and to get us started, please welcome to the podium your host and president, doug o'brien. dct the national press club, welcome everyone here in person. this is the final day of the 2021 cooperative impact conference. for the hundreds of folks on the live streams as well. to our audience, this is a really exciting conversation. we have been looking for to this. i will just take a moment to introduce the gentleman and bring them to the stage. i look forward to this important conversation about how cooperatives can be a critical strategy and helping build back the economy, help build back a more inclusive economy for everyone. the first person i will bring to the stage is the executive director of the federation of southern cooperatives. news also a long-time board member for -- inclusive. he has a long career in international cooperative development. his experience includes smith and project about meant, management and marketing. he has worked as a small banishment -- small business consultant and international project director and director of field operations, among many ot