Gary Hampton has spent the past 15 years in small business development, entrepreneurship, education, training and workforce development, including working in business development with West Virginia State University Extension and serving as Deputy Director of Small Business Development for the State of West Virginia, Starting in 2019, Hampton became involved in local cooperative development and has since participated in CW! and other co-op development training, and has provided advising and consulting to cooperative development organizations. Hampton previously worked for 17 years as an Information Technology professional in banking and other sectors. He holds a B.A. from Marshall University in Management Information Systems and Finance. Hampton lives in Charleston, West Virginia, where he is active in community-based organizing and coaching up the youth in his community through basketball, technology, entrepreneurship and personal development.