Washington Center for Employee Ownership - WACEO

09/23/2026

Washington, we’re less than a week away!

On September 28–29, the EO Capital Roadmap Roadshow is coming to Seattle for two days of conversations, connections, and practical ideas for growing employee ownership co-hosted with the Washington Center for Employee Ownership (WACEO).

Day 1 | September 28 - Inside Employee Ownership

We’ll kick things off at Mētis Construction with a site visit and tour, followed by a conversation featuring worker-owners and leaders from Mētis Construction, Pidgin, Red Dot Distribution, Triple Bottom Line Construction, Seattle Gymnastics Academy, Capitol City Press, and A1DesignBuild.

We’ll dig into the realities of running an employee-owned company, what’s working, what’s challenging, and what other business leaders can learn from their experiences.

Then we’ll keep the conversation going with an evening networking reception.

Day 2 | September 29 - Building the EO Ecosystem

Day two takes a broader look at what it will take to scale employee ownership across Washington.

We’ll explore:

🌟The emerging EO capital market with Alison Lingane
🌟How policy can advance employee ownership with WACEO and Roy Messing
🌟The different forms of capital available to EO businesses with Brian Boland, Mauri Ingram, and Rob Meussner, CFA
🌟Real-world investable EO opportunities featuring Seed Commons East, Nathan Britton, Unlock Ownership, and Red Dot

A big thank-you to our local advisors, Molly Harmon, AlTi Tiedemann Global, Humanize Wealth, and Delta Fund, and to Humanize Wealth for sponsoring the Roadshow.

If employee ownership, succession, capital, economic development, or building stronger local business ecosystems is part of your work, we’d love to have you in the room.

Important: This is a two-part event, and each day requires separate registration.

🗓️ September 28 - EO Spotlight & Site Visit
RSVP for September 28: https://luma.com/3z6fq7tc

🗓️ September 29 - EO Capital Roadmap Forum
RSVP for September 29: https://luma.com/0h8x6z8v

See you in Seattle!

09/10/2026

🚀 Growing employee ownership across Washington

September is here and we’re excited to join Ownership Capital Lab for the EO Capital Roadmap Roadshow in Seattle on September 28–29!

This two-day gathering will bring together business owners, investors, regional funds, policymakers, and employee ownership advocates to explore how we can scale capital, advance supportive policy, and strengthen Washington’s employee ownership ecosystem.

Here’s what’s ahead:

📍 Day 1 — Employee-Owned Business Site Visit + Reception
Monday, Sept. 28 | 4–7 PM | Metis Construction, Seattle

Get an inside look at employee ownership in action at Metis Construction. Hear directly from worker-owners, learn from other employee-owned businesses, and connect with fellow EO leaders over a reception featuring bites from Pidgin, a local employee-owned restaurant.

👉 RSVP for Day 1 - https://luma.com/3z6fq7tc

📍 Day 2 — Full-Day Employee Ownership Forum
Tuesday, Sept. 29 | 9 AM–5 PM | Inatai, Seattle

We’ll dig deeper into the national EO landscape and Washington’s opportunities to grow the movement. The day will feature conversations on EO funding and investing, local ecosystem development, supportive policy, and real-world investable opportunities.

👉 RSVP for Day 2 - https://luma.com/0h8x6z8v

Whether you’re an EO business, investor, policymaker, service provider, or simply interested in the future of employee ownership, we’d love to have you in the room.
Space is limited, so reserve your spot for one or both days!

08/18/2026

💡 There’s a growing conversation about what happens when communities and workers have more ownership in the businesses that shape their local economies.

This video from More Perfect Union offers a look at cooperatives as one way to challenge corporate consolidation and keep more economic value in the hands of the people who create it.

At WACEO, we see employee ownership as an important part of that conversation. Whether through worker cooperatives, ESOPs, or other employee ownership models, giving workers a meaningful stake can help build stronger businesses, retain local jobs, and keep wealth rooted in communities.

