Envisioning a New Economy

ICA seeks to change the nature of work by advancing businesses and institutions that center worker voice, grow worker wealth, and build worker power. We seek to create, promote, and support jobs, while collaborating with workers to define a truly entrepreneurial, democratic, and community-minded economy.

ICA's Targeted, Integrated Program Portfolio

Our efforts must be a credible challenge to the problems we face, yet change happens one worker, one business, and one neighborhood at a time. That’s why ICA designs initiatives that build on tangible victories while laying the foundation for systemic transformation. We apply our strategies across four interconnected program areas. Each addresses structural challenges and are united by the goal to build a future where workers own what they create.

The ICA Group is a leading expert on worker ownership and the oldest national organization dedicated to the development of worker cooperatives.

ICA has nearly five decades of experience supporting worker buyouts, launching new cooperatives, designing financing solutions, and building the connective infrastructure that allows worker ownership to scale. We leverage our skills to act as a catalyst for our partners and clients. We serve as technical experts, thought partners, and community catalysts. Our success rests upon our organizing approach to consulting, meeting individuals and groups where they are and forging a path forward, together.

Since 1978, ICA has launched dozens of worker-owned cooperatives and social enterprises, helped over 50 firms transition to worker ownership. Our work has helped create, save,  and transform tens of thousands of jobs. More than 350,000 caregivers & workers with barriers to employment have accessed high quality, dignified work through networks we’ve built

Recent Initiatives

ICA has developed worker ownership networks in the home care and child care sectors and built two state-based ownership opportunities programs that focus on preserving firms whose owners are looking to exit the business. We have honed our technical assistance tools and procedures, built partnerships with critical community and industry groups, and identified owners and leaders of successfully converted firms who serve as champions and advocates for worker ownership.

Elevate Coop
Elevate Cooperative is a national network of caregiver-owned home care agencies. By sharing financial and intellectual resources , it boosts profitability, growth, and policy impact across the sector.
The Fund for Jobs Worth Owning
Launched in 2019, the Fund for Jobs Worth Owning is a worker-centered impact fund expanding access to capital for businesses owned and led by workers in frontline sectors. Its financial tools are grounded in the lived experience of low-wage workers, advancing equity, stability, and voice.
The Worker Cooperative Business Development Initiative (WCBDI)
ICA helped launch NYC’s Worker Co-op Initiative in 2015. It has helped launch over 133 new worker co-ops and is the largest public program for worker co-op development in the US.

Explore Our Resources

ICA develops tools and resources to support the financial and operational success of home care cooperatives.

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Explore all of our Resources
Guide
Internal Capital Accounts: An Illustrated Guide
Resource
May 1, 2025
Guide
No items found.
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Resource
Conversion Process Overview Guide
Resource
April 29, 2025
Resource
business transitions
Read article
Is Your Co-op’s Leadership Up to Par? How to Build a Strong Evaluation Process
Blog Post
April 28, 2025
Democratic Governance
Christie Lam
cooperatives
democratic governance
Read article
Guide
Democratic Governance Overview
Resource
April 1, 2025
Democratic Governance
Allison Curtis
Guide
democratic governance
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Report
2024 Home Care Benchmarking Report
Resource
March 1, 2025
Home Care
Iwona Matczuk
Report
No items found.
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Understanding the Five C’s of Credit – A Key Resource for Worker-Owned Businesses
Blog Post
February 17, 2025
Worker Cooperatives
cooperatives
credit
financing & capital
funding opportunities
resources
Read article

Connect with Us to Transform Your Business

Have questions about employee ownership or cooperative development? Whether you're exploring a business transition, starting a new cooperative, or seeking tailored solutions to strengthen your industry, our team is here to help. Let us guide you toward a more equitable and resilient future for your business and community.