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by Mechanism
What if communities were at the center of local making and manufacturing in the U.S.? This inspiring podcast shows what that looks like through interviews with people building production ecosystems where benefits flow to workers, neighbors, and places. Their stories and expertise remind us that values like equity, humility, care, and shared stewardship are the building blocks of healthy local economies.
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- May 7, 202645 min
Pulling the Threads Together
In the season finale of the Mechanism Podcast, Vincent Sagisi and Andrew Dahlgren of Mechanism reflect on the biggest themes from their conversations across the textile and soft goods industry this past season.From lifelong learning and worker voice to degrowth and solidarity, they revisit the ideas that challenged business as usual and pointed toward more human-centered systems. It’s a thoughtful, hopeful wrap-up that reminds us: treating people with respect isn’t radical — it’s foundational.To learn more about the guests featured on this episode, visit:Mechanism (mechanism.community) The Industrial Commons (www.theindustrialcommons.org)Custom Collaborative (customcollaborative.org)Industrial Sewing and Innovation Center (ISAIC) (isaic.org)Garment Worker Center (garmentworkercenter.org)
- Apr 30, 202654 min
The Ideal Future
In this episode of the Mechanism Podcast, Vincent Sagisi is joined by Nayantara Banerjee, Workforce Development Manager at the Garment Worker Center, to dream big about the future of fashion—and spotlight the real-world models bringing those dreams closer to reality.From her early work with Indigenous weavers in Peru to launching worker-led sewing programs in Los Angeles, Nayantara reflects on skill-building as a pathway to dignity, ownership, and power. The conversation explores cooperative economics, degrowth, land stewardship, and the launch of LA Fashion Renaissance (Renacimiento LA), a worker-owned staffing co-op designed to connect skilled garment workers with ethical manufacturers. It’s a hopeful, grounded look at what a truly people-centered apparel industry could become—and the collective work required to build it.To learn more about the guests featured on this episode, visit:Mechanism (mechanism.community) Garment Worker Center (garmentworkercenter.org)Democracy at Work Institute (DAWI) (institute.coop)Sustainable Economies Law Center (https://www.theselc.org/)Renacimiento De La Moda LA (https://www.renacimientolacoop.com/)Everyday Utopia (https://www.simonandschuster.com/books/Everyday-Utopia/Kristen-R-Ghodsee/9781982190217)Prefigurative Politics (https://www.politybooks.com/bookdetail?book_slug=prefigurative-politics-building-tomorrow-today--9781509535903)
- Apr 23, 202642 min
Ownership and Authority
In this episode of the Mechanism Podcast, Vincent Sagisi is joined by Jen Guarino, president and CEO of Industrial Sewing and Innovation Center (ISAIC), to explore ownership, authority, and worker voice in textile manufacturing. From co-ops and ESOPs to ISAIC’s Employee Business Unit (EBU) model, Jen breaks down how factories can share profit, decision-making, and power—without sacrificing performance.Through real worker stories and examples from groups like the Democracy at Work Institute, the conversation highlights what it takes to build democratic workplaces that are both equitable and economically sustainable. The big takeaway: when workers understand the business, help shape decisions, and share in the upside, factories become stronger, more resilient, and more human.To learn more about the guests featured on this episode, visit:Mechanism (mechanism.community) Industrial Sewing and Innovation Center (ISAIC) (isaic.org)Democracy at Work Institute (DAWI) (institute.coop)
- Apr 17, 202645 min
The People Who Power the System
In this episode of the Mechanism Podcast, Vincent Sagisi is joined by Ngozi Okaro, founder and CEO of Custom Collaborative, to explore the people powering fashion manufacturing. Together, they unpack barriers to entry in the fashion industry, the realities of factory work, and the need for living wages, flexibility, childcare, and true investment in worker potential.Featuring powerful clips from garment workers and advocates, the conversation highlights both the harms of piece-rate systems and the joy, pride, and entrepreneurship that emerge when workers are supported. From cooperative ownership and micro-enterprise to sustainable design, visible mending, and policy efforts, this episode asks what it would take to raise the floor for everyone in fashion—and build an industry rooted in dignity, equity, and opportunity.To learn more about the guests featured on this episode, visit:Mechanism (mechanism.community) Custom Collaborative (customcollaborative.org)
