CT Center for Employee Ownership

10/15/2026

An can offer business owners a path to transition ownership while creating an opportunity for employees to become owners. Understanding the full picture—including the structure, benefits, and long-term considerations—can help owners make more informed decisions about their company’s future.

🎥 Watch “Selling to an ESOP – Costs and Time Should Be the Last Thing to Consider” to learn more:

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10/13/2026

Katie Boland, co-founder of Unlock Ownership, argues that “employee ownership, done right, produces more durable businesses, wealthier workers, healthier communities, and a cleaner conscience for the founder walking out the door. It is one of the most socially redemptive things a business owner can do, and it also happens to be good business.”

Read more here:

Why we started Unlock Ownership and why employee-owned companies, done right, can change the world.

10/12/2026

On Indigenous Peoples’ Day (aka Columbus Day), we take time to recognize and honor the first peoples of America and reflect on the histories and experiences that have shaped our communities.

At , we believe building a stronger employee ownership movement means creating workplaces where people are respected, included, and empowered to have a voice in their future. That work starts with understanding the past and carrying those lessons forward.

We invite you to learn more about the significance of Indigenous Peoples’ Day and why recognizing this history matters. Read the Smithsonian / National Museum of the American Indian article, “Indigenous Peoples’ Day: A Day to Honor and Recognize the First Peoples of America.

https://www.smithsonianmag.com/blogs/national-museum-american-indian/2020/10/12/indigenous-peoples-day-updated2020/

Happy Indigenous Peoples' Day! On Monday, more states, cities, and communities than ever will observe Indigenous Peoples’ Day in place of or in addition to Columbus Day. They’re part of a larger movement to see a more complete and accurate history of the United States taught in our schools and p...

10/08/2026

What happens to your business when you're ready to move on?

For many business owners, succession planning can feel overwhelming. Employee ownership offers another path—one that can help preserve a company's legacy while creating opportunities for the people who have helped build its success.

Whether you're years away from retirement or beginning to think about your exit, understanding your options is an important first step.

may be part of the conversation.

CTCEO is here to help Connecticut business owners explore what that future could look like. Check out our resources here: https://www.nceo.org/ctceo

10/06/2026

What happens when employee ownership meets innovation in early childhood education? 🌱

Imagine Early Learning & Childcare Centers, a 100% employee-owned company, is bringing its worker-centered model to The Little Apple, a new free child care center for New York City municipal employees and their families.

Opened in partnership with the City of New York and the NYC Department of Citywide Administrative Services, The Little Apple will provide full-day, year-round care for approximately 40 children ages six weeks to three years.

For Imagine, this partnership represents more than expanding access to child care. It’s an opportunity to demonstrate how investing in the educators providing care can strengthen experiences for children, families, and communities.

continues to open new possibilities across industries—including child care. 👏

Read more about Imagine and The Little Apple:

Imagine Early Learning Centers, the nation’s only multi-site, 100% employee-owned early childhood education company, announced the opening of The Little Appl...

10/01/2026

October is , which makes it a great time to take the next step in your business journey. 🍂

If you’re a business owner, you’ve likely spent years building something you’re proud of. But have you thought about what comes next?

Succession planning doesn’t have to mean you’re ready to step away tomorrow. It means taking steps today to create a plan for the future — one that protects your business, your employees, your customers, and the legacy you’ve built.

This October, take the next step. Whether you’re just starting to explore your options or already thinking about a transition, there are resources to help you move forward.

Explore succession planning resources and learn what your next step could look like by visiting our resource page: https://www.ctceo.org/succession

09/29/2026

🛍️ Looking for a new way to support employee-owned businesses?

Shop online from 200,000+ products offered by more than 170 worker- and employee-owned companies—or use the tool to discover employee-owned coffee shops, bars, restaurants, grocery stores, and more near you!

It’s a simple way to put your purchasing power behind businesses owned by the people who work there. 🙌

Check it out :

Browse worker owned online stores by category or search 50,000+ products from cooperatives and employee-owned companies.

09/24/2026

Meet Carolyn Edsell-Vetter, a valued member of the CT Center for Employee Ownership Board!

Carolyn brings firsthand experience and a deep commitment to expanding access to employee ownership. She led the 2014 transition of A Yard & A Half Landscaping in Waltham, Massachusetts, to employee ownership and went on to serve the resulting worker cooperative as co-CEO through 2019.

Today, as Learning Program Director at the Cooperative Fund of the Northeast, Carolyn develops innovative programs that help emerging communities navigate cooperative enterprise and worker ownership. She also chairs the board of the Cooperative Development Institute, whose Business Ownership Solutions program has helped facilitate the transition of several businesses to employee ownership.

Carolyn is especially passionate about employee ownership as a vehicle for creating social and economic opportunity for immigrants, people of color, and others who have historically faced structural barriers to capital access and wealth creation.

We’re proud to have Carolyn’s knowledge, experience, and perspective helping guide the work of CTCEO!

09/22/2026

is not all or nothing: Did you know that becoming an Employee Stock Ownership Plan (ESOP) is not an all-or-nothing proposition? An owner can sell any portion of the business he or she wants to employees, from a small percentage to 100%. The sale of a company to an can be all at once or gradual, for as little or as much of the stock as desired. There are incentives to meet a certain threshold; e.g., if the ESOP owns at least 30% of a business, the seller may be able to reinvest the proceeds in a qualified replacement property, thereby deferring capital gains on the sale.

For more information: https://www.vistage.com/research-center/business-growth-strategy/20210421-the-benefits-of-partial-employee-stock-ownership-plans/

09/17/2026

Connecticut-based manufacturing company Web Industries, Inc. shares the inspiring story of employee ownership and the legacy of its founder, Bob Fulton. Founded in 1969, Web Industries was built on Bob Fulton’s belief that “The Essence of Life is Relationships.”

When planning for retirement, Bob chose employee ownership, ensuring that the people who helped build Web Industries would help shape its future.

Today, Web Industries is a 100% employee-owned ESOP with operations across North America and Europe, carrying Bob’s vision forward in ways that extend far beyond the
workplace. His legacy continues to make a meaningful difference for Web Industries employees, their families, and the broader Dayville, Connecticut, community.

Throughout the video, Employee-Owners share their perspectives on what it means to be an Employee-Owner at Web Industries.

CTCEO serves as the central hub for information and resources around employee ownership in Connecticut. We help business owners considering their financing or exit plans by providing resources, case studies, articles, and a list of service providers who can assist with employee ownership
transitions.

Watch their video here:

Connecticut-based manufacturing company Web Industries shares the i...