Podcasts about worker cooperatives

Esteban Kelly joins The Great Battlefield podcast to talk about his career in many organizations in the worker cooperative space and his current role at the U.S. Federation of Worker Cooperatives, where they've created a thriving ecosystem for worker-owned businesses.

The alt title of this episode was, Chaos in its Most Beautiful Form. Today on The Perinatal Podcast, we go here, we go there, we go every very many which ways in spectacular fashion. I'm joined this week by McKenzie Jones and Meredith Garrison—my very first sibling guests on the show! Together, we dive into a rich conversation about identity in motherhood, neurodivergence in both parenting and childhood, and the challenges of guiding our children through a world that doesn't always celebrate creativity or support those who step outside the bounds of cultural norms.We also reflect on Mother's Day, exploring what it means to honor all identities and lived experiences. Throughout our chat, we invite you, our Listener Darlings, to embrace curiosity over judgment—to hold space for others, lead with empathy, and humanize the experiences of those around you. And maybe, just maybe, explore how you might let go of judgment altogether while still being intentional about protecting your own peace.This is a heartfelt, thoughtful conversation—and I'm so glad to welcome you back to another episode of The Perinatal Podcast.Find McKenzie!The Worker Place: https://www.theworkerplace.coop/Launch Cooperative: https://www.launch.coop/US Federation of Worker Cooperatives: https://www.usworker.coop/Strange Heavy: https://www.strangeheavy.com/Mama Look: https://www.instagram.com/mamalookmusicFind Meredith! Want to work with Meredith? Shoot me a DM, and I'll get you connected! Get your FREE Navigating ADHD Mini Workbook Here!https://subscribepage.io/ADHDMiniWorkbookThanks to our sponsors!Essenther: https://us.essenther.com/AMPLIFYWELLNESSWITHMEG Promo Code: AMPLIFYWELLNESSWITHMEGMomanda: https://us.momanda.cc/?dt_id=39578 Promo Code - PERINATAL Needed: https://thisisneeded.com/?utm_channel=Needed%20-%20Creator&irpid=4545739&irmpname=meg%40megdukelcsw.com&iradid=1770238&irgwc=1&utm_source=creator&utm_medium=4665719&utm_campaign=1654615&icid=XgjX7YUz7xyKUt1VqHVEd3AXUksxaM2IKTb5V00 Promo Code - PERINATALPODCAST Muse: https://choosemuse.com/pages/muse-2-offers?utm_source=4739&utm_medium=Affiliate&cppid=4739&cpclid=6ead105f2fb2454a87218286b4b5636f&utm_campaign=Amplify%20Wellness%20Coaching&utm_content= Promo Code - AMPLIFY WELLNESSThanks so much for joining me for this episode of The Perinatal Podcast. I'd love for you to write a review of my show on your app, and don't forget to subscribe so you get a notification when new content is posted. Take a moment to leave a 5-star rating, too! You can access additional mental wellness content and ad-free episodes by purchasing a monthly subscription at ⁠https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/theperinatalpodcast/subscribe⁠ or ⁠https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-perinatal-podcast/id1590957531⁠.Follow me at @AmplifyWellnessWithMeg on Instagram and find Meg Duke LCSW on Facebook. You can also look for The Perinatal Podcast content by searching the hashtag, #ThePerinatalPodcast. Our show is executive produced by David Presley and produced by Meg Duke. Our theme song was written and performed by Antwone McDuffie.

Description Ethan Buchman and Mia Winteher-Timaki join the Ethereal Forest crew to explore what Governance is good for, how it evolves, and how communities can harness it to draw power down to the local. With another cameo appearance by Will Szal.   Timestamps: 00:00 Introduction to Ethereum Localism 03:48 Redesigning Governance Systems 11:37 Understanding DAOs and Their Flexibility 23:01 Worker Cooperatives vs. DAOs 30:05 Governance in Cycles and Broader Implications 30:54 Reimagining Coordination: DAOs and Co-ops 32:19 Governance Decisions: The Complexity of Structure 34:02 Protopia: Embracing Positive Change 35:25 Urban Planning and Spatial Justice 49:01 Decentralization and Community Empowerment 01:03:34 The Future of Governance: Intentionality and Culture 01:05:16 closing note & outro     Ethan Buchman Cycles.money https://x.com/buchmanster https://x.com/informalinc Informal.systems   Mia Winther-Tamaki https://warpcast.com/miawintam https://x.com/miawintam https://miawinthertamaki.com/   Will Szal https://x.com/willszal https://regen.foundation/author/willszal/ https://origins.coop/ https://terra-genesis.com/ https://www.r3-0.org/   Learn more about Ethereum Localism Ethereumlocalism.xyz   This series is hosted by Ethereal Forest - https://x.com/EthForestDAO Macks - https://x.com/MacksWolf Josh - https://x.com/spexpdx6 Alex - https://x.com/haughtvalue

Alan explains why a system of employee-controlled businesses would solve economic and environmental problems better than either Trump's MAGA agenda or the policy proposals of the Democrats.01:08: The chief problems we face02:23: The MAGA agenda06:29: The Democratic agenda10:41: Why an agenda of worker control would work better13:39: The Mondragon Coops as a real-world example26:11: Initiatives in the U.S.

February 6, 2025 Everything Co-op inaugurates its Black History Month series. The theme for the 2025 Black History Month, as designated by the Association for the Study of African American Life and History (ASALH), is "African Americans and Labor." This theme emphasizes the significant and varied ways in which different forms of labor—both free and unfree, skilled and unskilled, vocational and voluntary—intersect with the collective experiences of Black people. Vernon begins his of African Americans and Labor in a discussion with Julian Hill, an abolitionist and lawyer who specializes in the solidarity economy. Julian Hill is an assistant professor at Georgia State University College of Law. Hill is a teacher, lifelong learner, community organizer, artist, and attorney who knows that the world we deserve, though both possible and necessary, is not inevitable. Hill regularly advises worker cooperatives, collectives, nonprofits, and small businesses on a range of matters, including governance, contracts, regulatory compliance, and corporate law matters. Hill is also known to partner with community-based organizations to co-facilitate political education and co-develop policies and campaigns. They have facilitated workshops, both in English and Spanish, on worker cooperatives and the solidarity economy with Law 4 Black Lives, the U.S. Federation of Worker Cooperatives, Democracy at Work Institute, the New York City Network of Worker Cooperatives, and the Federation of Southern Cooperatives, among others. They have prepared and delivered testimony before both the New York State Assembly and the New York City Council on issues facing worker cooperatives and small businesses in New York City. Hill is licensed to practice law in Georgia, New York and Washington, D.C.

December 26, 2024 Everything Co-op continues to highlight choices from its 2024 Holiday list. This episode features an interview with Adrian Roman, co-owner of Colmenar Cooperative Consulting (Colmenar). Adrian discusses how the Colmenar team leverages their experiences as immigrants and their skills in navigating diverse cultures, languages, systems, and life challenges to promote democratic governance and civic participation. Adrian is a cooperative organizer and believes that prioritizing the culture of the team and relationship to the community leads to resilient organizations that can adapt and care for those involved. Adrián feels that art is a way to shift culture and speak clearly about the state of our times. He is a co-owner of Colmenar Consulting Cooperative, a co-owner of Dorchester Art Project, a certified mediator, an authorized teacher of Full Presence Mindfulness and currently sits on the board of the US Federation of Worker Cooperatives and the Greater Boston Chamber of Cooperatives. He is from Miami, FL, of Cuban and Chilean descent and his culture and family history informs his approach.

Through a wave of innovative experimentation with worker cooperatives and closely related enterprise models, social and community entrepreneurs are including more workers in the economy. This event will feature a review of developments in the field from local experts, and include insights and actionable strategies for leaders in the non-profit, public, and higher education sectors interested in using these approaches to maximize their social impact.

10/9/24: Movers and shakers from Co-op Power, the Old Creamery Co-op, Real Pickles, River Valley Co-op, & UMass Five College Credit Union, Valley Alliance of Worker Cooperatives. Movers and shakers from Downtown Sounds, Flat Iron coffee house, Neighboring Food Co-op Ass'n, Our Family Farms, & PV Squared,

10/9/24: Movers and shakers from Co-op Power, the Old Creamery Co-op, Real Pickles, River Valley Co-op, & UMass Five College Credit Union, Valley Alliance of Worker Cooperatives. Movers and shakers from Downtown Sounds, Flat Iron coffee house, Neighboring Food Co-op Ass'n, Our Family Farms, & PV Squared,

September 12, 2024 Vernon conducts live interviews with Mavery Davis, Treasurer of the Board of Directors at the U.S. Federation of Worker Cooperatives, and Zen Trenholm, Director of Employee Ownership Cities and Policy at the Democracy At Work Institute, during the 2024 Co-op Worker Conference. They discuss the services offered by both organizations, as well as the various sessions and presenters at the conference. The Worker Co-op Conference is the only national event where worker-owners from across the United States gather to learn and build power together. For the last 20 years, this conference has brought together a thriving community of new, experienced, and aspiring entrepreneurs. The conference cultivates a network of interconnected and interdependent worker owners, business developers, policymakers, funders, and labor organizers, all driven toward a common goal of improving the lives of workers and their families. WCC24 will foster relationships and strategies within the worker co-op community and knit attendees closer to other labor movements. The United States Federation of Worker Cooperatives is the national grassroots membership organization for worker cooperatives. As a membership and advocacy organization, the Federation connects worker cooperative members to benefits, to each other and to the larger cooperative and economic justice movements. The Federation amplifies its members' voices to advocate for worker cooperatives at the local, state and national level, and provides consulting and technical assistance to cooperatives old and new. And through the education, training and organizing work of its partner organization, the Democracy at Work Institute, the Federation is committed to ensuring cooperative business ownership reaches those who need it the most. The Democracy at Work Institute expands the promise of cooperative business ownership to reach those communities most directly affected by social and economic inequality. It was created by the USFWC to ensure that worker cooperative development in economically and socially marginalized communities is adequately supported, effective, and strategically directed. It is the only national organization dedicated to building the field of worker cooperative development, through strategic research, creation of tools and standards, leadership development, direct technical assistance and advocacy for worker cooperatives as a community economic development strategy. The Institute brings both a birds-eye view of the national stage and an experiential on-the-ground understanding of cooperative business, making sure that our growing worker cooperative movement is both rooted in worker cooperatives themselves and reaches new communities of worker-owners.

August 8, 2024 This episode features an interview with Shevanthi Daniel-Rabkin, Senior Program Director of DAWI, and Theodora Rodine, Executive Assistant and Project Coordinator for the U.S. Federation of Worker Cooperatives. They will discuss the upcoming 2024 Worker Co-op Conference (WCC24), set to take place in Chicago, IL from September 12-14. Celebrating its 20th year, the Worker Co-op Conference has consistently united a vibrant community of budding, seasoned, and prospective entrepreneurs. This year's event will highlight the increasing trend of worker ownership in the U.S., alongside a revitalized effort for union organizing, steering the nation towards improved working conditions, better wages, and greater employee influence in the workplace. Shevanthi (Shev) Daniel-Rabkin is Senior Program Director of DAWI. Shevanthi provides strategic support on program implementation and growth for DAWI's conversion work with city municipalities, technical assistance providers, legacy business owners and consulting services. Shevanthi comes to DAWI after successfully launching and implementing worker cooperative management certificate programs, as well as a city focused cooperative education and incubation program at the Center for Inclusive Entrepreneurship. Shev is passionate about the intersection of sustainable business and economic development with particular emphasis on direct impacts for people of color. Shevanthi co-founded the O'Dell Education Center, a nonviolence direct action and leadership academy in Washington State, owned and operated by the Institute for Community Leadership. She currently serves on the board of Refugee Women's Alliance (ReWA) and served as Executive Board President at the Center for Women in Democracy, strengthening women's capacity and leadership in the public and private sectors. Shevanthi has an MBA in Sustainable Business from Pinchot University and BA in History and Anthropology from University of Washington. Theodora Rodine is the Executive Assistant and Project Coordinator for the U.S. Federation of Worker Cooperatives. She works on coordinating technical support for co-ops, helps plan conferences and events, and supports the Executive Director. Theodora grew up in San José, California and has lived in South Philadelphia ever since graduating from Haverford College in 2019. She is a member of the Philadelphia Public Banking Coalition and the Philadelphia Area Cooperative Alliance (PACA) Policy and Advocacy Committee, and she attends Central Philadelphia Monthly Meeting. Theodora is an extrovert who loves talking, theatre, and the color yellow. She would like to learn more about policy, decolonization, dogs, and local hiking trails. About the Worker Co-op Conference The Worker Co-op Conference is the only national event where worker-owners from across the United States gather to learn and build power together. The conference is co-hosted by Democracy at Work Institute (DAWI) and the U.S. Federation of Worker Cooperatives as the organizations celebrate their 10th and 20th anniversaries respectively. The conference cultivates a network of interconnected and interdependent worker owners, business developers, policymakers, funders, and labor organizers, all driven toward a common goal of improving the lives of workers and their families. WCC24 will foster relationships and strategies within the worker co-op community and knit us closer to other labor movements.

