We're a unionized, worker-owned technology cooperative.

Custom software for movements.: We specialize in web/app design and development for social justice organizations, non-profits, academics, artists, and more.
Understanding technology at a deeper level.: Bringing years of expertise from industry, academia, and social justice organizing, we understand the values that are embedded in code and design.
Building for social change.: Inspired by the desire to promote social justice, we make beautiful, ethical, and easy to use technologies.

Our Workers

Sassafras is a largely queer, neurodivergent, multiracial workplace. We are a remote, distributed workforce located on occupied Indigenous territory throughout the so-called US. Most of us started in traditional tech and found Sassafras as a safer haven from the exploitative tech industry.

The best talent doesn't want to work in big tech. We want to work here, where our voices matter. We include:

Elizabeth: Elizabeth Mitchell (they/she) is a senior developer, project manager, and UX designer. They worked at Sassafras from 2014-2020 and rejoined in 2024. They enjoy nature, writing, skating, and gardening.
Alex: Alex is a front-end developer at Sassafras and a proud member of the Industrial Workers of the World (IWW). She was an organizer with the graduate student workers union at Northeastern University, where she received her PhD from the Khoury College of Computer Sciences. She's been involved in the labor movement for several years and is excited to be part of a worker-owned cooperative.
Shae: Shae (they/them) grew up in the rural rust belt and is a descendant of white settlers & Borikén immigrants. They have worked for 14 years as a consultant, project manager & operations coordinator. They are a prison & police abolitionist, anti-racist and anti-fascist. They are trying to apply horizontal, care-based and anti-oppressive principles in day to day work & mutual aid based community organizing (and are failing constantly but learning a lot). Most importantly they are an aspiring compost wizard, worm dealer and property redistributor.
Kevin: Kevin's been writing and publishing apps since 2007. He grew up in the midwest, graduated from the University of Michigan, worked at companies big and small, freelanced for NGOs, and finally joined Sassafras in 2019. He lives with his partner and two small cats who walk on a leash and do tricks. Kevin also performs improv comedy with a local troupe.
Anonymous: This team member joined Sassafras Tech Collective in September 2015 and became a full worker/owner in June 2016. They bring to Sassafras extensive coding knowledge and experience, especially with Ruby on Rails, and a deep commitment to social justice.

What's a worker cooperative?

Worker cooperatives are businesses that are democratically owned and run by the workers themselves, as equals. Because worker co-ops share the benefits in the good times and the burdens in the hard times, data shows they are a more sustainable form of business.

We're also members of:

The United States Federation of Worker Cooperatives (USFWC): A network of democratically-owned businesses in the United States. They also have job postings and resources for starting your own co-op.
Communication Workers of America (CWA) Local 7250: CWA Local 7250 is a local union based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Its members fight for justice in many different industries, including telecom, pest control, the video game industry, as well as remote tech workplaces like ours.