SPEAKERS

Speaker

Allanah Hines

Allanah Hines is a passionate advocate for equitable food systems with nearly two decades of experience in the cooperative sector. She specializes in guiding food ecosystems toward inclusive, sustainable practices that center community-driven change. Allanah is the Startup Support Manager for NCG Development Cooperative®, assisting startup food co-ops in launching thriving, community-owned grocery stores through hands-on guidance, strategic planning, and comprehensive development support. Known for her ability to turn vision into action, her work is grounded in the belief that food is more than sustenance — it’s a catalyst for economic vitality, cultural preservation, and collective well-being. She approaches her work with a guiding question: “What would you do if you couldn’t fail?”

Speaker

amaha sellassie

amaha sellassie is a afrofuturist, peace builder, social healer, freedom fighter, network weaver, student of cooperation and lover of humanity. He’s an Associate Professor of Sociology at Sinclair Community College in Dayton Ohio. amaha is a practitioner scholar and participatory action researcher dedicated towards 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. As the former chair of the Dayton Human Relations Council Board, his areas of interest include health and education equity, praxis, cooperative economic development, dismantling structural violence and getting the voice of marginalized communities into the center of public policy in order to emerge structures of belonging that acknowledge the dignity and worth of every human being. He is co-founder and board chair of the Gem City Market, a community driven effort to address food apartheid through a food coop dedicated to increasing access to fresh fruits and vegetables within west Dayton. He is also a co-founder and co-ed of CO-OP Dayton a coop incubator that is guided by the Mondragon model towards building a Just Economy Ecosystem. Currently he is working towards his Ph. D. in Sociology at the University of Cincinnati with an emphasis on utilizing community based participatory action research (CBPAR) towards emerging health equity, co-creating opportunity and community transformation.

Speaker

Bertha Thomas

Bertha Thomas is a creative educator and community builder with a passion for nature and cultural connection. Originally from Mexico City, Bertha moved to the U.S. in 2015, bringing with her a deep appreciation for cultural diversity and community. Her professional path has included work in graphic design, internal communications, education, and wellness entrepreneurship.

Speaker

Bonnie Hudspeth

Bonnie Hudspeth is an Independent Consultant with Firebrand Cooperative. As an experienced community organizer, facilitator, and project manager, she brings over two decades of experience in the cooperative and non-profit sectors. She specializes in leadership, organizational, and systems development. She serves as Vice President for the Cooperative Fund of the Northeast, advancing community-based, cooperative, and democratically owned or managed enterprises across the Northeastern United States. For more than a decade, she led Co-operative Development for the Neighboring Food Co-operative Association, supporting the shared learning, innovation, and success of more than 45 food co-ops and startup initiatives across the Northeast. Prior to that, she was the project manager leading all pre-operational and membership development and fundraising to open Monadnock Food Co-op (2013) in Keene, New Hampshire. She’s all about cooperatives, mutual aid, and community ownership of all the essential things we need to thrive.

Speaker

Brittany Jones

Brittany Jones has deep roots in Cleveland, Ohio, where she has devoted her career to serving her community. Beginning in the Recreation Department with the City of Cleveland, she has transitioned into Assistant Administrator for Cleveland’s Board of Zoning Appeals, bringing her valuable experiences to help others. Her positive spirit and tireless energy are contagious, uplifting those around her and encouraging them to strive for their best. As a 2023 Champion of Central awardee, Brittany is inspired daily by the people she serves. She is working with the Central Kinsman Wellness Collective on a food cooperative in Ward 5, driven by a strong desire to improve access to healthy food for herself and her neighbors. With great pride in her Cleveland heritage, Brittany enthusiastically supports local sports. When she has a moment, she cherishes the simple joys of shopping, traveling, and sharing meals with loved ones, as well as values that resonate with her deep connection to community and family.

Speaker

Casey Miller

Casey Miller has worked with Argus Farm Stop in various capacities since 2014. After spending almost 20 years working in human resources in higher ed, non-profits, and private industry, Casey is happy to have made a home with Argus where she can meld her people and organizational skills with her love of vegetables. Energized by the tangible impact on Ann Arbor’s local food economy, she does what she can to help Argus thrive. In her current role as External Training Manager, she does her best to stoke the fires of the farm stop movement nationally and, sometimes, internationally. In her free time, she can be found pushing the boundaries of what can be grown in her tiny yard, or relaxing with her partner and son. She would love nothing more than to hear about your farm stop aspirations.

