New York Creative Cooperative

From Nat's Scratch Pad

aka "The Cousins"

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cousin

The system can handle kinships going back any number of generations (subject to the genealogical information being available). In 2004, genealogists discovered that U.S. Presidential candidates George W. Bush and John Kerry shared a common ancestral couple in the 1500s. It was reported that the two men are sixteenth cousins, thrice removed.[2] However, the two are in fact ninth cousins, twice removed.[3] Also, in 2007, it was revealed that then-U.S. vice president Dick Cheney and then-Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama are eighth cousins.[4]

If one goes back far enough, at some point all human beings will be found to be related according to the National Center for Biotechnology Information, part of the American National Institutes of Health.[5]

Basic Coop Facts/Links

• Most co-operatives are founded under Rochdale Principles [1]
• From International Cooperative Alliance http://www.ica.coop/al-ica/
• University of Wisconsin Center for Cooperatives http://www.uwcc.wisc.edu/welc.html

"A co-operative is an autonomous association of persons united voluntarily to meet their common economic, social, and cultural needs and aspirations through a jointly-owned and democratically-controlled enterprise. "

1. Co-operatives are ... jointly owned and democratically controlled enterprises
2. Co-operatives mean business ... some of the largest businesses in the world are co-ops
3. Co-operatives create jobs ... over 100 million worldwide, more than multinational companies
4. Co-operatives are competitive ... they are market leaders in many countries and sectors
5. Co-operatives are ... self-help not charity, empowerment not aid
6. Co-operatives are ... enterprises with a soul
7. Co-operatives are ... an option for the disadvantaged in an era of globalization

Goals and Objectives

• Build an organization that can produce amazing work on demand for service both to non-profit organizations and movements and qualified (TBD) for-profit entities.
• Operate on the principles of free and open-source, conversational mediums and copyleft.
• Utilize forms of communication, collaboration and organization that do not fall into the traditional model of employee vs. employer, boss vs. worker, or fall into any gender, sexuality or racial stereotypes.
• Connect a group of soloists (freelancers, consultants, artists, bloggers, etc) into a "band" such that their sum is greater than their parts.
• Do more than just be freelancers co-working, but do less than forming a traditional start-up or consultancy.
• Bring people with different, but complementary skills together to fill in skill gaps for projects and provide opportunities for skill share.
• Document reports on the successes and failures of campaigns and projects.
• To improve access to basic resources and/or benefits traditionally associated with corporate employment: health care, office space, holiday parties.

Proposed Rules

• Utilize open source software platforms and applications.
• Provide training services to non-profit organizations, movements and qualified (TBD) for-profit entities.
• Create usable, well-designed applications and online services for non-profits / public good organizations on par with for-profit commercial applications.
• One member, one vote - equal ownership of the cooperative.
• Membership is by invitation or request, approved by all members.
• Membership fee upon joining, refundable when you leave... long term loan for coop working capital.
• Each member receives a baseline salary that is a percentage of revenue pool.
• Each member is then allowed to earn per hour fees for client-related services.
• All software and hardware developed by co-op is encouraged to be released an open-source license.
• Intellectual property ownership can be negotiated on a per project basis.

Departments/Concentrations

• Executive Consulting & Organizing
• Communications & Messaging
• Multi-media Productions (Video, Animations & Websites)
• Technology (code & hardware)
• Design (industrial & graphic)
• Print Publications
• Props & Costume

Other Coops/Efforts To Be Inspired By

• Quilted [2]
• Chicago Tech Coop [3]
• EOF - SOLIS, a Brazilian Free Software Cooperative [4]
• Paper Tiger [5]
• Park Slope Food Coop [6]
• May First [7]
• Brooklyn Coworking [8]
• eggplant [9]

Possible Names

• Greater Gotham Cooperative
• Big Apple Technology Cooperative
• Gotham
• Gnu York Cooperative
• GnuYork.Coop
• East Ware
• Open Ideals Cooperative
• OpenIdeals
• United Brooklyn unitedbrooklyn.com ubk.coop
• United Gotham Cooperative
• Gotham United Cooperative
• United Apple Innovation Cooperative
• Brooklyn Innovation Cooperative bic.coop biccoop.com
• United Eastern Digital Cooperative
• Eastern Open Digital Cooperative eod.coop eodcoop.com
• Generation Starfish
• Starfish Generation
• Champions of the Shop
• Champion Shop
• Critter Control (trademark issues)
• Bricks
• Mortar
• CoOptopus
• Colony
• Plaza