Co-op U

Co-op Workplace Incubator Program

Co-op U is our deep dive co-op incubator program focused on helping your founding team get your co-op off the ground. This program is for groups of two or more people, with a vision for a worker-owned co-op and who are ready to work on launching a cooperative workplace. The next iteration of Co-op U will run from September to November, 2026.

Please fill out this intake form to stay informed about the opportunity to apply to the 2026 Co-op U and get in touch with us in the meantime.

Participants in Co-op U:
  • Conduct a feasibility analysis of the local supply and demand landscape for their idea
  • Develop a preliminary business plan of their own anchored in the co-op model
  • Learn about cooperative structures and cultural practices important for achieving workplace democracy
  • Receive one-on-one mentorship and technical assistance
  • Benefit from peer-learning with a cohort teams all launching co-ops
  • Have an opportunity to access financing from the Cleveland Co-op Fund

How long is the program?
Co-op U will last 10 weeks this year, consisting of weekly 2.5 hour sessions on weekday evenings, from September to November, 2026. There will also be a "Dolphin Tank" event (the cooperative version of Shark Tank!) in which your team will present its plan to get started publicly to mark your graduation from the program.

Program expectations
Starting any business, including a co-op, takes a lot of work over a significant period of time. Beyond what you'll need to dedicate to the program to get the most out of it, you and your team will need to be ready for putting in this work if you truly want to get a co-op off the ground. Class expectations consist of attending the weekly sessions and dedicating an additional 2-5 hours a week as a team to complete activities designed to help you start your business. You'll also be expected to pitch your idea to the community at the Dolphin Tank event.

Cost
$500 - $1,500 per team, with a sliding scale based on ability to pay. Limited stipends are available to help with participation. Please see this document for clarity on how to decide what rate to pay or whether to request a stipend.

Questions?
Please email them to info@clevelandowns.coop.

Please fill out this intake form to stay informed about the opportunity to apply to the 2026 Co-op U and get in touch with us in the meantime.

Testimonials

 Co-op U had a wide array of tools to use for new or existing co-ops. One of the beautiful things about the course is that not everyone needs every tool, but they are all there to be used or modified for your co-op. Bogdan from Cleveland Owns is an amazing coach and facilitator and really helped us to see the usefulness of the tools. With a combination of cheerleading where we are strong, challenging us where we needed improvement and modifying tools to help them be more useful for us I don’t think we could have had a better facilitator. I’m confident that People’s Plumbing would not be where we are today without the support of Cleveland Owns and the knowledge gained from the Co-op U class. 

Cristobal Van Breen
People’s Plumbing, Operations Coordinator & Service Technician

 I highly recommend participating in the course! People’s Plumbing participated in Co-op U in early 2024. Before the course, People’s Plumbing worked a few jobs, but we struggled to find work and were overwhelmed with everything we needed to do to start our co-op. As part of Co-op U, we conducted interviews and did financial modeling. Now, we apply the skills and knowledge that we learned through Co-op U every day. And we built connections because of Cleveland Owns. We can now cover our expenses and pay ourselves each month, and we plan to buy a van and hire another plumber in the upcoming months. We would not be where we are today without Co-Op U and Cleveland Owns! 

Emma Folkerts
People’s Plumbing, Financial & Administrative Coordinator
  

FAQ

Co-op U is for teams of two or more with a specific vision for a cooperative business who are ready to dedicate serious time (4-7 hours) each week for the duration of the program to plan it, and likely more time after to get it off the ground.

This is unlikely to be everyone who wants to eventually start a co-op! In fact, there are earlier steps teams often find important to pursue before joining an incubator program like this one. You can take a look at our Steps for Starting a Cooperative Workplace document for a general outline of these steps along with how Cleveland Owns can support you along the way!

We're always available at info@clevelandowns.coop to point you in the right direction for your co-op development dreams!
If you need to a class, yes, we can provide accommodations for making it up. We'll share with you a recording after every session and the materials used. You'll also need to have at least one other person on your team, so ideally that person can help fill you in, but if you both need to miss it we will try to schedule a make up session with you (our ability to do so depends on all of our schedules).

Just note that a major benefit of Co-op U is the experience of taking it alongside other startup co-ops and receiving feedback from each other, so for the best experience we recommend not planning to miss more than 2 classes.