Blog

This spring, in partnership with our allies at Co-op Cincy and Co-op Dayton, we’re launching our first co-op incubator, a 15-week program for groups looking to launch worker-owned businesses.

Today we're releasing a new case study about our work building community owned solar with Cleveland Solar Cooperative.  In the case study, authored by our friend and ally Will Cuneo, we describe our early days in library basements hammering out the who, how, and what about our vision for community solar in Cleveland.

Happy New Year! Our staff, board, and volunteers at Cleveland Owns have a lot to be thankful for in 2022, and even more to look forward to in 2023. Here’s a preview of how we’re building economic democracy in the new year.

Cleveland Owns is hiring a full-time Energy Democracy Organizer to lead our Energy Democracy Initiative, a portfolio of projects that promote community control over our energy system. The Energy Democracy Organizer will organize with residents impacted by energy injustice and the climate crisis, and develop community-owned solar projects.

Today Cleveland Owns joined our partner ConnectedNEO in submitting an RFP to build a community-owned broadband mesh network across Cleveland.

We are happy to share Cleveland Owns’ summary of a worker ownership organization in Massachusetts called Coalition for Worker Ownership and Power (COWOP). Their effort and experience can point us out a way for future policy campaigns and inter-organizational conversations.

Participatory Budgeting (PB CLE) is hiring! This organizer will lead our campaign to win our ask of bringing participatory budgeting to Cleveland through community engagement, PB education, and campaign advocacy efforts starting in late-August/September. Please share!

Originally posted on www.foodinnovationneo.org, this article describes the origin story of Cleveland Solar Cooperative, a project Cleveland Owns has incubated since 2020

Cleveland Owns is recruiting a Summer Intern motivated to challenge racial capitalism by building cooperatively owned enterprises. To apply, submit a resume and cover letter by Wednesday, April 20th, 2022 to info@clevelandowns.coop.

We kicked off an online conversation series called Let’s Talk Co-op with guest Shane Hinde of Phoenix Coffee, a bona fide Cleveland institution that became employee-owned in late 2020.

We are happy to introduce you to PowerUp Purchasing Cooperative, a member-owned enterprise that enables nonprofits to pool their purchasing power to shrink their bills and expand their missions!

What a year. Despite the substantial turmoil facing our community in 2021, we’re proud of what we’ve accomplished this year at Cleveland Owns to build a more democratic economy in our city – and that we’ve had fun doing it :) Here are some highlights.