Greg Brodsky, Director of Start.coop discusses the Start dot Co-ops Accelerator Program for cooperatively owned businesses. Start.coop empowers entrepreneurs in building transformative, scalable, cooperatively owned businesses, and in creating viable, sustainable alternatives to economic consolidation. Brodsky is the Director of Start.coop, which is an accelerator for cooperatively owned businesses. Prior to assuming his current position, he founded the Bike Cooperative which is a purchasing gro...
Oct 01, 2019•51 min
Dr. Martin Lowery, Executive Vice President, Emeritus of National Rural Electric Cooperative Association (NRECA) is interviewed on Everything Co-op. Vernon and Dr. Lowery discuss significant moments he has experienced as an advocate of cooperatives, and the work he is currently doing. He also chronicles many historical moments of the International Cooperative Alliance, NRECA, National Cooperative Business Association CLUSA International, and many other organizations. For more than three decades,...
Sep 30, 2019•52 min
Ed Whitfield and Sohnie Black, of the Fund for Democratic Communities are Interviewed on Everything Co-op. Vernon and his guests discuss the journey of the Renaissance Community Cooperative. Renaissance is a food co-op that recently closed. Even though the cooperative closed, a lot of lessons were learned during the whole process of planning and finally opening the grocery co-op covered a span of eight years. The introspective look at those lessons was quite revealing. Ed Whitfield is co-founder...
Sep 23, 2019•51 min
Vernon interviews John Torres, VP of Communication and Public Relations for the National Cooperative Business Association CLUSA International. Vernon and John discuss the 2019 Cooperative IMPACT Conference, and other initiatives being sponsored by NCBA CLUSA. The conference will be held on October 2-4, at the Sheraton Pentagon City Hotel, in Arlington, Virginia. John currently serves as the Vice President of Communication and Public Relations for the National Cooperative Business Association CLU...
Sep 08, 2019•51 min
On Thursday, August 15, 2019 Everything Co-op host Vernon Oakes, and co-producer RL Condra hosted the show live from the Federation of Southern Cooperatives Land Assistance Fund's 52nd Annual Meeting. Vernon Oakes discusses the 52nd Annual Meeting of the Federation of Southern Co-operatives with the Executive Director, Cornelius Blanding, and RL Condra and Vernon discuss the history of Everything Co-op, and the most memorable lessons, and guests of the show. Vernon and Cornelius also discussed t...
Sep 06, 2019•50 min
Representative Edmond Dwayne Jordan, is a Democratic member of the Louisiana House of Representatives for District 29. Vernon and Rep. Jordan discuss his role on the Board of Directors of Essential Federal Credit Union, how cooperatives can be used to address community problems in Louisiana, and how his commitment to those persons who are underrepresented in society aligns with cooperative values and principles. Representative Jordan is an attorney and politician. On May 14, 2016, he won a speci...
Sep 05, 2019•49 min
Richard Larochelle, Co-op Instructor, and Cooperative Hall of Fame member is interviewed by host Vernon Oakes. Vernon and Richard discuss the co-op course he teaches at the University of Mary Washington, and the different ways he continues to support the cooperative movement. Although retired now, Rich Larochelle continues to contribute to the advancement of cooperatives through his involvement with a startup food co-op in his community, and by teaching cooperative principles. Rich is a founding...
Aug 21, 2019•50 min
Bianca Vazquez, Director of Beloved Community Incubator (BCI), discusses the genesis of the organization, and resources and services that are offered to support the development of cooperatives. She also walks through the case history of Dulce Hogar Cleaning Cooperative, a cooperative the organization helped to form. Bianca Vazquez has been at the Steinbruck Center since August of 2011. In 2011. Bianca graduated with an interdisciplinary major in Sociology and Political Science from Loyola Univer...
Aug 09, 2019•52 min
Kimberly Smith, CEO and founder of Marjani, a Beauty and Cosmetics Company for women of color is interviewed on Everything Co-op. Vernon and Kimberly discuss how Marjani fulfills its mission, and how it has used a cooperative business model to accommodate the business structure that was desired. As an Ivy League trained attorney, Kimberly advised companies navigating the complex regulatory world of the health care industry, but growing up, Kimberly always had a passion for fashion and beauty. "I...
Aug 07, 2019•50 min
Peggy Fogarty, Executive Director at the Keystone Development Center, KDC, discusses how KDC works with the development of emerging Co-ops. She talks about her background in the cooperative movement, and shares examples of how KDC has helped to develop co-ops in each of the Cooperative sectors; including worker, consumer, purchasing and marketing. In addition to being the Executive Director of KDC, Peggy Fogarty is the board/organization liaison. She oversees KDC's funding plan, finances, operat...
