Democracy At Work Institute

09/14/2026

Local legacy businesses are the foundation of Durham’s economy, identity, and culture. DAWI is proud to partner with the City of Durham and North Carolina Employee Ownership Center to launch Keep It Durham-Owned, a strategic campaign dedicated to preserving local businesses and keeping wealth rooted right here in our community.

Through worker ownership and broad-based employee ownership models, retiring business owners can transition their legacy to the employees who built it. Together, we’re creating sustainable, long-term economic growth across Durham.

🔗 Read the full City announcement: https://www.durhamnc.gov/m/newsflash/home/detail/4278

To support the long-term sustainability of local businesses and anchor wealth within the community, the City of Durham officially launched the "Keep It Durham-Owned" initiative during a press conferen

07/09/2026

Building the cooperative ecosystem in the South. 🗺️ Read the notes and key takeaways from the first-ever South Central U.S. Cooperative Support Ecosystem Convening (Texas and friends) on the US Federation of Worker Cooperatives blog: 🔗 https://www.usworker.coop/blog/texas-and-friends-notes-from-the-first-ever-south-central-u-s-cooperative-support-ecosystem-convening/

Texas and friends: notes from the first ever South Central U.S. Cooperative Support Ecosystem Convening Posted on July 7, 2026July 7, 2026 USFWC Co-op Clinic Training Manager Maureen Darras attended the South Central U.S. Cooperative Support Ecosystem Convening. Below, she shares reflections from th...

07/07/2026

The term “impact investing” was only coined in 2007, but today the phrase is ubiquitous. But not all impact investments are impactful. This webinar asks: What works, what doesn’t, and how can impact investing support affordable housing?”

Join Shelterforce— with expert panelists Betty Francisco (Boston Impact Initiative), Kate Khatib (Seed Commons), David Lidz (Rising Housing/Baltimore), Meridith Levy (Boston Neighborhood Community Land Trust), and Shelby King (Shelterforce reporter)—on Wednesday, July 15th at 3 pm ET for a 90-minute webinar conversation on What Does a Good Housing “Impact Investment” Look Like?

Reserve your spot here: https://us06web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tlP_vsh9SSGl5X9Jm5fjCQ #/registration

06/25/2026

📢 California needs an economy that works for everyone! Sign on with the Economic Mobility for All Coalition to demand that state leaders fund immigrant entrepreneurs and small businesses through SEED 4.0 in the CA 2027 budget. 💼✨

Add your name now 👇
https://secure.everyaction.com/3mkuD9jhlk64rpStYiQDzw2

06/25/2026

City Council President Zeke Cohen, says “Cooperative ownership is one of the most powerful tools we have for keeping beloved Baltimore businesses open and locally owned, especially when an owner is ready to retire or sell. This $250,000 investment in the Baltimore Roundtable for Economic Democracy reflects this Council’s commitment to keeping local businesses local. Read the full story!

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE June 24th, 2026 Contact: Anna Evans-Goldstein, [email protected], 443-386-6795 Baltimore City Budget Advances Worker Cooperative Conversion as Strategy to Preserve…

06/11/2026

NYC’s worker cooperative ecosystem continues to grow. 🌱

On June 25, cooperative organizations, ecosystem partners, civic leaders, and newly formed worker co-ops will gather for Onboarding to the NYC Cooperative Community 2026 — an annual celebration of economic democracy, shared ownership, and community wealth-building.

This year’s gathering will feature:
🏆 An Induction & Awards Ceremony recognizing new worker cooperatives and worker-owners
🎥 WCBDI partner video premieres
🤝 Ecosystem networking
🗣️ Live English ↔ Spanish interpretation
🌱 Food catered by emerging worker cooperative Sea & Soil Cooperative

Participating partners include organizations from across NYC’s cooperative development ecosystem, including WCBDI partners, the US Federation of Worker Cooperatives, NCBA CLUSA, CEANYC, and additional movement allies.

RSVP:
https://share.hsforms.com/1RDtB0LBiRWG-KVHCN3q7Mgckvlq

Learn more:
https://www.icagroup.org/blog/onboarding-to-the-nyc-cooperative-community-2026

06/09/2026

Celebrating 5 years of building a resilient solidarity economy! 📈✨️

The California Worker Cooperative Network (CWOC) recently gathered for our annual retreat to reflect on half a decade of impact and strategize for the future. Over a day of deep collaboration, we assessed our local cooperative ecosystems in Southern California and fleshed out our visions for growing worker cooperatives and advancing policy advocacy.

Thank you to our dedicated partners for their vision and leadership:

- CLEAN Carwash Worker Center
- L.A. Co-op Lab
- Pilipino Workers Center of Southern California
- United Taxi Workers San Diego
- Cooperación Santa Ana
- Garment Worker Center

Together, we're building sustainable economic power for excluded workers. Here’s to the next 5 years!

06/08/2026

Conflict in your workplace? We got you! 🌟 ¿Conflicto en tu lugar de trabajo? ¡Cuenta con nosotres!

Every workplace will inevitably encounter conflict, and engaging it proactively is essential to building a resilient and healthy workplace culture. Learn conflict engagement tools from cooperatives and democratic workplaces that can help strengthen your workplace culture. Join us for this online training happening on Wednesday June 24th from 3pm - 5pm EST. Register here: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/webinar-tools-for-successful-conflict-engagement-interpretacion-en-espanol-tickets-1990808563003
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Cada lugar de trabajo se enfrentará inevitablemente a conflictos; abordarlos de manera proactiva es esencial para construir una cultura laboral resiliente y saludable. Aprende herramientas para el abordaje de conflictos, sacadas de cooperativas y entornos laborales democráticos, que pueden ayudar a fortalecer la cultura de tu lugar de trabajo. Acompáñanos en este evento virtual pasando el 24 de junio de 3pm-5pm EST. Regístrate aquí: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/webinar-tools-for-successful-conflict-engagement-interpretacion-en-espanol-tickets-1990808563003

04/08/2026

Thinking about starting a business but want to do it differently?

Join this free webinar on building a business with shared ownership and democratic decision-making. You’ll learn the fundamentals of worker cooperatives, from getting started to avoiding common pitfalls.

Hosted by NYC Department of Small Business Services in partnership with WCBDI providers and Democracy at Work Institute.

🗓️ April 10
⏰ 12:00 PM (ET)
💻 Online
🎟️ Free (registration required)

Plus: attendees receive 30 minutes of free consulting support after the session.

🔗 Register here:

How to Start a Business with Shared Ownership - WCBDI

03/23/2026

Thinking about your exit plan… but don’t want to sell out what you built? 👀

What if the people who helped grow your business… could own it?

📣 Join
Co-op Conversion Consultations: Selling to Your Employees as an Exit Plan for Your Business

📍 The Hub, NYC
🗓️ April 1 | ⏰ 10AM–5PM

Get 1:1 guidance from
Democracy at Work Institute on how to turn your business into a worker-owned co-op.

💡 Learn:
• Your options (ESOPs, co-ops, EOTs)
• If your business is ready
• What happens after you step away

👥 Featuring: DAWI's Director of Strategic Partnership, Anh-Thu Nguyen.

Ready for your next chapter? See you next week!