Everything Co-op with Vernon Oakes

April 13, 2023 Michael Alden Peck, Co-founder/Executive Director of 1worker1vote, and Co-editor of "Humanity@Work&life-Global Diffusion of the Mondragon Cooperative Ecosystem Experience,” and contributing author, Sara Horowitz. Michael and Sara will give an overview of the book, discuss the Build Mutualism and Humanity@Work&life campaigns, and explore next steps on the pathway to the greater common good. Michael Peck serves as executive director and cofounder of 1worker1vote. Emerging from the October 2009 collaboration MOU between the United Steelworkers and Mondragon International, 1worker1vote serves as fiscal sponsor for the 2022-2023 Build Mutualism Campaign. Peck is also co-founder and managing director of a second for-profit start-up, The Virtuous Cycle Collaboratory, a majority-minority worker cooperative and social enterprise (mission: to “flatten unequal socioeconomic curves into shared prosperity virtuous cycles”). Michael is a board member for the American Sustainable Business Network, and was the 2019 recipient of ASBC’s Sustainable Leaders Award. At ASBN, Michael focuses on three campaigns: “Ownership4All”; “Own The Metrics” - Alternative ESG Human & Social Capital Assets with UNRISD + SEE and Rebuild Social Economy Ukraine through the SEE/ASBN Sustainability Collaboration Partnership announced in December 2020. Sara Horowitz, is one of the 36 contributors of Humanity@Work&life, and author of Mutualism: Building the Next Economy from the Ground Up. She co-founded the Freelancers Union and Freelancers Insurance Company; and was formerly chair of the board of the Federal Reserve Bank of New York. Horowitz is a recipient of the MacArthur Fellowship, and she has been featured on NPR, and in The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, and the Atlantic, among other publications. Sara prides herself as being a lifelong mutualist. In her book "Mutualism: Building the Next Economy from the Ground Up," Sara takes a profound look at the crisis of work and the collapse of the safety net, and gives a vision for a better way forward, rooted in America’s cooperative spirit. She brings us a solution to the current crisis of work that’s rooted in the best of American traditions, which she calls mutualism. “Humanity@Work&life - Global Diffusion of the Mondragon Cooperative Ecosystem Experience”, published by Oak Tree Press, frames a collective labor of earned merit, vision and determination by 36 contributors in six countries, three continents, proving how solidarity, innovation, and conviction forge sustaining local and global social economy practice on behalf of the greater common good.

April 20, 2023 Everything Co-op continues its coverage of "Humanity@Work&life-Global Diffusion of the Mondragon Cooperative Ecosystem Experience,” with co-editor Christina Clamp, Director of the Center for Co-operatives & Community Economic Development, and contributing author, Terry Lewis, CFO at the Center for Community Based Enterprise. Christina gives an overview of the book, and Terry discusses her experience of Building Mondragon in Detroit. Christina Clamp is the Director of the Center for Co-operatives and Economic Development, and has over 40 years of teaching experience at Southern New Hampshire University (SNHU), as a professor of Sociology. She is also a consulting researcher on a national study of catalyzing community wealth with the American Sustainable Business Network. Nationally and internationally recognized for her work in the study and promotion of cooperative ownership of businesses, Christina has been actively involved in promoting the study of cooperatives since her dissertation, which was a study of management in the Mondragon cooperatives. She has served as a consultant to various clients including National Cooperative Bank and US Department of Agriculture Rural Development. Her board work includes board chair of LEAF, a CDFI (community development finance institution); the ICA Group and the Fund for Jobs Worth Owning. Terry Lewis is the CFO of the Center for Community-Based Enterprises (C2BE) and Principal of LIA Advisors, LLC, a private consulting firm providing advisory services in community economic development. Formerly, she was Vice President of Cooperative Development for National Cooperative Bank (NCB), where she advised internal NCB teams and NCB customers in multiple lines of business on the structuring and development of cooperative and other community ownership entities. She also served as President and CEO of NCB Community Works, LLC, an affiliated for-profit affordable multi-family housing development organization. In 2011 President Barack Obama appointed Terry to the Board of the Overseas Private Investment Corporation (OPIC), the U.S. government’s development finance institution, where she served until the agency sunset, to be replaced by the U.S. Development Finance Corporation in 2019. At OPIC, she served as a member of the organization’s Audit and Risk Committees. From 1991 to 2014, she was a Director of the Cooperative Development Foundation (CDF), where she served as Treasurer, and 8 years as Chair, managing governance, strategy, and the oversight functions of multiple grant and loan funds. She was inducted into the Cooperative Hall of Fame in 2008. “Humanity@Work&life - Global Diffusion of the Mondragon Cooperative Ecosystem Experience”, published by Oak Tree Press, frames a collective labor of earned merit, vision and determination by 36 contributors in six countries, three continents, proving how solidarity, innovation, and conviction forge sustaining local and global social economy practice on behalf of the greater common good.

November 3, 2022 John Holdsclaw IV, President and CEO of Rochdale Capital, discusses the founding of Rochdale Capital, the influence of Chuck Snyder and the mission and initiatives of Rochdale Capital. John Holdsclaw IV currently serves as president and CEO of Rochdale Capital, a newly formed, national non-profit community development loan fund that provides financing and technical assistance to cooperative enterprises and other community-based organizations. Rochdale Capital will focus on making financial services accessible to under-resourced communities, specifically to women and/or minority-owned small and growing businesses. Mr. Holdsclaw currently serves on the board of directors of Global Communities, Groundswell, Partners for Common Good, and American Bankers Association (ABA) Stonier Graduate School of Banking. In addition, John is the immediate past president of the Community Development Financial Institution Coalition (CDFI Coalition), and immediate past chair of ABA’s Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Advisory Group.

March, 30, 2023 Everything Co-op concludes its Commemoration of Women's History month with Jessica Gordon-Nembhard, Ph.D., Professor at John Jay College, and social justice advocate. Dr. Nembhard discusses Black women's contributions to the co-op movement, and the Cooperative Development Fund's 2023 Unsung Heroes Inductee, Halena Wilson. Author of Collective Courage: A History of African American Cooperative Economic Thought and Practice (2014) and 2016 inductee into the U.S. Cooperative Hall of Fame, Jessica Gordon-Nembhard, Ph.D., is a Professor at John Jay College, City University of NY. She is a political economist specializing in cooperative economics, community economic development, racial wealth inequality, Black Political Economy. She is a member of the Cooperative Economics Council of NCBA/CLUSA; the ICA Committee on Co-operative Research; an affiliate scholar with the Centre for the Study of Co-operatives, University of Saskatchewan; and past board member of Association of Cooperative Educators.

December 1, 2022 Jason Wiener, Principal of Jason Wiener|p.c., and co-founder of the Colorado Cooperative Developers discusses employee ownership in Colorado. Jason is the Principal of a boutique law and business consulting practice and co-founder of “Colorado Cooperative Developers”. Jason's specialty is in cooperative law, shared ownership models, cooperative finance, regenerative capital and financing strategies, sustainable economies law, teal lawyering, virtual outside general counsel, and worker-ownership. Jason has advised on more than a dozen worker-cooperative conversions, several multi-stakeholder ownership conversions, and more than a dozen platform cooperatives. Jason has also advised numerous clients through socially responsible financings, including through membership capital campaigns, private offerings, and qualified intrastate public offerings. Jason holds a B.S. from Cornell University’s School of Industrial and Labor Relations and a J.D. cum laude from Suffolk University Law School, where he received honors with a concentration in international law. Jason has served on the Boards of several worker-owned businesses around the country, including Stocksy United, Equal Exchange and Colorado recovery. Jason’s specialty is in cooperative law, shared ownership models, cooperative finance, regenerative capital and financing strategies, sustainable economies law, teal lawyering, virtual outside general counsel, and worker-ownership. Jason has advised on more than a dozen worker-cooperative conversions, several multi-stakeholder ownership conversions, and more than a dozen platform cooperatives.

March 23. 2023 Everything Co-op closes its commemoration of Women's History Month with an interview of Stacey Sutton Ph.D., Associate Professor at the University of Illinois Chicago. Dr. Sutton and Vernon discuss her new body of cooperative city research, "Real Black Utopias," where she examines the infrastructure and ideology of Black-led cooperatives and solidarity economy ecosystems in multiple cities. Stacey Sutton is an Associate Professor at the University of Illinois Chicago in the Department of Urban Planning and Policy. Dr. Sutton Co-Directs the Solidarity Economy Research, Policy & Law Project and serves as the interim Director of UIC’s Social Justice Initiative. Her research focuses on solidarity economy, prefigurative politics, economic democracy and worker-owned cooperatives, racial equity, and disparate effects of place-based city policies. For the next two years, the Solidarity Economy Research, Policy & Law Project will serve as the ‘hub’ for the City of Chicago’s $15 million dollar Community Wealth Building Initiative that aims to promote the local, democratic, and shared ownership and control of community assets to transform our economy to be more sustainable and just by supporting worker cooperatives, community land trusts, housing cooperatives, and community investment vehicles. Dr. Sutton serves on the Board of the New Economy Coalition, she is a Fellow at the Institute for the Study of Employee Ownership and Profit Sharing, and a Senior Researcher with the Small Business Anti-Displacement Network (SBAN). Dr. Sutton is working on a book project titled, Real Black Utopias, which explores the infrastructures, ideologies, and practices of Black-centered worker cooperatives and solidarity economy ecosystems in numerous US cities. Dr. Sutton received a BA from Loyola University in Baltimore, an MBA from New York University, an MS from the New School for Social Research in New York, and a joint Ph.D. in Urban Planning and Sociology from Rutgers University in New Brunswick, NJ.

