Going to DC!
March 18, 2025
Project Liberty Institute (“PLI”) and the Decentralization Research Center (“DRC”), two prominent organizations on missions to forge a more equitable internet, are hosting a meeting on April 1st at Georgetown University in Washington DC, and they’ve invited me to come talk about User Co-op!
So, we’re goin’ to DC!
The purpose of this meeting is to explore through open dialogue among the attendees how cooperatives can more equitably distribute the wealth and power that’s derived from people’s data, and some of the foremost academics, economists, entrepreneurs, lawyers, and technologists on these matters will be there.
This is an incredible opportunity for User Co-op. We get to help two highly reputable organizations make better sense of cooperatives in the digital space, and, in the process, we get to interact with some of the greatest minds and advocates in our field. I believe this meeting could lead us to some pretty cool places.
My connection to PLI and DRC was cold. I connected with them because of a research report they collaborated on back in January called How Can Data Cooperatives Help Build a Fair Data Economy?
Here’s their intro to that report:
“In an era where data shapes every aspect of our digital lives, the question of who holds power over this vital resource has profound societal implications. Data ownership and governance inequalities must be addressed to ensure individuals and communities have a voice, choice, and stake in the rapidly evolving digital economy.”
We couldn’t agree more.
By the way, a “data cooperative” is a data-driven business that’s owned and governed by the producers of the data that the business relies on, not traditional shareholders, and the producers of that data can range from individuals to large collectives. Accordingly, data cooperatives represent a paradigm shift for how data-driven businesses are run and for whom they ultimately benefit.
User Co-op can be considered a type of data cooperative because we distribute our profits in proportion to people’s “clicks” on our services, and “clicks” on internet technology services almost always transmit user data to the service provider.
The meeting in DC will build on PLI and DRC’s report, and I’m going to share our perspectives on a bunch of things, like:
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Where the “market failure” is for data cooperatives to become a necessity for people
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Where data cooperatives hold the greatest potential for impact
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Business models that can sustain data cooperatives
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How to foster collaboration and partnerships between stakeholders, like traditional cooperatives, technology professionals, legal professionals, researchers, and community organizations
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How to engage policymakers at all levels of government to advocate for legal and regulatory frameworks that support the development of data cooperatives
Lastly, this trip wouldn’t be possible without the generous support of our members, who voluntarily contribute money to help us with our startup costs. I can’t thank you enough for your support. If you’re not a member and curious about becoming one, I invite you to check out our latest podcast and make your mark.
I’m beyond excited for this meeting. I’ll let you know how it goes!
Matt
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About PLI
Project Liberty Institute is a 501(c)(3) organization that serves as an international meeting ground for technologists, policymakers, entrepreneurs, investors, academics, civil society, and governance experts. Its mission is to advance responsible governance and evidence-based innovation across entrepreneurship, infrastructure, and capital allocation, shaping frameworks for how we design, invest in, deploy, and govern new technologies. The Institute supports timely, actionable research on digital technology and responsible innovation. Its academic partners include Stanford University, Georgetown University, Harvard, MIT, and other leading institutions.
About DRC
The Decentralization Research Center is a 501(c)(4) social welfare non-profit that advocates for decentralization as a fundamental characteristic of emerging technologies. This includes the development of blockchain protocols and applications that are immutable, censorship resistant, transparent, secure, and enable data self-sovereignty. The DRC’s mandate is to connect stakeholders and create opportunities for innovators to collaborate, gain momentum, and guide the ownership, governance, and regulation of emerging technologies towards decentralization.
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March 18, 2025
Matt Martensen
Founder/organizer