Be The Change Cooperative

A cooperative of place-based cooperatives to develop regenerative neighborhood-serving buildings designed, governed and owned by local communities.

Be The Change brings together leaders and change agents who believe in the power of collective wisdom to reimagine the world they want to be in... to co-create the places and cultures that embody the kind of neighborhood we want to live and have ownership in... so that they manifest a world where each member of our community can be their true selves free of fear, liberated by our full potential to lift each other up and realize our shared vision.

Be The Change programs are rooted locally in specific sites to enable communities to co-create ‘catalyst hubs’ where people can be the change they wish to see in their neighborhood, and the world. They are based on the self-organizing model of healthy ecosystems, where the values of individuals are aligned with those of others to form teams. These teams form a catalyst hub that is supported by the Be The Change Cooperative as a replicable model for positive change - where individuals can be the best expressions of themselves while deepening the flow of the collective community. To see an example of a catalyst hub under development, visit commongrounds.coop. Its cooperative framework of being designed, governed and owned by its community can be responsive to the needs of any neighborhood and its inhabitants.

Our projects:

Place-Based Cooperatives

Commongrounds

Commongrounds is a new 4-story, 50,000 s.f. $16 million development in Traverse City, Michigan cooperatively owned by nearly 600 members. It will feature a food incubator, coffeeshop, distillery, childcare center, cowering space for impact organizations and businesses, performing arts and events space, artist-in-residence space, and 24 workforce rental units. Construction began in Fall 2020, with tenants scheduled to move in by 2022.

DC Arts + Wellness Co-Creation Hub

DC Arts + Wellness Co-Creation Hub is an arts and wellness real estate cooperative based on arts, wellness, nature and indigenous values hosting community events, plant medicine ceremonies, workshops and creative, educational experiences. It will be located in a DC neighborhood to be determined with a groundbreaking goal of 2022, with a projected ownership of 1000 members.

Mutualistic Communication + Governance

Partnerism

Partnerism is a socio-economic system that values and rewards caring for one another, nature, and our collective future. Learn more on the Partnerism page.

Cultural Transformation Theory

Cultural Transformation Theory proposes that societies used to follow a mutualistic, caring “partnership model” of civilization, but over time, it gave way to today's current “dominator model” of civilization. However, there is growing evidence that we are returning to the partnership model.

Self Organization

Self Organizing Systems - A list of self-organizing systems

Co-Creation

Co-Creation Systems - Systems, models, tools for co-creation

Decentralized Financing

SEEDS

• SEEDS Changemakers to Citizens Pilot Program - An ambassador program to onboard changemakers to SEEDS Citizens.
• SEEDS Changemaker Guide - A Changemaker's guide to participating in the SEEDS ecosystem.

Resources

Glossary - Terms that define the co-creation of a world of mutuality