Innovation Profile: Green Worker-Owned Cooperatives

About the Innovation

WAGES, Women’s Action to Gain Economic Security, builds worker-owned green businesses that create healthy, dignified jobs and build assets for low-income women. WAGES is working to magnify impact by incubating new worker-owned cooperative businesses and by leveraging two key innovations: a partnership with Seventh Generation, a natural products company; and the development of Individual Development Accounts in a shared business ownership context. The innovation takes a holistic approach to asset development by infusing wealth and asset creation along with the development of core skills and the opening of green job opportunities for women.

About the Innovator

As Executive Director of WAGES since 2003, Hilary has led the expansion of WAGES’ programs in the San Francisco Bay Area and the creation of a network model to support growth and sustainability of mature cooperatives. She is currently leading the organization through implementation of a three-year expansion strategy to increase the organization’s impact throughout the Bay Area and the development of a plan to take WAGES’ work beyond the Bay Area. Prior to joining WAGES, Hilary worked to increase equity and social justice in areas including fair trade, environmental health, women’s health and immigrant rights. Her visits with fair trade farmers in Latin America provided her with a first-hand understanding of the economic and social impact of cooperative models, environmental sustainability, and collective endeavors that give us space to dream.

Tags: Entrepreneurship, Green Economy, Immigrants, Jobs, People of Color, Saving & investment, Shared Ownership, Social Enterprise, Women