Hammering Away

and

Nov 10, 2024

Need a distraction? Dig in! We’ve got lots of news to share this week.

Dr. Hand’s co-author Colin Birkhead published an op-ed in The Hill on why employee ownership is one answer to fears of automation
Inspired, Dr. Hand published his own op-ed on why employee ownership might be the missing piece in Democrats’ messaging, if Republicans don’t beat them to it
- What isn’t employee ownership good for?

Employee Ownership Expansion Network launched a $6.9 million ‘State by State’ Capacity-Building Campaign to build up the EOX State Center Network, read more about funding here
The Truist Foundation is investing in building up non-profits across the country that utilize programs to create career pathways and support small businesses in underserved communities
HOVR, a ride-share industry Crowdfunding Campaign surpasses $250,000 enabling drivers to gain equity in the company and participate as co-owners
Certified EO announces a new phase in its mission to promote employee ownership and expand its impact on companies across the U.S.

Rutgers University Institute for the Study of Employee Ownership and Profit Sharing announces a new consortium, bringing together institutions to advance the study of employee share ownership in business
- The Institute also opened applications for the inaugural Pete Stavros Fellowships in the Economics of Employee Share Ownership, read more about the fellowship here
Joseph Abdel Nour announces the launch of the second initiative under ADELANTE UE ALC: New Frontiers for Employee Ownership, an initiative financed by the European Union that brings together partners from France, Slovenia, Peru, Mexico, Colombia, and Argentina to explore and implement ESOPs tailored for Latin America

Engineers Construction Inc. becomes 100% employee-owned through an ESOP
Eva Schiffer highlights Environmental Incentives’ transition to becoming an employee-owned company
Gaming studio Summer Eternal is now a worker-owned cooperative
- According to VG247 article, “50% and 25% of the company [will be] owned by co-ops for full-time and freelance workers respectively. 20% of it, meanwhile, will be held by an investor-funded LLC, and 5% has been set aside for a non-profit organization that’ll be aimed at giving players of the studio’s games a chance to have some say in what the studio does.”
Jef Akst discusses Catalent’s potential buyout by Novo, examining implications for the company’s direction

Kosta Juri and Tej Gonza advocate for scaling democratic ownership through worker-owned businesses, worker co-operatives, stakeholder co-operatives, and others
ESOP leaders share Kansas City’s secret sauce for thriving employee-owned companies
The Morningstar reports $570 million in wealth shared with employees since Ownership Works launched
Young workers have the most to gain from employee ownership, writes Certified EO
The Illinois Center for Employee Ownership reflects on its first annual employee ownership conference
Jon Shell points to employee ownership trusts as a solution for the financial and emotional needs of many owners looking to sell their businesses

November 13-15: The ESOP Association’s session on Canadian Employee Ownership Trust at its annual Employee Owned conference in Las Vegas
November 19: Common Trust hosts Clegg Auto for their next Owners Session: Growth And Profit Sharing With Employee Ownership
November 21: NCEO’s Game Changer: ESOPs for CPAs and their Clients webinar
November 21: Project Equity’s Sell Your Business & Attract & Retain Employees webinar
November 22: The 7th Annual Private Equity and Employee Share Ownership Symposium
🆕 | December 3: Project Equity and Kaiser Permanente’s free LIVE Webinars on discuss succession planning and employee ownership
December 4: The 2nd Annual Ownership Economy Summit in New York City. Register here
December 11: Rutgers’ workshop on Employee Stock Ownership Plans (ESOPs) and Labor Market Inequality - Investigating the Motherhood Penalty, Marriage Premium, and Racial Disparities
January 13-17, 2025: This year’s Heckerling Institute on Estate Planning will include a session on purpose trusts for business succession
February 3-4: Is an ESOP Right for You? in Austin, Texas
February 20, 2025: Attend “The Employee Ownership Transition: A Deep Dive” a workshop on the process of selling to an employee ownership trust (in Scotland)
🆕 | April 9-10 2025: The Aspen+Rutgers Employee Ownership Ideas Forum in Washington, DC. Tickets will be released via Aspen EOP mailing list

Harvard Law’s Corporate Governance Blog examines the governance of foundation-owned firms
The fourth annual Gazette Special Section was published, this year’s focus centered around ESOPs and their 50th anniversary
The Georgia Center for Employee Ownership reflects on its third annual employee ownership celebration that happened last month
- Georgia Spa Company & Woodstock Furniture Outlet highlight the impact employee ownership has had on their companies

EO+WD | Employee Ownership + Workplace Democracy