Event Description: Join us for “The Social Media Compass,” part of the LevelUp Coops Workshop Series. This virtual lunch and learn session, led by social media expert Sandy De Jesus, will help worker cooperatives navigate the essentials of social media marketing. What You Will Learn: • Introduction to Social Media Marketing: Basics and importance for… Read more »
Big News! 🚀 Roger Cawdette, AI visionary and CEO of Village, joins us at the LevelUp Coops: Generative AI Lunch & Learn Webinar on March 28. Dive deep with Roger as he explores: Cutting-edge AI tools like ChatGPT & Midjourney: See them in action! The mechanics behind large language models: How do they work? The… Read more »
Celebrate Lunar New Year with the Renaissance Small Business Capital Pavilion This February 26, 2024, mark your calendars for an exclusive event that promises to illuminate the path to business growth and sustainability. Hosted by the Renaissance Economic Development Corporation and proudly sponsored by the ICA Group, this gathering is a must-attend for NYC business… Read more »
Cooperative
Providence, Rhode Island
Industry: Café
Founded: 2000
Converted to Employee-Owned: 2021
Employees: 14
Website: http://whiteelectriccoffee.com/
White Electric Coffee is Providence, Rhode Island’s first unionized and worker-owned coffee shop.
Cooperative
New York, NY
Industry: Bookstore
Founded: 1999
Converted to Employee-Owned: 2021
Employees: 7
Website: https://bluestockings.com/
Bluestockings is an independent bookstore, café, and activist resource center, located in the Lower East Side of Manhattan. Through words, art, food, activism, education, and community, we strive to create a space that welcomes and empowers all people. We actively support movements that challenge hierarchy and all systems of oppression, including but not limited to patriarchy, heterosexism, the gender binary, white supremacy and classism, within society as well as our own movements. We seek to make our space and resources available to such movements for meetings, events, and research. Additionally, we offer educational programming that promotes centered, strategic, and visionary thinking, towards the realization of a society that is infinitely creative, truly democratic, equitable, ecological, and free.
Cooperative
Los Angeles, California
Industry: Home Care
Founded: 2016
Employees: 10
(213) 344-8370
Incubated in partnership with the Pilipino Workers Center (PWC) in Los Angeles, Courage Home Care is the only employee-owned home care cooperative in Southern California. As a shining example to its community and clients, Courage actively reinvests all proceeds from services towards the continued education and training of care providers, as well as benefits for the workers. With most caregivers fluent in both English and Tagalog, Courage Home Care strives to make sure families have access to quality care and that caregivers are treated with respect and dignity.
Cooperative
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Industry: Child Care
Founded: 1998
Employees: 67
Website: http://childspacedaycarecenters.org/
Childspace Daycare Centers is a multi-site business that serves over 200 families in Philadelphia. The business has been employee-owned since 1988. As a NAEYC Accredited business, Childspace offers city and state-funded pre-K and Head Start programs. As an employee-owned business, Childspace is able to maintain half the staff turnover rate as other business in the child care industry.
Cooperative
Buffalo, New York
Industry: Child Care
Founded: 2008
Converted to Employee-Owned: 2017
Employees: 15
Website: https://therosegarden.us/
The Rose Garden partnered with Cooperative Buffalo with support from the ICA Group to convert their traditional business model into a worker cooperative in 2017. The transition came about as a response to the retirement plan of the original owner, Judy. Staff are trained in the Lifeways Model and offer programming for 18 month olds to five year olds.
Read more about The Rose Garden.
Cooperative
Brooklyn, New York
Industry: Child Care
Founded: 2008
Employees: 38
Website: https://beyondcare.coop/
Beyond Care Childcare Cooperative was launched in Sunset Park, Brooklyn in June 2008. With the support of the Center for Family Life (CFL), 17 immigrant women and founding members came together to conceptualize, plan and launch a membership cooperative business. The business plan was based on models of immigrant owned cooperatives (particularly in Long Island and Oakland, CA) that have been successful in helping immigrant men and women increase income, build internal leadership and provide mutual support.
Cooperative
Concord, Massachusetts
Industry: Building Design
Founded: 2005
Converted to employee-owned: 2011
Employees: 22
Website: https://www.greenengineer.com/
The Green Engineer, Inc. is a sustainable design consulting firm specializing in energy efficient and sustainable design solutions for the built environment. The expert team brings to the table experience and perspective from a variety of backgrounds including engineering, architecture, construction, planning, development, and public policy. They practice Integrative Design and see sustainability as a core goal shared by design team members and stakeholders. As part of their business model, The Green Engineer is an employee-owned company. Today, more than 75% of their full-time staff members are also owners.
