Everything Co-op with Vernon Oakes

Vernon Interviews Ms. Noémi Giszpenc, Executive Director of Cooperative Development Institute. Vernon and Noémi discuss the role that cooperatives can play in the Arts,the role that African American Women have played in the cooperative movement, and CDI's work to help start-up cooperatives, and support existing cooperative businesses. Ms. Giszpenc, manages the day-to-day activities of the organiza...

Vernon Oakes, Host of Everything Co-op, Interviews Janis Hazel, ANC Commissioner and Director of Communications for Washington, D.C. Councilmember, Vincent Gray. Vernon and Janis discuss legislation introduced by Councilmember Gray, and how cooperatives can help to advance his agenda. Janis is serving a third term as an Advisory Neighborhood Commissioner (ANC 7D05) in Ward 7 of Washington, DC. She...

Vernon interviews John D. Johnson, retired President & CEO, CHS Inc., and 2017 Cooperative Hall of Fame Inductee. Vernon and John discuss his life work and experiences as a leader in the cooperative movement, and the history of CHS Inc. and how the cooperative business model and guiding principles were used to establish the business. John Johnson's vision and unwavering belief in the cooperative v...

Richard Larochelle, retired Senior Vice President, National Rural Utilities Cooperative Finance Corporation, and 2017 Cooperative Hall of Fame Inductee appears on Everything Co-op, Vernon and Richard discuss the food co-op he's helping to form in his community, and his life work and experiences as a leader in the cooperative movement. Rich Larochelle has spent his life championing the cooperative...

Everything Co-ops Host, Vernon Oakes, interviews Rodney North, Cooperative Consultant, and member of the DC Cooperative Stakeholders Group. Vernon and Rodney discuss events and initiatives of the Stakeholders Group, their upcoming workshop, “How Co-ops Strengthen Neighborhoods,” and the DC Anchor Partnership. Rodney North has spent more than two decades in co-ops, helping co-ops, or advocating for...

Vernon and Doug discuss the programs, resources and events offered through NCBA/CLUSA. They also so discuss efforts to establish a food cooperative in Washington, DC's Wards 7 and 8, and resources that are available to assist groups with starting food cooperatives. They rounded out the show with a discussion about the work that is being done through the CLUSA International arm of the organization....

Vernon and Michael discuss his White Paper, "MRAGA" - Make Rural America Great Again: An Infrastructure Road-Map for Rural America's High-Road Institutional Stewards. Michael Peck strives to overcome inequalities of wealth/income, opportunity, and social mobility by applying the sixty years of Mondragon experience and principles to form, transform, and transition worker co-ops and union co-ops. Si...

Vernon and Dr. Hoyt discuss the influence Women have had within the cooperative movement; organizations and resources available to help cooperative startups, and how women have used cooperatives to solve community problems. Hoyt is an internationally known expert on cooperatives, who began her distinguished career in the 1960s as a member of the Berkley Consumer Food Co-op. Her academic interest i...

Vernon Oakes and Ms. Haynes discussed her life work and experiences as a leader in the cooperative movement, and how Faith Community United Credit Union changed lives and addressed so many community problems during her tenure. Rita Haynes dedicated her nearly 60-year career to serving the financial needs of disadvantaged communities in Cleveland, Ohio. Her innovations transformed the credit union...

As we continue our celebration of Women's History Month, and focus on the theme of Honoring Trailblazing Women in Labor and Business, we pay tribute to an advocate who is a true trailblazer Ms. Elizabeth (Liz) Bailey. Vernon and Ms. Bailey discuss the role women have played in the "herstory" of cooperative movement, and in the facets of the movement that she has personally been involved with. Liz...

Vernon interviews Melissa Hoover, founding Executive Director of the Democracy at Work Institute, and Anh-Thu Nguyen, Director of Special Projects for the Democracy at Work Institute. Vernon and his guests discuss the recent growth in worker cooperatives, worker cooperative initiatives being implemented at the city level across the country, the recent developments surrounding initiatives to develo...

Vernon interviews LaKeisha Wolf, Executive Director of Ujamaa Collective. Vernon and LaKeisha discuss her role as a leader in the cooperative movement; the evolution of Ujamaa Collective; and her development as a leader in the cooperative movement. As a first-generation Pittsburgher, LaKeisha Wolf has developed her roots across the community working at the intersection of social justice, arts, cul...

