If you are reading this post, chances are you are an innovator, you are looking for guidance on alternative business forms, you run or are part of a mission-driven organization, you are considering adopting democratic governance models in your business or nonprofit, or some combination of those. I have to alert you that this is …
Cooperatives
Cooperative Equity Capital, Income and Patronage: How They Work Together
Cooperatives have three areas of accounting that need to be understood by their members as the cooperatives are formed and as they are operated. Cooperatives obtain and track equity capital, usually through the members. As a business entity, the cooperative generates income through the products its sells or the services it provides to clients and …
Use of the term “Cooperative”
Edited June 26th, 2020: An earlier version of this blog post implied that only organizations incorporated as cooperatives under Massachusetts law may use the word “cooperative.” This post has been edited to accurately reflect that other businesses may use the term if they distribute earnings consistent with cooperative law. Entity formation is often the first …
Cuba and Cooperatives (Part 3): Social, Economic, Racial, Gender and Sexual Justice Through Constitutional Reform
Information derives from a lecture by Cuban Criminal Justice and Cooperative Attorney Oldalys Perex Martinez, on January 15, 2020 We’re mainly taught in the U.S. that Cuba is “ruled” by a militaristic, one-party, authoritarian regime (e.g. links intentionally omitted). The on-the-ground perspective in Cuba is quite different; so too are the facts. Cuba’s people democratically …
Cuba and Cooperatives (Part 2): Cooperatives in Cuba, a Love Story (of sorts)
Much of the primary information comes from a lecture by Dr. Jesus Cruz Reyes, on January 13, 2020 in Havana, Cuba. Dr. Cruz Reyes is Cuba’s foremost cooperative economist and is on the faculty of economics at the University of Havana. The Cuban “State Enterprise” is undoubtedly the single largest economic consumer and producer in …
Cuba and Cooperatives (Series): Opening Invitation
Cuba is a study of contrast and contradiction. How does a 950-mile long island of 10M people, situated only 90 miles from the U.S., sustain its people, culture and autonomy while living under the proverbial boot of the most powerful country on earth? And, while promoting a deeply connected civil society that puts racial, sex, …
Gallun Snow becomes employee owned with assistance from RMEOC and attorneys Linda Phillips and Tonya Price
Member Spotlight: Gallun Snow Interior Design Gallun Snow Becomes Employee Owned! Gallun Snow Interior Design became employee owned on October 1st. The company began in 1988 and is now a nationally recognized Healthcare Interior Design firm. They have an amazing team and are excited to be able to maintain what they have built over the …
New Models for #platformcoop Design, Part 5: Reciprocal Ownership
In this series so far, we have analyzed the potential for a sistered for-profit entity and cooperative entity to separately optimize for financing and member-orientation. Since publishing this series, I’ve received some good feedback from readers. Some have asked about additional terms and benefits that could be designed into the TechCo – Cooperative “pre-nuptial” agreement. …
New Models for #platformcoop Design, Part 4: Option B – The TechCo and Co-op Marriage
Click here to read the previous post in the series, Part 3: Option A – The Integrated Tech/Data Cooperative In light of the design and practical challenges that face certain kinds of #platformcoops, we have re-incarnated a traditional private equity strategy that houses different operational functions within separate legal structures. I call this the “TechCo …
New Models for #platformcoop Design, Part 3: Option A – The Integrated Tech/Data Cooperative
In the previous blog post, I used real estate development as an analogy to illustrate a #platformcoop. In this #platformcoop model, the technology architecture is developed, funded, and deployed within the same legal vessel as that which processes, distributes, and monetizes the throughput data. The tech platform is owned by the same stakeholders as the …
