Everything Co-op With Vernon Oakes

Micha and Vernon discuss how the Cooperative Fund of New England (CFNE) uses its expertise to address racial inequities in financial institutions, by providing technical assistance, instituting standardized policies that account for racial biases; and partnering with other community organizations to deliver services. As Executive Director, Micha is responsible for executive leadership, program development, capitalization, and operations. He first joined CFNE in 2010 as a Program Manager, helping raise grant and loan capital, managing compliance reporting, and new program development. Micha's co-op involvement goes back to his undergraduate membership in the Oberlin Student Cooperative Association. He has a background in nonprofit financial management and community organizing, and holds a BA in environmental studies from Oberlin College and an MS in Community Economic Development from Southern New Hampshire University. He has also participated in the Opportunity Finance Network's leadership training program.

Vernon Interviews Nikishka Iyengar, founder and CEO of The Guild, a social enterprise, focused on building community wealth through real estate and entrepreneurship programs. Nakishka is also the owner of the Whole Systems Collective, an impact consulting and media firm with a focus on working towards a just and regenerative economy. Nikishka and Vernon discuss the democratization and governance of assets broadly, with a specific emphasis on business and real estate. The Guild was recently awarded $25,000 as a recipient of the 2020 Co-op Innovation Award, to support its mission of building community wealth through real estate, entrepreneurship programs, and access to capital, creating equitable and sustainable communities by addressing the root causes of economic inequality. The grant will help The Guild democratize ownership of businesses and real estate through a racial equity lens, and support its "whole systems" approach to providing technical assistance to Black and Brown enterprises through its Commun

Vernon and Amanda discuss how the Center builds capacities of worker cooperatives and cooperative ecosystems across the state of West Virginia, and the region. Amanda is an Appalachian Cooperative educator and advocate who develops, organizes, and implements non-traditional modes of learning within the University context. She holds an MA in Geography and conducts action research focused on cooperatives enterprises as an alternative means of grassroots economic organizing. Amanda is also a founder of FIRSTHAND Co-op a fair trade coffee company in the heart of Appalachia. As Director of Education and Outreach with the WVU Center for Resilient Communities, her work forefronts justice and equity at the center of our food systems, supporting access, affordability, and dignity for all. Amanda has used cooperative models, values, and ethos to organize with rural communities facing significant food access barriers and work with organizations aiming to build cooperative food production power across the state of

Vernon interviews Ann Fedorchak, Managing Director at National Cooperative Bank (NCB), and Michael Partis, Executive Director at the Bronx Cooperative Development Initiative (BCDI), and his team. Vernon and his guests discuss the 2020 Co-op Innovation Award, and its foundation.

Anthony Cook, Professor at Georgetown University, discusses how he uses the clinical experiential education program at Georgetown Law, to bridge the gaps between wealth, income and power. He also talks about his journey to discovering the value of the cooperative business model, and realization of how a cooperative ecosystem can be used to address the needs of under-served communities. Professor Anthony Cook is a law professor at Georgetown University. He is a graduate of Yale Law School, a magna cum laude graduate of Princeton University's program in Public and International Affairs, and is a doctoral candidate in Sustainable Urban Development at Oxford University. He teaches courses in Race and Democracy, Community Development, Cooperatives and a Practicum on Law, Entrepreneurship and Social Innovation that provides legal and business planning support to startup and early stage social impact entrepreneurs. Professor Cook is a nationally recognized scholar in critical race theory and the wor

Sarah Hrisak, Lead Coffee Roaster and Production Supervisor at Equal Exchange, Inc., talks about the employee centered focus and cooperative business structure of Equal Exchange. Vernon and Sarah also discuss how Equal Exchange has supported its employees during the COVID-19 Pandemic. Sarah supervises the roasting of about 5.5 million pounds of coffee a year to a range of roast profiles and strict quality standards. Since roasting her first batch of coffee in 2013, her roast philosophy has evolved to focus on balance and sweetness. She loves that coffee roasting is always new and changing because of the seasons of the product and New England. As an owner, Sarah served two terms as Worker-Owner Coordinator, and is currently serving her first term on the co-op's Board if Directors, where she helped rewrite the By-laws and Articles of Organization. Outside of work, she enjoys cooking, good beer, and going on adventures with her fiancé, Ashley.

Rob and Vernon discuss Marketing and Branding during COVID-19, and the role he feels it should play in the process of reshaping businesses in a post COVID-19 World. Rob is the head of Small World Communications, a web hosting and online marketing company focused on small businesses (smallworld.coop). He is a veteran of the Southern California tech scene with roots in several Idealab startups. Rob is passionate about helping people and organizations identify and achieve their goals using the same cutting-edge tools and best practices larger tech companies deploy. Rob has built several sales and support organizations, led multiple company divisions, trained leaders to develop their management skills, mentored new managers, and taught website planning workshops for local businesses through the SBA. A Chicago native, Rob embodies the combination of hope and stoicism that one expects from a rabid Chicago Bears fan.