Employee Trust
Seattle, Washington
Industry: Construction
Founded: 2008
Converted to Employee-Owned: 2016
Employees: 25
Website: http://metisconstructioninc.com
Mētis Construction is a community of highly skilled and motivated craftspeople who have come together to form a worker-owned and controlled company. It is their goal to create and maintain a structure that will remain in place for future generations of craftspeople—a structure that promotes the practice and teaching of the trades and the fostering of craft—a structure that facilitates worker ownership and hence promotes the financial viability of the trades as a career choice. They hope to provide an alternative business model—one that doesn’t lead to the alienation of individuals from the products of their labor, from the people with whom they work, from the people for whom they produce and from the natural world.
Learn more about ICA’s work with Mētis Construction.
ESOP
Bellows Falls, Vermont
Industry: Manufacturing
Founded: 1991
Converted to Employee-Owned: 2011
Employees: 100
Website: https://www.chroma.com/
Chroma Technology Corp. is a leading manufacturer of optical filters and related products. Founded in Vermont, in 1991, Chroma is a leader in filter designs. While not a cooperative, Chroma is 100% employee-owned and democratically run firm, with more than 100 employees and offices in Europe and Asia.
ESOP
Berkeley, California
Industry: Renewable Energy
Founded: 1976
Converted to Employee-Owned: 2018
Employees: 70
Website: https://www.sunlightandpower.com/
Sun Light & Power became an Employee Stock Ownership Plan (ESOP) when founder Gary Gerber retired in 2018 after over 40 years in business. The company shares profits with vested employees through a retirement fund and as an ESOP, it operates free of federal income taxes. Drawn to the democratic practices of worker cooperatives, Sun Light & Power is structured so that employee-owners have the right to elect the Board of Directors and vote on owner matters on a one-participant, one-vote basis.
Cooperative
Urbana, Illinois
Industry: Construction
Converted to Employee-Owned: 2018
Employees: 25
Website: https://www.newprairieconstruction.com/
New Prairie Construction is a full-service general contractor and solar panel installer in Urbana, Illinois. New Prairie Construction’s transition story began in 2016, when the company’s two co-founders were considering their long-term plans for the business and themselves. They investigated many options for succession, including selling to a third party. But they felt these options had significant disadvantages, especially for the employees, and decided to pursue a worker-owned cooperative, because it provided the best opportunity for employees to remain working in their respective positions for the long term.
Cooperative
Madison, Wisconsin
Industry: Manufacturing
Founded: 1980
Converted to Employee-owned: 1983
Employees: 62
Website: http://www.isthmuseng.com/
Isthmus Engineering & Manufacturing is a worker-owned cooperative specializing in custom automation solutions and equipment. At Isthmus, they know that the success of their employee-owned company is contingent on the performance of every member of the Isthmus team. Clients have Isthmus Engineering’s promise that the automation equipment they provide will be the result of the very best efforts of their entire staff.
Isthmus’s 62 employees, 32 of whom are worker-owners, together generate more than $20M in annual revenue.
Read more about Isthmus Engineering.
Cooperative
West Tisbury, Massachusetts
Industry: Construction
Founded: 1975
Converted to employee-owned: 1987
Employees: 33
Website: https://www.southmountain.com/
South Mountain began as a partnership in 1975, became a sole proprietorship in 1984, and re-structured as a worker cooperative in 1987. The transition to employee ownership was a dramatic hinge point in the history of the company. Ownership became available to all employees, enabling people to own and guide their workplace. The responsibility, the power, and the profits all belong to the group of owners. There are no outside investors and no non-employee owners. The employee-owners decide what type of business South Mountain Company will be.
Employee Trust
Portland, Oregon
Industry: Finance
Founded: 2016
Converted to Employee-Owned: 2016
Employees: 3
Website: https://www.equityatlas.com/
Equity Atlas is a worker-owned, community-inspired finance corporation dedicated to strengthening their clients’ financial well-being by building local equity and community ownership. As the first 100% worker-owned finance company, Equitly Atlas believes in the power of fairness, honesty, humanity, and a growth mindset. These values are woven into their founding principles and fuel their mission to create a better financial world and improve the lives of families and communities.
Cooperative
Grass Valley, California
Industry: Renewable Energy
Founded: 2000
Converted to Employee-Owned: 2019
Employees: 30
Website: https://californiasolarco.com/
Cal Solar is the first ever worker-owned cooperative in Nevada County, and the first worker-owned solar cooperative in California. Cal Solar is committed to the economic vitality of the community and believes in hiring and investing locally. The company’s entire staff of worker-owners resides in Nevada County.
