The business landscape is changing. Are you ready?

Participatory Management Initiative

A free virtual course designed for managers and owners of small businesses

Course offered in English & Spanish
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About the program

Learn Participatory Management

Applying participatory management techniques to your small business will help you grow and meet the moment. In this course you will learn concept and practices that will encourage employee participation in decision-making and teach employees the key systems that ensure a financially successful business. 

Participatory management also helps empower employees to optimize resources. Most importantly, these skills will help you create strong, collaborative and knowledgable teams in your workplace.

How will this help my business?

  • Improve hiring and retention
  • Develop personally invested employees
  • Become leaner and more profitable
  • Build resilience in your business

What is included in this course?

  • Six 2 hour sessions, every 3 to 4 weeks (January – June 2024)

  • Optional drop-in office hours for more personalized assistance

  • Approximately 30-45 minutes of required homework in between sessions
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2024 Course Timeline

1. Introduction to Participatory Management

Monday, January 29, 2024

2. Financial Statement Storytelling

Monday, February 26, 2024

3. Open Book Management

Monday, March 25, 2024

4. Human Resource Management

Monday, April 29, 2024

5. Communications and Feedback  

Monday, May 20, 2024

6. Delegation and Decision Making

Monday, June 17, 2024
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Meet your facilitators!

Heather Foran
Cooperative Development Specialist
Cooperative Development Institute (CDI)

Heather facilitates cooperative ownership conversions and provides worker training at CDI. She has an extensive background in leadership training, conflict resolution, group facilitation, and experiential education. Heather is a member organizer and board treasurer of the Southern Maine Workers’ Center. Prior to working for CDI, she co-founded the Field Academy, a travel-based solidarity education program.
Rob Brown
Dir. of Business Ownership Solutions
Cooperative Development Institute (CDI)

Rob is the Director of Business Ownership Solutions at CDI. He is a nationally recognized expert in the field of employee ownership transitions, assisting business owners and their employees explore, assess, structure, and execute transitions to worker-owned cooperatives, and trains many business owners and managers in strategies, practices and tools that increase employee participation and engagement. As part of this work, Rob also leads programs at the local, regional and national levels to educate and advise business owners on exit planning process and options.
Pável Uranga
Cooperative Business Developer
Cooperative Development Institute (CDI)

Pável advises and trains emerging workers and cooperatives throughout southern New England. He mainly supports immigrant cooperatives and promotes Language Justice at CDI. He is a radio producer, community journalist, and community organizer with more than 20 years of experience. His experience has enabled him to carry out social justice initiatives, including immigrant rights, community radio, qualitative/participatory research processes, case studies, leadership development training, and collaborative efforts of unions, workers, and grassroots movements.
Ryan Demers
Cooperative Development Specialist
Cooperative Development Institute (CDI)

Ryan was the General Manager at the North Country Food Co-op, the only full service grocery store in downtown Plattsburgh, NY. He brings great skills and experience in cooperative management and board development, conflict resolution, human resources, and financial analysis and education. Ryan has a deep appreciation for excellent customer service and its vital importance to business success, and made extensive customer service training central to his staff management. 
Ariaun Stewart
Cooperative Development Specialist
Cooperative Development Institute (CDI)

Ariaun possesses a wealth of HR expertise cultivated from her career in large corporations and small businesses, and as the founder of her own HR consulting business, C.HR Services (Community Human Resources). She brings to CDI an entrepreneurial drive, expertise in developing and managing people, and an ability to cultivate strategic partnerships and connect with diverse communities. She is committed to fostering growth, inclusivity, and collaboration to create a more equitable and sustainable future for all.
Carolyn Edsell-Vetter
Program Manager
Cooperative Fund of New England (CFNE)

Carolyn joined CFNE in March 2019. As the Cooperative Business Support Officer, she works with Spanish- and English-speaking applicants and borrowers to assess project feasibility and connect with culturally-appropriate technical assistance resources. Carolyn came to CFNE after 19 years with A Yard & A Half Landscaping near Boston, MA, where she led their conversion to a worker-owned co-op and served as co-CEO from 2014-2019.
Melissa Hoover
Executive Director
Democracy at Work Institute (DAWI)

Melissa is the founding Executive Director of DAWI. She was a cooperative business developer for many years with the Arizmendi Association of Cooperatives in Oakland, training new worker-owners in financial management; before that she was the bookkeeper at worker-owned Inkworks Press. Melissa is an Executive Fellow of the Rutgers Institute for the Study of Employee Ownership and Profit Sharing. Melissa serves as a strategic advisor to foundations, investors, nonprofits, local governments and other organizations that want to incorporate worker ownership into their economic development and community wealth-building programs.

What past participants are saying 

Taking the PMI course was eye opening for me…the focus on personnel, paying attention to how power, information, and money flow in the company, and open book financials was fantastic. Dean's Beans will be smarter and stronger as a result. We're also looking forward to having other team members take this valuable training."
Beth Spong, CEO Deans Beans
As a business owner, it's difficult to give up time for my own learning, but PMI was totally worth it.  The sessions and material were succinct but helpful... PMI provided extremely practical tools and exercises that I will definitely be using with my team. The 1:1 office hours and technical support ensured that I could really tailor the content to my specific needs.  I'd strongly recommend it to anyone considering joining the next cohort!"
Elaine Chow, Founder, Chop Value

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