March 16, 2023 Everything Co-op continues its commemoration of Women's History Month, with an interview of Deb Trocha, Executive Director at Indiana Cooperative Development Center. Deb and Vernon will discuss the upcoming Housing Co-op Conference, and how the Co-op model can be used to address the current housing crisis. The hybrid conference is Free and will be held March 31, 10:00 am – 3:00 pm. Visit ICDC.coop for more information. Deb Trocha joined the Indiana Cooperative Development Center (ICDC) in 2006 after serving as Executive Director of the Indiana Small Business Development Center. During that time, she has worked with many different types of cooperatives, from food co-ops and food hubs, to housing, artists, agriculture, and early childhood education. She is committed to increasing awareness of cooperatives and is passionate about the cooperative business model’s ability to empower people and their communities. Under her leadership, ICDC promotes cooperatives as a vibrant model to address economic and social needs. ICDC provides start-up, management, and technical assistance to a wide variety of co-ops in agriculture, arts, childcare, education, energy, and housing sectors. ICDC also provides training opportunities designed to bring together groups of people involved in co-op development. The theme for Women's History Month is "Celebrating Women Who Tell Our Stories." This theme recognizes "women, past and present, who have been active in all forms of media and storytelling. The stories of how co-ops have been used to address the current housing crises are powerful stories that will inform and inspire all who listen.

March 9, 2023 Everything Co-op continues its commemoration of Women's History Month, with an interview of Dina Omar, founder of the Palestinian Soap Cooperative. Vernon and Dina discuss the rich history and heritage associated with Nablus soap. Dina is currently completing her doctorate degree at Yale University in Anthropology with a joint certification in Women’s Gender and Sexuality Studies, she completed her undergraduate studies at UC Berkeley where she studied and taught with June Jordan’s Poetry for the People 2006 and 2010. Dina is also an activist/organizer. -She was a founder of National Students for Justice in Palestine and is currently an active member of the Palestinian Feminist Collective. To learn about the history of Nablus or to buy fragrance free pure olive oil soap and other accoutrements you can visit palestiniansoap.coop. The theme for Women's History Month is "Celebrating Women Who Tell Our Stories." This theme recognizes "women, past and present, who have been active in all forms of media and storytelling. The stories behind the soap tradition dating back 4500 years to ancient Iraq, that Nablus soap continues, with the journey of how the Palestinian Soap Cooperative became, are powerful stories that will teach and inspire all who listen.

March 2, 2023 Everything Co-op kicked off its commemoration of Women's History Month with an interview of Andria Barrett, founding member of The Banker Ladies Council. Vernon and Andria discuss the evolution, history and practical use of ROSCAs (Rotating Savings and Credit Associations, and how they can support entrepernuership. Andria Barrett is a founding member of The Banker Ladies Council and is in a Partner Bank. She is a community activist from Canada and the founder of The Diversity Agency. Barrett’s focus is helping women-led entrepreneurs through mutual aid. She serves as a board member to the Culinary Tourism Alliance, HAGO (Help A Girl Out) and is a member of the Congress of Black Women. The Canadian SME named her one of the Most Inspiring Women Entrepreneurs and Business Leaders two years in a row, and she was named the 2022 Rotman Family Entrepreneur of the Year. Andria is being mentored by Dr. Caroline Shenaz Hossein, Canada Research Chair, in Africana Development & Feminist Political Economy and Associate Professor of Global Development and Political Science at the University of Toronto Scarborough. Dr. Hossein coined the concept of Black Social Economy, (see Diverse Solidarity Economies Collective for more info). The theme for Women's History Month is "Celebrating Women Who Tell Our Stories." This theme recognizes "women, past and present, who have been active in all forms of media and storytelling. The stories behind the women who have been helped through the many affiliations of Andria Barrett hopefully will inspire others to do the same.

February 23, 2023 Everything Co-op continues its commemoration of Black History Month with an interview of Attorney Renee C. Hatcher. Vernon and Renee discuss how she has used law as a vehicle of resistance. Renee Hatcher is a solidarity economy lawyer. She is an Assistant Professor of Law and the Director of the Community Enterprise and Solidarity Economy Law Clinic at UIC Law, a legal clinic that provides free legal support to grassroot organizations, cooperatives, and other solidarity economy enterprises. Daughter of the late civil rights activist and first elected Black mayor of a U.S. city, Richard Gordon Hatcher, Renee is committed to advancing the Black Freedom Movement through her work with co-ops and communities. Renee is a member of the leadership team for the Black Abolitionist Solidarity Economy (BASE) Fellowship, and a member of Law for Black Lives Movement Lawyering Squad. Renee also serves as a board member for the New Economy Coalition and the Detroit Justice Center. Prof. Hatcher is the Co-Director of the newly minted Solidarity Economy Law & Policy Initiative at the UIC Center of Urban Economic Development.

January 26, 2023 Floran Syler-Woods, Ph.D, Director of Finance at the Federation of Southern Cooperatives/Land Assistance Fund (Federation), discusses the important role financial systems play in the success of organizations and businesses. She and Vernon also unravel the complexities of understanding the determinants of wealth. In the capacity of Director of Finance Dr. Syler-Woods serves as the direct supervisor of the corporate accounting staff and indirect supervisor of all field accountants at the Federation. Prior to coming to the Federation Dr. Syler-Woods had an illustrious career either as a partner in public accounting firms, or director of finance in several organizations and firms. Since 1967 the Federation has been successfully working to provide Black farmers, landowners, and cooperatives in the Southern region with cooperative development, land retention, and advocacy. The Federation is a member-owned and operated organization born out of the Civil Rights Movement to do the unique work of empowering its membership of Black farmers, landowners, and cooperatives with racial and economic equity.

February 16, 2023 Everything Co-op continues its commemoration of Black History Month with an interview of Pastor Keith Davis, President and CEO of the Camden Dream Center’s Technology Training School in Camden, New Jersey and Julian D. Miller, Esq., founding Executive Director of the Reuben V. Anderson Center for Justice, at Tougaloo College in Mississippi. Vernon and his guests will discuss Black Food Sovereignty. Reverend Keith Davis is a pastor and community leader, technologist, and thought leader in technology and workforce development. He is President and CEO of the Camden Dream Center’s Technology Training School, and co-chair of the National Initiative for Cybersecurity Educations (NICE) working group to promote career discovery and multiple pathways to high-paying cybersecurity jobs. Julian D. Miller, Esq., is the founding Executive Director of the Reuben V. Anderson Center for Justice and the co-founding Director of the Reuben V. Anderson Institute for Social Justice at Tougaloo College in Mississippi, where he also serves as an assistant professor of political science. He is a lawyer and community activist who is committed to economic, social, and racial justice through grassroots-led efforts to shift policy in a direction that uplifts all poor and working people. The 2023 theme for Black History month is Black Resistance. The theme explores how “African Americans have resisted historic and ongoing oppression, in all forms, especially the racial terrorism of lynching, racial profiling, and police killings.” As societal and political forces escalate to limit access to and exercise of the ballot, eliminate the teaching of Black history, and work to push our country back into the 1890s, we can only rely on our capacity to resist.

February 9, 2023 Everything Co-op continues it's celebration of Black History Month with an interview of Jennie L. Stephens Ph.D., CEO at the Center for Heirs' Property Preservation. Vernon and Dr. Stephens discuss how the Center provides legal education and direct legal services to help families obtain clear title to family land and learn how to make the land work for them, instead of working for the land. Dr. Jennie L. Stephens has been the Executive Director of the Center for Heirs’ Property Preservation since its inception in 2005. At the Center, she is responsible for overall strategic planning, revenue generation, financial & staff management, and program operations. Dr. Stephens has dedicated more than 25 years in the non-profit industry and is very passionate about building relationships with people who have experienced a history of abuse when it comes to their land and their rights. Jennie holds a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration from the College of Charleston, a master’s degree in Public Administration from the University of Charleston/University of South Carolina, and a PhD in Organizational Leadership from Regent University. The theme for Black History month 2023 is Black Resistance. The theme explores how “African Americans have resisted historic and ongoing oppression, in all forms, especially the racial terrorism of lynching, racial profiling, and police killings.” As societal and political forces escalate to limit access to and exercise of the ballot, eliminate the teaching of Black history, and work to push us back into the 1890s, we can only rely on our capacity to resist. Asalh (Association for the Study of African American American Life and History), and the organization that provides the Black History month themes, has issued a call to everyone, inside and outside the academy, to study the history of Black Americans’ responses to establish safe spaces, where Black life can be sustained, fortified, and respected.