Guests:   Olga Prushinskaya and Jamie Pockrandt, Democracy at Work Institute  Summary: The second most common form of employee ownership in the United States is the worker cooperative where workers participate in both the financial success and governance of the firms. Today there are over 750 worker cooperatives in the United States, which is triple the amount that existed in 2012. How do we know these numbers? Unlike the number of ESOPs which can be tracked using publicly available data generated by the government, there is no public entity that tracks worker cooperatives. Instead, it has been nonprofit groups that have filled in this gap in knowledge. On this episode I speak with Olga Prushinskaya and Jamie Pockrandt of the Democracy at Work Institute, a national organization committed to worker cooperative development – which includes gather data on worker cooperatives. We talk about their soon to be released State of the Sector report and what it found regarding worker cooperatives as well as other projects they have been working on which aim to better understand the impact that employee ownership is having on workers, companies, and communities.   Further Material  Learn about DAWI's work here: https://institute.coop/   Existing datasets mentioned in the show: https://institute.coop/core-research     Guest Info:   Jamie Pockrandt, Data Architect, Democracy at Work Institute:   Email: jpockrandt@institute.coop | Phone: (415) 379-9201 Ext. 19  Olga Prushinskaya, Metrics and Impact Analyst  Email: olga@institute.coop | Phone: (415) 379-9201 Ext. 17    SUPPORT THE SHOW: We make all episodes of Owners at Work free and never place them behind a paywall. But they take time and money to produce. Consider making a DONATION today to help keep our work going.   WE WANT TO HEAR FROM YOU: We are always looking for new employee ownership stories to tell. Please contact us with your story at oeoc@kent.edu   ---------------------------------------------------------------------        

July 4, 2024 Vernon interviews Julian Hill, an abolitionist and lawyer specializing in the solidarity economy. Vernon and Julian explore key insights from Julian's experience working with cooperatives, collectives, nonprofits, and small businesses. Julian Hill is an assistant professor at Georgia State University College of Law. Hill is a teacher, lifelong learner, community organizer, artist, and attorney who knows that the world we deserve, though both possible and necessary, is not inevitable. Hill regularly advises worker cooperatives, collectives, nonprofits, and small businesses on a range of matters, including governance, contracts, regulatory compliance, and corporate law matters. Hill is also known to partner with community-based organizations to co-facilitate political education and co-develop policies and campaigns. They have facilitated workshops, both in English and Spanish, on worker cooperatives and the solidarity economy with Law 4 Black Lives, the U.S. Federation of Worker Cooperatives, Democracy at Work Institute, the New York City Network of Worker Cooperatives, and the Federation of Southern Cooperatives, among others. They have prepared and delivered testimony before both the New York State Assembly and the New York City Council on issues facing worker cooperatives and small businesses in New York City. Hill is licensed to practice law in Georgia, New York and Washington, D.C.

The US Federation of Worker Cooperatives recently turned twenty years old. Clearing the FOG speaks with Dr. Jessica Gordon-Nembhard, a professor and author of "Collective Courage: A History of African-American Cooperative Economic Thought and Practice," and a charter member of the USFWC, about the work to create a national cooperative organization and the rise of the cooperative economy in the United States. She spoke about the role that cooperatives have played in advancing social and economic justice, the benefits of cooperatives not only to the individual but also more broadly to their communities, and the history of cooperatives that preceded the rise of capitalism and also how cooperative economies offer a better alternative to capitalism. For more information, visit PopularResistance.org.

Cindy Houlden, a Cooperative Development Specialist with the Nebraska Cooperative Development Center at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, joins to discuss g a pressing issue facing rural Nebraska and much of the country – the challenge of aging in place and the innovative solutions being developed to address it. Houlden shares insights from her recent article on the establishment of the Homecare Worker Cooperative Academy and how it's helping communities like Arapahoe find sustainable ways to support their elderly residents. Read more: https://cap.unl.edu/rural/aging-place-rural-nebraska-homecare-worker-cooperatives More about the Nebraska Cooperative Development Center: https://ncdc.unl.edu.

Esteban Kelly, Executive Director of the US Federation of Worker Cooperatives, joins Dru Oja Jay to discuss the state of the worker cooperative movement, the ecological approach to organizing, the evolution of equity discourse and its neglected revolutionary origins, and more. The USFCW: https://www.usworker.coop/en/ Unlikely Advocates: Worker Co-ops, Grassroots Organizing, and Public Policy: https://nonprofitquarterly.org/unlike...

Louder Than Ten is a Vancouver-based Project Management Training and Consulting company. L>10 was founded by Rachel and Travis Gertz, and for the past 14 years, everything they have done has been centered around fostering healthy and humane ways of working together and managing projects. There aren't many organizations in the digital agency space that have taken the time to develop their own project management manifesto. It is truly a unique place and now, as they do, Rachel and Travis have cranked up the volume just a scosche higher by converting their company into a Worker Owned Cooperative. This means that folks who have been working with them for a long time (like Abby Fretz: https://on.soundcloud.com/H6TJq) as well as new employees who join Louder than Ten will have an option to purchase a stake in the company and become an equal partner. This is a far cry from the sweatshop grind-it-out approach that many agencies take and it is definitely unique in the context of what is happening in the field of project management today. In this episode of the podcast, Rachel and Travis join me to talk about what led to this decision, why they made it, and what it means for the future of Louder Than Ten. This podcast was originally recorded with video. You can find that version here: https://youtu.be/mFLfeDYhgE0 If you'd like to learn more about how to turn a business into a worker owned coop, here are some links: Worker Cooperative - Wikipedia Entry: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Worker_cooperative Canadian Worker Cooperative Federation: https://canadianworker.coop/ United States Federation of Worker Cooperatives: https://www.usworker.coop/en/ Democracy at Work: https://institute.coop/ Contacting Rachel and Travis Web: https://louderthanten.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/louderthanten/ Rachel LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/rachel-gertz-trainer Travis LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/travisgertz

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Welcome to our annual EO/ESOP Podcast Summer School series. We selected some of our favorite episodes over the past year for your enjoyment while we spend the rest of our summer catching our breath and working on launching our exciting Season 7, beginning in September 2023. In this episode, Bret Keisling was joined by worker-owners Alex Fischer and Andrew Stachiw who discuss USFWC's (US Federation of Worker Cooperatives) efforts to network and grow worker co-ops in Vermont to further societal goals including economic, racial, and social justice, and working in business as anti-capitalists. Further show notes, and all of our past episodes, are available on our website at https://www.theesoppodcast.com/post/esop-summer-school-25-growing-worker-co-ops-in-vermont

May 25, 2023 Julian McKinley, Senior Communications Director, at Democracy At Work Institute (DAWI), discusses DAWI's work with the US Federation of Worker Cooperatives to track, measure, and support worker co-ops through research, and the launch of its bi-annual census with Robert McClinton and Pat Thornton. DAWI staff are excited, because when the results of the census are evaluated, they will be able to look at 10 years of worker co-op data for the first time in history. Julian McKinley leads DAWI's communications initiatives in support of its work to expand worker ownership. He is a passionate and mission-driven storyteller with deep roots in community empowerment and economic development, previously leading organizational storytelling and strategic communications around community and systems-level economic change at United Way of Central and Northeastern Connecticut and Capital Institute. Julian began his career as a community news editor in Connecticut, where he founded and managed operations of multiple hyperlocal news websites. Julian is also a certified Master Composter and founder of Rockaway Waste Ed, a community organization helping local nonprofits and community gardens divert food waste, rebuild soil, and increase access to nutrient-dense food through compost management, education, and consultation. He lives in the Rockaways, Queens, New York, and holds a bachelor's in communications from Springfield College (Mass.).

TL:DR If you're short on time, here are seven minutes of soundbites from Omar Friella - the Bronx-based social entrepreneur, movement builder, and founder of Collective Diaspora, the growing global community of Black cooperatives & Black-led cooperative support organizations. If you do have the time, on a run, cycle, or drive, check out the full episode, it is evident that desire, belief, and action we all have the power of self-determination.If you enjoy the show, please share, follow us, like us on your podcast player, and subscribe on YouTube as it helps us grow our audience. Thanks to Marianna Koval for the connectionABOUT OMAR Omar Freilla is co-founder and steering committee member of Collective Diaspora, a global community of Black cooperatives & Black-led cooperative support organizations. Omar is a serial trailblazer, social entrepreneur, and movement builder dedicated to community self-determination and regenerative economies.Drawing from his experiences growing up in the South Bronx and witnessing struggles for community empowerment, he has dedicated himself to creating just and regenerative economic systems. Omar's time with the NYC Environmental Justice Alliance and Sustainable South Bronx inspired him to utilize cooperatives as a vehicle for transformative economic development.He established Green Worker Cooperatives and launched the first worker cooperative business accelerator in the United States, pioneering innovative approaches to cooperative development. Omar co-founded several local and national cooperative support organizations, including the U.S. Federation of Worker Cooperatives, the Democracy At Work Institute, and the NYC Network of Worker Cooperatives. This interview opened my eyes to the potential of new worker-led economic models for historically marginalized and economically exploited communities. It also made me re-evaluate the privileges I've experienced.Thanks to Marianne KovalWhat We Discuss00:00 Intro 00:36 Early realization of inequity 03:54 The case for a solidarity economy 07:19 Omars goal for 2030 Social Links Linkedin Twitter Collective DiasporaLinks The Bronx Black Panther partyYoung Lords Green Worker CooperativesU.S. Federation of Worker Cooperatives,Marcus Garvey Malcolm X Seed Commons Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

TL:DR If you're short on time, here are seven minutes of soundbites from Omar Friella - the Bronx-based social entrepreneur, movement builder, and founder of Collective Diaspora, the growing global community of Black cooperatives & Black-led cooperative support organizations. If you do have the time, on a run, cycle, or drive, check out the full episode, it is evident that with desire, belief, and action, we all have the power of self-determination.If you enjoy the show please share, follow us, like us on your podcast player, and subscribe on YouTube, as it helps us grow our audience. Thanks to Marianna Koval for the connectionABOUT OMAR Omar Freilla is co-founder and steering committee member of Collective Diaspora, a global community of Black cooperatives & Black-led cooperative support organizations. Omar is a serial trailblazer, social entrepreneur, and movement builder dedicated to community self-determination and regenerative economies.Drawing from his experiences growing up in the South Bronx and witnessing struggles for community empowerment, he has dedicated himself to creating just and regenerative economic systems. Omar's time with the NYC Environmental Justice Alliance and Sustainable South Bronx inspired him to utilize cooperatives as a vehicle for transformative economic development.He established Green Worker Cooperatives and launched the first worker cooperative business accelerator in the United States, pioneering innovative approaches to cooperative development. Omar co-founded several local and national cooperative support organizations, including the U.S. Federation of Worker Cooperatives, the Democracy At Work Institute, and the NYC Network of Worker Cooperatives. Omar is also an adjunct lecturer at the City College of New York, serves on the City of New York's Environmental Justice Advisory Board, and is a member of New York State's Just Transition Working Group.This interview opened my eyes to the potential of new worker-led economic models for historically marginalized and economically exploited communities. It also made me re-evaluate the privileges I've experienced. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Omar Freilla is co-founder and steering committee member of Collective Diaspora, a global community of Black cooperatives & Black-led cooperative support organizations. Omar is a serial trailblazer, social entrepreneur, and movement builder dedicated to community self-determination and regenerative economies.Drawing from his experiences growing up in the South Bronx and witnessing struggles for community empowerment, he has dedicated himself to creating just and regenerative economic systems.This interview opened my eyes to the potential of new worker-led economic models for historically marginalized and economically exploited communities. It also made me re-evaluate the privileges I've experienced.What We DiscussWhat we discuss 00:00 Intro 02:50 Who is Omar?03:50 Who or what made him? 06:50 The impact of Neoliberalism on marginalized Communities 08:50 A defining memory that affected his life direction 17:50 Nature or nurture impact on his development 21:30 Early activism against apartheid25:20 Early ambitions 27:30 Becoming environmentally conscious 30:50 Activism triggered by the Rodney King beating 34:35 Seeking out new economic alternatives in Cooperatives40:50 The lack of Venture funding for cooperatives43:40 Creating new Benchmarks for Return on Investment45:10 What Omar is working to achieve with Collective Diaspora49:45 Forming a Cooperative Business 54:00 Becoming a Fellow of Echoing Green 1:00:30 Imperative for Black and Latin Cooperatives 1:07:54 Omar's ambitions for 2030 1:10:00 Raising funding 1:16:00 How to become part of the Collective Diaspora 1:18:00 Remaining resolute 1:19:45 Omar's gifts 1:20:40 What he's complimented for1:22:00 Omar's advice for anyone wanting to support Social Links Linkedin Twitter Collective DiasporaLinks The Bronx Black Panther partyYoung Lords Green Worker CooperativesU.S. Federation of Worker Cooperatives,Marcus Garvey Malcolm X Seed Commons Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

For the first time in history, the number of Americans 65 and older now exceeds the number of Americans five and under, according to census data. As the U.S. population continues to age, many rural communities are facing a lack of elder care facilities, forcing those in need of care to relocate to a larger community. Last year, the Nebraska Cooperative Development Center – or NCDC – at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, launched a six-week Homecare Worker Cooperative Academy in partnership with the Northwest Cooperative Development Center in Washington State. The program aims to address the potential elder care crisis by supporting the development of local homecare worker cooperatives that provide in-home care in rural communities. Cindy Houlden, cooperative development specialist with the University of Nebraska-Lincoln's Nebraska Cooperative Development Center, discusses the issues facing long-term senior care in rural communities and the benefits of worker cooperatives for homecare workers and the community. Read more: https://cap.unl.edu/rural/homecare-worker-cooperatives-aim-support-aging-place-rural-nebraskahttps://cap.unl.edu/rural/homecare-worker-cooperatives-aim-support-aging-place-rural-nebraska.

On today's show we learn about worker cooperatives: what are they and can they offer an alternative to the dominant capitalist mindset? Our partner podcast Upstream brings us to a bike and skate shop in Richmond, CA that's providing a much-needed service to its community, while also empowering its own workers, in this story that first aired in 2018.

