As I recall, Arizmendi spun out of Cheeseboard... So, yes, we also have examples where worker coops beget other worker coops. http://www.arizmendi.coop/about-a

As I recall, Arizmendi spun out of Cheeseboard... So, yes, we also have examples where worker coops beget other worker coops. http://www.arizmendi.coop/about-arizmendi-association.html http://www.arizmendi.coop/about-arizmendi-association.html IMO, the reason you don't see more is that us financing is quite conservative and unwilling to risk "unusual" business models. (Similarly, finding a mortgage for shared housing requires a lot of extra work, because the mortgage brokers only like nuclear families... Even when you show up with four incomes and no kids, it's still considered risky because unusual.) Which is to say... The smallish number of worker coops in the US has nothing to do with the rarity of magical founder people... I'll say that the folks I've known in housing and worker coops have a much higher rates creativity, grit, and organizational chops than anyone I've met from a business school. And, indeed, many of them are now run their own businesses in a wide range of endeavours.