Tune into WOL 1450 AM, 95.9 FM or the WOL Livestream on Thursday, May 1 at 10:30 a.m. EDT for Everything Co-op, hosted by Vernon Oakes.
This week’s episode features Ron Hantz, Executive Director of the Network for Developing Conscious Communities; and Ahzjah-Netjer Simons, Co-Executive Director of the Georgia Cooperative Development Center. Vernon and his guests will discuss the upcoming 4th Annual National Conference on Black Cooperative Agenda.
Read about last year’s conference
The 4th Annual National Conference on the Black Cooperative Agenda serves as a vital gathering place for cooperative leaders, organizers, business owners, and visionaries to convene, exchange knowledge, strategize, network, and plan to transform their business practices. Attendees will have an opportunity to listen, learn, and develop strategies to expand their cooperative enterprises, support other cooperatives, and empower communities through collective economies. The conference will be held at the Massey Executive Conference Center, 830 Westview Drive, Atlanta, GA, June 13 – June 15, 2025.
Ron Hantz has been instrumental in advocating a new community development paradigm based on “conscious community development.” He is a former Adjunct Professor in the Africana Studies Department at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County, and founder of the Network for Developing Conscious Communities (NCDD). Ron leads the organization’s efforts on advocacy and building a sustainable ecosystem for Black governed community development organizations. Under his leadership, NCDD has emerged as a grassroots voice on promoting the use of principle-based practices to regenerate under-resourced communities.
Ahzjah-Netjer Simons is a transformative leader committed to empowering cooperative businesses and communities through education, strategy, and innovation. She holds key roles such as Co-Executive Director of the Georgia Cooperative Development Center, P6 Ambassador for the NCBA, and President of Digico Global. With 25 years in media activism and 18 years as a cooperative leader, Simons has earned the CCMA Cooperative Service Award. She founded International Co-op Media and launched Co-op Nation to illuminate the cooperative movement and its impact. Additionally, she co-created Women In Cooperation, a pass-the-mic podcast, digital magazine, and community dedicated to uplifting and amplifying women in the cooperative space.