Cleveland Owns

What Cleveland Owns does

Cleveland Owns is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit economic democracy incubator founded in 2019 and headquartered at 4241 Lorain Avenue in Cleveland, Ohio. The organization runs a portfolio of programs designed to move working-class and marginalized communities from wage labor to collective ownership, including Co-op U (a 10-16 week incubator for worker- and community-owned cooperatives), the Cleveland Co-op Fund (a non-extractive loan program operating as a peer fund of the Seed Commons network), the Energy Democracy Initiative (anchored by Cleveland Solar Cooperative), a Co-op Housing program, and People's Budget Cleveland (a participatory budgeting initiative). Across these programs Cleveland Owns has incubated at least a dozen cooperatives, deployed over $770,000 in loans since 2023, and graduated seven co-ops from Co-op U in 2025.

The organization serves three primary customer segments: worker groups forming cooperative businesses, residents seeking to convert rental buildings or community resources into cooperatively owned assets, and energy democracy advocates organizing community-owned solar. Programs are delivered directly by a core staff of approximately six organizers through in-person workshops, study groups, office hours, bimonthly Co-op Circles, the annual Dolphin Tank graduation event, and one-on-one coaching. The underlying technology is a methodology rather than a software platform: codified curricula (8-session housing study group, 6-week Solar School), non-extractive loan underwriting that only requires repayment when co-ops are profitable, and a peer-learning cohort model that relies on the Seed Commons network of 38+ funds for shared back office.

Revenue is generated through three channels: donations and grants from foundations and sustaining donors (a stated goal of $1,550/month in recurring donations in 2026), sliding-scale program fees of $500-$1,500 per Co-op U team, and returns on the loan portfolio. The bulk of operating support is philanthropic, with named foundation support from St. Luke's Foundation, Democracy Collaborative, and Fairmount Presbyterian Church. As a 501(c)(3), Cleveland Owns has no equity holders and is governed by a 9-member board that includes co-founders, the co-founder of Rust Belt Riders, a Legal Aid community lawyer, and a St. Luke's Foundation program officer.

Name

Cleveland Owns

Legal name

Cleveland Owns

Website

https://clevelandowns.coop

Company type

Private

Founded year

2019

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Cleveland Owns is a Cleveland-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit economic democracy incubator that runs a 10-16 week cooperative business incubator, a non-extractive loan fund, and community solar and housing programs for workers, residents, and energy democracy advocates in Northeast Ohio.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Economic Development Services

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYFSANAHAC

Corporate Venture Studios & Incubators (Build/launch ventures)

Financial & Insurance/Private Equity & Venture Capital/Corporate Venture Capital (CVC)

SECONDARYBPAJAHAC

Cooperative (Co-op) Housing Association Management

Business & Public Services/Real Estate Services (Brokerage, Property Management)/HOA/Condominium Association Management

SECONDARYCRAHALAE

Buying Clubs & Community Bulk Purchasing Co-ops

Consumer Products & Retail/Grocery & Food Retail/Food Co-ops & Community Grocery

Keywords

• Cooperative business incubation
• Community economic development
• Non-extractive financing
• Worker cooperative education
• Energy democracy organizing

Headquarters

HQ city

Cleveland

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Others, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Donations and Grants: Primary funding from donations and grants. The organization runs fundraising campaigns targeting monthly recurring donations from sustaining donors ($1,550/month goal in 2026). Received support from foundations like St. Luke's Foundation, Democracy Collaborative, and Fairmount Presbyterian Church.
2. Program Fees: Co-op U incubator program charges $500-$1,500 per team on a sliding scale based on ability to pay. Limited stipends available for participants.
3. Loan Interest/Returns: The Cleveland Co-op Fund (Seed Commons peer fund) has made loans totaling over $770,000 to co-ops since 2023, generating returns that stay in the cooperative ecosystem.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Cleveland Owns is an economic democracy incubator that supports groups of workers and neighbors in launching and operating cooperative businesses. It delivers a 10-16 week workplace incubator (Co-op U), non-extractive financing through the Cleveland Co-op Fund, co-op housing development support, an Energy Democracy Initiative promoting community-owned solar, and participatory budgeting campaigns, all rooted in grassroots community organizing in Cleveland and Northeast Ohio.

