I've gotten really big on worker co-ops lately. they may not be the best way forward, but they seem to be the most fair and level-headed place to start.

@DonThiebaut I agree that worker coops seem like bandaids, but they are potentially very powerful. The problem is getting capital to start them. However, there are situations where the existing owners find it advantageous to sell to the workers. In turn, there are tools that the workers can access that traditional businesses do such as venture capital, tax incentives, owner stock holdbacks, etc. It is a place to start that is evolutionary, not revolutionary.

@4Humanity I don't see them as a bandaid. They work. They're great. I'm just unsure if sufficient motion can be made in that direction before other things get too out of hand: climate change, social upheaval, etc. A slow cure is great, but not if we die first. So our goal has to be to speed it up as much as possible. I've spent a lot of time trying to get people to realize co-ops are a thing, but so far, that's all I've got. I would be very interested to hear about other things that might speed the process up.

@DonThiebaut We can take the discussion off line but here are some coop accelerators:

1. Target existing privately-owned companies where the owner doesn't have a firm exit plan such as turning it over to his/her children or selling to a competitor. Starting a company ground-up as a coop is too risky in most cases.

2. Also target the same industry segment so that knowledge and other resources can be shared. An example might be my industry which is internet development. Many small firms that act independently now but could share resources in coding, marketing their services, and collaborating on larger projects.

3. Work in areas that are coop friendly. Colorado, for example, has some legislation that makes it easier to form cooperative corporations (actually you can be out state but incorporate there with some of the same advantages [medium.com]

4. Look for coop-specific financing. Believe it or not there are venture capital/investment firms that specialize in worker-owned companies. [theworkingworld.org]

5. Take advantage of local tax breaks, training grants and other government financing. The government does this for just about any business. Local governments have a need to keep the business operating locally to maintain employment tax bases.

6. Train the heck out of the employees so they know how to run a company. This extends to the least skilled, least compensated employees since they are now the board of directors. This is an extended version of having a succession plan, which every business should have.

@4Humanity I'll be reading up on those links, thanks. Feel free to message me if you have any more insights, this is great stuff!