Village of Leaders Thriving In Solidarity
Empowering formerly incarcerated women to achieve economic stability and leadership through cooperative business and housing models.
Vision
VOLTS envisions a thriving network of worker and housing cooperatives where leadership, ownership, and economic power are reclaimed by formerly incarcerated Black women and other justice-impacted people. We build infrastructure, training, and shared governance to cultivate self-determination, stability, and collective joy. By 2030, VOLTS will be a trusted hub for cooperative development and leadership, showing what’s possible when communities own their future.
Mission
VOLTS builds economic power and self-determination by incubating worker and housing cooperatives owned and governed by formerly incarcerated Black women. Through cooperative education, infrastructure, and community-led leadership, we create pathways to ownership, wellness, and collective liberation.
Values
Liberation
Reclaiming control over labor, land, and governance.
Trust & Accountability
Practicing transparency and mutual responsibility.
Care & Healing
Valuing rest, joy, and each other’s wholeness.
Popular Education & Leadership
Everyone is a learner and a leader.
Flexibility & Innovation
Learning from the work and changing with it.