The question isn’t simply “What’s the alternative to corporate consolidation?”
It’s also: "What would our local economies look like if more people had a real stake in the businesses around them?"

🎥 Watch the full video: https://youtu.be/Cb6xjJf42_c?si=dd2lbWOi3QxZOYs0

07/28/2026

We're looking forward to joining economic development leaders from across Washington at the WEDA 2026 Summer Conference on August 4–6 in the Tri-Cities!

One session we're especially excited about is "Energize Partnerships to Support the Creative Economy." The panel will explore questions like:

🎨 How can the State and local communities work together to strengthen Washington's arts and culture sector?
📈 How do we measure and grow the creative economy?
🏘️ How can arts and culture catalyze economic growth, revitalize neighborhoods, attract tourism, and create more equitable and connected communities?

As the Washington Center for Employee Ownership, we're excited to join these conversations and connect with organizations working to build resilient local economies. Whether through employee ownership, entrepreneurship, or the creative economy, strong partnerships are essential to creating lasting economic opportunity.

If you haven't registered yet, there's still time! The conference features an outstanding lineup of speakers, hands-on workshops, networking opportunities, and regional tours.

We hope to see you in the Tri-Cities!

Register here: https://lnkd.in/gQSc5NT

07/23/2026

It's exciting to see employee owned-companies like SEL receiving national recognition!

TIME's inaugural list of America's Best Private Companies highlights organizations that excel in employee satisfaction and company impact—and among the top-ranked companies are some well-known employee-owned businesses like SEL, Publix and WinCo Foods. The article also points to research showing that employee-owned companies often experience higher productivity, stronger revenue growth, and significantly lower turnover than their peers.

“𝘜𝘴𝘶𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘺, 𝘦𝘮𝘱𝘭𝘰𝘺𝘦𝘦-𝘰𝘸𝘯𝘦𝘥 𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘱𝘢𝘯𝘪𝘦𝘴 𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘩𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘥𝘶𝘤𝘵𝘪𝘷𝘪𝘵𝘺, 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘪𝘳 𝘳𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘯𝘶𝘦 𝘨𝘳𝘰𝘸𝘵𝘩 𝘪𝘴 𝘶𝘴𝘶𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘺 3-4% 𝘩𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘯 𝘰𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘱𝘢𝘯𝘪𝘦𝘴, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘪𝘳 𝘲𝘶𝘪𝘵 𝘳𝘢𝘵𝘦 𝘪𝘴 𝘢𝘣𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘢 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘳𝘥 𝘰𝘧 𝘰𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘱𝘢𝘯𝘪𝘦𝘴,” 𝘓𝘦𝘦 𝘴𝘢𝘺𝘴. “𝘛h𝘦𝘴𝘦 𝘯𝘶𝘮𝘣𝘦𝘳𝘴 𝘢𝘭𝘸𝘢𝘺𝘴 𝘴𝘩𝘰𝘸 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘦𝘮𝘱𝘭𝘰𝘺𝘦𝘦𝘴 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘺 𝘢𝘤𝘵𝘪𝘷𝘦𝘭𝘺 𝘦𝘯𝘨𝘢𝘨𝘦𝘥 𝘪𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘪𝘳 𝘰𝘸𝘯 𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘱𝘢𝘯𝘺, 𝘣𝘦𝘤𝘢𝘶𝘴𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘪𝘳 𝘱𝘦𝘳𝘴𝘱𝘦𝘤𝘵𝘪𝘷𝘦 𝘪𝘴 𝘮𝘰𝘳𝘦 𝘭𝘰𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘮. … 𝘛𝘩𝘦𝘴𝘦 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘮𝘰𝘵𝘪𝘷𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘢𝘭 𝘪𝘯𝘤𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘪𝘷𝘦𝘴 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘦𝘮𝘱𝘭𝘰𝘺𝘦𝘦 𝘰𝘸𝘯𝘦𝘳𝘴 𝘵𝘰 𝘮𝘢𝘬𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘪𝘳 𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘱𝘢𝘯𝘪𝘦𝘴 𝘣𝘦𝘵𝘵𝘦𝘳, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘱𝘦𝘳𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘮 𝘣𝘦𝘵𝘵𝘦𝘳, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘤𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘥 𝘪𝘮𝘱𝘢𝘤𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘪𝘳 𝘳𝘦𝘵𝘪𝘳𝘦𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘵.”

