2021-02-22 Hypha: OCA Platform Co-op sync
When? Mon, Feb 22 @ 11-noon:30
Who’s here? erin, jennifer, patcon
Summary
- Ontario Co-op Association wondering if we’re interested in future projects with them
- Opportunity for project modelled on UK’s Smart Co-op, which supports precariously employed artists via collectivized back-office support.
- Model may later be generalizable for any precarious labour work
- funding = federal gov, very competitive: $2.5M/y grant for 3 years = $7.5M (Mar 5 deadline)
- Alternative opportunity to do work with ArtsPond
Notes
- erin: WorkInCulture (WIC) commissioned research study.
- https://www.workinculture.ca/About-US/
- about challenges artists face in ON that take away from producivity. Group that supports artists.
- tl;dr - big survey of ON artists.
- part of this was liturature scan. global review of solutions.
- came across Smart Co-op: https://smart.coop/
- Survey results aligned with what Smart Co-op offers.
- SMART Co-op.
- Started in France, expanded to 5-6 EU countries.
- provides backend tools to artists. accounting.
- importantly: service to pay artists up-front for work invoiced.
- handles collections, and takes that work off artists’ plates.
- artists are “employed” by smart, so can collect EI equivalent when not working.
- broker access to lawyers, contractors, etc.
- HR support. annual membership fee. transaction-based revenue.
- OCA went out on a limb, outside normal model.
- would normally work with ppl who had business idea. but WIC just had idea + need
- helped WorkInCulture find first board.
- with Stéphanie Guico (Hypha’s intro), going through steps of starting business
- bigger picture for OCA: a platform built for precariously employed artists can be repurposed for other precariously employed individual. => future platform co-op product
- e.g., carpenters, builders, etc.
- this scope has been front-of-mind for OCA since beginning
- FUNDING: Sectoral Initiatives Program (SIP)
- https://www.canada.ca/en/employment-social-development/programs/sectoral-initiatives-program.html
- fed grant just announced
- up to 2.5M/y for 3 years = 7.5M/project over 3y. very competitive.
- Deadline: Mar 4
- Applying to use grant for Platform Co-op Toolkit
- partnering with Paul Cabaj, Exec Dir of ACCA + BCCA to apply
- NOT a feasibility study. DOING.
- what things do all platform co-ops share? gov model. tools. legal. resolutions. voting.
- Paul writing grant. doesn’t need names of partners in advance (e.g., Hypha)
- pc: IDRC co-op dev kit?
- invited IDRC as one of the partners in this group bc of their work
- not yet a concrete kit on offer. lots of resource development. mapped the global players, to create a directory.
- patcon shared context on meeting in civic tech spaces, grassroots community.
- patcon shared info on co-op development interests of Hypha. aspirations to grow co-ops from community projects. barefoot co-operative development.
- erin: Tapestry Capital? pc: haven’t heard of yet.
- https://tapestrycapital.ca/
- Raise community capital through community bonds.
- relationships within financial sector that allows them raise bonds using existing financial frameworks. partners create and sell the bonds for them.
- have team of experts in raising community bonds.
- real innovation is in structure, getting money into bonds.
- #protip if Hypha has project backed by “asset” can be RRSP eligible
- Ryan Collins-Swartz = contact here
- pc: working with credit unions as partners? no, bc innovation slow in CAD credit union sector
- opportunities hypha <> OCA
- future partners to collaborate
- on this grant: artist co-op
- maybe an opportunity to work on OCA tech projects
- future partners to collaborate
- ArtsPond: https://artspond.com/
- founded/run by woman named Jessa Agilo
- wants to do all open source
- received funding from Canadian Council for Arts: > 1M
- most funding is for software development to support artists
- did lots of surveys of artists across canada to know what to build
- wants to build for others and make open source.
- still figuring out points of collaboration, so tbd when collab starts
- OCA expecting to work with jessa when she’s building something specific
- patcon mentioned Hypha interest in fund diversion schemes to pay creators and artists from software development pot.
- some artists at ArtsPonD are developing tools in-house
- funding is looking to develop that
- digital date book: helping artists manage their time.
- how artists manage time, very diff from how software devs do
- person leading this tool this person is on ArtsPond board
- other artists on board have said they don’t really want to get paid
- many artists on board (or in ArtsPond?) are of different ethnic backgrounds
- feel that many of the products developed don’t support minority voices.
- “want to create ultimate in accessibility tools.”
- patcon raised question of how much of funding goes to software vs artists
- erin: easiest way to get money is say “we’ll build the tools” and then define it later.
- when talking to gov, easiest way to get money is to define tools.
- goal is for artist to spend less time on admin, and more money for art.
- tried to pay board, but they pushed back
- wanted to give as much as possible to artist members
- WorkInCulture Job Board is very rag-tag.
- Diane Davy (ED) is managing this
- lots of printing and maintenance and manual Diane work.
- example of tool needing technical energy
- SIP grant: Mar 4 grant.
- grant doesn’t need to name partners. Hypha doesn’t need to pre-commit.
- deliverables will be built all open source.
- Hypha != OCA member, though we’re in network. startup level = CAD$150/y.
- #todo:hypha become member https://ontario.coop/apply-membership#join
- inline website chat feature goes right to Jennifer
- rave review of new incoming leads of inline site chat
- re: barefoot co-op development
- mentor program of Local Food and Farm Co-op
- Peer-2-Peer Mentorship Program: https://www.localfoodandfarm.coop/peer2peer-mentorship-program
- Sally Miller started co-op, but now with Fair Finance Fund
- erin: #protip talk to Co-op Zone
- no memebership cost. comes and goes in terms of energy, but still around
- trying to pull together resources for co-op developers.
- Peter Cameron occupied with lots of co-op conversion convos in COVID
- businesses looking for alterative to shutting down
- #todo:oca will get text one week before Thurs Mar 4 deadline (Fri Feb 26)
- can share with Hypha for comment
- erin: #ask can we add Hypha to list of platform co-ops?
- audience is government
- pc: tentative yes.
- technically, we’re more like a platform co-op incubator