MAF helps to form a worker-owner cooperative . . .

Nancy Kaufman is a bi-lingual Latina that operates an event planning business called Balloon Art Productions and Rental. Nancy was operating her business out of her home and decided that she needed to expand her operations. She received small business technical assistance from the Mission Economic Development Agency and attended small business classes at ALAS (Alternativas Para Latinas En Autosuficiencia). It was at ALAS that she met other women interested in starting their own micro-enterprises. Nancy and her new colleagues attended MAF's Orientación Sobre Como Formar Cooperativas. Nancy quickly decided that she was ready to convert her sole proprietor business into a worker owner cooperative and invited her new friends to join her. I assisted the women in creating the organizational and legal structure for for their cooperative. Gabrielle Lessard from the Insight Center for Community Economic Development provided the legal oversight for the development of the operating agreement. While converting a regular business into a cooperative was challenging, the women were diligent about creatimg the legal structure as well as making important decisions for how it would function. Melissa Hoover of the US Federation of Worker-Owner Cooperatives also assisted through providing examples of different accounting practices and investment strategies. MAF will continue to assist the women in accessing other programs and services which will provide them with needed tools to successfully operate their cooperative.