Vernon Oakes, host of Everything Co-op discusses the plight of the United States Postal Service (USPS). We are in serious jeopardy of losing USPS unless we speak up. As cooperatives and as individuals we are all dependent on the United States Postal Service (USPS). We believe it’s time for the cooperative community to add its collective voice to the public calls for action to save the USPS. We have never needed the United States Postal Service (USPS) more than we do today! Throughout the pandemic crisis, the postal service has been a critical lifeline for the millions of American, particularly seniors and people living with disabilities, who would otherwise be forced to leave their homes for necessities like prescription medications and household essentials. This has been particularly crucial in rural America where the digital divide still looms and the services of the USPS serve as a lifeline to the rest of the world. Bottom line, we need Congress and the Administration to be reminded of the importance

Rebecca Henderson, John and Natty McArthur Professor at Harvard University discuss her recently released book "Reimagining Capitalism in a World on Fire," and the role she feels cooperatives can play in a post COVID-19 world. Rebecca Henderson is one of 25 University Professors at Harvard University, a research fellow at the National Bureau of Economic Research and a fellow of both the British Academy and of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. She is an expert on innovation and organizational change, and her research explores the degree to which the private sector can play a major role in building a more sustainable economy focusing particularly on the relationships between organizational purpose and innovation and productivity. Her publications include the books Leading Sustainable Change and Accelerating Energy Innovation: Lessons from multiple sectors and Reimagining Capitalism in a World on Fire, published in April 2020. Rebecca sits on the boards of Amgen and of Idexx Laboratories. In 2019 she wa

Dr. Martin Lowery, Executive VP Emeritus of NRECA discusses the role of cooperatives in addressing issues that have been raised by the two pandemics being experienced right now; COVID-19 and systemic institutionalized racism. He invokes the International Cooperative Alliance's "Declaration on Positive Peace Through Cooperatives." For more than three decades, Dr. Martin Lowery has been a forceful advocate for the cooperative business model. He is Executive Vice President, Emeritus, of the NRECA, and the past chair of the National Cooperative Bank Board of Directors. Dr. Lowery was inducted into the Cooperative Hall of Fame in May 2014, the highest honor that the U.S. cooperative community bestows on individuals who have made heroic contributions to the cooperative movement. He is currently the elected U.S. representative to the board of the International Cooperative Alliance (ICA). Dr. Lowery received a bachelor's degree (cum laude) from DePaul University and a Ph.D. in philosophy from Duke University.

National Cooperative Bank(NCB) President Charles E. Snyder & President and CEO of National Cooperative Business Association CLUSA International Doug O'Brien, discuss the roles cooperatives can play in a post COVID-19 World. They also share how their organizations have helped the cooperative community through advocacy and service during the pandemic. Charles E. Snyder is the Chief Executive Officer of NCB and leads its Executive Council, a team of senior managers representing business development units and functional areas across the company. Mr. Snyder joined NCB in 1983 as corporate vice president and chief financial officer. In 1992, he was named president and chief executive officer. Mr. Snyder serves on the board of the Consumer Federation of America and the American Bankers Association Foundation. He previously served on the board of the National Cooperative Business Association, a membership association representing every type of cooperative in America. In 2011, Mr. Snyder was inducted into the Coope

Mo Manklang, Communications Director at the U.S. Federation of Worker Cooperatives discusses the Federations response to the COVID-19 Pandemic, and feedback received from it members regarding how they are fairing. Mo also shares information regarding virtual offerings that are available to support cooperators including solidarity sessions, and worker cooperative information sessions. Mo Manklang is the Communications Director for the U.S. Federation of Worker Cooperatives. She leads policy efforts at the federal level, works with its membership on state and local initiatives, and heads up health benefits initiatives. She has been convening people in cooperatives and social impact for the past twelve years in a variety of roles, including five years with local news and events group Generocity.org. Mo is a founding board member of the Philadelphia Area Cooperative Alliance, the Media and Marketing Committee of the Kensington Community Food Co-op, the Policy Committee of the Sustainable Business Network. She is

For more than 4o years Ben Burkett has made his mark on his community and the world as a farmer, advocate and cooperative organizer for southern Black farmers. After graduating from Alcorn State University, he carried on his family legacy, and became a fourth-generation farmer in Petal, Mississippi. Vernon and Ben discuss his experiences as both a farmer, and advocate for farmers in the Black Belt. Ben Burkett has been a tireless activist, and visionary leader, who has helped farmers in rural Mississippi gain access to federal and state programs; expand their distribution; and gain access to technical assistance that allowed them to qualify for USDA farm programs. Ben also Organized neighboring farm families to expand markets denied them because of ingrained discrimination, and helped farmers preserve land ownership and optimize its agricultural use. While continuing to farm and serve as a local co-op leader, in 1978 Ben joined the staff of the Emergency Land Fund (ELF), a non-profit whose mission was

Christina Jennings, Executive Director at Shared Capital Cooperative, and Rachel Battles of Happy Earth Cleaning discuss how Shared Capital has helped it's cooperative members to navigate through the multilayered impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. Christina has worked for 22 years in community development, finance and microfinance in the US and internationally. Since 2008, she has been Executive Director of Shared Capital Cooperative, a national CDFI loan fund that works to build a democratic economy by investing in cooperative businesses and housing. Based in Minneapolis-St. Paul, Shared Capital was founded 40 years ago ,and operated under the name Northcountry Cooperative Development Fund until 2015. Shared Capital is cooperatively owned and governed by more than 250 cooperatives in 35 states that borrow from and invest in the fund.