February 2, 2023 This interview with Rev. Dr. Reginald Flynn, founder and President of North Flint Reinvestment Corporation, (NFRC) is the first installment of Everything Co-op's commemoration of Black History Month. The theme for Black History month 2023 is Black Resistance. The theme explores how “African Americans have resisted historic and ongoing oppression, in all forms, especially the racial terrorism of lynching, racial profiling, and police killings.” Given the tumultuous times we are living in, our team felt that it would be soothing to begin our celebration of Black History Month with a spiritual leader, who preaches, promotes and practices the Nguzo Saba Kwanzaa principles Ujamaa, cooperative economics and Kujichagulia, self-determination. Rev. Dr. Flynn shares how he has used a (w)holistic approach to community economic development, and self-empowerment. Rev. Dr. Flynn is known as a visionary leader who is a vocal advocate for spiritual renewal, economic self-sufficiency, and political empowerment. He authored his first book in 2010, “So You Think Your Church Isn’t Big Enough,” a resource guide for pastors and small congregations interested in launching community economic development ministries in distressed neighborhoods. He has committed his professional and Spiritual career to rebuilding and transforming lives and communities. In 2009, the North Flint Reinvestment Corporation was established by Dr. Flynn, former senior pastor of Foss Avenue Baptist Church, as a community catalyst to improve the quality of life among low-income families residing in north Flint. By implementing a (w)holistic, place-based, neighborhood revitalization strategy, NFRC sought to dismantle intergenerational poverty through the establishment of high-quality early childhood and elementary education initiatives, economic development enterprises, and financial literacy and wealth building programs. The corporation is comprised of a grass-roots network of public and private sector partners committed to rebuilding and revitalizing economically distressed neighborhoods in North Flint.

January 19, 2023 Steve Dubb, Senior Editor of Economic Justice at NPQ. Steve and Vernon will discuss the upcoming webinar "Remaking the Economy: Black Food Sovereignty, Community Stories" (nonprofitquarterly.org) focusing on the interconnections between food sovereignty, racial and economic justice, and community building, and other initiatives of NPQ. Steve and Vernon discuss Black food sovereignty, the Tulsa Massacre, and the webinar series and other programming provided by NPQ. Steve Dubb is senior editor of economic justice at NPQ, where he writes articles, and moderates Remaking the Economy webinars, and works to cultivate voices from the field, and help them reach a broader audience. Prior to coming to NPQ in 2017, Steve worked with cooperatives and nonprofits for over two decades, including twelve years at The Democracy Collaborative and three years as executive director of NASCO (North American Students of Cooperation). In his work, Steve has authored, co-authored, and edited numerous reports; participated in and facilitated learning cohorts; designed community building strategies; and helped build the field of community wealth building. Steve is the lead author of Building Wealth: The Asset-Based Approach to Solving Social and Economic Problems (Aspen 2005) and coauthor (with Rita Hodges) of The Road Half Traveled: University Engagement at a Crossroads, published by MSU Press in 2012. In 2016, Steve curated and authored Conversations on Community Wealth Building, a collection of interviews of community builders that Steve had conducted over the previous decade.

November 22, 2022 Vernon Oakes, host of Everything Co-op, shares information on the definition of a cooperatives, and the fundamentals of marketing. Vernon Oakes, is a consummate advocate for cooperatives. He is a Past President of the National Association of Housing Cooperatives, and he's served on several boards and committees to advance the interests of cooperatives. Recently, he served on the Limited Equity Cooperative Task Force, established by Anita Bonds, At-Large Member of the Council of the District of Columbia. Vernon is an MBA graduate of Stanford University, who has used his business acumen to benefit the community, by promoting the added value of the cooperative business model.

December 15, 2022 RL Condra and Vernon discuss how the Mid-term Election results might impact the cooperative landscape, and the importance of advocacy and how he became involved in the cooperative movement. As Senior VP of Government Affairs RL Condra is responsible for advocating for issues that directly impact NCB’s cooperative customer segments. Since joining NCB, he has advocated for cooperatives to have access to SBA lending programs, risk retention changes for cooperative housing, and the RCDG program for cooperative development centers. Mr. Condra serves as the advocacy chair for Cooperation Works, a national network of organizations and individuals working on co-op development and on the Inter-agency working group for cooperatives. In addition, he serves as Vice-Chair on the Consumer Federation of America Board of Directors, and is on the board of the Food Co-op Initiative. Prior to joining NCB, Mr. Condra was Vice President of Advocacy for the NCBA CLUSA and spent several years on Capitol Hill as a staff member on the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Forestry and Nutrition and as Director of Congressional Affairs for the Delta Regional Authority. Mr. Condra earned a Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Arkansas.

September 22, 2022 John Zippert, former Director of Program Operations for the Federation of Southern Cooperatives/Land Assistance Fund discusses his career in advocacy from a student working with CORE and SNCC to his work with the Federation of Southern Cooperatives. John Zippert served as the Director of Program Operations for the Federation of Southern Cooperatives/Land Assistance Fund at their Rural Training and Research Center in Epes, Alabama, for 49 years from 1971-2018. He retired in December 2018 but continues to volunteer and serve as Program Director Emeritus for the Federation. Zippert has also worked with the Federation on the development of affordable housing for low-income people in Alabama, including development, loan packaging and construction of over 250 units of single-family housing, self-help housing and four rural multi-family projects with 126 units. John has over 50 years’ experience in community organizing, cooperative and credit union development, community based economic development and rural development in distressed communities. He serves on the boards of many national, regional, state, and local organizations to support rural development activities. Zippert has a BA degree in history from the City College of New York; and has participated in numerous training sessions and courses to enhance his skills in rural development. He and his wife Carol are co-publishers of the Greene County Democrat, the weekly newspaper distributed in their home rural community. The Zipperts were inducted into the National Cooperative Hall of Fame in 2017.

September 29, 2022 Everything Co-op continues its recognition of the 2022 Cooperative Hall of Fame Inductees. Vernon interviews Jessica Gordon-Nembhard, Ph.D., Professor at John Jay College, and Ajowa Nzinga Ifateyo, Co Editor at Grassroots Economic Organizing. Both are also economic social justice advocates. Vernon and his guests will discuss the Unsung Cooperative Hero Award, and its first recipient Ella Jo Baker. Author of Collective Courage: A History of African American Cooperative Economic Thought and Practice (2014), and 2016 inductee into the U.S. Cooperative Hall of Fame, Jessica Gordon-Nembhard, Ph.D., is a Professor at John Jay College, City University of NY. She is a political economist specializing in cooperative economics, community economic development, racial wealth inequality, Black Political Economy. She is a member of the Cooperative Economics Council of NCBA/CLUSA; the ICA Committee on Co-operative Research; an affiliate scholar with the Centre for the Study of Co-operatives, University of Saskatchewan; and past board member of Association of Cooperative Educators. Ajowa Nzinga Ifateyo is passionate about cooperatives as a community economic development tool and lifestyle strategy. She has an MBA and a Masters in Community Economic Development, and also earned a degree in Mass Media Arts from the University of the District of Columbia. She is a co-founder of the Ella Jo Baker Intentional Community Cooperative, an affordable housing cooperative in Washington, DC, and was a founding board member of the U.S. Federation of Worker Cooperatives. Ajowa has a wide range of experiences on various boards and is a long-time member of the Eastern Conference for Workplace Democracy. She also has a passion for working around internalized superiority/inferiority issues, and the role of love and spirituality in changing the world.

September 15, 2022 Sarah Kaplan is a Partner at Cutting Edge Counsel, a California-based firm that specializes in open public capital-raising strategies that allow community members to participate in supporting local businesses. During her interview, she shares examples of how Cutting Edge Counsel has provided legal services that has impacted and empowered social enterprises. Sarah is a corporate and securities lawyer working to support economic community empowerment. Sarah has ten years of experience serving a wide range of cooperatives, including worker, consumer, agricultural, platform, investment, and multi-stakeholder cooperatives, including limited cooperative associations. Sarah’s experience includes structuring new legal entities, advising on private and public capital-raise campaigns, structuring community investment funds, and co-op conversion transactions. Sarah has been part of the Fellows program at the Sustainable Economies Law Center since 2013. She graduated magna cum laude from Chicago-Kent College of Law and has an A.B. in Ecology from Princeton University. Cutting Edge Counsel provides a full range of legal services exclusively to social enterprises. From formation through financing to ongoing operations and succession planning. Cutting Edge works with clients in every phase of business development and specializes in innovative capital raise structuring and design. Implementing sustainable business practices in every possible way, helps Cutting Edge and its clients, become driving forces toward a more democratic economy.

