Democracy At Work Institute

What Democracy At Work Institute does

Democracy At Work Institute (DAWI) is a U.S. 501(c)(3) non-profit organization founded around 2014 and headquartered in San Diego, California, that operates as a national think-and-do-tank advancing the worker cooperative movement. The organization develops standards, leaders, and resources for worker cooperative development, and advocates for the model as a tool for economic and community development. DAWI serves a broad ecosystem that includes existing worker cooperatives, cooperative developers, retiring small business owners considering employee ownership transitions, municipalities, SBDC advisors, and community-based organizations organizing excluded workers.

DAWI's core offerings include the School for Democratic Management (an education and training platform teaching democratic management practices to cooperative managers), the Data Together research program (applying cooperative principles to national data collection on worker cooperatives), the Workers to Owners Collaborative (a national initiative for which DAWI serves as backbone organization), the Employee Ownership Cities initiative (municipal economic development programming), and an extensive Resource Library. Notable publications include the Worker Cooperative State of the Sector report (co-produced with USFWC since 2017), Investing in Worker Ownership, Becoming Employee-Owned, and the Municipal Playbook for Employee Ownership and Economic Recovery (co-published with the National League of Cities). The organization does not build proprietary software; its technical footprint is limited to a Drupal-based website (institute.coop), the School for Democratic Management platform (democraticmanagement.org), and a Mailchimp newsletter distribution system.

The business model relies primarily on grants, donations, and program contracts rather than commercial pricing. Resources are distributed free of charge through the website and partner networks. Go-to-market is community-led and event-driven: DAWI trains SBDC advisors, hosts the School for Democratic Management, publishes research, and convenes field partners. Headcount is small (1-10 staff), with named leadership including a Director of Education and Training (Rebecca Bauen), a Business Transfers Program Director (Frank Cetera), and a metrics and impact analyst (Olga Prushinskaya). DAWI operates domestic U.S. programs in California, New York, North Carolina, Iowa, and other states, and has extended internationally through a multi-year contract with the Cooperative University of Kenya and Global Communities.

Name

Democracy At Work Institute

Legal name

Democracy at Work Institute

Website

https://institute.coop

Company type

Private

Founded year

2014

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Democracy At Work Institute is a U.S. 501(c)(3) non-profit think-and-do-tank that advances worker cooperatives through the School for Democratic Management curriculum, the Data Together research program, the Workers to Owners Collaborative, and municipal employee-ownership engagement, serving cooperatives, developers, municipalities, and small business owners.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Cooperative Development Services

NAICS

Professional and Management Development Training (61143), Business, Professional, Labor, Political, and Similar Organizations (8139), Research and Development in the Social Sciences and Humanities (54172)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Collaboration, Teamwork & Conflict Resolution (EDAAAKAF)

Keywords

• Worker cooperative development
• Employee ownership training
• Cooperative education
• Democratic management
• Cooperative research

Headquarters

HQ city

San Francisco

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Grant Funding and Donations: As a nonprofit institute, DAWI operates primarily through grant funding and donations to advance the worker cooperative movement.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

DAWI advances the U.S. worker cooperative field through a mix of education and training programs (notably the School for Democratic Management), applied research and data collection (Data Together), and practitioner convening and conversion support (Workers to Owners Collaborative, Employee Ownership Cities Initiative). It distributes guides, publications, and tools to cooperative developers, retiring small business owners, and municipalities pursuing employee ownership strategies, and operates as the backbone organization of national and international partner networks.

Product overview

Democracy At Work Institute offers a portfolio of programs and resources advancing the worker cooperative field. The core offerings include the School for Democratic Management (education/training platform), the Data Together research program (applying cooperative principles to data collection), the Workers to Owners Collaborative (national initiative for business conversions to employee ownership), and a comprehensive Resource Library. Additional offerings include the Employee Ownership Cities initiative for municipal economic development, publications like the State of the Sector reports, and various guides covering topics from startup support to expansion strategies. The organization serves as a backbone for the Workers to Owners Collaborative and provides tools for developers, communities, and existing worker cooperatives.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• School for Democratic Management Education and training platform offering curricula, faculty training, and a practical guide that teach democratic management practices to worker cooperative managers and developer organizations.
• Data Together Program Research program applying cooperative principles to data collection and analysis on U.S. worker cooperatives, re-centering worker and business benefits while investing in inclusive research processes and producing exclusive national datasets.
• Workers to Owners Collaborative (W2O) National collaborative of organizations working to transition small businesses to worker and employee ownership, with DAWI serving as backbone organization and members sharing tools, practices, innovations, and aggregated data.
• Employee Ownership Cities Initiative Program focused on integrating employee ownership into municipal economic and workforce development strategies across U.S. cities, delivered through partnerships with municipal leadership and organizations like the National League of Cities.
• Resource Library Comprehensive digital collection of tools, publications, guides, and research materials on worker cooperatives and employee ownership, made available to cooperative developers, communities, and worker cooperatives.

Quantifiable outcome

• 33 SBDC advisors and directors trained across 19 U.S. states in first national employee ownership training program
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

19 partnerships are on record, tiered core, strategic and supporting.

