CULTURE
TAKING FLIGHT RAVEN BOOK STORE’S EMPLOYEE CO-OWNERSHIP SOLIDIFIES A NEW FUTURE By Michael Cripe
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aven Book Store’s next chapter starts with fresh leadership. Danny Caine, co-owner of the Lawrence bookstore, sold 49% of the company to seven of its employees, effectively splitting ownership with the individuals who help run it every day. The new co-owners are Kelly Barth, Mary Wahlmeier Bracciano, Jack Hawthorn, Nikita Imafidon, Chris Luxem, Hannah Reidell, and Sarah Young, and they are prime examples of the ideals Raven seeks to uphold. “These are the people who are at the core of the Raven,” Caine says. “They’re running a lot of the store on the management
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level, or they’ve been here for a very, very long time. The eight of us have 70-plus years of experience at the Raven, so it’s just a lot of institutional wisdom, and that’s the heart of the store, right there. It’s not a building. It’s not a collection of books. It’s those people working for 70-plus years, cumulatively.” Caine says the team is a sound group to lead Raven Book Store into the future. He was inspired by a Cambridge, Massachusetts bookstore called Porter Square Books, which saw a similar leadership change a few years ago. With the framework for an employee-owned business already established, Caine felt he should follow that model to make both the Raven and Lawrence better.
THE PITCH | February 2022 | THEPITCHKC.COM
The sale was also done to diminish the notion that it’s okay for retail and bookstore workers to be exploited. “In retail in general—and also in bookselling—there’s this reputation that I don’t agree with: that you do it for the love,” Caine says. “It’s like, ‘You’re a bookseller; you’re never going to make much money. But it’s OK because you get free books, or you get to meet authors.’ I didn’t like that. It seemed like a way to exploit workers, and I wasn’t interested in doing that.” Luxem says the co-owner role is already leaving him with a more rewarding experience. Since Caine originally approached the team with the idea to create an employee-owned environment, the Raven crew has worked together to achieve the same outcome seen at Porter Square Books. “It was definitely inspiring to know that things can work this way, too,” Luxem says. “It doesn’t always have to be the hierarchy of one person on top and then everyone below. You can expand that out and bring in some equity to people. We all want
to make sure everyone is treated well here and has equitable experiences and access to everything.” Luxem adds that he wouldn’t mind seeing other stores in Lawrence follow suit. He says that the budding concept of employee ownership has room to grow but will only reach its full potential so long as other businesses are paying attention. The Raven’s potential butterfly effect remains to be seen, for now. While some effects of the Raven’s shift—such as projected positive trends in profits and worker motivation—won’t be felt for months or even years, there are some immediate changes to take notice of. Children’s Section Manager Bracciano can already feel the impact. “When I think about the choices that I make in my work and the people who I’m Below: Raven Book Store’s eight co-workers gather for a group photo. Photo by Adam Smith Top Left: The children’s section at the Raven. Photo by Danny Caine Top Right: The Raven’s Massachusetts Street storefront. Photo by Danny Caine
