EI’s relationship with Mondragon is rooted in shared concerns for the trend of extreme economic inequality and lack of democratic and cooperative structures and practices. 

In June 2019, a summit jointly organized at Mondragon’s headquarters was attended by EI, local partners in East Pasco, and colleagues from Norway. As a result, LKS, Mondragon’s consultancy division, came to East Pasco, Florida and conducted a thorough assessment of the potential to develop cooperative enterprises. Sectors and activities were identified based on growth potential and contribution to equitable economic systems. 

In June 2020, a virtual workshop was held to discuss further collaboration with aim to build a social solidarity economy in Pasco County, Florida, with a focus on cooperative development, and to continue the renewal of cooperative identity and culture in Mondragon cooperatives, with a focus on the evaluation of Lanki’s cooperative enterprise education and training initiatives. 

In April 2021, the Evolution Institute started to assist HUHEZI, the Faculty of Humanities and Education Sciences at Mondragon University, and Lanki, Mondragon’s Institute of Cooperative Research, in the development and implementation of research designs to conduct a rigorous evaluation of their Cooperative Leaders Development Program.