NCBA is proud to welcome Futuro—a rural worker and community owned co-op incubator and accelerator program—as a new member of our community.
Supported by Ventures, a nonprofit that partners with rural Latine working-class families in California’s Central Coast to implement transformational programs that ensure a shared and prosperous economic future for all, Futuro is building a compelling model for cooperative development. By creating pathways for workers to move from traditional employment into shared ownership through worker cooperatives, Futuro helps families and communities in Salinas Valley create a fair and successful future together.
At the heart of Futuro’s work is a clear commitment to worker ownership and economic inclusion focusing on three industries: promatoras (community health workers); homecare for the private market; and agriculture and food. “At Futuro, we believe that workers already have the skills, knowledge and leadership needed to build successful businesses. Our goal is to turn that potential into shared ownership, stronger incomes and long-term stability for families. By building cooperatives, we’re not just creating jobs—we’re creating opportunities for communities to thrive together,” said Maria Cadenas, Futuro’s Executive Director.
“At Futuro, we believe that workers already have the skills, knowledge and leadership needed to build successful businesses. Our goal is to turn that potential into shared ownership, stronger incomes and long-term stability for families.” – Maria Cadenas, Futuro
In addition to supporting co-op formation, Futuro helps cultivate broader awareness of the cooperative model in its region. They offer events and educational opportunities that introduce community members to worker ownership and the role cooperatives can play in building a stronger local economy.
Futuro also collaborates with other organizations to reach people from their focus industries, with an emphasis on community trust. An example of this is when Futuro partnered with the University of California, Santa Cruz (UCSC) for an outreach initiative called “Farmworker Community Health Vulnerabilities and Responses Amid Climate Change 2.0.” Through this collaboration, Futuro provided farmworkers with culturally relevant and accessible information about health risks associated with climate change, available community resources and services that address those risks, and ways to strengthen peer communication and leadership to share this knowledge within their communities.
The results of their work showed how cooperative partnerships can effectively bridge research and community action, and how the cooperative model proved to be flexible and responsive, fostering trust, participation and leadership within the community.
“Joining NCBA is an exciting step for Futuro because it connects us to a broader movement working to build a more just and democratic economy,” said Madeleine Hernandez, Futuro’s Program Director. “In the Salinas Valley, we see firsthand the need for pathways that allow workers to become owners. Being part of NCBA strengthens our ability to grow that vision and to learn alongside other cooperative leaders across the country.”
“In the Salinas Valley, we see firsthand the need for pathways that allow workers to become owners. Being part of NCBA strengthens our ability to grow that vision and to learn alongside other cooperative leaders across the country.” – Madeleine Hernandez, Futuro
As NCBA continues to champion the cooperative business model nationwide, we are excited to welcome members like Futuro who are bringing that vision to life in tangible and locally-grounded ways. Their work in cooperative development, worker empowerment and local economic participation strengthens the broader cooperative movement and offers an inspiring example of what shared ownership can make possible.