These are the questions people actually asked after reviewing the site. If yours is not here, ask it on the contact page.
Dues are being set by TWBB leadership and will appear on the tier comparison as soon as they are final. Nothing is being hidden here, the number does not exist yet, and this site will not pretend otherwise.
It depends on the tier. Governing Members carry fiduciary responsibility, attend governance meetings, and are expected to vote. Service Members are expected to use the services, pay on time, and stay in good standing. Approved Service Providers agree to vetting, service standards, and the referral structure.
From your first form submission, a member contacts you within five business days. Vetting timelines depend on how quickly you can produce licensing and insurance documentation, and the full schedule is being finalized alongside dues.
Yes. Withdrawal terms, notice period, and what happens to any patronage balance are set out in the membership agreement, and you will see that agreement before you sign anything.
Yes, and honestly the model matters most at that size. A solo operator cannot justify a full-time estimator or a compliance manager, which is exactly the gap shared services close.
The cooperative is open across the building trades, including general contracting, electrical, plumbing, HVAC, carpentry, masonry and concrete, roofing, and solar. The founding membership is still forming, so the trade mix will be published as it fills in.
The mission is focused on building generational wealth in BIPOC communities, and that focus is not decorative. Membership is open to construction professionals who meet the standards and share the values, and the work of the cooperative is directed at that mission.
Yes, through two other paths. Professional service providers can join as Approved Service Providers, and funders, sponsors, and allies can participate as Capital and Support Participants.
You land on a short form, about three minutes. You get a confirmation email, then a TWBB member calls you within five business days to walk you through the cooperative and figure out which tier fits. There is no obligation, and if TWBB is not right for your business the team will say so.
No. Trade associations charge dues for networking and a directory listing. TWBB provides operational infrastructure that reduces what a member spends and increases what they can take on.
The members. Governing Members hold voting rights and fiduciary responsibility, and the founding Leadership Circle is made up of construction, accounting, and development professionals working in Chicago.
Approved providers serve member clients through the cooperative's referral structure, and soliciting those clients outside that structure is grounds for removal from the provider directory.
Preview note: this is the proposed rule and is pending confirmation by TWBB leadership.
Builders Avenue incubates and supports TWBB. It is a cooperative of shared business services that builds capacity for entrepreneurs and trade professionals, and TWBB is a separate cooperative with its own members and governance.
Chicago and surrounding communities at launch. That boundary is deliberate, because shared crews, shared procurement, and in-person governance all work better inside one metro.
The cooperative model scales, and expansion is a decision for the membership once Chicago is running well. There is no announced timeline.