Minnesota Center for Employee Ownership

10/01/2025

Happy Employee Ownership Month! Minnesota has such a rich history of employee ownership, and we are so lucky at MNCEO to be a part of that story. Stay tuned this month for some Employee Ownership Month festivities, including employee-owned company spotlights, upcoming event information, more from historical accounts of the origins of employee ownership in Minnesota, and more! Thank you all so much for your support and partnership.

08/06/2025

I'm passing along this webinar invitation from one of our partners, what a unique learning opportunity! "Looking for a strategic, tax-advantaged way to grow your cannabis company or plan for succession? An Employee Stock Ownership Plan (ESOP) could be the solution. ESOPs offer a unique path that can maximize value for founders, improve employee retention, and significantly boost cash flow by eliminating 280E. Whether you're preparing for your next phase or building long-term value, understanding how ESOPs work is essential."

07/31/2025

Join us in celebrating Disability Pride Month by uplifting AbleNet!
Letter from our Executive Director: "I recently had the honor of sitting down with Cheryl V. Knight, co-founder of AbleNet, for our Worker Co. MN Edition podcast. In 1980, Cheryl and her two co-founders joined forces to create what would become AbleNet, now a global leader in assistive technology. Not only did she make an international impact, achieving her company’s mission to help people with disabilities reach their potential, but she also changed the lives of the employees at AbleNet through employee ownership. As our conversation continued, I realized Cheryl didn’t just break the glass ceiling—she rewired the entire building to uplift our most vulnerable citizens. She’s a true Minnesota legend you may not know yet—but I’m determined to change that. AbleNet is ranked #2 on our 2025 MN Top 50 ESOPs Report for average individual retirement value, with employee-owners holding an incredible $1.7 million on average in their ESOP accounts, compared to just $75,000 for the average Minnesotan."
Want to learn more about AbleNet and their employee ownership journey? Stay tuned for our AbleNet WorkerCo. podcast episode coming this fall!

07/30/2025

Kirsten, our Executive Director, is very excited to be presenting at the upcoming Non-Traditional Lenders Forum again this August. It's going to be a fun, innovative day. Register for free here: https://forms.office.com/pages/responsepage.aspx?id=pcVcMF3y2UWscd3FkE5wIgB2xn4Duz5AgK9wBKpCzlhUMVdDVzlaWUdLMTM0VEkzR083R1FYMjA4ViQlQCN0PWcu&route=shorturl

07/15/2025

Passing along this paid learning opportunity that was shared with MNCEO from Danny at Pacific Community Ventures! Apply to join here: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdoQ3jBmFwm-t4TJSxxHWA6p9_x5ANskJKr5cz3K87ZPBB5mw/viewform . For questions or more info, email [email protected].

07/10/2025

🔦 Employee-Owned Business Spotlight 🔦 Matchbox Coffeeshop has been a worker-owned cooperative in Northeast Minneapolis since 2003! Not only do they make incredible, high-quality drinks (like their homemade chai), but they also… support local artists by featuring their work, are dedicated composters, create space for worker co-op education, and have a fabulous patio tucked away behind the shop. Our Executive Director, Kirsten, is so excited to be at Matchbox for casual office hours on the last Friday of every month from 9am to 5pm.

06/24/2025

Thank you to everyone who braved the heat last Friday and joined us for our Lawn Bowling Fundraiser. It was such an honor to get to see so many of you in person, and we had so much fun! A major highlight for us was seeing so many Employee Ownership collaborators, cheerleaders, and champions from all across Minnesota, from all walks of life, and all in one spot! What was your highlight from the day?

And thank you so much to our event sponsors Eide Bailly LLP, Fredrikson & Byron, P.A., Strategic Talent Partners, and our Silent Auction donors!

06/18/2025

The forecast is predicting a beautiful sunny day for our Lawn Bowling Fundraiser this Friday, here's a little guide to help you get ready! There will be a seriously fabulous photo booth, giant lawn games like Jenga and Yahtzee, a silent auction with some highly coveted prizes, and much more. I'm personally most excited to get to connect with you all and cheers with an ice-cold drink! Haven't registered yet? There is still time,register here: mnceo.org/lawn-bowling-fundraiser . If you have any questions about the event or accessibility needs, please email me at [email protected].

06/05/2025

🚨New partnership and initiative alert🚨In collaboration with North Central SBDC, we will offer business valuation support, succession and legacy planning, and employee ownership exploration for business owners in rural Minnesota. We could not be more excited!
“We want to make sure that rural entrepreneurs aren’t leaving that legacy—or their community’s economic future—up to chance. This partnership gives business owners the knowledge and support they need to understand their options, plan ahead, and make the best decisions for themselves, their employees, and their towns.” -Katie Heppner, regional director of the North Central SBDC

New partnership offers free succession planning and employee ownership resources for rural entrepreneurs Your business is your legacy”— Katie HeppnerBRAINERD, MN, UNITED STATES, June 4, 2025 /EINPresswire.com/ -- The North Central Small Business Development Center (SBDC) at Central Lakes College...

06/03/2025

We loved to see Bloomberg's piece on Room & Board's transition to an Employee Stock Ownership Plan (ESOP)! The MNCEO team is a huge Room & Board fan, for their impeccable designs and serving as a phenomenal example of employee ownership in Minnesota. You can learn more about their journey to employee ownership by listening to MNCEO's podcast, Worker Co., MN Edition, on YouTube and wherever you listen to podcasts! Tune in to our podcast here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XPjVQzZ10ww&list=PLxPwmV6URcYML9OL5V_n9ZSkMKcfzW0eE Check out Bloomberg's piece here: https://www.bloomberg.com/opinion/features/2025-04-27/room-board-goes-esop-employee-stock-ownership-plans-don-t-have-to-be-rare?utm_medium=email&_hsenc=p2ANqtz--fU_v_9Hpt_6h4-S5KJ3p-aNdEmRAbIcl8UKiAlxtR7cLm9C3-4BAJ85eykyDYU9BW95BErBcgMHFYb7EpBQA4eIG4Gg&_hsmi=359062751&utm_content=359062751&utm_source=hs_email

05/30/2025

Here's a powerful example of how employee ownership creates real economic opportunities: Chicago's ChiFresh Kitchen, a worker cooperative, is transforming lives by offering meaningful ownership to formerly incarcerated individuals.

This inspiring story shows how worker-owned businesses aren't just creating jobs; they're building wealth, dignity, and resilience in communities that need it most:

https://www.chicagobusiness.com/equity/worker-co-ops-aim-tackle-persistent-wealth-gap