From “impostor syndrome” to Director! Meet Co-op Hero Mareen Akhter, one of the team at worker-owned digital agency The Developer Society (@devsociety_ ) in Birmingham.💻 📝 A former teacher, she was heavily pregnant when she was hired as a developer, having completed a four-month coding bootcamp.👩‍💻 “When I joined, I had imposter syndrome and baby brain,” she said. “What I had learned at bootcamp was a bit fuzzy. So I found a top up course and the co-op paid for it. It helped me immeasurably."🧠 “It was a culture shock coming from the education sector with its hierarchies. It was just amazing to see everyone being treated equally. I thought it couldn’t be this good.” But it was. Four years into the job, Mareen became the Director of the co-op as well as a developer. And her input led to changes in their maternity policy. Nice one Mareen❗ #CoopHeroes #IYC2025 #CoopsYear #CoopsBuildABetterWorld #coops #comshares #memberowned #workerowned #communityowned #combiz

✊ BE PART OF IT. We are proud to be part of this powerful short film that celebrates shared ownership in the West Midlands. 💪 ‘Be Part of It’ is a poem created by @jasminegardosi, former Birmingham Poet Laureate, captured on film with moves from @DanceCo_opBrum. 😍 It includes footage of West Midlands co-operatives and mutuals @gluecollective, the The @devsociety_ and Hockley Mint – all captured by the brilliant by @mediaco_op. 📺 WATCH IN FULL a film that showcases the diversity of creative co-operative industries, and people, in the region 👉 buff.ly/3BbERyI 👏 The film was commissioned by the West Midlands Ownership Hub – a partnership between @westmids_ca, Co‑operatives UK and @EmployeeOwned – and funded by @powertochange_.

Co-operatives come in all shapes and sizes. They make a difference to people, communities and planet. They are owned and controlled by their members – people like YOU. WATCH and SHARE to spread the word! #JoinaCoop