Owners at Work

In this episode, we sit down with William Foley, a Ph.D. candidate at Rutgers University and fellow at the Institute for the Study of Employee Ownership and Profit Sharing. We explore two of his research projects: one using a first-of-its-kind dataset to uncover what drives worker cooperative members to act and feel like owners, and another mapping the overlap between unions and ESOPs, including how union-member employee owners view management and the training they receive.

GUEST INFO:

• LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/william-j-foley
• Email: [email protected]

OTHER RESOURCES:

• Employee Ownership For Union Workers: Positive Outcomes & Negative Perceptions: https://cleo.rutgers.edu/articles/employee-ownership-for-union-workers-positive-outcomes-negative-perceptions/
• An analysis of job quality experiences in worker cooperatives: The effects of ownership, participation, and control. https://rucore.libraries.rutgers.edu/rutgers-lib/76191/PDF/1/play/

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SUPPORT THE PODCAST: We make all episodes of Owners at Work free and never place them behind a paywall. But they take time and money to produce. Consider making a DONATION today to help keep our work going.

WE WANT TO HEAR FROM YOU: We are always looking for new employee ownership stories to tell. Please contact us with your story at [email protected]

SUMMARY:

Drew Larson and Brittany Brown of CoRise Capital join the Owners at Work podcast to break down their new investment fund's innovative approach to employee ownership: acquiring promising companies through traditional purchase deals, then transitioning them to ESOPs within three to five years. The catch? Their investors are exclusively 100% S-corp ESOPs. They explain how they support founders and employees through the transition, what sets their model apart from conventional private equity, and how they plan to engage selling owners, investors, and future employee owners. The conversation also touches on the succession planning crisis facing small business owners nationwide and the role they see CoRise playing to address it.

SUBSCRIBE TO THE STAKEHOLD HERE: https://www.thestakehold.com/

GUEST INFO:

Brittany Brown:

• LinkedIn: Brittany Brown | LinkedIn

• Email: [email protected]

• CoRise LinkedIn : (2) CoRise Capital | Expanding Employee Ownership: Overview | LinkedIn

Drew Larson:

• LinkedIn: Drew Larson | LinkedIn

• Email: [email protected]

• Website: Larson Firm: The Larson Firm — Boutique corporate and M&A law firm

SUPPORT THE SHOW: We make all episodes of Owners at Work free and never place them behind a paywall. But they take time and money to produce. Consider making a DONATION today to help keep our work going.

WE WANT TO HEAR FROM YOU: We are always looking for new employee ownership stories to tell. Please contact us with your story at [email protected]

SUMMARY:

In this episode of Owners at Work, we talk with Michael Darger, an economic development specialist with the University of Minnesota Extension, about business succession planning, ownership transition, and the growing importance of preserving locally owned businesses as Baby Boomer owners retire. Michael discusses the critical role economic developers can play in helping communities retain businesses, support ownership transitions, and build long-term local wealth. We also explore findings from the Minnesota Business Succession and Transition Study, including why many owners delay succession planning despite recognizing its importance, the role of advisory networks in successful transitions, and the barriers that continue to slow employee ownership adoption.

GUEST INFO:

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/michaeldarger/
• Email: [email protected]
• Website: https://extension.umn.edu/economic-development/supporting-business-succession-and-transition

OTHER RESOURCES:

Read the 2023 Business Transitions Study: https://z.umn.edu/bstresearch

Read other work by Michael and the U of M Extension: https://sites.google.com/a/umn.edu/michaeldarger

SUPPORT THE SHOW: We make all episodes of Owners at Work free and never place them behind a paywall. But they take time and money to produce. Consider making a DONATION today to help keep our work going.

WE WANT TO HEAR FROM YOU: We are always looking for new employee ownership stories to tell. Please contact us with your story at [email protected]

SUMMARY:

In this episode of Owners at Work, we talk with Mike Brady of 40 Million Owners about how the firm helps ESOP companies grow through strategic, values-aligned acquisitions. Mike explains how their three-phase framework—design, execution, and integration—guides employee-owned firms through M&A while preserving their ownership culture. We discuss how 40 Million Owners fills a key gap for lower middle market ESOPs lacking internal deal expertise, and how its 2025 acquisition by 3LS demonstrates the model in action. Mike also shares lessons from his career at PwC and Greyston Bakery, and how employee ownership can drive lasting wealth and systemic change.

OTHER INFO:

NCEO Study Estimating Number of Employee Owners Due to Acquisitions: https://www.nceo.org/employee-ownership-blog/new-data-on-esop-companies-acquiring-non-esop-companies-1?utm_source=chatgpt.com

Contact Information for Mike Brady

Email: [email protected] LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bradymichael/

Watch Mike Brady Deliver His TED Talk: https://www.ted.com/talks/mike_brady_and_dion_drew_why_we_hire_unemployable_people

SUPPORT THE SHOW: We make all episodes of Owners at Work free and never place them behind a paywall. But they take time and money to produce. Consider making a DONATION today to help keep our work going.