Please join us for a LIVE Q&A with the hosts of the All Things Co-op podcast on Friday, January 27! Learn more and RSVP: https://www.democracyatwork.info/ask_live_all_things_co_op In this episode of All Things Co-op, Kevin talks to movement lawyer and Clinical Law Professor Julian Hill. Julian's research and teaching focuses on how law can be used as a tool to support the solidarity economy and social movements. Kevin and Julian discuss Julian's background and how they got involved in cooperatives and the solidarity economy, what a movement lawyer is, the many contradictions of laws and lawyering, what the solidarity economy needs in order to grow, some resources around co-ops and movement lawyering for interested listeners to explore, and more. About our guest: Julian Hill is currently an assistant professor at Georgia State University College of Law, but they're also a lifelong learner, community organizer, artist, and attorney. Julian joined Georgia State after completing a two-year fellowship as a Clinical Teaching Fellow and Supervising Attorney with the Social Enterprise and Nonprofit Law Clinic at Georgetown University Law Center. They have also partnered with community-based organizations to co-facilitate political education and co-develop policies and campaigns, facilitating workshops, both in English and Spanish, on worker cooperatives and the solidarity economy with Law 4 Black Lives, the U.S. Federation of Worker Cooperatives, Democracy at Work Institute, and the New York City Network of Worker Cooperatives, among others. To learn more: https://law.gsu.edu/profile/julian-m-hill/ To learn more about the Solidarity Economy Graphic: https://designforsustainability.medium.com/thriving-communities-the-solidarity-economy-464ef874f51f

Please support our Patreon.  For early and ad-free episodes, members-only content, and more.Chris Wright is a historian and socialist,  the author of “Worker Cooperatives and Revolution” and "Popular Radicalism and the Unemployed in Chicago during the Great Depression." We discuss the myth of American moderation and also how identitarian movements are often framed in an exclusivist way to actually promote that myth while also seeming radical. Links mentioned: Race Reductionism Threatens to Doom the LeftMarxism and the Solidarity Economy: Toward a New Theory of RevolutionCrew:Host: C. Derick VarnAudio Producer: Paul Channel Strip  ( @aufhebenkultur )Branding Design: Djene Bajalan and C. Derick VarnIntro and Outro Music by Bitter Lake.Intro Videos Design: Jason Myles, Dejene Balajan  Support the show

On this episode of City Works, Laura Flanders speaks to Rebecca Lurie, LaRay Brown, and NYC Council Member Sandy Nurse about the recent enthusiasm surrounding worker cooperatives and their potential to build more just workplaces.

Dru Oja Jay is joined by Mo Manklang of the US Federation of Worker Cooperatives to discuss recent changes to federal legislation championed by various cooperative organizations, and how laws can be changed further. Mo is the Communications Director and Policy lead at the U.S. Federation of Worker Cooperatives, a board members of the Philadelphia Area Cooperative Alliance and the Sustainable Business Network of Philadelphia. CHIPS act update: https://www.usworker.coop/blog/the-usfwc-applauds-the-spotlight-on-worker-co-ops-in-the-chips-and-science-act/ Other policy updates from USFCW: https://www.usworker.coop/blog/category/policy * * * Podcast links: https://anchor.fm/halfpastcapitalism Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/halfpastcapitalism Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/HalfPastCapitalism Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/druojajay Half Past Blog: http://halfpast.dru.ca/

Worker-owned cooperatives are known to have a strong tradition and legacy in Europe, with Mondragon Corporation in Spain often stealing much of the international spotlight. Interest in worker-owned cooperatives is growing in the US, however, as people continue to look for ways to promote democracy in the workplace, create higher quality jobs, and build a more equitable economy. Alongside this interest is a growing body of research that has shown well-run cooperatives can be more resilient to economic shocks, experience less employee turnover, and achieve higher profit margins. Workers in cooperatives often benefit from better job security, equal or better pay than their peers, and more family-friendly workplaces. Today, worker-owned cooperatives span numerous industries in the US, from home health care to manufacturing to ride-sharing. Some regions in the US have started to invest in and build supportive ecosystems for worker cooperatives in attempts to revitalize economies and offer a more inclusive approach to economic development. Efforts are also underway across the country to support retiring business owners in converting their business to employee ownership, including conversions to worker cooperatives. Despite this momentum, worker-owned cooperatives are a very small part of the US economy, and growing the model can be challenging. Financing, a lack of awareness, and the complexity of democratic management pose barriers to the worker-owned cooperative movement. How can we address these barriers to support the growth of cooperatives in the US? What role can worker cooperatives play in creating higher quality jobs and a more inclusive economy? What can we learn from successful cooperatives abroad and domestically about what works? This event features a panel discussion with Hilary Abell (Project Equity), Sara Chester (The Industrial Commons), Esteban Kelly (U.S. Federation of Worker Cooperatives), Stacey Sutton (University of Illinois-Chicago), and moderator Maureen Conway (The Aspen Institute). It is the first discussion in a three-part series, “Employee Ownership's Moment: Discussions on Advancing Policy and Practice.” For more information about this event — including speaker bios, video, audio, transcript, and additional resources — visit: https://www.aspeninstitute.org/events/democratizing-work-the-role-opportunities-and-challenges-of-worker-cooperatives-in-the-us/

Bret Keisling is joined by worker-owners Alex Fischer and Andrew Stachiw who discuss USFWC's (US Federation of Worker Cooperatives) efforts to network and grow worker co-ops in Vermont to further societal goals including economic, racial, and social justice, and working in business as anti-capitalists. Alex and Andrew share their individual and combined passions for democratized workplaces and their beliefs that changing the very structures of jobs, equity and community will transcend society. Each guest also shares their EO A-ha Moment. Further show notes, and all of our past episodes, are available on our website at https://www.theesoppodcast.com/post/222-growing-worker-co-ops-in-vermont

In this episode, Kirk and Amanda interview Ander Etxeberria-Otadui, the head of Mondragon's cooperative outreach program. Mr. Etxeberria shares the unique and fascinating history of the Mondragon Corporation https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mondragon_Corporation, as we discuss the impact of solidarity on health and wellbeing. Mr. Etxeberria explains the importance of synergy between solidarity-based and business-minded decision-making within the corporation. We explore the effects of income inequality on safety and mental and physical health of workers and communities.

September 29, 2022 Everything Co-op continues its recognition of the 2022 Cooperative Hall of Fame Inductees. Vernon interviews Jessica Gordon-Nembhard, Ph.D., Professor at John Jay College, and Ajowa Nzinga Ifateyo, Co Editor at Grassroots Economic Organizing. Both are also economic social justice advocates. Vernon and his guests will discuss the Unsung Cooperative Hero Award, and its first recipient Ella Jo Baker. Author of Collective Courage: A History of African American Cooperative Economic Thought and Practice (2014), and 2016 inductee into the U.S. Cooperative Hall of Fame, Jessica Gordon-Nembhard, Ph.D., is a Professor at John Jay College, City University of NY. She is a political economist specializing in cooperative economics, community economic development, racial wealth inequality, Black Political Economy. She is a member of the Cooperative Economics Council of NCBA/CLUSA; the ICA Committee on Co-operative Research; an affiliate scholar with the Centre for the Study of Co-operatives, University of Saskatchewan; and past board member of Association of Cooperative Educators. Ajowa Nzinga Ifateyo is passionate about cooperatives as a community economic development tool and lifestyle strategy. She has an MBA and a Masters in Community Economic Development, and also earned a degree in Mass Media Arts from the University of the District of Columbia. She is a co-founder of the Ella Jo Baker Intentional Community Cooperative, an affordable housing cooperative in Washington, DC, and was a founding board member of the U.S. Federation of Worker Cooperatives. Ajowa has a wide range of experiences on various boards and is a long-time member of the Eastern Conference for Workplace Democracy. She also has a passion for working around internalized superiority/inferiority issues, and the role of love and spirituality in changing the world.

August 8, 2022: Esteban Kelly, Executive Director of the US Federation of Worker Cooperatives discusses the upcoming National Worker Co-op Conference, Worker Cooperative State of the Sector Report, and recently passed legislation. Esteban Kelly is the Executive Director at the US Federation of Worker Cooperatives. He is also an important leader and creative force in solidarity economy and co-op movements. He has served on numerous boards including the USFWC, the US Solidarity Economy Network, the National Cooperative Business Association (NCBA-CLUSA), and the Cooperative Development Foundation (CDF). He is a co-founder of the cross-sector Philadelphia Area Cooperative Alliance (PACA), and recently worked at the New Economy Coalition as Development Director and then Staff Director. Esteban is a mayoral appointee to the Philadelphia Food Policy Advisory Council, following eight years as a worker-owner at Mariposa Food Co-op institutionalizing its staff collective and expanding food access in West Philly. The United States Federation of Worker Cooperatives (USFWC) is the national grassroots membership organization for worker cooperatives. USFWC's mission is to build a thriving cooperative movement of stable, empowering jobs through worker-ownership. USFWC advances worker-owned, -managed, and -governed workplaces through cooperative education, advocacy and development.

In episode 13 of our Making Sense of #Crypto & #Web3 series, Life Itself's Rufus Pollock sits down with Stephen Reid to discuss worker cooperatives, DAOs and the potential of blockchain technology to facilitate institutional innovation. Stephen Reid is a teacher, technologist and coach devoted to the flourishing of Life on Earth. He has trained in the fields of complexity science, physics, software development, transformational coaching, meditation and plant medicine. He is currently teacher of the How to DAO, Tools for the Regenerative Renaissance, The Promise of Decentralisation and Introduction to web3 courses, and a member of the not-for-profit worker co-operative Dandelion Collective. Find out more about the Making Sense of Crypto & Web3 project: https://web3.lifeitself.us/ Learn more about Stephen: https://stephenreid.net/

Through the Portal is a podcast from the Social Justice Portal Project, a national collaborative think tank hosted by the Social Justice Initiative at the University of Illinois Chicago. Each month, grassroots activists and radical scholars will give voice to community struggles, national strategies and sustainable alternatives for the future. The guest speakers, who are also Portal Project participants, explore what it means to walk through the portal of the current moment by centering racial and social justice issues. On Episode 2, Dame and cohost Teresa Cordova of UIC talk Economic Democracy with Esteban Kelly. Esteban is Executive Director for the US Federation of Worker Cooperatives and is a worker-owner and co-founder of AORTA (Anti-Oppression Resource & Training Alliance), a worker co-op that builds capacity for social justice projects through intersectional training and consulting. He breaks down how building a worker coop might be easier than you think, the ways that we have to reclaim concepts of structure and organization from the capitalist class, and what he imagines the great labor awakening of today turning into. SHOW NOTES Learn more about Esteban's work - http://Aorta.coop Clark Arrington - https://www.heroes.coop/post/clark-arrington Philadelphia Area Cooperative Alliance - https://philadelphia.coop/ The Working World - https://www.theworkingworld.org/us/ The US Federation of Worker Cooperatives - https://www.usworker.coop/home/ Democracy at Work Institute - https://institute.coop/ The CIA reads French theory: on the intellectual labor of dismantling the cultural left - https://thephilosophicalsalon.com/the-cia-reads-french-theory-on-the-intellectual-labor-of-dismantling-the-cultural-left/ Cyborg Manifesto - https://theanarchistlibrary.org/library/donna-haraway-a-cyborg-manifesto ROC USA - https://rocusa.org/ EB PREC - https://ebprec.org/ Kensington Corridor Trust - https://kensingtoncorridortrust.org/ Collective Courage by Jessica Gordon Nembhard - https://www.psupress.org/books/titles/978-0-271-06216-7.html The Revolution will not be Funded - https://www.dukeupress.edu/the-revolution-will-not-be-funded When to Talk & When to Fight: The Strategic Choice between Dialogue & Resistance - https://bookshop.org/books/when-to-talk-and-when-to-fight-the-strategic-choice-between-dialogue-and-resistance/9781629638362 Dragonfly Partners - https://www.dragonfly-partners.com/ Learn more about the Portal Project: https://sjiportalproject.com/

Ayoke Williams, is a Program Manager for Guilded, a Freelance Co-op. She and Vernon discuss how Guilded leverages the power of pooled benefits, collective purchasing, and collective advocacy; to build agency, decision-making and economic power of freelance and gig economy workers. Guilded, is an initiative of the US Federation of Worker Cooperatives. Ajoke joins the Federation's team that provides tech development, fundraising, communications, project management, and consulting for artist and activist organizations. Originally from New Orleans, she has lived in several cities throughout the US and now resides in Silver Spring, Maryland. Although relatively new to the cooperative scene, she has been working on a means to bring equitable financing and access to capital to cooperative businesses throughout the Washington DC, Maryland, and Virginia area, or DMV. Previously, Ajoke worked with the DC Stakeholders Coop Association where she helped design and establish an online asset base to enhance cooperation within their network. She also established a digital online platform for lending pools between members of the Movement for Black Lives DC coalition and provided logistical and development support for a number of BLM campaigns during her time there. Ajoke is passionate about bridging the promise of cooperative business with the urgent social needs of black and brown people. As an aspiring credit union founder, she currently serves on the board of Appeal's Credit Union, and is a founder of Social Conscience PBC, a lending and tech consulting firm. Guilded, is a freelancer cooperative that focuses on the agency, decision making and economic power of the freelancer. Its vision is deeply informed by the work of the United States Federation of Worker Cooperatives (USFWC). Since 2004, the USFWC has leveraged the collective bargaining, scale, and organizing power of a national membership structure to pool benefits and build political and social influence for its members. Now, through Guilded, the USFWC is using its expertise to bring the power of pooled benefits, collective purchasing, and collective advocacy to freelance and gig economy workers. Guilded provides contract management, invoicing, guaranteed payments, tax preparation and access to supplementary health care - so that its members can focus on their businesses, instead of the process for doing business.

