Everything Co-op with Vernon Oakes

Dr. John A. McNamara, Senior Cooperative Development Specialist at Northwest Cooperative Development Center, discusses Cooperative development, and Co-op Metrics. John joined NWCDC in the Spring of 2014. Prior to coming to NWCDC John garnered 26 years of practical experience in the worker cooperative world with Union Cab of Madison. John holds a Ph.D. in Business Administration and a Masters in Management: Cooperative and Credit Unions, from Saint Mary’s University (Halifax). As a student researcher, and assisted in the development of the Co-op Index Report, a tool for measuring co-ops against the values and principles of cooperation. John also taught a summer course on worker cooperatives at The Evergreen State College (2014-2018) and at Presidio Graduate School in their Cooperative Management Certificate program. He co-edited a collection of essays on measuring co-operatives available as an e-book at no cost from the Cooperative Difference. John also serves as Chair of the Union-Coops Council of the US Federation of Worker Cooperatives. NWCDC is a not-for-profit, 501(c)(3), organization devoted to assisting new and existing cooperative businesses in every sector with a special emphasis on Resident Owned Communities, home care agencies, and converting existing businesses into worker-owned or community-owned cooperatives.

Ron Hantz, Board President of the Network for Developing Conscious Communities (NDCC discusses place based private capital and philanthropic foundation giving strategies that support BIPOC equitable community development. Hantz has more than 28 years of experience in the development of affordable housing. After careful reflection upon his many years of experience he said, "Our ultimate goal should be to learn how to replicate best practices, how to develop indigenous leadership and how to build collaborative community based partnerships. He further states, "In many urban communities and neighborhoods throughout America, we need to reexamine our approach and strategies to community development." 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.

Barry Silver, President/CEO of Coop Equity, LLC, and Sarah Smith, of the Associated Milk Producers Incorporated (AMPI), discuss the NCB Co-op 100®, a listing of the nation’s top 100 revenue-earning cooperative businesses. Barry has been at the forefront of producing the list since its inception. Sarah grew up on a dairy farm and now she serves as a communications specialist at a dairy farm. Together they discuss the value and benefits of NCB's Co-op 100®. As President and CEO of Coop Equity, LLC Silver provides international financial and cooperative consulting. His consulting work includes involvement in lending, credit, product development and portfolio management; at the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (World Bank), he provides cooperative and finance consulting for a $2 billion project, to include establishment of farm co-ops bringing farm production to market; lastly at the US Agency for International Development (USAID)/ACDI-VOCA) he consults with agricultural, coffee and cacao co-ops on refinement of capital plans and financial restructuring. Recently, National Cooperative Bank, known for providing banking solutions tailored to meet the needs of cooperatives and their members nationwide, released its annual NCB Co-op 100®, listing the nation’s top 100 revenue-earning cooperative businesses. In 2019, these businesses posted revenue totaling approximately $228.2 billion. The NCB Co-op 100® remains the only annual report of its kind to track the profits and successes of cooperative businesses in the United States.

Mo Manklang, Policy Director at the U.S. Federation of Worker Cooperatives discusses findings of the Federation's survey, "Worker Co-ops: Weathering The Storm of COVID-19 and Beyond," and how those those findings will shape the work ahead toward building a stronger economy. As Policy Director, Mo Manklang leads policy efforts at the federal level, works with its membership on state and local initiatives, and heads up health benefits initiatives. She has been convening people in cooperatives and social impact for the past twelve years in a variety of roles, including five years with local news and events group Generocity.org. Mo is a founding board member of the Philadelphia Area Cooperative Alliance, the Media and Marketing Committee of the Kensington Community Food Co-op, the Policy Committee of the Sustainable Business Network. She is also the co-founder and organizer of The Bechdel Test Fest, an annual festival highlighting women and transgender comedians in Philadelphia.

John Holdsclaw IV, Executive VP of Strategic Initiatives at National Cooperative Bank discusses the state of Diversity, Equity & Inclusion in the Cooperative Movement with host Vernon Oakes. During NCBA CLUSA International’s recent IMPACT Conference, Mr. Holdsclaw moderated a session entitled "Cooperatives Can Advance DEI: Lessons, Issues and Ways Forward." John shares strategies panelist shared during the session of the concrete steps needed to advance diversity, equity and inclusion in our cooperative movement. John Holdsclaw is NCB's Executive Vice President of Strategic Initiatives. John is charged with establishing NCB as a thought leader in community development and cooperative expansion that leads to business development and solutions. He also promotes and advances social investment opportunities within the philanthropic arena and in product development, furthering NCB's commitment to mission banking. Earlier this year John was named Chair of the Board of Directors of the Coalition of Community Development Financial Institutions (CDFI Coalition). Last year John was named the recipient of the 2019 Stan Dreyer Spirit of Cooperation Award. The honor is bestowed to those who live and work with the spirit of the cooperative principles.

Deb Trocha, Executive Director of ICDC, discusses the Cooperatives and Diverse Communities 2020 conference that was held on October 30th, entitled “Reimagining Work: The Worker Cooperative Model.” She and Vernon talk about how the evolution and primary focus of the conference, and how worker co-ops are helping employees create businesses that are more equitable and just. Deb Trocha joined the Indiana Cooperative Development Center (ICDC) in 2006 after serving as Executive Director of the Indiana Small Business Development Center. She has over 20 years of economic development experience. 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.

Vernon interviews Jessica Gordon-Nembhard, Ph.D, Professor of Community Justice and Social Economic Development at John Jay College of the City University of New York, and Renee Hatcher, Assistant Professor of Law at UIC John Marshall Law School in Chicago. Vernon and his guests will discuss strategies to address diversity, equity and Inclusion in cooperatives. Dr. Gordon Nembhard, is Professor of Community Justice and Social Economic Development at John Jay College, of the City University of New York; Author of Collective Courage: A History of African American Cooperative Economic Thought and Practice, and a 2016 inductee into the U.S. Cooperative Hall of Fame. She is an affiliate scholar at the Centre for the Study of Co-operatives at the University of Saskatchewan in Canada, where she is co-investigator for the “Measuring the Impact of Credit Unions,” Community and University Research Partnerships (CURA) project; and an affiliate scholar with the Economics Department’s Center on Race and Wealth at Howard University. Dr. Gordon Nembhard is a political economist specializing in community economics, Black Political Economy and popular economic literacy. Her research and publications explore problematics and alternative solutions in cooperative economic development and worker ownership, community economic development, wealth inequality and community-based asset building, and community-based approaches to justice. University. Renee Hatcher is a human rights and community development lawyer. She is an Assistant Professor of Law, and the Director of the Community Enterprise & Solidarity Economy Clinic at UIC John Marshall Law School Chicago, a legal clinic that provides free legal support to cooperatives, community-based institutions, and other types of solidarity economy initiatives and projects. Hatcher currently serves as a board member for the New Economy Coalition, a member of Resist, Reimagine and Rebuild (R3), Black Lawyers Solidarity Economy Network (BLESN), and a member of the Law for Black Lives Clinic Cohort Development Team. Her work and research focus on solidarity economy theory/practice and law.