WE WANT TO HEAR FROM YOU: We are always looking for new employee ownership stories to tell. Please contact us with your story at [email protected]

SUMMARY: In this episode of Owners at Work, we sit down with Zoe Schlag of Common Trust and Mark Hand of the Purpose Trust Ownership Network (PTON) to explore the growing momentum behind Employee Ownership Trusts (EOTs) in the U.S. Zoe shares her journey from early-stage and impact investing to co-founding Common Trust, an organization dedicated to helping mission-driven businesses transition to employee ownership through EOTs. Mark—an academic and advocate for purpose-driven ownership—discusses his research and organizing work around EOTs, including the founding of PTON and his weekly newsletter The Stakeholder. Together, Zoe and Mark break down how EOTs offer a flexible, affordable, and values-aligned pathway to employee ownership—often well-suited for founders who want to preserve mission, reward employees, and avoid traditional exit routes like private equity. We hear examples of successful EOT transitions, from Clegg Auto to Live Oak Living and ACP International, and learn how each deal was tailored to meet the unique goals of its founders and workforce. The episode also previews the first PTON conference (slated for early 2026 in Austin). It highlights how peer learning, trust governance, and long-term stewardship are shaping the future of the EOT movement.

OTHER INFO: EOT Case Studies

• Clegg case study

• Text-Em-All story

• ACP International

• LiveOak Living

About EOTs

• ESOP vs. EOT comparison blog

• What is an EOT blog

• Book chapter co-authored by Mark Hand and Zoe Schlag

2026 EOT Conference

• https://trustownership.org/#conference

Websites and Other Resources

• Purpose Trust Ownership Network

• The Stakehold Newsletter

• Common Trust

• Consumer Direct Care Network transitions to an EOT

SUPPORT THE SHOW: We make all episodes of Owners at Work free and never place them behind a paywall. But they take time and money to produce. Consider making a DONATION today to help keep our work going.

WE WANT TO HEAR FROM YOU: We are always looking for new employee ownership stories to tell. Please contact us with your story at [email protected]

SUMMARY:

In this episode of Owners at Work, we sit down with Todd Leverette and Kyle Chin-How of Apis & Heritage Capital Partners (A&H)—the 2025 recipient of the John Logue Award in Employee Ownership, which we present annually to organizations making a lasting and transformative impact in the field. A&H is a mission-driven investment firm focused on financing worker buyouts that create 100% employee-owned businesses, particularly for workforces that have been historically excluded from ownership. Todd and Kyle share their personal paths into this work, and how A&H is addressing one of the biggest barriers to employee ownership: the lack of accessible capital for business transitions. We talk about the successful deployment of their first $58 million fund—creating over 450 worker-owners and transferring more than $65 million in enterprise value—and their ambitious goals for Fund II, which has already raised $85 million in its first close. The conversation highlights the emotional weight of their work, lessons from the field, and their long-term vision to help make employee ownership a scalable and mainstream model for succession

OTHER INFO:

• Website: https://www.apisheritage.com/
• Staff page: https://www.apisheritage.com/team
• Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ITHvJVk2Nls

Kyle Chin-How Contact Information:

• Email: [email protected]
• Phone: (718) 969‑4852

SUPPORT THE SHOW: We make all episodes of Owners at Work free and never place them behind a paywall. But they take time and money to produce. Consider making a DONATION today to help keep our work going.

WE WANT TO HEAR FROM YOU: We are always looking for new employee ownership stories to tell. Please contact us with your story at [email protected]

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Guests: Danny Massey, Head of Strategy and Communications at Expanding ESOPs

SUMMARY: In this episode of the Owners at Work podcast, we speak with Danny from Expanding ESOPs, a new national initiative focused on dramatically scaling employee ownership through policy change and public advocacy. Danny shares his journey from labor journalism and the Fight for $15 campaign to leading this effort to modernize the 51-year-old ESOP framework. We explore why expanding partial ESOPs in large companies could unlock trillions in worker wealth, and how this model can appeal across political lines. Danny also discusses Expanding ESOPs' growing coalition, its core principles, and the powerful role of worker storytelling in building a national movement.

About Expanding ESOPs

· https://expandingesops.com/

· https://www.linkedin.com/company/expanding-esops/

Other Articles

· https://www.cnbc.com/2025/04/17/better-than401k-companies-workers-long-term-stock-owners.html

· https://www.bloomberg.com/opinion/features/2025-04-27/room-board-goes-esop-employee-stock-ownership-plans-don-t-have-to-be-rare

· https://fortune.com/2025/02/26/employee-owned-companies-careers-benefits-esops/?abc123

SUPPORT THE SHOW: We make all episodes of Owners at Work free and never place them behind a paywall. But they take time and money to produce. Consider making a DONATION today to help keep our work going.