August 25, 2022 Everything Co-op continues its recognition of the 2022 Cooperative Hall of Fame Inductees with Dan Waddle, Senior VP of NRECA International. Dan discusses his Career in Cooperatives and shares the history of NRECA's electrification efforts in Rural areas throughout the world. For more than 40 years, Dan Waddle’s professional focus and personal passion has been to support rural communities to improve living conditions and stimulate income growth by supporting community-owned, affordable, and sustainable energy solutions. Understanding the power of the cooperative business model in developing countries, Dan has drawn on his academic background and experience to evaluate the viability of rural utilities, to contribute to design of infrastructure, and to train community members to form and operate cooperative electric utilities. These rural enterprises are designed to provide power for irrigation, dairy and grain processing, water supply, as well as health, education, and public security. In his present role as Senior VP of NRECA International, he not only leads NRECA contributions to global electrification expansion, but continues to lead projects in Latin America, Africa, and Asia with his trusted colleagues. Dan joined NRECA International in 1991 after completing the design of a new electrification program for NRECA in Bolivia, where he led a team of NRECA electrification specialists. The experience of working with the cooperative leaders in Bolivia was eye-opening; seeing the unique role that cooperatives can play with local agricultural and commercial enterprises, the collaboration with health and educational institutions, and the dedication to improving the quality of life of members brought a realization of how cooperatives are uniquely positioned to serve communities like no other business model. In the intervening years, Dan has led many electrification projects and programs all of which have focused on building improved energy services to support quality of life and income generation in rural communities. Under Dan’s leadership, NRECA International has implemented successful, sustainable, scalable rural electrification programs that improve education, health care, safety, and economic opportunities in communities across the world. These cooperative ventures provide electric power to support agriculture, small and medium community enterprises, improved lighting and telecommunications for schools and health facilities, and for other public facilities including security lighting in village streets and common areas. Working with collaborating partners at federal, state and local levels in multiple countries that include Bangladesh, the Philippines, Costa Rica, Bolivia, Afghanistan, Uganda, Yemen, South Sudan, Colombia, and many others, Dan and his colleagues have steadfastly focused on the needs of beneficiary communities by introducing the benefits and fruits of the cooperative model as a means of organizing and sustaining electric service to support community growth and well-being. Dan’s effective leadership comes from a commitment to listening to consumers, understanding local economic conditions and “building human capacity.” By focusing on supporting local community self-determination and trusting in the capacity of each community to understand its needs, Dan has focused his knowledge and skills to support poverty reduction through creation of vibrant and sustaining power solutions to meet all energy needs of client communities.

September 8, 2022 Our host, Vernon Oakes interviews Malik Kenyatta Yakini, Director of the Detroit Black Community Food Security Network (DBCFSN), and Trevor Claiborn, Sr. Co-founder of Black Soil: Our Better Nature. Vernon and his guests discuss the food sovereignty movement, and how cooperative food alliances, and the focus on Ag marketing and food distribution has impacted communities of color. Malik Kenyatta Yakini is an activist and educator who is committed to freedom and justice for African people in particular, and humanity in general. Yakini is a co-founder and the Executive Director of the Detroit Black Community Food Security Network, which operates a seven-acre farm in Detroit and spearheaded efforts to establish the Detroit Food Policy Council. He served as a member of the Michigan Food Policy Council from 2008 - 2010. From 2011 - 2013 he served on the steering committee of Uprooting Racism Planting Justice. He is a co-founder and on the leadership team of the National Black Food and Justice Alliance. Malik has an intense interest in contributing to the development of an international food sovereignty movement that embraces Black farmers in the Americas, the Caribbean and Africa. He views the "good food revolution" as part of the larger movement for freedom, justice and equality. To that end, he has sought opportunities to educate the public. Trevor Claiborn, Co-Founder of Black Soil: Our Better Nature, is an author, musician, environmental educator, co-operative extension professional, youth program director, and public speaker. In 2017 Trevor and Ashley C. Smith co-founded Black Soil: Our Better Nature, to help reconnect Black Kentuckians to their heritage and legacy in agriculture. Black Soil fosters the next generation of Kentucky Black farmers and chefs and leads efforts to address racialized disparities and barriers. Mr. Claiborn has received awards from the Central Kentucky Diversity Consortium, by the Kentucky Association of Environmental Educators (KAEE). In August, Trevor Claiborn Sr. and Ashley C. Smith received the Grassroots Black Leadership Award from The Lexington Black Prosperity Initiative.

September 1, 2022 Everything Co-op posthumously honors Allan D. Gallant, leader in food cooperatives, and 2022 Cooperative Hall of Fame Inductee. Alan’s Son, Sam Gallant, and Stuart Reid, Executive Director of Food Cooperative Initiative, pay tribute to Mr. Gallant, recall major milestones in his life, and discuss how he influenced initiatives that addressed food insecurities in the World. Allan Gallant, former Blooming Prairie Foundation and Food Co-op Initiative Board Member was a galvanizing leader in food cooperatives for more than 40 years. Allan served as CEO of the Alaska Commercial Company, secured the future of the Food Co-op Initiative, fought for equitable economic opportunities, and was a leader whose impact continues after his passing. Deeply influenced by the civil rights movement and the riots after the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., Allan merged ethical business strategies with community development at the Ford Foundation and launched the National Council for Equal Business Opportunities. He later created the Responsive Management Group to work with organizations and cooperatives in the food industry. Allan became a powerhouse in organic food distribution and mentored young people passionate about agriculture and food co-ops. It was through his work with Puget Consumer Cooperative, now PCC Community Markets, that Allan got involved with the Blooming Prairie Warehouse in Iowa City, IA and its subsequent sale that provided $3 million to establish the Blooming Prairie Foundation for cooperative development. With Allan’s help and guidance as an influential member of the Food Co-op 500 Task Force, the Blooming Prairie Foundation became a primary funder of the Food Co-op Initiative (FCI), where Allan served as founding director. Since FCI began its work in 2006, over 150 new food cooperatives have opened their doors, contributing over $180 million annually to the economy and supporting more than 1,600 jobs. In 2019, Allan was awarded the Consumer Cooperative Management Association’s Cooperative Service Award. This award is given in recognition of dedicated leadership and exemplary service to a cooperative or cooperatives. Allan, who passed away at age 87 on July 24, 2021, will always be remembered for his commitment to food cooperatives and the communities they serve.

July 21, 2022 Vernon Oakes, host of Everything Co-op, and producer, Pat Thornton, will discuss what You need to know about the 2022 elections, and the importance of the Midterm Gubernatorial Elections. "The 2022 United States Gubernatorial Elections will be held on Tuesday, November 8, 2022. During this midterm election year, all 435 seats in the House of Representatives and 35 of the 100 seats in the Senate will be contested. Thirty-nine state and territorial gubernatorial and numerous other state and local elections will also be contested. This will be the first election affected by the redistricting that will follow the 2020 census." (Wikipedia). Vernon and Pat will share information that will empower you to make informed decisions at the ballot box. Our host, Vernon Oakes, is a consummate advocate for cooperatives. He is a Past President of the National Association of Housing Cooperatives and has served on several boards and committees to advance the interests of cooperatives. Vernon served on the Limited Equity Cooperative Task Force, established by Anita Bonds, At-Large Member of the Council of the District of Columbia. Today, Council member Anita Bonds includes co-ops as a part of her platform. Vernon is an MBA graduate of Stanford University, who has used his business acumen to benefit the community, by promoting the added value of the cooperative business model. Pat Thornton prides herself as an emotionally intelligent leader, who is dedicated to using her time and talents to provide support to entities that seek to make this Country a more egalitarian place for its citizenry. She is strategic thinker with a proven record of success in developing integrated marketing strategies and brand identity solutions in multiple market segments. She is also an economic strategist, with extensive experience in business development, non-profit management, community engagement, and establishing public-private-partnerships between the private sector, local and jurisdictional representatives. Pat hosts her own radio show, The Thornton Business Hour, that focuses on information she feels is important for people to know, and is the producer of Everything Co-op.

August 18, 2022 Laura Vogel, Senior Advisor for NRECA Political Affairs discusses Co-ops Vote, and National Voter Registration Day. Laura Vogel is the Senior Advisor for NRECA Political Affairs. As a member of the Political Affairs team, she is responsible for developing programs to encourage Co-op member and staff engagement in political issues that matter to the Co-op family and is the program manager for their voter initiative, Co-ops Vote. She is involved in NRECA’s political training programs, serving as an instructor for the Grassroots Course for co-op Directors. Laura also provides strategic input for NRECA’s annual Youth Tour program. Laura has a master’s degree in Political Management from George Washington University, a bachelor’s degree in History from Miami University in Oxford, Ohio, and a Certificate in PAC and Grassroots Management from the Public Affairs Council. Visit vote.coop to access information about voting in your jurisdiction, candidates who are running for office, or for links to register to vote, and much, much, more.

