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In this episode of Cooperative Developer Stories, host Tara Williams sits down with Esther West, loan officer, technical assistance provider, and outreach specialist at Shared Capital Cooperative, worker owner at the Ajani Group and Latinx Coop Power researcher to explore how relationships, solidarity, and practical support are at the heart of successful Cooperative Development.

Growing up in a family deeply rooted in community organizing and Cooperative Development, Esther shares how her parents shaped her understanding of justice, care, and collective action. From her early days as a worker-owner at Equal Exchange to her current work supporting co-operatives through financing and technical assistance, Esther reflects on the experiences that have influenced her approach to cooperative development.

Throughout the conversation, Esther reminds us that Cooperative Development isn't about having all the answers, it's about listening, learning alongside communities, and helping people build the futures they envision for themselves.

Resources Mentioned

• Shared Capital Cooperative
• Ajani Group
• Equal Exchange
• Read the Latinx Co-op Power research project research report published through the University of Wisconsin Center for Cooperatives
• U.S. Federation of Worker Cooperatives
• Cooperative Development Foundation
• Latinx Co-op Power research project
• Dr. Jessica Gordon Nembhard

About Esther West

Esther West works with Shared Capital Cooperative, where she combines lending, technical assistance, outreach, and racial justice initiatives to support co-operatives across the United States. She is currently also a worker owner at the Ajani Group and a previous worker owner at Equal Exchange and the University of Wisconsin Center for Cooperatives. Esther brings experience in cooperative finance, research, organizing, and community development. Her work is grounded in the belief that co-operatives are powerful tools for building stronger, more equitable communities.

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What happens when a group isn't ready for a co-op?

For Blanca Delgado, learning not to push the cooperative model was one of her first, and most important, lessons as a new cooperative developer.

In this episode of Cooperative Developer Stories, Tara Williams talks with Blanca, a Co-operative Developer with the UTRGV Texas Rural Cooperative Center in South Texas. Blanca shares how she found her way into cooperative development while working with low-income workers, and how an early project that didn't move forward taught her that development isn't about forcing a group toward a particular outcome.

For Blanca, the real work begins when people have to learn how to work together: making decisions, sharing responsibility, communicating through disagreement, and being accountable to one another.

She also talks about the importance of understanding the communities we work with—including their culture, language, experiences, and fears. Her advice to new developers is simple: start by learning the culture.

This conversation is a reminder that cooperative development doesn't always follow a neat roadmap. Sometimes the best thing a developer can do is slow down, listen, adapt, and let the community lead.

In this episode

• How Blanca found her way into cooperative development
• What an unsuccessful project taught her about readiness
• Why developers shouldn't push the co-op model onto a group
• The messy, human side of cooperative development
• Helping groups navigate disagreement, decision-making, and shared responsibility
• Why listening to other developers and learning from peers matters
• Learning to trust yourself and adapt when the plan isn't working

About Blanca Delgado

Blanca Delgado is a cooperative developer based in South Texas. She works with the UTRGV Texas Rural Cooperative Center, part of the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley, and has approximately six years of experience in cooperative development. Her work focuses on supporting communities and groups exploring cooperative solutions, particularly low-income and immigrant communities.

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Learn more about Blanca's work through the Texas Rural Cooperative Development Center.

Interested in becoming a cooperative developer? Explore CooperationWorks!' Art and Science of Cooperative Development training, including Building Blocks, Toolkit Implementation, and Finance Fundamentals.

Want to connect with other co-op developers? Visit the CooperationWorks! Member Locator to explore our national network of cooperative developers and development centers.

Subscribe to Cooperative Developer Stories, share this episode with a colleague, and keep learning from the people doing this work in communities across the cooperative movement.

The views and opinions expressed in this podcast are those of the individual guests and do not necessarily reflect the views, positions, or policies of CooperationWorks!

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What does it really take to build a successful co-operative?

In this episode of Cooperative Developer Stories, Tara Williams sits down with John McNamara, previous Co-Executive Director of the Northwest Cooperative Development Center, educator at Saint Mary's University, and longtime worker co-op owner. With more than three decades of experience, from his work at Union Cab Cooperative in Madison to helping launch new worker co-ops across the Pacific Northwest and beyond, John reflects on what he's learned about Cooperative Organizing, leadership, conflict, and the power of education.

Whether you're an experienced developer, an emerging co-operator, or simply curious about how co-operatives create more democratic workplaces, this conversation offers thoughtful insights grounded in years of lived experience.

