The Bay Area Worker Coop Academy is a pilot program of the East Bay Community Law Center, Project Equity, and the Sustainable Economies Law Center, together known as the “Bay Area Blueprint Collaborative.”

The aim of the Academy is to assist in the formation and expansion of worker-owned businesses, providing dignified livelihoods for low- to moderate-income workers. The Academy will provide a menu of workshops specifically tailored to each team’s needs, covering areas designed to help start or grow a successful worker-owned cooperative business. These areas include business topics, management, workplace culture, cooperative development, and legal topics. 

Another aim of the Worker Coop Academy is to start building an integrated support network for worker coops in the Bay Area. That's where you come in! We're looking for individuals who have worked or are working in a worker cooperative to become mentors for the Academy participants and help support the creation of a cooperative economy in the Bay Area!Why should these teams make the mistakes of the past when they can learn from highly qualified and experienced cooperative professionals like yourself? 

We're asking those interested to please fill out our sign up form below (phone number required). There are only two requirements to become a peer mentor:

• You've worked at a worker cooperative OR are currently working at a worker cooperative 
• You commit to at least 2 (two) hours per month of in person or over the phone consultation with a team from the Worker Coop Academy.

You will provide feedback and answer questions about how you're experience in a worker coop can help the team avoid the mistakes of the past and apply best practices as you've seen them in action.

If you have any questions, please feel free to email Ricardo at ricardo@theselc.org.