Speaker

Chris Dilley

Chris Dilley has been working in and with cooperative grocery retail over 25 years. With experience ranging from board service to 20+ years of general management, Chris is now the Director of Startup Support at Food Co-op Initiative. In this role he brings his experience with expansion/relocation, startup, board service and daily operations to the support of community-based efforts to develop startup food cooperatives through programming and direct technical assistance. He is passionate about the cooperative model, great grocery experiences, local food systems development, and equitable access for all. He lives in Kalamazoo, MI, with his wife and son, and their pup, Cayanne.

Speaker

Chris Gilbert

With over three decades in the grocery industry, Chris combines deep operational expertise with strategic insight. Over 27 years at a major New England supermarket chain, he advanced through every store position, led four new store openings and six remodels, managed stores with annual sales from $13M to $40M, and spent five years overseeing financials for 18 locations, including quarterly budgeting. Since 2016, he has focused on the cooperative grocery sector, serving eight years as General Manager of a co-op and now providing project management support to co-ops looking to successfully launch or expand. His unique blend of traditional grocery operations experience and co-op expertise makes him a trusted resource for cooperative start-ups seeking practical, results-driven guidance.

Speaker

Cierra Washington

Cierra is the Executive Director for the Northside Food Co-op in Wilmington, North Carolina. The Northside, a historically Black neighborhood in Wilmington, has been without a grocery store for over 30 years. A UNCW alum with a BS in psychology, Cierra became intensely involved with local community organizations via work and volunteer engagements. Through these experiences she developed a passion for food access and food justice. This drew her to the Northside Food Co-op, starting as a volunteer which led to a full time position, and a promotion to project manager. The co-op is engaged with the local county in a public-private partnership to develop a grocery co-op in the Northside, and with local government support for the store post-opening. Today Cierra leads the co-op’s small-but-mighty staff in robust community programming aimed at addressing social determinants of health within the Northside neighborhood. The team is building significant relationships with local residents and community agencies. Cierra also coordinates the co-op’s board of directors and activities to advance the co-op’s grocery enterprise project.

Speaker

Darnell Adams

Darnell Adams is a Boston-based leadership coach, facilitator and strategist, who has over two decades of experience with non-profit, for profit and cooperative businesses. She is a developer and facilitator of strategic plans, special projects and workshops, and provides expertise and training on an array of topics including transformational leadership and understanding bias and power. She has been appointed by Governor Healy to the Advisory Board for the Massachusetts Center of Employee Ownership where she is serving as its Chair and is the Chair of Food Co-op Initiative, a national non-profit. Darnell’s writing about black leadership in the cooperative movement can be found in the book Building a Pro-Black World: Moving Beyond DE&I Work and Creating Spaces for Black People to Thrive (2023 Nonprofit Quarterly). Darnell holds a Master of Education from Harvard University and is an International Coaching Federation Credentialed Coach.

Speaker

David Harvan

David is an Agricultural Economist immersed in community uplift endeavors, bridging the gap between higher economic theory and urban agriculture. I work to exemplify the healthy and inherent factors of urbanized plant rearing and food production, such as increased mental and physical health, through economic application, community connection, and philanthropic endeavors.

Speaker

Don Moffitt

Don works through Columinate providing support for co-ops planning large capital investments. Until recently he provided numerous start-ups with proformas. His services include project management, financial literacy training, expansion and business planning, assistance with lease negotiations and general development assistance. He’s worked in natural foods retail since 1981, including Store Team Leader, Regional President and Vice President of Store Development for Whole Foods Market. He served as Project Manager for the Durham Co-op Market in Durham, NC. He holds a B.Architecture (University of Texas, Austin) and an MBA (University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill).

Speaker

Dr. Angela Sayles

Angela currently serves on Collective Courage Fund governance committee which supports Black-Led food cooperatives and organizations through grant making for civic engagement and power building. She most recently held the position of CEO for the Little Africa Food Cooperative. She served as a mentor to the Food Systems Change Fellowship | Nourishing Power program facilitated by Case Western Reserve University. She advocates for local food systems and cooperatives lobbying and has worked with the Ag Noire Coalition and the National Cooperative Business Association. Angela’s work with National Black Food & Justice Alliance Market Study Group as Research Facilitator has produced a 40-page summary report on the topic of Rethinking Market Studies: Impacts for Black led Cooperatives. She is currently facilitating a series of workshops for the Coop Peer group for Q2 2024 and leading the important discussion on effective development models for food coops in Black communities. Angela was invited and participated in the Racism in the Food System convening hosted by Cornell University in March 2024. Angela hosted the United Nations parallel event focused on Innovation and Technology in Land and Food Rights for Global African Women at the 67th Commission on the Status of Women. She and her team participated in the upcoming African Food Systems Forum in September 2023 in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania presenting primary research findings from the Financial Unity East Africa team on the Tanzania sunflower cooking oil sector. Angela is also the owner of the Unity Beverages brand.

