In this episode of Owners at Work, we talk with Zoe Schlag of Common Trust and Mark Hand of the Purpose Trust Ownership Network about the rising momentum behind Employee Ownership Trusts (EOTs) in the U.S. Zoe shares how Common Trust supports mission-driven founders transitioning to employee ownership, while Mark discusses his research, organizing work, and The Stakeholder newsletter. We explore real-world EOT transitions—from Clegg Auto to Live Oak Living—and how the model offers a flexible, values-driven alternative to traditional exits. The episode also previews PTON’s first national conference in 2026 and the growing ecosystem supporting purpose trust ownership.
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GBQ Capital Advisors
The Owners at Work Podcast is a continuation of the biannual Owners at Work Newsletter which ran for 19 years (1990-2019). We are hoping to continue the same conversations and focus on providing updates on everything employee ownership. We plan to interview practitioners with expertise in different facets of employee ownership, academics doing new and interesting research, and most importantly, individuals who have a personal experience with employee ownership, including current and former employee-owners, mid-level to C suite management, and selling owners.
We want to produce a show that engages with relevant questions and provides practical lessons and information. We want this podcast to include the voices of those who practice employee-ownership each and every day. To that end we want to hear from you! We want to highlight what you are doing, whether you are an employee-owned company, a practitioner, or researcher.
***Please reach out via email: oeoc@kent.edu
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