Everything Co-op, hosted by Vernon Oakes, will broadcast live from the 2024 IMPACT Conference. This episode will feature four Cooperative Leaders and Scholars who are participating in the conference. Vernon will delve into the various co-op sectors they represent. Be sure to Tune in at WOL 1450 AM, 95.9 FM and, Everything Co-op, October 3, 10:30 am, ET, to hear their stories.
The Cooperative Leaders and Scholars (CLS) program is an opportunity for employees, board members, and post-secondary students working for cooperatives and others interested in working for a cooperative or cooperative organization to participate in multi-sector programming and events and engage with co-op industry thought leaders, policymakers, and other stakeholders. The program is administered by the Cooperative Development Foundation. The interviewees are listed below.
Salvador Gonzalez, Cooperative Development Specialist at the Center for Community Wealth Building, empowers communities to launch cooperatives. He leads the Train-the-Trainer in Co-op Development program, focusing on food system cooperatives to boost community ownership. With a Political Science background and experience in nonprofits, he champions human rights, environmental justice, and economic equity through active community engagement and industry events.
Laura Flores, a queer immigrant of color from Mexico, raised in Southern California, and now in Oakland, has 15 years of social justice experience. She started as a community organizer and has managed a fellowship for undocumented youth, advised labor unions, and launched a women’s entrepreneurship center. Now, as a senior client services manager at Project Equity, she transforms small businesses into employee-owned structures, fostering inclusive workplaces.
Autumn Solomon began her cooperative journey in May 2022 with Carolinas Telco Federal Credit Union. Despite having spent four years at another credit union, that prior organization had never introduced her to the world of cooperatives. Mentored by Emily Nail, she attended key conferences, deepening her understanding of cooperatives’ history and potential. Raised with cooperative values, Autumn now sees their role in addressing social and economic challenges.
Anthony Goodwin, National Co+op Grocers’ business innovation director, focuses on innovative solutions for cooperative grocery growth in low-income, low access communities. With 17+ years in the grocery industry, he has worked with Meijer, Lucky’s Market, and ProMedica Health System. Anthony’s true passion lies in improving food access in under-resourced communities. Anthony holds a B.S. and MBA from The University of Toledo and is pursuing a Ph.D. in Public Health, emphasizing food justice and health equity.
Our host, Vernon Oakes, is a consummate advocate for cooperatives. He is a Past President of the National Association of Housing Cooperatives and has served on several boards and committees to advance the interests of cooperatives. He also 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.
The 2024 Everything Co-op List: Vernon Oakes’ Picks for Heart, Mind, Body, Soul, and Community
DEADLINE – October 21, 2021
For nearly 11 years, Vernon Oakes, Everything Co-op’s founder and host, has dedicated himself and the show to promoting the cooperative model to build economic resilience, expand employment, and provide dignity of work and home. It does this by highlighting and amplifying the work, products, and services of cooperatives, their members, and their allies.
This year we are proud to expand those efforts by offering a thought-fully curated list of products and services from the cooperative community centered around five categories, each mirroring Vernon’s interests – Heart, Mind, Body, Soul, and Community. These categories embrace a wide variety of items that reflect the cooperative ethos of mutual support, sustainability, and community welfare.
We’re inviting the community to help select these products and services. If you provide a product or service that you would like to highlight or if you are a customer of a product or service, please feel free to submit them. (Submit Form)