Speaker

Eric Hutchison

Eric is a member of the Bronzeville Food Co-op (BFC) steering team and chairs the Outreach Workgroup. He is also a Bronzeville resident. Since moving into his neighborhood, he has focused on food justice by volunteering for a weekly community lunch and assisting local community gardens. Eric was a member of the 2024 Cohort of the United Way Central Ohio’s Project Diversity / Pride Leadership Board Development Program (PDPL 33:17) and is in the 2025 Cohort for the Near East Side Leadership Academy. He has over thirty years of experience in the private sector building technical teams and processes to support business goals and growth. Eric is excited to share his experience with others to bring food sovereignty to his community.

Speaker

Erica “Zenzele” Hardison

Erica “Zenzele” Hardison serves as the board president for One Community Grocery Co-op, a start-up group working to build a cooperatively-owned grocery store on the Southside of St. Petersburg, FL. For over twenty years she has worked in St. Petersburg to help develop sustainable change in many areas including education, healthcare, housing, and food/agriculture. Zenzele brings her foundational goal — making the lives of all people better through sustainable, cooperative and collaborative development — to every project. With a B.S. in Mathematical Sciences, and her experience as an educator, a small business owner, and a community organizer, she has honed her natural ability to solve problems and think logically, creatively, and globally, while acting locally.

Speaker

Gabrielle “Gabby” Davis

Gabrielle ‘Gabby’ Davis (she/her) serves as the Equity, Inclusion, and Community Engagement Manager with NCG and is on the board at Detroit People’s Food Co-op. With a background in public health and counseling, Gabby brings a deeply grounded, multidimensional perspective to her work.Gabby also runs a part-time private practice—Equitable Counseling & Consulting—where she provides mental health care centering the needs of minoritized communities and supports institutions and organizations improve workplace culture through a lens of care, accountability, and belonging. Basically, she talks a lot about decreasing burnout and increasing truth-telling. Known for her honest and engaging approach, Gabby creates spaces where people feel seen, challenged, and invited into deeper reflection and connection. Whether she’s supporting co-ops in equity work, designing learning experiences to improve culture, or holding space for healing, Gabby brings clarity, care, and a steadfast commitment to justice—with just enough sarcasm to keep things interesting. Gabby lives in the Metro Detroit area with her wife and her wife’s plants. Community is Gabby’s love language.

Speaker

Gail Patrice Lockert Anthony

Gail Patrice Lockert Anthony, owner and founder of Black Label Consulting and Coaching and Black Soil Media, has been working for, and toward, the beloved community for most of her life. She is a consultant, coach, facilitator, transformative mediator, and writer who uses workshops,  retreats, and online courses to build allies, partnerships, and collaborations. There is always more to share, higher ground to reach, and those she’d like to inspire to do more to create a nation that speaks to and for all of us. Her work in Anti Racist education for co-ops and communities is meant to help all co-op leaders, management, staff, members, and communities know and understand that our communities, and so our democracy,  only ends when we fail to nourish it, and is only a lie when we fail to incorporate the values and principles that sustain them. Love, Belonging, Community…Justice. This is our arc of achievement. Join me…

Speaker

Guy Cousins

Guy E. Cousins is a community economic development leader and attorney dedicated to advancing cooperative and neighborhood-based models of growth. He serves as Board Chair of the West Boulevard Food Co-op Market, a major community-owned grocery initiative, and as a Board Member of the West Boulevard Neighborhood Coalition, where he has helped guide more than $6 million in public and private investment toward revitalization projects. Guy is also a Founding Partner of The Freedmen Law Group, where his work has centered on supporting entrepreneurs, small businesses, and mission-driven organizations. He has held leadership roles with the CLT MECK Black Chamber of Commerce and the T.I.M.E. Foundation, reflecting his commitment to creating equitable pathways for economic empowerment. His work bridges law, business, and grassroots leadership to build sustainable, community-driven impact.

Speaker

Heather Lazickas

Heather works in co-op development with seven roots, a worker-owned firm that teams up with grocers to build community-focused businesses. Heather fell into co-ops early in her career through marketing + branding, communications, and eventually, store operations. She is increasingly engaged on issues of food access.

She is board vice president at Lexington Co-op Markets, serves on various professional committees, and is passionate about connecting with the people she meets, works, and lives with. Off hours, she’s probably eating.

