Meet The People Who Think Co-Ops Are The Way To Build A Better Uber

Summary

People love gig economy apps like Uber and Airbnb, but some are increasingly dissatisfied with how those companies treat people and communities. One group of hackers, academics, policymakers and weirdos thinks they can do it better. It won’t be easy.

Academic conferences tend not to be overbooked. But at November’s Platform Cooperativism conference, hosted by New York City’s New School, nearly every session was standing room only. Last year, when associate professor Trebor Scholz put on his annual Digital Labor conference, a few hundred scholars showed up. This year, more than 2,000 registered to attend.