Laura Vogel, Senior Advisor for NRECA Political Affairs, and Kate LaTour, Director of Government Relations for the National Cooperative Business Association CLUSA International, discuss the importance of the 2020 Presidential election and resources provided through vote.coop for ALL voters. Laura Vogel joined NRECA in 2014, and is 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 also involved in NRECA’s political training programs, serving as an instructor for the Grassroots Course for co-op Directors, and provides strategic input for NRECA’s annual Youth Tour program. In 2019 Laura was named to the national steering committee for National Voter Registration Day. She 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. Kate LaTour is the Director of Government Relations for the National Cooperative Business Association CLUSA International. Prior to joining NCBA CLUSA, Kate served as a Legislative Aide in the U.S. Senate working on economic policy issues. She earned her B.A. from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, majoring in political science and international affairs, and is currently pursuing a Master’s Degree from Johns Hopkins University. Co-ops Vote is a non-partisan project of America's Electric Cooperatives designed to inform its members on the key issues and encourage them to vote and support their co-ops and the communities they serve when they go to the polls.

Vernon interviews Allison Hellenbrand and Brad Forbes, participants from the 2020 Cooperative IMPACT Conference Cooperative Leaders and Scholars Institute (CLSI). The conference was held virtually, October 5 - 9, 2020. In acknowledgment of National Co-op Month, everyone who registers will have access to the sessions throughout October. The Cooperative Leaders and Scholars Institute is an opportunity to develop and engage young professionals (ages 18-35), and post-secondary students of any age with participation in this national Cooperative conference, and exposure to co-op industry and thought leaders, policymakers, and other key stakeholders. NCBA CLUSA's 2020 Cooperative IMPACT Virtual Conference is the only national, cross-sector event elevating the national conversation around co-ops, a trusted, proven way to do business and build communities. The annual conference provides an unparalleled platform to re-energize the cooperative movement and galvanize its champions around building the next economy. This year's conference will amplify how cooperatives are addressing their obligations to create diverse, equitable and inclusive workplaces and boards, and how co-ops can better meet the needs of communities that have been excluded from economic participation and advancement.

NCB CEO Charles , Snyder joins NCBA CLUSA's President/CEO Doug O'Brien and VP of Communications and Public Relations John Torres, to discuss the 2020 Cooperative IMPACT Conference. This year the conference will be held virtually, October 5-9, 2020. Online registration is open at www.ncbaclusa.coop, and has the capacity to accommodate unlimited registrants. This conference offers an opportunity to join hundreds of co-op developers, financiers, community and city leaders, innovators, economists and policymakers. Everyone who registers will have access to the sessions throughout October, in acknowledgment of National Co-op Month. As President & CEO of NCBA CLUSA, Doug O'Brien works with the cooperative community, both domestically and internationally, to deepen its impact on individuals and communities. Doug has been with NCBA since 2016, where he has served as the Executive Vice President of Programs before becoming president and CEO in January 2018. John currently serves as the Vice President of Communication and Public Relations for NCBA CLUSA, an organization that serves as the primary voice in the U.S. for people who use cooperatives to build a better world. NCBA CLUSA provides cross-sector education, support, and advocacy that helps co-ops thrive, with an international development portfolio of 18 active programs in 17 countries, reaching over 600,000 people. Charles E. Snyder is the Chief Executive Officer of NCB and leads its Executive Council, a team of senior managers representing business development units and functional areas across the company. Mr. Snyder serves on the board of the Consumer Federation of America and the American Bankers Association Foundation. He previously served on the board of the National Cooperative Business Association, a membership association representing every type of cooperative in America. In 2011, Mr. Snyder was inducted into the Cooperative Hall of Fame and in 2007 received the Jerry Voorhis Award, the National Association of Housing Cooperative's most prestigious honor NCBA CLUSA's Cooperative IMPACT Virtual Conference is the only national, cross-sector event elevating the national conversation around co-ops, a trusted, proven way to do business and build communities. The annual conference provides an unparalleled platform to reenergize the cooperative movement and galvanize its champions around building the next economy. This year's conference will amplify how cooperatives are addressing their obligations to create diverse, equitable and inclusive workplaces and boards, and how co-ops can better meet the needs of communities that have been excluded from economic participation and advancement.

Rob Larew, President of the National Farmers Union discusses racial equity in co-ops, and how COVID-19 has impacted farmers. EArlier this year Rob was elected as the National Farmers Union's 15th president during the organization's 118th anniversary convention. Larew, who was raised on a West Virginia dairy farm, served as NFU's Senior Vice President of Public Policy and Communications since fall 2016. In that role, he oversaw the organization's legislative advocacy in Congress and the executive branch as well as its public relations activities. Prior to his employment with NFU, Larew served over 22 years in Congress and the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), most recently as the staff director of the House Committee on Agriculture. Rob Larew has called for any additional aid to be distributed to those who need it the most. (See his statement below) "Even as restrictions ease, it is evident that farmers will be feeling the effects of the pandemic for quite some time. Markets have been slow to recover, prices remain low, and processing facilities are still backed up. While these challenges persist, farmers will certainly need assistance to stay solvent - and we are grateful that USDA is providing it through another round of CFAP. "This support is absolutely crucial - but it is just as crucial that it is distributed fairly and equitably. The first round of funding, though greatly appreciated, was not without its flaws; not only did it favor large farms over smaller ones, it also sent millions of dollars to foreign-owned operations and excluded some farmers entirely. With Congressional oversight, we ask that USDA rectify these issues and ensure that payments are commensurate with demonstrated need. "It's important to note that farmers are by far not the only Americans in need of relief right now; millions are out of work and experiencing food insecurity, family-owned businesses are struggling to stay afloat, already strained rural hospitals are hemorrhaging money, and students without broadband access are falling behind in school. It's unacceptable that it has been months since these groups have received any help at all; Congress must act quickly to provide the support that all Americans need to withstand this crisis."

Vernon Oakes talks with three more of Start.coop's 2020 Cohort of Entrepreneur Teams. The interviews are a precursor to The People's Pitch, a pitch event celebrating Start.coop's class of 2020. This week Vernon will interviews: Angela Dawson, President/CEO of Forty Acre Co-op, A Black-led cooperative advancing innovative agriculture and technology for socially disadvantaged farmers nationwide; Sarah Speare, CEO/Co-Founder of Tootie's Tempeh Inc, a worker-owned consumer foods cooperative that provides tasty, ready-to-cook, and sustainably made tempeh that supports local agriculture everywhere, and Stephen Bediako, Co-Founder and Managing Director of Turning Basin Labs, a cooperative staffing agency that connects temporary workers to the benefits of permanent employment. But Wait... This is Your Preview to an Experiential Event! All listeners of Everything Co-op, and readers of NCBA CLUSA's Co-op Weekly, have been invited to be active participants of The People's Pitch, on Friday October 9th, for final graduation pitches from Start.coop's 2020 cohort teams, and to actually cast their VOTE to determine which start-ups are awarded funds from the $10,000 graduation prize pool. The event will be held in conjunction with the National Co-op Business Association (NCBA), as the close to their 2020 Impact 2020 conference. Start.coop exists to build an ecosystem that lifts up, supports, and accelerates cooperative entrepreneurs on their business journey. The program's accelerator selects the most promising teams from across North America and provides them with training and support embedded in its rigorous business curriculum and world-class mentor community. Start.coop considers its program "an accelerator of the next generation of co-operative entrepreneurs." Forty Acre Co-op is a farmer-owned agtech company. Forty Acre is wholly owned by and operated for socially disadvantaged ranchers, urban growers, and farmers. The co-op produces proprietary superior quality hemp seeds, partners with farmers to grow these seeds, and aggregates value-added hemp product processing to create commercial hemp and CBD products. Tootie's Tempeh is a worker-owned consumer foods cooperative innovating a high protein, plant-based category-tempeh. It is the first commercial tempeh producer to ferment without plastic bags, to package with plant-based and recyclable materials, and to expand through a regional cooperative/franchise model. So, wherever Tootie's Tempeh is purchased it is supporting local farmers, communities and workers. Tootie's is introducing a series of pre-seasoned, ready to cook tempeh products to the growing consumer market for healthy, plant-based, local, high protein, and sustainably produced and packaged foods. Turning Basin Labs is a cooperative staffing agency that creates value for progressive Bay Area businesses by sourcing, placing, and supporting the best, most diverse talent. The co-op seeks to provide a permanent home for temporary workers seeking stability, and to be an ally to workers seeking dignified, high-road, $18+/hour work. Underpinning the cooperative is an unwavering focus on and commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) for its workers and with the employers that are supported.

