A Trip to Inclusiv’s 50th Conference 

My name is Ariel Arteaga, and I am the Communications Associate for Brooklyn Cooperative FCU. Attending the Inclusiv 50th-anniversary conference was an incredible first-time experience for me. I had the opportunity to interact with people  that came from different credit unions all around the US. My first thought when I walked in was “wow this is a lot more credit union folks than I expected”. It was a bit intimidating in the beginning, but as I attended various sessions, I was able to connect with other individuals, and learn more about their roles and the type of work their credit unions do for their communities. As I jumped from session to session some of the topics were familiar, while others were new and eye-opening, highlighting areas where I still have room to grow. This experience made me appreciate such events because it shows the power of community banking and the impact it makes. Interacting with knowledgeable individuals who are passionate about credit unions and eager to share their insights was truly inspiring. The sense of community and collaboration was palpable, and I left the conference feeling more informed and enthusiastic about the work we do. If the opportunity presented itself, I would attend another Inclusiv event without a doubt.

My name is Jesus Flores, I have been a Loan Officer for 6 years. At Inclusiv’s Gala dinner, it was amazing to see the vast membership of Inclusiv from various parts of the U.S, all sharing the same mission to serve the underserved. Spirits were high as evident by the non-stop celebration for the honorees for their lifetime achievements.

My name is Christian Avila, and I am one of the Sr. Member Services representatives at Brooklyn Cooperative FCU. At the Inclusiv conference I interacted with people from financial institutions significantly larger than ours. It was an intimidating experience for me being my first such conference. Yet I learned that even these larger financial institutions experience the same issues as us. This made me feel more at ease and like I could connect with the rest of the guests. I was aware of some of the issues discussed during the conference, but others had never crossed my mind. This made me aware of our possible weaknesses and how to overcome them or build in procedures to prevent them. It was great interacting with people who have a great deal of knowledge and experience in credit unions and are eagerly wanting to share their wisdom. I couldn’t have asked for a better first experience than the Inclusiv 50th anniversary event.

My name is Amanda Trainor, and I have been the Partnerships Coordinator at Bk Coop since 2022. My role involves building partnerships, community outreach, and event planning. At the Inclusiv conference I attended the “Building a Cooperative Economy” panel, where I got to hear from experts on credit unions and cooperative economics, including Jessica Gordon-Nembhard who wrote Collective Courage: A History of African American Cooperative Economic Thought and Practice. The panelists talked about credit unions’ long history of uplifting racial and economic justice, and how important it is to build connections with other cooperatives to keep that legacy alive. I was proud knowing that Bk Coop has been prioritizing these relationships for years, working closely with community land trusts, housing justice groups, immigrants’ rights groups, community gardens, worker co-ops, and mutual aid groups. The speakers also pointed out that credit unions can be powerful centers for community involvement and change, but only if members are actively participating in democratic decision-making and working together to address harmful power dynamics. Bk Coop is a member cooperative, so our members are the owners, and getting more people to participate is a big goal and challenge of ours. I left the session thinking about how we can make our members feel more like owners and create spaces that people are excited to be a part of.

Hello, my name is Roberto Gonzalez and I have been the BSA Compliance Associate since January 2023. I have been attending the Inclusiv compliance office hours regularly since January 2023 and they have really been helpful. Anna Foote, Sr. CU Operations and Compliance Specialist at Inclusiv, is always very welcoming during the meetings and willing to help us. This is the reason I decided to attend the conference. I had a very positive experience at the conference, especially during the group sessions. It was great seeing everyone from the Inclusiv office hours sessions. It was refreshing to see that other credit unions go through similar trials and tribulations as Brooklyn Coop, regardless of their asset size, and their eagerness to find resolutions. Overall, this conference was very helpful and shed some light on just how much of a role credit union play in their communities.