View source for DevSummit07:Co-Op Story Share in Nonprofit Technology Enterprises

=== Facilitated by [http://brattcollective.com/ Brattleboro Tech Collective], [http://chicagotech.org/ Chicago Technology Cooperative], [http://electricembers.net/ Electric Embers], [http://openflows.com/ Openflows], [http://www.sulabatsu.org/ Sulá Batsú] and others ===

A range of participants from nonprofit and social change technology co-ops will be present at the Summit. This session will employ a story-telling format to share learnings and compare experiences around co-op oriented business models.

=== Session Notes ===

==== Attendees ====
Brent: Electric Embers (formerly of TechUnderground)
Kevin: TechSoup
Larry: Open Flows
Jessi: Riseup Collective?
Dan: working to support low-income women led co-ops
Jim: Chicago Technology Cooperative (no Illinois co-op tax status, filed at Inc)
Elijah: Riseup Collective (co-op referrals)
Dave, Josh: Brattleboro Tech Collective (lots of changes)
Antoine: Koumbit (open business model)
Lena: Costa Rica Knowledge Co-op (goverance issues, social enconomy movement)
Eric, Colin, Ben: Quilted

==== Topics ====
* Worker Co-op Forum
* Workplace Democracy, Worker Co-op
* "real" Worker Co-op vs LLC, Inc, etc
** lack of legal/financial knowledge around worker co-op model
* How to do distributed co-op?
* How to start of cooperative?
** bylaws.coop idea
* Worker Co-op Conference?
* Costa Rica Co-ops laws cause difficulty in starting and organizing.  Model in Costa Rica designed for different economy.
* Difficulty in US is different rules/laws in each state.
* Vermont Cooperative Law? 
* IRS require certain bylaws
* Worker Co-op: seperate goverance (1 member, 1 share, 1 vote.) from ownership.
** Distribution of dividends based on work not ownerships
** Can be free formed based on bylaws
* Salary in Co-op is a share of the income, not really "salary". Owners, not employees.
** can be owner and employee in some cases
* Intellectual Property
** shared ownership or IP or co-op ownership IP
* Non-profit registration vs Co-op registration 
** someplaces require critical mass of "owners" (5? Canada, 18 Costa Rica)
* ICA? prototype worker co-op format, by-laws.
** customize by-laws
** find lawyers that support co-ops
* Advocacy Groups for Co-ops can be less expensive than lawyers
** National Society of Accountants for Co-ops
* Knowledge Bases, Federations, Support Groups
** No Boss?
** Participatory Economics
** CWA Locals
** Society for Technical Communicators
** Freelancers Union

==== Structural Ideas ====
* split of new co-ops at certain number of owners
* separate into autonomous committees
* equal sharing of roles vs separting business roles
* equal sharing of profits vs work hours/quality/etc
* health insurance options (society for technical communicators, freelancers union, washtech)

==== Other Technology Support Co-ops ====
* GAIA Host Collective
* May 1st
* Chicago Technology Co-op
* Eggplant
* Kariva (Colombia)
* design action collective
* baluga in Washington.
* tech co-op in montreal (name?)
* igeric? (maybe Agaric Design Collective)
* twin oaks (was this the income sharing community or a tech group?)
* c4 tech collective
* skyhouse consulting (tech business of income sharing household Skyhouse)