Donor Dollars and Policy Progress

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Oct 11, 2025

JPMorgan Chase announced $11.5 million in new grants, including to a half dozen employee ownership-supporting organizations:
- Project Equity, EOX, Purpose Trust Ownership Network (yay!), Ownership Works, Iowa Center for Employee Ownership, and Lafayette Square Institute

The US Senate passed two bills on ESOPs this week; read Corey Rosen’s write-up on the bills for NCEO
There is one week left to submit academic and speaker presentation ideas to the 2026 Purpose Trust Ownership Conference. Come have breakfast tacos with us 🌮
- This week, PTON will also launch its new Knowledge Hub, a central resource with tools and updates on purpose trust ownership
NCEO founder Corey Rosen explains the history of Employee Ownership Month
October is also co-op month! For USFWC, Corey Reidy highlights a Philadelphia magazine that devoted its entire October issue to cooperatives (h/t Mo M.)
The NCEO’s Loren Rodgers helps clear some things up about the static between the ESOP Association and Ownership Works/Expanding ESOPs
Check out Flying the Coop, a new podcast from the owners of a small business becoming a worker co-op (h/t Jason W)

Here are events in next two weeks + events we just learned about this week. If you’re attending, please report back!

Oct 14: NCEO is hosting a free webinar on ESOP acquisition
Oct 14: Slovenia’s Chamber of Commerce and Industry is hosting their annual event on a more sustainable and inclusive economy
Oct 15: Transform Finance’s webinar on Social Entrepreneurship through Acquisition
🆕 | Oct 15: EPCBBJ’s webinar on the shift toward purposeful ownership transitions, featuring Natalie Reitman-White
October 16: The Business Transitions Forum in Winnipeg
October 20-21: NCEO’s two-day event, Is An ESOP Right For You? in Baltimore
October 21: Project Equity and Main Street Launch’s free webinar on options for selling a business
October 21: The North Carolina Center for Employee Ownership’s discussion with John Abrams in Asheville, NC
🆕 | Nov 4-6: The UK Employee Ownership Association’s online EOT Trustee masterclass
🆕 | Nov 6th: Tune in to week 1 (of 4) of the GACEO Employee Ownership Ambassador Program. Week 1 training will focus on a high level intro to employee ownership, including the three broad based forms. The next trainings are on: Nov 13, Nov 20, and Dec 4
🆕 | Nov 14th: The U.S. Federation of Worker Cooperatives is hosting a webinar on compliance and H.R.

For a full list of upcoming ownership economy events, see our Events page.

Harvard Business Review has another article this week about employee ownership, this one by Cindy Perman on the silver tsunami
Zolidar founder Ashish Agrawal muses on the stakeholder ownership model he hopes to bring to AI
Patrick Lewis was named Trust chair for toy store The Entertainer, the newest big EOT in the UK
Hal Schlenger highlights Henny Penny’s 100% employee ownership culture and recommends connecting with Marie B. Davis for guidance on implementing employee ownership in companies with 25+ employees
Project Equity kicks off Employee Ownership Month by sharing stories, tools, and insights on how it can be used to strengthen businesses, workers, and communities
The Employee Ownership Expansion Network encourages donors to use their Donor-Advised Funds to support EOX’s work in expanding employee ownership nationwide during Employee Ownership Month
Steve Storkan marked Employee Ownership Month in North Dakota with the Governor’s official proclamation and a gathering of 45 leaders discussing how to expand employee ownership statewide, including launching a North Dakota Center for Employee Ownership

One Northern Iowa company’s transition to employee ownership resulted in a ripple effect throughout the community
Corey Rosen highlights his new article that looks at the extensive research on whether ESOPs are too risky for stakeholders
Nussbaum Transportation explains why they transitioned to an ESOP
Greg Daugherty highlights a court decision dismissing claims that an ESOP should have invested cash more aggressively—affirming that conservative cash management can be a prudent fiduciary choice

The U.S. Federation of Worker Cooperatives announces the 2025 USFW Board of Directors election results. Congrats all!
UK-based cooperative development organization Roots, Dreams, and Mustard Seeds was honored with a local trendsetter award
Jeroen Douglas reflects on the opening ceremony of the 14th Africa Ministerial Cooperative Conference in Nairobi, Kenya
Cooperatives in the UK had a record breaking year
In his new blog post, Jason Wiener explores how AES work, why they matter, and how companies can creatively overcome governance challenges
Sustainability Solutions Group, a Canadian worker co-op, partnered with governments and communities to lead climate action planning across North America

PURPOSE’s Steward Ownership Conference concluded this week, and the livestream is now available!
- Speaker Jess Blijkers shares some of her takeaways from the event, and regular attendee Juho Makkonen reflects on the growth of the steward ownership space
Delilah Rothenberg joined the Fairness Foundation Advisory Board as she continues to pursue greater economic equality. Congratulations, Delilah!
The Skoll Foundation highlights how Apis & Heritage Capital Partners as a demonstration of how innovation can make employee ownership simpler, scalable, and investable
Steve Storkan reflects on speaking at Lafayette Square Institute’s inaugural Working Class Insights Forum, where he and other leaders explored innovative ways to strengthen worker benefits within capitalist economies
Ownership Works partnered with Edge NYC and Addition Wealth to launch a financial coaching program that helps employee-owners build long-term financial stability and strengthen their ownership mindset

Last week, Dr. Hand (virtually) attended the first academic workshop on steward ownership hosted by the Steward Ownership Network, a new coalition in the EU

The Employee Ownership Expansion Network published an interview with the family behind an ESOP transition
Watch the heroic story of how the community of Marrowstone Island came together (h/t David S.)
Don’t forget to check out the monthly ESOP Report for May & June, featuring highlights like the President’s Column on private equity, recent legislation in Colorado, plus more!
Three years ago, Fast Company wrote about the launch of Ownership Works, a nonprofit aiming to create $20 billion in worker wealth through employee ownership. Jim Bonham from ESOP Association had thoughts

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