July 28, 2022 Everything Co-op continues its recognition of the 2022 Cooperative Hall of Fame Inductees with Margaret Lund, Margaret is a community development specialist, who was instrumental in establishing the Unsung Cooperative Hero Award with a team of co-op leaders. Margaret shares the evolution of the Award, and gives an introduction to its first recipient, Ms. Ella Jo Baker. Margaret Lund is an independent consultant specializing in the areas of community development, finance and shared ownership strategies. Throughout her career, Margaret has worked across cooperative sectors including credit unions, consumer co-ops, housing co-ops, worker co-ops, healthcare and sustainable food systems. Before launching her consulting practice in 2008, Margaret spent 16 years as a small business lender to cooperatives. Lund is a past member of the boards of the U.S. National Cooperative Business Association, and Health Partners, the largest consumer-governed healthcare organization in the United States. Past awards include the Howard Bowers Cooperative Service Award from the Consumer Cooperative Managers Association, and the 2014 John Logue Award for “acting as a catalyst for innovation and change” from the Association of Cooperative Educators.

August 11, 2022 Everything Co-op continues its recognition of the 2022 Cooperative Hall of Fame Inductees, with Gary Oakland, former Executive Director of BECU. Vernon and Gary discuss his 32-year career at BECU, and how he helped grow BECU to become the 4th largest Credit Union in the Country. After earning a degree in economics from Washington State University in 1975, Gary started his cooperative journey as a teller at Seattle Telco Federal Credit Union. He went on to work for BECU in 1980 where he began his 32-year tenure, first as Director of Finance and then as CEO in 1986. When he took over BECU, it had around $700 million in assets. Gary helped grow Washington-based BECU to the 4th largest credit union in the country, with 700,000 members and $10 billion in assets when he retired as CEO in 2012. While Gary led BECU to unprecedented growth, it was his commitment to improving the financial lives of members and serving the needs of other cooperatives and communities, that make him a true cooperator. He helped found two low-income-designated credit unions to help ensure people in those communities had access to safe and affordable financial services. He located the funds to keep more than a dozen low-income credit unions afloat during times of hardship and created a credit union service organization that provides mortgage solutions to approximately 600 credit unions. Gary’s commitment to financial education, and education in general, was not limited to BECU’s membership. Gary raised the first $500,000 to fund the PBS syndicated show Biz Kid$ and encouraged a coalition of credit unions to bring $2.6 million to support the program. This Emmy Award-winning television program, and now popular website, teaches financial literacy and entrepreneurship to middle school and high school aged children. The impact of Gary’s work is felt well beyond BECU and its members and communities. A dedicated and loyal credit union leader, his generosity and selflessness were recognized when he was awarded the Herb Wegner Award for Lifetime Achievement in 2013. Gary Oakland’s legacy will inevitably be his unwavering commitment to member service.

August 8, 2022: Esteban Kelly, Executive Director of the US Federation of Worker Cooperatives discusses the upcoming National Worker Co-op Conference, Worker Cooperative State of the Sector Report, and recently passed legislation. Esteban Kelly is the Executive Director at the US Federation of Worker Cooperatives. He is also an important leader and creative force in solidarity economy and co-op movements. He has served on numerous boards including the USFWC, the US Solidarity Economy Network, the National Cooperative Business Association (NCBA-CLUSA), and the Cooperative Development Foundation (CDF). He is a co-founder of the cross-sector Philadelphia Area Cooperative Alliance (PACA), and recently worked at the New Economy Coalition as Development Director and then Staff Director. Esteban is a mayoral appointee to the Philadelphia Food Policy Advisory Council, following eight years as a worker-owner at Mariposa Food Co-op institutionalizing its staff collective and expanding food access in West Philly. The United States Federation of Worker Cooperatives (USFWC) is the national grassroots membership organization for worker cooperatives. USFWC's mission is to build a thriving cooperative movement of stable, empowering jobs through worker-ownership. USFWC advances worker-owned, -managed, and -governed workplaces through cooperative education, advocacy and development.

July 14, 2022 Everything Co-op kicks-off its recognition of the 2022 Cooperative Hall of Fame Inductees with Paul Hazen, executive director of the Overseas Cooperative Development Council (OCDC). Vernon and Paul discuss his experiences in the cooperative movement throughout his career, and the role he feels cooperatives have played in helping cities to rebound from the economic collapses of the past. Paul Hazen became executive director of the Overseas Cooperative Development Council in February 2012. Throughout his career, Hazen has championed the U.S. cooperative system. He has helped establish federal legislation promoting rural co-op development, formed a national network of co-op development centers and initiated national research into the impact of co-ops on the U.S. economy. Prior to joining OCDC, Hazen was CEO of the Washington, D.C.-based National Cooperative Business Association, (NCBA). Under Hazen's leadership, NCBA's cooperative development portfolio grew from $8 million to over $30 million annually. During his 25-year tenure with the organization, he held key positions, including chief operating officer, vice president of public policy, vice president of member services and director of consumer cooperatives. Active in cooperative matters at many levels, Hazen is the one of the founders of Dot Coop, the top-level domain for cooperatives around the world. He also shares his cooperative expertise and leadership as a member of various boards, including Rochdale Capital Corporation, and the Community Purchasing Alliance Cooperative. Past board service includes the International Co-operative Alliance, the National Cooperative Bank, Capital Impact Partners, Consumer Federation of America, Cooperative Development Foundation and Cooperative Business International.

June 30, 2022 Chris Tilly, Professor of Urban Planning and Sociology at UCLA, with several of his graduate students: Geoff Gusoff, Eliza Jane Franklin, and Ernest Johnson, discuss their Co-op Community Development Capstone Project, in Crenshaw, South Central, LA. Chris Tilly holds a joint Ph.D. in Economics and Urban Studies and Planning from MIT. For over thirty years, Tilly has conducted research on bad jobs and how to make them better. His current research includes ongoing examination of how implementation of digital technologies is transforming US retail jobs, as well as separate research on informal worker organizing around the world. Prior to becoming an academic, he spent seven years doing labor and community organizing. His books include Half a Job: Bad and Good Part‑Time Jobs in a Changing Labor Market, Stories Employers Tell: Race, Skills, and Hiring in America, The Gloves-Off Economy: Labor Standards at the Bottom of America’s Labor Market, and Are Bad Jobs Inevitable? Geoff Gusoff is a family medicine physician and public health fellow with the National Clinician Scholars Program at UCLA. His public health work focuses on the health impacts of community ownership models including worker-owned cooperatives and community land trusts. He has worked with solidarity economy projects in Peru and El Salvador and helped develop a worker-owned construction cooperative with day laborers in Philadelphia. Eliza Jane Franklin is a UCLA Urban and Regional Planning graduate student. She created her own independent area of concentration called Critical Race Studies, Digital Mapping, and Heritage Conservation. As a system impacted person and descendant of a lynching victim, Eliza remains engaged in the fight against mass incarceration and racialized gendered violence through multiple mapping projects. She promotes liberation for marginalized communities worldwide who occupy rural and urban spaces through a Black Girl Cartography (Butler, 2018) lens. Her published works include A Planning Mixtape: Black Healing (Matters), Housing, and the Prison Nation and a podcast episode Sankofa: Black Healing Matters. More of her work can be found at the website elizajanefranklin.com Ernest Johnson is also a graduate student at UCLA in Urban and Regional Planning. In partnership with Cooperation LA, Earnest researched, “How to Start a Worker Co-Op in LA” 2021. As a part of his research, he developed a land use analysis to describe the opportunities for potential restaurants within the city of Los Angeles. The team conducted a case assessment of local restaurant owners to forecast the potential conflicts an aspiring group may face. Once collected, in conjunction with the resources provided by Los Angeles City Planning and the Department of Bureau and Street and Services a toolkit was created. The goal of the deliverable was to present a conclusive examination of the zoning where restaurants could be applicable and the complimentary facets of permitting, fees, parking, and community cohesiveness. It is hoped that the tool kit will be a catalyst for more equitable representation within the food sector in Los Angeles.

On June 23, 2022, Vernon interviewed Emily Nail, Executive Director for the Cooperative Council of North Carolina (CCNC), along with two returning students: MaKayla Chaplin and Kylie Chandler, and one new student, Hampton Scott. Vernon and his guests discuss the Cooperative Camp experience, and how it can be used for the overall development of its participants. As Executive Director for the CCNC, Emily administers executive planning, administration, communications, education and marketing. Since assuming the position in 2015 she has worked to enhance the programs membership and get the cooperative movement networking. Emily also directs the Cooperative Leadership Camp for the summer program and training for the Cooperative Dynamics Workshop, both hosted by CCNC. Prior to her appointment at CCNC Emily served as training coordinator for High Plains Federal Credit Union and was a branch Vice President for American Chartered Bank. The Cooperative Leadership Camp is a week-long camp that allows teens to form a worker/owner cooperative, and work together to solve business challenges as they develop leadership and team-building skills. This year the camp had 78 students registered, which is the largest enrollment since its inception. The CCNC’s mission is to Educate, Promote and Connect Cooperatives across the state. Visit https://www.ccnc.coop/ to learn more about how this mission is being fulfilled!