This week is a replay from July 2020.Worker Cooperatives have the potential to bring about an irreversible shift in the balance of wealth and power in BritainIn tonight's program we will be discussing the inspirational examples at home and abroad and explaining the Mechanisms to establish themResistance TV is a weekly show hosted by Chris Williamson the former Labour MP, Derby Council Leader and the founder of Resist Movement for a People's Party. With a socialist take on things we look at areas of concern for the left wing, Anti Racism, Anti Imperialism, MMT, Injustice, Britain's role in foreign affairs, 21st century Socialism, Alternative Media and more…Live Wednesday's on all our Social Media at 7pm and audio Podcast on Friday'sJoin Resist here: www.resistmovement.org.ukSupport us with a donation here: paypal.me/festivalofresistanceFollow Chris on Twitter @DerbyChrisW#WorkerCOOP #Cooperatives #WorkersCooperative

This conversation was recorded as part of Work Shouldn't Suck's https://www.workshouldntsuck.co/ethical-reopening-summit-2021 (Ethical Re-Opening Summit) that took place on April 27, 2021. There are a multitude of ways to share power, decision making, and leadership in organizations. In this episode, Aja Couchois Duncan, Hop Hopkins, Lauren Ruffin, and Jason Wiener explore several, as well as discuss what companies should keep in mind as they consider different ways of participatory leadership. Resources mentioned during session:“https://www.sierraclub.org/sierra/racism-killing-planet (Racism Is Killing the Planet)” by Hop Hopkins https://art.coop/ (Solidarity Not Charity - Grantmaking in the Solidarity Economy) Sustainable Economies Law Center's https://www.theselc.org/nonprofit_democracy_network (Nonprofit Democracy Network) https://www.usworker.coop/home/ (United States Federation of Worker Cooperatives) https://aorta.coop/who-we-are (Anti-Oppression Resource & Training Alliance) (AORTA) AJA COUCHOIS DUNCAN is a leadership coach, team engagement and strategic planning graphic facilitator and organizational development consultant of Ojibwe, French and Scottish descent. A Senior Consultant with Change Elemental, Aja has worked for almost 20 years in the areas of education, leadership and equity. Working with a broad range of clients from public and private universities, nonprofit organizations, national policy advocates, statewide arts organizations, to small businesses—she provides organizational capacity building expertise through needs assessments, program and/or strategy design and delivery, group facilitation, strategic communications and ROI/impact analysis. Aja has a strong background in diversity and social justice work, having provided diversity education, disparate impact analysis, diversity program evaluation and macro-level recommendations to improve equity and thus workplace climate and organizational performance. For nearly a decade, Aja was an active member of the Native American Health Alliance, an organization composed of University of California, San Francisco students, staff and faculty of Native descent working together to promote cultural understanding and an awareness of the health disparities affecting Native American/Alaskan Native peoples. With a small group of Native University of California staff, she created a development program designed to increase skills and promotional opportunities for employees of Native descent across the university system. She has led workshops for Native adults and youth to promote cultural values and identity through artistic expression. Previous professional roles have included leading creative writing workshops for under-served youth, working in the electrical and construction trades, serving as a meeting/conference planner, and leading nature programs in a state park. Aja is a certified co-active coach (CPCC) and holds a Master of Fine Arts (MFA) in creative writing from San Francisco State University and a Master of Arts (MA) in policy, organization and leadership studies from Stanford University, where she is a member of the Stanford Native American Alumni Association. A writer and sometimes visual artist, Aja is interested in connecting the often disparate realities of spirit and mater, flora and fauna. When not at Change Elemental, you can find Aja writing or drawing. She also enjoys running in the hills with her dog, yoga and a daily meditation practice which begins with an expression of gratitude to her ancestors and ends with an enthusiastic shout out to the extraordinary miracle of her toes. HOP HOPKINS is Director of Organizational Transformation at the Sierra Club, where he works to ensure that Sierra Club campaigns and programs protect those most affected by climate change and environmental degradation and promote economic justice. Hop was also a certified Arborist, a Master Gardener and has earned a Permaculture Design Certificate. He has...

#gdb2021 | Saverio Cuoghi conversa con GIUSEPPE GUERINI, Presidente CECOP – European Confederation of Worker Cooperatives, Social Cooperatives and Social and Participative Enterprises Le parole chiave di questo episodio:Esperienze di cooperazione innovative | solidarietà allargata | Berlino | piattaforme cooperative | Luoghi | Poli Territoriali di economia collaborativa | Artigiani | Agricoltori | Consumatori | Economia di Territori e Luoghi | Sostenibilità in forma organizzativa | generazioni | Patrimonio intergenerazionale | Innovazione. | Ruolo dei giovani nelle coop | Coop di mezza età | Nuove competenze | Finanza | Digitalizzazione | Mentalità | Dati come bene comune | Dati oggetto dello scambio mutualistico | Dati privati | Democrazia economica | Biodiversità | Socio digitale Questo episodio, insieme agli altri della Serie Speciali, sono curati e realizzati da Innovazione2020.it in esclusiva con e per le Giornate di Bertinoro, promosse da Aiccon“GENERAZIONI. La sfida della Sostenibilità Integrale” è il tema dell'edizione 2021 che, attraverso conversazioni, riflessioni, relazioni e anteprime di dati vuole esplorare e promuovere questa prospettiva interrogandosi innanzitutto sul senso dell'agire e riflettendo sui dilemmi etici che stanno alla base di una nuova visione di sviluppo. Tendere alla Sostenibilità Integrale implica allargare lo spettro della sostenibilità, andando oltre le “Colonne d'Ercole” dell'ottimizzazione dei processi, fino ad includere integralmente il fattore umano.L'iniziativa, promossa da AICCON (Associazione Italiana per la Promozione della Cultura della Cooperazione e del Non Profit), da oltre 20 anni riunisce i protagonisti del mondo accademico, dell'economia sociale e delle istituzioni insieme ad una community di studenti e giovani imprenditori sociali, per riflettere e conversare sui temi dell'economia civile.

Join Haymarket and Jewish Currents for a discussion about what the Jewish left learned from Occupy Wall Street. This fall, the tenth anniversary of Occupy Wall Street also marks a decade since what came to be known as “Occupy Judaism,” a loose series of ritual protests that emerged at Zuccotti Park and at other Occupy encampments around the country. The most visible of these took the form of a Kol Nidre, the evening service that marks the beginning of Yom Kippur, which fell on October 7th in 2011, a few weeks into Occupy Wall Street's short history. As the holiday approached, a group of Jewish participants in the nascent movement, led by organizer Daniel Sieradski, began planning a service to be held in a plaza across the street from Zuccotti Park. The event that is remembered as Occupy Yom Kippur drew hundreds of people and attracted considerable press attention, registering a new current in American Jewish life. Occupy Yom Kippur, and the broader activities of Occupy Judaism, turned out to presage a much larger wave of left Jewish movement-building. Though most Jewish organizers at Occupy were not involved in Occupy Judaism, or in Jewish organizing more generally, many of the founders of organizations like IfNotNow first came together in Zuccotti Park; the movement's energy also revitalized already-existing groups like Jews for Racial and Economic Justice (JFREJ). Ten years ago, identity-based organizing occurred only on Occupy's fringes, and anti-racist and anti-imperialist organizing, including around the occupation of Palestine, was pushed outside the movement's frame altogether. But in the years since, Occupy's limitations have impelled a generation of organizers to try to rectify its omissions, galvanizing anti-racist organizing in the US and a new wave of Palestine solidarity activism. Following a Jewish Currents oral history on the same topic, this event will explore how the contemporary Jewish left was changed—perhaps, formed—by Occupy Wall Street ten years ago. Speakers: Daniel Sieradksi is a web developer and digital strategist as well as an advocacy journalist, digital organizer, and movement-builder. He has worked with a variety of organizations, including Repair the World, JTA News, JDub Records, the JCC in Manhattan, the Educational Alliance, Jewish Funds for Justice, and the New Israel Fund. Sieradski is the former publisher of the pioneering weblog Jewschool.com and the founder of Occupy Judaism. Tamara Shapiro (Tammy) is the Program Director for the NYC Network of Worker Cooperatives. Previously she was one of the lead coordinators of Occupy Sandy, a citizen-led relief effort, as well as Rockaway Wildfire and Worker Owned Rockaway Cooperatives, a worker-owned coop incubation project with residents hit by the hurricane. She also served as a lead strategist and facilitator of the InterOccupy network, created and implemented a networked hub structure for The People's Climate March, and worked at The Murphy Institute for Labor Studies. Prior to these roles, she was the first Director of J Street U, and one of the founders of IfNotNow. Audrey Sasson is the Executive Director of Jews for Racial & Economic Justice, and the organization's first Mizrahi leader to serve in the position. She has 25 years of broad movement experience as a social worker, organizer, coalition-builder, and campaign director, on issues ranging from immigrant worker struggles and tenant rights to sustainable economies and racial justice. Arielle Angel is the editor-in-chief of Jewish Currents. This event is sponsored by Haymarket Books and Jewish Currents. Watch the live event recording: https://youtu.be/le12N2Q06t0 Buy books from Haymarket: www.haymarketbooks.org Follow us on Soundcloud: soundcloud.com/haymarketbooks

On the show this week, Chris Hedges discusses worker cooperatives with Niki Okuk, activist and founder of the worker cooperative Rco Tires. Okuk founded Rco Tires in 2012. They've since recycled more than 300 million pounds of rubber, diverting 70 million gallons of oil from landfills, and with 16 employees, making it one of southern California's largest sustainability plants. Rco Tires creates alternative uses for trash tires, turning them into new products. Because of Okuk's progressive hiring and management practices, the cooperative provides stable jobs for local black and Latino residents who struggle to find employment because of past criminal convictions or their legal status.

Worker cooperatives are worker owned and democratically controlled businesses. They have been shown to lower pay disparities and demonstrate resilience in the face of crisis. But how do they run on a day-to-day basis? How can you start one or transform an existing business into a cooperative model? What potential do cooperatives have for strengthening our economy and our food system? This episode addresses these questions and more. Commissioner Jonnel Doris of New York City's Department of Small Business Services provides essential tips and resources for any New Yorkers interested in starting a cooperative. Steph Wiley and Karna Ray, worker-owners at the Black-led food distribution cooperative Brooklyn Packers, share their experience operating under this model as well as their vision for a more equitable food system. Learn more about becoming a worker cooperative and get resources at owner2owners.nyc or call (646)363-6592.Have a question you want answered? Email us at question@heritageradionetwork.orgThis episode was produced in partnership with our friends at TD Bank. This project is funded in part by a Humanities New York CARES Grant with support from the National Endowment for the Humanities and the federal CARES Act. This program is also supported, in part, by public funds from the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs, in partnership with the City Council.The Big Food Question is powered by Simplecast.

This week, we talk about the various challenges and opportunities to starting a cooperative. We get into how cooperatives are organized, some history on the Mondragon corporation and its spin-offs, receive practical insight into starting a cooperative, and touch on 3d printing and zero marginal cost production along the way. Patrick Conlon is the director of development with the non profit WORCS (Worker Ownership Resources & Cooperative Services). - WORCS website: https://workercooperatives.org/ - WORCS IG: @worcsusa MTT Youtube channel: www.youtube.com/channel/UCLmWCo0scKeHd1mrZGhYmZg Don't forget to support us on Patreon: www.patreon.com/MarxistThinkTank?…OCX7pNZcQT6j2_BM4 Or you can buy us a coffee here: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/MarxThinkTank To submit a news tip or to get in contact with us, e-mail: Admin@marxistthinktank.org Join us in applying innovative problem solving regarding various issues we touch on in the show at: www.facebook.com/groups/412590279348444 Editing: Sean Music: Shone Sanchez Theme: Sviridov - Time Forward Host: Oscar Bastille Executive Producer: Reggie Truman

Dr. Lisabeth Ryder, founder of WORCS, Worker Ownership Resources and Cooperative Services, discusses the Merits of Worker Ownership Cooperatives. Dr. Lisabeth Ryder has been a mechanic, small business owner, university teacher and anthropologist, plus a database analyst and computer programmer. She has also been a life-long social justice, environmental and human rights activist, who has been involved in both community and political organizing. She has worked for organized labor over two decades, having worked for both SEIU and AFSCME. She has been involved in cooperatives since the early 1970's. Dr. Ryder is co-founder and co-owner of LUCI LLC, a developer and incubator of worker cooperatives in Southern California, and co-chairs the Union Co-op Council for the US Federation of Worker Cooperatives. She is a graduate of the University of California, Los Angeles.

Episode #58 Notes1:00 - Esther West, open mic on Latinx coop growth in the US.Books and ResourcesLatinX Coop Power in the US, UW Center for CoopsCollective Courage, Jessica Gordon NembhardDemocracy at Work InstituteSustainable Economies Law Center

Arianna Gass is a theater-maker who primarily occupies the multimedia theater space. They are a worker-owner of Obvious Agency, an artist cooperative in Philadelphia known for creating interactive live performance. They are also currently pursuing a PhD at the University of Chicago which we talk extensively about. This was an enlightening conversation for me and really exposed me to areas of theatre and performance theory that I did not know much about before today. For a full transcript of this episode visit beyondthelightspodcast.comMentioned in this Episode[00::02:20] Stella Adler Teen Conservatory [00:04:56] Vasser College Experimental Theater [00:05:55] Barnes Foundation[00:10:15] Obvious Agency and Creative Cooperative Futures[00:11:53] Applied Mechanics[00:11:54] Headlong Dance Theater[00:09:55] Ninth Planet[00:13:15] New York Theater Workshop[00:14:11] Ivo Van Hove [00:16:17] Barnes Jawnt [00:18:50] Bicycle Coalition[00:18:53] Black and Brown Workers Cooperative[00:19:11] US Federation of Worker Cooperatives[00:19:17] Girls Rock Philly[00:28:21] Hamletmachine [00:29:13] The Wooster Group[00:29:14] The Wooster Group's HamletFollow AriannaWebsiteTwitterFollow Obvious AgencyWebsiteFollow Beyond the LightsWebsiteFacebookTwitterInstagram

Dr. Lisabeth Ryder, founder of WORCS: Worker Ownership Resources and Cooperative Services appears on Everything Co-op. Vernon and Dr. Ryder discuss her live of advocacy, and the fundamentals of worker cooperatives. Dr. Lisabeth Ryder has been a mechanic and small business owner, a university teacher and anthropologist, plus a database analyst and computer programmer. She has also been a life-long social justice, environmental and human rights activist, and has been involved in both community and political organizing. She has worked for organized labor over two decades, having worked for both SEIU and AFSCME. She has been involved in cooperatives since the early 1970’s. She is a co-founder and co-owner of LUCI LLC, a developer and incubator of worker cooperatives in Southern California and co-chairs the Union Co-op Council for the US Federation of Worker Cooperatives. She is a graduate of the University of California, Los Angeles.

Recorded on May 5th 2021. Check out my YouTube & Twitch channel for live streams and other content.

Unions and Worker Cooperatives are two forms of worker organizations focused on fighting for justice in solidarity. However, Unions and Coops fulfill different functions. What similarities do they share? What can they learn from one another? And how can they work together to achieve the goa of worker emancipation? In this episode of All Thing Co-op, Larry, Cinar and Kevin discuss these questions.