Speaker

Hugh Farrell

Hugh stepped in as the executive director of the Indiana Cooperative Development Center in March, 2025. He has a background in developing housing cooperatives and organizing community land trusts. In addition, he has a long history of collaboration within the cooperative food sector, helping to build pipelines that train practitioners in kitchen cooperatives and agricultural cooperatives.

Speaker

Jade Barker

For the past eleven years, Jade Barker, a co-owner of Columinate, a national consulting cooperative, has worked with food co-op leaders to help them achieve their goals more effectively while also remaining true to their values. In 2014, Jade earned a CCMA Howard Bowers award for her Cooperative Board Service, and, more recently, a Local Hero award from her local co-op for her contributions to that co-op’s success. Before joining Columinate, she spent several years as the co-director of a community mediation center, where she trained both adults and children as mediators and also served as a trauma educator. For the past several years, she has been designing and facilitating workshops for individuals who want to have more productive conversations about race. Jade has a master’s degree in Transformational Leadership and Coaching and is currently pursuing a doctorate in that same discipline. Jade believes that we are all leaders and we can all create change. 

Speaker

James Morrell

James Morrell is an operations and leadership consultant who has worked extensively with cooperatives, independents, and non-profit organizations building team-based systems and solutions that support their organizational mission. James has been engaged in food systems work for over 30 years and specializes in supporting the development of vibrant local and regional food networks. James continues to apply his experience in pursuing a more ethical food system through his work with organizations by promoting the development of sustainable operational practices and systems that support the economic viability and increased food security in the communities they serve. James is known for encouraging an engaging, equitable, and inclusive team culture, and through his work continues to advocate for the cultivation of local and regional partnerships in order to strengthen local economies and increase community access to fresh, local, and healthy foods.

Speaker

Janiqua Jackson

Janiqua Jackson is a dedicated advocate for community empowerment and food justice. With over 20 years of experience in the grocery retail industry, she has held various leadership roles, including General Manager of Urban Greens Food Co-Op in Providence, Rhode Island, Durham Co-op Market as Operations Manager and been helpful in advising early development for a host of others. Her expertise in the food cooperative model and her passion for serving underserved communities have made her a trailblazer in her field.

In 2024, Janiqua returned to Charlotte, North Carolina, to lead the development of the Three Sisters Market, a community-owned food cooperative in the West Boulevard corridor. This initiative aims to address food insecurity in an area that has lacked a full-service grocery store for over 30 years. As General Manager, Janiqua is committed to creating a sustainable, inclusive food system that uplifts the local community.

Janiqua’s work is driven by her belief in the power of collective action and her dedication to dismantling food apartheid. Her leadership at Three Sisters Market is not just about providing fresh and affordable food but also about fostering a sense of community and economic empowerment.

Speaker

Jeanie Wells

Jeanie served as general manager and CEO at The Merc Co-op in Lawrence, Kansas for more than 10 years, overseeing many expansions and leading a decade of exponential growth before leaving to become a national organizational development consultant in 2009. As a consultant, Jeanie has directly supported hundreds of community grocery organizations across the US and Canada, working directly at their stores and through her online retail training programs. In addition to her work as a consultant, she leads the GM Development Program team and other project leadership roles within Columinate. Jeanie is a trusted adviser, collaborator and presenter to national industry leaders and associations, including National Co-op Grocers, Consumer Cooperative Management Association, Rural Grocery Initiative, and serves on the board of Food Co-op Initiative, a national non-profit dedicated to the support of start-up cooperatively owned grocery stores. In 2022, she founded the new grocery store leadership program, Mighty Community Markets, https://columinate.coop/events/mighty-community-markets/, which is designed to teach critical skills to managing locally controlled independent grocery stores of all kinds, locations and sizes. That program won the CCMA Award for Cooperative Innovation and Achievement in 2023. Jeanie has been a featured speaker in many events, podcasts and national presentations and continues to expand programming for Mighty Community Markets, all with the goal of preserving and strengthening the vital role locally controlled grocery stores play in our communities.

Speaker

Jimmy Wright

Jimmy Wright is a lifelong Independent Grocer. Wright serves as owner and operator of Wright’s Market, a traditional neighborhood retail food store located in Opelika, Alabama, along with Wright2U, an e-commerce fresh food delivery company. Wright’s Market was the first independent grocer in America to offer the ability to use SNAP benefits to shop online. Wright’s Market also offers its SNAP customers incentives on fresh fruits and vegetables as part of the USDA GUSNIP program. Wright has testified before both the U.S House and Senate Agriculture Committees on the importance of the SNAP program. 

