TeamWorks transforms low-wage, "dead-end" service jobs into powerful social and economic development opportunities. 

Members of The TeamWorks Cooperative Network are able to:
  • Earn a good income and pull themselves out of poverty.
  • Develop financial assets.
  • Become co-owners of a social business.
  • Gain access to quality health insurance.
  • Develop their skills and interests.  



TeamWorks was founded in 2004 by David Smathers Moore after a career in philanthropy and non-profit community development organizations. He lived in Chicago for many years where he worked at the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation and the Center for Labor and Community Research. More recently he was a community organizer with People Acting in Community Together (PACT) in San Jose, California, a member of the PICO National Network.

In 2009, the TeamWorks Cooperative Network established a partnership with Sacred Heart Community Service, a San Jose non-profit organization driven by a vision of a community united to ensure that every child and adult is free from poverty. Sacred Heart is investing in building TeamWorks’ ability to provide technical assistance and training programs to people interested in starting new TeamWorks cooperatives.

There are currently twelve women working in TeamWorks’ house cleaning cooperative. Over the last two years (July 2008 – June 2010), its revenues have grown 73% and the number of cooperative members more than doubled – despite the worst recession in 40 years! During this period of growth, we realized that we were prematurely organizing ourselves into multiple entities; we now are operating our cleaning operations as one cooperative which has recently expanded its service area to include San Jose.

TeamWorks is in the research and planning phase for the launch of a landscape maintenance cooperative. Stay tuned for announcements in the coming months!

For more information, please see the papers posted on the side of this page or contact:

David Smathers Moore
e-mail: dsmathers [at symbol] teamworks.coop

35 Hobson Street
San Jose, CA 95110