A 25th Anniversary Interview: Revolution Institute

In this 25th Anniversary Interview, Ali Carella, Ph.D., Senior Consultant with La Piana Consulting, welcomes Fatimeh Pahlavan and G. Sequane Lawrence of Revolution Institute, a Chicago based nonprofit dedicated to driving social and economic outcomes through the incubation of for-profit worker cooperatives in the advanced manufacturing sector. They discuss the organization’s journey from its startup phase to now and how strategic planning played a pivotal role in their progress. Sequane and Fatimeh also share how they approached building an organization in a truly revolutionary way, rethinking traditional structures and making values-based decisions every step of the way.

G. Sequane Lawrence serves as President and CEO of Revolution Institute. His professional legacy is one of building and steering innovative community economic development institutions. Since receiving the Chicago Community Trust Fellowship for Experienced Leaders in 2011, Sequane has helped to usher the following organizations from concept to practice: Fathers Families, and Healthy Communities, Chicago Center for Arts and Technology, African American Leadership and Policy Institute, and Revolution Workshop.

Fatimeh Pahlavan serves as Director of Operations of Revolution Institute. Her work focuses on building inclusive workplaces that prioritize employee voice and participation. Fatimeh frequently writes on the subjects of workforce democracy, employee empowerment, and workplace culture. Prior to joining Revolution Institute, Fatimeh served social impact organizations and cooperatives through her law firm, LITE. She is a full-stack intellectual property attorney with a particular interest in leveraging IP to drive sustainable economic practices.