Ideas
Explore the world's #1 largest database of ideas and innovations, with 480,840 inspiring examples.
Trend Reports
Discover why 1,297 brands rely on our AI-powered Trend Reports to get better, faster insights.
Newsletter
Join 103,731 subscribers who rely on our weekly newsletter to keep up with need-to-know trends and insights.
How to Hunt
Learn more about how to hunt megatrends, ideas, patterns and opportunity.
Consumer Insights
Uncover major shifts and emerging opportunities with our exclusive PRO research.
Trend Reports
Discover why 1,297 brands rely on our AI-powered Trend Reports to get better, faster insights.
Newsletter
Join 103,731 subscribers who rely on our weekly newsletter to keep up with need-to-know trends and insights.
How to Hunt
Learn more about how to hunt megatrends, ideas, patterns and opportunity.
Advisory & Services
Accelerate innovation and ignite disruptive thinking with our award-winning programs and research.
Trend Reports
Get fast, customized trend reports, presentations and deep dives 20x faster than traditional research.
Plans
Get started today with a free consultation, our self-serve tools, or a dedicated program.
Articles & Magazine
Get inspired with our 4,233 innovation strategy articles, keynote, videos and innovation tools.
Innovation Awards
Trend Hunter’s Innovation Strategy Awards recognize the best innovation tactics gathered from our interviews with some of the world's most notable business leaders, authors and change makers.
Advisory & Services
Accelerate innovation and ignite disruptive thinking with our award-winning programs and research.
Innovation Assessment
Enhance your innovation potential with a deeper understanding of your unique innovation archetype and how your organization benchmarks.
FuturistU
Prepare for the years ahead with 100+ lessons, tactics, tools and frameworks with our full learning database.
Innovation Books
Join 20,000,000 people getting better and faster with our New York Times Bestselling books and keynote videos.
Jeremy Gutsche
Ignite your event or virtual event with our CEO, a NY Times Bestselling Author and one of the top innovation keynote speakers.
Our Team of Speakers & Virtual Presenters
Inspire your group with our most popular speakers on innovation, trends, change and futurism.
Custom Training & Events
Bring the Future Festival experience directly to your team or co-hosted custom event.
Custom Masterclasses
Join the world's leading brands who leverage our custom programs to accelerate innovation.
FuturistU 5-Day Program
Become a Futurist with our immersive 5-Day program at Future Festival World Summit.
Online eLearning
Learn the fundamentals of futurism and trends with 100+ online courses about innovation.
How to Hunt
Learn more about how to hunt megatrends, ideas, patterns and opportunity.
Contact
Get in touch to learn more, ask a question or submit a tip.
About Us
Learn more about Trend Hunter and how we accelerate innovation.
Follow-Us
Join our 3,500,000 social media followers, on the cutting edge.
How to Hunt
Learn more about how to hunt megatrends, ideas, patterns and opportunity.
FAQ
Get answers to common questions about Trend Hunter.
Community
Stay on the cutting-edge with the help of the Trend Hunter community.
Team
Meet the team trusted by hundreds of leading businesses worldwide.
Jobs
Find opportunities to accelerate your career with the #1 Trend Firm.
News
Catch up on noteworthy Trend Hunter news and media mentions.
Join
Build a portfolio and put your trend-spotting abilities to the test.
Advertising
Supercharge your marketing by partnering with Trend Hunter.
Portfolio
Visit your public portfolio and browse your past articles.
Add a Trend
Write up an article and showcase your trend-spotting skills.
My Trends
Edit your articles and see how they stack up on the leaderboards.
Settings
Edit your profile, connect your social media accounts, and more.
Add a trend, customize your dashboard, or track topics.
Future Festival
Innovation Events
Join the world's top innovators at our in person events.
Free Webinars
Learn to innovate through chaos, navigate the new normal and maintain work culture from home.
Custom Training & Events
Bring the Future Festival experience directly to your team or co-hosted custom event.
Search our database of 480,840 cutting edge ideas.

20 Creative Worker Cooperatives

From Opportunity-Generating Accessories to Upcycled Train Stations

— December 8, 2011 — Social Good
While they may not have been labeled as such, creative worker cooperatives pretty much date back to the beginning of time. According to the International Cooperative Alliance's Statement on the Cooperative Identity, a cooperative is "an autonomous association of persons united voluntarily to meet their common economic, social, and cultural needs and aspirations through jointly owned and democratically controlled enterprise."

This Social Business top list of creative worker cooperatives spans the seemingly traditional, like a food coop, to the more avant-garde, like the first cooperative brothel in Vancouver, British Columbia. The majority of these creative worker cooperatives, however, incorporate social business and social enterprise principles into their working models. Many contemporary companies strive to achieve sustainability and responsibility through sourcing materials or final products from cooperatives in the Majority World, many of them specifically women's cooperatives, as a way to focus on gender equality through employment.
5.9
Score
Popularity
Activity
Freshness
20
Safe Neon Clothing
Safe Neon Clothing
BrightKidz is a Social Enterprise That Sells High Visibility Designs
<
19
Sustainable Society Cooperatives
Sustainable Society Cooperatives
The Zebra Collective is a Social Enterprise Supporting Workers
<
18
Sustainable Supermarket Produce
Sustainable Supermarket Produce
Food From the Sky's Rooftop Garden Provides Store Veggies
<
17
Coffee Connection Sites
Coffee Connection Sites
Coffee CSA Lets You Connect with and Buy from Java Farmers Worldwide
<
16
Job-Creating Bike Shops
Job-Creating Bike Shops
Cycle Salvation Trains and Employs the Economically Disadvantaged
<
15
Job-Creating Cleansers
Job-Creating Cleansers
Co-Soap is a Worker Cooperative Using Cosmetics for Good
<
14
High Class Cooperatives
High Class Cooperatives
The Deli Garage Creates High End Goods on a Budget
<
13
Fair Trade African Soda
Fair Trade African Soda
Ubuntu Cola is a First for the United Kingdom
<
12
Healthy Super Chocolate
Healthy Super Chocolate
Xocai
<
11
Upcycled Train Stations
Upcycled Train Stations
El Galpon is an Organic, Fair-Trade Market Made out of a Transit Depot
<
10
Opportunity-Generating Accessories
Opportunity-Generating Accessories
'Hands Up Not Handouts' Uses Business for Positive Change
<
9
Fair Trade Shea Butter
Fair Trade Shea Butter
Delapointe's Products are Made by Women in Burkina Faso
<
8
Fair Trade Cocoa
Fair Trade Cocoa
Divine Chocolate is a Social Business Partly Owned by Its Farmers
<
7
Female Prisoners Launch Charity Fashion Label
Female Prisoners Launch Charity Fashion Label
Jail Cats
<
6
Co-Op Cacoa
Co-Op Cacoa
Kallari Chocolate Bars Support 850 Families and the Rainforest
<
5
Midas Touch Meals
Midas Touch Meals
Trick Out Your Tomatoes with Edible Gold & Silver Paint by Esslack Food Spray
<
4
Fashionable Fair Trade Apparel (UPDATE)
Fashionable Fair Trade Apparel (UPDATE)
Indego Africa Gives Artisans a Protected Place to Create
<
3
Organic Shoes by Veja
Organic Shoes by Veja
<
2
Co-Operative Brothels
Co-Operative Brothels
'The Brothel Project' Looks to Start First Ever Legalized Brothel in Canada
<
1
Charitable Paper Jewelry
Charitable Paper Jewelry
Jenny Lai and Lindsay Perkins Partner With KEZA for Eco Fashion Collectio
<