In our latest Members Only interview, Jason Wiener talks with Eli Allen, co-founder of Wild Blue Studios, an artist-owned co-op reshaping creative work in games, TV, and film. Eli shares how shared ownership fosters agency, accountability, and sustainability in an industry often defined by burnout. A thoughtful look at how cooperative models can build fairer, more resilient studios—and a better creative future.
At Democracy Brewing, founders James Razsa and Jason Taggart are proving that democracy in the workplace can be delicious. Their worker-owned brewery, restaurant, and event space in Boston (and soon to also be in Maine) offers every employee a path to ownership, teamwork, and even free English classes – all while serving some of the city’s best beer. Discover how they’re redefining hospitality, one pint at a time.
The GENIUS Act introduces sweeping new rules for stablecoin issuers, investors, and global platforms. From mandatory licensing to cross-border compliance, here’s what you need to know (and do next) to stay ahead in digital finance.
Meet Wild Blue Studios, a worker-owned external development team delivering art and creative services to teams across the entertainment industry. Learn how its “horizontal structure, vertical deployment” model balances equal votes and profit-sharing with role-based pay. They've also adopted a four-day week and created a ‘fun committee’ to counter remote burnout, and leveraged mission-aligned partners to help cover finance and legal gaps. With low attrition and an inclusive culture, they’re proving that cooperative ownership can produce representative and high-quality creative work.
The lifeblood of any cooperative is its members. But how do new members join, and what makes a strong admission process? The latest blog post from Nathan Sisodia explores the steps, requirements, and agreements that shape cooperative membership. Whether you’re forming a new co-op or refining your process, learn how thoughtful admissions strengthen both governance and community.
We’re excited to launch our brand new video series, “Members Only," where we interview clients about the impact of shared ownership and the cooperative business model. In our first interview, Jason Wiener speaks with Shane Gring, Co-Founder of Certainly, a new worker-owned cooperative offering marketing and technology strategy to help cerficiation leaders do more business online. Learn how their reorganization to a coop has resulted in a healthier, fairer workplace and more inclusive, efficient certification programs.
Colorado’s new Alternate Equity Structures (AES) are reshaping employee ownership. By going beyond traditional stock, AES give workers real stakes – whether through profit interests, phantom equity, or stock options – while requiring genuine rights and participation. This new blog post, by Jason Wiener, explores how AES work, why they matter, and how companies can creatively overcome governance challenges to build sustainable, shared ownership.
The White House and SEC just unveiled a coordinated strategy to lead the future of digital assets—from stablecoins to token compliance and blockchain infrastructure. If you're a founder, investor, or builder in Web3, this marks a pivotal moment to align your roadmap with emerging federal frameworks.
AORTA is a 10-member, worker-owned cooperative of facilitators, coaches, and consultants helping 80+ organizations and hundreds of individuals build leaderful movements for justice. Rooted in liberatory practice, they deliver bespoke facilitation, coaching, and trainings that center accessibility, participatory design, and navigating complex power dynamics. Collective governance shapes their client work, while weekly check-ins and quarterly “dream weeks” sustain culture. Their mission: turn conflict into connection and accelerate coordinated, values-aligned action.
Founders and early investors—are you leaving millions on the table? Our latest blog breaks down QSBS 2.0, a smarter, forward-thinking approach to the Qualified Small Business Stock (QSBS) exclusion under Section 1202 of the IRS code. With the potential to eliminate up to 100% of capital gains taxes on stock sales, QSBS is one of the most powerful yet underused tax benefits in startup land. QSBS 2.0 lays out a three-pillar strategy: Plan Early, Track Diligently, and Preserve Strategically—giving you the tools to build with tax optimization in mind from day one.
