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Changelog

Subvert's Changelog is a living record of key official events and decisions that shape the cooperative. From policy changes and legal milestones to new hires and funding developments, this log serves as an open ledger of all official actions taken by the co-op. By publishing this record, we aim to keep members and supporters informed of our progress and to foster an environment of transparency, accountability, and shared governance.

On September 3rd, our Board convened and elected officers.

Secretary: Hannah Lee Benson (Artist-Member)

Treasurer: Izzy Ocampo (Artist-Member)

Board Chair: Freya Yamamoto (Label-Member)

Additionally, Director Austin Robey's (NYC) salary was approved by the board at $140k/year, which will be revisited in June to coincide with our Annual General Meeting. This compensation reflects several key considerations: the high cost of living for our NYC-based team, Austin's full year of unpaid labor building Subvert, and our goal to eventually pay above-market rates for all workers (especially important given that we don't offer traditional equity-based incentives like venture-funded startups). All votes were unanimous.

(Board minutes on the members forum)

Our newly elected Board has approved a platform revenue model: Optional Contributions instead of artist and label platform fees. Supporters can optionally contribute at checkout, allowing artists and labels to keep everything they earn.

NOTE: For artists and labels who previously purchased Platform Fee Vouchers, we'll be contacting you about refunds, as these are no longer applicable.

See proposal here: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1rFWztkIGaJHtsCzBYYtINSWiA2aVxYSzQ1nCBRM0bX4/edit?usp=sharing
View statements from Board Representatives here Statements from Board Members: Voting on Platform Revenue Model

Sean Adams, who has been with the project since its inception, has officially joins the project as our full time engineering lead.

This brings our current team to:

Full Time

Austin Robey (Director) - NYC

Sean Adams (Eng Lead) - NYC

Part Time/ Contract

Props Supply (Design) - NYC

Mitchell Maynard (Growth) - Lisbon

From June 05 - June 19 (2025), we held our first Board election.

The winners:

Hannah Lee Benson - Artist Representative (Bogotá)

Hannah is a musician, producer, and interdisciplinary artist (under the name haana lee). Beyond her artistic practice, she has worked across the music industry in radio, labels, tour management, and recently co-founded an artist-friendly sync agency and management firm called Frutful.

Freya Yamamoto - Label Representative (San Francisco)

Freya is the General Manager of legendary Alternative Tentacles Records and Creative Director for Porcelain Doll Productions, with over 15 years in the music industry helping creatives build businesses around their art. She specializes in working with indie artists, labels, and events to create vibrant communities and sustainable growth strategies.

Nick Austin - Supporter Representative (Toronto)

Nick runs Canada's first and longest-running independent music services company, Indie Pool, offering fair and transparent distribution deals for artists and labels wanting to stay autonomous. He operates without outside funding, keeping systems lean and focused on what artists actually need.

These three individuals will join our board alongside our existing 3 board representatives, bringing our board to 6 members.

We did it. The co-op was able to raise $650,000 to support the development, launch, and growth of the platform. Read more about the funding we took, the funding we didn't accept, and the view the transparent terms - and how investment works within our cooperative structure.

In preparation for fundraising through our corporate entity, Subvert Inc., we have signed a consent for the sale of SAFEs to investors.

Here is the consent document: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1eDMA2AqWFwwpFsMnJxw-lP2YacQjbUKX/view?usp=sharing

Here are the terms: SAFE (Simple Agreement for Future Equity) ↗
No Discount
$9,000,000 post-money valuation cap

Here is the investment side letter: Investment Side Letter (Shared Earnings Agreement) ↗

To learn more about how these documents work, visit this Miro board: https://miro.com/app/board/uXjVINCClaw=/?share_link_id=418482041246

View updated bylaws here: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1nzUhBFeTTd1zPOH-m_A0RntRwEok0LPyDaVcS0qabKM/edit?tab=t.0#bookmark=kix.14yrlp22xuzj

Form of Member Agreements

We completed Member Agreements for each member class.

The Member Agreement is the contract between individual members and the Subvert Co-op that outlines rights, responsibilities, and expectations. Unlike the more static Bylaws, this agreement is more flexible and details day-to-day interactions with the co-op.
When a member joins the co-op, they will click a box (similar to a terms of use checkbox) that says they agree to this.

The agreement is designed to be updated more frequently than the Bylaws, allowing the co-op to adapt to changing circumstances without altering its fundamental structure. These updates can typically be approved by the Board of Directors rather than requiring a full membership vote.

Form of Member Agreement (Artist Member) ↗

Form of Member Agreement (Label Member) ↗

Form of Member Agreement (Supporter Member) ↗

Form of Member Agreement (Worker Member) ↗

View: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1nzUhBFeTTd1zPOH-m_A0RntRwEok0LPyDaVcS0qabKM/edit?tab=t.0#bookmark=kix.ykajpexykfrp

Subvert Incorporated, Public Benefit Corporation formed on 02/13/2025

This entity is wholly owned by Subvert Cooperative LCA.

The public benefit purposes are outlined as (i) to establish artist-controlled platforms and services and (i1) to advance cooperative ownership of creative infrastructure.

View: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1dc5YM4J2zU_D3yW4EC-OC9bLW63bGp4n/view?usp=drive_link

Still a work in progress, with areas of further articulation highlighted

View: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1zbobfJY4a7-dVdrgk6bSJh89AI7BusS9/view?usp=sharing

We released the first draft of Subvert's terms of use, laying a foundation for community discussion on the rights and responsibilities we'll refine with member input.

View: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1r1zspqlfOqibRyyJI1CcdresiVeW1eLL/edit?usp=sharing&ouid=110400190833334786567&rtpof=true&sd=true

AmbitioUS, an initiative of Center For Cultural Innovation, awarded Austin Robey a $20,000 fellowship grant in support of building and incubating Subvert and supporting costs associated with early personal bootstrapping of the project.

View the full agreement: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1vUPXKN7YAnvtczIHAjgbXpeZTozI3RCG/view?usp=drive_lin

Subvert's initial privacy policy draft was shared publicly as a starting point, inviting our community to help shape how we protect and respect user data.

View: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1q5D1BmiAymt4fZuMqDNS0G_IYeCB_5O1/edit?usp=sharing&ouid=110400190833334786567&rtpof=true&sd=true

The founding Board of Directors was appointed through an organizing consent, establishing the initial stewardship group to guide Subvert's development and operations in accordance with our cooperative principles.

The initial Board of Directors includes: Austin Robey, Sean AdamsIzzy Ocampo

Subvert Cooperative LCA officially registered as a legal entity in Colorado, marking the formal beginning of Subvert as a cooperative.

Awarded a $15,000 grant from IDEO's CoLab Ventures to support the research and production of the Plan for the Artist-Owned Internet zine.
View agreement: https://drive.google.com/file/d/108gOAh5gm8TL_FNWF1Wmf6l6YHHN_qNy/view?usp=sharing