• US Federation of Worker Cooperatives (USFWC)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDAWI and USFWC are closely affiliated organizations sharing headquarters. They co-produce the Worker Cooperative State of the Sector reports and collaborate on research, publications, and field advancement initiatives.
• Workers to Owners Collaborative (W2O)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDAWI acts as the backbone organization for the Workers to Owners Collaborative, a national collaborative of organizations working to transition small businesses to worker and employee ownership. W2O members share tools, practices, innovations, aggregate data, and broadcast shared messages.
• Cooperative University of Kenya (CUK)strategicStrategic or Co-development PartnerDAWI partnered with CUK and Global Communities to deliver worker cooperative benefits to young professionals in Kenya. DAWI's education team traveled to Kenya contextualizing the School for Democratic Management curriculum for CUK students.
• Global CommunitiesstrategicStrategic or Co-development PartnerInternational nonprofit working at the intersection of humanitarian assistance, sustainable development, and financial inclusion. DAWI partnered with Global Communities as part of a multi-year contract to embed worker cooperative management and development at Cooperative University of Kenya.
• National League of Cities (NLC)strategicStrategic or Co-development PartnerDAWI partnered with NLC to co-publish The Municipal Playbook for Employee Ownership and Economic Recovery and Employee Ownership reports, providing guidance for municipal leadership on employee ownership strategies.
• America's SBDC National Special Interest Section on Employee OwnershipcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration to launch the first national training program on employee ownership for Small Business Development Center advisors and directors. The program equipped 33 advisors across 19 U.S. states.
• ICA GroupsupportingImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerOne of ten featured experts providing training to SBDC advisors on employee ownership, contributing expertise on worker cooperative conversions and development.
• Cooperative Development InstitutesupportingImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerFeatured expert organization providing training to SBDC advisors on employee ownership models and transitions.
• Co-op CincysupportingImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerFeatured expert organization providing training to SBDC advisors on employee ownership.
• Cooperative Fund of the NortheastsupportingImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerFeatured expert organization providing training to SBDC advisors on financing and funding for employee ownership.
• Shared Capital CooperativesupportingImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerFeatured expert organization providing training to SBDC advisors on cooperative financing models.
• Nexus Community PartnerssupportingImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerFeatured expert organization providing training to SBDC advisors on employee ownership.
• Project EquitysupportingImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerFeatured expert organization providing training to SBDC advisors on employee ownership transitions.
• Center for Community-Based EnterprisesupportingImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerFeatured expert organization providing training to SBDC advisors on employee ownership.
• L.A. Co-op LabstrategicStrategic or Co-development PartnerCooperative development experts partnering with DAWI on the SEED demonstration project for worker cooperatives serving excluded workers in California.
• CLEAN Carwash Worker CenterstrategicStrategic or Co-development PartnerCommunity-based organization partnering on SEED demonstration project, organizing excluded workers in the carwash industry.
• Cooperacion Santa AnastrategicStrategic or Co-development PartnerCommunity-based organization partnering on SEED demonstration project for worker cooperatives.
• Pilipino Workers Center of Southern CaliforniastrategicStrategic or Co-development PartnerCommunity-based organization partnering on SEED demonstration project, organizing excluded workers.
• United Taxi Workers of San DiegostrategicStrategic or Co-development PartnerCommunity-based organization partnering on SEED demonstration project in the taxicab industry.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Project Equity: National nonprofit specializing in converting existing businesses to employee and worker ownership; featured expert partner in DAWI's SBDC training program. Directly comparable in service offering, target clients (small business owners), and conversion pipeline work.
• ICA Group: Nonprofit consulting firm specializing in cooperative development, conversions, and participatory management; featured expert in DAWI's SBDC training. Directly comparable as a practitioner-side cooperative development organization.
• Cooperative Development Institute: Regional cooperative development organization supporting startup, conversion, and expansion of cooperatives, primarily in the Northeast. Featured expert partner in DAWI's SBDC training program; comparable scope of cooperative technical assistance.
• Shared Capital Cooperative: National CDFI providing financing to cooperatives, including worker co-ops. Featured expert in DAWI's SBDC training; directly comparable as a capital ecosystem partner in the worker cooperative field.
• Nexus Community Partners: Minnesota-based nonprofit building community wealth through cooperative development and equitable economic strategies. Featured expert in DAWI's SBDC training; comparable in field-building and cooperative developer support.
• U.S. Federation of Worker Cooperatives: Direct peer and strategic affiliate of DAWI; USFWC is the national membership federation for U.S. worker cooperatives, sharing headquarters and co-producing flagship research with DAWI. Highly comparable as the field's primary trade/membership body.
• Cooperative Fund of the Northeast: Community development loan fund financing cooperatives in the Northeast U.S. Featured expert in DAWI's SBDC training; directly comparable as a capital partner serving worker cooperative development.
• Center for Community-Based Enterprise: Nonprofit supporting community-based and employee-owned business development. Featured expert in DAWI's SBDC training; comparable mission in employee-ownership transitions and community economic development.
• Co-op Cincy: Cincinnati-based nonprofit cooperative developer advancing the cooperative economy through startup support and conversions. Featured expert in DAWI's SBDC training; comparable mission and practitioner-level support work.

Broad incumbents

• National Cooperative Business Association (NCBA CLUSA): The largest U.S. cross-sector cooperative trade association, representing a broad portfolio of cooperative types (consumer, agricultural, housing, worker). Comparable as a larger, established cooperative ecosystem advocacy body operating at greater scale than DAWI's worker-cooperative focus.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/wearedawi
• Xx.com/wearedawi

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Democracy At Work Institute