Everything Co-op with Vernon Oakes

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 G...

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...

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 m...

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...

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 cooperati...

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 mo...

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 pa...

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 resear...

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,...

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 Fel...

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 t...

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, sup...

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...

May 19, 2022 Marjaana Saarikoski, Director, Cooperative Affairs at SOK Corporation discusses her extensive experience with cooperatives, and how the country of Finland is impacted by having more than 90% of its households as members of cooperatives. Marjanna Saarikoski has spent a major part of her career with consumer cooperative S Group. Since 1983 she has held various leadership positions in sa...

May 12, 2022 Vernon interviews Pamela Madzima, Alabama State Coordinator for the Federation of Southern Cooperatives/LAF. Ms. Madzima discusses the Alabama Cooperative Ecosystem, and her experiences at the Federation of Southern Cooperatives/LAF. Based at the Rural Training and Research Center in Epes, Alabama, Pamela Madzima has worked with the Federation of Southern Cooperatives/Land Assistance...

On May 5, 2022, Vernon interviewed Stuart Reid, Executive Director of the Food Co-op Initiative (FCI). Vernon and Stuart discussed his experiences and accomplishments at FCI, along with his projections and initiatives for the future. Stuart Reid began his career in grocery as a carry-out and stock clerk for the Windom, Minnesota Hy-Vee store back in 1972, never believing for a minute that he would...

Ann Fedorchak and Mary Alex Blanton, of National Cooperative Bank (NCB); and Alison Powers, of Capital Impact Partners discuss the history, purpose and impact of the Cooperative Innovation Award. National Cooperative Bank in partnership with Capital Impact Partners, launched the 2022 Co-op Innovation Award to empower organizations to increase economic opportunity for the communities they serve, an...

Professor Stacey Sutton discusses the Ideology of Black-led Cooperatives and the Solidarity Economy Ecosystem. The discussion focused on discussion will focus on Sutton’s research study "Real Black Utopias," a cooperative city research study, where she examines the infrastructure and ideology of Black-led cooperatives and solidarity economy ecosystem in multiple cities. Stacey Sutton partners with...

John Holdsclaw IV, President and CEO of Rochdale Capital, a new loan development fund that aims to support community-based organizations and co-ops, discusses the launch of Rochdale Capital, and the Importance of Community Loan Programs. John Holdsclaw IV recently launched Rochdale Capital. The recently formed loan fund was formed to advance the development of community ownership and asset buildin...

Ron Hantz, Executive Director of Network for Developing Conscious Communities, and educator/author Dr. Ann Gessler give an overview of the upcoming Black Cooperative Agenda National Conference, and New Orleans' cooperative development. Ron Hantz has been instrumental in advocating a new community development paradigm based on “conscious community development” He is a former Adjunct Professor, in t...

Jessica Gordon-Nembhard, Ph. D., Professor at John Jay College, and economic social justice advocate discusses her research on Black women in the U.S. co-op movement, and the Cooperative Development Fund's "Unsung Heroes Project" Author of Collective Courage: A History of African American Cooperative Economic Thought and Practice (2014) & 2016 inductee into the U.S. Cooperative Hall of Fame, Jessi...

Everything Co-op kikced off its recognition of Women's History Month, with a focus on this year's theme of "Women Providing Healing, Promoting Hope." In our first installment, Vernon interviews Melbah McAfee Smith, retired Executive Director of the Mississippi Center for Cooperative Development, and a 2009 inductee into the Cooperative Hall of Fame. Vernon and Ms. McAfee Smith discussed her experi...

February 24, 2022 Everything Co-op closes out its recognition of Black History Month, with a webinar, focused on this year's theme of "Black Health and Wealth." The featured guest for the inaugural webinar were Thomas and Anita Roberson, owners of Botanical Bites and Provisions, LLC. Vernon and the Robersons discuss the role their plants, vegetables, and farm products play in the "Health and Wealt...

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 recov...

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 leader...