What I learned
A worker-owned cooperative is a different shape of company. Decisions don’t come from a top of the org chart — they emerge from a deliberate, structured set of practices grounded in the seven cooperative principles. Setting that up first is the work; the technology is just the artifact that proves it functions.
I also learned that “tech for community” is meaningfully different from “tech for clients.” The work has to make the underlying community stronger — not just deliver a product and walk away. That reframes how you scope, who you serve, and what done looks like.
What I did
- Co-founded Pulse COOP as a founding member.
- Helped establish the cooperative’s democratic workplace practices — governance, decision-making, ownership structure — grounded in the seven cooperative principles.
- Contributed to scoping tech offerings that materially support local businesses and grassroots movements.
What I shipped
A functioning worker-owned tech cooperative with founding governance in place — designed to deliver technology solutions that strengthen community economic foundations rather than extract from them.