Happy Black History Month

I'm so excited! It feels so good to return to my media roots and still making a contribution to the cooperative movement I love so much. A longtime dream of mine to incubate/launch a cooperative that incorporates my passion for creativity, new media, and cooperatives. The ultimate goal is to launch a platform cooperative that houses a retail media network for cooperatives as well as the the exchange of products and services for creatives, producers, digital technology experts, and mentors. This platform would leverage data science, new media, and digital literacy tools, to support women and BIPOC small businesses, solopreneurs, and co-opreneurs. That is the vision for ICM, The International Co-op Media Group, a digital media and new media co-op incubator by, for, and about women who's passions direct their lives thru an entrepreneurial spirit and creativity. We'll share more about that as it develops.

In the premiere of Co-op Nation, the first program on Co-op Nation Network, we celebrate Vernon Oakes, Host of Everything Co-op Communications, LLC and Co-Founder of Everything.Coop, a media cooperative in the making. A partial version of the interview was aired on 89.3FM in Atlanta, WRFG radio for Black History Month and the full interview will air on Co-op Nation Network podcast programs when they launch in 2024. Vernon is being inducted into the Cooperative Hall of Fame in Co-op Month 2024, October 3, at the Hamilton Hotel in Washington,DC. We caught up with Vernon to hear his thoughts about the nomination, his co-op journey, insights and wisdom along the way.