Co-op Clinic – Technical Assistance Services – U.S. Federation of Worker Cooperatives

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The USFWC Co-op Clinic has a network of peer advisors, all with strong social and professional ties, who provide technical assistance services to worker cooperatives and democratic workplaces.

Though we can support you in all-around small business areas, we specialize in technical assistance that cooperatives need specifically: decision-making, co-op finances, boards, bylaws and more.

Our staff and peer advisors can help you…

Create a roadmap for starting or converting to a cooperative.
Find the right structure and governance for your democratic workplace.
Get training in cooperative finances.
Become loan ready.
Finish your business plan.
Create policies that work for your team.
AND MORE!

See mini guides here on conflict, accountability, structure, financing, membership fees, funding for technical assistance, boards and more here.

How it Works

Areas of Technical Assistance

Meet the Peer Advisors and Staff

Our professional and culturally competent Peer Advisors are here to provide you with high-quality technical assistance based on their lived experience working in and developing cooperative businesses.

Meet the Peer Advisors:

[EN] = English speaking
[SP] = Spanish speaking

Maru Bautista [EN/SP]
Mavery Davis [EN]
Sonia Erika [EN/SP]
Jonah Fertig-Burd [EN]
Peggy Fogarty [EN]
Julian Hill [EN/SP]
McKenzie Jones [EN]
brandon king [EN]
Trenda Loftin [EN]
Randon Martin [EN]
Pedro Maturana [EN/SP]
Daniel Park [EN]
Daniella Preisler [EN/SP]
James Razsa [EN]
Andrew Stachiw [EN]
Michael Tekhen Strode [EN]
Stephen Rye Switzer [EN]
Damon Terrell [EN]
Esther West [EN]
Annie Winkler [EN]
Emma Yorra [EN/SP]

: Maru Bautista [EN/SP] she/ella
Maru Bautista is an independent cooperative consultant with more than a decade of experience in group facilitation; project design and implementation; program, budget & staff management; worker cooperative development; curriculum development; community engagement and public policy advocacy. Formerly the Director of the Cooperative Development Program at the Center for Family Life, she supported the immigrant community of New York City start and run worker cooperatives in the domestic sector. Most notable projects include: Brightly, a worker cooperative franchise for domestic workers, and upandgo.coop, an online booking platform for immigrant-led cooperatives. Maru is board chair of the Democracy at Work Institute (institute.coop), and for 6 years was board member of the US Federation of Worker Cooperatives (usworker.coop). Maru was born and raised in Puebla, Mexico.

: Mavery Davis [EN] he/him
Mavery is breaking poverty and creating wealth. CPA by day, a husband, father, community organizer, a motivator, and founder of the Financial Literacy Bootcamp (FLBC). Through the FLBC he works with kids in West Virginia to understand the psychology of money and the basics of finances, to plant the seeds of collective, community wealth and abundance. For this work, Mavery earned the Herbert Henderson Office of Minority Affairs Trail Blazer-Pioneer Award (2020). In addition to his professional accountant certification, Mavery also holds a Bachelor’s of Science Degree with a concentration in Accounting from the HBCU West Virginia State University (WVSU), and a Master’s of Science Degree with a concentration in Public Accounting from Strayer University (2015). Mavery is an Adjunct Professor of Accounting at WVSU, guest teacher at Makeshop Design Lab, serves on the National Society of Black Certified Public Accountants (NSBCPA) Board of Directors, and collaborator in All Things Workshops! Additionally, Mavery has been recognized as a Top 40 under 40 Black CPA by the NSBCPA (2021) and a Hometown Hero by WV Can’t Wait (2022). In his current Role, as the Director of Lending for NEW WV, he brings a passion for uplifting people and connecting them to the resources they need to be supported along their cooperative business journey.

: Sonia Erika [EN/SP] all pronouns From weed to music, Sonia Erika is the daughter of formerly undocumented laborers. She is very familiar with collectives and cooperatives. It is her ideal working space. She has worked with Brightly™/Center for Family Life, a language justice co-op, various cannabis co-ops, artists co-ops and more! Although there are challenges, she appreciates working in non-hierarchical structures, which is why she’s so excited for web3 and blockchain technologies. Her mission is to use cooperatives to give power to the people. Sonia gives power to coops in a variety of mediums such as video editing, brand strategy, group facilitation, and listening. Her vision is to connect the physical and virtual world in a holistic health conscious manner. Aside from cooperatives, Sonia tells stories through music with a nomadic band under the title Death Is A Business. Before music, Sonia Erika lobbied to legalize weed for black and brown people in the state of Massachusetts. Sonia Erika is a member of @eatme.land a collective empowering travelers, artists, and co-ops.

