This week as we continue our coverage of the 2022 Cooperative Impact Conference, Vernon’s interviews four participants of the 2022 Cooperative Leaders and Scholars (CLS) Program, (shown below). Vernon and his guests will discuss components of the CLS Program, and their experiences.
The Cooperative Leaders & Scholars program is an opportunity to develop and engage employees, board members, and post-secondary students with participation in a national cooperative conference and exposure to co-op industry thought leaders, policymakers, and other stakeholders. CLS is a project of CDF and NCBA/CLUSA.
Meet the Interviewees:
Aria Joughin (they/them) is the Founder and Principal of MakeWith, a collaborative consultancy specializing in ecosystem-oriented research, design, and strategy for a more just and democratic future. They have over a decade of experience helping clients in the private, social, and public sectors that are working to create or reimagine social and economic infrastructure in industries like education, journalism, philanthropy, technology, economic development, and more. Aria graduated from Reed College and is a founding member of Zebras Unite Coop, the Oregon New Economy Project, and the Portland Node of the Design Justice Network. Their current work focuses on advancing initiatives that will prepare the next generation to build, participate in and own their economy and equipping the journalism industry to amplify.
Isa Fernández, MPA has expertise in minority and women business enterprise, proposal writing, marketing, and business cooperatives. Isa joined the UTSA Small Business Development Center (SBDC) team in February 2020, bringing over six years’ experience working with and for the small business community locally and nationally. Isa’s work has been recognized by the National Association of Area Agencies on Aging (N4a) with the 2012 Innovation Award for her work in program development; the Small Business Administration (SBA) District Women Small Business Champion of the Year (2016) award and most recently, the UTSA SBDC 2021 Innovation Award. Holding a Bachelor of Arts degree in Sociology and a master’s degree in Public Administration from UTSA, Isa is honored to return to her alma mater to work directly with and for the small business community. Isa is a published writer, photographer, and social justice advocate.
Mike Seo is a community organizing professional in Seattle. He currently works as a Portfolio Analyst atShared Capital Cooperative. Prior to joining Shared Capital, he worked at SEIU775, where he did financial and data analyses for collective bargaining while representing 45K+ home caregivers and nursing home workers in WA, MT state. Before that, he worked as a senior financial analyst for Local Initiatives Support Corporation, investing in affordable housing and small businesses throughout the country. He was born in Chicago, but mostly grew up in Seoul, South Korea. He spent most of his 20s in New York City and Ithaca, NY and now is based in Seattle, riding bicycle everywhere and doing karaoke all the time.
Vincent Mao (he/him) is a young professional based in Austin, Texas and a graduate of the University of Texas at Austin’s College of Liberal Arts. Vincent’s introduction to the world of cooperativism was through College Houses, Inc., a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization that owns and operates seven housing cooperatives geared toward college students. In addition to leading the Halstead Housing Co-op as its democratically-elected director and membership coordinator, Vincent worked toward strengthening and revitalizing the long-term sustainability of College Houses, Inc. As the chairman of the board of directors of College Houses, Inc., Vincent oversaw the hiring process of a new full-time executive director and also helped lay the foundation for plans to redevelop and modernize the organization’s existing housing cooperative properties. Vincent now serves as the secretary of the board of directors of North American Students of Cooperation (NASCO) as well as its representative to NASCO Properties. In the near future, Vincent hopes to pursue either a law degree or a graduate degree in real estate development with a focus on affordable housing and urban sustainability. In his free time, Vincent enjoys travelling to new destinations, learning foreign languages, amassing his collection of vinyl records from the 70’s and 80’s, thrift shopping, and spending time with his partner and tuxedo cat.