Everything Co-op has partnered with Start.coop to interview graduates from its 2020 cohort of entrepreneur teams. The interviews are a precursor to "The People's Pitch", a pitch event celebrating the Start.coop's class of 2020. This week Greg Brodsky, Co-Director of Start.coop, joins representatives from two of the teams: Austin Robey, Co-Founder of Ampled, and Lewis Weil, founder of Money Positive, discusses the upcoming event with host, Vernon Oakes. But Wait... This is Your Preview to an Experiential Event! All attendees of NCBA CLUSA's 2020 Impact conference, have been invited to be active participants of "The People's Pitch," on Friday October 9th, for final graduation pitches from Start.coop's 2020 cohort teams, and to actually cast their VOTE to determine which start-ups are awarded funds from the $10,000 graduation prize pool. The event will be held in conjunction with the National Co-op Business Association (NCBA), as the close to their 2020 Impact conference. Start.coop exists to build an ecosystem that lifts up, supports, and accelerates cooperative entrepreneurs on their business journey. The program's accelerator selects the most promising teams from across North America and provides them with training and support embedded in its rigorous business curriculum and world-class mentor community. Start.coop considers its program "an accelerator of the next generation of co-operative entrepreneurs." Ampled is a platform that allows music artists to be supported by their community with direct, recurring payments. Structured as a co-op, Ampled is 100% owned by its artists, workers, and community. Founded in 2018 by a group of designers, software engineers, and musicians, Ampled lets fans directly support their favorite musicians in exchange for exclusive content and experiences. Money Positive is a worker-owned financial planning service focused on democratizing financial planning and building long-term financial health for everyone. Sitting at the intersection of human smarts and technological efficiency, Money Positive uses a proprietary software platform that allows its financial planners to help clients build intuitive budgets and personalized strategies for their savings, debts, and investments at a fraction of the price of traditional financial planning services.

Alison Powers, Cooperative & Community Initiatives Manager at Capital Impact Partners, and Camille Kerr, Founder of ChiFresh Kitchen discuss the 2020 Co-op Innovation Award, and the work being done by co-op owners of ChiFrish Kitchen. Capital Impact Partners, in partnership with National Cooperative Bank, awarded a total of $100,000 to the 2020 Co-op Innovative Awardees, - ChiFresh, The Guild, and the Bronx Cooperative Development Initiative. This year the Co-op Innovation Award focused on organizations educating new audiences on the impact and potential of the cooperative model to disrupt income inequality, steward community ownership, and create strong vibrant places of opportunity. The Innovative Award aims to increase co-op development in communities with low incomes and/or communities of color. ChiFresh Kitchen was awarded $50,000 to expand its commercial kitchen, owned and determined by formerly incarcerated Chicagoans, primarily Black women. ChiFresh pushed forward its intended launch in response to the COVID-19 crisis and its impact on Chicagoans of color and residents with low incomes. Camille Kerr is the founder of ChiFresh Kitchen. Through her various leadership positions in worker ownership organizations over the past eight years, Camille has had the opportunity to shape some of the most innovative initiatives in the field. She has authored thought pieces, drafted legislation, managed cooperative development initiatives, designed new corporate forms, and supported individual businesses in their transition to worker ownership.

Micha and Vernon discuss how the Cooperative Fund of New England (CFNE) uses its expertise to address racial inequities in financial institutions, by providing technical assistance, instituting standardized policies that account for racial biases; and partnering with other community organizations to deliver services. As Executive Director, Micha is responsible for executive leadership, program development, capitalization, and operations. He first joined CFNE in 2010 as a Program Manager, helping raise grant and loan capital, managing compliance reporting, and new program development. Micha's co-op involvement goes back to his undergraduate membership in the Oberlin Student Cooperative Association. He has a background in nonprofit financial management and community organizing, and holds a BA in environmental studies from Oberlin College and an MS in Community Economic Development from Southern New Hampshire University. He has also participated in the Opportunity Finance Network's leadership training program. CFNE is a certified CDFI (Community Development Financial Institution), founded in 1975 to work for economic, social, and racial justice by advancing community based, cooperative, and democratically owned or managed enterprises with a preference to assisting cooperatives in low-income communities. CFNE has disbursed $66 million in flexible financing and delivered customized technical assistance to emerging and established cooperatives across the region, of which 75% are still in business. This has created or preserved thousands of jobs and affordable housing units and over 100,000 cooperative ownership opportunities largely in low and moderate income communities. CFNE serves New England and parts of New York.

Vernon Interviews Nikishka Iyengar, founder and CEO of The Guild, a social enterprise, focused on building community wealth through real estate and entrepreneurship programs. Nakishka is also the owner of the Whole Systems Collective, an impact consulting and media firm with a focus on working towards a just and regenerative economy. Nikishka and Vernon discuss the democratization and governance of assets broadly, with a specific emphasis on business and real estate. The Guild was recently awarded $25,000 as a recipient of the 2020 Co-op Innovation Award, to support its mission of building community wealth through real estate, entrepreneurship programs, and access to capital, creating equitable and sustainable communities by addressing the root causes of economic inequality. The grant will help The Guild democratize ownership of businesses and real estate through a racial equity lens, and support its "whole systems" approach to providing technical assistance to Black and Brown enterprises through its Community Wealth Building Accelerator; launch its Integrated Capital Fund that will coordinate and deploy different types of capital and investments to entrepreneurs of color; and launch the Groundcover Community Investment Trust to introduce an alternative real estate development model to the Atlanta community.

Vernon and Amanda discuss how the Center builds capacities of worker cooperatives and cooperative ecosystems across the state of West Virginia, and the region. Amanda is an Appalachian Cooperative educator and advocate who develops, organizes, and implements non-traditional modes of learning within the University context. She holds an MA in Geography and conducts action research focused on cooperatives enterprises as an alternative means of grassroots economic organizing. Amanda is also a founder of FIRSTHAND Co-op a fair trade coffee company in the heart of Appalachia. As Director of Education and Outreach with the WVU Center for Resilient Communities, her work forefronts justice and equity at the center of our food systems, supporting access, affordability, and dignity for all. Amanda has used cooperative models, values, and ethos to organize with rural communities facing significant food access barriers and work with organizations aiming to build cooperative food production power across the state of West Virginia, envisioning a food sovereignty plan for communities across the state and the region. Most recently, Amanda has been working with a group of cooperators in Charleston, WV aiming to build worker cooperatives and cooperative ecosystems throughout the state to address the need for equitable, well-paying, and responsive community jobs in a region heavily reliant on extractive industry dominated by outside interests.

