This week, we have a wide-ranging interview with Bernard Marszalek, a former member of the Inkworks Press worker cooperative. He talks about his 18 years in the co-op, and discusses his new book, Jobs, Jive, & Joy: An Argument for the Utopian Spirit, which was partly inspired by his mother's experience working in the Western Electric Hawthorne Works outside Chicago. While the company itself was anything but cooperative, the massive plant served as fertile soil for the emergence of a worker-led, worker-centered culture that extended well beyond the shop floor.
Then, Leslie Watson of the NorthEast Investment Cooperative talks about their organization sprang from organic conversations among neighbors in her Minneapolis neighborhood, and how their 75 members have self-funded the purchase and rehabilitation of two buildings, one of which houses the Fair State Brewing Cooperative.
Jobs, Jive, and Joy
An Interview with Bernard Marszalek
by GEO Collective
Bernard Marszalek joins us to discuss the history of the Hawthorn Works and his new book: Jobs, Jive, and Joy: An Argument for the Utopian Spirit.
The NorthEast Investment Cooperative
by American Independent Business Alliance - AMIBA
This Community Capital Live interview features Leslie Watson, board president of NorthEast Investment Cooperative. NEIC leverages member-owners’ investments to purchase and rejuvenate stressed and poorly utilized residential and commercial properties in Northeast Minneapolis.
Eight stories about mutual aid to mark two years of war in Sudan
New Humanitarian — The backbone of relief efforts has been youth-driven and neighbourhood-based mutual aid groups known as emergency response rooms – which were set up at the outset of the war – as well as other local community initiatives...Mutual aid is central to many crises, but the scale and impact of local efforts in Sudan has been profound, and volunteers say their solidarity-based model offers a blueprint for both a new kind of politics and a radically different humanitarian response...
How Food Cooperatives Are Transforming the Local Restaurant Scene
Market Daily — Food cooperatives bridge the gap between restaurants and small-scale farmers, facilitating direct sourcing of fresh and high-quality ingredients. This relationship eliminates the need for intermediaries, fostering better communication, transparency, and trust...By partnering with food cooperatives, restaurants can decrease their reliance on large-scale distributors. Unlike industrial supply chains, which prioritize volume and efficiency over quality and sustainability, co-ops emphasize community and environmental stewardship...
The Big Carrot Worker Co-op is Seeking an Operations Manager
The Big Carrot Community Market — The Big Carrot Community Market is a great place to work and grow. We understand that our employees ultimately make us who we are. We strive to employ passionate and engaged individuals from diverse backgrounds who, through their passion and character, bring our vision for health and community closer together...
Just Leader Fellowship 2025 Applications Are Open
CoFED — The Just Leader Fellowship is a 8-month opportunity for QTBIPOC folks (ages 18-30) working to close the racial wealth gap by advancing community ownership in food and land systems. Young QTBIPOC leaders will have fiscal and technical support in crafting a food and land justice project. This fellowship is designed to develop political education, project management, and leadership skills at the pace of the fellows’ genius...
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