Rebecca Lurie is on faculty with the Urban Studies Department and the founder of the Community and Worker Ownership Project at the City University of NY School for Labor and Urban Studies. She is a founding member of the worker-owned cooperative, New Deal Home Improvement Company. She joins the Future Works to discuss worker cooperatives across New York, how the worker focused approach is growing opportunity and can aid in statewide economic recovery. Interested in learning more: International perspective on cooperative models Report from NYC Initiative The Working World financing and training

Niki Okuk, Downtown Crenshaw Board Chair, and Damien Goodmon, Downtown Crenshaw Board Member, discuss plans for the acquisition and redevelopment Baldwin Hills Crenshaw Plaza. The historic Crenshaw Mall being acquired through Downtown Crenshaw Rising, a community nonprofit established to purchase and redevelop the mall. Downtown Crenshaw plans to reinvent the mall as an “urban village.” The 40-acre site will be used to create worker owned businesses, community space, cooperative housing and much more. Niki Okuk attended Audubon Middle school in South LA and went on to complete her degree in Economics at Columbia University, a Masters from the Nanyang University in Singapore, and a certificate in Sustainability at MIT Sloan School of Business before returning home to start a green-collar business in Compton. Rco Tires existed for nearly a decade as an example of black woman owned small business, employing dozens of formerly incarcerated community members, recycling millions of pounds of tire rubber into new products and creating decent, dignified, and democratic workplaces in South LA, which she talked about in her 2017 TED talk, "Fire the Boss". “Niki and her mom, Lis Ryder, are co-founders of LUCI (Los Angeles Union Cooperative Initiative). Lis, together with Mary Hoyer, is a co-founder of the Union-Coop Council, part of the U.S. Federation of Worker Cooperatives. Both the USFWC Union Coop Council and LUCI are closely aligned with the 1worker1vote movement.” Niki continues to work at the intersection of sustainability, industry and environmental justice and is currently serving on the leadership team for Downtown Crenshaw Rising, the ambitious community led effort to purchase and redevelop the historic Crenshaw Mall 40-acre site into a thriving urban village under collective and cooperative models which will house, employ, stabilize, and nurture the Crenshaw community for generations to come. Damien Goodmon, a 27-year Leimert Park resident, has been labeled a “visionary” by the LA Times, recognized as one of the L.A.’s “100 Most Influential African-Americans” by the LA Wave Newspapers, chosen beside former LA Mayor Richard Riordan and actress Drew Barrymore for the 2009 “LA People” issue of LA Weekly, and is a lead subject of the award-winning documentary “Beyond the Echo of the Drum,” which premiered at the prestigious Cannes Film Festival. As a nonprofit executive director he has led some of the Crenshaw and Black Los Angeles' most impactful community advocacy campaigns. As a political operative he has managed, led departments and advised electoral campaigns from the school board level up to the presidential. As an executive management consultant and systems thinker, he has built, reconstructed and managed multiple large companies and departments, including some with over 400 employees, and successfully guided complex projects and partnerships, featuring actors with divergent interests. A graduate of L.A. Loyola High School, he has studied at the University of Washington and Harvard University programs.

With 60 million LatinX people living in the Unites States and 1.3 million LatinX business owners and having 1 in 4 new business created by a person from Latinx community its quite remarkable to see how it takes twice as longer as a white male to earn the same.. ...Cooperatives are a way to combine resources to create and redistribute wealth for better accessibility be it in grocery, library or businesses within marginalized communities . Its a means of empowerment to create power , dignity and equitable society. Esther West brings a long-time passion for worker co-ops and community development in her role as Cooperative Development Specialist at the University of Wisconsin Center for Cooperatives. Bringing insights from various urban planning experiences prior to joining the Center, Esther researches co-op ecosystems and Latinx cooperatives. Bringing five years of first-hand worker ownership experience from Equal Exchange, Esther provides technical assistance to co-op start-ups.She has been Co-Facilitator for the Eastern Coordinating Committee for the Eastern Conference for Workplace Democracy, a Trainer with Green Worker Co-ops in the Bronx, and Equal Exchange’s Education Committee Co-Chair.Esther currently is a board member of MadWorC and was recently elected as vice president of the board of the US Federation of Worker Cooperatives."Creation" was an apt name for creating power, wealth and accessibility within underserved populations in the US. Creating a vision of worker owned coops for more equitable and just society .. A powerful resource for more information about Esther's work that gives an overview and a toolkit to start Co-op is:https://uwcc.wisc.edu/research/latinx-cooperative-research/

Dr. John A. McNamara, Senior Cooperative Development Specialist at Northwest Cooperative Development Center, discusses Cooperative development, and Co-op Metrics. John joined NWCDC in the Spring of 2014. Prior to coming to NWCDC John garnered 26 years of practical experience in the worker cooperative world with Union Cab of Madison. John holds a Ph.D. in Business Administration and a Masters in Management: Cooperative and Credit Unions, from Saint Mary’s University (Halifax). As a student researcher, and assisted in the development of the Co-op Index Report, a tool for measuring co-ops against the values and principles of cooperation. John also taught a summer course on worker cooperatives at The Evergreen State College (2014-2018) and at Presidio Graduate School in their Cooperative Management Certificate program. He co-edited a collection of essays on measuring co-operatives available as an e-book at no cost from the Cooperative Difference. John also serves as Chair of the Union-Coops Council of the US Federation of Worker Cooperatives. NWCDC is a not-for-profit, 501(c)(3), organization devoted to assisting new and existing cooperative businesses in every sector with a special emphasis on Resident Owned Communities, home care agencies, and converting existing businesses into worker-owned or community-owned cooperatives.

All Things Co-op welcomes Esteban Kelly, the Executive Director for the US Federation of Worker Cooperatives for a fascinating glimpse into the work of USFWC, and his thoughts on both national and international strategies for growth in the cooperative movement. Esteban talks USFWCs education and training and their advocacy and organizing work, how they measure their success, and much more.  Learn more about the US Federation of Worker Cooperatives Esteban Kelly is the Executive Director for the US Federation of Worker Cooperatives, and is an important leader and creative force in solidarity economy and co-op movements. He has served on numerous boards including the USFWC, the US Solidarity Economy Network, the National Cooperative Business Association (NCBA-CLUSA), and the Cooperative Development Foundation (CDF). He is a co-founder of the cross-sector Philadelphia Area Cooperative Alliance (PACA), and recently worked at the New Economy Coalition as Development Director and then Staff Director.

Mo Manklang, Policy Director at the U.S. Federation of Worker Cooperatives discusses findings of the Federation's survey, "Worker Co-ops: Weathering The Storm of COVID-19 and Beyond," and how those those findings will shape the work ahead toward building a stronger economy. As Policy Director, Mo Manklang leads policy efforts at the federal level, works with its membership on state and local initiatives, and heads up health benefits initiatives. She has been convening people in cooperatives and social impact for the past twelve years in a variety of roles, including five years with local news and events group Generocity.org. Mo is a founding board member of the Philadelphia Area Cooperative Alliance, the Media and Marketing Committee of the Kensington Community Food Co-op, the Policy Committee of the Sustainable Business Network. She is also the co-founder and organizer of The Bechdel Test Fest, an annual festival highlighting women and transgender comedians in Philadelphia.

How do we create a more just, sustainable world? Zen Trenholm, Program Manager with the Democracy at Work Institute, joins All Things Co-op to talk about cooperatives as an economic solution that goes beyond band-aid solutions. In this episode we discuss various co-op ecosystem development models across cities in the US. Zen Trenholm is a Program Manager with the Democracy at Work Institute (DAWI) building capacity, partnerships, and resources to scale democratic employee ownership across the country. He currently leads the Shared Equity in Economic Development Fellowship program (SEED) where he convenes and equips city and community leaders with tools and support to build equitable economies using employee ownership. Prior to DAWI he was an organizer for fossil fuel divestment, a director at the California Student Sustainability Coalition, and a co-founder of the Student Environmental Resource Center at UC Berkeley. The Democracy at Work Institute (DAWI) is not connected to us, Democracy at Work (d@w). It was created by the US Federation of Worker Cooperatives to ensure that worker cooperative development in economically and socially marginalized is supported, effective and strategically directed.

Club E Will be joined by Sue Crockett, Tom Crouse, Bruce Christensen, Benjamin Tsai and Dan MarkowitzOver the next 10 years, more than 2.4 million U.S. businesses owned by retiring baby boomers will change hands or dissolve and unfortunately studies show that more than half of all small business owners do not have a succession plan. Employee ownership is a business model in which employees collectively own a percentageof the business for which they work. Two of the main forms are Employee Stock Ownership Plans (ESOPs) and Worker Cooperatives. In both, employees are given a financial stake in the business. As the business prospers, employees prosper. Today’s session will provide the story of two businesses that converted to an employee ownership model and some of the basic technical aspects that went into the transition.Our Speakers: Sue Crockett, Tom Crouse, Bruce Christensen, Benjamin Tsai and Dan MarkowitzSue Crockett | scrockett@mnceo.orgSue is the Executive Director of MNCEO aimed to educate business owners and their employees on the benefits of employee ownership via Employee Stock Ownership Plans (ESOPs), worker cooperatives, and Employee Ownership Trusts (EOTs). It is our mission to turn the state of Minnesota into a place where every working person can also be an employee owner.Tom Crouse | tcrouse@happyearthcleaning.comTom Crouse has been a Writer and Editor in the Twin Cities of MN for nearly a decade under the pen name T. Martin Crouse. He’s worked for publications like “City Pages” and founded the indie publishing company Sic Semper Serpent in 2012. As a Salesman, he uses his copywriting talents for the greater good. After a leading role in converting Happy Earth Cleaning into a Co-op, Tom is dedicated to helping more businesses transform into an employee-ownership modelBruce Christensen| bchristensen@christensengroup.comBruce joined Christensen Group in 1979. He acquired the company in 1985 from Gene Christensen, the company’s founder. At Christensen Group, Bruce’s primary role is village elder and business succession. The company’s 2006 sale to the ESOP launched the financial phase of corporate succession. Bruce leads the company’s second phase - leadership succession. Benjamin Tsai | Btsai@nexuscp.orgBenjamin Tsai is Program Manager of The Worker Ownership Initiative (WOI) at Nexus Community Partners. This program assists with the conversion of privately-owned businesses into employee-owned co-ops. Our goal is to help business owners utilize employee ownership as a succession strategy, with the aim of keeping businesses and jobs rooted in local communities. Benjamin comes to Nexus with 17 years of experience in the cooperative sector. He co-founded The Hub Bike Co-op in 2002 and served as CEO and Development Coordinator. He has since moved on to work as a consultant for other co-ops and nonprofits.Dan Markowitz | dmarkowitz@boulaygroup.comDan Markowitz, CPA, is the leader of Boulay’s ESOP practice. He specializes in audit and other financial reporting engagements for public, private and ESOP-owned clients in a variety of industries including retail, engineering, professional services, real estate, and manufacturing and distribution. Dan analyzes business operations to provide recommendations for enhancing overall business performance, and he provides financial and consulting services to ESOP companies, including ESOP feasibility studies, ESOP sustainability projects, repurchase obligation studies, and managing annual ESOP administration. Dan also leads the due diligence team in evaluating the financial and operational reporting system of acquisition target companies, and he assists clients with merger and acquisition activities, including deal structuring, tax impact of transaction, and quality of earnings reports.

he world of employee ownership is made up of a vast array of stories, experiences, and journeys. Within this diversity, there are certainly differences, but also, in our view, an overriding commonality - broadened ownership of productive assets is good for employees, the businesses they work for, and the economy at large. In this episode we sit down with Kristen Barker of Coop-Cincy and Michael Peck of One Worker One Vote, to talk about how they are working to create a network of worker cooperatives with the aim of decreasing economic inequality and generating individual and community wealth. ***WE WANT TO HEAR FROM YOU!!!! CONTACT US*** oeoc@kent.edu ORGANIZATIONS AND CONTACT INFORMATION Co-op Cincy: https://coopcincy.org/ Kristen Barker: kristen@coopcincy.org  1 Worker 1 Vote: http://1worker1vote.org/ Michael Peck: mpeck@mapagroup.net       

Prisons, police and punishment through incarceration. Are they with us forever in the land of the free? Sustained campaigns for change are beginning to pay off. At the community level, it turns out that a whole lot of people and places already make peace without cops. Today, we imagine a world without prisons. It may be closer than we think.Note:  This episode originally aired the summer of 2019.  Guests:-Esteban Kelly, Executive Director, US Federation of Worker Cooperatives. He is also a founder and core trainer with AORTA, a worker co-op whose consulting supports organizations fighting for social justice and a solidarity economy-Kenyon Farrow,  Senior Editor, TheBody.com, and works with  Queers for Economic Justice, Critical Resistance, and FIERCE!-Kerbie Joseph, Community Organizer, ANSWER (Act Now To Stop War and End Racism) & The Audre Lorde Project Music in the Middle:  “If Everyone Were Blind”  by Victor Simonelli and Glenn Sweety G Toby, from the “Shelter From the Streets Compilation” courtesy of West Side and Stellar Records. In case you missed last week's related episode:  Special-Putting Public Safety in Public Hands: The Newark ModelIn February, Laura went to Newark to report on how the Street Team leverages community relationships to prevent violence, address abuse and transform trauma into power. The episode offers a timely glimpse of what it looks like when more responsibility for public safety is put in public hands.  Support the show and our new series Forward Thinking on Covid-19, and do support!  This shows in made possible by you.  Please support by becoming a Patreon partner today.

Mo Manklang, Communications Director at the U.S. Federation of Worker Cooperatives discusses the Federations response to the COVID-19 Pandemic, and feedback received from it members regarding how they are fairing. Mo also shares information regarding virtual offerings that are available to support cooperators including solidarity sessions, and worker cooperative information sessions. Mo Manklang is the Communications Director for the U.S. Federation of Worker Cooperatives. She leads policy efforts at the federal level, works with its membership on state and local initiatives, and heads up health benefits initiatives. She has been convening people in cooperatives and social impact for the past twelve years in a variety of roles, including five years with local news and events group Generocity.org. Mo is a founding board member of the Philadelphia Area Cooperative Alliance, the Media and Marketing Committee of the Kensington Community Food Co-op, the Policy Committee of the Sustainable Business Network. She is also the co-founder and organizer of The Bechdel Test Fest, an annual festival highlighting women and transgender comedians in Philadelphia.

David Hincapie, Economic Development Specialist at U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA); John Holdsclaw IV, Senior VP of Corporate Affairs at National Cooperative Bank (NCB); and Esteban Kelly, Executive Director, and Mo Manklang, Communications Director with the U.S. Federation of Worker Cooperatives talk about COVID-19 response on Everything Co-op. Vernon and his guests will discuss loan programs available in response to COVID-19, and the role worker cooperatives can play as we work though and establish recovery plans. During the first segment David Hincapie discuss SBA's Economic Injury Disaster Loan, and Paycheck Protection Program updates. In the second segment John Holdsclaw IV and Esteban Kelly, share how their organizations are responding to the pandemic, and in the third segment Mo Manklang joins the discussion to talk about the communications strategies that have been implemented by the U.S. Federation of Worker Cooperatives to keep its members property informed.

