Initiatives

It Takes Cooperation to Build a Food Co-op

Start-up Food Co-op Development Conference: Speaker Bios

 

Kalista Aird

Presenting At: Table A: Co-ops & Low-Income Communities

Kalista Aird currently works with Cooperative Fund of New England, a 35 year old revolving community loan fund for cooperative businesses and non-profits, as Marketing and Co-operative Projects contractor. Kalista has been working with cooperatives since 2003, when she joined Equal Exchange as staff in the Interfaith Department. As a current master's student in Management of Cooperatives and Credit Unions at St. Mary's University, Kalista is committed to use and development of the cooperative model. She has a strong background in cooperatives from her career experience with worker cooperatives, collectives, food cooperatives, credit unions, and participation in several food coop start-up projects

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Dan Beaudette

Presenting At: II-1: Rasing Capital

Daniel Beaudette is the Director for USDA Rural Development Community Programs in Massachusetts, Connecticut and Rhode Island.  He has worked many years with the agency Farm Loan, Business & Cooperative, Water & Wastewater and Community Facility Programs.

 

Mel Braverman

Presenting At: II-3: Products and Services to Meet Member Needs and IV-1: Operating and Financial Indicators and Benchmarks

Mel has worked in the cooperative natural foods industry for 30 years; growing and selling produce, retail consumer cooperative department manager, general manager and general manager of a cooperative natural foods wholesaler. For the past 12 years Mel has worked through Cooperative Development Services and CDS Consulting Co-op as a business consultant with a focus on retail operations best practices, department management training/mentoring, business planning, start-up support and general manager mentoring. Mel has worked for numerous retail cooperatives as well as NCGA. He has presented at the Indiana start-up conference the last two years. (Contact: melbraverman@cdsconsulting.coop, 608 243 3255)

 

Erbin Crowell

Moderating At II-2: After the Doors Opened: Lessons Learned from Recently Opened Start-Ups and III-2: Managing the Co-op ;

Presenting At: Table B: Cross Sector Collaboration

Erbin Crowell serves as Executive Director of the Neighboring Food Co-op Association (www.nfca.coop), where he supports member co-ops and coordinates operational, marketing and partnership activities. Prior to joining the Association, he worked as Manager of Marketing & Co-op Relations with the Cooperative Fund of New England. For over a decade, Erbin was a member of Equal Exchange, a worker co-operative and pioneering Fair Trade Organization. He received his Master of Management: Co-operatives and Credit Unions from St. Mary's University, Nova Scotia, and serves on the board of the National Co-operative Business Association. He may be contacted at erbin@nfca.coop.

 

Eric DeLuca

Presenting At: Table C: International Year of Cooperatives Strategy

Eric DeLuca is program manager for the International Year of Cooperatives (2012) at the National Cooperative Business Association. He specializes in innovation and collaborative leadership.

From 2008-2010, DeLuca guided the development of the Neighboring Food Co-op Association, a network of 20 consumer cooperatives in New England. Eric also facilitated the Mid-Atlantic Food Co-op Alliance, a 30-co-op network in the U.S. Northeast region.

He was previously a program manager at Dialogos—an international organizational learning firm focused on system-level change.

Eric serves on the boards of the Vermont Agriculture Innovation Center and the California Institute of the Arts Alumni Association.

 

Mark Goehring

Presenting At: III-3: The Changing Role of Governance for Start-ups

Mark Goehring is team leader for the Cooperative Board Leadership Development (CBLD) program created to provide boards across the country with consultation, training and facilitation. Mark has been involved in co-op governance since the late 1990's, including a tenure as Brattleboro Food Co-op's board president.

Mark's approach in his consulting work emphasizes education and empowerment, and creating tools for boards to enact a clear and strong vision. "It is important to me to be of service to boards. I am proud we offer a program that gives ongoing support to assist boards reaching their full potential. I am energized by strategic conversations that establish the deep value of co-ops in many communities," he said.

 

Jason Happel

Presenting At: IV-3: Starting and Operating a Co-op: A Legal Perspective

Jason Happel is a teacher and a lawyer in the Boston area. As a lawyer with Sullivan & Clark, a general practice firm, he focuses on family-oriented legal issues -- real estate, probate, guardianship, divorce, estate planning, and family businesses. His approach to business lawyering is to bring legal knowledge into the larger context of business, which includes awareness of the personal interactions of all stakeholders. He recently taught classical philosophy, comparative law and literature, and Shakespeare; and currently teaches a summer course on Law and Science at Brandeis University. Vocational interests include various entrepreneurial ventures, advising co-operatives and social businesses on governance and start-up issues, working with religious organizations, including economic development in rural villages in Romania and leading youth trips with Habitat for Humanity. Jason is married and has two children.

