Everything Co-op with Vernon Oakes

November 6, 2025 In this episode of Everything Co-op, Vernon speaks with George G. C. Parker, Dean Witter Distinguished Professor of Finance, Emeritus, at the Stanford Graduate School of Business. Together, they examine the “Kum Ba Yah” spirit of cooperative economics, the yin and yang of cooperative and capitalist models, and how the side-by-side coexistence of these two systems can strengthen and improve both. George G.C. Parker is the Dean Witter Distinguished Professor of Finance, Emeritus, at the Stanford Graduate School of Business, where he has taught in the MBA Program, the MSx Program and executive education since joining the faculty in 1973. He holds an MBA (1962) and PhD (1967) from Stanford, and previously taught finance at Columbia University from 1967-73. Parker’s teaching and research focus on corporate finance, financial institutions management, and corporate governance, and he has authored many case studies and journal articles in these areas. Prior to joining the faculty at Stanford in 1973, Parker was an assistant and associate professor of finance at Columbia University in New York City. Over his distinguished career, he has earned numerous honors including the 2006 Distinguished Teaching Award at Stanford. Parker was the recipient of the 2000 Robert T. Davis Award for Faculty Lifetime Achievement at Stanford Graduate School of Business and the 2006 Distinguished Teaching Award in the Stanford MBA Program. In addition, Parker serves on four boards of directors of listed, publicly traded companies, one mutual fund company, one privately held company, and one nonprofit organization.

November 20, 2025 Everything Co-op launches its spotlight on the 2025 Innovation Award recipients with Michael Parker and Lindsey Lusher Shute, co-founders of Farm Generations Cooperative. In this interview, Michael and Lindsey discuss how Farm Generations empowers its members through GrownBy, their farmer-owned software platform, and how the Innovation Award will help advance their mission. Lindsey Lusher Shute co-founded the National Young Farmers Coalition and served as its executive director for a decade. She is also an owner of Hearty Roots Farm, a diversified vegetable and livestock farm in New York’s Hudson Valley. During her tenure at Young Farmers, Lindsey built a national network of 150,000 farmers and advocates, advancing grassroots efforts around land access, conservation, credit, student debt, and farmer training. She has delivered keynote addresses at conferences nationwide. Michael Parker has built a diverse career spanning agriculture, food, entrepreneurship, and education. A first-generation farmer, he is currently developing a grassfed beef operation in Cooperstown, NY. Mike also works on land access and business services initiatives with the National Young Farmers Coalition and oversees a farm viability grant program and business planning course for the Massachusetts Department of Agricultural Resources. He holds a B.S. in Accounting and Operations Information Management from Georgetown University. Farm Generations Cooperative is dedicated to empowering local farmers and fostering transparency throughout the food supply chain. Blending innovative technology with agricultural traditions, the cooperative strives to create a more just and sustainable future for food producers and consumers alike. In 2019, the cooperative launched GrownBy, the first free, farmer-owned software platform designed for local farm sales. By connecting growers directly with customers across the country, GrownBy promotes fair, efficient exchanges and helps small farmers succeed collectively strengthening local communities and building a more resilient agricultural system. The Co-op Innovation Award honors organizations that strengthen food, housing, and worker co-ops. Each year, recipients receive up to $50,000 to expand cooperative development, drive shared prosperity, and build lasting community impact through innovative collaboration.

September 18, 2025 - This episode of Everything Co-op continues our tribute to the 2025 Cooperative Hall of Fame Inductees with a special conversation featuring Tom Webb. Tom shares insights from his lifelong work advancing cooperative education and global leadership and explores the enduring value and unique advantages of the cooperative business model. Tom Webb’s career spans cooperative sectors in Canada and the United States, from grocery to IT, multistakeholder co-ops to credit unions. His most enduring legacy lies in education, a cornerstone of the Co-operative Identity. As Director of the Extension Department at St. Francis Xavier University in Nova Scotia, Webb recognized the need for a graduate program focused on cooperative management. After years of persistence and collaboration, he established the Master of Management: Co-operatives and Credit Unions (MMCCU) at Saint Mary’s University, now the world’s leading English-language graduate program in cooperative business, offered fully online. The program’s success, built on Webb’s networking and support from co-op leaders in Canada, the U.S., and the UK, laid the foundation for the International Centre for Co-operative Management (ICCM). Today, ICCM offers degrees, certificates, executive training, study tours, and applied research, and is governed by the Co-operative Management Education Co-operative (CMEC), an international multistakeholder co-op with 80 members in 10 countries. Webb also founded the Centre of Excellence in Accounting and Reporting for Co-operatives (CEARC), advancing co-op specific financial and sustainability reporting. Though officially retired, Webb continues teaching, consulting, and writing. His book, From Corporate Globalization to Global Cooperation, captures a lifetime devoted to advancing cooperation. For his lifelong dedication and personification of cooperative values, Tom Webb will be inducted into the Cooperative Hall of Fame on October 9 in Washington, DC. For tickets visit Heroes.coop website.

