Democracy at Work Conference 2025 by Frappe

Reimagining the workplace for the new generation

Do you want to create an engaged workplace?

Welcome to the first edition of the Democracy at Work Conference. Our aim is to explore how companies can run without hierarchy — where freedom, ownership and dialogue replace control. Join discussions with leaders and teams who are building workplaces rooted in trust, not titles.

The state of workplaces today

Companies are run as military hierarchies, where the bosses have the maximum power to control the team and the members have to more or less follow directions from their managers. Not all hierarchies are equal, and companies allow varying degrees of freedom to their members depending on their culture and DNA and how they were founded.

As a CEO or HR leader, you are always balancing speed with control, autonomy with accountability, freedom with structure.

People are not disengaged because they are lazy. They are disengaged because the system leaves little space for them to think, decide, and lead.

But over time, this system starts to strain. You become the bottleneck for decisions. Managers are overwhelmed with people's issues. Employees want more ownership, but also clearer direction. You try new frameworks, incentives, feedback tools, but the problems keep resurfacing.

Re-imagining the workplace

Democracy is a model that ensures that each individual has equal rights (not privileges). There are two things democratic companies tend to value more than order and meeting goals.

Diversity of opinion

Dialogue over authority

A democratic company is founded on the principle of individual freedom for each member. It assumes that everyone in the company, given the right context, is capable of choosing their own way of contribution, just like the managers.

The freedom given to each member is constrained by the fact that they have to contribute back to the company in return for fair wages. But the freedom to choose how to contribute is at the core of this model of working.

We have been building our companies this way. It is not always easy, and it often looks different in every context. But it works.

Ownership fuels commitment

Teams are more invested when they co-create, not just execute.

Decisions are faster

When authority is distributed, clarity leads to momentum.

Responsibility is chosen not given

People hold themselves accountable,

not rely on management.

Leaders cultivate not control

True stewardship means guiding growth, not issuing commands.

About the Event

This event is a space for CEOs, founders, HR leaders, and team builders who are curious about more democratic ways of working. We aim to bring together companies that believe in this model of working and learn from each other’s experiences. The model will be that each company will share their journey and way of working, challenges and how to overcome them.

Later, we can discuss based on various topics of issues that are common challenges with democratic companies.

How to measure work and ensure fairness?

How to collaborate?

How to strategise and set goals?

What is the role of leadership?

Still unsure? It is already working

You do not have to take our word for it. Here are a few companies that are already building democratic organisations, each in their own way.

These stories are not perfect. But they show that it is possible to build companies differently, without relying on hierarchy as the default.