Everything Co-op With Vernon Oakes

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

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

August 11, 2022 Everything Co-op continues its recognition of the 2022 Cooperative Hall of Fame Inductees, with Gary Oakland, former Executive Director of BECU. Vernon and Gary discuss his 32-year career at BECU, and how he helped grow BECU to become the 4th largest Credit Union in the Country. After earning a degree in economics from Washington State University in 1975, Gary started his cooperative journey as a teller at Seattle Telco Federal Credit Union. He went on to work for BECU in 1980 where he began his 32-year tenure, first as Director of Finance and then as CEO in 1986. When he took over BECU, it had around $700 million in assets. Gary helped grow Washington-based BECU to the 4th largest credit union in the country, with 700,000 members and $10 billion in assets when he retired as CEO in 2012. While Gary led BECU to unprecedented growth, it was his commitment to improving the financial lives of members and serving the needs of other cooperatives and communities, that make him a true cooperator. He

August 8, 2022: Esteban Kelly, Executive Director of the US Federation of Worker Cooperatives discusses the upcoming National Worker Co-op Conference, Worker Cooperative State of the Sector Report, and recently passed legislation. Esteban Kelly is the Executive Director at the US Federation of Worker Cooperatives. He is also an important leader and creative force in solidarity economy and co-op movements. He has served on numerous boards including the USFWC, the US Solidarity Economy Network, the National Cooperative Business Association (NCBA-CLUSA), and the Cooperative Development Foundation (CDF). He is a co-founder of the cross-sector Philadelphia Area Cooperative Alliance (PACA), and recently worked at the New Economy Coalition as Development Director and then Staff Director. Esteban is a mayoral appointee to the Philadelphia Food Policy Advisory Council, following eight years as a worker-owner at Mariposa Food Co-op institutionalizing its staff collective and expanding food access in West Philly. T

July 14, 2022 Everything Co-op kicks-off its recognition of the 2022 Cooperative Hall of Fame Inductees with Paul Hazen, executive director of the Overseas Cooperative Development Council (OCDC). Vernon and Paul discuss his experiences in the cooperative movement throughout his career, and the role he feels cooperatives have played in helping cities to rebound from the economic collapses of the past. Paul Hazen became executive director of the Overseas Cooperative Development Council in February 2012. Throughout his career, Hazen has championed the U.S. cooperative system. He has helped establish federal legislation promoting rural co-op development, formed a national network of co-op development centers and initiated national research into the impact of co-ops on the U.S. economy. Prior to joining OCDC, Hazen was CEO of the Washington, D.C.-based National Cooperative Business Association, (NCBA). Under Hazen's leadership, NCBA's cooperative development portfolio grew from $8 million to over $30 million

June 30, 2022 Chris Tilly, Professor of Urban Planning and Sociology at UCLA, with several of his graduate students: Geoff Gusoff, Eliza Jane Franklin, and Ernest Johnson, discuss their Co-op Community Development Capstone Project, in Crenshaw, South Central, LA. Chris Tilly holds a joint Ph.D. in Economics and Urban Studies and Planning from MIT. For over thirty years, Tilly has conducted research on bad jobs and how to make them better. His current research includes ongoing examination of how implementation of digital technologies is transforming US retail jobs, as well as separate research on informal worker organizing around the world. Prior to becoming an academic, he spent seven years doing labor and community organizing. His books include Half a Job: Bad and Good Part‑Time Jobs in a Changing Labor Market, Stories Employers Tell: Race, Skills, and Hiring in America, The Gloves-Off Economy: Labor Standards at the Bottom of America’s Labor Market, and Are Bad Jobs Inevitable? Geoff Gusoff is a family m

On June 23, 2022, Vernon interviewed Emily Nail, Executive Director for the Cooperative Council of North Carolina (CCNC), along with two returning students: MaKayla Chaplin and Kylie Chandler, and one new student, Hampton Scott. Vernon and his guests discuss the Cooperative Camp experience, and how it can be used for the overall development of its participants. As Executive Director for the CCNC, Emily administers executive planning, administration, communications, education and marketing. Since assuming the position in 2015 she has worked to enhance the programs membership and get the cooperative movement networking. Emily also directs the Cooperative Leadership Camp for the summer program and training for the Cooperative Dynamics Workshop, both hosted by CCNC. Prior to her appointment at CCNC Emily served as training coordinator for High Plains Federal Credit Union and was a branch Vice President for American Chartered Bank. The Cooperative Leadership Camp is a week-long camp that allows teens to form a

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

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

6.2.2022 Gina Schaefer is founder and CEO of A Few Cool Hardware Stores appeared on Everything Co-op June 2, 2022. Gina shared the strategy of how she and her husband Mark, have used their hardware stores to build and serve communities throughout the Washington Metropolitan Area. Gina Schaefer is founder and CEO of A Few Cool Hardware Stores. Gina's big passion is for developing urban markets, supporting small businesses and helping women to succeed in all aspects of the hardware industry. A self-proclaimed "localist", Gina has tirelessly focused on the "Return to Main Street" movement in the District of Columbia, to promote Shop Local campaigns and community revitalization in urban areas. She and her husband are members of the Ace Hardware Cooperative, and they own and operate 13 hardware stores in DC, Baltimore, Alexandria, VA and Montgomery County. Gina has received numerous accolades for her many accomplishments, including recipient of the Women Who Mean Business award from the Washington Business Jour

Ajoke Williams, is a Program Manager for Guilded, a Freelance Co-op. She and Vernon discuss how Guilded leverages the power of pooled benefits, collective purchasing, and collective advocacy; to build agency, decision-making and economic power of freelance and gig economy workers. Guilded, is an initiative of the US Federation of Worker Cooperatives. Ajoke joins the Federation's team that provides tech development, fundraising, communications, project management, and consulting for artist and activist organizations. Originally from New Orleans, she has lived in several cities throughout the US and now resides in Silver Spring, Maryland. Although relatively new to the cooperative scene, she has been working on a means to bring equitable financing and access to capital to cooperative businesses throughout the Washington DC, Maryland, and Virginia area, or DMV. Previously, Ajoke worked with the DC Stakeholders Coop Association where she helped design and establish an online asset base to enhance cooperation wi