September 4, 2025 Randy Lee, former CFO of Puget Consumer Co-op (PCC Community Markets). Randy reflects on his career, share insights from his nearly 50 years in the food co-op sector, and offers his thoughts on the future of food cooperatives. Randy’s journey with PCC began in 1970, when the co-op had just one storefront, 650 members, and $66,000 in revenue. Rising quickly from store manager to CFO, Randy helped transform PCC into the nation’s largest consumer-owned grocer, now serving over 100,000 members across 16 stores with $450 million in annual revenue. His leadership extended beyond finance—he championed farmland preservation, helped launch the Washington Farmland Trust, and supported initiatives that provided 1.5 million meals to communities in need and brought cooking classes to more than 7,000 students. Randy’s vision for cooperation reached beyond PCC. He was a founding member of the National Cooperative Grocers Association (now National Co+op Grocers), where he served on the board for nearly two decades and played a pivotal role in securing groundbreaking purchasing contracts that strengthened co-ops nationwide. For his lifelong dedication and personification of cooperative values, Randy Lee was inducted into the Cooperative Hall of Fame, October 9, in Washington, DC. For more info visit Heroes.coop

September 25, 2025 - This episode features a tribute to the 2025 Coop Hall of Fame Unsung Hero Estelle Whitherspoon. Jessica Gordon Nembhard, Ph.D., Margaret Lund, and Alice Paris honor her legacy and tell the story of her cooperative journey. Author of Collective Courage: A History of African American Cooperative Economic Thought and Practice (2014) and 2016 inductee into the U.S. Cooperative Hall of Fame, Jessica Gordon-Nembhard, Ph.D., is a Professor at John Jay College, City University of NY. She is a political economist specializing in cooperative economics, community economic development, racial wealth inequality, Black Political Economy. She is a member of the Cooperative Economics Council of NCBA/CLUSA; the ICA Committee on Co-operative Research; an affiliate scholar with the Centre for the Study of Co-operatives, University of Saskatchewan; and past board member of Association of Cooperative Educators. Margaret Lund is an independent consultant specializing in the areas of community development, finance and shared ownership strategies. Throughout her career she 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 practice in 2008, Margaret spent 16 years as a small business lender to cooperatives. Lund is a past member of the boards of the U.S. National Cooperative Business Association, and Health Partners, the largest consumer-governed healthcare organization in the United States. Past awards include the Howard Bowers Cooperative Service Award from the Consumer Cooperative Managers Association, and the 2014 John Logue Award for "acting as a catalyst for innovation and change" from the Association of Cooperative Educators. Alice Paris has dedicated her life to cooperative agriculture and land justice. As one of the founding staff of the Rural Training & Research Center in Epes, Alabama, she and her husband, George, along with Wendell Paris, John and Carol Zippert, and Jim Jones, helped establish the center by living on site, contributing part of her salary, and even working in construction during its early years. In 1970, she joined an FSC/LAF delegation to Israel to study vegetable production and cooperative marketing systems, an experience that shaped her decades of service with the Federation of Southern Cooperatives/Land Assistance Fund. Throughout her work with the Federation, she demonstrated both a commitment to advancing its mission and a respect for its legacy, forming a close bond with leaders such as Estelle Witherspoon. In 2001, Alice brought her expertise to Tuskegee University as a project coordinator, where she continued empowering rural communities until her retirement in 2014. For her lifelong dedication and personification of cooperative values, Estelle Witherspoon was posthumously inducted into the Cooperative Hall of Fame on October 9 in Washington, DC. For more information regarding the inductees visit Heroes.coop

May 8 2025 This episode features C.E. Pugh, Chief Executive Officer of National Co+op Grocers (NCG). Vernon and C.E. Pugh discuss how NCG supports the growth of the cooperative grocery sector, and his cooperative journey. C.E. Pugh is the CEO of National Co+op Grocers, a cooperative serving 166 retail grocery co-ops with over 240 storefronts across 39 states and $2.8 billion in annual sales. He joined NCG in 2008 to lead its Development Co-operative, became the organization’s first Chief Operating Officer in 2012, and was appointed CEO in 2019. With 50 years of experience in the retail food industry, Pugh sees improving the food system as a spiritual mission and champions food co-ops as leaders in building more just and sustainable local food economies.

