This July, DAWI joined global leaders at the United Nations to spotlight the power of worker ownership ahead of the International Year of Cooperatives 2025.
Our Director of Strategic Partnerships, Anh-Thu Nguyen and our Board President, Christine Curella, brought DAWI’s perspective to the global stage: that worker ownership is not only a strategy for local resilience, but also a model for a more just economy worldwide.
Anh-Thu Nguyen, represented DAWI and the Worker Cooperative Business Development Initiative (WCBDI), highlighting how New York City has become a testing ground for municipal investment in worker ownership.
“New York City is a laboratory in many ways for what’s possible for municipalities across the country and across the world,” Anh-Thu shared. “Even in perhaps the most inequitable city in the world, investing in worker ownership creates an example of what it might look like to create a more equitable economy, a tide that lifts up all boats.”
Two key lessons from WCBDI resonated with the international audience:
- Owner to Owners Hotline: A COVID-era pilot that reached 5 million people, connected with 28,000 small business owners, and led 31 businesses to begin the process of conversion. This campaign showed both the demand for succession planning and the potential of worker ownership to preserve local businesses.
- Centering Excluded Workers: Today, more than 70% of worker-owners in New York City are women, many of them immigrants in sectors like home care, cleaning, and janitorial services. WCBDI has prioritized businesses led by immigrant workers and formerly incarcerated people, proving that worker ownership can create dignified jobs and transform industries.
Christine Curella emphasized how WCBDI serves as a “testing spot” for policymakers, showing effective ways to build worker-owned businesses, support hard-to-reach communities, and stand up alternatives to the status quo.
Watch the UN event here: UN Web TV Link
Learn more about the International Year of Cooperatives 2025 here: UN DESA page