It is great to have some first-hand examples of how employees have a meaningful stake in the success of their business, everyone benefits. Businesses become more resilient, employees build wealth, and communities retain locally owned companies for the long term.

As more business owners begin thinking about succession planning, employee ownership deserves to be part of the conversation, not just as an alternative, but as a proven strategy for preserving businesses and creating lasting economic opportunity.

Congratulations to all of the employee-owned companies recognized on this year's list!

Read the full article here: https://time.com/article/2026/07/08/americas-best-private-companies-20

07/21/2026

☀️ We had the chance to join the AMAZING Oak Harbor business community this week and present at the Oak Harbor Chamber July luncheon!

It was great having time to speak on Employee Ownership and highlight some of the ways it can help businesses preserve their legacy, strengthen the local economy, and create lasting opportunities for their employees.

It is hard to find a more supportive business environment than the one in Oak Harbor and we feel very lucky for the opportunity to build a stronger connection.

We were able to mention some of the work being done by Heartsong Homecare Cooperative at their new location in Oak Harbor and are proud of the impact they are having on the community.

Thanks so much for all who attended and we will see you at the Oak Harbor Music Festival!

07/20/2026

07/09/2026

🔨 We're excited to see the incredible work A1 DesignBuild is doing with students at Bellingham Technical College!

Through a hands-on construction and design course they've developed together, A1 DesignBuild is helping students build practical skills, explore rewarding careers in the trades, and get a firsthand look at what it's means to work in a worker cooperative.

Now they're raising funds to provide students with the tools and equipment they need to succeed in the classroom and on the job.

It's inspiring to see an employee-owned company investing in the next generation and creating new pathways into meaningful, community-centered careers.

If you'd like to support this effort, consider making a donation here: https://form-renderer-app.donorperfect.io/give/btc-cce

Bellingham Technical College is launching a new Residential Construction hands-on training program through Continuing Education—developed in direct partnership with local residential builders.

With nearly 20% of the regional construction workforce age 55+, the need for job-ready trades professionals has never been greater. This program prepares students with practical skills like tool operation, site safety, framing basics, trim work, and job-site workflow so they can contribute from day one.

To fully equip the workshop and remove barriers for new learners, BTC is working to raise $25,000 for tools, safety gear, equipment, and materials. This investment strengthens our workforce and supports local employers.

Learn more or get involved: https://www.btc.edu/cce

06/30/2026

Employee ownership creates more than successful businesses, it creates opportunities for people to build wealth.

This new Harvard Business School article highlights how giving employees an ownership stake can lead to higher wages, stronger retirement savings, and even help close the wealth gap over time.

It's a great reminder of why we're passionate about helping business owners explore employee ownership. Every transition is a chance to keep businesses local, reward the people who helped build them, and strengthen our communities.

Worth the read if you're curious about the bigger impact of employee ownership: https://www.hbs.edu/bigs/employee-ownership-can-close-the-wealth-gap

06/23/2026

Curious about employee ownership? Join us for an Employee Ownership Community Spaces gathering at Visible Coffee Roasters!

This casual, community-focused meetup is a chance to connect with others, learn about employee ownership, and meet people passionate about worker ownership.

Whether you've been hearing more about employee ownership lately, want to learn how cooperatives and employee-owned businesses strengthen local communities, or simply enjoy meeting new people, we'd love to see you there.

📅 June 29th, 4:00 - 6:00 pm
📍 Visible Coffee Roasters
1118 1st St, Snohomish, WA 98290

Register here: https://luma.com/e6i7qss0

Come grab a coffee, meet your neighbors, and learn how employee ownership is creating stronger businesses and more resilient communities across Washington.

We look forward to seeing you there!