August 7, 2025 Interview with John Holdsclaw IV, President & CEO of Rochdale Capital On this episode of Everything Co-op, John Holdsclaw IV, President and CEO of Rochdale Capital, explores the challenges and opportunities facing financial institutions and shares exciting new initiatives at Rochdale Capital. Rochdale Capital is a national non-profit community development loan fund advancing cooperative principles and community ownership. The organization provides financing and technical assistance to community-based organizations and cooperatives, with a focus on under-resourced communities, especially those led by women and minorities. In addition to his leadership at Rochdale, John serves as Executive Vice President and Chief Policy Officer at the National Cooperative Bank (NCB), helping to position NCB as a thought leader in public policy, community finance, and cooperative development. A recognized leader in the cooperative movement, John chairs the Cooperative Development Foundation and serves on several national boards. His contributions have earned him major honors, including the Stanley W. Dreyer Spirit of Cooperation Award (2019) and recognition as one of ImpactAlpha’s Agents of Impact (2022). 🎧 Listen now to hear John’s perspectives on building financial systems that strengthen communities and expand opportunities through cooperation.

Vernon Oakes interviews Ginger Rumph, Executive Director of the Douglass Community Land Trust (Douglass CLT), and Silvia Inéz Salazar, Co-president of the 1417 N Street, NW Cooperative. Together, they explore the collaboration between their organizations and share insights into their ongoing initiatives. Ginger Rumph is the founding Executive Director of the Douglass CLT, a nonprofit dedicated to racial and economic equity through community-led land ownership and permanently affordable housing. While establishing Douglass CLT, she also led City First Homes, overseeing over 200 affordable units and implementing strong stewardship systems. Ginger brings decades of experience in housing and community development. She previously served as Vice President and COO of the Coalition for Nonprofit Housing & Economic Development (CNHED), where she directed policy, advocacy, fundraising, and operations. At Enterprise Community Partners, she managed national reporting systems and promoted best practices. In her hometown of Pittsburgh, she held leadership roles in housing coalitions, worked in real estate development, and served in county government revitalizing vacant properties. A former Peace Corps volunteer in the Dominican Republic, she continues to practice Spanish through music. Ginger holds master’s degrees in public administration and social work from the University of Pittsburgh. Silvia Inéz Salazar is Co-president of the 1417 N Street, NW Cooperative in Washington, DC’s Logan Circle, representing 83 diverse working families. Her leadership began in 2005 when she co-founded a tenant association to address dangerous housing conditions, including over 200 code violations. She mobilized residents against displacement and gentrification, building partnerships with legal, government, and community organizations. Silvia collaborated with the Latino Economic Development Center to produce The Demise of Condo-Zilla, a bilingual children’s play that brought media attention to their struggle. She also led a partnership with the Smithsonian Museum of the American Indian to showcase Mayan art by tenants. Legal efforts secured $500,000 in pro bono support, ultimately helping residents purchase the building and form a cooperative. Beyond her housing work, Silvia has served as board chair for several justice-focused organizations and currently leads the Douglass Community Land Trust. Since 2003, she has worked at the NIH, advancing health equity through research and advocacy.

July 3, 2025 Dr. Andre M. Perry, senior fellow at the Brookings Institution and director of the Center for Community Uplift, shares his insights on how community-led approaches can drive investment into historically underfunded neighborhoods. Dr. Andre M. Perry is a nationally known and respected commentator on race, structural inequality, and education. Perry is the author of the book “Black Power Scorecard: Measuring the Racial Gap and What We Can Do to Close It,” published by Henry Holt. In 2020, Brooking Press published Perry’s previous book, “Know Your Price: Valuing Black Lives and Property in America’s Black Cities.” Perry's 2018 Brookings report on the devaluation of assets in Black neighborhoods brought national attention to systemic undervaluation of homes and extended this research to other community assets like schools and businesses. Perry is a regular contributor to MSNBC and has been published by numerous national media outlets, including The New York Times, The Washington Post, The Nation, Bloomberg CityLab, and CNN.com. Perry has also made appearances on HBO, CNN, PBS, National Public Radio, NBC, and ABC, and advises policymakers on economic equity. In relation to cooperative development, Perry advocates for community-based solutions such as community land trusts and cooperative investment models. These approaches align with his broader goals of stabilizing neighborhoods, redirecting capital into underinvested communities, and promoting long-term economic empowerment for Black Americans. A native of Pittsburgh, Perry earned his Ph.D. in education policy and leadership from the University of Maryland, College Park.

