Everything Co-op With Vernon Oakes

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

Emory Shaw Campbell, author, historian, and CEO of the Cultural Heritage Consulting, discusses the importance of preserving cultural heritage. Campbell formerly served as the Director of the Penn Center on St. Helena Island from 1980 - 2002. The historic Penn Center, which opened in the 1800s to educate freed slaves was previously used as a training center and meeting place for civil rights leaders. Today it serves as a center to preserve the history and heritage of the Sea Island and Gullah culture. When Penn School first opened in 1862, it was an experimental program to educate Sea Island slaves freed at the beginning of the Civil War. Over the years, it served many functions within the community. The school’s mission was to teach freed slaves trades and how to read in an effort to help them transition into an economically stable lifestyle. By the 1900s, the Penn Center had adopted Booker T. Washington’s model of industrial training, and in the early stages of the Civil Rights Movement in the 1960’s the ce

January 27, 2022 Co-op advocate and Author Clifford N. Rosenthal discusses the role CDFIs play in the development of co-ops, and his book "Democratizing Finance: Origins of the Community Development Financial Institutions Movement." Clifford N. Rosenthal is a nationally and internationally recognized innovator, advocate, and developer of programs to provide financial access for low-income and underserved people. He joined the National Federation of Community Development Credit Unions in 1980 and served as its president and CEO for more than thirty years. He also co-founded the national Coalition of CDFIs, and served in its leadership for two decades. Throughout his career Clifford has developed food cooperatives for Native American and migrant farmworker organizations, and written manuals, monographs and articles on community development finance, credit unions, and savings to preserve the knowledge he attained. In 2018 he released Democratizing Finance: Origins of the Community Development Financial Institu

Researchers Dr. Prieto and Dr. Phipps discuss their book "African American Management History: Insights on Gaining a Cooperative Advantage," and the African philosophy that was the primary inspiration for the book. Dr. Prieto and Dr. Phipps are highly acclaimed researchers and educators, who are members of the Thinkers50 (i.e., The Oscars of Management Thinking) Radar Class of 2021. Their work has been published in a number of outlets including the Journal of Business Ethics, Academy of Management Learning & Education, Harvard Business Review, MIT Sloan Management Review, and the Journal of Management History. They have been recognized by the Academy of Management for publishing “ground-breaking African-American Management History research,” and have also written a book entitled "African American Management History: Insights on Gaining a Cooperative Advantage." Leon C. Prieto, PhD is the Director of the Center for Social Innovation & Sustainable Entrepreneurship, and Associate Professor of Management at Cl

January 13, 2022 David Hincapie, Economic Development Specialist with SBA, discusses, his observations regarding the experiences of co-op businesses with PPP and COVID disaster loans, and the basics of SBA lending programs. Since the COVID-19 pandemic began, the US Small Business Administration has offered lending programs designed to help businesses maintain their workforce and provide gap funding for losses experienced as result of the pandemic. David Hincapie has worked closely with Washington Area organizations and businesses to ensure that local businesses are aware of the nuances involved with the lending programs. Currently, SBA is not accepting new applications for COVID-19 relief loans or grants, but it continues to offer PPP loan forgiveness and EIDL increases. Fortunately, due to lobbying efforts of NCBA/CLUSA and other organizations, cooperative businesses were eligible to apply for the loans associated with the pandemic. As cooperative businesses chart their way through the SBA lending process

Michael Partis, Executive Director at the Bronx Cooperative Development Initiative (BCDI), discusses the correlation between Cooperatives and Economic Democracy. Michael also shares several instances where BCDI has supported the formation of cooperatives. Michael Partis is also a Researcher at the Bronx African American History Project, where he and Professor Mark Naison are editing “After The Fires:” a collection of post-1970s South Bronx oral histories. He is also co-founder of The Bronx Brotherhood Project, a community-based college success program for Black and Latino teens at the New Settlement College Access Center. Formerly, he was the Director of South Bronx Rising Together (SBRT): a collective impact initiative dedicated to improving health, grade-level reading and math, and post-secondary outcomes in the neighborhoods of Morrisania and Crotona Park West. The Bronx Cooperative Development Initiative is a community-led planning and economic development organization. BCDI’s approach to cooperative de

