This webinar, held on Thursday, April 22, 2021, covered worker-owned cooperatives, with particular focus on the conversion of existing private businesses to cooperative ownership.
You can view the webinar here.
Would a worker-owned cooperative be right for your small business or one in your community? Worker-owned co-ops are attracting significant interest as a means for job and service retention, community-based economic development, and wealth-building. While less familiar than Employee Stock Ownership Plans (the most common form of employee ownership), worker-owned co-ops are generally well suited for smaller businesses with 50 or fewer employees.
This webinar discussed:
- Why worker-owned co-ops are a valuable tool in the economic development toolkit.
- The processes typically used to start or convert existing businesses to cooperative ownership.
Presenters:
- Michael Darger, University of Minnesota Extension, community economics specialist — Michael manages Extension’s business retention and expansion programs and served as the principal investigator for the Retaining Rural Businesses through Employee Ownership project in Wisconsin and Minnesota.
- Kevin Edberg, Cooperative Development Services, executive director — Kevin’s work is focused on cooperative education, technical assistance, and the creation of supportive ecosystems to empower groups and communities as they address economic and social challenges through mutual action.