June 26, 2025 - Michael Peck and Dr. Christina Clamp to discuss the 2nd Volume of "Humanity@Work&life-Global Diffusion of the Mondragon Cooperative Ecosystem Experience.” Michael Peck co-founded 1worker1vote in 2014, alongside ten advisory board members, to build on the 2009 United Steelworkers/Mondragon Collaboration MOU and the 2012 Union-Coop Model. He currently serves as the organization's Executive Director. In early 2015, 1worker1vote was incorporated as a New York 501(c)(3) by CUNY Law School’s Community Economic Development Clinic. Drawing inspiration from Mondragon’s 70-year cooperative ecosystem, 1worker1vote is leading the “Good Trouble Capitalism” and “Generation Union” campaigns under its 2025 initiative. These efforts promote global Social and Solidarity Economy (SSE) principles, community enterprise development, authentic sustainability metrics, predistributive financing, and cooperative-mutualist housing best practices. Central to its mission is advancing hybrid worker ownership and workplace democracy through union-coop models. Current collaborations include: The Coalition for Affordable, Cooperative-Mutualist Housing (NY project) ASETT (Mondragon-inspired SSE think-and-do tank) UNRISD and ASETT on Sustainable Development Performance Indicators The Mutualist Society American Sustainable Business Network Coop Cincy NewsSocial Coop (UK) Worx Printing (union-coop) Blue-Green Alliance Humanity@Work&Life publications Dr. Christina Clamp is heralded for her diverse work grounded in the values of civil rights, social justice and an inclusive economy. She is best known for her research on Mondragon, the world’s largest worker cooperative. The results of her deep interviews with Mondragon managers and founders continue to inform human resource strategies for worker co-ops worldwide. Her extensive list of publications includes, most recently, a collection of 30 essays highlighting the story of Mondragon and its ongoing influence in the U.S. UK, Korea and Germany, Humanity@ Work & Life, coedited with Michael Peck. For more than 40 years Professor Clamp taught college courses on cooperatives and led a master’s program in community economic development at Southern New Hampshire University. As an activist professor, Chris expected her students to be engaged with community groups, particularly those that support existing and developing co-ops. Her work crosses sectors in cooperative development: from cutting-edge research on worker and shared-services cooperatives to training generations of cooperators to building and connecting cooperatives to broader movements for community economic development and the social solidarity economy, Chris is a steadfast champion of cooperatives. Chris serves on the boards of the Local Enterprise Assistance Fund (LEAF), The ICA Group, and The Fund for Jobs Worth Owning. “Humanity@Work&life - Global Diffusion of the Mondragon Cooperative Ecosystem Experience 2nd Edition” , published by Oak Tree Press, frames a collective labor of earned merit, vision and determination by 36 contributors in six countries, three continents, proving how solidarity, innovation, and conviction forge sustaining local and global social economy practice on behalf of the greater common good.

March 27, 2025 Everything Co-op continues its Women’s History Month series centering on the theme “Moving Forward Together! Women Educating & Inspiring Generations,” set by the National Women’s History Alliance. This episode features Renee Hatcher, Professor and Director of the Community Enterprise & Solidarity Economy Clinic at UIC Law. Vernon and Renee discuss the vital role of solidarity economy and cooperatives at this moment in history. Renee Hatcher is a human rights and cooperative lawyer and solidarity economy organizer. She is currently a Visiting Associate Professor of Clinical Law at GW Law School in DC. She serves as the Director of the Community Enterprise & Solidarity Economy Clinic at UIC Law in Chicago, a pro bono legal clinic that provides free legal support to community-based businesses, non-profits, cooperatives, and other solidarity economy enterprises. Recently, Renee served as the Co-Director of Chicago Community Wealth Building Ecosystem at CUPPA’s Center on Urban Economic Development (CUED). Renee has significant experience organizing and providing legal support to worker cooperatives and community-based initiatives to empower workers and community residents. Her work and research focus on legal and non-legal strategies to build power in Black, low-income neighborhoods and other communities of color rooted in solidarity economy organizing and theory. In 2022, the city of Chicago allocated $15 million dollars to support the cooperative ecosystem, including a substantial grant to UIC, as the “hub” organization, to conduct research and convene the Chicago Community Wealth Building Ecosystem. Renee co-directs the “hub” with her close colleague, Associate Professor Stacey Sutton. Most recently, Renee served on Mayor Johnson’s Transition Committee on Economic Vitality and Equity. This appointment has been a part of Renee’s long-standing efforts to advance cooperative development in Chicago to improve the lives of Black, brown, and poor communities.

