FEDERATION FOR MANUFACTURING PODCAST
Episode: "Attaining Economic Democracy In The 21st Century"
Host: Drew "The MFG" Crowe, Leader of The New American Manufacturing Renaissance
Guests: Frank Cetera (Democracy for Workers Institute), Dan Swinney (Founder, Manufacturing Renaissance) & Martin Van Den Borre (Canadian Worker Co-Op Federation)
**Episode Length:** 45 minutes
**Format:** In-depth conversation with substantive analysis
What would the economy look like if the people who do the work also owned the businesses? In this episode, we dive into the growing movement for economic democracy and the role of employee-owned businesses in building more resilient, equitable local economies.
We're joined by Frank Cetera of the Democracy at Work Institute, a leading voice in the employee ownership ecosystem. Frank brings deep experience supporting worker cooperatives, ESOPs, and other shared-ownership models across the country. Together, we explore how employee ownership works in practice, why it's gaining traction in manufacturing and beyond, and how it can strengthen communities while creating quality jobs.
The conversation covers:
What economic democracy really means.
Different models of employee ownership and how they function day to day
The impact of worker ownership on wages, job stability, and business longevity
Barriers to scaling employee-owned enterprises and what policy, finance, and technical support can do to help
Why this moment presents a unique opportunity to expand employee ownership as part of a broader economic transformation
Whether you're a business owner, worker, policymaker, or simply curious about alternatives to the status quo, this episode offers a grounded, practical look at how democratic ownership can reshape our economy from the ground up.
**Drew "The MFG" Crowe**
Email: booking@the-mfg.com (mailto:booking@the-mfg.com)
Phone: 314-246-0033
Website: www.drewcrowemfg.com
A manufacturing policy podcast brought to you by members of the Federation for a Manufacturing Renaissance (FMR).
Visit our website at: https://manufacturingfederation.org/
Substack: https://substack.com/@manufacturingfederation
This discussion was recorded on January 26, 2026. Hosted by Drew 'THE MFG' Crowe and produced by Michael P. Moriarty. Music written and recorded by Michael P. Moriarty.
22 Sept 2025
Manufacturing Federation Podcast Episode 2
FEDERATION FOR MANUFACTURING PODCAST
Episode: "From Crisis to Opportunity - The CIRN Revolution"
Host: Drew "The MFG" Crowe, Leader of The New American Manufacturing Renaissance
Guests: Dan Swinney (Founder, Manufacturing Renaissance) & David Robinson (Former Director of External Affairs, Manufacturing Renaissance)
**Episode Length:** 45-60 minutes
**Format:** In-depth conversation with substantive analysis
Chicago has experienced massive deindustrialization over the last 50 years—losing 90% of its manufacturing base. This had a profound impact on communities resulting in increased poverty, crime, violence, drug use, and marginalization. A major factor is the retirement of the baby boom generation from all levels, particularly of smaller, privately held firms including ownership. 50-60% of these firms have no successor or succession plan. MR created the Chicagoland Industrial Retention Network (CIRN)—a program that addresses the crisis facing small manufacturing companies with an aging owner with no successor. We turn this crisis into an opportunity particularly for employees as well as Black and Latino entrepreneurs that historically have been excluded as owners in the manufacturing sector.
CIRN has established an Early Warning Network that relies on community-based organizations, unions, churches, service providers and others to make contact with owners of these companies. Twenty-three members of 13 organizations have joined. The potential scale of our effort is far greater than existing programs by government and other community development organizations.
This is an approach that could lead to the sale of hundreds of companies in the Chicago region along—retaining, diversifying, and rebuilding the regional manufacturing sector. This project could save thousands of jobs and build community wealth. This is a model that could be replicated in other communities around the country.
**Dan Swinney**
Manufacturing Renaissance
Email: dswinney@mfgren.org (mailto:dswinney@mfgren.org)
Phone: 773-919-3251
Website: www.mfgren.org (http://www.mfgren.org/)
**CIRN Resources:**
Early Warning Manual: Available online
Training Programs: 24-hour community leader certification
**Drew "The MFG" Crowe**
Email: booking@the-mfg.com (mailto:booking@the-mfg.com)
Phone: 314-246-0033
Website: www.drewcrowemfg.com
A manufacturing policy podcast brought to you by members of the Federation for a Manufacturing Renaissance (FMR).
This discussion was recorded on August 25, 2025. Hosted by Drew 'THE MFG' Crowe (https://www.drewcrowemfg.com/) and produced by Michael P. Moriarty.
14 Jul 2025
Manufacturing Renaissance Podcast Episode 1
Topic: The Social Economy, its international character, and its strategic challenges and opportunities as an alternative to neo liberalism.
Featured Speakers:
Nancy Neamtan: Founder and Executive Director of the Chantier de l'économie sociale, a non-profit organization representing networks of social enterprises (cooperatives and non-profits), local development organizations and social movements. She is known internationally as an expert in the field of the social and solidarity economy, social finance and local development.
Martin Van Den Borrem: For over 25 years, Martin has been leading and supporting innovative and complex projects in various fields of community economic development, alternative trade, social finance, international relations and cooperation, social agroforestry, and the social economy.
A manufacturing policy podcast brought to you by members of the Federation for a Manufacturing Renaissance (FMR).
This discussion was recorded on June 9, 2025. Hosted by Drew 'THE MFG' Crowe and produced by Michael P. Moriarty.
6 Jun 2025
Manufacturing Renaissance Podcast - Pilot Episode
Alan Minsky, David Levine, and Doug Gamble discuss the rationale and benefits of a high-road manufacturing industrial policy guided by regional democratic governance in an interview with Drew Crowe.
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