Dru Oja Jay is joined by Kevin Harding, one of the organizers of a spirited, hail-mary attempt to save Mountain Equipment Co-op from being sold off to a US private equity firm. Before its assets were sold (and the member list apparently destroyed), the outdoor supplies cooperative had reached an estimated 6 million members and $700 million in annual revenues.
Kevin is a public policy professional who works with cooperatives and community enterprises. In this episode, he shares about how tens of thousands of members mobilized to stop MEC's sale, and came very close to being successful.
Dru and Kevin also discuss the situation that led to the co-operative's demise, what could have prevented it, and what became of the effort to save MEC.
* * *
Podcast links: https://anchor.fm/halfpastcapitalism
Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/halfpastcapitalism
Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/HalfPastCapitalism
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/druojajay
Half Past Blog: http://halfpast.dru.ca/