Namaste Solar has taken an uncommon approach to business. We choose co-ownership over hierarchy; democratic decision-making over centralized leadership; sustainable growth over aggressive expansion; collaboration over competition.
Download a PDF of our company model highlights.
The path we have traveled has been an extraordinary experiment, drawing on intellectual, philosophical, and political models that inspire us, while crafting something uniquely our own.
Our decision-making process consists of five levels: individual, peer review, committee/team, company-wide, and board of directors.
Co-ownership is attained through a one-year candidacy period. If the company and the individual agree there is a good fit, a common stock share is purchased by the employee and voting rights are established. We also have preferred stock available for external investors.
- All co-owners participate in democratic decision-making on a one- person, one-vote basis.
- We hold quarterly, full-day “Big Picture Meetings” (BPMs) to make decisions, review financial statements, discuss high-level matters, and facilitate team-building.
- Transparency is practiced through open book management and access to all company information (except for protected info). We maintain a 6-to-1 maximum ratio of highest-to-lowest total pay per employee.
- “Patronage Dividends” are received by co-owners when we are profitable.
- We practice Frank, Open, and Honest (FOH™) Communication.