In January 2020 Wright formed Wright Food Solutions to offer consulting services to retailers, wholesalers, non-profits, and community development groups in the areas of food access, food security and food affordability, with a focus on urban inner city and rural America.

Speaker

Joel Kopischke

Joel Kopischke has worked with co-ops for over 20 years, focusing on board development, cooperative governance, facilitation, strategic leadership, and executive coaching. (Governance nerd alert! Joel was even trained in Policy Governance at the Policy Governance® Academy by the Carvers – aka inventors of PG.) He is seven roots’ operations manager, working with the team to support co-ops in store development: design, site feasibility, branding, prepared foods, and project support. seven roots is a worker-owned co-op. He served as Board President with Outpost Natural Foods then spent 9 years with CDS Consulting Co-op (now Columinate) working with dozens of co-ops of various types and industries in the US, Canada, and even New Zealand, before joining seven roots. Out in the wild, Joel is also a professional actor and singer; a favorite summer pastime is singing the national anthem for Milwaukee Brewers baseball games. He is a certified facilitator for experiential trainings focused on personal development, including JEDI work addressing power, privilege, and difference through the Mankind Project.

Speaker

John Guerra, NCG

John leads NCGs Business Expansion team and has 20 years of experience in retail real estate development and 10 with grocery co-ops. He has experience with project negotiation, management, and finance, market analysis, and portfolio management. John and his wife homeschool their three kids in Minneapolis, and they all are acutely aware of how difficult and important food co-op development is.

Speaker

JQ Hannah

JQ has stepped into serving as the Interim Executive Director of Food Co-op Initiative as of February 2025, after a decade of leadership as FCI’s Director of Programming. Ze has led FCI’s movement over the last five years from being primarily a TA provider to also being a programs provider, creating more direct access to FCI’s support for startup food co-ops. JQ created the FCI Live virtual conference, and launched and led FCI’s beloved Peer Learning program from 2019 – 2024. A deep believer in the knowledge of those leading in the trenches of the movement, and in collaborative development across organizations, JQ designed and led FCI’s process for creating the Co-op Startup Development Framework, which launched in fall 2024 based on the input of dozens of food cooperators from across the US. Previous to FCI, JQ served as the General Manager of Common Ground Food Co-op in Urbana, IL from 2006-2015, leading them through two store expansions and five years of being the fastest-growing food co-op in the nation

Speaker

Katie Novak

Katie Novak is a passionate advocate for the startup food co-op movement and a trusted coach with over a decade of hands-on experience. Since 2017, she has helped startup grocery co-ops raise over $11.6 million in capital. What began as local involvement quickly grew into a national calling—Katie provides the direction, structure, and support co-ops need to grow ownership and raise funds.

She offers strategic guidance in capital campaign planning, grassroots marketing, and community engagement, with a focus on building strong relationships and clear, effective communication between co-ops and their current and future owners.

Katie is also the co-founder of CoApp, a cloud-based CRM and fundraising tool built specifically for startup food co-ops. Used by co-ops across the country, CoApp has supported nearly $6 million in capital raised to date. Through CoApp, Katie helps advance cooperation among cooperatives by providing data-informed insights, shared tools, and scalable best practices for organizing and fundraising.

Speaker

Korita Steverson

Korita Steverson is the Cooperative Developer Director with Carolina Common Enterprise, a nonprofit organization whose mission is to provide business and technical support services to cooperative projects being developed throughout the state of North Carolina.

Korita believes that through quality customer service and support you are able to grow and sustain an international sales organization while helping the greater community as a whole.

Korita started her corporate career with a role as a General teller for the Walt Disney Corporation when she decided to finish school she completed an internship focused around program creation and advertising for the WNC Area Council on Aging. Working with her family to found a business in Asheville, NC, she stepped into the Operations Manager role, maintaining bookkeeping and records while training and onboarding new team members and running day-to-day shifts. 

She transitioned to working at AT&T doing everything from Customer Coordinator to Indirect Territory manager while participating in their Retail Management Development Program and attaining a Whitacre Award for Selfless Service.  She also received a Service Excellence Award after being nominated by her supporting team.

Korita holds a degree in Political Science, from the University of North Carolina at Asheville.  She has completed the facilitator training with NC Idea and has, at this time, led 4 cohorts of entrepreneurs.  Having helped 100+ people enjoy a program she too experienced has been one of the proudest projects she has completed to date in Warren County, NC.

Korita is a serial entrepreneur who is currently working on developing a concept project called Mag’s Marketplace in Warren County, NC, to support her home community.  She recently launched InJeani-us Inc., a 501c3 in 2021, to focus on the health and wellness of Warren County and the surrounding communities.