 

Glen Ohlund

Presenting At: II-1: Raising Capital

Since 2008 Glen has served as Northeast New England Loan and Outreach Officer for the Cooperative Fund of New England (www.coopfund.coop), visiting current and potential borrowers, providing technical assistance, administration of the loan portfolio, and marketing the Fund to both Co-Ops and investors. As a community economic development practitioner in the public and private sectors, much of his work throughout the Northeast has focused on brick and mortar projects as well as building community capital, with additional engagements including review of state and federal grant applications.

Glen's twenty-five year career working on economic, environmental, and social justice issues is dedicated to sustainable development issues facing the planet's communities. He holds a Bachelor's Degree in Business Administration and a Master's Degree in Community Economic Development, both obtained at Southern NH University.

 

Adam Prizio

Presenting At: IV-3: Starting and Operating a Co-op: A Legal Perspective

Adam Prizio is a partner at Law for Food, an innovative legal practice supporting the sustainable economy in New England. Adam grew up on a small farm in New Hampshire, and has worn about as many hats as it is possible to wear in a small food business, including: cheesemonger, line cook, cured meat specialist, buyer, supervisor, butcher, and kitchen expeditor. Adam is a graduate of Notre Dame Law School.

 

Stuart Reid

Presenting At: I-1: The Financial Side of Starting a Co-op: By the Numbers (part 1 of 2) and III-1: The Financial Side of Starting a Co-op: Paying for Organizing (part 2 of 2)

Stuart Reid is the Executive Director of Food Co-op Initiative, a non-profit foundation providing technical assistance, training and resources to groups across the United States that are organizing new retail food co-ops and buying clubs. He began his work supporting new co-ops as the first Food Co-op Development Specialist for Food Co-op 500, the pilot project that grew into FCI.

Stuart has an extensive background working in cooperatives. He has worked at five retail food co-ops (as a working member, as part of an early management collective, as department manager, and as general manager at Seward Co-op in Minneapolis; served on several co-op boards, was a Buyer & Merchandiser for the former DANCe warehouse, sat on the executive committee of the Twin Cities Natural Food Co-ops Grocers Association, was liaison to the Midwest Co-op Grocers Association, and helped open the Just Food Co-op in Northfield, MN as their first general manager. He has written for the Cooperative Grocer magazine, created and edited training documents and presented at workshops and conferences.

Stuart holds a Lifetime Certified Purchasing Manager accreditation from the Institute for Supply Management where he was also recognized as top Membership Committee Chair of the region. In 2004 he was the recipient of the Howard Bowers award for Innovation and Achievement.

 

Jon Reske

Presenting at: II-1: Raising Capital

Jon Reske is Vice President of Marketing at UMassFive College Federal Credit Union in Amherst, MA. Bio to come.

 

Jake Schlacter

Presenting at: I-1: The Financial Side of Starting a Co-op: By the Numbers (part 1 of 2), III-1: The Financial Side of Starting a Co-op: Paying for Organizing (part 2 of 2) and IV-2: Organizing Tools and Techniques for New Food Co-ops

Stone's Throw Co-op and Food Co-op Initiative. Bio to come.

 

Marilyn Scholl

Presenting at: I-3: Membership is Ownership and III-2: Managing the Co-op

Marilyn Scholl specializes in leadership development, board training, facilitation, and membership development. She has worked with food cooperatives for over 30 years, including nine years as a general manager and nine years with the University of Wisconsin Center for Cooperatives. Marilyn also serves as the manager of CDS Consulting Co-op.

Marilyn's experience as a manager and board member offers clients a unique and valuable understanding of the board and manager relationship. "I like contributing to something that I think makes the world better," Marilyn said. "Good management can flourish under good governance, and good governance supports good management. A systematic approach offers a way to empower boards to do work that's very rewarding to their co-ops and communities."

Marilyn also serves as the manager of CDS Consulting Co-op (www.cdsconsulting.coop). She is the recipient of the 1999 CCMA Cooperative Service award and in 2004 was named an Honored Cooperator.

 

Rob Thomas

Presenting At:Table D: Get the 411 on 401(k) and 403(b) plans

Social(k) Founder and President. Bio to come.

 

Tony White

Presenting At: I-2: Build It and (Make Sure) They Will Shop

Operations Director for the Hanover Consumer Co-operative Society (HCCS), a consumer co-operative located in Upper Valley region of New Hampshire and Vermont. Over 30 years experience in the grocery industry in various positions ranging from Department Manager to Produce Merchandising for several chain store operations. Started working for HCCS as a Produce Merchandiser in 1996. During the last 15 years have held various positions at HCCS that include; Perishable Merchandiser, Merchandising Director, Merchandising Operations Director and current position of Operations Director.

Complete 2nd year of 3 year Master of Management – Cooperatives and Credit Unions Program (MMCCU) through St. Mary's University in Halifax Nova Scotia. The program is geared towards folks that are currently managers at cooperatives or credit unions looking to further their knowledge of cooperation.