The deadline is approaching to apply for this year’s Worker Coop Academy (WCA)!

The Academy is an intensive 14 week course that provides entrepreneurs, business owners, and economic development organizations the tools they need to build, strengthen, or convert to a worker owned business. The Academy also provides participants one-on-one business and legal consultations. You can find more information at theselc.org/wca_apply and watch our recorded info session here.

We are accepting applications through June 14th, which is less than a week away! Applications are submitted through an online form and it is free to apply.

Would the Worker Coop Academy be a good fit for your business? Look here to learn more and hear what last year’s participants gained from the experience!

Cooperatives are people powered organizations and SELC has been hard at work building the legal roots for cooperative economies across the country. We've trained legal professionals in New York, Oregon, and DC on cooperative law, worked for the passage of a legal entity for worker coops in California, and started the first business accelerator course for worker cooperatives on the West Coast! The legal roots of people powered economies are still being grown and its only through your support that we'll be able to deepen our impact. Will you support our continuing efforts to lay the legal foundations for People Powered Economies?

By Nathan Schneider, Shareable

"There are many ways to own. Simply giving up on ownership, however, will mean that those who actually do own the tools that we rely on to share will control them. People who want an economy of genuine sharing are coming to recognize that they must embrace ownership — and, as they do, they're changing what owning means altogether."

Read the full article on Shareable

Pedal Express is looking for a new worker-owner to start training in December, 2014.  This position is part time, 24 hours to 32 hours per week plus a bimonthly 2 hour meeting.  Must be available to work Wednesdays and Fridays - the rest of the schedule is otherwise flexible. Work hours are 9am-5pm.

This is a full time position. We offer health benefits, and the potential to work toward becoming a worker-owner. 

Mariposa Gardening & Design is an award-winning landscaping design build company dedicated to building beautiful ecologically sound gardens. Our gardens are designed and built using Permaculture methods. We are looking for the right person to manage the installation of our gardens. We seek someone with the ability to manage a small crew, who can communicate with several entities regarding a job site, and stay organized. Someone with a background in Permaculture is a plus.

Oakland Local's Eric Anderson wrote an article describing the turn toward business incubation centers building a new and just economy. Read the article below!

Oakland Local's Eric Anderson wrote an article describing the turn toward business incubation centers building a new and just economy. Read the article below!

BASTA! Nuestras vidas! Nuestros trabajos! Aprenda cómo iniciar un negocio cooperativa! Este sábado en Richmond, aprender cómo las empresas propiedad de los trabajadores construyen la riqueza de la comunidad y la salud individual.

Recently, SELC hosted Mike Leung of Abolish Human Rentals, to give a talk about how employees of a business with publicly traded securities can convert it to a worker cooperative. Unlike other conversions methods this only requires action on the part of the workers, and does not require the consent of the owners. Watch the video of that discussion below!