Vernon interviews Ann Fedorchak, Managing Director at National Cooperative Bank (NCB), and Michael Partis, Executive Director at the Bronx Cooperative Development Initiative (BCDI), and his team. Vernon and his guests discuss the 2020 Co-op Innovation Award, and its foundation.

Anthony Cook, Professor at Georgetown University, discusses how he uses the clinical experiential education program at Georgetown Law, to bridge the gaps between wealth, income and power. He also talks about his journey to discovering the value of the cooperative business model, and realization of how a cooperative ecosystem can be used to address the needs of under-served communities. Professor Anthony Cook is a law professor at Georgetown University. He is a graduate of Yale Law School, a magna cum laude graduate of Princeton University's program in Public and International Affairs, and is a doctoral candidate in Sustainable Urban Development at Oxford University. He teaches courses in Race and Democracy, Community Development, Cooperatives and a Practicum on Law, Entrepreneurship and Social Innovation that provides legal and business planning support to startup and early stage social impact entrepreneurs. Professor Cook is a nationally recognized scholar in critical race theory and the work and life of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. His book, The Least of These: Race, Law and Religion in American Culture, explores the relevance of the social gospel and King's conception of the Beloved Community for race, class and cultural divides in American Society. For his work as a scholar and community development practitioner - working at the intersection of critical theory and systemic racism and inequality - the American Bar Association honored Professor Cook as One of 21 Lawyers Leading America into the 21st Century, citing his "unique synergy of thought and action." He is a national officer of the nation's oldest community development organization, the Community Development Society, and is a member of the International Association of Community Development. He practices and lives in the Washington D.C. area where he is presently spearheading an innovative community development initiative to build cooperative ecosystems.

Sarah Hrisak, Lead Coffee Roaster and Production Supervisor at Equal Exchange, Inc., talks about the employee centered focus and cooperative business structure of Equal Exchange. Vernon and Sarah also discuss how Equal Exchange has supported its employees during the COVID-19 Pandemic. Sarah supervises the roasting of about 5.5 million pounds of coffee a year to a range of roast profiles and strict quality standards. Since roasting her first batch of coffee in 2013, her roast philosophy has evolved to focus on balance and sweetness. She loves that coffee roasting is always new and changing because of the seasons of the product and New England. As an owner, Sarah served two terms as Worker-Owner Coordinator, and is currently serving her first term on the co-op's Board if Directors, where she helped rewrite the By-laws and Articles of Organization. Outside of work, she enjoys cooking, good beer, and going on adventures with her fiancé, Ashley.

Rob and Vernon discuss Marketing and Branding during COVID-19, and the role he feels it should play in the process of reshaping businesses in a post COVID-19 World. Rob is the head of Small World Communications, a web hosting and online marketing company focused on small businesses (smallworld.coop). He is a veteran of the Southern California tech scene with roots in several Idealab startups. Rob is passionate about helping people and organizations identify and achieve their goals using the same cutting-edge tools and best practices larger tech companies deploy. Rob has built several sales and support organizations, led multiple company divisions, trained leaders to develop their management skills, mentored new managers, and taught website planning workshops for local businesses through the SBA. A Chicago native, Rob embodies the combination of hope and stoicism that one expects from a rabid Chicago Bears fan.

Vernon Oakes, host of Everything Co-op discusses the plight of the United States Postal Service (USPS). We are in serious jeopardy of losing USPS unless we speak up. As cooperatives and as individuals we are all dependent on the United States Postal Service (USPS). We believe it’s time for the cooperative community to add its collective voice to the public calls for action to save the USPS. We have never needed the United States Postal Service (USPS) more than we do today! Throughout the pandemic crisis, the postal service has been a critical lifeline for the millions of American, particularly seniors and people living with disabilities, who would otherwise be forced to leave their homes for necessities like prescription medications and household essentials. This has been particularly crucial in rural America where the digital divide still looms and the services of the USPS serve as a lifeline to the rest of the world. Bottom line, we need Congress and the Administration to be reminded of the importance of the USPS and the essential services it provides! If you are a member of the cooperative community and are interested in finding out more about how you can support USPS, then visit www.USPS.coop Vernon Oakes, is a consummate advocate for cooperatives. He is a former President of the National Association of Housing Cooperatives, and has 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.

Rebecca Henderson, John and Natty McArthur Professor at Harvard University discuss her recently released book "Reimagining Capitalism in a World on Fire," and the role she feels cooperatives can play in a post COVID-19 world. Rebecca Henderson is one of 25 University Professors at Harvard University, a research fellow at the National Bureau of Economic Research and a fellow of both the British Academy and of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. She is an expert on innovation and organizational change, and her research explores the degree to which the private sector can play a major role in building a more sustainable economy focusing particularly on the relationships between organizational purpose and innovation and productivity. Her publications include the books Leading Sustainable Change and Accelerating Energy Innovation: Lessons from multiple sectors and Reimagining Capitalism in a World on Fire, published in April 2020. Rebecca sits on the boards of Amgen and of Idexx Laboratories. In 2019 she was named one of three "Outstanding Directors of the Year" by the Financial Times.

Dr. Martin Lowery, Executive VP Emeritus of NRECA discusses the role of cooperatives in addressing issues that have been raised by the two pandemics being experienced right now; COVID-19 and systemic institutionalized racism. He invokes the International Cooperative Alliance's "Declaration on Positive Peace Through Cooperatives." For more than three decades, Dr. Martin Lowery has been a forceful advocate for the cooperative business model. He is Executive Vice President, Emeritus, of the NRECA, and the past chair of the National Cooperative Bank Board of Directors. Dr. Lowery was inducted into the Cooperative Hall of Fame in May 2014, the highest honor that the U.S. cooperative community bestows on individuals who have made heroic contributions to the cooperative movement. He is currently the elected U.S. representative to the board of the International Cooperative Alliance (ICA). Dr. Lowery received a bachelor's degree (cum laude) from DePaul University and a Ph.D. in philosophy from Duke University.

National Cooperative Bank(NCB) President Charles E. Snyder & President and CEO of National Cooperative Business Association CLUSA International Doug O'Brien, discuss the roles cooperatives can play in a post COVID-19 World. They also share how their organizations have helped the cooperative community through advocacy and service during the pandemic. Charles E. Snyder is the Chief Executive Officer of NCB and leads its Executive Council, a team of senior managers representing business development units and functional areas across the company. Mr. Snyder joined NCB in 1983 as corporate vice president and chief financial officer. In 1992, he was named president and chief executive officer. Mr. Snyder serves on the board of the Consumer Federation of America and the American Bankers Association Foundation. He previously served on the board of the National Cooperative Business Association, a membership association representing every type of cooperative in America. In 2011, Mr. Snyder was inducted into the Cooperative Hall of Fame and in 2007 received the Jerry Voorhis Award, the National Association of Housing Cooperative's most prestigious honor. Both awards recognize Mr. Snyder for his longstanding work of promoting and preserving cooperatives. Doug O'Brien is President and CEO of NCBA CLUSA, where he works with the cooperative community, both domestically and internationally, to deepen its impact on individuals and communities. NCBA CLUSA is the primary voice for cooperatives in the U.S. that use the cooperative business model to empower people in their businesses and communities. Doug has been with NCBA CLUSA since 2016, where he served as the Executive Vice President of Programs before becoming President and CEO in January 2018. Prior to coming to NCBA CLUSA, Doug led the work of the White House Rural Council and served in top positions at the U.S. Department of Agriculture Rural Development, a community economic development agency with over 40 programs and 5,000 employees that annually finances more than $30 billion dollars. Doug has also worked in the U.S. Senate, U.S. House and for two governors. His experience in academia includes teaching, researching and writing at the University of Arkansas Agricultural and Food Masters in Law Program and Drake University Law School.