Mark Winston Griffith, Executive Director of the Brooklyn Movement Center (BMC), and Board member of the Cooperative Economics Alliance of New York City, discusses the history of BMC, and the relationship of the principles of Kwanzaa and those of the cooperative business model. Mark Winston Griffith is is a nationally recognized thought leader, community organizer and journalist. He's also the co-founder and Executive Director of the Brooklyn Movement Center (BMC), a membership-based, community organizing group serving Bedford-Stuyvesant and North Crown Heights. BMC is a multi-issue organization currently building campaigns around public education, food sovereignty, sexualized street harassment and police accountability. In the early nineties, Mark co-founded the Central Brooklyn Partnership, a community organizing group that focused on economic justice issues, and was co-founder of Central Brooklyn Federal Credit Union, which at the time was the nation's largest black-run, community-based, financial cooper

December 23, 2021 -Esther Enyolu, Executive Director of Women’s Multicultural Resource and Counselling Centre of Durham (WMRCC), discusses how WMRCC used Grant Funds to Development seven Worker Co-ops. Esther Enyolu is a dynamic leader committed to cross-cultural issues, such as, equity, equality, diversity and inclusion, human rights and social justice. She has extensive knowledge of employer/employee relationship issues in both unionized and non-unionized environments. Under her leadership WMRCC has developed seven worker cooperatives; and continues to provide resources and counseling to women overcoming obstacles of life. Esther has diligently served the community and has been instrumental in developing innovative community programs for more than 30 years. She works with different universities and colleges, including community organizations to promote entrepreneurship for women from diverse backgrounds.

On December 16, 2021, Vernon interviews LaKeisha Wolf, Executive Director of Ujamaa Collective, and Kandis Quam, an artist with the Ancestral Rich Treasures of Zuni Cooperative (ARTZ. Kandis and LaKeisha discuss the ethical and cultural principles of their cooperatives, and the Artwork available at their storefronts and on their websites for the Holiday season. LaKeisha Wolf is a co-founder and serves as executive director of non-profit Ujamaa Collective. She leads through the lens of creativity and community, working with artists and organizers to develop place-making strategies, models of equity for community resources, as well as local and global partnerships rooted in the values of fair trade entrepreneurship, mutual aid and wellness. Additionally, as a community cultural worker and teaching artist, LaKeisha provides support and workshops in the areas of culturally responsive arts and wellness practices and cooperative enterprise development. She is a 2021 Sybil’s Shrine Artist-in-Residence, a new artist

On December 9, 2021, Vernon interviews Dr. Caroline Shenaz Hossein, Associate Professor at the University of Toronto Scarborough, and founder of Diverse Solidarity Economies (DiSE) Collective. Dr. Hossein discusses ROSCAS (Rotating Savings & Credit Associations), and her research on alternative solidarity financial systems. Dr. Shenaz Hossein is Associate Professor of Global Development and Political Science at the University of Toronto Scarborough, and founder of Diverse Solidarity Economies (DiSE) Collective, pushing for equitable economies. She holds an Ontario Early Researcher Award (2018-2023) and her project “African origins in the Social Economy” was funded by the SSHRC (2017-2020). Dr. Hossein is an elected board member to the International Association of Feminist Economics, academic advisor at Oxford University Press and an editorial board member to the U.N. Task Force for the Social and Solidarity Economy. Dr. Hossein is the author of Politicized Microfinance (2016), co-author to Critical Introduct

Bijiibah Begaye, co-director of Cooperative Catalyst of New Mexico, discusses development of Cooperative Ecosystem in the Navajo Nation, and how the Cooperative Catalyst of New Mexico serves as a resource for individuals, groups, companies, and other organizations in New Mexico that are interested in forming, converting to, or growing cooperatives. Bijiibah Begaye is a true believer in supporting the Navajo community at every stage of development. She has previously served as Program Director for the University of Arizona Cooperative Extension, and as Executive Director of Tse Ko Community Development Corporation. In addition to her work experience, her biggest influences come from being raised in Coalmine Mesa on the Navajo Nation where her family has managed Staggered Hearts Ranch for over 40 years.

