06/02/2026
A newly forming Rochester organization, Roc Co-op Connections, is bringing one of their mentors, Ron Hantz, to Rochester to speak for a Juneteeth event!
Roc Co-op Connections is a loosely organized group of local folks interested in learning about and promoting the development of more cooperatives in Rochester including worker co-ops, housing co-ops, and buyer’s clubs, etc. Roc Co-op Connections hopes to leverage Ron’s visit to learn more about becoming a cooperative network or incubator while also providing the opportunity for him to share his expertise on Black Cooperative history (and present!) and his vision of conscious community development with the larger Rochester community.
Ron is the founder of the Network for Developing Conscious Communities (NDCC) in Washington, DC. He has extensive knowledge of Black cooperative history, significant experience in cooperative housing development, and, through NDCC, offers in-person and virtual Black Co-oponomics Academies in DC and Baltimore, organizes the National Conference on the Black Cooperative Agenda, offers webinar series on rotating topics of interest, provides office space for new groups, and supports youth development in after school programs.
