Blog

Melissa Hoover: SSBCI Financing Sets Stage to Grow Employee Ownership Conversions (Fifty by Fifty)

In response to the reauthorization of the State Small Business Credit Initiative (SSBCI), Democracy at Work Institute has begun a conversation primarily within the field of worker cooperative practitioners about how we might meet this opportunity (see our press release with Employee Ownership Expansion Network). Here we offer some thoughts gathered from dozens of conversations with partners, including those in the Workers to Owners Collaborative, on framing the opportunity, the field’s capacity… more

How to Build a Democratic Workplace

Constructing a democratic workplace is similar to building a house. Both require a solid structure and ongoing attention. Just as a building won’t stand without four corner posts, neither will the workplace. If you want to create the fullest expression of democracy and the fullest productive potential for business success, all four corner posts must be strong. The four corner posts of a democratic workplace are: Power: Power can mean workers’ power… more

Rest In Power, Elandria Williams

Photo Credit: New Economy Coalition The cooperative community has lost a tremendous spirit this week with the passing of Elandria Williams, a visionary agitator and unparalleled educator. Elandria was an immense force within the new economy space - a huge, joyous spirit and a powerful organizer who served in so many capacities -- from the Highlander Center, to the PeoplesHub, to the founding board of The Democracy at Work Institute. We are… more

Black and brown employee ownership for the post-COVID economy (ImpactAlpha)

By Todd Leverette and Philip Reeves The murder of George Floyd and the heroic actions of movement organizers have once again exposed the social fragility created by this nation’s racist underpinnings. In an almost-poetic economic parallel, the Coronavirus pandemic has exposed decades of economic policy and investment practice that have left American workers, especially workers of color, with stagnant wages, declining wealth and little to no economic security. As the government struggles… more

Support Home Care Workers Responding to COVID-19

The following is a letter from Cooperative Home Care Associates and Opportunity Threads to build support for frontline worker -owners responding to COVID-19. Dear Cooperators, We need your help. These are unprecedented times and difficult for all of our communities. Adria Powell (president and CEO of Cooperative Home Care Associates) and I are working to try and get home care workers protective surgical masks. Our health care workers are on the front… more

A Note from Melissa Hoover on COVID-19 and DAWI's Status

Hello, partners and supporters of Democracy at Work Institute: We hope you are keeping well and healthy in all ways, as the COVID-19/coronavirus changes our lives and work, and as we wait to see how transmission will be contained in the U.S. Because so much of DAWI’s work is connected to other organizations, we are updating partners to share how we have been and are likely to be affected. We hope this… more

Employee Ownership Often Helps to Shape and Build Hot New Markets—Then What?

New Belgium Brewing helped build the burgeoning craft beer market by shaping best practices in it: a quality product, consistent innovation, ethics and sustainability at the fore — and employee ownership at the core. Employee-owned companies have had an outsized role in building the market for craft beers, the same hot market that eventually gobbled up New Belgium. Click here to read Melissa Hoover's take on what we can learn from the… more

Thirty-Three Receive Participatory Management Certificate

By Rebecca Bauen, Director of Education and Training Democracy at Work Institute, in partnership with Rutgers University School of Management and Labor Relations, recently hosted a five-day Certificate in Participatory Management for managers and worker-owners from across the country. The partnership represented the evolution of DAWI's work to support the development of stronger worker-owned and worker-managed businesses throughout the U.S. Thirty-three participants from across the country joined us for the week-long program… more

Remembering Sherman Kreiner

By Rebecca Bauen, Directo r of Education and Training The worker co-op, employee ownership, and community investment world lost a giant this summer with the passing of Sherman Kreiner in Winnipeg. He died of leukemia, complicated by fibromyalgia, after a long hard fight. In the l980's, Sherman supported his wife Cindy Coker, and Teresa Mansell, the co-founders of Childspace in Philadelphia, to structure their worker cooperative using an innovative non-profit/coop hybrid. This… more

House Committee on Small Business passes the Main Street Employee Ownership Act with bipartisan support

“While it’s wonderful to think that family members will take over the business – this doesn’t always happen,” said Small Business House Committee Ranking Member Rep. Nydia M. Velázquez. “It is anticipated that many of these businesses will be bought by a rival, while others will be forced to close altogether, leaving empty Main Streets and hard-hit local economies. I am pleased that the bill we passed will help empower employees to… more