Gentle Strength is a female and POC inclusive, worker-owned cooperative herb shop, tea bar, and community education space set to open in the West End of Providence, Rhode Island. We are rooted in the belief that plants and people thrive together. Our name reflects our guiding principle: that the gentle strength of our plant allies is intertwined with the well-being of our communities. By creating a space that celebrates herbal knowledge, collective care, and resilience, we are cultivating not just a business, but a movement toward healthier, more connected lives.Our mission is to ensure that herbal knowledge and care are accessible to everyone. We envision a world where we are all stewards—strengthening our relationships with ourselves, each other, and the earth. Gentle Strength is working to build a resilient herbal community in Rhode Island, where herbal care and education are accessible to all, and where people feel empowered to take part in their own wellness, community, and care for the earth. A co-op structure is important to us because it reflects this living economy, where wellness is not a commodity reserved for the few, but a shared resource maintained and enriched by the community itself. In this model, workers and community members have a stake in both the financial well-being of the business and the health and empowerment of the people it serves—local residents, healers, and everyday people invested in wellness as a shared responsibility.