Greg Brodsky
Founder of The Bike Cooperative, Co-founder of the Independent Brewers Alliance, and Board Chair at Cooperative Development Institute
Brian Donovan
Brian Donovan is the former Executive Director of the Austin Cooperative Business Association (ACBA), a regional cross-sector trade association for cooperatives. From 2005-2013 Brian managed the Univ. of Texas Inter-Cooperative Council, a student housing cooperative. Brian served on the board of NASCO Development Services for 8 years and the NASCO Board for two years. Presently he is Co-Director of The Cooperation Group, a non-profit cooperative development organization based in Detroit, Michigan. Before working in co-ops Brian worked for Apple as the manager of the Inside Sales team serving educational institutions. He also [...]
Agricultural Utilization Research Institute
The Agricultural Utilization Research Institute (AURI) helps develop new uses for agricultural products through science and technology, partnering with businesses and entrepreneurs to bring ideas to reality. We generate economic impact in Minnesota communities by helping businesses take advantage of innovative opportunities in four focus areas: biobased products, renewable energy, coproducts and food. We provide a broad range of services to expand markets, develop new uses and improve processes. AURI provides hands-on scientific technical assistance, and a targeted network of resources to develop value-added uses for crops and coproducts. We provide applied research services and product development assistance to create new ag-based products, process refinements and [...]
National Cooperative Bank
National Cooperative Bank (NCB) provides comprehensive banking services to cooperatives and other member-owned organizations throughout the country. What makes NCB unique is that the bank was created to address the financial needs of an underserved market niche – people who join together cooperatively to meet personal, social or business needs, especially in low-income communities. Our Mission NCB’s mission is to help cooperatives grow by supporting and being an advocate for America’s cooperatives and their members, placing special emphasis on serving the needs of communities that are economically challenged. Our Customers NCB’s customers are cooperatives, [...]
Latino Economic Development Center
The Latino Economic Development Center emerged out of a small group of immigrants who formed a Latino congregation in 1994: Sagrado Corazón de Jesus (Sacred Heart of Jesus) in South Minneapolis. The new congregation immediately took on a social justice as well as a spiritual dimension. Recent Mexican immigrants worked in teams on educational, legal, and economic issues, and overcame many barriers to reach their goals. Over time, they realized that economic progress was imperative to strengthen the Latino community. LEDCwas incorporated in 2003 with assistance from several local business development organizations. With [...]
NASCO
NASCO provides education, outreach and project management support to individuals, groups, and developers wanting to create resident-controlled, affordable housing co-operatives – usually student, youth, or campus-oriented. NASCO Development Services also assists new or existing co-ops in obtaining acquisition and gap financing, as well as permanent funding and refinancing packages, usually on a fee-for-service or success fee basis. The Development Services program aims to support proactively those groups who have been underserved – including low-income, minority, differently-abled, working, and re-entry students. We believe that cooperative development and cooperative living transform peoples’ lives by [...]
CoBANK
CoBank is a national cooperative bank serving vital industries across rural America. The bank provides loans, leases, export financing and other financial services to agribusinesses and rural power, water and communications providers in all 50 states. CoBank is a member of the Farm Credit System, a nationwide network of banks and retail lending associations chartered to support the borrowing needs of U.S. agriculture and the nation’s rural economy. In addition to serving its direct retail borrowers, the bank also provides wholesale loans and other financial services to affiliated Farm Credit associations serving [...]
Democracy at Work Institute
The mission of the Democracy at Work Institute is to expand the worker cooperative model to reach communities most directly affected by social and economic inequality, specifically people of color, recent immigrants, and low-wage workforces. We are a movement-based think-and-do tank supporting worker cooperatives to grow to a scale that creates meaningful change in the economy. The Institute brings a birds- eye view of the national stage and a hands-on understanding of cooperative business and its benefits, making sure that our growing worker cooperative movement is both rooted in worker cooperatives themselves and [...]