Introducing PTON (We're Hiring!)
EO+WD Weekend Newsletter Vol. 86
Welcome Back
Good morning! Whether you’re here for important updates, opportunities, or just to learn a little, we have something for you.
📝 What We’re Writing
Over on Democracy in 500 Words, Professor Hand’s Democracy class completed their first round of posts on influential thinkers
In his third EO+WD post, Evan explores the benefits of integrating worker cooperatives among prisons in California
🗞️ News To Know
Dr. Hand, Jenny Everett, and co have helped launch the Purpose Trust Ownership Network, a nonprofit dedicated to supporting the growth of purpose trust ownership in the United States. And we’re hiring!
Toronto-based consultancy Grantbook became Canada’s first Employee Ownership Trust
Vermont-based exercise equipment company Concept2 is the newest perpetual purpose trust in the US
📢 Announcements
Even more jobs:
Project Equity is hiring a Senior Manager of Business Advisor Engagement
Common Trust is hiring a Transaction Advisory Associate
A reminder: for job openings at employee owned firms, check out Certified EO’s job board
Purpose Economy in Germany launched its Research Hub for all things steward-ownership
The ESOP Association Scholarship offers scholarships for employee owners or their dependents; the application deadline is February 14th
Employee-owned business Gordon, Inc., based in Dr. Hand’s neck of the Louisiana woods, is expanding its facility and staff
🔍 Analysis
Jean Moncrieff and Peter Koehler discuss EOTs, ESOPs, and Perpetual Purpose Trusts in the latest episode of The Freedom Experience
Prarie shares how ESOPs positively affect construction firms in a new 2024 survey
Senator Bernie Sanders highlights the importance of employee ownership and its prominence in Vermont today
Zolidar shares a new podcast about stories from business owners transitioning to employee-owed models
The ICA Group analyzes how transitioning to a public banking system would assist in financing sustainable worker cooperatives
Cleveland Owns’ program assists with the education of the co-op model to new businesses
Rob Lancette shares his personal experience with ESOPs on his retirement plan
NCBA CLUSA and the US Federation of Worker Cooperatives aim to increase awareness of worker co-ops abroad
Neil Brozen, co-founder of Ventura Trust, answers seven questions about ESOPs
🌇 What’s Coming Up
🆕 | February 11: NCEO’s webinar “Understanding Your ESOP”
🆕 | February 13: Common Trust hosts “Leading Through a Transition to Employee Ownership”
🆕 | February 13: The Democracy at Work Institute hosts “The Promise of Worker Cooperatives to Build Economic Security for Immigrant Communities”
February 14: Join the Oxford Skoll Centre for Social Entrepreneurship for the seminar “Building Ethical Enterprises: How to Blend Profit with Purpose”
February 19: The ICA Group invites you to join Shawn Berry, co-founder of LIFT Economy, for the workshop, “Designing for Success: Organizational Tools for Worker Cooperatives”
February 20: The Employee Ownership Transition: A Deep Dive, a workshop on the process of selling to an employee ownership trust (in Scotland)
🆕 | February 26: The Aspen Institute Economic Opportunities Program’s “Re-Etry and Good Jobs: Building the Second Chances We All Believe In”
February 27: Join the National Center for Employee Ownership for a bilingual webinar, “Community Conversations: The Power of Shared Ownership | El Poder de la Propiedad Compartida”
March 11: SXSW panel discussion “This is Not Woke Capitalism, this is the Future of Business,” in Austin, Texas
March 27-28: The Rocky Mountain and Texas/Oklahoma chapters of the ESOP Association host their 2025 regional conference in Phoenix, Arizona
April 9-10: The Aspen+Rutgers Employee Ownership Ideas Forum in Washington, DC. Tickets will be released via the Aspen EOP mailing list
April 14-17: NCEO’s 2025 Annual Employee Ownership Conference in Salt Lake City, Utah
May 6-8: Community Spaces Network and Community Vision’s Social Purpose Real Estate Summit (h/t Gretchen B)
June 22-24: The Institute for the Study of Employee Ownership and Profit Sharing invites you to the 2025 Future of Equity Symposium, taking place at the Sheraton Palo Alto Hotel in Palo Alto, CA
July 8-11: The 5th Global Research Conference of the International Cooperative Alliance in Montréal, Canada
October 23: The 3rd Annual Employee Ownership Conference in Ankeny, Iowa
⏪ In Case You Missed It
The National Center for Employee Ownership hosted a 40-person mini-conference this week in Austin, Texas
The Rutgers School of Management and Labor Relations re-released “We the Owners: Employees Expanding the American Dream,” a film about three separate employee-owned businesses.
So exciting to hear about PTON