Press

  • Meet a Worker Co-op: A Cleaning Platform Changing the Gig Economy. May 24, 2022. Hell Gate. "The 32-year-old mother of three had dreams of starting her own business when moving to the U.S. from Mexico 15 years ago. With the co-op, now she has."
  • 'When Someone Hires Me, They Get The Boss Herself'. July 7, 2020. The New York Times. "A big difference is that we know our rights better. We are not only workers but entrepreneurs. That changed who I am and how I see myself. I am constantly learning new things — how to run a business, how to handle a democratic decision-making process, what good management is.”
  • Worker-Owned Apps Are Trying to Fix the Gig Economy's Exploitation. November 19, 2019. VICE. "What would happen if low-wage workers came together to cut out the middleman and build their own platforms? This isn’t just a thought experiment....Up & Go is a home cleaning app owned by workers in New York City."
  • When Workers Control the Code. April 22, 2019. WIRED. "Best of all, [workers] own their own code, with no Silicon Valley 'disrupter' skimming profits off the top. 'Any decisions on how the tech will be used is up to them.'"
  • Cleaning Workers Are Fighting for Better Pay and Benefits. August 8, 2018. VICE. "We can choose our own schedules, determine the prices, deal professionally with clients. The clients know that we're not just a worker, we're an owner.”
  • Celebrating a Great Business Model for Immigrants on International Women's Day. March 8, 2018. New York Nonprofit Media. "We feel good knowing we provide a service that people need so they can focus on their careers and families. And, as business owners, now we can too."
  • The Platform Coop is Coming for Uber. Yes! Magazine. January 4, 2018. "Homecare workers and cleaners are some of the lowest paid workers, with few rights or protections. Up & Go is a site that promotes and schedules on-demand quality cleaning services for several women-owned cooperative businesses."
  • Can Co-ops Displace the Gig Economy? Nonprofit Quartlerly. December 21, 2017. "Workers earn $4–5 more dollars per hour than other cleaning-industry workers in the area and retain 95 percent of the income they generate. The workers can build equity as owners, in addition to earning a fair wage. The software platform amplifies the network’s marketing and streamlines customer support."
  • How Innovative Funding Models Could Usher in a New Era of Worker-Owned Platform Cooperatives. Shareable. August 28, 2017. "Up & Go and an array of other emerging platform cooperatives...are charting the way forward for the creation of a far more equitable digital business sector; one that could restore the promise of a sharing economy based on the true sharing of wealth and power."
  • 6 Things to Know About Worker Co-ops. WNYC News. July 24, 2017. "The hope is that by existing in the same world as the slick Silicon Valley startups, [worker-owned] cooperatives can grow their businesses, help workers stay in their neighborhoods, and give them a different position in life."
  • A new way of cleaning your house. Marketplace Tech. July 20, 2017. "One of the biggest issues in the so-called gig economy is that the people doing the actual gigs don't always have a lot of control over the platform giving them the work. There's a new platform that wants to be different: Up & Go."
  • How to Hire a Housekeeper - with a Clean Conscience. New York Nonprofit Media. June 6, 2017. "A new cleaning solution will help workplace justice sweep across New York City, a mop and a click at a time."
  • Can the Gig Economy Save Itself? Break Thru Radio. June 1, 2017. "Up & Go might have the impact previous start-ups could only hope for. [...] Merging the convenience of digital platforms with a pro-worker model, Up & Go hopes to take on leading cleaning services gig platforms."
  • Up & Go is a Worker-Owned Alternative to On-Demand Home Cleaning Services. Fast Company. May 16, 2017. "The new web app is giving worker-owned cleaning cooperatives a much-needed tech boost to expand their reach–and hopefully paving the way for a more tech-savvy approach to winning new customers for more equitable businesses.
  • New Home Services Platform Up & Go Shakes Up the Gig Economy by Putting Workers in Charge. MarketWired. May 9, 2017.
  • Tips for holiday hosting from a New York City B&B owner. BrickUnderground. December 20, 2016. "For the progressive-minded, look into a new service called Up & Go, which will connect you with local, women-owned, eco-friendly cleaning companies."

Up & Go Partners

Up & Go is a collaboration between community-based organizations, tech developers, philanthropic funders, and worker cooperatives in New York City.


With ten years of cooperative development experience and relationships with worker cooperatives, the Center for Family Life in Sunset Park (CFL) has coordinated the development of Up & Go.
A worker-owned digital agency that designs and develops technology for mission-driven organizations and entrepreneurs, CoLab Cooperative built the Up & Go platform.
In its commitment to fighting poverty, Robin Hood Foundation has provided visionary leadership and invaluable support for the development of Up & Go.


Up & Go is made possible with support from Barclays

New York City Worker Cooperatives Worker cooperative members, developers, and office managers have provided essential information, ideas, and feedback in focus groups, meetings, and interviews in the development of Up & Go.