Lisa has been on the TCCP Board since 2019 and is the Board President.  She has been a TCCP member for over 25 years.  She earned a BA from Miami University in Ohio, a JD from Case Western Reserve University (Ohio), and an MBA from Wharton, University of Pennsylvania.  Lisa has worked in both the food and health care industries holding leadership positions in product development and marketing.

Lisa is passionate about TCCP believing that we raise the bar for all Minnesota grocers by supporting local farmers & businesses that use sustainable practices, help keep our environment clean, reduce global warming and provide valuable tax dollars to the state.  She’s proud to be part of this inclusive co-op community that is a catalyst for the change needed in the world.

The co-op model is a foundational part of my DNA as my parents and their Hmong relatives created and operated a co-op back in the 1980s, first in Minneapolis and later in St. Paul. Their store offered familiar Asian products, produce and ingredients and served as a “connector” for a growing immigrant community.   

Currently, I am the Vice President of Communications for Better Business Bureau of Minnesota and North Dakota where I serve as a senior leader and spokesperson for the largest professional association in the upper Midwest with almost 7,000 Accredited Business members. As a non-profit organization, BBB’s primary mission is to help businesses enhance their customer experiences by building trust and to assist consumers as an intermediary when business transactions don’t meet expectations. My team creates the communication strategies around the objectives of building trust, integrity, and transparency in the marketplace.   

My professional background also includes deep roots in media including roles as a news anchor and reporter at WSAW-TW in Wausau, Wisconsin and similarly at WBAY-TV in Green Bay. I am proud to be among the very first Hmong on-air contributors in the United States. My two degrees are from the University of St. Thomas; BA in Broadcast Journalism and Spanish and an MBA with an emphasis in business communications.  

Yoshi is a husband, dog dad, long-time Minnesota transplant, part-time voice over artist, and a proud community member of TCCP.

Yoshi’s motto in life is to “make more and give more.” He has always been driven professionally to gain the knowledge, skills, and resources to make a greater impact in his community. He has a warm heart and cool head that are needed to balance the needs of customers, community members, and other stakeholders with fiscal, operational, and moral excellence.

With over 15 years of experience spanning corporate strategy, management consulting, digital marketing, and academia, Yoshi’s expertise is in helping companies and organizations grow by being valuable to their customers through solving human needs and pain points. He applies human-centered design principles, frameworks, and tools to identify areas where customers experience hiccups, frictions, and hardships, carefully select the problems a company or organization has the permission to solve, and solve them in the most profitable and impactful ways.

His educational background includes B.A. in Economics and Psychology from Gustavus Adolphus College, and M.A. in Mass Communication from the University of Minnesota.

 

Joan has been a member of TCCP for 37 years. Her last job before retirement was with Co-op Development Services, where she provided start-up advice for all kinds of co-ops, especially food co-ops. Her co-op career started at Freewheel Bike Co-op in 1976. Joan loves co-ops and what they do: community, cooperation, healthy food, good jobs, and local farmer opportunities.

Joan believes co-ops create connections that are becoming harder to find, and that these connections are the key to our future. She sees her role on the board as promoting a positive balance of business issues, co-op values, and the Twin Cities Co-ops unique vision.

Steve has served on the TCCP Board since 2019.  He is a former board member of Prairie Foods Co-op in Northfield, MN and five-year resident and board member of Park Cooperative Apartments in Minneapolis, a self-managed, limited-equity cooperative. Since 2003, Steve has worked as the editor of the Minneapolis Labor Review, a union newspaper.

Steve and his family spend nearly 100 percent of their grocery budget at Linden Hills or Wedge, and are deeply invested in and committed to the co-op ideal.  With more choices in the natural foods’ marketplace, Steve believes it is important to use his food dollars to support a local, member-owned business which promotes sustainable food systems and which also provides good jobs.

As a member of the Board’s Ownership Committee, Steve works on spreading word to the community about how our stores are not just a place to buy food, but where you know the dollars spent are building a better future for our community and our planet.

Fifteen years ago, when I relocated to Minneapolis, my roommate, now best friend introduced me to Wedge. Throughout my single days and as I started a family, TCCP became the go-to store to discover ingredients for meals while creating cherished memories and getting to know our local community.  

Growing up in an agricultural family, I saw my grandparents cultivating various crops, raising animals, and selling their produce locally. Their loving and caring ways had a significant effect on me, making me realize the importance of local producers in feeding and supporting communities. Through my father’s job contributions with researchers dedicated to combating malnutrition through crop cultivation in semi-arid regions of the world, I was exposed to dedicated scientific efforts that go into bringing food from farm to the table and the contributions of local farming initiatives into communities.  

Food is of great importance to our family; my wife, a published food author and blogger with farming roots loves to experiment with ingredients. As a product manager specialized in retail and supply chain, I’ve contributed to the creation of patent-producing in the space. If entrusted with the board responsibility my personal goal is to utilize my capabilities to enhance TCCP’s services, contribute to membership growth and increase reach of TCCP’s quality food and experience across our community.  

 

Ismael was born and raised in Mexico, where the economic landscape was characterized by small businesses and local food systems. He has 24 years of food industry experience, most recently with the largest consumer-owned food cooperative in the country, PCC Community Markets in Seattle. He is now the Culinary Lead at the Indigenous Food Lab, a part of the non-profit NATIFS. Ismael believes co-ops can be both sustainable and successful as they serve as a link between farms, producers, and customers.

Anthonette has 12+ years in Human Resources and operations leadership—and a lifelong passion for wellness and food justice. She brings both professional expertise and a deep personal commitment to ensuring the co-op grows with integrity. Having seen the impact of limited access to healthy food in marginalized communities, she knows how vital it is to break down those barriers so every family can thrive.

As a community-oriented individual, Eduardo truly believes in the philosophy of cooperatives—that we are stronger together. He is a thirty-year member of food co-ops and credit unions, and believes that cooperatives have the power to create change in our lives through members having economic power, and shaping the choices of organizations.