What does it mean to set up an organisation? In this first episode of Corporate Bodies, we explore incorporation – the creation of the corporate body – and we hear from Mark Walton and Kate Swade about who they are, and why they are embarking on this inquiry together.
Kate and Mark both started this investigation with the assumption that the company – as a legal vehicle for collective action – is a useful tool for getting things done, and that there are some unexamined things, deep in its DNA, which contribute to some of the weirdnesses that play out in working life today. They also both have a pragmatic interest in creating nice and healthy places to work!
In this episode, they talk about what they see as some of the original sins of companies, and why they think delving into history is important for creating healthy working cultures today.
Across this series, they speak to ten brilliant people. In this episode, you’ll hear from each of them about their experiences and perspectives on setting up new ventures.
Resources:
Find more on the original sins here – incorporation, limited liability, legal personhood and employment contracting.
Read the article accompanying the episode here.
Some of the interviewees mention particular work:
Immy mentions Dark Matter Labs and their work on employment contracts, and Open Systems Lab’s work on a new land contract.
Farzana mentions Platform London, the organisation that hosted Healing Justice London. She also mentions Panthea Lee’s work on the importance of “minding the boring details” when setting things up (and much more!).
Sarah talks about an amazing experience with the team at Université du Nous.
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Presenters:
Kate Swade (she/her), independent organisational development and governance consultant
Mark Walton (he/him), Founder and Director, Shared Assets
Interviewees (in order of appearance):
Mark Simmonds (he/him), Co-operative and Community Business Advisor, Co-op Culture
Abbie Kempson (she/her), Co-operative Member, People Support Co-op
Louise Armstrong (she/her), Co-Founder, The Decelerator
Esther Foreman (she/her), CEO, The Social Change Nest
Zahra Davidson (she/her), Non-Exec Director & Associate, Huddlecraft
Liam Barrington-Bush (he/him), Co-Director, RadHR
Immy Kaur (she/her), Co-Founder & Director, CIVIC SQUARE
Farzana Khan (she/her), Executive Co-Director, Healing Justice Ldn
Sarah McAdam (she/her), Co-Steward, Transformational Governance Collective
Editor: Katie Revell (she/her)
Artwork: Hanna Norberg-Williams (they/them)
Supporters:
The series is supported by the Centre for the Understanding of Sustainable Prosperity (CUSP), which is a cutting edge research organisation based at the University of Surrey. CUSP explores the question: What does prosperity mean in a world of environmental, social, and economic limits? For more details, visit cusp.ac.uk.
