Help Megabrain Become A Worker-Owned Cooperative!

UPDATE: In either a huge amount of luck or a cruel joke, our biggest creditor has decided to give us a “chance” to clear our debt with them.

If we can raise $7,500 before January 31st (which also happens to be my birthday) they will clear our debt.

They are effectively giving us the opportunity to eliminate half of what we need, but the deadline is 4 days — Can we do this, Megabrainiacs?!

Megabrain Comics began as a tiny boutique shop in Rhinebeck and is now a multi-purpose gaming and work space in the heart of Red Hook. To celebrate our growth and changes over the past seven years, and to continue our mission of supporting historically underrepresented communities, we are planning on converting from a privately-owned comic book shop to a worker-owned cooperative!

What is a worker-owned cooperative?

A worker cooperative (co-op) is a values-driven business that puts worker and community benefit at the core of its purpose.

They are businesses owned and run by the people who work in them, also referred to as members or worker-owners and they operate for the benefit of those members and the surrounding community.

Worker cooperatives empower employees by giving them direct ownership and control over their workplace, something that can be especially valuable for historically underrepresented workers. Decisions are made through a democratic process where all worker-owners have a say within the structure of a board of directors.

Cooperatives are a great way to bring democracy into the workplace. They can be built from scratch, but they can also be created by converting existing businesses into worker-owned cooperatives. For retiring business owners or entrepreneurs, selling a business to employees is a way to strengthen the business while getting a return on investment.

Some great examples of other worker-owned cooperatives include Red Emma’s Bookstore in Baltimore, MD, Alvarado St. Bakery in Petaluma, CA, and The Feminist Press publishing company in NYC and we want to follow on the path they’ve set!

What does this GoFundMe support?

We will engage an experienced cooperative transition team that will work with us to ensure a smooth process.

Step 1: Transition Support

Working with a transition team to and steering committee to guide the initial development and formation of a worker cooperative, including outlining decision-making processes.

Step 2: Financial & Business Education

Training and educating employees/the future worker-owners on basic money management & budgeting and banking as well as educating them about basic financial statements.

Step 3: Documentation

One of the most important steps to ensure a well running operation in the future is documentation of a management plan, a worker-owner handbook and cooperative by-laws. All things that take a lot of time and labor.

Step 4: Hand over the keys!

Once the transition team assists in negotiating a final value and price of the business and the financing is secured, upon approval by the future worker-owners the keys are handed over and the board of directors is elected.

Step 5: Transition Support 2.0

Once the worker co-op has been launched, it’s important to have regular check-ins about the business and to maintain clear and open communication. The structures put in place are not only for current employees but for future employees as well. You want to make sure there are processes in place for training those employees in what it means to be a cooperative and lay out plans for growth. All of this requires ongoing training and monitoring.

So why are we fundraising?

We want to start this move with a clean slate! Our fundraiser will help:

Any help you may be able to offer in getting us to our goal would be very much appreciated by not only us, but also by the many friends, neighbors and families that depend on our shop as their third space and safe space.

Thank you,

Jean Michel

Owner (For now), Megabrain Comics

New York's Only Black-Owned Comic Book Store