Vernon and Justin discussed the importance cooperatives, and how some of the Executive Orders and other actions taken by President Trump might impact communities that are dependent on Federal aid. During his career, Justin has worked in the legislative, executive, and judicial branches of government, developing a keen insight into solving the challenges that face Virginia families today. As an Ass...

Vernon interviews Annie Hill , President of the Potomac Association of Housing Cooperatives. Vernon and Annie discuss her role as a leader in the cooperatives movement, the role cooperatives play in providing affordable housing options, and the Association's 41st Annual Conference, which will be held April 27 - 29, in Dover Downs Hotel. The Potomac Association of Housing Cooperatives, Inc. (PAHC),...

Monica Rainge, Esq, Director of Land Retention & Advocacy for The Federation of Southern Cooperatives/Land Assistance Fund is interviewed by host of Everything Co-op, Vernon Oakes. Vernon and Monica discuss Heir Property, and the services that are provided through the Federation of Southern Cooperatives Land Assistance Fund (FSC/LAF) to help to retain, and regain land in the communities it represe...

Vernon Oakes Interviews John Holdsclaw, Senior VP of Corporate Affairs at National Cooperative Bank (NCB). Vernon and John discuss the role cooperatives play in addressing critical issues in low to moderate Income communities, and the tools that are used to sustain them. Holdsclaw is NCB's first Senior VP of Corporate Affairs. He is charged with the development of new bank relationships and manage...

Vernon Interviews Nikki Thompson and Judy Davis, Managers of GLUT Food Cooperative Vernon interviews Judy, a manager at GLUT Food Co-op. Vernon and Judy will discuss the structure of the cooperative, the value it brings to the community, and the area of the store she manages. Judy has been managing the Health and Beauty section of the store for more than 35 years. She orders everything from Essent...

Rosemary Mahoney, Principal of Mahoney Consulting, LLC appears on Everything Co-op. Vernon and Rosemary discuss her career in cooperative development, and the strategies and analytical tools available to assess the viability of a cooperative. Ms. Mahoney is Principal of Mahoney Consulting, LLC, where she works as an independent consultant on cooperative development and community projects. She is t...

Vernon Interviews Paul Hazen, Executive Director, U.S. Overseas Cooperative Development Council. Vernon and Paul discuss his career in the cooperative movement; the Community Purchasing Alliance, and how OCDC brings together organizations committed to building a more prosperous world through cooperatives. Paul Hazen became executive director of the Overseas Cooperative Development Council in Febru...

Dr. Jessica Gordon Nembhard, Professor and Author of Collective Courage: A History of African American Cooperative Economic Thought and Practice appears on Everything Co-op. Mr. Oakes and Dr. Gordon Nembhard discuss her work on the development of worker Cooperatives with incarcerated and returning citizens, The Movement for Black Lives and other initiatives she has supported.

Vernon and Steve discuss Food For Change, his current film production, and how he uses a variety of storytelling techniques to convey the stories of today's cooperative movement. Alves is an award-winning documentary filmmaker who graduated from the University of Southern California Film School. After working in Hollywood and New York City as a film editor for 10 years, he moved to western Massach...

Vernon interviews Gabe Snow and Laura Vogel, representatives from NRECA's (National Rural Electric Cooperative Association) Co-ops Vote team. Vernon and his guests discuss the resources that can be found on the Vote.coop website, the purpose of the site, and the importance of the upcoming presidential election. Co-ops Vote is a non-partisan project of America's Electric Cooperatives, designed to i...

Howard Brodsky, Co-founder, Chairman, and Chief Executive Officer of CCA Global Partners is interviewed by Vernon Oakes. Vernon and Howard discuss how he has used the cooperative business model to expand his cooperative partners, new ways to use social media to promote the cooperatives, and the organization he currently Chairs; Cooperatives for a Better World. Howard Brodsky is one of the leading...

Gina Schaefer Co-Founder & CEO of 11 ACE Hardware Stores appears on Everything Co-op. Vernon and Gina discuss the evolution of her business, how she and her husband Marc have integrated cooperative principles into their business practices, and how they have been able to open 11 stores in several markets in twelve years. Gina Schaefer is the Co-Founder and CEO of 11 Ace Hardware stores located in W...

Vernon Oakes, Host of Everything Co-op, continues his evaluation of the 2016 Presidential Candidates as it relates to cooperative values and principles. Vernon takes the grades that were assigned to candidates during the previous discussion, and extends his evaluation based on the actions and platforms of the 2016 Presidential Candidates.