Building a Solidarity Economy - One Cooperative (and One Clean Space) at a Time
Case Study: Solid State Community Industries
Their Story
Based in Surrey, BC, and working nationally and internationally, Solid State Community Industries (SSCI) is building a solidarity economy by and for racialized and migrant communities based on mutual aid, racial justice, and community-building. Solid State supports and grows worker co-ops and solidarity economy enterprises through mentorship, training, resources, and funding.
With over 30 cooperatives in their network, Solid State doesn’t just develop businesses, they foster connections across generations, cultures, and lived experiences. Whether it’s through workshops, climate justice events, or shared meals around a communal table, SSCI creates spaces where people and ideas thrive together.
Their Values
Solidarity Economy: SSCI and its members are dedicated to creating positive social change and profitability for our community.
Surrey-Centric: As one of the fastest-growing, most diverse, cities in Canada, SSCI is proud to have its HQ grounded in the heart of the City of Surrey.
Community-Centred: Made up of people from 37+ national backgrounds, the SSCI model is about building long-term attachments and commitments, while cultivating meaningful, cross-culture, inter-generational connections.
Their Problem
As a hub for co-ops, collaborators, and community programs, Solid State’s physical space is essential to its work. It hosts regular meetings, events, and communal meals - serving as a connective tissue between people and projects.
While professional cleaning was always a necessity, their challenge was finding a provider whose values aligned with theirs.
“Many cleaning companies provide jobs for racialized and immigrant women,” says the Solid State team, “but few prioritize their well-being over company profits.”
That’s when The Cleaning Coop came into the picture, not just as a service provider, but as a fellow cooperative born from the very ecosystem Solid State helped cultivate.
A Perfect Partnership
TCC and Solid State are more than client and service provider, they’re collaborators in a shared vision. Solid State supported TCC from the very beginning, offering financial support, branding connections, and business development guidance through their incubation program.
“Working with TCC has been a meaningful and fulfilling experience. TCC’s success is built upon their lived experience and commitment to empowering and improving the lives of immigrant women in the cleaning industry, and putting into practice their value of ‘people over profit’ in all aspects of their work.”
At its core, this partnership works because it’s rooted in shared values: people over profit, community over competition, and dignity in every role. TCC doesn’t just clean SSCI’s workspace, they contribute to its purpose.
Learn more about Solid State Community Industries, head over to https://www.solidstate.coop/