In this episode, we speak with guests Sabiha Basrai and Ricardo Nuñez about the plague of worker expendability in our current economy, and how worker owned-cooperatives are the cure. The coronavirus has only put into starker relief a problem we have always had--that the lives and well-being of many workers are considered disposable by the CEOs and shareholders of their employing corporations. So, how do worker-owned cooperatives give workers shared opportunity, rewarding careers, and the ability to make a living without cutthroat competition with each other? And how, in practical and legal terms, can folks start a cooperative for themselves?Host and Editor: L.M. Bogad: www.lmbogad.comMusic: Jason Montero https://m.soundcloud.com/jamoja, and by my other friend named JaySound effects clips from soundbible.comclip art from nicepng.comResources and organizations mentioned in this episode:Network of Bay Area Worker Cooperatives https://nobawc.org/US Federation of Worker Cooperatives https://www.usworker.coop/home/Center for Story-based Strategy and the 4th box thought exercise: https://www.storybasedstrategy.org/tools-and-resourcesDesignaction.orgSustainable Economies Law Center https://www.theselc.org/Co-oplaw.orgCalifornia's Law Office Study Program LikeLincoln.orgDemocracy at Work Institute https://institute.coop/Project Equity https://www.project-equity.org/

What common interests might faith and labor groups share? How might they partner with one another for realizing justice in the world? What's a worker cooperative and how does it differ from the capitalist workplace? All this and a whole lot of justice as we talk with Rosemarie Henkel-Rieger and Robert "Benny" Overton, co-directors of the South East Center for Cooperative Development in Nashville, Tennessee. Find their work and mission here: https://www.co-opsnow.org/ ~ Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/faithandcapital ~ Twitter: https://twitter.com/FaithAndCapital ~ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/faithandcapital/ ~ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/faithandcapital/ ~ Email: faithandcapital@gmail.com ~ Music by Cotter KoopmanSupport the show (https://www.patreon.com/faithandcapital)

Can worker cooperatives help prevent the silver tsunami? The threat of impending retirement of many business-owning baby boomers could result in the closure of businesses, loss of jobs, and loss of critical local services. Today, We were joined today by Executive Director of Democracy at Work Institute, Melissa Hoover. Democracy at Work Institute, the think-and-do-tank that expands worker cooperatives as a strategy to address economic and racial inequality. A leader in the worker ownership movement for over fifteen years, Melissa helped start and grow the United States Federation of Worker Cooperatives, the national grassroots membership organization for worker-owned businesses. She was a cooperative business developer for many years with the Arizmendi Association of Cooperatives in Oakland, doing business and capital planning for two startups, training cooperative members, and serving as CFO in the first year of each startup's operations. In 2018, Melissa was named an Executive Fellow of the Rutgers Institute for the Study of Employee Ownership and Profit Sharing. She currently sits on the Board of Directors of The ICA Group/Local Enterprise Assistance Fund, The Working World, and Safe Passages of Oakland, and serves as a strategic advisor to foundations, investors, nonprofits, local governments and other organizations that want to incorporate worker ownership into their economic development and community wealth-building programs. Originally from Kansas City, Melissa attended Stanford University on a full scholarship, earning a BA in History with a research focus on immigrant women's role building cooperative movements in the U.S.   To learn more about the Democracy at Work Institute, visit: https://www.institute.coop To learn more about Houston Money Week visit: www.Houstonmoneyweek.org http://www.cheatsheet.com/personal-finance/how-schools-can-improve-their-personal-finance-education.html/ Financial Advisor Magazine Articles: http://www.fa-mag.com/news/advisors-stay-the-course-amid-monday-s-market-drop-22864.html?section=3  http://www.fa-mag.com/news/on-it-s-80th-anniversaryadvisors-consider-social-security-s-impactfuture-22784.html?section=3 You can listen live by going to www.kpft.org and clicking on the HD3 tab. You can also listen to this episode and others by podcast at: http://directory.libsyn.com/shows/view/id/moneymatters or www.moneymatterspodcast.com #KPFTHOUSTON #HoustonMoneyWK #USFWC

Prisons, police and punishment through incarceration. Are they with us forever in the land of the free? Sustained campaigns for change are beginning to pay off. At the community level, it turns out that a whole lot of people and places already make peace without cops. Today, we imagine a world without prisons. It may be closer than we think. Music Featured: “If Everyone Were Blind” by Victor Simonelli and Glenn Sweety G Toby, from the “Shelter From the Streets Compilation” courtesy of West Side and Stellar Records. Guests: Esteban Kelly, Executive Director, US Federation of Worker Cooperatives and a founder and core trainer with AORTA; Kenyon Farrow, Senior Editor, TheBody.com, and works with Queers for Economic Justice, Critical Resistance, and FIERCE!; and Kerbie Joseph, Community Organizer, ANSWER (Act Now To Stop War and End Racism) & The Audre Lorde Project. Become a Patron at Patreon. That's also where you'll find research materials related to this episode along with links and more on our guests.

This week we're looking at building worker ownership in the economy from a policy perspective. Given new policies proposed by a host of Democratic Candidates, worker power and inequality are two topics very much on the policy agenda for the 2020 presidential race. Today we're talking about why worker ownership is a particularly unique strategy to addressing both of those challenges and the policies thus far that have entered the discourse. We're joined by Next System Project Policy Associate Peter Gowan, as well as Mo Manklang, Communications Director for the US Federation of Worker Cooperatives. Transcripts of all episodes are available at The Next System Podcast is available at www.thenextsystem.org/podcast.

The deep dive into Workers Cooperatives continues in the Cooperators Podcast.  Last week we talked with Esteban Kelly of the U.S. Federation of Worker Cooperatives. This week it's Melissa Hoover, executive director of Democracy at Work Institute, self described think and do tank that is doing a lot of thinking about worker cooperatives and how to form more of them, and how to position them to succeed.   Hoover throws out lots of big ideas in this podcast but a key thought is that just maybe for many of us, as home ownership becomes but a dream, the real way to personal equity is a share of a business. According to her for many workers that just may be a new, 21st century reality and it is a compelling driver for the belief that we will be seeing a surge in the numbers of new worker cooperatives. Many of those co-ops likely will be in service businesses. Healthcare. Home care. Gateway jobs into the economy and if the worker can also be an owner, how great is that. A technical point. We started this podcast using one service but ran afoul with technical difficulties.  In this podcast you will hear my recap of that short conversation.  And then you will hear the actual podcast recording - using a different service - with Hoover. I kept that four minute starter recording however. For those who want to hear it, here's the link.  It's audible but the clicks and strange noises are annoying.   The full Hoover DAWI podcast is here. Like what you are hearing? The Cooperators Podcast seeks sponsors and supporters to help us spread the word about cooperatives and how they often are the better way. Contact Robert McGarvey to find out what you can do to sustain this podcast.

Presented by Robert McGarvey. Listen in here That sound you hear just may be a tidal wave of worker owned cooperatives. At least that's what Esteban Kelly, executive director of the U.S. Federation of Worker Cooperatives, is hoping for and working for and dreaming about. He believes that just now be the time for worker owned cooperatives. Why? Because for so many of us our economic lives are grim. Income inequality is the economic buzz work du jour but it's just that old saying, the rich are getting richer and the poor, well, you know what's happening with them. Kelly says that in a decade maybe 0% of Americans will have zero assets. That's busted, baby. Worker ownership of businesses just may be the cure. And a lot of it is happening today. Retiring Baby Boomer entrepreneurs are selling their companies to their employees, often as a worker co-op. Home health workers are joining together and forming co-ops. So are cleaning crews. There's soaring recognition that it just is better to own a slice of the pie. Listen to this provocative half hour podcast. And know we have three or four more worker cooperative podcasts in the pipeline.  Now's the time to learn more about this movement. And The Cooperators Podcast is where to learn. Like what you are hearing? The Cooperators Podcast seeks sponsors and supporters to help us spread the word about cooperatives and how they often are the better way. Contact Robert McGarvey to find out what you can do to sustain this podcast.

Playing for Team Human today is platform cooperative activist, journalist, and author of Everything for Everyone: The Radical Tradition that Is Shaping the Next Economy, Nathan Schneider.With contemporary examples and historical context, Nathan makes the case that the co-op movement is not mere utopian idealism, but a very real and vital economic shift that is being harnessed for social good. It’s a conversation that embraces the co-op transformation as a path to a more just and equitable society and a more participatory approach to life overall.Douglas opens the show with a reflection on the limits of both our communication technologies and language itself. On Team Human, what matters is not just the content, but the context. Team Human is the “sound of engagement,” the “sound of solidarity.”If you enjoy this show, you might also like these episodes from our archive:Episode 68 on the P2P Foundation “The Commons is the Glue” w/ Stacco Troncoso. https://teamhuman.fm/episodes/ep-68-stacco-troncoso-the-commons-is-the-glue/Episode 03 with Esteban Kelly of the US Federation of Worker Cooperatives: https://teamhuman.fm/episodes/episode-03-esteban-kelly-solidarity/Episode 23 with Silvia Zuur of Enspiral: https://teamhuman.fm/episodes/ep-23-silvia-zuur/Episode 07 with Marina Gorbis from the Institute for the Future https://teamhuman.fm/episodes/episode-07-marina-gorbis/Episode 41 Richard D Bartlett from Loomio” https://teamhuman.fm/episodes/ep-41-richard-d-bartlett-there-is-no-enemy-team/For more on Nathan Schneider visit nathanschneider.info.Also mentioned on today’s show: Visit the New Economy Coalition https://neweconomy.net/and the P2P foundation https://p2pfoundation.net/Photo of Nathan by Emily HansenOn this episode you heard Fugazi’s “Foreman’s Dog” in the intro, Herkhimer Diamonds “Xmas Underwater” and our closing music is thanks to Mike Watt. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

This week Esteban Kelly of the United States Federation of Worker Cooperatives joins us to talk about his experience with cooperatives and his perspective on how they fit into a movement for systemic change. Subscribe to the Next System Podcast via iTunes, Soundcloud, Google Play, Stitcher Radio, or RSS.

In the second episode of the series on worker cooperatives, we build on the conversation that we began in Episode one, which explored how cooperatives can serve as a force to widen the spheres of democracy in our society. This second episode shifts the focus outward, exploring how cooperatives confront global capitalism. "Islands within a Sea of Capitalism" takes a deep dive into the Mondragon Cooperative Corporation—the largest network of federated cooperatives in the world. We take listeners on a journey through the Basque region of northern Spain where Mondragon is located, and explore Mondragon's successes and challenges through candid conversations with several worker-members at Mondragon headquarters and at various cooperatives within the federation. After presenting an in-depth exploration of the recent and mixed history of Mondragon from multiple perspectives—including a Marxist analysis—we travel across the Atlantic to Jackson, Mississippi, where an ambitious initiative is just getting underway. Cooperation Jackson is part of the same trans-local organizing movement that inspired Cooperation Richmond, which was featured in Episode one. Cooperation Jackson aims to be the Mondragon of North America. Featuring: Kali Akuno — Co-founder and co-director of Cooperation Jackson Gorka Espiau —Senior Fellow at the Agirre Lehendakaria Center at the University of the Basque Country Sam Gindin — Writer, director of research at the Canadian Auto Workers (retired) Professor of Political Science at York University (retired) Ander Exteberria — Cooperative dissemination at Mondragon Corporation Izaksun Ezpeleta — Worker/member at Fagor Electronics Andoni — Worker/member at Fagor Ederland. Music by: Chris Zabriskie Will Stratton Mississippi Sheiks Many thanks to Phil Wrigglesworth for the cover art, as well as to Ellie Llewelyn, Kenneth Rosales, and Neda Raymond for assistance with translation and voice over. Upstream is a labor of love — we couldn't keep this project going without the generosity of our listeners and fans. Please consider making a tax-deductible donation to Upstream. Thank you! www.upstreampodcast.org/support Support for this episode of Upstream was provided by The New Economy Coalition, a network of organizations imagining and building a future where people, communities, and ecosystems thrive. To get information about their upcoming CommonBound conference being held this June in St. Louis, visit commonbound.org For more from Upstream, visit www.upstreampodcast.org and follow us on social media: Facebook.com/upstreampodcast twitter.com/UpstreamPodcast Instagram.com/upstreampodcast You can also subscribe to us on Apple Podcast and Spotify: Apple Podcast: www.podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/up…/id1082594532 Spotify: spoti.fi/2AryXHs

In the second episode of the series on worker cooperatives, we build on the conversation that we began in Episode one, which explored how cooperatives can serve as a force to widen the spheres of democracy in our society. This second episode shifts the focus outward, exploring how cooperatives confront global capitalism. "Islands within a Sea of Capitalism" takes a deep dive into the Mondragon Cooperative Corporation—the largest network of federated cooperatives in the world. We take listeners on a journey through the Basque region of northern Spain where Mondragon is located, and explore Mondragon's successes and challenges through candid conversations with several worker-members at Mondragon headquarters and at various cooperatives within the federation. After presenting an in-depth exploration of the recent and mixed history of Mondragon from multiple perspectives—including a Marxist analysis—we travel across the Atlantic to Jackson, Mississippi, where an ambitious initiative is just getting underway. Cooperation Jackson is part of the same trans-local organizing movement that inspired Cooperation Richmond, which was featured in Episode one. Cooperation Jackson aims to be the Mondragon of North America. Featuring: Kali Akuno — Co-founder and co-director of Cooperation Jackson Gorka Espiau —Senior Fellow at the Agirre Lehendakaria Center at the University of the Basque Country Sam Gindin — Writer, director of research at the Canadian Auto Workers (retired) Professor of Political Science at York University (retired) Ander Exteberria — Cooperative dissemination at Mondragon Corporation Izaksun Ezpeleta — Worker/member at Fagor Electronics Andoni — Worker/member at Fagor Ederland. Music by: Chris Zabriskie Will Stratton Mississippi Sheiks Many thanks to Phil Wrigglesworth for the cover art, as well as to Ellie Llewelyn, Kenneth Rosales, and Neda Raymond for assistance with translation and voice over. Upstream is a labor of love — we couldn't keep this project going without the generosity of our listeners and fans. Please consider making a tax-deductible donation to Upstream. Thank you! www.upstreampodcast.org/support Support for this episode of Upstream was provided by The New Economy Coalition, a network of organizations imagining and building a future where people, communities, and ecosystems thrive. To get information about their upcoming CommonBound conference being held this June in St. Louis, visit commonbound.org For more from Upstream, visit www.upstreampodcast.org and follow us on social media: Facebook.com/upstreampodcast twitter.com/UpstreamPodcast Instagram.com/upstreampodcast You can also subscribe to us on Apple Podcast and Spotify: Apple Podcast: www.podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/up…/id1082594532 Spotify: spoti.fi/2AryXHs