WE WANT TO HEAR FROM YOU: We are always looking for new employee ownership stories to tell. Please contact us with your story at [email protected]

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SUMMARY:

In this episode Chris Cooper sits down with Jim O'Brien founder and current President of Go2Partners, a 100% ESOP Company. We talk about the interesting way in which Go2Partners was founded and funded by the employees themselves, why employee ownership was an attractive choice for him and the founders of the company, and how becoming employee owned impacted the way in which the company was managed and run day-to-day. We also talk about EO-connection a new project that Jim is leading which enables employee-owned companies to connect and purchase goods and services from one another.

Guest INFO (bio): https://www.linkedin.com/in/obpartners/

Further Material (links)

Go2Partners Website: https://www.go2partners.com/

EO-Connection Website: https://www.eo-connection.com/Login

SUPPORT THE SHOW: We make all episodes of Owners at Work free and never place them behind a paywall. But they take time and money to produce. Consider making a DONATION today to help keep our work going.

WE WANT TO HEAR FROM YOU: We are always looking for new employee ownership stories to tell. Please contact us with your story at [email protected]

SUMMARY: One of the exciting happenings in the world of employee ownership today is the proliferation of different models and methods for bringing employees into the ownership of a company. In this episode we discuss the Direct Stock Ownership model that Chip Cargas, Founder of Cargas Systems, implemented at his company. We also discussed where the model took him, and this next stage of his entrepreneurial journey, with the development of the Tandem Center for Shared Business Success, a nonprofit initiative offering pathways for business success through profit sharing and direct employee ownership. We also talk with Nate Scott, current President and CEO of Cargas Systems and discuss his journey from employee, to employee owner, and finally to his role as a leader of the company. Finally we talk with Drew Mousetis, the Executive Director of the Tandem Center and get the scoop from him on his plans to grow employee ownership using the Direct Stock Ownership model.

Further Material

• https://www.tandemcenter.org/

• https://cargas.com/

Guest INFO:

Chip Cargas is the Founder & Chair Emeritus at Cargas Systems, an employee-owned software company with nearly 200 employees. They provide software for accounting, operations, sales and marketing. Chip founded the company in 1988 with the purpose of creating a caring environment where people would love to work. He served as CEO from the founding until December 2017, Board Chair until October 2020, and Board Member until March 2022. He was named Chair Emeritus in 2022. Chip continues to nurture the company's purpose of "Shared Success for employees, customers, owners, partners, and community." Cargas Systems has earned the following national & regional awards for its values and growth

Nate Scott is President and CEO of Cargas Systems, joining in 2005 as a sales consultant. He eventually became manager of the Sales and Marketing team. When Cargas launched a new business unit centered around its proprietary Cargas Energy software, he became VP. During his tenure, the business unit doubled in staff and doubled in revenue. Scott also took advantage of annual career advancement meetings and asked to lead cross-company initiatives. In 2014 he became President, and added CEO four years later.

Drew Mousetis is Executive Director of the Tandem Center for Shared Business Success with a background in business management. Before joining Tandem, Drew was a lead consultant at Cargas, where he embraced the ethos of employee ownership within a dynamic culture of engagement and profit sharing at the employee owned company. Prior to Cargas, Drew was the Director of Finance & Development at The GateHouse.

SUPPORT THE SHOW: We make all episodes of Owners at Work free and never place them behind a paywall. But they take time and money to produce. Consider making a DONATION today to help keep our work going.

WE WANT TO HEAR FROM YOU: We are always looking for new employee ownership stories to tell. Please contact us with your story at [email protected]

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Guests:

Olga Prushinskaya and Jamie Pockrandt, Democracy at Work Institute

Summary:

The second most common form of employee ownership in the United States is the worker cooperative where workers participate in both the financial success and governance of the firms. Today there are over 750 worker cooperatives in the United States, which is triple the amount that existed in 2012. How do we know these numbers? Unlike the number of ESOPs which can be tracked using publicly available data generated by the government, there is no public entity that tracks worker cooperatives. Instead, it has been nonprofit groups that have filled in this gap in knowledge. On this episode I speak with Olga Prushinskaya and Jamie Pockrandt of the Democracy at Work Institute, a national organization committed to worker cooperative development – which includes gather data on worker cooperatives. We talk about their soon to be released State of the Sector report and what it found regarding worker cooperatives as well as other projects they have been working on which aim to better understand the impact that employee ownership is having on workers, companies, and communities.

Further Material

• Learn about DAWI's work here: https://institute.coop/

• Existing datasets mentioned in the show: https://institute.coop/core-research

Guest Info:

• Jamie Pockrandt, Data Architect, Democracy at Work Institute:

Email: [email protected] | Phone: (415) 379-9201 Ext. 19

• Olga Prushinskaya, Metrics and Impact Analyst

Email: [email protected] | Phone: (415) 379-9201 Ext. 17

SUPPORT THE SHOW: We make all episodes of Owners at Work free and never place them behind a paywall. But they take time and money to produce. Consider making a DONATION today to help keep our work going.

WE WANT TO HEAR FROM YOU: We are always looking for new employee ownership stories to tell. Please contact us with your story at [email protected]

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