Evergreen Cooperative Corporation: Transforming Lives and Neighborhoods Through Community Wealth Building

Authors

  • Jeanette Webster Evergreen Cooperatives
  • Emma Sherrie Evergreen Cooperatives

Keywords:

Evergreen Cooperatives, Evergreen Cooperative Laundry, Berry Insulation, Phoenix Coffee, Intellitronix, LEFCO Worthington, Xacto Signs, Fund for Employee Ownership, The Fund for Employee Ownership, TFEO, ECC, The Evergreen Cooperatives, The Evergreen Cooperative Network, The Evergreen Model, Evergreen Cooperative Corporation, Employee Ownership, Worker-Owned Cooperatives, Community Wealth-Building, Economic Inequalities, Economic Equality, Quality Jobs, Empowerment, Economic Stability, Succession Strategy, Legacy Preservation, Democratic Governance, Wealth Creation, Community Resilience, Anchor Institutions, Business Conversion, Profit Sharing, Economic Revitalization, Social Impact Investments, Workforce

Abstract

Evergreen Cooperatives, based in Cleveland, Ohio, has pioneered a transformative approach to community wealth-building through employee ownership. By fostering a network of worker- owned cooperatives, Evergreen empowers employees to build wealth, strengthens community resilience, and addresses systemic social and economic inequalities. Since its founding in 2009, initiatives like the Evergreen Cooperative Laundry have demonstrated the resilience and potential of this model, generating significant financial benefits for employee-owners and revitalizing local neighborhoods. Expanding beyond start-ups, Evergreen's Fund for Employee Ownership focuses on converting existing businesses into employee-owned enterprises, creating sustainable models of shared prosperity. Through these efforts, Evergreen not only supports business succession but also promotes broader economic stability. By developing metrics to measure its impact, Evergreen advances the employee-ownership movement as a vital strategy for fostering equitable economies and strengthening communities.

Author Biographies

Jeanette Webster, Evergreen Cooperatives

Jeanette Webster is Chief Investment Officer at Evergreen Cooperatives.

Emma Sherrie, Evergreen Cooperatives

Emma Sherrie is Business Development Manager at Evergreen Cooperatives.

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Published

2025-02-19

How to Cite

Webster, J., & Sherrie, E. (2025). Evergreen Cooperative Corporation: Transforming Lives and Neighborhoods Through Community Wealth Building. Social Innovations Journal, 29. Retrieved from https://socialinnovationsjournal.com/index.php/sij/article/view/9428

Issue

Vol. 29 (2025): Trends in Employee Ownership and Not-for-Profit Fiscal Sponsorship Management Models

Section

Social Innovation and Entrepreneurship

License

Copyright (c) 2025 Jeanette Webster, Emma Sherrie (Author)

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