March 20, 2025 Everything Co-op continues its Women’s History Month series, that follows the theme “Moving Forward Together! Women Educating & Inspiring Generations” set by the National Women’s History Alliance. This episode features E. Kim Coontz, Executive Director for the California Center for Cooperative (CCCD). Vernon and Kim discuss how her work continues to educate and inspire future generations. E. Kim Coontz is the Executive Director of the California Center for Cooperative Development (CCCD), a nonprofit dedicated to fostering and supporting cooperatives. With over 30 years of experience, she began her cooperative work at UC Davis’ Center for Cooperatives before co-founding CCCD when the program closed. Kim has helped launch cooperatives, led governance seminars, provided technical assistance, and conducted research to strengthen the cooperative movement. She has authored over a dozen publications including Bringing Families Together: A Guide to Parent Cooperatives, Steps to Starting a Worker Co-op and Steps to Starting a Marketing Co-op. Kim has also contributed to various journals. Her contributions have earned her awards from the National Association of Housing Cooperatives, Parent Cooperative Preschools International, and the California Council of Parent Participation Preschools. Previously, she was the Executive Director of Yolo Mutual Housing Association.

March 13. 2025 - Everything Co-op continues its Women’s History Month series with the theme “Moving Forward Together! Women Educating & Inspiring Generations,” set by the National Women’s History Alliance. This episode features cooperative advocates Stacey Sutton Ph.D., Associate Professor at the University of Illinois Chicago, and Assata Richards, founding director of the Sankofa Research Institute. Stacey and Assata discuss the necessary components for building a solidarity economy and share their research findings related to social/economic justice Stacey Sutton Ph.D. is an Associate Professor at the University of Illinois Chicago in the Department of Urban Planning and Policy. She co-directs the Solidarity Economy Research, Policy & Law Project, which serves as the hub for the City of Chicago’s Community Wealth Building Ecosystem. This initiative aims to promote local, democratic, and shared ownership of community assets to create more sustainable and just economies. Her research focuses on solidarity economy, economic democracy, and racial equity. Stacey Sutton Ph.D. is also a Board member of the New Economy Coalition, a Fellow at the Institute for the Study of Employee Ownership and Profit Sharing, and a Senior Researcher with the Small Business Anti-Displacement Network. She is currently working on a book titled "Real Black Utopias," which explores Black-centered worker cooperatives and solidarity economy ecosystems in various US cities. Stacey Sutton Ph.D. holds a BA from Loyola University, an MBA from New York University, an MS from The New School for Social Research, and a joint Ph.D. in Urban Planning and Sociology from Rutgers University. Her extensive involvement in various organizations underscores her commitment to social justice and economic democracy. Assata is the founding director of the Sankofa Research Institute (SRI), a nonprofit with a mission to “create knowledge to build community” through community-based participatory research. In addition, as a public sociologist, Assata serves as the Board President of the newly formed Houston Community Land Trust, the Third Ward Cooperative Community Builders, and the Emancipation Economic Development Council. Most recently, she was elected as the founding board president of the Community Care Cooperative, Houston’s first home care agency owned by caregivers and the nation’s first community health workers’ cooperative business. Lastly, she is a founding member of We Are The Ones, a cooperative working to build a “Black Solidarity Economy,” enabling community members to define what success is for them and hold accountable institutions that claim to act on their behalf and develop economic enterprises that fairly compensate workers and build community wealth.

