Everything Co-op With Vernon Oakes

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

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

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

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

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

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 emp

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 Missis

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 Publi

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 empowerm

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; parti

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

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 develo

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

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

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

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 All

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 Opp

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 Limit

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