35th Annual Ohio Employee Ownership Conference update

Research & ADVOCACY
for EVERYONE

Building the knowledge, stories, and systems that support employee ownership.

OEOC advances employee ownership through research, storytelling, and collaboration.

We study employee ownership, share stories from the companies living it, and work with partners to grow its impact. Our research, publications, podcast, and networks help people understand how employee ownership can strengthen businesses, create opportunity, and support thriving communities.

What are the primary models of employee ownership?

Explore these models in more detail

There are a variety of employee ownership models used in the United States. Each model has its own structure, governance, and financing approach.

  • Employee Stock Ownership Plans (ESOPs) - The most common in the United States, they are a qualified retirement plan through which employees accumulate shares over time, typically funded by the company itself.
  • Worker Cooperatives - Are a more democratic model in which employees directly own and govern the business on a one-member-one-vote basis.
  • Direct Share Ownership - These models provide direct ownership of shares to employees and can be configured in various ways.
  • Employee Ownership Trusts

While each model carries its own regulatory, financial, and cultural considerations, all share the goal of broad-based participation in the company’s success.

Research &
Publications

The OEOC carries out research on the impacts of employee ownership for workers, companies, and communities. It also publishes manuals and toolkits demonstrating how employee ownership can be used by business owners, and economic development professionals.

owners at work
podcast

The Owners at Work Newsletter ran for 19 years, providing updates on everything employee ownership. Today, it lives as a podcast and email newsletter that continue the same conversations as the print newsletter.

  • Podcast
  • Email newsletter
  • Print newsletter archive

Networks & Partnerships

The OEOC is committed to achieving its goals through collaboration, which guides our involvement in various networks committed to raising awareness and expanding employee ownership in Ohio and beyond.

Key networks include:

  • Rutgers Institute for the Study of Employee Ownership & Profit Sharing
  • Employee Ownership Expansion Network
  • Ohio Worker Ownership Network
  • Professional Member Directory
  • OEOC’S Employee-Owned Network

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