Speaker

Lanay Gilbert-Williams

Lanay Gilbert-Williams, a native Detroiter and dedicated community leader, serves as Board President of the Detroit People’s Food Co-op. She is also the founder of Detroit’s Brown Moms Sisterhood Circle, a vital support system for African-American mothers, particularly those navigating the foster care system. In addition, Lanay holds leadership roles as President of the Wildemere Park Neighborhood Association and Youth Program Coordinator for Know Allegiance Nation. As a proud mother of six, she is passionate about developing solutions that empower Black youth and foster community building and nationhood.

Speaker

Laura Matney

Laura Matney, General Manager at Argus Farm Stop, has been an integral part of the company’s growth since inception in 2014. Starting as Liberty St Store Manager, she organically transitioned into her current leadership role, overseeing both markets, cafes, online operations, and training. Laura’s expertise lies in staff management, bookkeeping, and strategic planning. Her diverse background in wholesale, cafe, non-profit, and retail operations fuels her passion for localizing the food system and supporting the local economy. Known for her dynamic and energetic teaching style, Laura is affectionately referred to as the “Chief Cat Herder.”

Speaker

Liis Lahti

Liis Lahti (he/him, they/them) grew up in central Michigan and now lives in Kalamazoo where they have been engaging in antiracism organizing with the local nonprofit, ERACCE (Eliminating Racism & Creating/Celebrating Equity) since 2009.  He studied Comparative Religion and Environmental Studies at Western Michigan University.  Liis is a skilled facilitator and is committed to the long term work of racial and social justice.  They apply an antiracist lens and analysis to all ofthe institutions they encounter and everywhere they go.  Liis was on the Board of Directors for PFC in Kalamazoo for 6 years where where he learned a lot about organizing and institutionalizing antiracism. Liis finds the work of antiracism to be humanizing and life-giving and is passionate about further exploring the intersections of identity.  He became a parent in 2014 and loves being outside and teaching and learning with their two children.

Speaker

Linda Jones

Linda Jones founded the Grand Rapids Food Co-op along with Deborah Eid in 2016. She has led the co-op from the beginning to be a community that welcomes all voices and empowers its owners to use their gifts and skills to grow a vital, responsive, sustainable food co-op to meet the needs of Grand Rapids, specifically addressing the lack of healthy food access in the center of town. She is a choral director and taught music in public schools in Ypsilanti, Ann Arbor, and Lockhart, Texas. She also directed church choirs and community choirs is Ann Arbor and Grand Rapids, MI. She has realized that bringing a community of singers together to create beauty has been a great training ground for her current co-op development second career. She first experienced co-ops when she lived in a student housing co-op at the University of Texas. She is married to Jim Jones, who has worked in the student co-op housing sector his entire career. They spend lots of time discussing how to build the co-op movement over coffee most mornings.

Speaker

Lisanetta McDade

Lisanetta McDade is an accomplished professional with over 15 years of experience spanning higher education, community engagement and non-profits industry. She holds a Bachelor’s degree in Business Science and a Master of Public Administration from Indiana Wesleyan University. Lisanetta has consistently championed initiatives that strengthen community ties and foster meaningful partnerships.

Currently serving as the Liaison, Campus Community Relations at Cuyahoga Community College, Lisanetta leads efforts to bridge the college with the surrounding community. Her work involves organizing impactful events that not only enhance student life but also provide essential resources to residents, promoting both educational and social growth.

Lisanetta’s commitment to service extends well beyond her professional role. She actively contributes as a member of the Central Kinsman Wellness Collective, serves on the Executive Committee of the Minority Health Alliance, and mentors through True2U and the Black American Council. Additionally, as a board member of Foluke Cultural Arts, she supports programs that enrich cultural diversity and education in her community.

Her dedication has earned her numerous honors, including the Cleveland Central Promise Neighborhood Champion of Central Award, the Ashbury Senior Center Unity Award, and the Cuyahoga Community College Community Connector Award and Community Champion award. She is also a proud Graduate of the Neighborhood Leadership Institute.

Speaker

Malik Yakini

Malik Yakini is co-founder and former Executive Director of the Detroit Black Community Food Sovereignty Network. He led the development of the Detroit Food Commons, a new 31,000 sq. ft. building in Detroit’s North End that houses the Kujichagulia Kitchens, Imani Humphrey Banquet Hall and the Detroit People’s Food Co-op. He serves on the co-op’s board. He is a co-founder of the National Black Food and Justice Alliance. He is adamantly opposed to the systems of white supremacy, capitalism and patriarchy. He has an intense interest in contributing to the development of an international Black food sovereignty movement.