Mo Manklang, Communications Director at the U.S. Federation of Worker Cooperatives discusses the Federations response to the COVID-19 Pandemic, and feedback received from it members regarding how they are fairing. Mo also shares information regarding virtual offerings that are available to support cooperators including solidarity sessions, and worker cooperative information sessions. Mo Manklang is the Communications Director for the U.S. Federation of Worker Cooperatives. She leads policy efforts at the federal level, works with its membership on state and local initiatives, and heads up health benefits initiatives. She has been convening people in cooperatives and social impact for the past twelve years in a variety of roles, including five years with local news and events group Generocity.org. Mo is a founding board member of the Philadelphia Area Cooperative Alliance, the Media and Marketing Committee of the Kensington Community Food Co-op, the Policy Committee of the Sustainable Business Network. She is also the co-founder and organizer of The Bechdel Test Fest, an annual festival highlighting women and transgender comedians in Philadelphia.

For more than 4o years Ben Burkett has made his mark on his community and the world as a farmer, advocate and cooperative organizer for southern Black farmers. After graduating from Alcorn State University, he carried on his family legacy, and became a fourth-generation farmer in Petal, Mississippi. Vernon and Ben discuss his experiences as both a farmer, and advocate for farmers in the Black Belt. Ben Burkett has been a tireless activist, and visionary leader, who has helped farmers in rural Mississippi gain access to federal and state programs; expand their distribution; and gain access to technical assistance that allowed them to qualify for USDA farm programs. Ben also Organized neighboring farm families to expand markets denied them because of ingrained discrimination, and helped farmers preserve land ownership and optimize its agricultural use. While continuing to farm and serve as a local co-op leader, in 1978 Ben joined the staff of the Emergency Land Fund (ELF), a non-profit whose mission was to save and expand Black farms and assist Black farmers with heirs' property issues. His role was to identify and work with other Black farmers and landowners to protect their landholdings. When ELF merged with the Federation of Southern Cooperatives in 1985, Ben's role was expanded to include spreading the word about the cooperative business model and he began teaching diversified crop development for conservation and marketing purposes. Ben's knack for connecting with rural communities in the South, his passion for farming, and unique ability to get things done made him a sought-after agricultural trainer. Ben was also a compassionate true leader. Following Hurricane Katrina, he Identified rural communities in need of assistance and coordinated relief efforts for farmers in Louisiana. His reputation as a farming and rural development expert garnered the attention of Mike Espy, former member of the U.S. House of Representatives and Secretary of Agriculture under the Clinton Administration. Espy appointed Ben to the USDA's Farm Service Agency Committee for Mississippi and was largely responsible for the inclusion of technical assistance funds that enabled more minority farmers to qualify for USDA farm assistance. Through his work with the FSA State Committee, Ben encountered and supported Lester Spell's candidacy for Mississippi Commissioner of Agriculture and Commerce. Key to Spell's election, Ben was appointed to the State Marketing Board where he served two terms and continues to be involved. A tireless promoter and advocate for the cooperative business model, Ben embodies the spirit of cooperation. As such, his work has received numerous awards including the James Beard Foundation Leadership Award in 2014.

Christina Jennings, Executive Director at Shared Capital Cooperative, and Rachel Battles of Happy Earth Cleaning discuss how Shared Capital has helped it's cooperative members to navigate through the multilayered impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. Christina has worked for 22 years in community development, finance and microfinance in the US and internationally. Since 2008, she has been Executive Director of Shared Capital Cooperative, a national CDFI loan fund that works to build a democratic economy by investing in cooperative businesses and housing. Based in Minneapolis-St. Paul, Shared Capital was founded 40 years ago ,and operated under the name Northcountry Cooperative Development Fund until 2015. Shared Capital is cooperatively owned and governed by more than 250 cooperatives in 35 states that borrow from and invest in the fund.

David Hincapie, Economic Development Specialist at U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA); John Holdsclaw IV, Senior VP of Corporate Affairs at National Cooperative Bank (NCB); and Esteban Kelly, Executive Director, and Mo Manklang, Communications Director with the U.S. Federation of Worker Cooperatives talk about COVID-19 response on Everything Co-op. Vernon and his guests will discuss loan programs available in response to COVID-19, and the role worker cooperatives can play as we work though and establish recovery plans. During the first segment David Hincapie discuss SBA's Economic Injury Disaster Loan, and Paycheck Protection Program updates. In the second segment John Holdsclaw IV and Esteban Kelly, share how their organizations are responding to the pandemic, and in the third segment Mo Manklang joins the discussion to talk about the communications strategies that have been implemented by the U.S. Federation of Worker Cooperatives to keep its members property informed.

Michael Alden Peck Discusses the Impact of COVID-19 and Next Steps for Recovery. From the paradigm shift that will inevitably occur in how we pay and view essential workers; to the revelations about the inequities that exist in our economy; to the consideration of the need to make the U S Postal Service a Worker Cooperative, and ultimately the resolution to abandon the trickle-down economic structure and create a Gusher-up (Bottom-up) economy. Michael is co-founder of 1worker1vote, and The Virtuous Cycle Collaboratory. In response to COVID-19, he became part of a team that is co-imagining/co-launching the People's Rising Sunshine Exchange (PRSE) - a digital platform for micro PPE purchases on behalf of front-line healthcare, home-care and emergency response workers - helping to save lives at risk of those saving others. Earlier this year, Michael co-founded The Virtuous Cycle Collaboratory (tvc2), a majority-minority, for-profit worker-cooperative domiciled in Alexandria/Virginia, that designs, launches and scales shared-values, purpose-driven and profit-seeking social enterprises and social enterprise ecosystems (start-ups, conversions, supply chains, tax and technology innovation, B2B and B2C platforms) for the emerging Stakeholder Economy. In 2015, Michael co-founded and serves as the executive director of the non-profit 1worker1vote movement (New York), with regional hybrid model, shared ownership ecosystems based in Cincinnati and Dayton, Ohio, and Central Brooklyn. Michael served as the International Delegate (USA) for the Mondragón Co-operative Corporation (1999 -2019 www.mondragon-corporation.com), and for the past decade has served as board secretary of the American Sustainable Business Council, as a Blue Green Alliance corporate advisory board member since its start in 2006, and as a co-founding (2019) board member of Citizens' Share Brooklyn (CSG).

Carmen Huertas-Noble, founding director of the Community & Economic Development Clinic (CEDC) at CUNY School of Law, and C0-founder of 1worker1vote, discuss her career in the cooperative movement and the role cooperatives have and can play in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Professor Huertas-Noble earned her J.D. from Fordham University Law School, where she was a Stein Scholar in Public Interest Law and Ethics and served on the staff of the Environmental Law Journal. Prior to joining the CUNY faculty, Professor Huertas-Noble was an Adjunct Professor at Fordham Law School where she supervised students in its CED Clinic. She also served as a senior staff attorney in the Community Development Project (CDP) of the Urban Justice Center (UJC). As part of CDP, she worked with neighborhood residents to form nonprofits as well as established organizing groups to create alternative institutions, such as worker-owned cooperatives (cooperatives). Professor Huertas-Noble has played a leading role in providing transactional legal support to worker-owned cooperatives in New York. While at UJC, she counseled cooperatives in navigating their legal entity formation options and on creating democratic governance structures. She worked with ROC-NY in creating COLORS, a worker-owned restaurant in Manhattan and Green Workers Cooperatives in creating ReBuilders Source, a South Bronx worker-owned business that collects and recycles construction materials. Since then, numerous community groups and attorneys have consulted with Professor Huertas-Noble on entity formation options and democratic decision making structures for cooperatives. Such groups, include Cidadao Global, a current client of the CEDC. Cidadao Global is in the process of creating the first eco-friendly house cleaning cooperative based in Queens. Professor Huertas-Noble's research and scholarship focuses on promoting alternative ownership models, including community land trust and worker-owned cooperatives (alternative institutions). Her scholarship emphasizes the role of lawyer in creating meaningful, client participatory decision making processes as part of the lawyer's counseling process and in support of client-centered lawyering on behalf of alternative institutions.

