Investors in Equal Exchange
Raising capital from outsiders has always been a roadblock for co-operatives: co-ops are designed to be member-run democracies. Private investors want control in exchange for their money. However, by using our non-voting stock, investors can earn a reasonable return while the co-operative doesn’t put its democracy up for sale. Building a capital structure that fosters the same co-operative economy that we’re creating with our products takes a lot of work and means we depend a great deal on others who share our values. But to us, that’s a price worth paying. Here are just a few brief examples of the notable folks who have supported Equal Exchange through capital investment over the years.
Investor Profiles
Jean Mason
Original Equal Exchange Class B Investor, 1986
Above: Jean at her 100th birthday celebration, taken by her daughter Andrea Nolin and Jean’s investor profile featured in the 1995 Equal Exchange Annual Report.
Written by Equal Exchange’s former Executive Director Rob Everts
To invoke the name of Jean Mason around Equal Exchange is to summon up an image of a deeply respected, wise elder who has been with us since the very earliest days of our existence—almost 40 years ago! And we continue to be inspired by the wonder and sense of joie de vivre she radiates to this day.
Jean has played many roles along the journey of Equal Exchange. Investor, board member, ambassador, salesperson, counselor, friend. As you can read in the investor profile above, from thirty years ago, Jean invested in this alternative business when it was extremely risky, and we likely told her she was unlikely to see that money again. But she insisted and, over the decades, invested on behalf of her children and grandchildren and also introduced us to countless others who, in turn, invested. That tangible expression of confidence has been profoundly meaningful for us personally and for the organization for a very long time.
Her time on the board was equally meaningful. Her thoughtful input was always received the way it was delivered, with respect and with the best interest of the organization in mind. We recall one meeting when an executive leadership transition was underway, and Rink and Rob proposed to the board that they take a chance and accept us as co-directors. The proposal made more than one among our ranks quite uncomfortable; it was a very rare model in those days. Calling on her years of experience as a psychologist, she said, “You know, this sounds an awful lot like a marriage!” It resonated with the two of us, and we could only envision the many moments of stress and compromise that would follow over the ensuing years. Happily, we can declare it a 20-year success story—the organization performed exceedingly well over those two decades, and Rink and Rob are still best of friends! Thank you for being you, Jean!
Plowshare Farm
Newest Equal Exchange Crowdfund Investor, 2024
Above, Equal Exchange’s Capital Coordinator Nicole Vitello visited Plowshare Farm in March 2024. Shown with community members and Director Kimberly Dorn (center).
“Plowshare exists to do the good. Therefore our money must also be doing the good. If not, then our investing would not be inline with our mission. We care for people and we care for the earth. Equal Exchange, in its production principles, acts with concern for growers and concern for the earth. That makes it a worthy investment for us. I’m excited for this new relationship—a win-win for us all!”
Plowshare Farm is a community where people with a wide range of abilities and capabilities live and work together to create a genuinely inclusive neighborhood of the broader community, forging opportunities for every member of the community to reach for their full potential. They are:
a group of people who live together in what they call life-sharing homes
a biodynamic farm
a bakery, woodwork, and candle-making workshops
a vocational training center for people with varying capabilities
a ‘safe port’ for those who, within their lives’ journeys, need some time in a haven for repair
a place where the line between caregiver and care receiver is blurred through the understanding that we each have something to learn from the other and that caring for someone or something else is often a very fine path for self-development.
Equal Exchange Capital Coordinator Nicole Vitello shares:
Kimberly from Plowshare Farm contacted me in February after she heard about our crowdfund offering. They are as intentional with their investments as they are with their community and felt an investment in Equal Exchange was a good fit.
I had an opportunity to visit in person and witness their motto of sharing joy, work, and meaningful lives. I toured the farm with some very enthusiastic community members who showed me the cows, greenhouses, beehives, and the kitchen where they bake for themselves and for sale. About 30 of us sat down to a delicious homegrown lunch together which is a daily tradition. People shared about their daily lives/work and asked me about the work we do at Equal Exchange and how the producers are doing… I could feel the compassion and empathy inherent in their day-to-day that extends to their community both near and far. We all shared Equal Exchange chocolate for dessert and posed for a group photo to remember the visit.
For me, the faces in this photo represent our newest investors, and they stand alongside all former and current Equal Exchange investors who have believed in our work enough to support us with long-term patient capital.