: Jonah Fertig-Burd [EN] he/him
Over the past 20 years, Jonah has built deep, collaborative relationships; developed new nonprofits, cooperative businesses, and collaboratives; worked in restaurants, food pantries, and farms; and helped to grow racial equity in our food system. He is a farmer and worker-owner of Celebration Tree Farm & Wellness Center, a multi-stakeholder cooperative in Durham, Maine with an organic tree farm, agritourism, and wellness classes and retreats. For the past two years, he has been a Community Partner for Food Systems at the Sewall Foundation, overseeing food systems grants, programs, and impact investments. He previously was at the Cooperative Development Institute (CDI), Jonah worked with farmers, fishers, cooks, and food producers to form cooperatives, particularly New American farmers in Lewiston-Auburn, Maine, and the Northeast and supported the development of urban housing cooperatives. He supported the development of New Roots Cooperative Farm, Maine Farm and Sea Cooperative, Cooperative Maine Business Alliance, Isuken Co-op, and others. Prior to CDI, he co-founded Local Sprouts Cooperative, a worker-owned cafe, and catering business, and was a worker-owner for 7 years. He’s on the board of the Cooperative Fund of the Northeast, Land in Common Community Land Trust, and Maine Inside Out. He was a 2018 BALLE Local Economy Fellow, 2017 Democracy at Work Institute Cooperative Network Fellow, 2016 Democracy at Work Institute Worker Cooperative Developer Fellow, Food Solutions New England Network Leadership Institute graduate, and Sustainable Food System Leadership Institute graduate. He was a part of the Democracy at Work Network starting in 2014 as a peer advisor. He loves to cook, make art, play music, and walk in the woods. He lives with his wife and two children in Durham.

: Peggy Fogarty [EN] She/Her Peggy Fogarty is an expert with 20+ years of experience in cooperative business consulting, organizational governance, and leadership development. Her mission is to build and strengthen democratically governed enterprises to achieve economic justice and community empowerment. She is a strategic systems thinker with a successful track record of consulting and training over 250 organizations through various stages of development. She is instrumental in bringing organizational vision and missions to life by listening, articulating, inspiring, empowering, and uniting people to achieve common goals. As a skilled facilitator, Peggy creates a safe space to elicit complex, insightful, and honest perspectives where all ideas are vital. Her portfolio includes worker-owned and producer-owned enterprises in diverse industries. Her clients of business owners include homecare, taxi, grocery, coffee shops, produce, dairy, eggs, shellfish, small meat processors, food banks, and food manufacturers. Peggy served in various roles at KDC, a Cooperative Development Center in Pennsylvania, stepping down as the Executive Director in December 2021. As a food systems advocate, she was an early organizer of the Community Supported Agriculture movement. Her business evolved into Lancaster Farm Fresh Cooperative, which is now cooperatively owned by 150 small family farms.

: McKenzie Jones [EN] she/her/hers
McKenzie is a founding member of the Aurora Pocket Neighborhood Cooperative, a co-owned, urban, intentional community that she still calls home. She has steered radical organizations such as the Center for Sustainability in State College, PA and Ithaca Biodiesel Cooperative in Ithaca, NY. McKenzie is a member owner of CoLab Cooperative and runs The Worker Place, a nonprofit incubating worker-owned cooperatives. She believes in worker ownership as a pathway out of oppressive economics toward a just working environment for all!

: Pedro Maturana [SP/EN] he/him
Pedro’s experience includes 7 years as a worker member with Arizmendi Bakery and Pizzeria where he was involved in board governance, recruitment & training, evaluations, and bakery operations. For 2 years he also worked with the Arizmendi Association’s Development and Support Cooperative, the entity that provides development support and technical assistance to associated Arizmendi bakeries, where he developed procedures, systems of accountability, as well as coordination and facilitation support. Pedro currently work as a cooperative business specialist for the California Center for Cooperative Development in Davis, CA. Pedro has a BS in Philosophy and double minor in professional writing and sociology.

