Cleveland is harnessing the spending power of its institutions to launch new cooperatives, providing jobs and wealth-building opportunities for ex-offenders and low-income people. The three environmentally-sustainable co-ops, whose employees earn well above the minimum wage and can take a stake in their companies, act as suppliers to "anchor institutions" rooted in the city, such as universities and hospitals. The model hopes to spur a breakthrough in Cleveland, which has struggled with depopulation and economic stagnation.

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