We are Silvo.
Rooted in solidarity. Growing together.
In 2016, pioneering forest researcher Suzanne Simard presented her TED Talk ‘How Trees Talk to Each Other’, introducing to millions the radical idea that forests function as networks, not individuals. For generations, conventional wisdom had been that survival meant dominance.
Forests show us something older. Something quieter, yet more powerful.
Cooperation.
The forest lives not because trees compete, but because they care for one another. Through the soil, a vast underground network of mycorrhizal fungi — living threads — stretch for miles. Connecting. Sharing. ‘Mother trees’ support seedlings, feed saplings. The forest cooperates.
Silvo is a worker-owned cooperative. Our name, inspired by the Latin silvi-, meaning “forest,” speaks to our philosophy of community as strength. Work grounded in cooperation. Care and respect for each other. Regeneration. Respect for the living threads that connect us.
This is what drives us. If it drives you, too, let’s talk. We welcome inquiries from those working toward equity, justice, and joy.
Darnell Adams
GUIDE
A leadership coach and business strategist with over 20 years of experience across nonprofit, for-profit, and cooperative businesses. Recognized nationally for her ability to grow organizations with equity at the centre.
Kaye Kirsch
ORGANIZE
A global social entrepreneur and co-founder of HealthStore Foundation, providing healthcare in East Africa through an innovative micro-franchise model. Builder of nonprofits, startups, and community projects.
Melanie Shellito
DESIGN
An award-winning brand strategist with 25+ years of experience shaping socially responsible brands. She has created impactful campaigns and identities for cooperatives, movements, and mission-driven organizations.
Solidarity Statement
We stand with the change-makers, in particular BIPOC and LGBTQIA+ organizers who are dismantling inequitable systems and creating space for thriving communities.
