November 12, 2025
“Chicago’s Community WEB, born out of more than $30 million in investment over the past five years, demonstrates what this can look like. The organization emerged from grassroots efforts that stretch back decades—including worker cooperative conversions like New Era Windows, established nearly 20 years ago—and were accelerated by the city’s 2019 Community Wealth Building initiative. The initiative demonstrates how local governments, nonprofits, and grassroots groups can align strategies, funding, and technical assistance to ignite an ecosystem.”