The MAV Future of Local Government National Conference
“… your presentation received the highest level of positive feedback of any speaker at the event. Certainly a ‘wow’ for all concerned. We would love to work with you in the future”
John Hennessy, Municipal Association of Victoria
How might bHive work in with local government? What is the future of local economic development? Smart Cities or Sharing Cities? How should local government position itself in the fast approaching digital economy?
Meet Nicole, a bHive user
How does bHive work for a member? The first in a short series of videos that describe bHive.
A World First
bHive is a world first, place based sharing economy cooperative, receiving global interest through the ‘Platform Cooperative’ network. bHive is featured in this infographic. bHive featured at the third Platform Cooperatives conference in New York in November 2017.
Why Now and Why Bendigo?
In 2013, the sharing economy globally was worth $13b, and by 2025 Forbes expects it to be worth $335b. That might be an underestimation. Uber and Airbnb are currently worth $90b and $75b as they spread through capital cities around the world. We believe that we have a three year window to establish an alternative here before these global platforms arrive in Bendigo by force. bHive will help Bendigo develop as a digital innovation hub. We can shape this economy locally, or have it happen to us.
In direct contrast to the Ubers and Airbnbs of the world who destroy local jobs, create precarious work and take profits and tax overseas, bHive is being built in Bendigo from the ground up. Bendigo people will build, operate and own the platform that will build over time to provides skill sharing, car sharing, lifts, food sharing, logistics, house sharing, crowdfunding, insurance and lots more.
Here is our EO and cofounder Ian McBurney on why bHive at our first public event in 2016:
bHive Cooperative CoFounders and Directors
- Julie Miller Markoff – Governance Guru
- Ian McBurney – Cooperative Secretary
- Marcus Turnbull – Technology
- Clare Fountain – Business Development
More about the Founders here.
$2.5b is spent in Bendigo annually and most of that leaves town. bHive is about keeping that money flowing here.
In ten years, with 20,000 members, bHive turnover will pass $10m/year, with an additional $2.5m/year raised for charity and $34m/year being generated by our member sharing services, creating local work, local income and local profit for thousands of local people. bHive is the future of work.
Open Source Future
The plan is that bHive starts in Bendigo and spreads to other places, but given the right support it could easily start in other places first. The future economy is decentralised and bHive will be as well. We plan to help other towns build their own coop to run their own bHives.