Explore Cooperatives & Shared Ownership
What is a cooperative?
A cooperative is a values-based business, owned and operated for the benefit of its members. Cooperatives are structured around seven principles deeply rooted in democracy, economic participation, and sustainable growth of both the businesses and communities they serve.
Cooperative Ownership
Cooperatively owned businesses are owned and controlled by the people who directly produce or use their products, supplies, or services. In this shared ownership structure, profits are shared with the people who directly support that business. Because of this, cooperative ownership has the potential to unlock ownership and wealth generation for so many traditionally excluded individuals and communities.
Cooperatives deliver
There is also growing evidence that these shared ownership companies outperform their traditionally-owned peers.
Multiple studies have indicated that employee-owned businesses are more productive, more stable, and have lower failure rates.
Employee owned companies experience 2-3% higher yearly sales growth than non-employee owned peers.
The 5-year survival rate for cooperatively owned businesses is 69% higher that of non-cooperative businesses.
The top 100 cooperatively-owned businesses in the United States generate over $228.2 billion dollars in total revenue.
And, the profits distributed by these companies go back to the local owners of each co-op. Even better, the profits are distributed pre-tax, not post tax, which is far more efficient.
Cooperatives democratize work
Watch this powerful TEDTalk in which Trebor Scholz introduces platform cooperatives and explains why they are a better, fairer alternative to traditional tech sector businesses.
Want to learn more?
Listen to our Co-Directors, Greg Brodsky and Jessica Mason, talk about dismantling an economic system that concentrates wealth in the hands of the few on Basecamp’s ReWork podcast.
Get to Know a Cooperator
Sustainergy of Cincinnati, Ohio is a worker-owned green energy cooperative.
Cooperative Home Care Associates (CHCA) is a nationally recognized and the largest worker-owned home care agency in the Bronx, New York.
The Drivers Cooperative is a driver-owned ride hailing cooperative in New York City.
Co-ops: a better way to build a business. Start.coop is cultivating the next generation of cooperative businesses. It’s time to start. It’s time to bring workers together to share ownership in their business, giving everyone a voice. It’s time to give more money back to worker-owners and offer better benefits compared to similar investor-owned businesses. It’s time to empower people and time to offer more opportunities.