Kandis Quam, an artist with the Ancestral Rich Treasures of Zuni Cooperative (ARTZ)discusses the ARTZ Cooperative, and the rich Zuni Culture. ARTZ is the only Zuni Artists Owned and Managed Cooperative in New Mexico. The formation of the Cooperative was founded to give back the power to the artist. To ensure that artist members receive the full monetary value for their creations. Kandis grew up in an artistic family, where she learned how to navigate the art show world by observing her parents, Jayne and Lynn Quam. Her main subject matter of choice is imagery with a heavy Zuni influence. Through the use of visual media Kandis seeks to bridge the past with the present and create change through beauty. She also hopes to instill a sense of cultural preservation in the modern age younger generation through art.

Casey Fannon, Acting Chief Executive Officer at National Cooperative Bank (NCB) discusses the role of NCB in cooperative development, and future strategic plans for NCB, Since joining NCB in 1996, Mr. Fannon has dedicated his entire career to National Cooperative Bank and has served as its President since March 2020. In that role, Mr. Fannon has worked on new product and market development, commercial real estate, capital markets and has managed NCB’s loan and deposit production across all NCB’s customer segments. He is known within the cooperative community as an advocate for affordable housing and for supporting new cooperative development. Mr. Fannon has worked closely with NCBA CLUSA in advancing the Principle Six Initiative, which brings cross-sector co-ops together to accelerate cooperative growth. In addition to serving on NCB’s Board, Mr. Fannon currently serves on the Board of Directors of Capital Impact Partners, a national Community Development Financial Institution (CDFI). Mr. Fannon received

Vernon Discusses the United Nations General Assembly's proclamation of the International Decade for People of African Descent (IDPAD), which was made in December 2013, for the decade of 2015 through 2024. He discusses previous social justice movements, notes the similarities between them, and then offers the alternative to use cooperatives to solve the community problems cited by the different movements.

Vernon Oakes, and co-host, John Holdsclaw, are joined by Leaders from the cooperative community to pay tribute to Chuck E. Snyder, President/CEO of National Cooperative Bank (NCB), who made his transition on November 6, 2021. Chuck was a highly respected leader who left an impression on everyone he met. Everything Co-op was pleased to provide a platform for the co-op community to express their extreme sense of loss, and the impact Chuck had on their lives, and/or organizations. Those who paid tribute to Chuck included the following people: Doug O'Brien, Roberta MacDonald, Mary Ann Rothman, Cornelius Blanding, Liz Bailey, Mike Mercer, Leslie Mead, Martin Lowery, Barry Silver, Rich LaRochelle, Paul Hazen, Mary Alex Blanton, David Thompson, RL Condra, Michael Peck, and Pat Thornton. The comments were so heartfelt, and rich we felt they should be shared, and would serve to sooth the pain of Chuck’s unexpected transition. For that reason, we invite you to listen to the show on the live stream platforms on Than

10/14/2021 - Karen Zimbelman, Sr. Director of Membership and Cooperative Relations at National Co+op Grocers discusses her career in the cooperative movement. Karen was recently inducted into the Cooperative Hall of Fame for her contribution to the co-op movement over her career of more than 40 years. Karen Zimbelman’s cooperative career began in the 1980s at the North American Students of Cooperation (NASCO) where she implemented board of director trainings. Over her 40-year career, she has organized hundreds of trainings benefiting thousands of cooperative board members. Since then, Karen has worked at North Coast Co-op, NCBA CLUSA, Rochdale Institute, and National Co+op Grocers (NCG). After three years as North Coast Co-op’s Director of Membership and HR, Karen began her next career phase as a cooperative consultant. During this time, she served as the newsletter editor for the Association of Co-op Educators, developed a tailored co-op orientation manual for food co-op staff, and served as the Executive D

