Everything Co-op with Vernon Oakes

Vernon interviews Bruce Mayer, Partner at Wegner CPAs. Vernon and Bruce will discuss the role of CPAs in the business side of running a cooperative, and the importance of observing all the rules associated with non-profit accounting. They also discuss how Wegner's belief in doing what is right for its clients and employees results in creating an environment that improve performance and operational...

Everything Co-op broadcast live from the New Deal Cafe, in Greenbelt, Maryland. This was the first of our live Broadcasts, to be held at a cafe where our listening audience was able to witness the broadcast while patronizing a co-op restaurant. The café is a non-stock, cooperative membership corporation organized and existing under the laws of the State of Maryland. It was named in honor of Works...

Everything Coop broadcast live from the Cincinnati Union Co-op Initiative's (CUCI) 4th Biennial Union Co-op Symposium, Liberating our Futures Together: Building the Cooperative Ecosystem. Vernon interviews Roger Green, Organizer of Brooklyn's Save Interfaith Coalition. Vernon and Roger discuss the construct he has been formulating to build community labor coalitions and unionized worker co-ops to...

Daniel Weickenand, CEO of Orion Federal Credit Union is interviewed by Vernon Oakes. Vernon and Daniel discuss how Orion's commitment to community development has transformed communities, and the strategies he used to turn around distressed financial institutions. Under Weikenand's leadership, Orion has grown to become the largest credit union in west Tennessee with more than 72,000 members and ne...

Everything Co-op broadcast live from Capitol Hill, with attendees of the Eastern Conference for Workplace Democracy (ECWD). The conference was held in Baltimore, Maryland, October 18 - 20, 2019. Four attendees of the conference discuss their backgrounds in cooperatives, and what they hope to gain from participating in the conference. The ECWD, founded in 2002, is a conference that builds awareness...

Ron Hantz, Board President of the Network for Developing Conscious Communities (NDCC), appears on Everything Co-op. Ron and Vernon discuss NDCC's upcoming 2019 Symposium: Racial Equitable Community Development, and how the Network uses cooperative principles to build economically sound and equitable communities. Hantz has more than 28 years of experience in the development of affordable housing. A...

Councilmember Anita Bonds(CM Bonds), the At-Large Member of DC Council, discusses the Limited Equity Co-op Task Force, and other Affordable Housing Strategies on Everything Co-op. Vernon and CM Bonds discuss the Limited Equity Cooperative Task Force she established, and her view of how cooperatives can be used to address housing and other community concerns in the District of Columbia. Anita Bonds...

Members of NCBA CLUSA's Youth Empowerment Through Agriculture Group are Interviewed on Everything Co-op, at at its 2019 IMPACT Conference, Power in Purpose, Building the Next Economy. Everything Co-op was honored to serve as NCBA CLUSA's media partner for this year's IMPACT Conference. The IMPACT conference, is a premier opportunity to network with co-op developers, financiers, economists, governm...

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 businesse...

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...

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...

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 P...

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...

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...

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 wi...

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. Bi...

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 o...

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...

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, hous...

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 t...

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-...

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, Jenn...

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 Washin...

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 f...

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 Virgini...