This Week's Guest:


Damian Bascom
Air Date: May 18, 2017
Consumer Co-ops

Damian Bascom, Founding Member of Community Cooperative Grocery Store

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Damian Bascom is an entrepreneur and community organizer. He owns and operates two businesses, and is one of the key individuals spearheading developments surrounding food cooperatives in Ward 8. He has attended several national conferences on cooperative structures, and participated in the training programs offered regarding the formation of a cooperative business. Damian served with Americorp between 2012-2013 where he worked on urban agriculture with a middle school in Prince George’s County, and assisted with opening the Suitland Farmer’s Market. His time in Americorp alerted him to the low numbers of Black farmers as well as food issues and challenges in urban communities. He believes that food is key to prosperity, especially after observing the differences in food quality between neighborhoods, and believes that solving these issues begins with education and ownership of the means of distribution.

Our host, Vernon Oakes, is a consummate advocate for cooperatives. He is a Past President of the National Association of Housing Cooperatives, and he’s served on several boards and committees to advance the interests of cooperatives. Recently, he served on the Limited Equity Cooperative Task Force, established by Anita Bonds, At-Large Member of the Council of the District of Columbia. Vernon is an MBA graduate of Stanford University, who has used his business acumen to benefit the community, by promoting the added value of the cooperative business model. 

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