Jul 21, 2019•51 min
Community development specialist Margaret Lund, and research analyst Leiha Edmonds discuss The "ABCs of Co-op Impact," and cooperative development. 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 ...
Jul 20, 2019•52 min
Stephen R. McDow II, Director of Membership, Outreach and Education at the Keystone Development Center is interviewed on Everything Co-op, by host Vernon Oakes. Vernon and Stephen discuss the role cooperatives can play in addressing community problems. Most especially that of food desserts, and the recent proliferation of dollar stores in low income communities, and the impact the lack of access to healthy food can have on life expectancy in those communities. Stephen R. McDow II has dedicated h...
Jun 28, 2019•51 min
Alex Stone, Executive Director of CooperationWorks! (CW), is interviewed on Everything Co-op, by host Vernon Oakes. Vernon and Alex discuss her experiences in the cooperative movement, and how Cooperation Works! uses its national network of Cooperative Development Centers, to help revitalize communities through effective cooperative enterprise development. Alex Stone first became involved with co-ops through student housing co-ops at UC Berkeley, where she lived for three years and participated ...
Jun 24, 2019•48 min
Jennifer Bryant, Program Manager for Community Wealth Building Initiatives at Washington Area Community Investment Fund(Wacif), appears on Everything Co-op. Jennifer and Vernon discuss strategies to preserve wealth in communities, and how worker owned cooperatives can be used as an exit strategy for retiring baby boomer executives. As Program Manager for Community Wealth Building Initiatives, Jennifer leads the DC Employee Ownership Initiative, a strategic investment to preserve legacy businesse...
Jun 20, 2019•49 min
Gina Schaefer Co-Founder & CEO of 11 ACE Hardware Stores is interviewed by Vernon Oakes, Host of Everything Co-op. Gina and Vernon discuss how she and her husband Marc have been able to open so many stores, their path to success, their benefit packages, community participation and the value of treating people well. Gina Schaefer is the Co-Founder and CEO of 11 ACE Hardware stores located in Washington, D.C., Baltimore, Maryland, and Alexandria, Virginia. She is a passionate entrepreneur who ...
Jun 09, 2019•49 min
Host of Everything Co-op, Vernon Oakes interviews Rod Kelsay, Executive Director of Mid America Cooperative Council (MACC). Vernon and Rod discuss efforts of the Council to address the lack of unique co-op educational resources available in the Midwestern region, and the moral values and principles that will help sustain cooperative businesses. MACC is a multi-state, non-profit trade association founded in January 2003, by a group of like-minded individuals. These individuals understood the impa...
Jun 02, 2019•26 min
Amy White Abbott, Director of Community Purchasing Alliance (CPA), appears on Everything Co-op, a nationally broadcast radio show. Vernon and Amy discuss benefits provided to members of CPA, Employment opportunities to join CPA, and examples of how the cooperative has helped leverage the power of its members to address common problems. Prior to CPA Amy was a community organizer in Northern Virginia where Amy taught citizens how to build power in order to change their communities. Amy helped hund...
May 31, 2019•50 min
Vernon Oakes, host of Everything Co-op interviews Roberta MacDonald, Senior Vice President of Marketing at Cabot Creamery Cooperative. Vernon and Roberta discuss the 2019 Cooperative Hall of Fame Awards Ceremony, the ABC's of Cooperatives, and much, much, more! Roberta thrives on her 40 years of marketing experience. She and her much beloved fellow Farmer Champions throughout Cabot Creamery Co-op have spent the last thirty helping a nearly bankrupt, small farm family owned dairy cooperative beco...
May 24, 2019•50 min
2019 Co-op Hall of Fame Inductee, Richard Ensweiler is interviewed on Everything Co-op on May 2, 2019. Vernon and Richard discuss his career, and the many contributions he has made to the cooperative movement. Richard Ensweiler's legendary, 50-year career in cooperative finance began in college, where he planned to score a career in basketball coaching. Instead, he took a summer job at State Central Credit Union. Soon, he was a management trainee headed for the top position at Harley Davidson Cr...
May 05, 2019•50 min
Vernon interviews 2019 Co-op Hall of Fame Inductee, Anne Reynolds, Director of the University of Wisconsin Center for Co-ops, retired. Vernon and Anne discuss her career, and the many contributions she has made to the cooperative movement. In 1996, Anne joined the staff of the University of Wisconsin Center for Cooperatives, as the center was beginning to transfer its internationally renowned cooperative library online. Anne's role at the center transitioned over the years; by 2014, she was Exec...
