The Challenge The United States is experiencing three interconnected crises: rising inequality, accelerating climate breakdown, and democratic erosion.

These crises are not separate; they are driven by an extractive economic system that concentrates wealth and power while leaving most people economically insecure and politically disempowered.

Our Insight Economic security is democratic capacity.

For people to have the capacity to think outside of themselves and work together to address these crises, they have to have their basic needs met. Public goods and democratic ownership are not just economic interventions; they are democratic infrastructure. When people have reliable access to care, stable income, and a meaningful stake in the economy, they are more likely to participate in civic life, engage collectively, and support long-term systems change.

Our Theory of Change

If we expand democratic ownership, strengthen public goods, and support regenerative, place-based economic models, we can:

  • Reduce inequality

  • Restore agency and voice

  • Strengthen democratic participation

  • Build durable capacity for climate and systems change

What We Support

  • Policies and ecosystem-building that expand employee and community ownership

  • Research and narrative change connecting economic design to democratic outcomes

  • Place-based strategies that align public, private, and community actors

  • Models that integrate climate resilience, care infrastructure, and shared ownership

Why It Matters Now

Democracy cannot be defended through civic education alone. It must be built into the economy itself. A well economy is not only more just and sustainable. It is more democratic.

Who We Are

Well Economy Lab was founded by me, Andrea Steffes-Tuttle—cultural anthropologist, journalist, marketer, entrepreneur, and lifelong advocate for better work.

For over two decades, I’ve moved between worlds: leading marketing teams, building businesses, and researching and reporting on the stories that matter most—how work shapes lives, families, and communities. My journalism has earned awards for coverage of child care and the growing influence of private equity in the sector, and my work has appeared in outlets including Boulder Weekly, The Colorado Sun, and B the Change. Along the way, I’ve built deep connections across business, civic, and care communities, and I bring those relationships and a relentless curiosity to every project I tackle.

Before founding Well Economy Lab, I led a marketing firm and in-house teams, managing complex initiatives, multimillion-dollar budgets, and teams of 20 or more. These experiences give me the skills to amplify research, stories, and solutions that center workers’ voices and imagine a different kind of economy—one where work enriches people instead of extracting from them.

I currently serve as a Commissioner on the Colorado Employee Ownership Commission, appointed by Governor Jared Polis, and recently completed a qualitative research study examining the impacts of different forms of shared ownership on workers. These experiences have reinforced what I’ve long believed: people want work that matters, and businesses, and the economy, can be structured to serve communities, not just profit margins.

At Well Economy Lab, we explore, test, and share practical ways to create workplaces and economic systems that actually work for people. We don’t claim to have all the answers, but by learning and experimenting together, we aim to help build the economy of the future: one that’s fair, just, and regenerative.

Collaborators

  • Gary Community Ventures

  • Start.Coop

  • Media Economies Design Lab