Speaker

Manuel Bernai

Manuel Bernal (he/him/his) is a Brown Xicanx Mexican person with Indigenous roots with the Purépecha People in Michoacán Mexico. Manuel is an organizer & facilitator with ERACCE (Eliminating Racism and Creating/Celebrating Equity). He graduated with a BA in political science and MA in public policy from Indiana University. Manuel has worked as a facilitator for the men’s battering intervention program at the Center for Nonviolence in Fort Wayne, Indiana where he helped unpack the internalization of violence in group settings and introduced nonviolent concepts for enduring nonviolent communication and behavior in relationships. Manuel has also worked as a community educator at the YWCA Northeast Indiana facilitating education on racial justice, domestic violence, and immigration. Manuel enjoys listening to resistance music.

Speaker

Melanie Shellito

Melanie is a founding member of Green Top Grocery in Bloomington IL, who served on the co-op board for 8 years including two terms as board chair. Melanie’s area of expertise on the Silvo team (formerly Firebrand Cooperative) is branding, marketing, and strategic messaging. As part of that work, she was involved in the recent sales turnaround at Dill Pickle Food Co-op, strategic marketing assessment for Middlebury Food Co-op, and two successful turnaround/sales growth initiatives at Green Top Grocery. As an award-winning brand strategist with 30+ years of experience, Melanie loves building brands, identities and marketing for mission-driven organizations. Her work includes package designs that have graced the shelves of national retail chains and developing the name, identity and marketing that transformed a small startup into a recognized industry leader with installations around the globe. She has been recognized multiple times by GDUSA’s American Graphic Design Awards, and has had work included in LogoLounge 13, the curated and “definitive identity resource for designers, creative directors, brand managers, and more.”

Speaker

Michelle Schry

Michelle Schry is Strategic Development Director for the Central U.S. region of the National Co-op Grocers (NCG). Prior to joining NCG in 2015, Schry spent 20 years in cooperative retail management in CEO level positions. Schry has been active in service to the larger co-op community serving on numerous boards including: Cooperative Development Foundation, Ralph K Morris Foundation, and the National Cooperative Business Association (NCBA-CLUSA). Schry is a graduate of the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse, which awarded her the 2006 Rada Distinguished Alumni Award. Schry was honored with CDF’s Howard Bowers Cooperative Service Award in 2006 and Cooperative Excellence Award in 2015.

Speaker

Nicole Klimek

A store planner, interior designer and equipment specialist who has devoted her career to co-ops and natural food stores. She began in store development for UNFI, and worked for many years with CDS Consulting Co-op, developing hundreds of store projects along the way. She holds a BA in Community Development + Facility Design, an MLS in Interior Design, an MBA in Marketing and a passion for nachos.

Speaker

Rusty Foszcz

Rusty Foszcz resides in Richmond, IL. He has a(n) MS degree in Education for Instructional Curriculum design. Foszcz spent years working for a consulting firm as a computer programmer and later in the networking area. He left the corporate world to teach various IT/IS courses at a local community college.

In 2017, Foszcz joined the Food Shed Co-op Board of Directors. In 2019 he became President of the board where he helped the community open the Food Shed Co-op – the first grocery cooperative in Northern Illinois. The store opened its’ doors in April, 2024 and recently celebrated it’s one year anniversary.

Speaker

Sam McCormick

Sam McCormick is the General Manager of Assabet Co-op Market in Maynard, MA. Originally from Philadelphia, Sam has a diverse work background spanning cooperative management, retail management, business consulting, co-op education, food production, and green construction. Throughout their work across various sectors they have always centering food sovereignty, anti-racism, and social equity in their work.

After relocating to Massachusetts with their partner, Sam brought their experience in co-op management and green construction to open Assabet Co-op Market. They are deeply committed to the success of this community-owned grocery store, believing that strong community support is essential for a thriving co-op. They continue to prioritize this value in every aspect of the market’s operations.

In addition to their work at Assabet, Sam serves on several local nonprofit boards and the NCG Board of Directors, where they bring experience in governance, strategic planning, equity and belonging work, and financial sustainability to help strengthen the cooperative movement.

Speaker

Siobain Mitchell

Siobain Mitchell is the Finance Manager at Assabet Co-op Market in Maynard, MA. She is also a peer group facilitator & technical assistance provider through FCI and an independent consultant. Siobain loves working with start-ups, and provides financial literacy training for boards, full Stage 2 feasibility assessments, and pro forma financials. Siobain has a certificate in Financial Planning from B.U. and worked as a mortgage loan underwriter prior to taking time off to raise her family and work to organize and open a food co-op in her community.

