Don’t start just any kind of business, start a worker co-op (like Roots for Change)!

VICE just ran a great article by Katie Way called “Don’t Start Just Any Kind of Business; Start a Worker Co-Op.” It does a nice job explaining why co-ops are better for workers than conventional business, and, even better, it cites Madison’s own Esther West, Mariela Quesada, and Matilde Cachiguango to make the point. Esther works for the UW Center for Cooperatives, which she joined after five years as a worker-owner at Equal Exchange. Matilde is a worker-owner at Roots for Change, where Mariela is a contractor.

The article reminds readers that nationwide, the worker co-op movement is majority women and majority people of color. That’s largely because worker co-ops are an effective way to empower people who have been under-served and overlooked. Roots for Change is a great example of that.

If you’re ready to start a worker co-op, we can help you, just like we helped Roots for Change. Reach out to Charity Schmidt at charity.schmidt@wisc.edu. No experience required — just your idea!