cooperative foundations cooperative foundations
For creative teams who want to work differently. Over 8 weeks, you'll develop governance practices, shared agreements, and the cooperative foundations your team needs - alongside a cohort of peers doing the same work.
Cohort 6 Starts April 8, 2026!
Applications are open until March 6, 11:59 pm PST
What is this program?
It's an eight-week intensive structured around tailored, peer-led support to help you explore worker-led models, such as cooperatives, with a community of indie peers. We offer you a private online space, tools, workshops, weekly mentorship, and a $5,000 educational bursary to support your participation in the program.
With the support of:
Eligibility
To participate, you need to be:
- a team of 3 or more committed to learning cooperative principles and governance practices together, with majority of members from an
- based in Canada
- interested in exploring worker-led and cooperative models
What We Look For
"Baby Ghosts really helps accelerate not just your studio, but you as an individual if you are passionate, willing to learn, and want to create a space for yourself in your career."
- Hedy Fu, Doomscroll Studios
"It's meant so much to have the care and support of the entire community. It's been so validating to get quick feedback from a community of very smart people."
- Aric McBay, Polyvale Studios
Program FAQ
Assessing your fit
The Baby Ghosts Cooperative Foundations program offers an opportunity to focus on your team's governance, values, and working practices before pursuing external funding or incorporation. Our approach helps you build value from within, so you can be sure that your team's development aligns with your collective values.
Before applying, consider:
- Are you prepared to prioritize your team's foundational development alongside your current work?
- Can you commit the time and energy required for our program activities?
- Are you open to candid discussions about goals and values with your team and our Peer Supports?
- Do you have a support network to help you navigate potential challenges?
- Are you comfortable communicating your learning preferences and accessibility needs in English?
Note: We focus on pre-formation foundations, not the legal process of incorporation. Already incorporated? You can still apply.
"The Baby Ghosts program has definitely made me feel more connected to other folks in game development, especially outside of our region. It's been very heartening and inspiring to see what a community COULD be."- Derek Kwan, Cozy Comet
Sessions
- Coop principles & power
- Shared purpose / alignment
- Actionable values & impact
- Decision-making in practice
- Coop structures & governance
- Equitable economics
- Conflict resolution & collective care
- Self-evaluation & pathways
Time Commitment
Here's how your weekly time as a Baby Ghost breaks down:
- Live sessions: 1-1.5 hours
- Async work (Miro activities, journaling, readings, Slack reflections): 1-2 hours
- Team 1:1s (3 rounds during program): occasional 30-60 min
Total estimated time commitment per person:
~3-4 hours/week over 8 weeks
Note: Actual time may vary based on individual circumstances, team size, and specific project needs. Participants may choose to invest additional time.
Core Themes
- Anti-capitalist alternatives to growth-at-all-costs models
- Democratic decision-making (consent, consensus)
- Financial transparency and equitable compensation
- Conflict as care rather than failure
- Patience for the pace of trust1 - moving slowly with intention
- Horizontal power structures vs hierarchical defaults
Peer Supports
Peer supports are practicing co-op founders trained in governance, IP + platform strategy, and trauma-informed facilitation. Many are regionally based as part of our hub network.
Thank you to our past Peer Supports: Brendan Campbell, Derek Kwan, Donna Knox, eileen mary holowka, Henry Faber, Hedy Fu, Hope Docking, june sea, kaitlyn dougon, Lindsay Rollins, Madeleine Patton, Madeline Zaytsoff, Madison Côté, Reese Valentine, Sloane Smith, Titus McNally, Valerie St Gelais, Yannan Ma; and our inaugural facilitators bryan depuy and datejie cheko green.
studios
Teams and individuals who have participated in our cooperative education programs. Many have gone on to form cooperatives, develop shared governance practices, and create original work together.
A fully remote cooperative that aims to make life better through art. Working on SLAPPYBALL and a secret prototype project.
Eco-friendly Vancouver Island studio making artistically driven games that embrace diversity, inclusivity and sustainable living. Working on Moonshell Island.
A visual arts collective focused on VR/XR/AR, performing arts and theatre, intent on exploring new forms of storytelling.
Diver 2 Studios is a collaborative game development studio creating pulpy interactive experiences.
Ghost Orchids Studios is a Vancouver-based game development sociocratic co-op founded with a focus on accessibility, inclusion, and diversity, believing that like rare Ghost Orchid flowers, individuals require specific care and environments to flourish.
Undiscovered Country is a small studio focused on creating emotionally resonant games that address the emotional distance present in many contemporary games.
Vancouver-based studio focused on creating unique games inspired by extreme sports, unicycling, and classic action sports video games. Working on STREET UNI X.
Past participants may have gone on to form studios or cooperatives, but the Baby Ghosts program is educational and non-commercial in nature. Outcomes described reflect participants' independent work.
- Ruth Łchav'aya K'isen Miller, "An Alaska Native mutual aid network tackles the climate crisis," High Country News, 2024. Read article →