On Capital and Culture

Apr 26, 2025

We are close to the end of the semester at UTA 😅

Dr. Hand interviews Dr. Ellen Frank Miller of WORC about their new Ownership Impact Index
Evan reports out on Ownership Capital Lab’s latest white paper
Dr. Hand writes on LinkedIn about teaching democratic theory in These Times

U.S. Secretary of Labor Lori Chavez-DeRemer is speaking at The ESOP Association’s National Conference, outlining her goals for ESOPs in the next four years
- James Bonham, President and CEO of the ESOP Association, attacks ESOP-adjacent groups pushing other policy agendas
AB 17 in Wisconsin would provide a tax benefit up to $100,000 for employee ownership models (h/t Certified EO)
Hines Pool & Spa transitioned to an ESOP!

Send new events our way if we’re missing anything! Events to the end of the year can be found here

April 30: The Iowa Center for Employee Ownership’s webinar, Advisors’ Edge: Unlocking Employee Ownership for Your Clients
- Free event while earning CE credits!
Help EOX “cross the finish line” in their State-by-State Capacity Building Campaign
NCEO is accepting speaking proposals for the NCEO Forum in Philadelphia this upcoming August (submit before May 2nd)
The Aspen Institute is accepting nominations for their Job Quality Fellowship Class of 2025-2026 (h/t Matt Helmer)
Ownership Works is hiring a Manager for Client Advisory Services

From a recent special issue from Joseph Blasi and Jonathan Michie: “The theory and practice of employee ownership”
A study of the staff at Makerere and Kyambogo University in Uganda found that collective leadership, workplace democracy, and diversity management are positively connected
Keith Breen defends “radical” labor republicanism, arguing that workplace democracy and cooperation can lead to true freedom
ICYMI: Tej Gonza publishes research examining the US ESOP model and proposes the Slovenian ESOP model to address existing structural issues (ICYMI)
Christopher Marquis explores how different forms of employee ownership are reshaping the future of companies and its workers (h/t Jenny Everett)
Linda Phillips highlights how cooperatives address current economic challenges
Stacey Smith highlights three types of employee ownership

Expanding ESOPs poses seven questions to Nick Francia, managing director at The Capital ESOP Group at UBS
Ian Thomas, editor at CNBC, writes about Employee Stock Ownership Plans (ESOPs) and how potential regulatory change can give more workers “a seat at the table” (h/t The ICA Group)
OwnersEdge advocates for ESOPs to merge with an ESOP holding company in their latest blog post
Employee owned (ESOP) company CK Supply acquired Columbia Welding and Machine LLC, transitioning more workers to an employee ownership model (h/t Steve S.)
Natasha Yalovay-Greene highlights how working under an ESOP promoted a productive work environment while alleviating concerns of retirement

Miren Oca shares how transitioning Ocaquatics Swim School to an Employee Ownership Trust (EOT) has aligned with company values
The Cooperative Development Institute talked with educational media installation company RLMG three years after their transition to employee ownership (h/t Shelley M)
Elle Griffin interviews founder of Intrust IT, Tim Rettig, on how he sold his company to his employees
Rob Brown and Andy Farquharson discuss succession plans and employee ownership in the latest podcast episode of Alternative Exit

Terry Craghead, CEO of Fertile Ground Cooperative, highlights how their company model helps “transform waste into local wealth” on Composting for Community’s latest podcast episode (h/t ICA Group)
ICYMI: Uncommon Business talks to Ari Weinzweig, co-founder of Zingerman’s Community of Business, about trust ownership

Thanks for reading EO+WD | Employee Ownership + Workplace Democracy! This post is public so feel free to share it.

EO+WD | Employee Ownership + Workplace Democracy