Platform Co-Ops: We Connect Cooperatives With the Digital Economy (Infographic)

Summary

We need alternative economic models because the economy powering the Internet is not working.

We can build on a powerful business model that works—it’s hidden around us in plain sight.

Imagine a digital economy that would follow the 7 co-operative principles.

Platform cooperativism is a growing international movement that builds a fairer future of work. Rooted in democratic ownership, co-op members, freelancers, technologists, and unionists create a concrete near-future alternative to the extractive sharing economy.

Building on the early promise of the Web to decentralize the power of apps, protocols, and websites, platform co-ops allow modest-income households to benefit from the shift of labor markets to the Internet. Steering clear of the belief in one-click fixes of social problems, the model is poised to vitalize people-centered innovation by joining the rich heritage and values of co-ops with emerging Internet technologies.