As lifelong cooperative enthusiasts, Melissa Hoover, Laura King, and Miss Muffy crossed paths many times while traversing the world of the national worker cooperative movement. We first collaborated in Atlanta, Georgia in the Summer of 2007 in the creation of a workshop on worker cooperatives and later in the conception of a cocktail we call the US Social Forum (1 part blueberry vodka, 2 parts tap water, combine and consume neat). In time, we bonded over our collective passion for truly democratic political work and fashion-forward functionality.

We see that many of our favorite people and groups have a fraught relationship with structure that keeps us from being as effective and happy as we could be. We want to help people get the tools they need to cut through the red tape in their lives faster and less painfully, so they can spend more time and energy on the important projects they care about and less time and energy being stressed out, guilt ridden, angry, and paralyzed by bureaucracy.

And so Brass Tacks was born to provide accessible financial and organizational support services to individuals, community groups, and businesses doing good work, with a respect for our radical roots.

We believe in whole communication and in facing challenges with a fearless clear-eyed approach. We believe collaborative ventures of all kinds demand joy, caretaking, fun, practicality, and fierce honesty in order to be effective. We have a vision of sustaining a workplace that embodies and promotes these values. We are purveyors of Radical Effectiveness. Let’s get down to Brass Tacks.