: brandon king (all lower-case*) [EN] he/him brandon is a community organizer, dj, visual artist and overall creative originally from Hampton Roads Virginia where he currently resides. brandon moved to Jackson Mississippi in 2014, to actualize the Jackson-Kush Plan, aimed at struggling for Black self-determination and economic democracy where he worked for six years as a cultural organizer, cooperative developer, and program coordinator for Cooperation Jackson, of which he is also a founding member. While there, brandon served on the executive committee and was a farm anchor of Freedom Farms Cooperative. brandon currently serves as the Community Engagement Coordinator for Resonate Co-op, an international music streaming platform cooperative that’s co-owned and democratically managed by the artists, developers and listeners who use the platform. his main role in this position is guiding the design and implementation of community processes and protocols for maximizing participation and democratic inclusion in collective decision-making.

: Trenda Loftin [EN] she/her.
Trenda is the founding director of Willow Permanent Real Estate Cooperative (Willow PREC), a theatre artist, social justice consultant, and worker-owner of The Compost Co-operative. She believes access to safe and affordable housing, food, health care, and creative spaciousness are human rights — and actively seeks to cultivate and support others with the cultivation of ways to increase access for those facing historical and present barriers. She believes one of those ways is through cooperative strategies. Body-centered and collaborative, Trenda works closely with individuals, groups, and organizations, utilizing interactive and creative approaches to address inequity within programs, practices, and policies. Liberation is the goal. Based in Western Massachusetts, Trenda integrates the skills she’s developed as an artist, educator, restaurant worker, and cooperator into each opportunity. As a REALTOR® with Coldwell Banker Community Realtors, Trenda specializes in working with cooperatives and collectives to identify collective space and financial needs. She is governing member of Real Live Theatre, a cooperatively produced theatre company based in the Connecticut River Valley of Western Massachusetts. Additionally Trenda serves on the Board of Directors for Common Capital, a non-profit community loan fund and SBA microlender.

: Daniel Park [EN] he/him
Daniel Park is a queer, bi-racial, theatre and performance artist, movement facilitator, and organizer for racial and labor justice the cultural sector. Through all of the above, his work brings people together to understand and experiment with their individual and mutual roles in bringing about the liberation of all people. Since moving to Philadelphia in 2014 Daniel has become a leader for radical thought in the local creative ecosystem and a trusted national source for guidance on the intersection between cooperatives and the arts. Daniel has self-produced multiple major works, co-founded the worker cooperative Obvious Agency (www.obvious-agency.com), created commissions for institutions such as the Barnes Foundation and Moore College of Art and Design, taught anti-oppressive creation methodology at the University of the Arts, and collaborated with local companies including The Bearded Ladies, Orbiter 3, and Applied Mechanics. Daniel has provided his services as a facilitator and consultant nationally with organizations such as Creatives Rebuild New York, The PA Governor’s Commission on Asian American Affairs, ArtPlace America, and many others. Daniel was also instrumental as an organizer and recruiter for Philadelphia Asian Performing Artists, a community group that brings together folks of pan-Asian descent involved in the performing arts.

: Daniella Preisler [EN / SP] she/her
Daniella, originally from Chile, brings extensive experience as a cooperative development consultant, certified community coach and trainer and co-founder of her second cooperative business, Colmenar Cooperative Consulting, which services the Latinx community. As a worker-owner of Home Green Home SF, a worker cooperative of Latina women who have provided ecological cleaning services in San Francisco since 2009, she truly understands the cooperative experience. She has served on the USFWC Board, international committee and Movimiento de Inmigrantes en Cooperativas. Now as a consultant and developer, she advises her clients to develop their capabilities within participatory governance, financial literacy and structure, and effective communication in their cooperative businesses.

: Ana Martina Rivas [SP/EN] she/her/ella
Community organizer and facilitator of Mexican origin. She is a founding worker-owner member of Colmenar Cooperative Consulting. Her background and political formation comes from her involvement in community independent media in Mexico inspired by the Zapatista struggle. She collaborated with many community FM radio stations in Mexico and in the U.S. She is dedicated to promoting and advising others on best practices for democratic governance and organizational accountability. During her 5 years as Membership Director at the US Federation of Worker Cooperatives Ana Martina developed an in-depth understanding of the landscape of workplace democracy across the U.S. She served as the USFWC’s Technical Assistance Project Manager. During her time at the USFWC she coordinated the Movimiento para Inmigrantes en Cooperativas, and co-facilitated the Racial and Economic Justice Council. She is very involved in building networks among international worker cooperative movements through her role on the board of CICOPA Americas, the international body representing worker cooperatives worldwide. She is a member of the Philadelphia-based feminist collective Comadre Luna where she develops media that focuses on gender justice, anti-racism, and empowerment for Latinx women. She participated in the 2022 cohort of the AORTA Headwaters Facilitation Apprenticeship and participated in the Next Economy MBA cohort VII by LIFT Economy. She currently resides in Philadelphia, where she has taken root with her little family of radicants.