Everett Dobrinski, Chairman of CoBank and a 2020 Cooperative Hall of Fame inductee discuss his career in cooperatives and future plans. As a third-generation grain and oilseed farmer, Everett recognized at an early age, the value of cooperatives in providing essential services that his family farm needed to compete in a global marketplace. Today, as he approaches his 50th anniversary of marriage to his wife Peggy, he can now enjoy his years of retirement knowing that he has passed on his family farm to yet another generation. He has the privilege of helping his son Darren, who has taken over the family farm. Everett first became active in Verendrye Electric Cooperative, eventually becoming Board Chair in 1990. He understood that the cooperatives needed to attract commercial business, such as the Minot Air Force Base, in order to maintain affordable, high-quality electric service for all customer-owners. Catering to the local community's needs, Everett's guidance was instrumental in financing a new daycare and convenience store in the more rural parts of Verendrye's territory. Everett is an advocate of cooperative education in the boardroom, schools and universities and the statehouse. He frequently educated members about cooperatives and championed the need for cooperative director education in other industry sectors. As an Advisory Board Member of the Quentin Burdick Center for Cooperatives at North Dakota State University, Everett provided valuable advice to develop curriculum about cooperatives for high school and college students. As a former member of the North Dakota House of Representatives, he championed political engagement and advocated on issues of cooperative taxation, retail wheeling, and territorial integrity. His personal commitment and leadership within the cooperative sector are a testament to his belief that cooperatives empower farmers.

David Hincapie, Economic Development Specialist with the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) discusses updates to the SBA and CARES Act Loan programs in response to COVID-19. Vernon and David discuss the Economic Injury Disaster Loan, Paycheck Protection Program, and SBA programs that address disenfranchised populations. The Small Business Administration (SBA) has announced new programs created by the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act, to support small businesses during the COVID-19 pandemic crisis. David shares updated information regarding the programs, the application process and reviews the eligibility requirements for cooperative businesses non-profit entities; and Self Employee and Gig-worker programs

Monica E. Mitchell, Vice President of Community Development at Wells Fargo Bank, N.A., discusses how her work has impacted communities throughout the Washington Metro Area, and her involvement in cooperative enterprises. Monica Mitchell has over 20 years' experience in banking and community development. In her role, Monica leads Corporate Philanthropy and Community Development work for the Maryland and Greater DC regions, responsible for affordable housing, workforce development, entrepreneurship and financial education efforts for low-to-moderate income communities, with a personal passion to address the intersectionality of these issues with public health outcomes. Monica is the founding President of the Board of the all-girls Lillie May Carroll Jackson Middle School in Baltimore City. She also serves on the boards of Junior Achievement of Central Maryland, LISC DC, Baltimore Community Lending and Associated Black Charities. She was a founding member of the United Way of Central Maryland's Emerging Leaders United Program to promote the professional development and community involvement of Maryland's next generation of leaders. Monica has received numerous awards including: Baltimore Business Journal 40 Under 40, Baltimore Chamber of Commerce Education Advocate of the Year, Associated Black Charities Icon Award for contributions in Corporate Leadership and Philanthropy, Girl Scouts Distinguished Women honors and was inducted into The Maryland Top 100 Women Circle of Excellence - the youngest inductee in the program's 21 year history.

Sarah McKinley, Author and Manager of Community Development Programs for The Democracy Collaborative, discusses the value of establishing an ecosystem of interdependent cooperatives in major cities. Sarah also talks about case studies included in "Cites Building Community Wealth," a book she co-authored, and community wealth building strategies, such as; community development, finance institutions and cooperatives. Sarah McKinley is Manager of Community Development Programs for The Democracy Collaborative. She manages the Learning/Action Lab for Community Wealth Building, a multi-year initiative supported by the Northwest Area Foundation, assisting five organizations in Indian Country to create social enterprises and employee-owned companies. She co-authored Cities Building Community Wealth, The Anchor Dashboard: Aligning Institutional Practice to Meet Low-Income Community Needs, and Raising Student Voices: Student Action for University Community Investment. She has a background in community development and has worked with a number of community groups, including the Greater Southwest Development Corporation, a Chicago-based community development corporation, and the National Alliance of Community Economic Development Associations. While earning her master degree in urban and regional planning at Cornell University, McKinley was a co-author of "A People's Plan for New Orleans" a bottom-up community development plan for the 9th Ward after Hurricane Katrina. She holds a bachelor's degree in urban history from the University of Chicago. In her spare time, McKinley, an avid food lover, is a member of the board of Slow Food DC, the local chapter of an international organization that promotes a good, clean, and fair food system.

As we begin our celebration of Women's History Month, and focus on this year's theme of "Valiant Women of the Vote," we pay tribute to valiant women, who have impacted the cooperative movement. This week Vernon interviews Elizabeth (Liz) Allen Bailey. principal of The Bailey Group, Vernon and Liz recognize many valiant women who exemplify the values and principles of the modern day cooperative, in their work. Liz Bailey is Managing Principal of The Bailey Group LLC, a Washington DC-based consulting firm focused on economic and community development that includes member-owned cooperative business enterprises. Ms. Bailey provides her clients the benefit of her career experience in strategic public policy that combines the private sector, the executive branches of state and federal governments and extensive non-profit program management. For much of the past decade, Ms. Bailey held leadership positions with the National Cooperative Business Association CLUSA International, including Interim CEO, VP for Public Policy & Cooperative Development and almost eight years as Executive Director of the Cooperative Development Foundation, NCBA CLUSA's non-profit affiliate. Bailey holds degrees from the University of Wisconsin and the LBJ School of Public Affairs at the University of Texas. The Bailey Group LLC is a Washington DC-based public policy consulting group focused on economic and community development that includes cooperative business enterprises. Client work includes design and implementation of strategic policy and communications initiatives that raise the profile of the cooperative model, address barriers to development and encourage new applications of the business model.

Heather Gray, Activist, Journalist and Media Specialist Discusses 2020 Black History Month Theme: "African Americans and the Vote." Heather recounts her involvement in historical moment of the Civil Rights Movements, and shares how those experienced helped to shaped the trajectory of her lifework to address the inequities of those who are less fortunate. Heather is the founder and editor of the "Justice Initiative," and co-producer of the "Just Peace" program on the WRFG-FM (89.3FM), a community radio station in Atlanta, Georgia. She holds a Bachelor's Degree in Anthropology from Emory University and Georgia State University, and a Master's Degree in Sociology from Georgia State University. Heather has been involved in regional, national and international organizing work, research, advocacy and peace and justice issues since the 1960's.

