Meet David Rodriguez | Worker-Owner

We had the good fortune of connecting with David Rodriguez and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi David, can you walk us through the thought-process of starting your business?
There were multiple factors that went into us making this jump.

First and foremost: We wanted the independence and control over our own labor – going into business for ourselves allows us to build financial stability which we were not finding in the run of the mill wage labor jobs.

We chose the worker owned cooperative model because we value non-hierarchical and democratic organization. We are very value-driven and that’s what makes our project radical. We are building the world we want to see in the here and now.

Alright, so for those in our community who might not be familiar with your business, can you tell us more?
We at Cienfuegos Cooperative are beyond excited to be creating and holding space in Miami as radicals and challenging the perception that South Florida is only for condo developers and your racist tio. We’re proud to be providing a space for all kinds of marginalized people to feel not only safe, but empowered in – and for radical ideas and community power to flourish. The radical bookstore, cafe, and community event space we are building is the perfect avenue for our many goals to flourish in.

One big challenge which a lot of cooperatives face, often because of the lack of education on the business model, was access to capital. Through the help of organizations like Catalyst Miami and Seed Commons we have been able to begin overcoming this challenge. These organizations are dedicated to helping build the solidarity economy and helping workers owned co-ops start up through education and non-extractive loans.

We’ve learned a lot along the way and the learning never stops. Between making democratic decisions more efficiently, communicating with folks with different viewpoints in a healthy way, and the economics of managing a collectively owned business, we’ve all grown as people and workers.

We are very close to opening our brick and mortar storefront and that alone has been an incredible lesson in patience and cooperation.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
We’d recommend checking out Paradis Books and Bread. They’re another radical bookstore in Miami and their food is as good as their garden is lush.

We’d also recommend checking out one of the many farmers markets hosted Urban Oasis providing fresh produce and homemade crafts and goods to communities all around Miami.

Unbranded Brewery located in the heart of Hialeah is a great spot to grab some drinks with a Miami twist.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
We want to shout out the folks at Catalyst Miami who have been a tremendous help in our start up process. They provide endless resources and education to aid worker owned cooperatives in Miami to get off the ground. We highly recommend their worker owned co-op academy – it’s incredibly accessible for all kinds of folks with different needs and methods of communication and learning.

We’d also like to shout out all the brave and ingenious organizers and activists in social movements internationally working to make the world a freer and more joyous place.

Website: https://www.cienfuegos-coop.com/

Instagram: @cienfuegos.coop

Twitter: @cienfuegos_coop

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Cienfuegos.Distro/

Image Credits
All photos were taken by worker-owners of Cienfuegos Co-op.