LEAF has continued its partnership with the Office of Small Business Development at the City of Boston, and has spoken at several workshops run by the City’s traveling Small Business Center to discuss and promote the cooperative model.
Most recently, LEAF ran a workshop at the East Boston Library entitled “New Business Model: Cooperatives” along with the Center for Cooperative Development and Solidarity (CCDS). CCDS was founded in East Boston in 2015 by residents of color, who were concerned about the deleterious effects of gentrification in the neighborhood. The workshop was bilingual, as CCDS gave their presentation in Spanish. They gave an account of the history of their organization, and then talked about the principles and values that are the backbone of cooperative ownership.
LEAF’s presentation, led by Amine Benali (pictured right), provided a summary of the many different types of cooperative structures and their various uses and benefits. The presentation then ran through the major steps involved in creating a co-op. Prior to the presentation portion of the workshop, attendees could sit down with either of the presenters or members from the Small Business Development Center as drop-in office hours.
Overall, the event was well-attended and successful: the LEAF team is excited for the next opportunity to help build awareness for the co-op movement here in Boston. Check out the Small Business Center website to stay up to date for where the SBC will pop up next!