March 6, 2025 - Everything Co-op launches its Women’s History Month series. The 2025 theme, set by the National Women’s History Alliance, is “Moving Forward Together! Women Educating & Inspiring Generations,” celebrating women leaders in education and mentorship. The inaugural episode of the series features cooperative advocates Jessica Gordon-Nembhard, Ph.D., Professor at John Jay College, and Ahzjah-Netjer Simons, Co-Executive Director of the Georgia Cooperative Development Center. Dr. Gordon Nembhard Ahzjah-Netjer Simons discuss the insights gained from their interviews with Black women cooperators, and their future plans. Author of Collective Courage: A History of African American Cooperative Economic Thought and Practice (2014) and 2016 inductee into the U.S. Cooperative Hall of Fame, Jessica Gordon-Nembhard, Ph.D., is a Professor at John Jay College, City University of NY. She is a political economist specializing in cooperative economics, community economic development, racial wealth inequality, Black Political Economy. She is a member of the Cooperative Economics Council of NCBA/CLUSA; the ICA Committee on Co-operative Research; an affiliate scholar with the Centre for the Study of Co-operatives, University of Saskatchewan; and past board member of Association of Cooperative Educators. Ahzjah-Netjer Simons is a transformative leader committed to empowering cooperative businesses and communities through education, strategy, and innovation. She holds key roles such as Co-Executive Director of the Georgia Cooperative Development Center, P6 Ambassador for the NCBA, and President of Digico Global. With 25 years in media activism and 18 years as a cooperative leader, Simons has earned the CCMA Cooperative Service Award. She founded International Co-op Media and launched Co-op Nation to illuminate the cooperative movement and its impact. Additionally, she co-created Women In Cooperation, a pass the mic podcast, digital magazine, and community dedicated to uplifting and amplifying women in the cooperative space.

February 27, 2025 - This episode marks the conclusion of Everything Co-op's Black History Month series, focusing on the 2025 theme set by the Association for the Study of African American Life and History (ASALH): "African Americans and Labor." This theme examines how different forms of labor—free and unfree, skilled and unskilled, vocational and voluntary—have shaped Black experiences throughout history. Vernon Oakes continues this discussion alongside three leaders from VOLTS (Village of Leaders Thriving in Solidarity): Camille Kerr, co-founder of Upside-Down Consulting, Edrinna Bryant, co-owner of ChiFresh Kitchen and Jumpstart Housing Cooperative, and Sharon Hopkins, co-owner of 6ix-cess Foods. VOLTS is a newly formed non-profit that builds on years of cooperative development work to create lasting economic justice for formerly incarcerated individuals, particularly Black women. By formalizing and expanding its model, VOLTS provides the structure and support needed to scale worker-owned businesses and cooperative housing initiatives. Through this ecosystem, it creates pathways for dignified employment, stable housing, and community wealth-building, ensuring that those most impacted by incarceration have ownership and decision-making power in the businesses and homes they create. Its ecosystem includes: ChiFresh Kitchen, a worker cooperative offering institutional meal services, Jumpstart Housing Cooperative, which provides affordable homeownership opportunities, and 6ix-cess Foods, an emerging worker-owned food manufacturing business. Through these initiatives, VOLTS demonstrates how cooperative ownership can drive long-term economic security, self-determination, and systemic change in Chicago.

February 13, 2025 - Everything Co-op continues its Black History Month series, exploring the 2025 theme designated by the Association for the Study of African American Life and History (ASALH): "African Americans and Labor." This theme highlights the diverse ways labor—free and unfree, skilled and unskilled, vocational and voluntary—has shaped the collective experiences of Black people. Vernon will continue his exploration of this history, shedding light on its impact and significance. In this segment, Vernon discusses the history of African Americans and Labor, and transitions to how cooperatives can be used to help communities push through this period where labor is at the center of economic survival. Vernon Oakes is a dedicated advocate for cooperatives who was inducted into the Cooperative Hall of Fame in 2024. He is the Past President of the National Association of Housing Cooperatives and has served on numerous boards and committees advancing cooperative interests. His contributions also extend to the Limited Equity Cooperative Task Force, initiated by Anita Bonds, an At-Large Member of the Council of the District of Columbia. As an MBA graduate of Stanford University, Vernon has applied his business expertise to serve the community, championing the benefits of the cooperative business model.

February 6, 2025 Everything Co-op inaugurates its Black History Month series. The theme for the 2025 Black History Month, as designated by the Association for the Study of African American Life and History (ASALH), is "African Americans and Labor." This theme emphasizes the significant and varied ways in which different forms of labor—both free and unfree, skilled and unskilled, vocational and voluntary—intersect with the collective experiences of Black people. Vernon begins his of African Americans and Labor in a discussion with Julian Hill, an abolitionist and lawyer who specializes in the solidarity economy. Julian Hill is an assistant professor at Georgia State University College of Law. Hill is a teacher, lifelong learner, community organizer, artist, and attorney who knows that the world we deserve, though both possible and necessary, is not inevitable. Hill regularly advises worker cooperatives, collectives, nonprofits, and small businesses on a range of matters, including governance, contracts, regulatory compliance, and corporate law matters. Hill is also known to partner with community-based organizations to co-facilitate political education and co-develop policies and campaigns. They have facilitated workshops, both in English and Spanish, on worker cooperatives and the solidarity economy with Law 4 Black Lives, the U.S. Federation of Worker Cooperatives, Democracy at Work Institute, the New York City Network of Worker Cooperatives, and the Federation of Southern Cooperatives, among others. They have prepared and delivered testimony before both the New York State Assembly and the New York City Council on issues facing worker cooperatives and small businesses in New York City. Hill is licensed to practice law in Georgia, New York and Washington, D.C.

