Welcome To
Worker-owned Cooperatives: Democratizing the Workplace and Empowering People
This is an immersive, project-based program that teaches you how to launch and grow Mondragon-style income-sharing cooperatives in the creative economy. Through three progressive tracks—foundations, governance & empowerment, and growth & innovation—you’ll build real governance charters, set transparent pay scales, and develop a mini-cooperative prototype. Along the way, earn free digital certificates, tap into an open-source community of peers and mentors, and gain the practical skills needed to democratize your workplace and empower every member.
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📝 Full Curriculum Outline
Tags: Cooperative Business • Creative Economy • Social Enterprise. Completion of each track awards a free digital certificate and unlocks the next level of cooperative mastery.
Cooperative Foundations Track
- Chapter 1: Roots of Democratic Work
- Lesson 1.1: Mondragon’s Legacy and Beyond
- Lesson 1.2: Principles of Solidarity, Participation, Innovation, Responsibility
- Chapter 2: Income-Sharing Mechanics
- Lesson 2.1: Designing Transparent Pay Scales
- Lesson 2.2: Profit Allocation and Member Dividends
- Chapter 3: Launching a Creative Cooperative
- Lesson 3.1: Member Engagement & Onboarding Rituals
- Lesson 3.2: Crafting Charters, Bylaws & Statutes
Governance & Empowerment Track
- Chapter 4: Democratic Decision-Making
- Lesson 4.1: One Member, One Vote in Action
- Lesson 4.2: Facilitating Inclusive Meetings and Consensus
- Chapter 5: Financial Transparency & Accountability
- Lesson 5.1: Cooperative Accounting Fundamentals
- Lesson 5.2: Risk Management, Reserves & Reinvestment
- Chapter 6: Legal Structures & Compliance
- Lesson 6.1: Choosing the Right Entity for Your Region
- Lesson 6.2: Taxation, Reporting & Regulatory Frameworks
Growth & Innovation Track
- Chapter 7: Business Model Design for Creatives
- Lesson 7.1: Market Research in the Creative Economy
- Lesson 7.2: Collaborative Business Planning
- Chapter 8: Scaling Through Networks
- Lesson 8.1: Federations, Alliances & Cooperative Consortia
- Lesson 8.2: Global Partnerships and Cross-Sector Collaborations
- Chapter 9: Digital Tools & Open Source Community
- Lesson 9.1: Loomio, Odoo & OpenProject for Co-ops
- Lesson 9.2: Versioning Governance Docs on GitHub
- Chapter 10: Capstone Project
- Lesson 10.1: Co-creating a Mini-Cooperative Prototype
- Lesson 10.2: Financial Projections & Impact Narratives
- Lesson 10.3: Peer Pitch, Mentor Feedback & Next Steps
Your Pathway to Success
🎁 Featured Benefits
Explore Unique Learning Paths for Career Growth
Build governance charters, income-sharing models, creative project demos and financial dashboards
Practical training with Loomio, OpenProject, Odoo and cooperative accounting templates to become a community leader
Join Slack, Discord and open forums for peer feedback, mentorship and collaborative projects
Practical training in role-play board meetings, facilitation workshops and conflict-resolution exercises,
🎯 Who Is It For?
- Aspiring cooperative founders in creative fields
- Social entrepreneurs reimagining equitable workplaces
- Designers, artists and makers seeking collective ownership
- Community organizers and mission-driven leaders
- Existing cooperatives transitioning to creative, income-sharing models
Open-Access Certifications
| Provider | Course / Badge |
|---|---|
| International Co-operative Alliance | Cooperative Governance & Management (free badge) |
| OpenLearn (Open University) | Succeeding in the Social Economy |
| Coursera (audit) | Social Entrepreneurship Specialization |
| edX (audit) | Leading Social Change through Cooperatives |
| GitHub Learning Lab | Collaboration & Documentation for Collaborative Teams |
🛠 Ready to democratize your workplace and empower people through creativity?
Enroll Now to start building your Creative Cooperative—one track at a time!