In the second episode of the series on worker cooperatives, we build on the conversation that we began in Episode one, which explored how cooperatives can serve as a force to widen the spheres of democracy in our society. This second episode shifts the focus outward, exploring how cooperatives confront global capitalism. "Islands within a Sea of Capitalism" takes a deep dive into the Mondragon Cooperative Corporation—the largest network of federated cooperatives in the world. We take listeners on a journey through the Basque region of northern Spain where Mondragon is located, and explore Mondragon's successes and challenges through candid conversations with several worker-members at Mondragon headquarters and at various cooperatives within the federation. After presenting an in-depth exploration of the recent and mixed history of Mondragon from multiple perspectives—including a Marxist analysis—we travel across the Atlantic to Jackson, Mississippi, where an ambitious initiative is just getting underway. Cooperation Jackson is part of the same trans-local organizing movement that inspired Cooperation Richmond, which was featured in Episode one. Cooperation Jackson aims to be the Mondragon of North America. Featuring: Kali Akuno — Co-founder and co-director of Cooperation Jackson Gorka Espiau —Senior Fellow at the Agirre Lehendakaria Center at the University of the Basque Country Sam Gindin — Writer, director of research at the Canadian Auto Workers (retired) Professor of Political Science at York University (retired) Ander Exteberria — Cooperative dissemination at Mondragon Corporation Izaksun Ezpeleta — Worker/member at Fagor Electronics Andoni — Worker/member at Fagor Ederland. Music by: Chris Zabriskie Will Stratton Mississippi Sheiks Many thanks to Phil Wrigglesworth for the cover art, as well as to Ellie Llewelyn, Kenneth Rosales, and Neda Raymond for assistance with translation and voice over. Upstream is a labor of love — we couldn't keep this project going without the generosity of our listeners and fans. Please consider making a tax-deductible donation to Upstream. Thank you! www.upstreampodcast.org/support Support for this episode of Upstream was provided by The New Economy Coalition, a network of organizations imagining and building a future where people, communities, and ecosystems thrive. To get information about their upcoming CommonBound conference being held this June in St. Louis, visit commonbound.org For more from Upstream, visit www.upstreampodcast.org and follow us on social media: Facebook.com/upstreampodcast twitter.com/UpstreamPodcast Instagram.com/upstreampodcast You can also subscribe to us on Apple Podcast and Spotify: Apple Podcast: www.podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/up…/id1082594532 Spotify: spoti.fi/2AryXHs

The 21st century has seen an explosion in Worker Cooperatives—particularly since capitalism's 2008 crisis. In Part 1 of this 2-part series, we'll explore how worker co-ops present a radically different kind of ownership and management structure—one that has the power to bring democracy into the workplace and into the economy as a whole. We'll take a deep dive into the cooperatively owned and run bike/skate shop Rich City Rides, exploring how they have created a community hub that puts racial & economic justice front and center. We'll also take a trip to the Basque Country of northern Spain to explore how their rich cooperative environment compares to that of the United States and the San Francisco Bay Area specifically. Featuring: Richard Wolff - Economics professor emeritus at University of Massachusetts, Amherst,founder of Democracy at Work, and host of the weekly radio show Economic Update Gopal Dayaneni- Co-founder of Cooperation Richmond & Staff Member at Movement Generation Doria Robinson- Founder of Urban Tilth and Co-Founder of Cooperation Richmond Esteban Kelly - Executive Director of the US Federation of Worker Cooperatives Gorka Espiau - Senior Fellow at the Agirre Lehendakaria Center at the University of the Basque Country Najari Smith - Worker/member of Rich City Rides bike & skate shop Roxanne Villaluz - Worker/member of a cooperative bakery & pizzeria Sofa Gradin - Political Organizer and Lecturer in Politics at King's College in London Music: Jerry Folk Antwon The Roots of Orchis Many thanks to Phil Wrigglesworth for the cover art. Upstream is a labor of love — we couldn't keep this project going without the generosity of our listeners and fans. Please consider making a tax-deductible donation to Upstream. Thank you! www.upstreampodcast.org/support Support for this episode of Upstream was provided by The New Economy Coalition, a network of organizations imagining and building a future where people, communities, and ecosystems thrive. To get information about their upcoming CommonBound conference being held this June in St. Louis, visit commonbound.org For more from Upstream, visit www.upstreampodcast.org and follow us on social media: Facebook.com/upstreampodcast twitter.com/UpstreamPodcast Instagram.com/upstreampodcast You can also subscribe to us on Apple Podcast and Spotify: Apple Podcast: www.podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/up…/id1082594532 Spotify: spoti.fi/2AryXHs

The 21st century has seen an explosion in Worker Cooperatives—particularly since capitalism's 2008 crisis. In Part 1 of this 2-part series, we'll explore how worker co-ops present a radically different kind of ownership and management structure—one that has the power to bring democracy into the workplace and into the economy as a whole. We'll take a deep dive into the cooperatively owned and run bike/skate shop Rich City Rides, exploring how they have created a community hub that puts racial & economic justice front and center. We'll also take a trip to the Basque Country of northern Spain to explore how their rich cooperative environment compares to that of the United States and the San Francisco Bay Area specifically. Featuring: Richard Wolff - Economics professor emeritus at University of Massachusetts, Amherst,founder of Democracy at Work, and host of the weekly radio show Economic Update Gopal Dayaneni- Co-founder of Cooperation Richmond & Staff Member at Movement Generation Doria Robinson- Founder of Urban Tilth and Co-Founder of Cooperation Richmond Esteban Kelly - Executive Director of the US Federation of Worker Cooperatives Gorka Espiau - Senior Fellow at the Agirre Lehendakaria Center at the University of the Basque Country Najari Smith - Worker/member of Rich City Rides bike & skate shop Roxanne Villaluz - Worker/member of a cooperative bakery & pizzeria Sofa Gradin - Political Organizer and Lecturer in Politics at King's College in London Music: Jerry Folk Antwon The Roots of Orchis Many thanks to Phil Wrigglesworth for the cover art. Upstream is a labor of love — we couldn't keep this project going without the generosity of our listeners and fans. Please consider making a tax-deductible donation to Upstream. Thank you! www.upstreampodcast.org/support Support for this episode of Upstream was provided by The New Economy Coalition, a network of organizations imagining and building a future where people, communities, and ecosystems thrive. To get information about their upcoming CommonBound conference being held this June in St. Louis, visit commonbound.org For more from Upstream, visit www.upstreampodcast.org and follow us on social media: Facebook.com/upstreampodcast twitter.com/UpstreamPodcast Instagram.com/upstreampodcast You can also subscribe to us on Apple Podcast and Spotify: Apple Podcast: www.podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/up…/id1082594532 Spotify: spoti.fi/2AryXHs

The 21st century has seen an explosion in Worker Cooperatives—particularly since capitalism's 2008 crisis. In Part 1 of this 2-part series, we'll explore how worker co-ops present a radically different kind of ownership and management structure—one that has the power to bring democracy into the workplace and into the economy as a whole. We'll take a deep dive into the cooperatively owned and run bike/skate shop Rich City Rides, exploring how they have created a community hub that puts racial & economic justice front and center. We'll also take a trip to the Basque Country of northern Spain to explore how their rich cooperative environment compares to that of the United States and the San Francisco Bay Area specifically. Featuring: Richard Wolff - Economics professor emeritus at University of Massachusetts, Amherst,founder of Democracy at Work, and host of the weekly radio show Economic Update Gopal Dayaneni- Co-founder of Cooperation Richmond & Staff Member at Movement Generation Doria Robinson- Founder of Urban Tilth and Co-Founder of Cooperation Richmond Esteban Kelly - Executive Director of the US Federation of Worker Cooperatives Gorka Espiau - Senior Fellow at the Agirre Lehendakaria Center at the University of the Basque Country Najari Smith - Worker/member of Rich City Rides bike & skate shop Roxanne Villaluz - Worker/member of a cooperative bakery & pizzeria Sofa Gradin - Political Organizer and Lecturer in Politics at King's College in London Music: Jerry Folk Antwon The Roots of Orchis Many thanks to Phil Wrigglesworth for the cover art. Upstream is a labor of love — we couldn't keep this project going without the generosity of our listeners and fans. Please consider making a tax-deductible donation to Upstream. Thank you! www.upstreampodcast.org/support Support for this episode of Upstream was provided by The New Economy Coalition, a network of organizations imagining and building a future where people, communities, and ecosystems thrive. To get information about their upcoming CommonBound conference being held this June in St. Louis, visit commonbound.org For more from Upstream, visit www.upstreampodcast.org and follow us on social media: Facebook.com/upstreampodcast twitter.com/UpstreamPodcast Instagram.com/upstreampodcast You can also subscribe to us on Apple Podcast and Spotify: Apple Podcast: www.podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/up…/id1082594532 Spotify: spoti.fi/2AryXHs

Vernon and his guests discuss the evolution of housing cooperatives in Washington, D.C., the prospect of forming a federation of limited equity housing cooperatives, and the role cooperatives play in improving the quality of life for its participants. Ajowa Nzinga Ifateyo has been a co-editor of Grassroots Economic Organizing, (GEO) for more than 10 years. GEO, a 30-year-old publication, reports on cooperative developments around the world, and provides advocacy for alternative economic solutions. Her work with GEO has inspired her to research and think about ways to empower individuals to make personal changes to better organize and participate in cooperative/group entrepreneurial enterprises. Ajowa has nine years of experience on cooperative boards, including: Ujamaa Collective, the U.S. Federation of Worker Cooperatives, and the Eastern Conference on Workplace Development. In 2000, she and four other D.C. residents co-founded an affordable housing co-op for community organizers, the Ella Jo Baker Intentional Community Cooperative, in Washington, DC, where she served as treasurer and secretary-treasurer for about six years. Presently, Ajowa is researching how to effectively incorporate spirituality in the work of organizing co-ops. Amanda Huron is an Assistant Professor of Interdisciplinary Social Sciences in the Department of Political Science, History, and Global Studies at the University of the District of Columbia. She has conducted extensive research on cooperatives, and written several articles on the subject, including Creating a Commons in the Capital: The Emergence of Limited-Equity Housing Cooperatives in Washington, D.C. (Washington History, Fall 2014).

Vernon and his guests discuss the evolution of housing cooperatives in Washington, D.C., the prospect of forming a federation of limited equity housing cooperatives, and the role cooperatives play in improving the quality of life for its participants. Ajowa Nzinga Ifateyo has been a co-editor of Grassroots Economic Organizing, (GEO) for more than 10 years. GEO, a 30-year-old publication, reports on cooperative developments around the world, and provides advocacy for alternative economic solutions. Her work with GEO has inspired her to research and think about ways to empower individuals to make personal changes to better organize and participate in cooperative/group entrepreneurial enterprises. Ajowa has nine years of experience on cooperative boards, including: Ujamaa Collective, the U.S. Federation of Worker Cooperatives, and the Eastern Conference on Workplace Development. In 2000, she and four other D.C. residents co-founded an affordable housing co-op for community organizers, the Ella Jo Baker Intentional Community Cooperative, in Washington, DC, where she served as treasurer and secretary-treasurer for about six years. Presently, Ajowa is researching how to effectively incorporate spirituality in the work of organizing co-ops. Amanda Huron is an Assistant Professor of Interdisciplinary Social Sciences in the Department of Political Science, History, and Global Studies at the University of the District of Columbia. She has conducted extensive research on cooperatives, and written several articles on the subject, including Creating a Commons in the Capital: The Emergence of Limited-Equity Housing Cooperatives in Washington, D.C. (Washington History, Fall 2014).

Vernon interviews Esteban Kelly, educator, community organizer, and radical geographer. He's the current Board President of the Philadelphia Area Cooperative Alliance (PACA). He works for the New Economy Coalition, and is also a founder and worker-owner of AORTA, (Anti-Oppression Resource and Training Alliance, a worker co-op of educators whose facilitation and consulting strengthens cooperatives and social justice groups.

Vernon Oakes, host of Everything Co-op, interviews Hugh B. Price, Civil Rights Leader, Attorney, Author and Foundation Executive. Vernon and Hugh discuss his autobiography, and how the cooperative principles were interwoven throughout his family history. Hugh B. Price is a long-time civil rights leader, activist and public intellectual. As president of the National Urban League from 1994 to 2003, he launched the League's historic Campaign for African-American Achievement, spearheaded pressure on the federal government to combat police brutality and racial profiling, vigorously defended affirmative action, and helped repair frayed relations between the black and Jewish communities. He has been an editorial writer for the New York Times, senior vice president in charge of national production at WNET/Thirteen in New York City, and vice president of the Rockefeller Foundation. Recently Prince released his reflective autobiography, This African American Life (Blair, 2017). His numerous television appearances range from Meet the Press and The Newshour with Jim Lehrer to Charlie Rose and The O'Reilly Factor. Price is a fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, and a member of the American Philosophical Society. In the Fall of 2012 he taught a class at Princeton University, "Innovations in Urban Economic Development: Potential of Worker Cooperatives for Revitalizing Inner Cities and Reducing Poverty." He continues to be fascinated by how the cooperative business model is being used today.