On June 9, Zen Trenholm, Director of Employee Ownership Cities and Policy at Democracy At Work Institute (DAWI), discusses the metrics of using employee ownership to build equitable economies though employee ownership. Zen Trenholm builds capacity, partnerships, and resources to scale democratic employee ownership across the country. He currently leads the Shared Equity in Economic Development Fellowship program (SEED), where he convenes and equips city and community leaders with tools and support to build equitable economies using employee ownership. Prior to DAWI, Zen was an organizer for fossil fuel divestment, a director at the California Student Sustainability Coalition, and a co-founder of the Student Environmental Resource Center at UC Berkeley. Zen has a Bachelor’s degree in Conservation and Resource Studies, with a special focus on Cooperative Business Development.

Ted Rau, Co-founder of Sociocracy For All, and John McNamara, Ph.D., Sr Cooperative Development Specialist at Northwest Cooperative Development Center NCDC, discuss the Sociocracy in Cooperatives Conference, being held on June 23rd. Ted Rau is an Operational leader at SoFA. Ted spends most of his time training and consulting in sociocracy and leading SoFA as an organization. Ted is co-author of the sociocracy handbook Many Voices, One Song. He enjoys writing articles, and teaching meeting facilitation. People and their universal need to connect and move things are at the center of his attention. He pays attention to the co-housing movement, transgender rights, and non-violent communication. Sociocracy for All envisions a world in which people engage together to meet their individual and collective needs in an equitable way, with respect for all living beings. SoFA's mission, is to promote sociocracy locally and globally as a sustainable way of governance. This is done by: generating communities of practice and innovating, making decisions together, sharing what we learn, and inspiring each other through accessible and transferable materials, training, and resources.

6.2.2022 Gina Schaefer is founder and CEO of A Few Cool Hardware Stores appeared on Everything Co-op June 2, 2022. Gina shared the strategy of how she and her husband Mark, have used their hardware stores to build and serve communities throughout the Washington Metropolitan Area. Gina Schaefer is founder and CEO of A Few Cool Hardware Stores. Gina's big passion is for developing urban markets, supporting small businesses and helping women to succeed in all aspects of the hardware industry. A self-proclaimed "localist", Gina has tirelessly focused on the "Return to Main Street" movement in the District of Columbia, to promote Shop Local campaigns and community revitalization in urban areas. She and her husband are members of the Ace Hardware Cooperative, and they own and operate 13 hardware stores in DC, Baltimore, Alexandria, VA and Montgomery County. Gina has received numerous accolades for her many accomplishments, including recipient of the Women Who Mean Business award from the Washington Business Journal of 2009, recognized as an industry Top Gun in 2011 by the National Retail Hardware Association, honored by Profiles in Diversity Journal as one of its Women Worth Watching in 2013 and recognized by Hardware and Building Supply Dealer as one of 14 of the 2016 "People of the Year." She also serves on the Corporate Board of CCA Global and the nonprofit board of The Institute for Local Self-Reliance. When her busy schedule allows, Gina likes to relax by making greeting cards (she's a big believer in the power of the written note), kayaking, taking spin classes, traveling, reading and, of course, mentoring other small business owners.

Ajoke Williams, is a Program Manager for Guilded, a Freelance Co-op. She and Vernon discuss how Guilded leverages the power of pooled benefits, collective purchasing, and collective advocacy; to build agency, decision-making and economic power of freelance and gig economy workers. Guilded, is an initiative of the US Federation of Worker Cooperatives. Ajoke joins the Federation's team that provides tech development, fundraising, communications, project management, and consulting for artist and activist organizations. Originally from New Orleans, she has lived in several cities throughout the US and now resides in Silver Spring, Maryland. Although relatively new to the cooperative scene, she has been working on a means to bring equitable financing and access to capital to cooperative businesses throughout the Washington DC, Maryland, and Virginia area, or DMV. Previously, Ajoke worked with the DC Stakeholders Coop Association where she helped design and establish an online asset base to enhance cooperation within their network. She also established a digital online platform for lending pools between members of the Movement for Black Lives DC coalition and provided logistical and development support for a number of BLM campaigns during her time there. Ajoke is passionate about bridging the promise of cooperative business with the urgent social needs of black and brown people. As an aspiring credit union founder, she currently serves on the board of Appeal's Credit Union, and is a founder of Social Conscience PBC, a lending and tech consulting firm. Guilded, is a freelancer cooperative that focuses on the agency, decision making and economic power of the freelancer. Its vision is deeply informed by the work of the United States Federation of Worker Cooperatives (USFWC). Since 2004, the USFWC has leveraged the collective bargaining, scale, and organizing power of a national membership structure to pool benefits and build political and social influence for its members. Now, through Guilded, the USFWC is using its expertise to bring the power of pooled benefits, collective purchasing, and collective advocacy to freelance and gig economy workers. Guilded provides contract management, invoicing, guaranteed payments, tax preparation and access to supplementary health care - so that its members can focus on their businesses, instead of the process for doing business.

May 19, 2022 Marjaana Saarikoski, Director, Cooperative Affairs at SOK Corporation discusses her extensive experience with cooperatives, and how the country of Finland is impacted by having more than 90% of its households as members of cooperatives. Marjanna Saarikoski has spent a major part of her career with consumer cooperative S Group. Since 1983 she has held various leadership positions in sales, marketing, chain/concept management and its membership & loyalty program of 2,5 million co-op members (80% of the Finnish households). Since 2015 Ms. Saarikoski has been representing S Group in the national and global cooperative movement. Since 2017 she has been a committed member at the Board of the ICA. In addition, since 2020 she has held the office of President of the Euro Coop, a European sectoral organization of the consumer cooperatives. Ms. Saarikoski has extensive education and training. She holds a Master of Science in Economics and Business Administration from The University of Tampere; has participated in leadership and strategy studies in Templeton College, Oxford in Helsinki School of Economics and Business Administration where she acquired a Diplomas from the Leadership and Strategy Program AaltoJOKO, and Marketing for Professionals.

May 12, 2022 Vernon interviews Pamela Madzima, Alabama State Coordinator for the Federation of Southern Cooperatives/LAF. Ms. Madzima discusses the Alabama Cooperative Ecosystem, and her experiences at the Federation of Southern Cooperatives/LAF. Based at the Rural Training and Research Center in Epes, Alabama, Pamela Madzima has worked with the Federation of Southern Cooperatives/Land Assistance Fund for 18 years providing technical assistance and support to member-cooperatives of the Federation of Southern Cooperatives Land Assistance Fund, and the Alabama State Association of Cooperatives. Ms. Madzima’s primary responsibilities have included directing and coordinating outreach, and technical assistance programs to member cooperatives, and to small, limited resource landowners that are interested in forming agricultural/marketing cooperatives; and assisting cooperatives with: organizing and becoming incorporated; developing by-laws that are consistent with cooperative principles; exploring marketing outlets for value-added products; resource development; and facilitating education and training plans to assist cooperative leaders and members to function as a cooperatives. Pamela has served on various committees and led community development projects, including the Federation/LAF’s Rural Development Americorps VISTA program, which placed 15 volunteers with local cooperatives in Alabama, Georgia and Mississippi. Ms. Madzima has also served as a member of the Board of Directors and Loan Committees of Shared Capital Cooperative and the Southern Reparations Loan Fund; and as a community associate with the Black Belt Community Foundation. In 2019, Pamela was promoted to her current position as the Alabama State Coordinator with the Federation/LAF.

On May 5, 2022, Vernon interviewed Stuart Reid, Executive Director of the Food Co-op Initiative (FCI). Vernon and Stuart discussed his experiences and accomplishments at FCI, along with his projections and initiatives for the future. Stuart Reid began his career in grocery as a carry-out and stock clerk for the Windom, Minnesota Hy-Vee store back in 1972, never believing for a minute that he would still be working in the grocery business 40+ years later. He probably wouldn’t if he hadn’t discovered food co-ops in Minneapolis when he moved there for college. Since then he has volunteered, co-managed, managed, and served on the boards of many food co-ops, worked for the co-op-owned DANCe warehouse, and helped open the Just Food Co-op in Northfield as their first general manager. Ultimately, Stuart became the first Executive Director of the Food Co-op Initiative. The Food Co-op Initiative is fast approaching a major transition as Stuart announced that he is retiring this year. Founded in 2005 as an experiment in improving the startup path for new food co-ops, FCI incorporated in 2010. Twelve years later, Stuart’s retirement comes at an exciting time for FCI. New inquiries from communities interested in starting food co-ops are coming in at a record pace with growing numbers in smaller rural and metropolitan communities of color—both areas neglected by mainstream grocers and suffering food insecurity. Right now, FCI is working with 93 communities that have active startup efforts, and have additional inquiries from 84 groups considering moving forward. FCI’s support is helping improve both economic and social welfare where it is needed most. In recognition of Stuart’s contributions to the success of and furthering the mission of FCI, the “FCI Cooperative Futures Fund” was launched in May. The fund was launched to ensure that FCI can continue its successful work supporting the creation of new food co-ops across the country, and to ensure that it has the resources needed for the tasks ahead. FCI relies entirely on grants and donations to support its mission, and to provide services to startup organizers and development colleagues for free. This endowment will help bridge the gap in years where other grants and gifts fall short, and will enable FCI to continue to accomplish its mission of helping communities take control of their own future by building food co-ops. Visit https://fci.coop/futures to contribute to the fund.

