Can't You Just Work Someplace with a Normal Name?

Hey guess what? My employer of 15 years (and my company of 18 months) is joining forces with the worker-owned cooperative, Igalia!

To be honest, I’m going to miss working at and on Bocoup. There are very few¹ institutions to which I’ve belonged for so long. This one’s given me many unforgettable memories, and while most are positive, they’re all important to me. For better and for worse, Bocoup has been a part of who I am for all these years.

Photo: Jory Burson

I can’t get too sentimental, though, since I’m truly jazzed be be joining Igalia. Throughout my career, I’ve been consistently impressed by their worker-owners. The company’s structure as a co-op is also important to me. It’s extremely rare in tech, so I’m extremely fortunate to be able to continue living my values in this way. (Here’s hoping more people choose to organize their labor this way–my fellow Americans should know that co-ops aren’t just for agriculture!)

Despite all that navel-gazing (you are visiting mikepennisi dot com after all), this is far from an individual achievement. My former coworkers have been extremely supportive throughout the final phase of Bocoup’s storied existence, as has my family. In executing this complicated transnational maneuver, Impact Matters Law came to bat for us once again, demonstrating the same commitment they did when guiding us to become a co-op in the first place. A dedicated contingent within Igalia spent months championing this agreement within their organization. Most of all, my co-owners gave their blood, sweat, and tears to continue Bocoup’s success over the past couple of years (they also tolerated my insistence on beginning every meeting with some absurd ice-breaker question). Thank you all!