Founded in 1989 to provide a variety of technology infrastructure services, Alternative Technologies has grown to become a team of 35 who have earned the trust of nonprofits and progressive small businesses throughout the San Francisco Bay Area and beyond. We provide fully managed IT services, cloud-based backup and cloud platform support, phone systems (both traditional and cloud-based), as well as professional installation of WiFi and low voltage wiring and infrastructure. Alternative has become the IT department to the progressive community in the San Francisco Bay Area and beyond. Working with hundreds of nonprofits and small local businesses, we have become a trusted source of reliable technology, people-centered service, and solutions that fit their budget and needs. Along the way, we have attracted workers who share our founder’s vision of supporting the Bay Area’s progressive nonprofit and small business ecosystem. They, in turn, found a company where they could be their authentic selves at work, actively live their racial, social, and environmental justice values through their work, contribute to Alternative’s success in meaningful ways, and feel supported as people. Our workplace, culture, and operational practices are growing to better honor our employees’ and clients’ richly diverse intersecting identities. Our conversion in 2022 to a worker-owned cooperative has been a natural progression that has allowed us to continue our trusted role in our community. We believe worker ownership draws on the strength of our workers to be a beacon of change in our communities, and it allows us to attract and retain experienced people with integrity, commitment and dedication, whose values align with the customers we serve. With this new structure, we can continue to provide great service, and provide opportunities for more economic stability for our workers.