In This Episode

• John's journey from worker-owner at Union Cab Cooperative to co-operative organizer and educator
• Why understanding workplace culture matters in co-op development
• Building leadership without creating "hero" leaders
• Why good ideas still need a sustainable business model
• The importance of empathy and trauma-informed approaches in worker co-op development
• Why John prefers the terms organizer or steward over co-op developer
• Navigating conflict while preserving relationships and democratic governance
• Why dispute resolution policies should be created before a co-op begins operating
• Why Education, Training and Information is John's favorite International Cooperative Principle
• Reflections on worker dignity, labor, and CooperationWorks!' Principle #10
• How CooperationWorks! helped shape John's own journey into cooperative development
• Advice for the next generation of cooperative developers

Memorable Quotes

"The people who are in the co-op are developing the co-op. We're organizing them. We're helping them do it."

"Seeing people take ownership of their economic lives and realizing they can run a business together—that's what excites me."

"No matter how much people have a dream, it still has to pencil out."

"It's hard to have a functioning democracy without education, information, and training."

"There's no one right way to do a co-op, but there are plenty of wrong ways."

Resources Mentioned

• Northwest Cooperative Development Center
• Saint Mary's University, International Centre for Co-operative Management
• Union Cab Cooperative

About Our Guest

John McNamara is the Co-Executive Director of the Northwest Cooperative Development Center in Olympia, Washington. He has spent more than 15 years supporting cooperative development and more than three decades involved in worker cooperatives and the labor movement. John previously served on the board of Union Cab Cooperative in Madison, Wisconsin, was a founding member of the Democracy at Work Network, and teaches Strategic Advantage through the International Centre for Co-operative Management at Saint Mary's University.

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Cooperative Developer Stories: Sassy Sassoon

Building Better Co-ops Starts with Better Conversations

What if the most important skill in cooperative development isn't knowing all the answers—but asking better questions?

In this episode of Cooperative Developer Stories, Tara Williams sits down with Kate "Sassy" Sassoon, an independent co-operative developer, facilitator, and lifelong co-operator whose work centers on helping people talk, decide, and build together. Drawing on a lifetime spent in co-operatives, from daycare and student housing to worker co-ops and cooperative development, Sassy shares why she believes cooperative development is simply co-operators helping other co-operators.

This energetic conversation explores everything from facilitation and governance to conflict, closure, curiosity, and joy. Sassy reminds us that co-op development isn't just about building organizations, it's about building people, relationships, and the capacity to work together.

Whether you're just beginning your journey in cooperative development or have spent years supporting communities, this episode is full of practical wisdom and refreshing perspectives on what it means to build a cooperative future.

In This Episode

• Why Sassy calls herself a lifelong co-operator
• How facilitation and shared decision-making are foundational to successful co-ops
• Helping groups move from an idea to clear next steps, without overwhelming them
• Why "co-op work is inner work"
• Recognizing life experience as valuable professional experience
• Curiosity as one of the most important skills a co-op developer can cultivate
• Supporting groups through conflict, crisis, and even intentional closure
• Why composting a co-op can sometimes be the most successful outcome
• Building sustainable practices to avoid burnout as a developer
• The importance of professional networks, peer learning, and mentorship
• Reflections on Cooperative Principles 5 (Education, Training and Information) and 6 (Co-operation Among Co-operatives)
• Why joy is an essential ingredient in long-term movement building

Memorable Quotes

"I'm just a co-operator helping other co-operators co-op."

"If you can talk to each other and decide together, then you have the tools you need to build everything else."

"Co-op work is inner work."

"You don't need all the answers. You need really good question-asking skills."

"Curiosity is one of your greatest professional assets."

"Composting is normal. Life cycles are a cycle."

"Solidarity is self-interest."

"Structure your work in a way that creates joy—because that's how you'll still be doing it 40 years from now."

About Our Guest

Kate "Sassy" Sassoon is an independent co-operative developer, facilitator, educator, and lifelong co-operator based in California. Through Sassy Cooperates, she supports co-operatives and democratic organizations with facilitation, governance, conflict navigation, organizational design, and collaborative decision-making. Sassy works across sectors, helping groups strengthen the relationships and governance practices that make cooperation possible.

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Want to learn more about Sassy's work?

Visit https://www.sassycooperates.org/ to explore her facilitation resources, case studies, and practical tools for democratic organizations.

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Building Co-ops from Community: Tamah Yisrael on Cooperative Economics & Collective Power

What if cooperative development isn't about bringing a new idea into a community—but helping communities recognize the cooperative practices they've been using all along?

In this episode of Cooperative Developer Stories, Tara Williams sits down with Tamah Yisrael, a New Orleans-based cooperative developer, accountant, educator, organizer, and CooperationWorks! board member.

