Looking to start a coop? Or want to support the growth of worker coops?
We know that worker cooperatives can help to empower workers and build community wealth, but we need more accessible tools to create, grow, and sustain them. That’s why we’re creating Launch.coop
About
Launch.coop
Launch.coop connects people to the resources they need to build democratic workplaces through a self-service web portal with modules for new and existing coops to learn and grow by breaking down the process into more easily understandable and accessible steps.
Key Features
Access modules on topics like governance, entity selection, business planning and visioning.
Use the secure portal for building and sharing governance documents.
Connect to co-op developers, and other key service providers such as lawyers, accountants, and CPAs, who know the ins and outs of the cooperative business model.
FAQ
Worker-cooperatives are…
Worker-owned cooperatives have long demonstrated the potential to empower workers to organize and own sustainable, equitably-governed businesses that lift people out of poverty, give greater dignity to work and build community wealth. However, US-based entrepreneurs are largely unable to access co-ops as a pathway towards financial stability, due to the structural barriers to achieving scale that cooperatives face in the United States.
If you want people to take action, make the ask feel doable – if you don’t, they won’t. Frankly, right now it’s too hard to form a co-op in the U.S. The existing tools still require a great deal of effort and background knowledge on the part of founders or co-op developers or technical assistance (TA) providers to get a co-op off the ground. The goal of this tool is to lighten the load, by providing a self-service portal that can help to get groups farther down the road in developing their co-op and reduce the number of repeat introductory questions that TA providers answer.
As opposed to a static document like a PDF, this will act as a kind of “living document” of coop policy and resources. Because it is being built to be updated and customized, it can adapt to the shifting policy landscape and the regional differences that coops face in the United States due to the lack of a comprehensive federal policy. Perhaps most importantly it will meet groups where they’re at by breaking down the process into more easily understandable and accessible steps — think TurboTax for coops.
No, of course not! This platform cannot replace the invaluable work that coop developers and professional associations that provide support to workers looking to form a coop. It will help to ease the number of repeat questions that they get and reduce bottlenecking due to limited capacity. Hiring a consultant can also pose a significant financial commitment for new businesses in the formation stage that are not yet generating revenue. This resource will provide self-service tools that can help identify what type of support groups need at low or no cost.
Partners
Boston Center for Community Ownership
BCCO is a training and technical assistance provider for cooperative businesses.
CoLab Co-op
A worker co-op that co-creates simple, purpose-driven web technology for a better world.
Future Focus Media Co-op
A worker cooperative based in Worcester, MA that tells powerful stories through digital media while building youth skills and leadership.
Samara Collective
A worker-cooperative that partners with values-based organizations to develop long-term creative pathways to progress using strategic communications and capacity building.
Sassafras Tech Collective
Based in Michigan, is a worker cooperative that takes a user centered approach to design.
Toolbox for Education and Social Action
TESA has created programs, documentaries, conferences, interactive webinars, board games (including Coopoly), handbooks, cooperative academies and more.
Worcester Roots
Worcester Roots sprouts up cooperatively owned and green initiatives for social and environmental justice.
The Working World
The Working World puts finance in the hands of working people with non-extractive co-op development and financing.
Joey Sawayn
Forward Integration Specialist
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