Product overview

Cleveland Owns is an economic democracy incubator that operates as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, not a technology product company. It offers a portfolio of programs including Co-op U (a 10-16 week cooperative workplace incubator), the Energy Democracy Initiative (community solar projects), the Cleveland Co-op Fund (non-extractive financing), the Co-op Housing Program (converting buildings to cooperative ownership), People's Budget Cleveland (participatory budgeting), Co-op Circles (community events), and Solar School (solar education). These programs work together to build cooperative businesses, support community ownership of resources, and advance economic democracy in Cleveland.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Quantifiable outcome

• 7 new co-ops graduated from Co-op U in 2025
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers9 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core, minor and major.

• The BC (Block Club)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBlock club in Hough that invited Cleveland Owns in 2018 to support building Ohio's first resident-owned solar garden. Founding vision that led to Cleveland Owns' energy democracy work.
• Legal Aid Society of ClevelandcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for community lawyering to support low-income people organizing to build collective power and community in the solidarity economy. Mike Russell from Legal Aid serves on Cleveland Owns board.
• Ohio Worker-ownership Network (OWN)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNetwork of co-op developers including Co-op Cincy, Co-op Columbus, Co-op Dayton, Cleveland Owns, and Ohio Employee Ownership Center. Co-hosted first statewide Co-op U program.
• Co-op CincycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCincinnati-based co-op development organization. Partner in statewide Co-op U incubator program and Ohio Co-op Solidarity Tour.
• Co-op DaytoncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDayton-based co-op development organization. Partner in statewide Co-op U incubator program and Ohio Co-op Solidarity Tour.
• ConnectedNEOminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in community-owned broadband mesh network initiative. Cleveland Owns joined ConnectedNEO in submitting RFP to build community internet infrastructure.
• Forest City Tech Co-opcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-host of Co-op Circles bimonthly events. Part of Cleveland co-op ecosystem organized through Cleveland Owns.
• IRTF (Interreligious Task Force on Central America)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-host of Co-op Circles bimonthly events.
• Lakeside Bible ChurchmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerEast Cleveland church that signed Power Purchase Agreement with Cleveland Solar Cooperative for Ohio's first community-owned solar array.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Co-op Cincy: Cincinnati-based cooperative development organization that co-delivers the statewide Co-op U incubator with Cleveland Owns and co-hosts the Ohio Co-op Solidarity Tour. Operates the same worker co-op incubation and community co-op support model in a neighboring Ohio metro.
• Project Equity: Bay Area nonprofit that helps businesses transition to employee ownership and supports worker cooperatives. Closest national peer to Cleveland Owns' Co-op U incubation and business conversion work, though operating at larger scale and in a different region.
• Seed Commons: National network of 38+ cooperative loan funds whose Cleveland Co-op Fund is a peer member. Provides the financing infrastructure Cleveland Owns taps into and represents the closest national analogue to Cleveland Owns' non-extractive lending model.
• ICA Group: National organization providing consulting, training, and capital access to cooperatives and employee-owned enterprises. Comparable to Cleveland Owns in delivering technical assistance to cooperative businesses across multiple verticals.
• Co-op Dayton: Dayton-based co-op developer and founding partner of the Ohio Worker-ownership Network alongside Cleveland Owns. Co-hosts Co-op U programming and focuses on worker- and community-owned cooperative formation in southwest Ohio.
• Ohio Employee Ownership Center: Kent State University-affiliated statewide center supporting employee-owned business transitions and cooperative development in Ohio. A direct peer in mission scope and a co-founder of the Ohio Worker-ownership Network with Cleveland Owns.
• The Working World: National nonprofit that provides non-extractive loans and support to worker cooperatives, democratic businesses, and social enterprises. The closest direct parallel to Cleveland Owns' non-extractive financing approach and cooperative development mission.
• Sustainable Economies Law Center: Nonprofit that provides legal education, research, and support for cooperatives, social enterprises, and local economies. Mirrors the legal/community-lawyering role that Legal Aid Society of Cleveland plays for Cleveland Owns' co-op ecosystem.

Broad incumbents

• Democracy Collaborative: National research and development organization advancing community wealth building and equitable economies. A long-time funder and intellectual ally of Cleveland Owns; broader in scope (research, policy, national initiatives) but operates in the same economic democracy space.

Emerging players

• Center for Community Ownership: Emerging organization focused on cooperative ownership models for community wealth building, with overlapping focus areas in worker co-ops and cooperative housing. Less established than Cleveland Owns but pursues a directly comparable mission.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/clevelandowns

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

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 Cleveland Owns