: James Razsa [EN] he/his. James hails from Gray, Maine. He is one of the founders and current CEO of Democracy Brewing. His extensive experience in economic justice organizing includes working for workers’ centers, labor unions, and a climate organization. He has coordinated campaigns bringing together labor, community, faith, racial justice, student, climate, and immigrant groups. James’s worker cooperative experience includes interning for the US Federation of Worker Cooperatives as well as working for Equal Exchange, one of the largest worker-coop businesses in the United States. He also has years of experience in the service and brewing industry. He has a bachelor’s degree in Community Studies and Economic Justice from the University of California, Santa Cruz.

: Andrew Stachiw [EN] he/him
Andrew Stachiw, is a co-founder and worker-owner of Toolbox for Education and Social Action (TESA) where he is the Director of Curriculum Development and Cooperative Education. Through his work providing TA through TESA, CDI, and USFWC Andrew provides technical assistance for a wide range of co-ops, and has designed education for cooperative development organizations around the country. Andrew is passionate about cooperative systems that fight for social justice and much of his co-op work has focused on the food system, land access, and the formerly incarcerated. Andrew lives in northern Vermont, where he runs a small farm and is one of the statewide organizers for the USFWC.

: Michael Tekhen Strode [EN] he/him
Mike is a writer, cyclist, IT consultant, facilitator, and solidarity economy organizer residing in southeast Chicago whose community engagement work has included ride leadership with the Chicago chapter of Red, Bike & Green; editorial and archival oversight for Fultonia; and co-facilitation of Cooperation for Liberation Study & Working Group. He is founding coordinator of the Kola Nut Collaborative, a time-based service and skills trading platform which promotes timebanking throughout Chicago. He is also a board member of the New Economy Coalition, US Solidarity Economy Network and Illinois Worker Cooperative Alliance (Steering Committee).

: Stephen Switzer [EN] he/him
Stephen is a facilitator, accountant, and emeritus worker-owner of A Bookkeeping Cooperative and Thirdroot Community Health Center. He consults on finance & operations. Stephen received his B.A. in Geography from Middlebury College and is pursuing a M.S. in Accounting at Saint Mary’s College. A native Arizonan, Stephen now resides in Oakland, CA with his husband, daughter, and dog, Chaga.

: Damon Terrell [EN] he/him
Damon grew up in Madison Wisconsin. He is passionate about learning and community building. Damon is primarily interested in cooperativism as an approach to securing freedom and sovereignty for the people. He is happiest with family and friends, playing games, eating too much food, dancing, and telling stories.

: Esther West [EN] she/they
Esther West has five years of first-hand worker ownership experience from Equal Exchange and as a current worker-owner at Ajani Cooperative. In her previous position as Cooperative Development Specialist at the University of Wisconsin Center for Cooperatives, Esther provided technical assistance to cooperatives, conducted market analysis, researched Latinx and national cooperative development and created several databases and analytical cooperative maps. She is currently on the Board of MadWorC and is Vice President of the Board of the USFWC.

: Annie Winkler [EN] they/them
Annie Winkler worked for 12 years at Real Pickles Cooperative where they cut their teeth on bylaw and policy creation during the conversion to worker-coop in 2012. Governance, facilitation, humane resources, and community building are their passions, along with financial literacy and production efficiency. They’re committed to creating processes that work and that are flexible when situations change, while working from lens of justice and equity. They’ve also served on the board of their local food coop.

: Emma Yorra [EN / SP] she/her
Emma Yorra is a Brooklyn-based, Spanish-speaking bookkeeper with 12 years of experience bringing her financial management and facilitation skills to cooperatives, movement nonprofits, and small businesses. She loves to help others develop the skills and confidence they need to effectively run their organizations. Emma worked for three years as a Bookkeeper, Consultant and Financial Educator at A Bookkeeping Cooperative, where she was also a worker owner. She has served as treasurer on boards, developed and financed worker cooperatives, and earned a Masters in Social Economics and Cooperative Business Management from Mondragon University.