2021 – 2024 SBN Board Member Candidates

Personal Bio:

Jamila Medley is a passionate advocate and educator for the advancement and growth of the cooperative economy.  In her work with existing and start-up co-ops, she provides support for leadership development, cooperative economics education, navigating group dynamics, and creating adaptive systems to support group process and learning. 

She is executive director of the Philadelphia Area Cooperative Alliance (PACA), a nonprofit and co-op of co-ops that exists to improve the lives of people in the Philadelphia region by supporting democratically organized businesses, promoting the principles of the international cooperative movement, and growing the cooperative economy. Jamila was introduced to co-ops nearly a decade ago as a staff collective member at Mariposa Food Co-op. She’s spent over twenty years serving mission-based organizations in the nonprofit and cooperative sectors. 

Jamila holds a M.S. degree in Organizational Dynamics from the University of Pennsylvania and earned her B.A. degree in Urban Studies from Connecticut College.  She’s a native of Brooklyn, NY and lives in Philadelphia being a creative homemaker who finds revolutionary joy in making her home a sanctuary for herself and loved ones.  She was an inaugural 2020 fellow in Securing the Roots and was the 2018 Philadelphia Community Fellow for the Shared Economics in Equitable Development Fellowship.  Jamila serves on the board of directors for Ithe Independence Public Media Foundation, Movement Alliance Project as well as on the advisory boards of An Economy of Our Own, Quioveo and All Together Now PA. Jamila is also an independent consultant with Columinate.

What skills, expertise, and unique value do you hope to contribute to SBN, and how do you hope to benefit from your Board Service?

My name is Jamila Medley and I am the executive director of the Philadelphia Area Cooperative Alliance (PACA), which is a member of SBN. I welcome the opportunity to join SBN’s board to support its efforts, especially in “cultivating a resilient and equitable local economy”. I agree that doing so has never been as important as now. Entrepreneurship is a gateway to providing racial and economic justice to historically and contemporarily marginalized communities. I want to engage in efforts that help open the gates so that these communities benefit significantly more from and contribute to the resources available in sustainable local economy building. 

Working in the co-op business sector, I offer values alignment with local businesses aiming to improve their triple bottom line. I have experience working to advance equity, diversity, and inclusion within organizations. In working with food co-ops and Black and brown led urban farms in Philadelphia (and nationally), I have worked to strengthen our region’s local food system. My experience in food systems work has supported The Food Trust as I served on its Food & Health Equity National Working Group. I am also a member of the Self-determining Food Systems Working Group with the National Black Food & Justice Alliance. I’d also like to offer my support to SBN by utilizing my background in organizational development. 

Before becoming executive director of PACA, I served on its founding steering committee and as a board member. I have governance experience through my own voluntary service to mission-driven organizations and by providing governance training and support in my work with PACA and as an independent consultant with Columinate. I hope to gain a deeper understanding of the sustainable businesses in the Philadelphia region as a way of being able to better navigate and advocate for investment in and further development of local small businesses.

Personal Bio:

Jezabel Careaga is an entrepreneur, chef, woodworker, designer, and community leader. Born and raised in Jujuy, NW Argentina, she received a progressive education encompassing climate change, sustainability, and mental health – issues that she cares about deeply today. Jezabel holds a degree in Tourism & Hotel Management focusing on international languages and business, and after a formative work experience in an 800-room hotel in Miami, she moved to Philadelphia to start her own business.  

In 2010 Jezabel opened Jezabel’s Argentine Bakery & BYO with a mission to offer a welcoming and delicious NW Argentine experience while prioritizing environmental sustainability, community growth, and financial stability. In 2018 Jezabel’s relocated to a West Philadelphia space she designed herself and expanded offerings to include cooking classes and special events. Her latest venture is Jezabel’s Atelier where her interior design, furniture, and handiwork are showcased alongside a selection of artisan home goods. Over the last ten years Jezabel’s has become a staple in Philly’s dining scene and her empanadas, alfajores, and multitude of Argentine-style pastries have received critical acclaim and widespread popularity.

What skills, expertise, and unique value do you hope to contribute to SBN, and how do you hope to benefit from your Board Service?

In my business, I continually work to grow bolder in my values and build relationships that help strengthen our local economy, honor the environment, and inspire the next generation. The more I learn about our region, the more committed I am to deepening my knowledge and involvement in renewable agriculture, sustainable business practices, and mental health in the food industry. 

I’m a connector and inter-disciplinarian, and my never-ending curiosity and fearless I-don’t know-but-can-figure-it-out attitude takes me far. I am already committed to SBN’s mission and work, and I want to learn about every person, business, and challenge in our community. Covid has wreaked havoc on our neighborhoods, our economy, and the world, and I understand now more than ever the importance of working toward the world I want to see in an increasingly globalized economy.

Personal Bio:

Dr. Kimberly McGlonn grew up in Milwaukee, the daughter of justice activists on the Northside of the city. Her 18 years of classroom teaching about marginalization in the American story & European colonialism have shaped her insights into the intersections of environmental justice & social justice. In 2017 while serving as an elected Councilwoman in Montgomery County, she founded Grant Blvd, a Philadelphia-based, women-owned & family-operated start-up committed to creating fair wage employment opportunities in sustainable fashion for marginalized folks, particularly those who have an experience with incarceration.

What skills, expertise, and unique value do you hope to contribute to SBN, and how do you hope to benefit from your Board Service?

The SBN has an established history of stewardship around progressing climate policy reform and meaningful climate action for Philadelphia’s business community. For this reason, I am enthusiastic about joining it’s board. As a small business owner/leader (Grant Blvd) with a demonstrated commitment to advocacy around the triple bottom line, I’m excited about the prospect of serving in the capacity of Board Member. I am particularly interested in lending what I’ve learned about what truly inclusive systems reform can/should look like, as well as to strengthening/potentially repositioning the SBN’s legislative advocacy.

Specifically, I hope to contribute my insights as a Black, queer woman who has navigated poverty, in ways that will allow for more representation of folks from these demographics into conversations about sustainability & the growth of social impact ventures. In closing, I am sincerely excited to potentially serve in the role of a Board Member, as it would aid in the development of my leadership skills, strengthen my knowledge of the city’s needs, and on a personal level, affirm my optimism that meaningful change is not only possible, but that I am not alone in quest to make it happen.

Personal Bio:

I grew up in Montgomery County, PA and currently live in Fishtown with my wife Emily, my 2- year-old son Luca, and my 5 – year-old daughter Lana. I started my business in 2017 after spending my career working in corporate in order to have more control over my future and to enable me to make a difference through my professional life with the issues that I believe in. In my spare time I try to spend as much time with my family both immediate and extended as possible. We love to eat out, go to sporting events, and take city hikes.

What skills, expertise, and unique value do you hope to contribute to SBN, and how do you hope to benefit from your Board Service?

I would be interested in joining the board of SBN as a way of giving back to an organization that means a great deal to me. In the early days of the lockdown, the weekly SBN roundtable meetings helped me stay informed and quite frankly sane. My business works with local small businesses which allows me to share the work and the mission of SBN and I have been a huge proponent since joining. I believe in Philadelphia and in order to fully realize our potential I believe it is going to have to start at the small business level with the ideals and the cooperation amongst SBN members as a catalyst for change.  

As someone who works with an abundance of small businesses, I am able to learn from so many amazing organizations and I feel that I can share what I’ve learned with the other board members. What I hope to gain from the experience of being on the board is having a deeper connection to the network and the members and having the ability to influence meaningful change to the city and community I love so much.