Designing a Cooperative Business for People and Planet
6-Week Online Course | Starts April 9, 2026
Learn how to design generative and values-driven cooperative businesses in your community by taking a whole-systems approach that cares for people and planet.
Course fee: $120-$300 USD
Individual class fee: $20-$50 USD
On this page:
Designing a Cooperative Business for People and Planet Course
Classes in this course are suitable for: | 
Community Starters | 
Community Residents
Course Description
Designing a business in an intentional community is about more than making a profit—it’s about balancing financial sustainability with cooperative values that care for people and planet. Designing cooperative businesses calls for alternative and ethical approaches, rather than traditional business planning.
In this highly participatory and introductory course, students will explore an ecological, whole-systems approach to community economics and business design.
Through a guided business design simulation modeled after Ganas Community in New York, students will work together to map the community ecosystem and propose cooperative business models within it.
Rather than focusing on theory alone, this course emphasizes hands-on collaboration, collective decision-making, and real-world application. Students will learn how community needs, resources, governance, legal structures, and social dynamics all interact—and how to design enterprises that strengthen the resilience of the whole system by responding to gaps or opportunities.
By the end of the course, students will have practiced collaboratively designing a community-based enterprise, presenting proposals, and performing resiliency evaluations. The tools and perspectives gained during this course will prepare students for building cooperative businesses in their own communities that support the resiliency of people, planet.
This course is for you if:
- You’re interested in founding an intentional community or starting a business in community
- You want to understand and practice how to design businesses and economies that care for people and planet first
- You want hands-on practice in collaborative economic design
- You’re curious about solidarity economy and cooperative models
Note: This course depends on student interaction in and outside of class times. Therefore, only the first class can be taken individually.
Course Syllabus
All Designing a Cooperative Business for People and Planet classes are held on Thursdays from 10am-12pm Pacific / 11am-1pm Mountain / 12pm-2pm Central / 1pm-3pm Eastern. You can view your local time here.
April 9: Community Ecosystem Observation
- Ecology and Economics
- Community Economics: Capitalist? Socialist? Utopian?
- Permaculture and Business Design
- Working Group Introduction
April 16: Multi-layer Model Building
- Intro to Ganas Community
- Economic Models
- Social Organizations
- Legal Structures
April 23: Conceptual Design & Funding
- Market Dynamics
- Fundraising and Financing
- Cash Flow
- Legal Structure
- Organizational design
April 30: Develop and Present a Master Plan
- Proposal Development
- Visual Presentation
- Public Speaking
- Group Consensus
May 7: Class Proposals and Presentations
- Time bound proposal from each group
- Questioning for Proposals
- Compiling Feedback
May 14: Evaluating the Resiliency of a Business
- Systems Resiliency Analysis
- Cross Examination
- Resiliency Evaluation
May 21:Q&A Session
- Ask any additional questions
- Get personalized help
- Networking
The Q&A session is optional and will take place from 10am-11am Pacific / 11am-12pm Mountain / 12pm-1pm Central/ 1pm-2pm Eastern. You must register for the full course to attend the Q&A session. The Q&A session will NOT be recorded.
Your instructor
Brandon Collins
Brandon has dedicated himself to the study of communal economies and business. He attended University of Nebraska Lincoln as a part of the Honors Business Academy, a specialized cohort program which focuses on developing competency in all areas of business education. His personal focus is Economics, Public Policy, International Business, and Organizational Management.
Upon realizing he disagreed with his capitalist business education, Brandon sought out experimental education in communalized economies. He spent three months studying the Gift Economy of Tamera Ecovillage in Portugal, followed by two years of advising and operating the three small businesses at Ganas Community in Staten Island, NYC.
Brandon also helped to found Special Musicians in 2017, a non-profit that offers music education for students with special needs. He spent five years as a Branch Director and continues as an executive board member today.
Registration
You might also be interested in:
- Navigating Conflict & Restoring Connection (Inside Community Podcast episode with Ted Rau)
- The Cooperative Culture Handbook (book)
- Power & Leadership in Community (10-hour pre-recorded course)
The Live Course Experience
Live Zoom Classes
Nothing pre-recorded here! When you sign-up for an FIC course, you’ll have the opportunity to join a live session on Zoom for each class.
Recorded Classes
You’ll receive all class recordings in a follow-up email. They will also be uploaded to LearnDash found in your ic.org account dashboard. Watch or listen when it is convenient for you. Transcripts available upon request.
Access LearnDash through your Dashboard
Login to you ic.org account, visit your dashboard and go to “My Courses”. Here you have access to all course content and recordings through LearnDash. Access to courses expire 60 days after the last class.
