Democracy Fellows

Michael Zak is the Co-Founder and Worker Owner at Gro-op, and teaches occupational skills to at-risk youth at WNY YouthBuild. He is the Board Chair at Buffalo Cooperative Federal Credit Union, a Community Development Financial Institution (CDFI) credit union whose mission is to serve those who need it most in Buffalo, N.Y. He has a bachelor’s degree in Philosophy from the University at Buffalo and an associate’s degree in Humanities from Erie Community College. Zak is a Buffalo native who grew up on the South East side in a single parent Union household. His passion is making Buffalo a more just and equitable place for our people and our environment.