- Apr 9, 202659 min
The System of Production
In this episode of the Mechanism Podcast, host Vincent Sagisi is joined by Molly Hemstreet, co-founder of The Industrial Commons, to explore what factory structures look like today—and what they could become. From worker-owned cut-and-sew facilities to home-based stitchers and small-batch nonprofit production models, the conversation redefines “the factory” as an ecosystem shaped by people, infrastructure, and collaboration.Together, they examine worker voice, ownership models, automation, space, and the future of textile innovation—from regenerative fibers to circular supply chains. It’s a hopeful, big-picture look at how manufacturing can be rebuilt to prioritize dignity, shared prosperity, and community resilience.To learn more about the guests featured on this episode, visit:Mechanism (mechanism.community) The Industrial Commons (www.theindustrialcommons.org)
- Apr 2, 202644 min
What is Worker Voice?
In the premiere episode of the Mechanism Podcast’s third season, host Vincent Sagisi is joined by longtime manufacturing leader and educator Deborah Vandermar and Mechanism’s Associate Program Director Andrew Dahlgren to explore a foundational question: What is worker voice—and why does it matter now?Building on Season one’s exploration of people-centered domestic manufacturing ecosystems, this season takes an in-depth look at power, agency, and dignity inside flexible product fabrication—from apparel and automotive interiors to medical supplies and beyond.To learn more about the guests featured on this episode, visit:Mechanism (mechanism.community) https://www.linkedin.com/in/deborahvandermarhttps://www.bloomsbury.com/us/beyond-design-9781501366642/
- Mar 5, 202643 min
Bonus Episode: The Makerspace Experiences
In this bonus episode of the Making Space season, join hosts Andrew Dahlgren of Mechanism and guest co-host Dr. Ron C. Williams of Coppin State University as they explore the makerspace experience through the voices of the people who use them every day. Art Close of The Forge in Greensboro, NC and multimedia artist Pamela Giaroli of LaunchSpace in Orange, MA share how access to shared tools, mentorship, and cross-disciplinary learning shape their creative journeys.To learn more about the guests featured in the episode, visit:Mechanism (mechanism.community) The Forge (forgegreensboro.org)LaunchSpace (launchspace-orange.com) Pamela Giaroli (handygirlproduction.com)
- Feb 19, 202637 min
Makerspaces as Community & Economic Development
Join hosts Laura Masulis and Andrew Dahlgren of Mechanism as they explore how makerspaces can serve as powerful engines for economic and community development. In this episode, guests Dr. Stephanie Santoso, Co-Founder and President of MakerUSA, and Secretary Jake Day, Secretary of Housing and Community Development for the State of Maryland, share why makerspaces matter—not just as creative hubs, but as essential infrastructure for inclusive innovation, workforce development, and entrepreneurship. Drawing on national and state-level experience, they discuss what it takes to secure public investment, how makerspaces can better communicate impact to policymakers, and what leaders should look for when supporting these spaces. To learn more about the guests featured in this episode, visit:Mechanism (mechanism.community) MakerUSA (https://www.makerusa.org/)Maryland Department of Housing and Community Development (https://dhcd.maryland.gov/pages/default.aspx)
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About The Mechanism Podcast
What if communities were at the center of local making and manufacturing in the U.S.? This inspiring podcast shows what that looks like through interviews with people building production ecosystems where benefits flow to workers, neighbors, and places. Their stories and expertise remind us that values like equity, humility, care, and shared stewardship are the building blocks of healthy local economies.
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