David Hincapie, Economic Development Specialist at U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA); John Holdsclaw IV, Senior VP of Corporate Affairs at National Cooperative Bank (NCB); and Esteban Kelly, Executive Director, and Mo Manklang, Communications Director with the U.S. Federation of Worker Cooperatives talk about COVID-19 response on Everything Co-op. Vernon and his guests will discuss loan programs available in response to COVID-19, and the role worker cooperatives can play as we work though and establish recovery plans. During the first segment David Hincapie discuss SBA's Economic Injury Disaster Loan, and Paycheck Protection Program updates. In the second segment John Holdsclaw IV and Esteban Kelly, share how their organizations are responding to the pandemic, and in the third segment Mo Manklang joins the discussion to talk about the communications strategies that have been implemented by the U.S. Federation of Worker Cooperatives to keep its members property informed.

Michael Alden Peck Discusses the Impact of COVID-19 and Next Steps for Recovery. From the paradigm shift that will inevitably occur in how we pay and view essential workers; to the revelations about the inequities that exist in our economy; to the consideration of the need to make the U S Postal Service a Worker Cooperative, and ultimately the resolution to abandon the trickle-down economic structure and create a Gusher-up (Bottom-up) economy. Michael is co-founder of 1worker1vote, and The Virtuous Cycle Collaboratory. In response to COVID-19, he became part of a team that is co-imagining/co-launching the People's Rising Sunshine Exchange (PRSE) - a digital platform for micro PPE purchases on behalf of front-line healthcare, home-care and emergency response workers - helping to save lives at risk of those saving others. Earlier this year, Michael co-founded The Virtuous Cycle Collaboratory (tvc2), a majority-minority, for-profit worker-cooperative domiciled in Alexandria/Virginia, that designs, launches and

Carmen Huertas-Noble, founding director of the Community & Economic Development Clinic (CEDC) at CUNY School of Law, and C0-founder of 1worker1vote, discuss her career in the cooperative movement and the role cooperatives have and can play in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Professor Huertas-Noble earned her J.D. from Fordham University Law School, where she was a Stein Scholar in Public Interest Law and Ethics and served on the staff of the Environmental Law Journal. Prior to joining the CUNY faculty, Professor Huertas-Noble was an Adjunct Professor at Fordham Law School where she supervised students in its CED Clinic. She also served as a senior staff attorney in the Community Development Project (CDP) of the Urban Justice Center (UJC). As part of CDP, she worked with neighborhood residents to form nonprofits as well as established organizing groups to create alternative institutions, such as worker-owned cooperatives (cooperatives). Professor Huertas-Noble has played a leading role in provid

Everett Dobrinski, Chairman of CoBank and a 2020 Cooperative Hall of Fame inductee discuss his career in cooperatives and future plans. As a third-generation grain and oilseed farmer, Everett recognized at an early age, the value of cooperatives in providing essential services that his family farm needed to compete in a global marketplace. Today, as he approaches his 50th anniversary of marriage to his wife Peggy, he can now enjoy his years of retirement knowing that he has passed on his family farm to yet another generation. He has the privilege of helping his son Darren, who has taken over the family farm. Everett first became active in Verendrye Electric Cooperative, eventually becoming Board Chair in 1990. He understood that the cooperatives needed to attract commercial business, such as the Minot Air Force Base, in order to maintain affordable, high-quality electric service for all customer-owners. Catering to the local community's needs, Everett's guidance was instrumental in financing a new d

David Hincapie, Economic Development Specialist with the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) discusses updates to the SBA and CARES Act Loan programs in response to COVID-19. Vernon and David discuss the Economic Injury Disaster Loan, Paycheck Protection Program, and SBA programs that address disenfranchised populations. The Small Business Administration (SBA) has announced new programs created by the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act, to support small businesses during the COVID-19 pandemic crisis. David shares updated information regarding the programs, the application process and reviews the eligibility requirements for cooperative businesses non-profit entities; and Self Employee and Gig-worker programs

Monica E. Mitchell, Vice President of Community Development at Wells Fargo Bank, N.A., discusses how her work has impacted communities throughout the Washington Metro Area, and her involvement in cooperative enterprises. Monica Mitchell has over 20 years' experience in banking and community development. In her role, Monica leads Corporate Philanthropy and Community Development work for the Maryland and Greater DC regions, responsible for affordable housing, workforce development, entrepreneurship and financial education efforts for low-to-moderate income communities, with a personal passion to address the intersectionality of these issues with public health outcomes. Monica is the founding President of the Board of the all-girls Lillie May Carroll Jackson Middle School in Baltimore City. She also serves on the boards of Junior Achievement of Central Maryland, LISC DC, Baltimore Community Lending and Associated Black Charities. She was a founding member of the United Way of Central Maryland's Emerging L