May 03, 2019•24 min
2019 Co-op Hall of Fame Inductee, Richard Stammer is interviewed on Everything Co-op, a nationally broadcast radio show. Stammer is the former President and CEO of Agri-Mark Inc. and Cabot Creamery Cooperative. Vernon and Richard discuss his career, and the many contributions he has made to the cooperative movement. A leader in the U.S. dairy industry for half a century, Richard Stammer helped New England dairy cooperatives sidestep bankruptcy with a daring merger that today generates sales appr...
May 01, 2019•48 min
Kristen Barker, Executive Director of the Cincinnati Union Co-op Initiative (CUCI, discusses how the Union Co-op has helped Cooperatives to Form, Grow and Transition from Employer to Employee owned businesses. Kristen Barker is a social entrepreneur. She is Co-Founder and Executive Director of the Cincinnati Union Co-op Initiative, and is a Co-Founder of 1worker1vote. She designs and leads participatory education events with English- and Spanish-speaking co-op workers, and helps worker-owners ma...
Apr 07, 2019•52 min
2019 Co-op Hall of Fame Inductee, Terry Appleby is interviewed on March 28, 2019. Vernon and Terry discuss his career and many contributions to the cooperative movement. Mr. Appleby started his co-op career at Puget Consumer Co-op, in 1980. He worked in several areas at PCC, starting as a clerk, department and store management, merchandising director and general management, and also served two terms on the PCC board of directors during a period of rapid growth. After leaving PCC in 1992, he beca...
Apr 04, 2019•48 min
As Everything Co-op continues its celebration of Women's History Month, Julian Rowand honors his mother, Nancy Rowand, the first site manager of Beecher Cooperative, and other women who helped to establish the cooperative. Julian Rowand was a long-time member of the Beecher Cooperative and is now the cooperative’s site manager. He and Vernon also discuss the role women have played in the establishment of cooperatives in the Washington DC area, and throughout the world. Julian shares the history ...
Mar 31, 2019•52 min
In celebration of National Women's History Month, Everything Co-op honors women in the cooperative movement. The 2019 theme for Women's History Month is "Visionary Women: Champions of Peace and Nonviolence." This week Vernon interviews a visionary woman, Dr. Jessica Gordon Nembhard, Dr. Gordon Nembhard is Chair of the Department of Africana Studies at John Jay College, City University of New York, and Professor of Community Justice and Social Economic Development. She is also author of "Collecti...
Mar 09, 2019•51 min
LaKeisha Wolf, Executive Director of Ujamaa Collective discusses the history of the collective and its plans to expand. Vernon and Lakeisha also discuss the role that Ujamaa Collective plays in the community, and how it has incorporated the needs of the community to create other cooperatives, which is in keeping with the meaning of it's name. Ujamaa is the fourth of the seven Nguzo Saba principles of Kwanzaa, and it means Cooperative Economics. Vernon and Lakeisha also discuss the other six prin...
Mar 04, 2019•49 min
Deb Trocha, Executive Director of the International Cooperative Development Center, and Stuart Reid, Executive Director of the Food Co-op Initiative, are interviewed Live by Vernon Oakes at the Up & Coming Conference on February 28, 2019. They discuss the sessions offered at the conference, the history of the conference and the different audiences that may benefit from the conference. Held each year since 2010, Up and Coming is coordinated by the Indiana Cooperative Development Center, and i...
Mar 02, 2019•49 min
Debbie Trocha, Executive Director of the Indiana Cooperative Development Center (ICDC), is interviewed by Vernon Oakes. Vernon and Deb discuss the Up & Coming Food Co-op Conference on on February 14, 2019. The Up and Coming Food Co-op Conference is focused on helping communities start and launch their own food co-ops. This event also offers resources and workshops for co-ops in the first years of operation, with the aim of helping them achieve success. The 2019 conference will be hosted at t...
Feb 25, 2019•26 min
David Hincapie, Economic Development Specialist and Veteran Business Development Officer for the Washington Metropolitan Area District Office of the U.S. Small Business Administration, and Debbie Trocha, Executive Director of the Indiana Cooperative Development Center (ICDC) are interviewed by Vernon Oakes on Everything Co-op, February 14, 2019. For more information on the Up & Coming Conference visit http://icdc.coop/up-coming-2019. Vernon and his guests discuss recent developments regardin...
Feb 25, 2019•46 min
Everything Co-op begins it's celebration of Black History Month by embracing the 2019 theme of Black Migrations, as declared by the Association for the Study of African American Life and History with Co-op leader and author David Thompson. David returns to the mick to discuss a different aspect of his upcoming book, Cooperatives and the Civil Rights Movement, by focusing on the cooperative affiliations of leaders who planned and participated in the March on Washington. David Thompson, has worked...
Feb 18, 2019•50 min