January 30, 2025 Patton McDowell, the founder of PMA Nonprofit Leadership, shares insights into the firm's services and core principles. PMA Nonprofit Leadership is a consulting firm dedicated to helping skilled individuals thrive in nonprofit leadership through three primary offerings: providing valuable content and resources, offering personalized coaching and training, and delivering organizational consulting in areas such as strategic planning and fundraising. Patton also serves as Director of the Institute for Philanthropic Leadership, where he facilitates its two signature programs: Leadership Gift School and the Emerging Leaders in Philanthropy Program. He is also the host of over 300 episodes of the podcast "Your Path to Nonprofit Leadership," and the author of a book by the same title. He leads the Mastermind Leadership Development Program, a signature coaching initiative designed to develop nonprofit leaders across the country. He earned a bachelor’s degree in English Education as a Morehead Scholar at UNC Chapel Hill, an MBA from the McColl School of Business at Queens, and a Doctorate in Education (Organizational Change and Leadership) from the University of Southern California. Patton is a Certified Fundraising Executive (CFRE), and a Master Trainer for AFP Global. He currently serves on the board of directors for the Wildacres Leadership Initiative and is an Executive in Residence at the Jeb E. Brooks School of Public Policy at Cornell University.

January 23, 2025 amaha sellassie, the board president of Gem City Market and Vernon discuss the progression of of Gem City Market and the cooperative agenda of 2025, in the Year of the Co-op. amaha sellassie is a peace builder, social healer, freedom fighter, network weaver and lover of humanity. amaha is a practitioner scholar dedicated to building bridges of trust, healing historical wounds, and harnessing the unique gifts and talents of every human being as we press towards a just and equitable society. A dedicated community organizer, amaha champions the causes of marginalized groups, striving to amplify their voices in public policy. As a co-founder of the Gem City Market, amaha has been instrumental in a community-led initiative to address food apartheid by enhancing access to fresh produce in West Dayton. Additionally, amaha serves as the Director of the Center for Applied Social Issues, and is a Sociology professor at Sinclair Community College.

January 16, 2025 Malik Kenyatta Yakini, Director of the Detroit Black Community Food Security Network (DBCFSN). Vernon and Malik discuss the food sovereignty movement, and the Detroit Peoples Food Co-op's progress and challenges since its opening. Malik Kenyatta Yakini is an activist and educator who is committed to freedom and justice for African people in particular, and humanity in general. Yakini is a co-founder and the Executive Director of the Detroit Black Community Food Security Network, which operates a seven-acre farm in Detroit and spearheaded efforts to establish the Detroit Food Policy Council. He served as a member of the Michigan Food Policy Council from 2008 - 2010. From 2011 - 2013 he served on the steering committee of Uprooting Racism Planting Justice. He is a co-founder and on the leadership team of the National Black Food and Justice Alliance.

January 2, 2025 Ron Hantz, Executive Director of the Network Developing Conscious Communities (NDCC), offers insights into the growth required in the co-op movement within Black communities and outlines plans for NDCC for the forthcoming year. Ron Hantz has been instrumental in advocating a new community development paradigm based on “conscious community development” He is a former Adjunct Professor, in the Africana Studies Department, at the University Maryland Baltimore County, and founded the Network for Developing Conscious Communities (NDCC) in 2014. He now leads the organization’s efforts on advocacy and building a sustainable ecosystem for Black governed community development organizations. Under his leadership, NDCC has emerged as a grass roots voice on promoting the use of principle-based practices to regenerate under-resourced Black communities. The Network for Developing Conscious Communities was founded 2014 as a 501 © (3) non-profit community development membership organization. Through implementing principles of conscious community development, the organization seeks to build economically cooperative and equitable communities through transparency, inclusiveness and collectivism. NDCC successfully works to improve financial sustainability, encourage business ownership and increase residential real estate ownership in Black neighborhoods.