Tamah's journey into cooperative development began as a member of her local food co-op. But the cooperative principles she encountered there felt familiar. They reflected practices she had experienced throughout her life: family members pooling resources, neighbors supporting one another, mutual aid, savings circles, and communities finding collective ways to meet their needs.

That experience helped shape an approach to cooperative development rooted deeply in community.

Tamah shares how her work with predominantly Black, Brown, and Indigenous communities led her to develop the Black Liberation Co-op Academy, why deep listening is one of a developer's most important skills, and why relationships can make or break a cooperative.

She also challenges us to think about economic participation: where we spend, where we invest, what we collectively own, and how cooperatives can help communities build economic power.

In This Episode

• How joining a food co-op sparked Tamah's cooperative development journey
• Recognizing cooperative economics in family traditions, mutual aid, and community practices
• Working with Black, Brown, and Indigenous communities in New Orleans
• Why Tamah developed the Black Liberation Co-op Academy
• Listening to communities before proposing cooperative solutions
• Why cooperatives are "highly relational and intentional economic strategies"
• The importance of deep listening and intentional agreements
• Why talking about money can be one of the hardest parts of cooperative development
• Member economic participation and building community economic power
• Why Concern for Community and Education, Training and Information go hand in hand
• Anti-racism and anti-oppression in cooperative development
• How CooperationWorks! helped strengthen Tamah's practice
• Tamah's vision for making cooperatives a more widely understood tool for economic development

From Tamah

"Cooperatives are highly relational and intentional economic strategies."

"What is the glue that keeps us together? And it's those intentional agreements."

"Cooperatives create an opportunity for us to create beloved economies."

"This is the work of really reshaping our future and reclaiming our future."

About Tamah

Tamah Yisrael is a cooperative developer, accountant, educator, organizer, and advocate based in New Orleans, Louisiana—Bulbancha, "the land of many tongues."

Her cooperative journey began as a food co-op member before growing into board leadership and cooperative development. Her work includes the Black Liberation Co-op Academy, which creates opportunities for communities to explore and reclaim cooperative economics through a culturally relevant, community-rooted approach.

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Learn more about Tamah's work at TMH Financial Solutions

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What Is a Co-op Developer? Welcome to Cooperative Developer Stories

What is a co-op developer? What makes cooperative development different from traditional business development? And how do people find their way into this work?

Welcome to Cooperative Developer Stories, a podcast from CooperationWorks! exploring the people, experiences, and relationships behind cooperative development.

In Episode 0, host Tara Williams, Education and Training Manager at CooperationWorks! and a co-op developer herself, sits down with Alex Stone, Executive Director of CooperationWorks!, to set the stage for the conversations ahead.

Together, Tara and Alex explore the many paths people take into cooperative development and the wide range of skills developers bring to the work. Some specialize in governance, conflict, business planning, or feasibility. Others work alongside groups throughout the entire cooperative life cycle.

But cooperative development isn't only about building businesses. It's also about people.

Co-ops bring people together to meet shared needs through collective ownership and democratic decision-making. That means developers need to understand business fundamentals while also helping groups build relationships, make decisions, navigate conflict, and put cooperative values and principles into practice.

In This Episode

• What a cooperative developer actually does
• Why there is no single path into cooperative development
• Tara and Alex's own journeys into the cooperative movement
• Why "co-op developers are also doing human development"
• How cooperative development differs from traditional business development
• The importance of cooperative values, principles, and identity
• Why governance, group dynamics, and conflict skills matter
• Supporting co-ops throughout their life cycle
• Why success in a cooperative is about more than financial returns
• How the practice of cooperative development continues to evolve
• Why CooperationWorks! created a podcast about the people behind cooperative development
• The importance of relationships, peer learning, and networks in strengthening the field

Why Cooperative Developer Stories?

There are plenty of resources that can teach you the steps involved in developing a cooperative.

This podcast is about something different: the people doing the work.

Throughout the series, we'll sit down with cooperative developers, practitioners, educators, organizers, and movement builders at different stages of their careers.

We'll ask how they got started, what they've learned, what they wish they'd known, what tools they use, what challenges they've encountered, and what keeps them excited about cooperative development.

Whether you've been developing co-ops for decades, you're just getting started, or you're wondering whether the work you're already doing might actually be cooperative development, these stories are for you.

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CooperationWorks! (https://cooperationworks.coop/) is a national network of cooperative developers and development centers committed to strengthening the practice of cooperative development through connection, education, and shared learning.