Cooperative
Greenfield, Massachusetts
Industry: Renewable Energy
Founded: 2002
Employees: 43
Website: https://pvsquared.coop/
A designer and installer of renewable energy systems including solar, wind, and small hydro projects across Southwestern New England, PV Squared is committed to growing good, green, cooperative jobs.
Learn more about PV Squared.
Cooperative
St. Charles, Illinois
Industry: Electrical Equipment Wholesaler
Founded: 1986
Converted to Employee-Owned: 2018
Employees: 10
Website: https://www.visitec.com/
Visitec is an independent rep organization operating in the Midwest. Visitec also offers value-added distribution of a select group of manufacturers across the United States and Canada. Their primary objective is to help dealer integrators successfully design, sell, and implement advanced collaboration solutions and audio visual technologies.
Cooperative
Wautoma, Wisconsin
Industry: Home Care
Founded: 2001
Employees: 34
Members: 33
Website: http://www.cooperativecare.us/
As the third-largest home care cooperative in the United States, Cooperative Care has received recognition from both the Harvard Kennedy School and President Obama for its ability to showcase democracy in practice. Cooperative Care was forged in a rural disconnected environment where caregivers worked alone with little to no supports and grew to become a nationally recognized home care cooperative that centers the needs of their members.
Learn more about ICA’s work with Cooperative Care.
Cooperative
Waltham, MA
Industry: Landscaping
Founded: 1998
Converted to Employee-Owned: 2013
Employees: 35
Website: https://ayardandahalf.com/
A Yard & A Half Landscaping Cooperative, Inc. was formed in 2013 to preserve and continue to develop a locally-owned, safe, just, and democratic workplace in an industry where workers often face exploitation, wage theft, and hazardous working conditions. Participation in the cooperative is a financial and career investment for members, not just a job. Worker-owners participate in professional development, learning transferable skills and creating economic growth and self-sufficiency. The company also shares in the profits of labor, allowing the business to reinvest in their own local economy, communities, and families.
Learn more about A Yard & A Half.
ESOP
East Syracuse, New York
Industry: Health Care
Employees: 4000+
Website: https://www.kphhealthcareservices.com/en/
KPH is a national provider of pharmaceutical and health care services. They operate Kinney Drugs, a chain of 100 drug stores, an institutional pharmacy service, and a pharmacy benefit management company. KPH has over 4,000 employees and became 100% employee-owned in 2008. The ESOP is a critical element of the retirement plan and drives the customer focused culture throughout the company
Cooperative
Greenfield, Massachusetts
Industry: Manufacturing
Founded: 2001
Converted to Employee-Owned: 2017
Employees: 12
Website: http://ewingcontrols.com/
Ewing Controls is a small, dedicated team of engineers and other professionals passionate about producing the finest industrial control systems. Their specialty is engineering, building and servicing steam turbine generator controls for use in institutional and industrial facilities around the world. In 2017 Ewing Controls became a 100 percent employee-owned worker cooperative. Each worker-owner has an equal vote in electing their Board of Directors and receives an equal share of the company profits.
Cooperative
New York, New York
Industry: Delivery
Founded: 2008
Converted to Employee-Owned: 2016
Employees: 4
Website: https://cargobikecollective.wordpress.com/
Cargo Bike Collective Deliveries is a worker cooperative that offers cargo bike-based logistical solutions for a diverse clientele throughout the boroughs. Their mission is make carbon neutral logistics a large scale reality while also operating a functioning worker cooperative that values the quality of life of their riders. They operate with the input and direction of all riders, and provide a living wage.
Cooperative
New York, New York
Industry: Graphic Design
Founded: 2013
Converted to Employee-Owned: 2019
Employees: 5
Website: https://partnerandpartners.com/
Partner & Partners is a worker-owned design practice focusing on print, exhibition, interactive, and identity work with clients and collaborators in art, architecture, public space, and activism.
Cooperative
Walnut Creek, California
Industry: Construction
Founded: 1998
Converted to Employee-Owned: 2019
Employees: 14
Website: http://www.davishomepros.com/
Davis Home Pros provides residential remodel and addition services to the homeowners of Central Contra Costa County; partnering with them to create a unique home of beauty, comfort and enjoyment; and doing so in a dependable and professional manner that is honest, cost effective, and environmentally responsible. Davis Home Pros serves their clients, employees and community and is a worker owned California Cooperative Corporation.
