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Kaiser Permanente makes major commitment to worker ownership

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE


Media Contacts:

Patrick Horvath, Center for Community Wealth Building, patrick@communitywealthbuilding.org

Elizabeth Whitehead, Kaiser Permanente, Elizabeth.M.Whitehead@kp.org


Expanding Inclusive and Equitable Business Ownership

Kaiser Permanente makes major commitment to worker ownership with grant to Denver’s Center for Community Wealth Building


DENVER (JULY 27, 2022) – Thanks to a $360,000 three-year grant from Kaiser Permanente, the Center for Community Wealth Building, or CCWB, will help support and grow more inclusive, worker-owned cooperatives in Denver and Aurora. CCWB will use the funds to expand its cooperative development capacity, leading to the launch of six to nine new worker-owned businesses over the next three years. The businesses are expected to create 25 to 35 high quality jobs.


Kaiser Permanente’s investment also will help CCWB gain access to American Rescue Plan Act or ARPA funds to advance worker ownership. In late June, the State of Colorado’s Economic Development Commission approved a grant to CCWB to help Metro Denver business owners understand how employee ownership might fit into their succession planning. Because all ARPA funds require matching contributions, Kaiser Permanente’s grant will enable CCWB to draw down an additional $200,000 in ARPA funds, significantly expanding the number of Colorado businesses that can consider and ultimately implement worker ownership.


“As we continue to find opportunities to improve health and equity in our communities, Kaiser Permanente is proud to support the Center for Community Wealth Building’s cooperative development program,” said Ellen Weaver, director of Community Health and Engagement at Kaiser Permanente. “This investment directly contributes to Kaiser Permanente’s goal to help underrepresented communities improve financial security, reduce debt, and build wealth. Inclusive economic opportunity and growth are critical to both individual and community health.”


Matthew Licina, program manager for employee ownership at the State of Colorado’s Office of Economic Development and International Trade, explained, “We are ecstatic to see our partner in the employee ownership space, CCWB, receive this crucial funding, allowing their impactful work to transform the lives of many more employees via worker-owned cooperatives. Colorado could not be a national leader in employee ownership without the essential support of our partners, and we celebrate the ongoing work of CCWB and their commitment to creating an inclusive economy.”


Yessica Holguin, CCWB’s executive director, stated, “We are profoundly grateful to Kaiser Permanente for supporting worker ownership in the Denver metro region with this grant. The additional capacity this grant provides to our worker ownership team will help dozens more workers and their families to achieve economic stability and build the resources they need to plan for the future. We look forward to working closely with Kaiser Permanente to honor its commitment to cooperative business ownership.”

Kaiser Permanente previously provided CCWB with a $95,000 grant in 2020 to provide core programmatic support and in 2021 gave $10,000 to incorporate financial coaching into their service delivery model.


Learn more about Kaiser Permanente’s commitments to improving the health of its communities at about.kp.org. For more information about the Center for Community Wealth Building, please visit communitywealthbuilding.org or contact Patrick Horvath at patrick@communitywealthbuilding.org.

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About Kaiser Permanente

Kaiser Permanente is committed to helping shape the future of health care. We are recognized as one of America’s leading health care providers and not-for-profit health plans. Founded in 1945, Kaiser Permanente has a mission to provide high-quality, affordable health care services and to improve the health of our members and the communities we serve. We currently serve approximately 12.6 million members in 8 states and the District of Columbia. Care for members and patients is focused on their total health and guided by their personal Permanente Medical Group physicians, specialists, and team of caregivers. Our expert and caring medical teams are empowered and supported by industry-leading technology advances and tools for health promotion, disease prevention, state-of-the-art care delivery, and world-class chronic disease management. Kaiser Permanente is dedicated to care innovations, clinical research, health education, and the support of community health.


About the Center for Community Wealth Building

The Center for Community Wealth Building (CCWB) works to transform the current economic development system into a more inclusive and equitable model that prioritizes democratically-owned businesses, emphasizes local procurement, and ensures social, environmental, and institutional sustainability. Founded in 2017 through the collaborative efforts of local residents, worker ownership advocates, and funders, CCWB’s mission is to mobilize, facilitate, and coordinate community wealth building efforts with the practical objectives of widening community education on economic alternatives, enhancing diverse participation, and fostering viable projects for the creation of just and sustainable jobs and democratically-owned businesses in the Denver Metro region. CCWB accomplishes this through three community wealth building strategies: democratizing ownership; engaging anchor institutions such as hospitals, universities, and municipalities to focus on local procurement, hiring, and investment; and strengthening local businesses, particularly businesses owned by people of color and businesses located in disinvested communities.

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