What If the Money Never Left Your Community? with D.G. Safeer Hopton

In this episode, Dr Faiz speaks with lifelong cooperative innovator, author and founder of Global Village Co-op, D. G. Safeer Hopton.Drawing on more than five decades of experience, Safeer explains how cooperatives can help communities build and retain wealth rather than allowing outside corporations to continuously extract value. He shares the story of Co-op Village in Pasadena, where residents collectively owned not only their homes, but also the surrounding shopping centre and recreation facilities. Revenue generated by the commercial development was then reinvested to reduce housing costs and strengthen the wider community.The conversation explores the principles that make cooperatives distinct, including democratic ownership, one member, one vote, transparency, consumer education, and the circulation of money within local communities. Safeer also discusses patron refunds, cooperative supermarkets, credit unions, community-owned services, cash rewards systems and the potential of digital wallets to connect consumers and merchants around the world.At the heart of the episode is a powerful question: What becomes possible when communities stop competing against one another and begin building, buying and growing together?For more content, do visit:Email Safeer: [email protected]’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/d-g-safeer-hopton-a4a8b3bGlobal Village: https://globalvillage.coopSafeer's Music: https://music.youtube.com/channel/UCtxuFmLojdg_86ttjJxCE2gSafeer's Music Books: https://youtube.com/@awakening_music_books?si=naM0KQuBDuoIU7d3Safeer's Podcast: https://www.youtube.com/live/yMenf8PmpxU?si=ge-RDxRbu9nnmQOBMahdi Music: https://open.spotify.com/artist/79zVNLgy8L7RMUuoYoALQnCatalyst Now: https://catalystnow.netAstroX: https://www.angkasawan.org.myEmail Dr Faiz: [email protected] Faiz’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gofaizCreating positive change, one episode at a time.This show is sponsored by Faiz Space. https://faizspace.org