Our Cooperative Model

How ownership changes the work.

We are a Québec solidarity cooperative. Workers and community own the shop. You get named people, code you own, and counsel that is not chasing an exit.

1 = 1
One member, one vote
3
Member types in one room
In the work

What clients
actually notice.

Structure is not a slogan. It changes who you talk to, what you own, and whether quality gets traded away for someone else’s timeline.

  1. 01

    Craft, kept intact.

    The same senior standards you would expect from a serious Montréal shop, with terms a growing business can plan around.

  2. 02

    Translation before code.

    We walk you through what AI and software can and cannot do before anyone writes a line. Mistakes you avoid are worth real money.

  3. 03

    Aligned incentives.

    We succeed when your system works. We do not profit from running up hours or stretching scope.

  4. 04

    The team that starts finishes.

    Worker ownership means low turnover. You are not funding juniors learning mid-project.

  5. 05

    You own everything.

    No vendor lock-in. The code, credentials, and docs leave with you when you want them.

Définition

So what is a
solidarity cooperative?

A solidarity cooperative (coopérative de solidarité) is a Québec business structure that brings three kinds of member into the same room:

  • Worker members. The people doing the work, including the co-founders on our board.
  • User members. Clients who choose to join (optional).
  • Supporting members. Community stakeholders who believe in the mission.

Each member gets one vote, no matter what they put in. Surpluses go back into the mission, to worker members, or to a community fund. Nothing flows out to external shareholders, because there are none.

Owned by the people doing the work. Built to last past any one engagement.
Seven principles

How the ICA principles
show up daily.

Cooperatives worldwide share seven principles from the International Cooperative Alliance. Here is what each looks like in our work.

01

Voluntary & open membership

Anyone who can use our services and accepts membership responsibilities can join. We do not discriminate.

02

Democratic member control

One member, one vote. Major decisions are made collectively through democratic processes.

03

Member economic participation

Members contribute equitably and control capital democratically. Surpluses are reinvested or distributed fairly.

04

Autonomy & independence

Self-governed by members. No external investors control our direction or take profits out of the mission.

05

Education, training & information

We invest in member development and educate the public about the cooperative model.

06

Cooperation among cooperatives

We work with other co-ops, share resources, and strengthen the cooperative movement.

07

Concern for community

Sustainable community development through member-approved policies, including engagement tracks for non-profits and social enterprises when they fit.

Pourquoi

Why this
structure.

01

Bound to the mission.

A corporation answers to shareholders. A cooperative answers to its members and its purpose. We reinvest in quality and capacity instead of paying outside owners.

02

Terms without corner-cutting.

Good engineering costs what it costs. When mission-aligned funding applies, it can cover part of a qualifying budget so a growing business can say yes without cutting wages or craft.

03

Worker ownership.

The people writing the code help decide how the company is run. That means clearer decisions, stronger work, and workloads that do not burn out the team shipping your project.

04

A longer time horizon.

No investors demanding a quick exit. We focus on client relationships that last and operations we can sustain.

Gouvernance

How we are governed

Democratic, and built to move when the work needs a decision:

General Assembly
Members meet quarterly to review the books, approve big decisions, and elect the board. One member, one vote.
Board of Directors
Elected worker and community representatives provide strategic oversight and keep us honest about the mission.
Day-to-day operations
Worker members decide by consensus when we can, by vote when we must. Technical calls live with the people closest to the work.
Surplus distribution
After reserves and reinvestment, surpluses follow hours worked (patronage), not capital invested. A portion goes to community development.