The Science of Happiness Why Work Feels Better Together
Mar 26, 2026
Nino Serrano and Janabi Pareja, co-founders of Understory, run a worker-owned Oakland restaurant centered on shared leadership and livable wages. Niloufar Khonsari, immigration lawyer and author, builds collective nonprofits and cultures of care. They discuss launching a collective during the pandemic. They explore written values, decentralised decision hubs, mutual support, and why having a voice boosts commitment.
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Understory Born From Pandemic Mutual Aid
- Understory launched as a worker-owned restaurant during the COVID pandemic when founders lost jobs and organized mutual aid.
- The team cooked and distributed food to unhoused people, then used that community work to shape a community-centered restaurant model.
Collective Leadership Boosts Retention And Performance
- Collective leadership increases job satisfaction, retention, and performance by sharing power and valuing each person's expertise.
- Understory prioritizes worker agency and puts 50% of its budget into labor, paying livable wages and benefits even if others call it radical.
Write Clear Values And Define What They Mean
- Name and define shared values in writing so everyone knows what they mean in practice.
- At Understory this meant explicit commitments to livable pay, a pay-what-you-can community program, and resisting gentrification in a migrant working-class neighborhood.
