Welcome Back!
One quick thing: Generative AI is killing the internet, so we thought it worth clarifying The Stakeholdâs approach to genAI:
If we use it, weâll tell you. Otherwise, youâll know youâre getting a bespoke, hand-crafted weekend roundup. Thanks for reading!
đ¨ In This Issue
Top Shelf News
Events + Opportunities
Analysis + Opinion
On employee stock ownership plans
On worker cooperatives
On employee/purpose trusts + steward ownership
On the ownership economy
Academic News + Opportunities
In Case You Missed It

đĽ Top Shelf News
The last two weeks were conference-rich!
Joseph Blasi delivered the 2025 Robert Oakeshott Lecture at Bayes Business School in London
Project Equityâs Courtney Kemp shared with The Stakehold her reflections on the one-day workshop on employee ownership trusts at the NCEO Forum in Philadelphia
The Tandem Center reflects on the NCEO Forum, too
Greg Daugherty shares his conference reflections on building an ownership culture
Chris Mackin shared a group picture from the third annual Rutgers-Oxford Employee Ownership Research Conference
EO Sector published a piece on last monthâs Oxford Symposium
Two big companies, Taproot Community Support Services (Canada) and Consumer Direct Care Network (US) are now employee ownership trusts (EOTs); Roody Senatus covers both for ImpactAlpha
For more on ownership in the care economy, check out Kindred Futuresâ Honoring the Collective (Sep 18th in Atlanta)
The Employee Ownership Association (UK) co-published a report recommending EOTs for home care providers
Saint Paul, MN established a $2.5 million fund designed to facilitate employee ownership
U.S. Representative Suzanne Bonamici visited with the employee-owners of Oregon ESOP-owned Woodfold Manufacturing (props to ESCA for facilitating these visits!)
đ Events + Opportunities
Events in next two weeks + events we just learned about. For a full list of upcoming ownership economy events, see our Events page.
September 9: Mission Investors Exchangeâs Ownership Lens Series part 2: Investing for Systemic Change Through Employee Ownership (virtual)
September 9-10: The Texas/Oklahoma Chapter of The ESOP Associationâs 2025 Fall Conference in Dallas, TX đ¤
Sep 9-11: The annual Great Game of Business Conference in Arlington, TX đ¤
Sep 9-11: Peter Koehlerâs Wayfinding in the Legal Landscape of Purpose Driven Business, a panel at BLD PNW in Portland, OR
September 10: Project Equityâs Doing Business in Uncertain Times (virtual)
đ | September 10: MetaGovâs online seminar on the historical roots of collective and community governance
September 13: Purpose Economyâs panel, Stewardship: Who should hold power over companies, and who should benefit from their profits? at the Next Economies Summit (in Istanbul)
đ | September 16: Project Equityâs Succession Planning Through Employee Ownership (virtual)
September 18: Kindred Futuresâ Reimagining the Care Economy through Cooperative Power in Atlanta, GA
đ | September 23-24: Ohio Stateâs Virtual Cooperative Law Conference
đ | October 6-7: Lafayette Square Instituteâs Working Class Insights Forum in Middleburg, VA
đ¨ Job alert! Transform Finance is hiring a Community-Owned Real Estate (CORE) Program Coordinator
đ Analysis + Opinion
On employee stock ownership plans (ESOPs)
Washington stateâs ACI Mechanical & HVAC Sales recently is now 100% employee owned. Congrats!
The ESOP Association welcomes the DOLâs new rulemaking on adequate consideration, a WORK Act mandate that could finally end decades of ESOP regulatory uncertainty and support stronger employee ownership
Expanding ESOPs highlights Labor Day by sharing stories from employee-owners nationwide, starting with James Womack of Holiday Market, who describes the pride of shared ownership and how it benefits everyoneâs future
đ Everyone gets a slice of the pie: Read how Dr. Handâs childhood pizza shop in Louisiana is increasing accountability for one employee-owner
The National Fund for Workforce Solutions interviews Rachel Eva Merfalen on the various forms of employee ownership and their unique benefits
Rachel also just started a new job as Interim Director of the Tennessee Center for Employee Ownership (TNCEO). Congrats Rachel!
On worker cooperatives
Project Syndicate makes the case for why now is the time to scale ownership models nationwide
Rocky Mountain Employee Ownership Center goes deep on how the social co-op model can be scaled for the US
Salvador GonzĂĄlez for starting as Employee Ownership Director at Rocky Mountain Center for Employee Ownership. Congrats Salvador!
The Cooperative Development Foundation has inducted Tom Wells into its Cooperative Hall of Fame. Congratulations, Tom!
On employee/purpose trusts + steward ownership
Australian readers: If you (or someone you know) is an Australian citizen, be sure to sign Graeme Nuttallâs petition for Australian EOT tax regulations
ImpactAlpha writes how home care employee have found success with the EOT model
Beyond the Bâs recent podcast episode features Achim Hensen and Luis Duarte on why steward ownership is the next frontier for B corps
On the ownership economy
The Rocky Mountain Center for Employee Ownership released a documentary highlighting the stories and impact of 5 employee owned companies
The European Social Fund Plus released a report designed to guide and encourage national and EU policy for employee ownership transitions (h/t Tiara Letourneau)
Canadian firm Social Capital Partners released their 2025 Federal Pre-Budget Submission, advocating for employee ownership policy changes
Kyle Westaway reports on one AI company who quietly dropped their public benefit corporation status (h/t Jenny E)
The Guild, an AI company aimed at helping musical artists have ownership over their work, received a $2 million investment
In The Scotsman, Neil McInroy argues that a bill promoting community wealth is necessary to achieve Scotlandâs goal of ending child poverty
In the UKâs Ethical Consumer, Rob Harrison suggests how to convert existing businesses to more ethical structures (h/t Menna C)
đ Academic News + Opportunities
Submissions are due Sep 30 for the 2026 Kelso Workshop
Dr. Hand is headed back to Oxford this December to lead a session on purpose and participation at the second annual Skoll Center Community Convening
â° In Case You Missed It
In honor of Labor Day, Mary Josephs pitches employee ownership as a way to honor American workers (h/t EO Certified)
Joseph Blasi delivered the 2025 Robert Oakeshott Lecture at Bayes Business School in London: