Episodes

  • Cleaning Up Sectarianism in Belfast w/ Alice McLarnon

    Cleaning Up Sectarianism in Belfast w/ Alice McLarnon
    May 22 2025
    Alice McLarnon grew up in Belfast during the Troubles, surrounded by violence, segregation, and 60-foot peace walls. In 2006, she joined the worker cooperative Trademark and was immediately struck by how different it was from anywhere she’d worked before. Coming from low paid work in a chip shop and other hierarchical workplaces, she was shocked... Read more »
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    43 mins
  • The Art of Collecting Reparations w/ Taylor Le Melle

    The Art of Collecting Reparations w/ Taylor Le Melle
    Mar 26 2025
    In this episode of Punchcard, we speak with Taylor Le Melle, a founding member of not/nowhere, a BPOC worker cooperative that supports artists to navigate the structures and institutions of the UK art world, unpacking harmful myths and helping artists to recognise and use their power in the industry. Taylor sees the arts as a... Read more »
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    36 mins
  • Saving Leeds Bread Co-op from Financial Collapse w/ Ai Van Kok

    Saving Leeds Bread Co-op from Financial Collapse w/ Ai Van Kok
    Feb 12 2025
    In this episode of Punchcard, we speak with Ai Van Kok, formerly a financial worker at Leeds Bread Co-op. Ai Van joined the co-op at a critical moment—just months away from financial collapse—and played a key role in turning things around. Facing an urgent crisis, she turned to traditional business management literature for solutions, finding... Read more »
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    43 mins
  • A Warning From The US Federation of Worker Coops w/ Rebecca Kemble

    A Warning From The US Federation of Worker Coops w/ Rebecca Kemble
    Jan 15 2025
    In this episode of Punchcard, we speak to Rebecca Kemble, an experienced cooperator from the US, who is a member of Union Cabs Worker Coop in Madison and co-founder of the Solidarity Economy Principles Project. From 2009-2016 Rebecca was a member of the board of the US Federation of Worker Coops, and in late 2024,... Read more »
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    41 mins
  • How to Make Decisions with 200 Worker Members w/ Beau Bulman

    How to Make Decisions with 200 Worker Members w/ Beau Bulman
    Dec 11 2024
    In this episode of Punchcard, we speak to Beau Bulman, one of the People Development Coordinators at Suma Wholefoods Worker Cooperative, about the challenges and compromises required to practice direct democracy within a cooperative of 200 worker-members, as well as sharing insights into improving member recruitment, member induction, and sustaining a cooperative culture. In addition... Read more »
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    37 mins
  • 3 Keys to Strengthen Cooperative Democracy w/ Owen Powell

    3 Keys to Strengthen Cooperative Democracy w/ Owen Powell
    Oct 2 2024
    In this episode of Punchcard, we sit down with Owen Powell, a lecturer and researcher with a focus on cooperative democracy. Owen first cut his teeth in the Young Cooperators Network, a national initiative formed by young people seeking cooperative alternatives to traditional economic models following the 2008 financial crash. Since then, he has completed... Read more »
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    44 mins
  • The Rise & Fall of Black Cat Cafe Workers Cooperative w/ Nacho Gomez

    The Rise & Fall of Black Cat Cafe Workers Cooperative w/ Nacho Gomez
    Jul 22 2024
    In this episode Nacho speaks candidly about the highs & the lows of his & Carla’s 10 year journey with Black Cat Cafe. Even though from the outside Black Cat Cafe seems to be extremely successful Nacho shares about the constant challenges they faced – the difficulties paying members & staff fairly, and the set... Read more »
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    33 mins
  • Building workers.coop the UK’s Worker Coop Federation w/ Sam Nordland

    Building workers.coop the UK’s Worker Coop Federation w/ Sam Nordland
    Jun 11 2024
    Sam Nordland speaks to Punchcard about being a member of Gung Ho Housing Cooperative, a co-founding member of the Warehouse Cafe Workers Cooperative, a member of Stirchley Development Cooperative and now works for workers.coop the UK based federation of worker cooperatives. __________________________ Support us by contributing as little as £1 per month at opencollective.com/workerscoop/projects/punchcard Listen,... Read more »
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    37 mins