Mike Mercer, former CEO of the League of Southeastern Credit Unions & Affiliates discusses how benefits credit unions create for its members. He also explains how credit unions help people to afford their lives, and empowers them to be free, and become more enthusiastic about life. Mike Mercer recently retired as the CEO of the League of Southeastern Credit Unions & Affiliates. In this capacity, he was responsible for providing leadership for trade association services across a three-state footprint to include Alabama, Florida and Georgia. Mr. Mercer represented the interests of credit unions in numerous ways for almost four decades. Mike came to Georgia in 1980 as President of Georgia Central Credit Union. He was named President/CEO of Georgia Credit Union Affiliates in 1985 and moved into his role as CEO of LSCU & Affiliates prior to his retirement. He studied economics at the University of Rhode Island and earned his master's degree in banking and finance at the University of Wisconsin. He has been the recipient of numerous industry awards over the years. These include the 2015 Herb Wegner Memorial Award for Lifetime Achievement, presented by the National Credit Union Foundation; the Knights Cross Medal, presented by the former president of Poland, for his work in helping the establishment of credit unions in Poland and the National Cooperative Bank Stan Dreyer Spirit of Cooperation Award. Mercer will also be inducted into the Cooperative Hall of Fame in May of 2020.

Reverend Graylen Scott Hagler, Co-chair of the Washington DC chapter of the Poor People's Campaign, and Senior Minister of Plymouth Congregational Church in Washington, DC discuss the "Poor Peoples Campaign," initially formed by Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., and its relevancy to the Association for the Study of African American Life and History's 2020 Black History Month theme: African Americans and the Vote. As we celebrate Black History Month, and focus on the different issues surrounding the importance of African Americans and the Vote, we are reminded of the need for the Poor Peoples Campaign, and the need to keep the issues of the campaign at the forefront of the political platform. Rev. Hagler, a co-chair the Washington, DC Chapter of the Campaign discusses the continued need for a campaign that represents the concerns of those who are without voice. Rev. Hagler has been deeply involved in civil rights activities from the beginning of his ministry up to the present. He is a graduate of Oberlin College, an institution that played an integral part in the Civil War and was part of the Underground Railroad. He attended the Chicago Theological Seminary during a time when the city was in serious upheaval. From Chicago, to Boston, to Washington, D.C. he has spoken truth to power in the great tradition of Old Testament Prophets, of Harriet Tubman and Sojourner Truth, Martin Luther King, Jr. and The Rev. William Barber of the Poor Peoples' Campaign. He has protested injustices against blacks and Latinos, confronted corporations on hiring practices, and challenged local governments' systemic injustices, including those of police departments. Rev. Hagler has marched, organized coalitions, and been arrested, all the while continuing to be a voice of distributive justice and compassion in the rich and progressive tradition of non-violence.

During February, Everything Co-op celebrates Black History Month by focusing on ASALH’s (Association for the Study of African American Life and History) theme. The 2020 theme is African Americans and the Vote. Therefore, it was quite fitting to bring David Thompson, President of Twin Pines Cooperative Foundation back to Everything Co-op to discusses the efforts of cooperatives to prepare and register African Americans to vote. David Thompson has conducted extensive research for his upcoming book, Cooperatives and the Civil Rights Movement. Through his research for the book, he has learned a great deal of valuable information regarding the involvement of cooperatives in efforts to get African Americans registered. David traces early efforts of cooperative involvement in voter registration to the "Progressive Club," a cooperative that promoted voter registration, and trained local Black residents to pass the voter registration test. The co-op would ultimately share the proponents of its program with the Highlander Center, in Tennessee, where Martin Luther King, Jr., John Lewis, Rosa Parks, Amb. Andrew Young, and many other leaders of the Civil Rights Movement would be trained. When reflecting upon the influence of the Progressive Club, David remarked; "I think it's rather lovely that this tiny little co-op, on this small Island off the coast of South Carolina, was where voter registration classes took their first form," and ended up registering about 1 million voters in the South using the same kind of program. David Thompson, has worked for national cooperative organizations of the United States, Britain and Japan as well as the United Nations. He served as Vice President of the National Cooperative Business Association and Regional Director of the National Cooperative Bank's Western Office. He specializes in funding the capital needs of the cooperative development sector; and nonprofit and cooperative housing. He was inducted into the Cooperative Hall of Fame in Washington D.C. in May 2010, and continues to work with cooperatives.

Jim Schulman, AIA, Executive Manager of the Alliance for Regional Cooperation Appears on Everything Co-op. Vernon Oakes, host of Everything Co-op, and Jim discuss the need to reschale, and retool our local economy to become more sustainable, and the need to establish an ecosystem to achieve that goal. Jim plans to begin this process through the Cooperative Alliance, the first endeavor of the Alliance for Regional Cooperation. Through the Cooperative Alliance the organization plans to help all of the 250 cooperatives it has identified in the Washington Metropolitan Region to be able to help each other through the formation of a cooperative of cooperatives. Then, after the organization becomes established, it plans to open up the membership to small and mid-size businesses that are not cooperatives. Jim Schulman, AIA is a regional sustainability strategist, an environmentally-sensitive Architect, and a social entrepreneur. He is the Executive Manager of the Alliance for Regional Cooperation, a regional economic development organization. Between 1999 and 2014 Jim administered a variety of deconstruction and salvage job training programs in the District of Columbia in partnership with the Youth Build Public Charter School, the DC Housing Authority, and US-EPA Region III. During the same period he also served in a leadership role on a number of restorative landscaping projects for the DC Department of Health, several Washington area foundations, and the Washington Navy Yard. He is the former Treasurer of the Building Materials Re-use Association and founded Community Forklift, a used building materials store in Prince George's County, Maryland.

Vernon interviews Brian Dahlk, Senior Manager at Wegner CPAs. Vernon and Bian discuss the personalized services, education, and knowledge that Wegner CPAs provides for its customers. Also, since it's the beginning of 2020, we know that many of you are ready to get an early start on preparing your taxes. Therefore, Brian also discussed the accounting services that are provided to cooperatives through his company's platform Brian Dahlk has been the Senior Manager at the accounting firm Wegner CPAs in Madison, Wisconsin for the past thirteen years. During this time he has provided audits, financial reviews, tax returns, and consulting services for hundreds of cooperative organizations all across the country. He received his master's degree in business in 1992 and his Certified Public Accountant designation in 2006. Prior to joining Wegner CPAs, he owned a business and worked as a financial manager for several nonprofits and cooperatives in Wisconsin and California. Brian also prepares tax returns for cooperative organizations..

Jack Barnett, Co-founder and President of the Northeastern Pennsylvania-based Clean Energy Co-op, discusses its formation and projects the organization has supported. Clean Energy Co-op was started in 2014 as a 'spin-out' from the local non-profit Sustainable Energy Education & Development Support (SEEDS), with a mission to develop clean energy resources for the benefit of its rural community and it's current 80+ members. Jack is a board member with SEEDS. He has been a solar advocate for decades, and past chair of a state chapter of the American Solar Energy Society. To date the Clean Energy Co-op has financed two commercial-scale solar system projects at farms and one on a non-profit community center. This Spring Clean Energy Co-op hopes to complete a fourth project with a local government entity, using cooperative capital, along with grant funding.

