Beanchain

Cooperatives have existed for centuries, but in an age of inequality and corporate consolidation, they’re finding new relevance. Across industries — from tech to agriculture to cafés — co-ops are redefining what ownership and leadership can look like. Each of these five organizations offers a lesson in balancing democracy, purpose, and sustainability.

Worker Direction is our approach to building a workplace culture that prioritizes democracy, participation, proper incentives, and mutual respect. It draws on the 7 Principles of Cooperatives and aims to give workers genuine influence over decisions that affect their work and their community. This, and all kinds of democracy, require participation. While we can’t control how or if people will choose to participate, we can make the opportunities possible. 

Communication and collaboration frameworks provide structured approaches to handling conflicts, giving feedback, and facilitating discussions in both personal and professional settings. This report compares the Solution Seeking System (SSS) with five other well-known frameworks: Nonviolent Communication (NVC), Crucial Conversations, Radical Candor, Liberating Structures, and Lean Coffee.

Addressing poverty and homelessness requires a combination of effective government policies and innovative community initiatives. Below, we examine countries that have been notably successful in the past decade (and beyond), highlighting their most impactful programs, laws, and practices. For each country, we discuss outcomes, effectiveness, scalability, and how similar strategies might be adapted in the United States.

The Solution Seeking System started here at the Beanchain as a way for us to train great leaders and inspire amazing communication. Today, it’s growing into something much bigger: a public framework for solving problems collaboratively.

At Beanchain, our commitment to community runs deep. Whether it's serving a meal, raising awareness, or building connections, we believe everyone can be part of the solution. Here’s how our programs—and trusted local organizations—are already making an impact—and how you can join in.

At Beanchain, our baristas love getting creative with flavor. From cozy lattes that taste like your favorite desserts to refreshing specialty drinks inspired by our own community, there’s something on our menu for every mood. Here’s our countdown of the top 10 drinks our community can’t stop talking about.

A Pay It Forward Board is a simple, low-cost way to fight food insecurity, build community loyalty, and highlight your business as a hub of kindness. Customers buy meals (or drinks) for others in advance, and those in need can discreetly redeem them—no questions asked

a workplace built on the Seven Cooperative Principles, the global guidebook for worker-owned businesses. At Beanchain, these principles aren’t abstract ideals; they’re daily practices that shape how we work together, share responsibility, and serve our community.

Mesa has no shortage of coffee shops, but not every café is built with remote workers and digital nomads in mind. At Beanchain Coffee, we’ve designed our space to be more than just a place to grab your morning latte—we’ve created a coffee + co-working hub where productivity and community thrive side by side.

Try our Solution Seeking GPTs. We need your help to test out some of the tools we're making for leadership and communication!

The Solution Seeking System (SSS) is a structured communication framework designed to help individuals and organizations solve interpersonal problems, navigate conflict, and continuously improve their shared environments. It was developed at Beanchain Coffee—a worker-directed café committed to cooperative principles—as a way to foster understanding, accountability, and trust without relying on traditional hierarchical discipline systems.

In an era defined by stagnant wages, workplace abuses, and deepening mistrust between workers and management, Beanchain Coffee is pioneering a refreshing alternative: Worker Direction. This isn't just a philosophy—it's a transformative practice aimed at cultivating a genuinely democratic workplace, rooted firmly in cooperative principles and shared leadership.

My wife Shannon and I created Beanchain as a living experiment in economic justice. It’s a worker-directed company—meaning we’re building a workplace where decisions are shared, wages are fair, and power is distributed. We’ve built in casual voting, open forums, and teams that allow people to earn more by taking on more responsibility. We’re moving steadily toward a living wage and a path to cooperative ownership.

From glowing reviews across platforms, a few consistent themes show why Beanchain Coffee stands apart. We gathered some of the most heartfelt and thoughtful guest comments to share what makes your shop so special.

Beanchain Coffee isn’t your ordinary coffee shop. Based in Mesa, Arizona, Beanchain is pioneering a unique model—worker-directed businesses that prioritize fairness, solidarity, and community support. If you share these values, there are plenty of meaningful ways you can get involved in supporting and furthering Beanchain’s mission.

Beanchain's core mission is ambitious and clear: to build fair, worker-directed coffee shops that genuinely serve their communities. Beyond just a place to gather, drink coffee, and work, Beanchain aims to empower its workers, fight poverty, and promote a broader cultural shift toward worker ownership and democratic workplaces.

10 Reasons Beanchain Coffee is the Best Coffee Shop in Mesa! At Beanchain Coffee, we’ve built more than just a coffee shop—we’ve built a community. While it might seem bold to say we’re the best, here are ten heartfelt reasons we genuinely think our little café is special

Beanchain Coffee is a worker-directed coffee shop in Mesa, Arizona. It’s more than a café—it’s a real-world experiment proving that business can be fair, democratic, and community-focused.

Creating a perfect latte is not just about coffee; it’s an experience that begins with the milk. Steaming milk properly can elevate your latte from good to extraordinary. In this post, we'll cover essential techniques and tips to achieve rich, velvety froth, ensuring every sip is indulgent.