Speaker

Siobhan DuPont

Siobhan DuPont (she/her) is a dedicated team member at the Kingston Food Co-op, a start-up community-owned grocery store in New York’s Hudson Valley. She earned her Bachelor’s degree in Sociology from SUNY New Paltz in 2018 and is currently pursuing her Master’s in Clinical Mental Health Counseling at SUNY New Paltz, with graduation expected in 2026.
Before joining the co-op, Siobhan worked at a local nonprofit focused on food access and youth development, where she discovered her passion for health, wellness, and improving quality of life in her community. It was during this time that she connected with the grassroots organizers working to launch the Kingston Food Co-op.

Since joining the co-op, Siobhan has served as Outreach Coordinator, Vendor Relations Lead, and Communications Lead, and now focuses on cooperative business development. She has experienced both the challenges and rewards of the cooperative start-up journey and is deeply committed to building strong connections between local producers and consumers in Midtown Kingston. Her work emphasizes the power of the cooperative movement, the importance of community ownership, and the value of maintaining a direct, meaningful connection to the food we eat.

Speaker

Tamah Yisrael

Tamah Yisrael is a versatile professional excelling in training, cooperative development, financial management, and community advocacy. As the Chief Solutions Provider at TMH Financial & Management Solutions, she channels her expertise to bolster community empowerment while providing vital financial services. Tamah pursued consultancy in 2018 which showcases her prowess in business development, facilitation, accounting, and management, benefiting cooperatives, small businesses, nonprofits, and social impact enterprises.

Her work extended to the co-founding of Neo Jazz School of Music, Urban Dream Co-op, NOY Industries LLC, Cooperation New Orleans Loan Fund, and Resolve Financial Cooperative, reflecting her commitment to fostering sustainable growth and innovation. In providing Outsourced Executive Director services to Builders of the Highway Foundation, Tamah orchestrated the merger of three organizations, leading to the establishment of educational hubs in key cities. Simultaneously, she manages local artists as a partner at Yisrae Edutainment LLC, further demonstrating her dynamic involvement in various sectors.

Beyond her professional pursuits, Tamah champions cultural awareness, social justice, and access to nutritious foods, evident through her leadership roles in community-driveninitiatives like the New Orleans Food Co-op, Cooperation New Orleans and CooperationWorks. Recognized for her impactful contributions, Tamah’s dedication to creating positive change is underscored by her involvement in essential programs and continuous engagement in community service, epitomizing her mission to build a more equitable society.

I’m a business owner on a mission. I’m purpose driven in sharing truths that upend the mythologies of racial supremacy, and all of the intersectional BS that bar people from accessing healthy food. These two issues cross paths with a degree of regularity that shines a light on the convergence of policy and national political interests.

Speaker

Tifani Kendrick

Tifani Kendrick has over 25 years of experience serving youth and families. Beginning her career as an Early Childhood Educator, transitioning into the role of Program Director, then establishing herself as a Non-Profit Founder and Executive Director, she now identifies as a Community Advocate. In addition to her Bachelor of Specialized Studies in Youth Empowerment from Ohio University, Tifani Kendrick is certified in Community Health Work, Community Resiliency, and Trauma Responsive Care. With over 585 hours of wellness training, she supports community healing as a certified Breathwork facilitator, Masters of Wisdom and Meditation Teacher, Yoga Instructor, and Life Coach through the Jay Shetty Certification School.

As the Project Manager with Urban Strategies, Inc., she leads the staff, volunteers, and partners in empowering families in Poindexter Village on the Near East Side of Columbus with resources that help them to be stable and thriving. This work prioritizes health and wellness, housing stability, education, and economic mobility. Her team works with the local Broad Street Presbyterian Church pantry and others, to ensure food access to over 54 households at Legacy Pointe at Poindexter. Her engagement strategies have resulted in 5 years of consistent resident leadership, curating leadership development opportunities for residents and supporting resident-led initiatives. 

In addition to serving on the Steering Committee for the Bronzeville Food Co-op, Tifani is an affiliate of the Bronzeville Grower’s Market, Growing and Growth Collective, and Plant the Power, amplifying the work of food security for all Columbus residents.  In 2020, Tifani Kendrick presented a TEDx Talk on the Life Saving Power of Inspiration, which highlights the importance of holistic self-care for all, including within communities facing systemic disparities. Of all that Tifani Kendrick does in the community, she gains the most joy from mothering two amazing teens and continuing her family’s legacy of sharing hope, love, and liberation with others.