Building a Worker-Owned Practice: Cooperatives, Stewardship, and Collective Design - 1.0 PDH (LA CES/non-HSW)

Ellen Garrett is a registered landscape architect based in Brooklyn, New York. She recently launched The Flatbush Workshop for Design (FWD) to rethink the functionality and methodology of the design industry. In 2022, FWD will be establishing a worker-owned design cooperative, building solidarity through financial equity and creative agency. FWD investigates the current state of the design field and questions how it can better provide for workers, future designers, and the communities they serve. She aims to build trust, build wealth, and build visions for communities as equal design partners.

Katie Lyon is the Head of Client Services for Purpose, an organization that helps make shared ownership structures more accessible and replicable in the U.S. economy. She has over 15 years of experience in economic and community development. Prior to joining Purpose, Katie worked to build career pathways for City University of New York students, provided economic development consulting with BJH Advisors, and managed a business improvement district. Katie earned a Master’s degree in Urban Planning from New York University. Katie is a member of the Associate Board of the Center for Alternative Sentencing and Employment Services.

Ashton Hamm, founder of UXO Architects is a licensed architect with experience in a range of project types - from private residential to large scale cultivation facilities to community design. Ashton is committed to expanding the role of cooperatives in the architecture profession, and is currently writing a book on the subject.