Ann Fedorchak and Mary Alex Blanton, of National Cooperative Bank (NCB); and Alison Powers, of Capital Impact Partners discuss the history, purpose and impact of the Cooperative Innovation Award. National Cooperative Bank in partnership with Capital Impact Partners, launched the 2022 Co-op Innovation Award to empower organizations to increase economic opportunity for the communities they serve, and advance cooperative development in communities of color and/or historically disinvested communities. Priority will be given to food, worker, and housing co-ops, but all sectors are invited to apply. Interested parties may visit Capital Impact Partners website https://bit.ly/3iR4CYk to access the application and register for an informational webinar on April 27th. Organizations must submit letters of intent by May 3rd, to apply for a grant award of up to $50,000. Ann Fedorchak is a Senior Vice President at National Cooperative Bank. She directs NCB’s cooperative and community development initiatives and strategy; and leads the Specialty Finance line of business, covering a range of mission-focused sectors including healthcare, affordable housing, not for profit organizations and Community Development Financial Institutions. Mary Alex Blanton is Senior Vice President, Director of Strategic Marketing for National Cooperative Bank. In this role, she manages NCB’s marketing, advertising, corporate communications, public relations, and brand for the bank. Alison Powers is the Director of Economic Opportunities at Capital Impact Partners. Alison works to amplify the potential of the co-op model for all people through technical assistance, grant funding, and financing for capital projects. National Cooperative Bank's mission is to support and be an advocate for America’s cooperatives and their members, especially in low-income communities, by providing innovative financial and related services. Capital Impact Partners is a national Community Development Financial Institution that invests capital and commitment to help people build communities of opportunity that break barriers to success.

Professor Stacey Sutton discusses the Ideology of Black-led Cooperatives and the Solidarity Economy Ecosystem. The discussion focused on discussion will focus on Sutton’s research study "Real Black Utopias," a cooperative city research study, where she examines the infrastructure and ideology of Black-led cooperatives and solidarity economy ecosystem in multiple cities. Stacey Sutton partners with grassroots and community organizations committed to racial and economic justice, equitable development, anti-displacement, participatory democracy, and cooperative economics. Her scholarship and teaching are in community economic development, with a central focus on racial and economic justice; economic democracy and worker-owned cooperatives; movement building and the solidarity economy; gentrification and dispossession; neighborhood small business dynamics; and disparate effects of punitive policy. Sutton has led APA award-winning student projects for the Plan Making Studio and co-developed feasibility studies for community partners in her Solidarity Economy course. She served as the principal investigator of a Mellon Foundation Sawyer Seminar (entitled Urban Edges – Dreams, Divisions, and Infrastructures: Comparative Cross-Disciplinary Dialogues about 21st Century American Cities) that brought together leaders within and beyond the academy to advance visions of more just and equitable cities. Sutton has supported the work of numerous community organizations in Chicago and was appointed to the Community Wealth Building Working Group, Office of Equity and Racial Justice in the City of Chicago’s Office of the Mayor. Sutton received a BA from Loyola University in Baltimore, an MBA from New York University, an MS from the New School for Social Research in New York, and a joint Ph.D. in Urban Planning and Sociology from Rutgers University in New Brunswick, NJ.

John Holdsclaw IV, President and CEO of Rochdale Capital, a new loan development fund that aims to support community-based organizations and co-ops, discusses the launch of Rochdale Capital, and the Importance of Community Loan Programs. John Holdsclaw IV recently launched Rochdale Capital. The recently formed loan fund was formed to advance the development of community ownership and asset building in rural and urban distressed communities. "We look forward to working with National Cooperative Bank (NCB), and other Community Development Financial Institutions (CDFIs) across the country on achieving this mission,” stated John Holdsclaw IV. Prior to Rochdale Capital, John served as Executive Vice President of Strategic Initiatives at NCB. In addition, John worked as director of policy and development at Capital Impact Partners, a national certified CDFI, where he developed and implemented the organization’s public policy strategy. John worked at the National Head Start Association, the only national organization dedicated solely to the Head Start program and community as grassroots coordinator and associate director of its government affairs division. Mr. Holdsclaw currently serves on the board of trustees of Global Communities, board of directors of Groundswell, Partner for Common Good (CDFI), and American Bankers Association (ABA) Stonier Graduate School of Banking. Most recently, John was appointed to the Cooperative Development Foundation's Board of Directors. Rochdale Capital is a national non-profit community development loan fund that will provide financing and technical assistance to cooperative enterprises and other community-based organizations. The organization hopes to be certified as a CDFI by the US Treasury later this year, thus joining the more than 1,200 private-sector organizations across the country that attract capital from private and public sources. National Cooperative Bank (NCB) serves as the founding strategic partner of Rochdale Capital. NCB’s mission is to support and be an advocate for America’s cooperatives and their members, especially in low-income communities, by providing innovative financial and related services.

Ron Hantz, Executive Director of Network for Developing Conscious Communities, and educator/author Dr. Ann Gessler give an overview of the upcoming Black Cooperative Agenda National Conference, and New Orleans' cooperative development. Ron Hantz has been instrumental in advocating a new community development paradigm based on “conscious community development” He is a former Adjunct Professor, in the Africana Studies Department, at the University Maryland Baltimore County, and founded the Network for Developing Conscious Communities (NDCC) in 2014. He now leads the organization’s efforts on advocacy and building a sustainable ecosystem for Black governed community development organizations. Under his leadership, NDCC has emerged as a grass roots voice on promoting the use of principle-based practices to regenerate under-resourced Black communities. Dr. Anne Gessler is a clinical associate professor in the First Year Seminar and Humanities programs at the University of Houston-Clear Lake. She is the Mieszkuc Memorial Professor in Women's and Gender Studies for 2021-2022. Dr. Gessler will discuss her upcoming luncheon address, “Cooperating in the Crescent City: Lessons Learned from New Orleans’s Intergenerational Black Cooperative Movement,” at the Black Cooperative Agenda National Conference. Based on her book, Cooperatives in New Orleans: Collective Action and Urban Development, where Dr. Gessler traces how New Orleans community cooperatives contribute to a social history of grassroots social justice mobilization in the South. She examines how the long civil rights movement shaped current New Orleans cooperatives. Exploring the work of Black hospital administrator Albert Dent, who worked with multiracial New Deal southern liberals to establish a cooperative public health plan for Black Louisianans. The Network for Developing Conscious Communities was founded 2014 as a 501 © (3) non-profit community development membership organization. Through implementing principles of conscious community development, the organization seeks to build economically cooperative and equitable communities through transparency, inclusiveness and collectivism. NDCC successfully works to improve financial sustainability, encourage business ownership and increase residential real estate ownership in Black neighborhoods.

Jessica Gordon-Nembhard, Ph.D., Professor at John Jay College, and economic social justice advocate discusses her research on Black women in the U.S. co-op movement, and the Cooperative Development Fund's "Unsung Heroes Project" Author of Collective Courage: A History of African American Cooperative Economic Thought and Practice (2014) & 2016 inductee into the U.S. Cooperative Hall of Fame, Jessica Gordon-Nembhard, Ph.D., is a Professor at John Jay College, City University of NY. She is a political economist specializing in cooperative economics, community economic development, racial wealth inequality, Black Political Economy. She is a member of the Cooperative Economics Council of NCBA/CLUSA; the ICA Committee on Co-operative Research; an affiliate scholar with the Centre for the Study of Co-operatives, University of Saskatchewan; and past board member of Association of Cooperative Educators.

Everything Co-op kikced off its recognition of Women's History Month, with a focus on this year's theme of "Women Providing Healing, Promoting Hope." In our first installment, Vernon interviews Melbah McAfee Smith, retired Executive Director of the Mississippi Center for Cooperative Development, and a 2009 inductee into the Cooperative Hall of Fame. Vernon and Ms. McAfee Smith discussed her experiences working with cooperatives to address issues experienced by the communities she worked in. They also discussed her hopes to pass on her family's legacy of farming to the next Generation of she and her brother's Grandchildren. Melbah McAfee Smith worked for nearly 40 years as a trusted co-op developer in some of the most impoverished areas of the country. She started her career with the Federation of Southern Cooperatives, returning to her home state to lead the Mississippi Association of Cooperatives and the Mississippi Cooperative Development Center. Her visionary leadership and hands-on, grassroots approach to building communities have helped bring health care, economic development, and social justice to people in need through the cooperative model.

