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Every city has businesses that feel like its heartbeat: the ice cream parlor where the employees know every customer by name, the local manufacturer that anchored a neighborhood for decades, or the trade shop that kept generations of workers employed. But when those owners reach retirement, the traditional options are not enough. Without a family heir or an outside buyer, many beloved small businesses simply close shop. Jobs vanish, spaces sit vacant, and the local economy loses another pillar. The City of Cincinnati and Hamilton County are now taking a decisive step to rewrite that story, alongside Co-op Cincy, they…

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New City Initiative to Keep Raleigh businesses in Raleigh and Build Community Wealth Raleigh, NC — Long-standing, locally owned businesses are critical to local economies. To support their longevity, we joined forces with the City of Raleigh and the North Carolina Employee Ownership Center (NCEOC) to launch Employee Ownership Raleigh, a year-long initiative that promotes employee ownership as a strategy for business continuity. NCEOC serves as the primary technical assistance provider, while the City and the Democracy at Work Institute (DAWI) will raise awareness and develop infrastructure to connect business owners to ownership transition support. Raleigh Mayor Janet Cowell joined…

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SAN DIEGO, CA – The first national training program on employee ownership was launched for Small Business Development Center Advisors (SBDC) and Directors. The program, led by the Workers to Owners Collaborative (W2O) in collaboration with America’s SBDC National Special Interest Section on Employee Ownership and Business Transitions, is a major step forward in supporting small business owners successfully navigate a business exit through sale to their employees. The program benefited 33 SBDC advisors and directors serving small businesses in 19 U.S. states. “Through this program, these advisors are now equipped with a front line toolkit, case studies, and in-depth…

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The School for Democratic Management at DAWI has officially launched a new online learning platform designed to strengthen democratic practices in worker-owned businesses and democratic workplaces. This flexible, bilingual, and self-paced platform offers free practical tools and training for cooperative developers, educators, and worker-owners seeking to deepen their knowledge and leadership skills. With courses on onboarding, facilitation, conflict resolution, governance, and more, the platform helps people access trusted, movement-aligned content that supports long-term cooperative success, without having to build from scratch. Rooted in years of practitioner experience, The School for Democratic Management at DAWI exists to expand access to democratic…

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Funding Approved for Social Entrepreneurs for Economic Development (SEED) 3.0 Grant Program SACRAMENTO, CA – In the new state budget for Fiscal Year 2025-26, the California State Legislature and Gov. Gavin Newsom approved $7.5 million to continue investing in entrepreneurship for immigrant workers through the Social Entrepreneurs for Economic Development (SEED) program. This funding enables community-based organizations to provide entrepreneurship training, technical assistance, and microgrants to immigrants and individuals with limited English proficiency (LEP). The Economic Mobility for All (EM4A) Coalition and SEED co-sponsors - California Immigrant Policy Center (CIPC), Immigrants Rising, Inclusive Action for the City, and Democracy at…

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Are you excited to be part of the biggest Worker Co-op Conference to date? Presented by the Democracy at Work Institute and the U.S. Federation of Worker Cooperatives, the 2024 Worker Co-op Conference will be held in Chicago, Illinois. As we celebrate the 10th anniversary of DAWI and the 20th anniversary of the USFWC, we continue to build momentum for bettering people's livelihoods through workplace democracy. This event will be a moment to deepen relationships with like-minded movements and labor allies focused on the solidarity economy. Our Worker Co-op Conference is the largest event for worker co-ops in the United…

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DAWI and the Chicago Community Wealth Building Ecosystem co-launch the Chicago Worker Cooperative Developer Cohort. Chicago, US – March 11, 2024 – DAWI is proud to announce the launch of the 2024 Chicago Worker Cooperative Developer Cohort, a transformative initiative aimed at strengthening the local cooperative ecosystem and fostering community wealth-building in Chicago communities. In collaboration with the Chicago Community Wealth Building Initiative at the University of Illinois in Chicago (UIC), the program seeks to empower organizations actively engaged in developing worker cooperatives that serve BIPOC and low-income communities. The Chicago Worker Cooperative Developer Cohort is a 12-month training program…

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Democracy at Work Institute (DAWI), the national think and do tank dedicated to expanding the worker ownership model, is pleased to announce the promotion of Julian S. McKinley to the role of Co-Executive Director for Partnerships and Growth. Julian assumes this position alongside Vanessa Bransburg, who was promoted to Co-Executive Director for Operations and Programs in September 2022. DAWI's board of directors unanimously voted to promote Julian nearly five years after he joined DAWI as its first communications director. Julian will now oversee DAWI’s organizational growth, strategic partnerships, and communications. Together, the co-executive directors assume leadership at DAWI as the…

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The City of Chicago recently announced a commitment to worker ownership as part of its community wealth-building strategy, awarding grants to 17 organizations through its Department of Planning and Development. Democracy at Work Institute is excited to join grantees selected to design and implement two-year technical assistance programs for business development. Chicago’s Community Wealth Building initiative prioritizes worker ownership as part of a multi-pronged effort to drive equitable economic development in the city. Also prioritized are community land trusts, limited-equity housing cooperatives, and community investment vehicles. In a press release announcing the grants, Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot said, “Since I… more

The Democracy at Work Institute (DAWI) announced today the promotion of Senior Managing Director Vanessa Bransburg to Co-Executive Director of Operations and Programs. Bransburg will lead the organization alongside DAWI founding Executive Director Melissa Hoover, who will become Co-Executive Director for Partnerships and Growth until transitioning to a new role in 2023. “As DAWI celebrates ten years of powerful work, we are consciously undertaking a shift in leadership that will support our growth into the next phase,” said Hoover, DAWI Executive Director. “Vanessa has been essential to building DAWI from almost the beginning, and I can think of no better… more