Cooperacion Santa Ana
PROGRAMS
Cooperative Training and Incubator
Cooperacion Santa Ana facilitates annual trainings that rotate between an introduction to worker-owned cooperative businesses and a Phase 2 advanced training for worker-owners in the cooperative incubator. “CooperAccion” is the 12-week introductory training curriculum that engages between 15-35 Latinx community members. The training provides intensive popular educational programming that gives individuals the skills and knowledge to take the first steps of conceptualizing their business, learning about market research, exploring financial models, and understanding the various structures of a successful cooperative business. From this introductory training, worker-owned cooperative businesses emerge and can enter the incubator. Cooperacion Santa Ana provides high-touch incubation support for cooperative businesses in the early stages of development with ongoing coaching and technical assistance to help establish member-managed LLCs, where all workers are owners (not employees). Worker-owners participate in a Phase 2 training program and are supported through the process of understanding legal structures, liabilities, communication, finance management, and strategic planning. Cooperative businesses conduct a feasibility analysis, set up administrative supports, and secure start-up capital to launch the business.
Enhance training, coaching, incubation, and financing of worker-owned cooperatives as evidenced by at least 15 residents trained annually, at least 6 enterprises supported through the early stages of business development, and key institutions informed about worker cooperatives.
Related activities include:
a. Train at least 15 residents each year in workshops and a 12-week introductory curriculum course.
b. Provide one-on-one coaching, technical assistance, and seed capital to training participants through the incubation of at least 6 worker-owned cooperatives from their early stages of business development through launch and financial independence.
c. Participate in a Regional Economic Analysis Process to identify economic development priorities and create an economic action plan prioritizing diversity and sustainability.
d. Launch training for representatives from universities, SBDCs, businesses, and city officials to learn about worker-owned cooperatives and create partnership opportunities in technical assistance and connection to markets and financing.
CONTACT
Cooperacion Santa Ana
1505 E 17th St
Ste117
Santa Ana, California 92705