Episode 01: How do we leverage our potential?
In this podcast we will be talking to Bonnie Hudpseth about cooperatives and their impact in their communities and leveraging our potential.
Bonnie is an organizational developer and community builder based in Vermont available for freelance work. As an experienced facilitator, community organizer, and project manager, she bring over two decades of experience in the non-profit and cooperative sectors. Through system design, leadership development, and relationship and capacity building, Bonnie support individuals and organizations to bridge between strategic vision and concrete action.
Whether facilitating peer groups or meetings, building communities of practice, contributing to strategic planning, or supporting organizations to complete innovative projects, she uses an asset-based approach to development, noticing and drawing out peoples’ strengths and shared values for deepened connection and innovation.
Bonnie love serving as a sounding board, helping reveal unnamed needs in individuals and organizations, facilitating leaders in connecting the dots, articulating what’s happening, and then creating an action plan to address unmet needs.
Accomplishments:
Serves as Board President for the Cooperative Fund of the Northeast, advancing community-based, cooperative, and democratically owned or managed enterprises across the Northeastern United States.
For more than a decade, led Co-operative Development for the Neighboring Food Co-operative Association, supporting the shared learning, innovation, and success of more than 45 food co-ops and startup initiatives. This work included leading several food security and diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives, communities of practice, peer learning groups, and supporting leadership development at food co-ops across the Northeast.
Co-creator of several startup organizations, including the project manager to open the community-owned grocery store Monadnock Food Co-op (2013) in Keene, NH.
Has a Master of Science degree in Sustainable Community Development from Antioch University New England (2008).
Has a Bachelor of Arts degree in Environmental Studies and English Summa cum Laude and Honors in Environmental Studies from the University of Vermont (2004).
In 2020, Bonnie was honored at the national Up & Coming Food Co-op Conference as the year’s ‘Cooperative Champion’ for my widely respected work with northeastern startups in the cooperative sector.
Bonnie was named an ‘Emerging Leader’ in 2010 by the New Hampshire Charitable Foundation, one of the United States’ largest community foundations.