WORCS was founded in 2010 in the depth of the 2008 Global Financial Crisis by Dr. Lisabeth Ryder who is a lifelong labor activists and has been involved in the worker cooperative movement since the early 1970’s. Though worker cooperatives are not by any means new to America they were not particularly recognized by the American mainstream, being popular amongst certain religious groups, labor organizations in the 1800’s, counter cultural movements in 60’s and 70’s, and primarily America’s rural sector during the mid to late 20th century. With the overwhelming success of the Mondragon Cooperative Corporation in Spain as well as several examples around the world showcasing their economic triumphs as a viable and desirable economic alternative.

WORCS seeks to become a catalyst in the building of the cooperative sector by creating spaces where like minded people can meet, give introduction on what worker cooperatives are and why they are beneficial, help groups find institutions to get loans or methods of raising capital, give prospective worker owners access to professionals when complex decisions need to be made, and become offer services that will become vital in America’s economic transition into 21st century economy.