Tune in to WOL 1450 AM, 95.9 FM, and WOL Live Stream on August 17, 10:30 am ET, for Everything Co-op, hosted by Vernon Oakes. This week Vernon interviews Esteban Kelly, Executive Director for the U.S. Federation of Worker Cooperatives (USFWC). Vernon and Esteban will discuss new initiatives of the USFWC, and his recent election as chair of NCBA CLUSA’s Board of Directors.
Esteban Kelly has offered visionary leadership and creative strategy in economic democracy and co-op movements for over 25 years. He is co-founder and worker-owner of AORTA (Anti-Oppression Resource & Training Alliance). This worker co-op builds capacity for social justice projects through intersectional training and consulting. Esteban infuses creative forces into solidarity economy, food sovereignty, and cooperative movements, coalescing these sectors in his efforts to expand economic democracyâ chiefly by using the cooperative business model for community ownership and workersâ control.
He has served on numerous boards, including the At Work Institute, the U.S. Solidarity Economy Network, the LCA land trust, and CICOPA (the international federation of worker cooperatives). Recently, the National Cooperative Business Association CLUSA International announced the election of Esteban Kelly as the associationâs new board chair. Esteban previously worked at the New Economy Coalition and is an advisor to the Movement for Black Lives policy table; Beautiful Trouble, a global network of artist-activist trainers; and the Institute for the Cooperative Digital Economy.