February 24, 2022 Everything Co-op closes out its recognition of Black History Month, with a webinar, focused on this year's theme of "Black Health and Wealth." The featured guest for the inaugural webinar were Thomas and Anita Roberson, owners of Botanical Bites and Provisions, LLC. Vernon and the Robersons discuss the role their plants, vegetables, and farm products play in the "Health and Wealth" of their patrons. Thomas and Anita Roberson are passionate fourth generation farmers who operate Botanical Bites and Provisions, LLC, a veteran-owned and operated farm established in 2013. On their farm they grow a diverse assortment of fresh farm-grown produce. Their commitment to agriculture arises from their passion for healthy living by growing with no pesticides, preservatives or herbicides. which has earned them the distinction as being a Certified Naturally Grown (CNG) enterprise. On their 10-acre farm all products are mostly hand-raised or handcrafted and naturally grown in three high tunnels, several rotating fields, or generated from their small apiary. In addition to fresh produce, Botanical Bites and Provisions offers spectacular cut flowers, honey, and value-added cosmetics from their farm, and honey and propolis from their hives. Their on-farm market accepts SNAP, and they are always welcoming new customers and friends. The Robersons are members of the Virginia Beginning Farmers and Ranchers Coalition, Virginia Farm Bureau, the Minority and Veteran Farmers of the Piedmont, and the Federation of Southern Cooperatives. Anita also serves on Virginia State University's (VSU) Small Farm Outreach Program Advisory Committee, and the Board of Directors for the Virginia Foundation for Agriculture Innovation and Rural Sustainability (VAFAIRS). They both serve as mentors for new and beginning farmers for the VSU Small Farm Outreach Program

Black History Month, 2-10-2021 Everything Co-op continues its recognition of Black History Month, focusing on this year’s theme of Black Health and Wellness, with Dãnia Davy, Director of Land Retention & Advocacy at the Federation of Southern Cooperatives. Vernon and Dãnia focus on farming, and the critical role that the Federation of Southern Cooperatives has played in helping Black farmers recover from the losses experienced as a result of the COVID-19 Pandemic. Dãnia serves as Director of Land Retention and Advocacy at the Federation of Southern Cooperatives/Land Assistance Fund. The Federation is the largest and oldest cooperatively-owned organization whose membership includes black farmers, landowners and cooperatives. Dãnia began her legal career as a Skadden Fellow at the North Carolina Association of Black Lawyers Land Loss Prevention Project implementing a project she designed which provided community education and estate planning services to improve Black farmers' access to legal services in the rural South. She developed the documentary - "Our Land, Our Lives: The North Carolina Black Farmers' Experience" and served on the inaugural North Carolina Sustainable Local Food Advisory Council.

Emory Shaw Campbell, author, historian, and CEO of the Cultural Heritage Consulting, discusses the importance of preserving cultural heritage. Campbell formerly served as the Director of the Penn Center on St. Helena Island from 1980 - 2002. The historic Penn Center, which opened in the 1800s to educate freed slaves was previously used as a training center and meeting place for civil rights leaders. Today it serves as a center to preserve the history and heritage of the Sea Island and Gullah culture. When Penn School first opened in 1862, it was an experimental program to educate Sea Island slaves freed at the beginning of the Civil War. Over the years, it served many functions within the community. The school’s mission was to teach freed slaves trades and how to read in an effort to help them transition into an economically stable lifestyle. By the 1900s, the Penn Center had adopted Booker T. Washington’s model of industrial training, and in the early stages of the Civil Rights Movement in the 1960’s the center was often used as a meeting place and training center by Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and the Southern Christian Leadership Conference. During his tenure at the Penn Center, Campbell spearheaded efforts to create a family connection between the Gullah people and the people of Sierra Leone in West Africa. In 1988, he hosted Sierra Leone President Joseph Momoh at the Penn Center for the Gullah reunion and became an Honorary Paramount Chief in 1989, when he led the historic Gullah Reunion to Sierra Leone. In Campbell’s career as Executive Director of the Penn Center he helped preserve the former school, restoring 15 of 21 buildings on campus. He also reorganized the board of trustees, developed programs for small farmland use planning, and organized the Penn Center Heritage Days Festival, one of the premier celebrations of Gullah culture in the nation. He retired from the Penn Center in 2002 and became Executive Director Emeritus of Penn Center. Immediately following his retirement, he wrote Gullah Cultural Legacies, which was first published in 2002. Mr. Campbell heads up Gullah Heritage Consulting Service and operates Gullah Heritage Trail Tours with his family. In 2008 Mr. Campbell was elected Chairman of the Gullah-Geechee Cultural Heritage Corridor Commission, an organization empowered by the U.S. Congress to develop a program to commemorate Gullah culture in the low country region from Wilmington, North Carolina to Jacksonville, Florida. For Campbell, the dedication to preserving Gullah culture has been a labor of love and a cause that he hopes will continue to resonate with future generations.

January 27, 2022 Co-op advocate and Author Clifford N. Rosenthal discusses the role CDFIs play in the development of co-ops, and his book "Democratizing Finance: Origins of the Community Development Financial Institutions Movement." Clifford N. Rosenthal is a nationally and internationally recognized innovator, advocate, and developer of programs to provide financial access for low-income and underserved people. He joined the National Federation of Community Development Credit Unions in 1980 and served as its president and CEO for more than thirty years. He also co-founded the national Coalition of CDFIs, and served in its leadership for two decades. Throughout his career Clifford has developed food cooperatives for Native American and migrant farmworker organizations, and written manuals, monographs and articles on community development finance, credit unions, and savings to preserve the knowledge he attained. In 2018 he released Democratizing Finance: Origins of the Community Development Financial Institutions Movement. He has received the highest honors of the National Credit Union Foundation and the Opportunity Finance Network, as well as the Lawyers Alliance of New York City and the Insight Center for Community Economic Development. The Clifford N. Rosenthal Community Center in the St. Claude community of the Upper Ninth Ward of New Orleans honors his assistance in helping the ASI Federal Credit Union recover from Hurricane Katrina. He was inducted into the African American Credit Union Hall of Fame in 2019, the first non-African American so honored.

Researchers Dr. Prieto and Dr. Phipps discuss their book "African American Management History: Insights on Gaining a Cooperative Advantage," and the African philosophy that was the primary inspiration for the book. Dr. Prieto and Dr. Phipps are highly acclaimed researchers and educators, who are members of the Thinkers50 (i.e., The Oscars of Management Thinking) Radar Class of 2021. Their work has been published in a number of outlets including the Journal of Business Ethics, Academy of Management Learning & Education, Harvard Business Review, MIT Sloan Management Review, and the Journal of Management History. They have been recognized by the Academy of Management for publishing “ground-breaking African-American Management History research,” and have also written a book entitled "African American Management History: Insights on Gaining a Cooperative Advantage." Leon C. Prieto, PhD is the Director of the Center for Social Innovation & Sustainable Entrepreneurship, and Associate Professor of Management at Clayton State University. He also serves as an Associate Research Fellow at the University of Cambridge Judge Business School's Centre for Social Innovation. His research lies at the intersection of Management History, Business Ethics, Sustainable Entrepreneurship & Social Innovation. Simone T. A. Phipps, PhD, is an Associate Professor of Management in the School of Business at Middle Georgia State University (USA), and an Associate Research Fellow at the University of Cambridge Judge Business School's Centre for Social Innovation (UK). Her research interests include Management History, Entrepreneurship, Leadership, Social Innovation, Social Sustainability, and relationships between the organization and society. Her research usually involves the exploration of gender, racial, and ethnic minorities, with the aim of highlighting their struggles and contributions, as well as finding possible solutions to improve the minority experience in business and society.

January 13, 2022 David Hincapie, Economic Development Specialist with SBA, discusses, his observations regarding the experiences of co-op businesses with PPP and COVID disaster loans, and the basics of SBA lending programs. Since the COVID-19 pandemic began, the US Small Business Administration has offered lending programs designed to help businesses maintain their workforce and provide gap funding for losses experienced as result of the pandemic. David Hincapie has worked closely with Washington Area organizations and businesses to ensure that local businesses are aware of the nuances involved with the lending programs. Currently, SBA is not accepting new applications for COVID-19 relief loans or grants, but it continues to offer PPP loan forgiveness and EIDL increases. Fortunately, due to lobbying efforts of NCBA/CLUSA and other organizations, cooperative businesses were eligible to apply for the loans associated with the pandemic. As cooperative businesses chart their way through the SBA lending process it's important to share information regarding their experiences, and best practices. During this interview David shares his insights and lessons learned regarding the lending experiences of cooperatives. He also encouraged them to take advantage of the services offered through SBA's resource partners. Small Business Development Centers; Womens Business Centers; Veterans Business Outreach Centers; and SCORE Mentors. To learn more Visit SBA.gov