In the Sandbox Season 3 : Episode 4 | Cristin Cooper

Cristin Cooper, founder of Maryland-based social enterprise Coop’s Soups and a licensed local pastor, shares how loneliness in 2018–2019 led her to practice hospitality by sharing soup with neighbors and how it evolved into a missional business. She explains designing the company to reflect community-building by selling at a farmers market, sourcing from local farmers, labeling jars with “Share me” and conversation starters, and making and donating soup to a food bank while eating together to embody socioeconomic belonging. Cristin describes inviting people into the kitchen, launching monthly soup-making gatherings, maintaining a “pace of grace” by going slow and deep to build trust, and taking risks like quitting her job, selling publicly, and running gatherings still in draft form. She discusses centering her call amid denominational expectations, grounding in Luke 10, exploring bread and a community garden, possible franchising, recipe choices, and advising leaders that “YouTube is your friend.” 00:00 Welcome to Coop Soups 02:01 Loneliness to Table 03:48 Soup Becomes Enterprise 04:53 Designing Community Values 07:25 Cooking Together Belonging 09:26 Pace of Grace Leadership 11:58 Risks and Leap of Faith 17:30 Staying Centered in Calling 22:57 When Soup Excludes Someone 26:09 Bread Team Expansion 28:07 Garden Team Vision 29:29 Scaling and Franchising Ideas 31:36 Choosing New Soup Recipes 36:44 Risk Taking With YouTube 39:39 Lightning Round Fun 44:16 Where to Find Coop Soups 44:46 Closing Prayer and Sendoff