Host Max Rameau talks with leaders of the Cooperation New Orleans Loan Fund: Tamah Yisrael, the Education and outreach coordinator, and Tamara Prosper, the Loan Steward. Together, they discuss unions, capitalism, and organizing for cooperative economics in the deep south.
BIOS
Tamara Prosper is the Loan Steward at Cooperation New Orleans. She is an avid reader and writer who grew up in the suburbs of Philadelphia, came to New Orleans for a college education, graduated, got married, and decided to make New Orleans her home. Tamara has worked in non-profit fundraising and development, program management, education, long-term care as a Social Services Director, then as a Nursing Home Administrator. She’s worked as a Dementia Care Coach and a stay-at-home mom. Most recently, in an effort to address the root causes of illnesses and injuries that create a need for long term care services, her work included addressing the social determinants of health and managing primary care offices.
She’s also an entrepreneur. With her husband, Tamara owns Sheaux Fresh Sustainable Foods, a 12 year old business dedicated to making fresh produce accessible to all members of our community. She also owns a tour and travel planning service called Legacy Tours, and in 2017 published a book called, “The Elders.”
Tamah Yisrael is currently organizing a cooperative movement and is education and outreach coordinator of Cooperation New Orleans Loan Fund. She is also Chief Solutions Officer of TMH Financial Services LLC and a member of Resolve Financial Cooperative. She established her firm in October 2018 to provide business development, bookkeeping and management services to small businesses, nonprofits, and social impact enterprises in the Greater New Orleans Area. She currently provides Outsourced Executive Director Services to Builders of the Highway Foundation (BOTH Foundation) a national nonprofit. Under her leadership BOTH Foundation has merged the Temple of Brothers of Sisters of Goodwill and Neo Jazz School of Music under its umbrella and has developed educational community centers in New Orleans, Miami, and Orlando. She is also a partner of Yisrael Records Inc. an independent record label and producer of jazz and contemporary music who provides management of local artist such as the Yisrael Trio.
Her community advocacy efforts are focused on cultural awareness, social justice, and access to healthy foods. In her role as President of the board of directors for the New Orleans Food Coop, she was able bridge the connection in all three of these sectors. Additionally, she has been recognized by the Metro Birmingham Branch of the NAACP in its Annual Salute to Outstanding African American for her contributions to culture and youth of the community. She is a graduate of the Foundation for Louisiana’s TOGETHER Initiative LEAD Community Training Program, UNO’s Community Development Finance program, Cooperation Works’ Art & Science of Cooperative Development. She continues to serve community on various committees and working groups to build a more equitable society.
For more on the topics we discussed, see these links:
Cooperation New Orleans website
Local article on Cooperation New Orleans
Cooperation New Orleans linktree