In observance of Hispanic Heritage Month,on October 7, 2021, Vernon interviews Pablo DeFilippi, CUDE, Sr Vice President of Membership and Network Engagement at Inclusiv. The theme for this year's celebration is “Esperanza: A Celebration of Hispanic Heritage and Hope.” The theme encourages us to reflect on all of the contributions Hispanics have made in the past, and will continue to make in the future. Throughout his career Pablo has worked tirelessly to expand access to capital for Hispanics. Particularly in underserved communities. Vernon and Pablo discuss the impact that Community Development Credit Unions have on low-income communities. Pablo DeFilippi is currently Sr. VP at Inclusiv, a national, nonprofit association of over 400 credit unions and CDFI intermediary that represents supports and invests in credit unions serving predominantly low-income, financially underserved communities. In this capacity he leads Inclusiv’s membership development and engagement strategies and manages Inclusiv /Network,

Vern Dosch, retired National Information Solutions Cooperative (NISC) President and CEO, discusses his experiences throughout his career. Vern coupled the spirit of cooperation, a commitment to rural America, and cutting-edge technology to help utilities and telecoms provide quality, affordable service to consumer-members. Under his leadership, NISC became a leading provider of IT and software solutions to utility and telecommunication cooperatives, helping its members become more efficient and improve customer service while setting the stage for economic expansion in rural America. NISC’s success under Vern’s leadership (2002-2020) is well documented. Membership grew from 392 to more than 850; the employee population grew from 400 to approximately 1,400; investment in research and development grew from $1 million to more than $50 million; and his stewardship delivered record annual margins. Vern's influence, however, extends far beyond those numbers. Throughout his career, he was active in local and natio

Doug O’Brien, President and CEO of the National Cooperative Business Association CLUSA International (NCBA CLUSA), John Torres, VP of Communication and Public Relations at NCBA/CLUSA, and Paul Hazen, Executive Director of the U.S. Overseas Cooperative Development Council (OCDC)discuss the 2021 Cooperative IMPACT Conference. Follow link to register: https://web.cvent.com/event/c9469aae-156e-42c1-9c44-ec4ff9a4bf4c/regProcessStep1 NCBA CLUSA’s Cooperative IMPACT Conference will be held October 4-8, 2021. This annual conference provides an unparalleled platform to reenergize the cooperative movement and galvanize its champions around building an inclusive economy. The conference is a hybrid event this year and includes a robust lineup of virtual programming with select live events taking place at the National Press Club on October 7 and 8. With five days of programming, 40 sessions and close to 100 speakers, IMPACT 2021 will explore how our cooperative identity finds expression. Whether working to dismantle rac

Cynthia Pinchback-Hines PhD, Racial Justice Educator & Co-op Developer, of Co-op Cincy, discusses the "Power in Numbers: Black Co-op U" and "Business Legacy Fund" Programs, and announced the Annual Union Co-op Symposium, which will be held on November 12 & 13, virtually and in-person. The 1st day of the conference will be virtual, and the 2nd day will be in-person in Cincinnati. Dr. Pinchback-Hines, has a professional career spanning four decades. She is a community activist and organizer, educator, organizational development consultant, diversity leader, entrepreneur, and board member to several non-profits. Cynthia holds a PhD. in Educational Leadership for Higher Education. She has taught at Virginia State University, Delaware State University, and served as Associate Dean of African American Affairs & Ethnic Services at Northern Kentucky University, where she provided academic, cultural, and social support to African American students. In addition, she has presented at numerous professional conferences