Vernon interviews Melissa Hoover, founding Executive Director of the Democracy at Work Institute, and Anh-Thu Nguyen, Director of Special Projects for the Democracy at Work Institute. Vernon and his guests discuss the recent growth in worker cooperatives, worker cooperative initiatives being implemented at the city level across the country, the recent developments surrounding initiatives to develop cooperatives in New York City, and the many programs and resources that are offered through the Democracy at Work Institute. Melissa Hoover is the founding Executive Director of the Democracy at Work Institute, the think-and-do-tank that expands worker cooperatives as a strategy to address economic and racial inequality. A leader in the worker ownership movement for over fifteen years, Melissa helped start and grow the United States Federation of Worker Cooperatives, the national grassroots membership organization for worker-owned businesses. She was a cooperative business developer for many years with the Arizmendi Association of Cooperatives in Oakland, doing business and capital planning, training cooperative members, and serving as CFO in the first year of each startup's operations. She currently sits on the Board of Directors of The ICA Group/Local Enterprise Assistance Fund and The Working World, and serves as a strategic advisor to foundations, investors, nonprofits, unions, local governments and other organizations that want to incorporate worker ownership into their economic development and community wealth-building programs. Originally from Kansas City, Melissa attended Stanford University on a full scholarship, earning a BA in History with a research focus on immigrant women's role building cooperative movements in the U.S. Anh-Thu Nguyen is Director of Special Projects for the Democracy at Work Institute, where she leads the incubation of a transparent, ethical, and cooperative-led value chain within the textile and fashion industries. She was most recently Director at We See Beauty Foundation, where she supported women-led, worker-owned initiatives. Born and raised in Tampa Bay, Florida to Vietnamese parents, Anh-Thu early on developed a wide array of interests that led her to study Classics and Government at Georgetown University and earn her JD at the University of Texas School of Law. Her work experience includes luxury/artisan branding and marketing, international humanitarian law, transitional justice, and dental laboratory technology. year: 2017 genre: Speech (id 101) track: 4062017

Vernon and his guests discuss the evolution of housing cooperatives in Washington, D.C., the prospect of forming a federation of limited equity housing cooperatives, and the role cooperatives play in improving the quality of life for its participants. Ajowa Nzinga Ifateyo has been a co-editor of Grassroots Economic Organizing, (GEO) for more than 10 years. GEO, a 30-year-old publication, reports on cooperative developments around the world, and provides advocacy for alternative economic solutions. Her work with GEO has inspired her to research and think about ways to empower individuals to make personal changes to better organize and participate in cooperative/group entrepreneurial enterprises. Ajowa has nine years of experience on cooperative boards, including: Ujamaa Collective, the U.S. Federation of Worker Cooperatives, and the Eastern Conference on Workplace Development. In 2000, she and four other D.C. residents co-founded an affordable housing co-op for community organizers, the Ella Jo Baker Intentional Community Cooperative, in Washington, DC, where she served as treasurer and secretary-treasurer for about six years. Presently, Ajowa is researching how to effectively incorporate spirituality in the work of organizing co-ops. Amanda Huron is an Assistant Professor of Interdisciplinary Social Sciences in the Department of Political Science, History, and Global Studies at the University of the District of Columbia. She has conducted extensive research on cooperatives, and written several articles on the subject, including Creating a Commons in the Capital: The Emergence of Limited-Equity Housing Cooperatives in Washington, D.C. (Washington History, Fall 2014).

This week, a special holiday episode featuring conversations with Astra Taylor and Thomas Gokey of the Debt Collective plus worker cooperative organizer Esteban Kelly. We launched Team Human a little less than a year ago with little fanfare or promotion. Steadily we’ve assembled a formidable team of listeners via word of mouth, retweets, and person-to-person conversation. We’d like to take this week to introduce our more recent listeners to two conversations that set the tone for Team Human. Today’s show begins by going all the way back to very first Team Human interview with Astra Taylor and Thomas Gokey, co-founders of Strike Debt, Rolling Jubilee and most recently the Debt Collective. The Debt Collective is a direct action campaign that leverages the collective power of debtors, united together, against exploitative for-profit education and lending institutions in the US. Astra and Thomas give Team Human listeners a template for hacking real world systems and tapping into the power of solidarity. Join the collective at debtcollective.org. In the second half of today’s show, we revisit a conversation with executive director of the US Federation of Worker Cooperatives, Esteban Kelly. Kelly offers Team Human a unique vision of solidarity that begins in the place where we spend 40 (or more) hours a week… the workplace. We’ll learn how democratic workplaces and cooperative ownership foster the conditions for openness, inclusion, and ultimately, economic justice. Learn more about our first episode with Astra and Thomas here and episode #4 with Esteban here. Music in this episode: Fugazi : Foreman's Dog Mike Watt: beak-holding-letter-man , R.U. Sirius: President Mussolini Makes The Planes Run On Time, plus a Team Human original in the outro. Team Human is entirely supported by listeners. Click Support to donate. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

This panel explores the movement to create democratic sources of financing to enable communities to build a democratic, just and sustainable economy. It discusses the role of finance, fundamentals of non-extractive finance, and principles being used to develop a financial cooperative nationally, in close connection to grassroots front-line communities. CommonBound is a project of the New Economy Coalition (NEC), a USA based network of 150-plus organizations including PeoplesAction, 350.org, and the U.S. Federation of Worker Cooperatives. Check out the NEC at neweconomy.net/ - they also have a great youtube site - www.youtube.com/user/Efssociety/playlists NEC partnered on the conference with the Buffalo-based Crossroads Collective. Filmed at CommonBound 2016 in Buffalo, NY by the Extraenvironmentalists - www.extraenvironmentalist.com - If you like Behind the Lines, be sure to check them out on youtube, soundcloud, etc. - they have some brilliant stuff. Behind the Lines thanks NEC for permission to broadcast these recordings.

Is System Change Possible? Long-Term Strategies - with Esteban Kelly, Julie Matthaei and Gar Alperovitz. CommonBound is a project of the New Economy Coalition (NEC), a USA based network of 150-plus organizations including PeoplesAction, 350.org, and the U.S. Federation of Worker Cooperatives. Check out the NEC at http://neweconomy.net/ - they also have a great youtube site - https://www.youtube.com/user/Efssociety/playlists NEC partnered on the conference with the Buffalo-based Crossroads Collective. Filmed at CommonBound 2016 in Buffalo, NY by the Extraenvironmentalists - http://www.extraenvironmentalist.com - If you like Behind the Lines, be sure to check them out on youtube, soundcloud, etc. Behind the Lines thanks NEC for permission to broadcast these recordings.

Could the worker cooperative business model help low-income New Yorkers find well-paying, stable employment? In this episode, we speak with Professor Richard Wolff about the concept of worker coops, how they work and how he believes this method is better for both the employees and the economy as a whole. Then we meet a former CSS employee who started a successful worker coop of home health care aides in the Bronx in 1985 that is still going strong. We take a trip up to see this organization, the Cooperative Home Care Associates, and meet Juana Fuentes, current home care aide, worker-owner, and CHCA board member. Finally, we return to CSS to learn about a new application of the worker coop model that CSS is recommending as a way to bring meaningful employment to areas of New York where there is little opportunity.

Playing for Team Human is Esteban Kelly. Kelly is an exemplary leader in the movement for promoting solidarity and workplace democracy. While working with the Mariposa Food Co-op, Kelly founded the Food Justice and Anti Racism working group. He was also appointed by the Mayor of Philadelphia to the Philadelphia Food Policy Advisory Council. Currently, Esteban Kelly serves as Co-Executive director of the US Federation of Worker Cooperatives as well as a director of AORTA, the Anti- Oppression Resource and Training Alliance. Kelly is also a co-founder and current board member of the Philadelphia Area Cooperative Alliance (PACA). A complete bio highlighting Kelly’s commitment to embodying democratic principles of workplace democracy, social justice, and activism can be found at Kelly’s Bio Page at AORTA .Visit our Resources page for ways to start your own worker cooperative. There you’ll find case studies, how-to’s, and further inspiring information on solidarity movements and the effort to build a more democratic and just economy. Get bonus content on Patreon See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Playing for Team Human is Esteban Kelly. Kelly is an exemplary leader in the movement for promoting solidarity and workplace democracy. While working with the Mariposa Food Co-op, Kelly founded the Food Justice and Anti Racism working group. He was also appointed by the Mayor of Philadelphia to the Philadelphia Food Policy Advisory Council. Currently, Esteban Kelly serves as Co-Executive director of the US Federation of Worker Cooperatives as well as a director of AORTA, the Anti- Oppression Resource and Training Alliance. Kelly is also a co-founder and current board member of the Philadelphia Area Cooperative Alliance (PACA). A complete bio highlighting Kelly’s commitment to embodying democratic principles of workplace democracy, social justice, and activism can be found at Kelly’s Bio Page at AORTA .Visit our Resources page for ways to start your own worker cooperative. There you’ll find case studies, how-to’s, and further inspiring information on solidarity movements and the effort to build a more democratic and just economy. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Sarah Roberts went to one of CoFED’s first regional convergences as a representative of Co-Cycle. She went on to be a summer intern with the US Federation of Worker Cooperatives, where she translated their Worker Coop Toolbox into Spanish. She’s now working towards being a worker-owner at Box Dog Bikes in the San Francisco mission.

This week is US tax week, a good time to ask what will it take before we have a mass movement in the US offering economic alternatives. We explore this question with two guests who are in the trenches of the new economy movement. Stacy Mitchell is co-director of the Institute for Local Self-Reliance and directs its Community-Scaled Economy Initiative. She is the author of Big-Box Swindle: The True Cost of Mega-Retailers and the Fight for America's Independent Businesses. Esteban Kelly is the Co-Executive Director of the US Federation of Worker Cooperatives and a member of AORTA: The Anti-Oppression Resource and Training Alliance, a worker-owned cooperative devoted to strengthening movements for social justice and a solidarity economy. Also in this episode: it's five years since BP caused the largest environmental disaster in US history, and we show scenes from the devastation on the US Gulf Coast, and from private gatherings of oil company executives. Also in this episode, Laura talks about corporate crime, taxes, and the cost of doing business, big business's way.

The US economy continues to add jobs at a modest, yet steady pace. While job creation is a positive sign that the economy is beginning to heal, job reports in the last few months show low-wage sectors are predominantly the industries where people are finding work. In addition to low pay, other job quality issues — such as few benefits, part-time hours, and limited training and advancement opportunities — are becoming more common in many sectors as some companies seek to maximize shareholder returns at the expense of investing in their workforce. A number of businesses, however, are trying to buck these trends and show that businesses can create quality jobs for their workers and still succeed in the marketplace. Worker-owned cooperatives, B Corps companies, and businesses with employee stock ownership programs may offer ideas about ways to improve the returns to work. These models, however, are not without their challenges. Many worker-owned cooperatives have failed and some ESOPs have ended up hurting the workers they were designed to benefit. In this event, panelists have an honest discussion about these different approaches, including what it takes for these types of business models to succeed, the impacts of these models on profits and worker success, and what we can learn from these models that can apply to creating better jobs in our economy overall. This event features Steven Dawson (Strategic Advisor, PHI), Albert Fuller (CEO and Chairman, Integrated Packaging Corporation), Jamie Raskin (Maryland State Senator; Professor, Washington College of Law, American University), Camille Kerr (Research Director, The National Center for Employee Ownership), and moderator Lydia DePillis(Reporter for “Wonkblog,” The Washington Post). This event is part of the Working in America series, an ongoing discussion series hosted by the Aspen Institute Economic Opportunities Program that highlights an array of critical issues affecting low- and moderate-income workers in the United States and ideas for improving and expanding economic opportunities for working people. For more information, visit as.pn/workinginamerica. The Economic Opportunities Program advances strategies, policies, and ideas to help low- and moderate-income people thrive in a changing economy. We recognize that race, gender, and place intersect with and intensify the challenge of economic inequality and we address these dynamics by advancing an inclusive vision of economic justice. For over 25 years, EOP has focused on expanding individuals' opportunities to connect to quality work, start businesses, and build economic stability that provides the freedom to pursue opportunity. Learn more at as.pn/eop.

Republic Windows and Doors Company workers; *Ricky Maclin*, United Electrical Workers Local 10 Vice President; *Armando Robles*, United Electrical Workers Local 10 union President; *Denis Kelleher*, Center for Workplace Democracy Executive Director; *Franz** **Vandergroen, Sampat Weerasinghe, *Sarah Wells, Arizmendi Fourth Street members; *Paula*,  Arizmendi 4th Street candidate; *John Kusakabe*, Arizmendi Lakeshore member, *Tim Huet*, Arizmendi Association of Cooperatives co-founder; *Mikel Lezamiz*, Mondragon Director of Cooperative Dissemination; *Maria Jesus, *Mondragon worker/member;* Professor Fred Freundlich*, University of Mondragon researcher; *Ainara Uduando*, Lanki Institute Director For More Information: United Nations International Year of Co-operatives http://2012.coop/ Arizmendi Association of Cooperatives http://arizmendi.coop/ Mondragon Corporation http://www.mondragon-corporation.com/ENG.aspx Lanki Institute of Cooperative Research http://www.lanki.coop/home Network of Bay Area Worker Cooperatives (NoBAWC) http://nobawc.org/ US Federation of Worker Cooperatives http://usworker.coop/education Fairness at Republic http://www.ueunion.org/ue_republic.html National Cooperative Business Association http://www.ncba.coop/ United Electrical Workers http://www.ueunion.org/ Rainbow Grocery Cooperative http://www.rainbow.coop/ California Center for Cooperative Development http://www.cccd.coop/ Articles:  A Cooperative Manifesto by Tim Huet https://mail.google.com/mail/u/0/?shva=1#inbox Chicago Factory Occupiers Form Worker Cooperative http://truth-out.org/news/item/9500-republic-windows-and-doors-serious-materials-workers-form-cooperative Basque country's thriving big society http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2011/mar/30/basque-country-big-society-spain Richard D. Wolff: Can We Remake Our Workplaces To Be More Democratic? http://www.alternet.org/richard-d-wolff-can-we-remake-our-workplaces-be-more-democratic Steelworkers Seek Job Creation via Worker-Owned Factories http://beavercountyblue.org/2009/11/04/steelworkers-seek-job-creation-via-worker-owned-factories/ The post Making Contact – Making it Our Business: Co-ops on the Rise appeared first on KPFA.