December 26, 2024 Everything Co-op continues to highlight choices from its 2024 Holiday list. This episode features an interview with Adrian Roman, co-owner of Colmenar Cooperative Consulting (Colmenar). Adrian discusses how the Colmenar team leverages their experiences as immigrants and their skills in navigating diverse cultures, languages, systems, and life challenges to promote democratic governance and civic participation. Adrian is a cooperative organizer and believes that prioritizing the culture of the team and relationship to the community leads to resilient organizations that can adapt and care for those involved. Adrián feels that art is a way to shift culture and speak clearly about the state of our times. He is a co-owner of Colmenar Consulting Cooperative, a co-owner of Dorchester Art Project, a certified mediator, an authorized teacher of Full Presence Mindfulness and currently sits on the board of the US Federation of Worker Cooperatives and the Greater Boston Chamber of Cooperatives. He is from Miami, FL, of Cuban and Chilean descent and his culture and family history informs his approach.

December 19. 2024 The program continues to highlight choices from its 2024 Holiday list. This episode includes an interview with Alicia Simmons, Senior Sustainability Manager at Frontier Co-op. Vernon and Alicia discuss Frontiers Co-op Market, Organic Certified Ceylon Cinnamon, and its Aura Cacia Relaxation Essential Oils Kit and Celestial Diffuser, all selections in the Holiday List. They also discuss other products and services provided by Frontier Co-op, and the many ways Frontier support its employees, partners and community. Alicia Simmons is the Senior Sustainability Manager at Frontier Co-op in Norway, Iowa. In this role, she leads environmental stewardship efforts across the cooperative, including managing the Zero Waste program and initiatives related to packaging, energy, emissions, and natural resource usage. Since joining Frontier Co-op in 2017, Alicia has also directed the co-op’s annual giving program, which exceeds $1 million, supporting community-building projects in sourcing regions, partnering with local nonprofits to reduce employment barriers, and managing two signature giving programs focused on women’s empowerment and food security. Alicia oversees the co-op’s global giving and community-based partnerships, including a three-year, $1 million project in rural India that established the region’s first farmer-owned tea collective. Additionally, she leads the co-op’s communications and public relations. Beyond her professional role, Alicia is a committed advocate for sustainability and social responsibility, holding leadership positions with organizations such as the Indian Creek Nature Center, Iowa Sustainable Business Forum, and Hawkeye Area Community Action Program. She holds a BA from the University of Iowa, an MBA with a Quality Emphasis, and a Master of Strategic Leadership from Mount Mercy University.

December 5, 2024 "Everything Co-op" launches showcase of selected picks from its 2024 Holiday list. The premiere episode features an interview with Kevin O'Brien, founder and general manager of Worx Printing, and Matthew Epperson, Employee Ownership domain expert. Vernon and his guests will explore the "There's A Co-Op For That!" mug and delve into the workings of and benefits of the Co-op business Model. Kevin O'Brien is the founder and general manager of the worker-owned union cooperative Worx Printing in Worcester, MA. Worx is a third-generation evolution of the Union Co-Op Model codified in 1worker1vote by the United Steelworkers and the Mondragon Cooperative. For 29 years, Kevin has been dedicated to cooperating with others to advance anti-sweatshop movement policies and practices in the apparel industry. His experiences have helped thousands of Labor Unions, Nonprofits and Political Campaigns to lift awareness, advance campaigns and programs, and improve fundraising results using ethically manufactured branded merchandise. Matthew Epperson has a diverse and impressive background in cooperative movements and employee ownership. In 2017 he founded the Georgia Co-op Development Center, the only statewide technical assistance provider for co-op startups and conversions in Georgia. Matthew spent almost 10 years in the US consumer-owned grocery retail co-op movement before transitioning to finance and platform research co-ops. Currently, he is the Employee Ownership Domain Expert at Zolidar, a startup focused on helping small to medium enterprises convert to employee-owned businesses.

December 12, 2024 Everything Co-op continues to highlight choices from its 2024 Holiday list. In this episode Vernon interviews Alex Keivahn Smith, the Senior Program Director at the Community Purchasing Alliance (CPA). Vernon and Alex explore how the CPA utilizes the collective purchasing power of community institutions to foster sustainability, equity, and justice. Alex’s professional journey reflects his passion for building relationships and driving change. He began in operations and strategy, solving complex problems for a national distributor. To enhance his quantitative skills, he studied data structures and algorithms. However, feeling a disconnect between his work and faith, he pursued theological studies and practical experiences as a hospital chaplain and tech start-up product manager. Now at CPA, Alex integrates his faith and professional expertise to support community institutions. Alex holds a master’s from Yale (Divinity), a master’s from UC Berkeley (Data Science), and a bachelor's from Princeton (Near Eastern Studies).