Courtney Berner, Executive Director of the Wisconsin Center for Cooperatives, discusses the Center's cooperative development efforts with Host Vernon Oakes. She highlights: programs that are being used to help communities establish worker cooperatives to address succession planning; research efforts that are targeted to explore the many facets of cooperative governance; and conferences, roadshows and other techniques that are being used to educate the community about the cooperative model. Courtney joined the University of Wisconsin Center for Cooperatives in 2011 and served as a cooperative development specialist until assuming the role of executive director in January 2018. Courtney develops research, outreach, and education programs on cooperatives and provides support to new and established cooperatives in a wide range of industries. Her areas of expertise include cooperative education, business development, cooperative finance and governance, and innovative uses of the cooperative model. Courtney also teaches a course on cooperatives at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and loves challenging students to think critically about why co-ops emerge, how they differ from other forms of enterprise, and how the model can be used to address current social and economic issues. Prior to joining the Center, Courtney worked at the Worldwatch Institute, a Washington, D.C.-based research institute devoted to global environmental concerns. Courtney holds an M.S. in agroecology from the University of Wisconsin-Madison and a B.S. from Pacific Lutheran University. Courtney originally hails from Oregon where she grew up riding horses, eating salmon, and picking blueberries. She moved to Madison in 2009 where she lives with her husband, son, and two orange cats. In her free time, Courtney enjoys gardening, cooking, travel, and channeling her Finnish heritage in her backyard sauna.

Cathy Statz, Education Director of the Wisconsin Farmers Union (WFU), discusses its origins and history. She also discusses the many programs and initiatives of WFU. Cathy discusses the original efforts to organize farmers in the area that began in 1902, which came far before the official Charter was received in 1930. When speaking about why cooperatives are so unknown she recites a statement made by an advocate of cooperatives from the 1930s as follows; "People do not know about cooperatives because of two things. First, a lack of information concerning cooperation, and second, the fact that its principles are opposed to privilege." Thus, she further cites that "Cooperatives have two things working against it; ignorance and selfishness." In the role of education director, Cathy Statz facilitates cooperative education programs for Farmers Union members, youth and the general public, including Farmers Union's 80+ years old cooperative camp program. She has assisted with cooperative youth leadership development programs on a state, national and international level, and co-coordinates the National Farmers Union College Conference on Cooperatives. Cathy is a member of the boards of the Association of Cooperative Educators (ACE), the Ralph K. Morris Foundation and the InSPIREation Foundation, and has served as president of the Rotary Club of Chippewa Falls and the Lawrence University Alumni Association.

Felicia Wong, President/CEO of the Roosevelt Institute, discusses "The Hidden Rules of Race: Barriers to an Inclusive Economy," and potential solutions to address the barriers with host, Vernon Oakes. Dr. Wong illustrates the interrelationships of occupational segregation, school segregation and the racial wealth gap. She also suggest that she feels that cooperatives can be a part of addressing some of those ills. Felicia Wong is the President and CEO of the Roosevelt Institute, a New York-based think tank and campus network that promotes a bold economic and political vision capable of bringing the ideals of Franklin and Eleanor into the 21st century. She helps lead the Roosevelt Institute's work on a rewriting the rules agenda, a comprehensive economic program and narrative that has become increasingly influential. She is the co-author of The Hidden Rules of Race: Barriers to an Inclusive Economy (Cambridge University Press, 2017) and her work has appeared in the New York Times, the Washington Post, Time, Democracy: A Journal of Ideas, and the Boston Review. Felicia came to the Institute from the Democracy Alliance, and previously ran operations and product development at a venture-funded education services company. Her public service includes a White House Fellowship in the Office of the Attorney General and a political appointment in the Office of the Secretary of the Navy. She holds a Ph.D. in political science from the University of California, Berkeley. Her doctoral dissertation on the role of race and framing in K-12 public education politics received the 2000 American Political Science Association award in Race, Ethnicity, and Politics.

Rodney North, Cooperative Consultant and member of the DC Cooperative Stakeholders Group, discusses a mapping project of Cooperatives in the DMV, resources for cooperatives, and priorities of the DC Stakeholders Group. Rodney North has spent more than two decades in co-ops, helping co-ops, or advocating for the co-op model, and usually was doing all three at the same time. Today Rodney is consultant to cooperatives, and an active member of the DC Cooperative Stakeholders Group. This is a group of local people and institutions who have been meeting for 2 1/2 years, to explore ways to strengthen and support co-ops in the city. The city is supporting this effort because business cooperatives are one thread in the city's overall economic development strategy. Before returning to the DC area in 2015 Rodney spent 20 years as part of Equal Exchange - one of the nation's largest, most successful, and influential worker-owned cooperatives. You may know Equal Exchange for its brand of organic Fair Trade coffee, chocolate or other foods. But it is also a $65 million dollar enterprise 100% owned and controlled by the 150 men and women who work there. Rodney held many roles there: Vice chair of the board of directors, worker-owner, staff trainer and other leadership positions.

Vernon interviews Bruce Mayer, Partner at Wegner CPAs. Vernon and Bruce will discuss the role of CPAs in the business side of running a cooperative, and the importance of observing all the rules associated with non-profit accounting. They also discuss how Wegner's belief in doing what is right for its clients and employees results in creating an environment that improve performance and operational effectiveness, while also enabling Wegner to prosper as well. Bruce Mayer joined Wegner CPAs in 1988 and currently serves as a Partner in the Assurance Department, working primarily on audits and tax returns of cooperatives, commercial businesses, nonprofits and employee benefit plans. With over twenty-nine years' experience, Bruce performs audits of all kinds and provides consulting services on taxation of nonprofits and cooperatives. Bruce enjoys helping clients solve problems and providing clients advice on accounting and tax strategies that meet their needs. When not at work, Bruce enjoys a variety of pursuits indoors and out. He keeps a vegetable garden along with fruit and nut trees, and is an avid bicycle rider having participated in dozens of century and cross-state rides.

Everything Co-op broadcast live from the New Deal Cafe, in Greenbelt, Maryland. This was the first of our live Broadcasts, to be held at a cafe where our listening audience was able to witness the broadcast while patronizing a co-op restaurant. The café is a non-stock, cooperative membership corporation organized and existing under the laws of the State of Maryland. It was named in honor of Works Project Administration, a part of Franklin D. Roosevelt's Depression-era New Deal, which built the city of Greenbelt. The cafe is Greenbelt's living room.

Everything Coop broadcast live from the Cincinnati Union Co-op Initiative's (CUCI) 4th Biennial Union Co-op Symposium, Liberating our Futures Together: Building the Cooperative Ecosystem. Vernon interviews Roger Green, Organizer of Brooklyn's Save Interfaith Coalition. Vernon and Roger discuss the construct he has been formulating to build community labor coalitions and unionized worker co-ops to address the rapid demise of health care institutions. Roger Green is one of the key organizers behind Central Brooklyn's "Save Interfaith Coalition." The Coalition's work has resulted in a multi-hospital network in underserved communities self-transforming into worker and union cooperatives facilitating, regenerative institutions. Roger previously served in the NY State Assembly for over 25 years and was the campaign chair for Jesse Jackson's Presidential campaigns. He also has been a distinguished president at Medgar Evers college, part of the CUNY (City University of New York) system, and is a strong supporter of economic democracy. The international Union Co-op Symposium is a two-day conference that brings together over 250 practitioners, social entrepreneurs, labor organizers, co-op workers, community development practitioners, and people interested in practical tools on how to start and run union worker cooperatives. This year's theme Liberating Our Futures Together: Building the Cooperative Ecosystem, built on the work of co-ops that have been present in this country for over 200 years, by using an international model from Mondragon, Spain.