Cooperative
Port Townsend, Washington
Industry: Home Care
Founded: 2016
Employees: 18
Members: 15
Website: http://www.peninsulahomecare.coop/
Peninsula Homecare Cooperative was founded by a community of concerned caregivers, and continues to be engrained in their community of clients, worker-owners, and supporters. A few experienced caregivers identified the needs of the area’s aging population, the community responded with support and financing, and Peninsula Homecare Cooperative grew to fill the gap of caregiving jobs in Port Townsend, WA. They continue to grow, working tirelessly to raise wages, provide training, educate themselves, and shift the paradigm of a successful home care agency in the United States.
Cooperative
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Industry: Home Care
Founded: 1993
Employees: 172
Members: 68
Website: https://homecareassociatespa.com/
HCA is the second largest Home Care Cooperative in the United States and the recipient of the Governor’s Achievement Award, the American Society on Aging’s Best Practice Award, the Better Business Bureau’s Best Health Service Award, and the Philadelphia County Assistance Office’s Employer Recognition Award for their innovative caregiver training programs.
Cooperative
Bernalillo, New Mexico
Industry: Home Care
Founded: 1985
Employees: 10
Members: 5
Website: https://hih.coop/
Heart is Home is a home care cooperative working in New Mexico to ensure quality care for rurally located residents by emphasizing strong ethical practices, good communication, and participatory decision-making. Decision-making happens with clients in mind, but most importantly among work-owners by utilizing the 7 Cooperative Principles that shine a spotlight on the community, voluntary and democratic participation, and strengthening the cooperative field through sharing.
Cooperative
New York, New York
Industry: Home Care
Founded: 2012
Employees: 20
Website: http://goldensteps.coop/
Located in Brooklyn, Golden Steps walks alongside men and women in their Golden Age. Golden Steps values thorough and well rounded training to ensure that caregivers are able to serve their clients safely and with the highest quality of care. Golden Steps provides services at an affordable price to allow clients the ability to lead safer and happier lives at home.
Cooperative
Bronx, New York
Industry: Home Care
Founded: 1985
Employees: 2176
Members: 1014
Website: http://www.chcany.org/
From 12 home health aides in 1985 to more than 2,000 staff today, Cooperative Home Care Associates is the largest worker cooperative in the U.S. Every year this Care Associates is the largest worker cooperative in the U.S. Every year this nationally recognized home care agency trains over 600 low-income and unemployed women for free, serving as a significant driver of employment in the Bronx.
Cooperative
Bellingham, Washington
Industry: Home Care
Founded: 2016
Employees: 28
Members: 10
Website: https://www.circleoflife.coop/
Circle of Life Caregiver Cooperative has been able to surpass all homecare industry standards in Washington by empowering its worker-owners to build long-lasting relationships with their clients. By forging strong connections based on compassion and respect, Circle of Life Caregiver Cooperative is able to live its mission and provide its caregivers with competitive wages, stability, collaboration, and respect.
Cooperative
Olympia, Washington
Industry: Home Care
Founded: 2017
Employees: 6
Members: 4
Website: http://capitalhomecare.coop/
Capital Homecare Cooperative is committed to choice. Caregivers choose to become worker-owners because it allows them to have direct input in the business decisions that affect them and their clients. Clients choose to hire Capital Homecare Cooperative because they provide nurturing and consistent care as a result of low caregiver turnover rates. The cooperative model has provided Capital Homecare Cooperative the ability enhance direct lines of communication between caregivers and clients to provide the highest quality care and employment.
Cooperative
Madison, Wisconsin
Industry: Home Care
Founded: 2019
Employees: 4
Website: www.soaringindependent.com
Soaring Independent provides committed, competent, and compassionate care to it’s devoted clients. Soaring Independent Cooperative was founded by a group of women who are professional caregivers as well as family caregivers for aging relatives and children. With a shared 30 years of professional experience in healthcare, Soaring Independent builds flourishing communities for people needing care, family caregivers, and direct care professionals. The caregivers at Soaring Independent embody caring for a community as a community, and work to expand that care to their clients
ESOP
Hadley, Massachusetts
Industry: IT Services
Founded: 2003
Converted to Employee-Owned: 2016
Website: https://www.paragusit.com/
Paragus IT provides outsourced IT services to small and medium businesses in the Pioneer Valley. These services include help desk services, IT project services, security and compliance, and IT strategy. The company employs 50 full time people and switched to employee ownership in 2016.
