
• Elisabeth Jost (Chairwoman) is a doctoral student at BOKU and with FIAN Austria and is active in the movement for food sovereignty.
• Joachim Pranzl deals with participation, democracy, social issues and project management and was involved in the AG Genossenschaft (Working Group Cooperative).
• Ralph Grossmann is Professor Emeritus of Organizational Development at the University of Klagenfurt, advises various organizations and has conducted research on, among other things, innovative cooperatives.
• Margherita Hameter studied sustainable food management – ​​from agriculture to alternative food systems. She has already worked in the food retail sector.

Operational team

For day-to-day operations, the board is supported by an operational team. This team includes many individuals who have been instrumental in the founding of MILA over the past few years. The following individuals are part of the MILA operational team:

• Julianna Fehlinger , Managing Director , coordinates the topics of finance, personnel and community (part-time position).
• David Jelinek , Managing Director , coordinates product range development, purchasing, and part of the digital infrastructure (part-time position).
• Beatrice Stude is responsible for shift coordination and hygiene (part-time position).
• Caroline Holper is responsible for purchasing (part-time position).
• Heidi Porstner is responsible for member recruitment.
• Alexander Arndt coordinates the members’ office (part-time position).
• Borka Stojanovic is responsible for accounting (part-time position).
• Manuel Bichler is responsible for the development of our member platform (on a freelance basis).

MILA Association

The MILA association is a non-profit organization dedicated to protecting the environment and climate, as well as strengthening social solidarity by promoting an ecologically sustainable and socially just lifestyle, and administering the solidarity fund. MILA focuses primarily on education, networking, and public relations. The following individuals serve on the board on a voluntary basis:

• Brigitte Reisenberger , Chairwoman
• Laurenz Vock , Deputy Chairwoman
• Maria Günüc , cashier
• Elisabeth Burgstaller , Deputy Treasurer
• Anna Hagenauer

Our journey began with the founding of the association MILA in January 2020. The founding members jointly decided on the name MILA.