By Kenzie Love Even as a sole proprietor, Matteo Zammit never wanted to feel like a boss. After starting out on his own, the Toronto bike mechanic had recruited others to join him when his business expanded, but maintained a relatively flat organizational structure. So when his two coworkers suggested transitioning to a worker co-op, … Toronto Mobile Bike Repair Co-op Is a Model for the Wider World
By Kenzie Love Aster Group Environmental Services Co–op was formed in Sackville, New Brunswick in 2013 with a mandate to donate 10 percent of its profits to an environmental charity. In the absence of an existing charity suited to this purpose, however, the Aster Foundation was created in 2017, charged with making annual grants to … The Aster Foundation Provides Valuable Support to New Brunswick’s Environmental Movement
By Kenzie Love Stocksy was founded as a multi-stakeholder platform co-operative in Victoria in 2013 with the goal of putting power back in the hands of contributing artists in the stock photo industry. The founders, veterans of this industry who wanted to create a new space by using the co-op model, began with 220 contributing … Co-op Stands Out In Stock Photo Industry
By Kenzie Love Ablaze Services began in 2019 in New Westminster, BC, the brainchild of two women who’d initially come together through the Feminist Campaign School, an organization designed to support candidates for municipal office. The founders subsequently began to take on more project-based work, and with the addition of a third member to their … Co-op Sets Conventional Thinking Ablaze
By Kenzie Love Lichen Community Systems was founded in 2024 by four people dedicated to growing the practice of community-led design. Building on the principle of “nothing about us without us”, community-led design goes beyond consultation and co-creation. It supports technologies and systems that are designed by, accessible to, and ownable by communities. The Co-op’s … Lichen Celebrates Community-Led Design
By Kenzie Love Pansy Club started in Calgary in 2021, inspired by the legacy of previous grassroots queer parties. From modest beginnings, it has since grown to become an important part of the city’s queer culture, with the aim of eventually becoming a queer cafe and social space actually owned by the queer community. Pansy … Pansy Club Helps Queer Community Blossom
By Kenzie Love Seize the Means of Production Video Co-op is a unionized video production worker co-op based in Vancouver, BC. Established in 2022, it was founded by five long-time collaborators who saw an opportunity to do art-based, nonprofit work. “We wanted to start a business, but were also thinking about the co-op model as … Worker Co-op Seizes Opportunities
By Kenzie Love Black Women Professional Co-operative (BWP Co-op) is a multi-stakeholder co-op that aims to empower women professionals and entrepreneurs to operationalize their businesses and scale up products and services to mainstream local channels and international markets. Founded in March 2020 by ten Black women professionals, the Co-op was formally incorporated in 2024. Ada … BWP Co-op’s Members Succeed by Coming Together
By Kenzie Love OUR Eco Village Cooperative is an organization with a unique vision and a rich history. OUR stands for “One United Resource,” a philosophy that emphasizes the contributions and gifts each member brings to the collective. The Co-op began as a community group in Victoria, BC, in the 1990s, united by a passion … OUR Eco Village Cooperative: A Story of One United Resource
By Kenzie Love The Cleaning Co-op’s journey began in late 2022, born out of a desire to create a different kind of work environment. Cofounder Lulu Hernández was working for an exploitative cleaning company in Vancouver whose clients included the company for which another cofounder, Hayley Postlethwaite, was managing, an Airbnb. Postlethwaite saw an opportunity, … Cleaning Co-op Offers Empowerment Over Exploitation