Shared Ownership, Shared Future

Employee Ownership as a Regenerative Strategy

Apr 12, 2025

As more organizations reimagine value beyond profit, employee ownership is emerging as a powerful tool for regenerative business. This week, we spotlight two contrasting cases in the field of employee ownership. In a new Financial Times piece, I explore KKR’s private equity model, its push to share ownership gains with employees and how this model contrasts with other types of employee ownership. Meanwhile, my Forbes article examines how consulting firm Pariveda has embedded a specific type employee ownership, an ESOP into its core identity, aligning long-term development with stakeholder values.

Across the Essential Reads, we see how diverse organizations—from grocery chains to architecture firms—are embracing employee ownership to ensure legacy, strengthen community ties, and foster innovation. These stories reflect a growing shift toward more participatory models that share power and accountability across the organization.

In Research Corner, a new study from the Strategic Management Journal reveals that firms are more likely to adopt stakeholder-focused strategies when the threat of shareholder litigation is reduced. The findings highlight how legal and governance contexts shape firms’ ability to prioritize broader impact.

Let’s delve into how employee ownership is not only preserving legacy—but reshaping the future.

Featured Articles:

A New Kind of Ownership?

In a new Financial Times article, I explore whether private equity’s embrace of employee ownership marks a meaningful shift or simply a strategic rebrand. The focus is on KKR’s recent $1 billion sale of GeoStabilization International, where $75 million of the proceeds went directly to employees—some receiving payouts upwards of $325,000. This approach seemingly stands in stark contrast to the traditional image of private equity as extractive and top-heavy.

But is this a genuine move toward democratizing capitalism or a one-off effort with limited structural change? I compare KKR’s model with more enduring forms of employee ownership, such as employee ownership trusts and worker cooperatives, raising critical questions about sustainability, worker agency, and long-term value creation.

This case study invites us to consider what true reform looks like—and whether aligning incentives through ownership can reshape organizational cultures and outcomes.

People-Centered Ownership in Practice

In this Forbes article, I explore how Pariveda, a consulting firm, has cultivated a purpose-driven business model rooted in employee ownership and long-term development. Founder Bruce Ballengee envisioned Pariveda as more than a typical consulting firm—he wanted to create a "social experiment" where profitability and people development coexisted. Central to this model is the firm’s Employee Stock Ownership Plan (ESOP), which has guided its growth since the early 2000s.

Now also a Certified B Corporation, Pariveda integrates values of stakeholder stewardship, leadership cultivation, and ethical client engagement into its operations. CEO Margaret Rogers and VP Tiffany Lentz share how these frameworks have shaped the company’s identity and how ongoing self-assessment, like the B Impact Assessment, drives continued improvement. The article highlights how Pariveda balances complex decisions through values-based governance, setting a compelling example of regenerative business leadership grounded in employee empowerment.

Essential Reads:

Ownership Empowerment

Electric Power Engineers (EPE) has launched "EPE MyShare," an employee ownership program offering all full-time staff a stake in the company’s future success. This no-cost initiative is designed to foster shared purpose and reward contributions, aligning with EPE’s global growth and innovation goals in power systems engineering.

Legacy Transition

After 32 years, Patina’s founders have sold their beloved Twin Cities gift store chain to Teamshares, ensuring its future through employee ownership. With a seasoned retail leader as CEO and a plan to gradually transfer 80% ownership to staff, the new model honors Patina’s community roots and sets the stage for long-term growth and innovation.

Employee Ownership in Club

GreatLIFE Golf and Fitness Club has transitioned to employee ownership, making nearly 100 team members partial owners of the Sioux Falls-based business. The shift supports local decision-making, long-term growth, and community involvement without disrupting member services. This move reflects five years of planning for legacy and sustainable future leadership.

Design Independence

Associated Architects, a leading UK firm with offices in Birmingham, Leeds, and Oxford, has become employee-owned through an Employee Ownership Trust. The transition secures its long-term independence, empowers staff, and preserves its collaborative culture. With growth projections and new leadership promotions, the firm is poised for a strong and sustainable future.

Auction Evolution

United Auctions, a major livestock auctioneer in Scotland, has transitioned to employee ownership via an Employee Ownership Trust. This pioneering move in the sector gives 91 employees a stronger voice and stake in the business while preserving local decision-making, continuity for customers, and UA’s trusted legacy in agricultural communities.

Training Legacy

Cambrian Training Group, a Welsh leader in apprenticeship and vocational training, has become employee-owned through an Employee Ownership Trust. The transition preserves its independence, culture, and local roots, while giving staff a direct stake in its future. This strategic move ensures long-term continuity and community commitment across Wales.

Legal Ownership

Family Law Partners, a leading UK firm in non-court dispute resolution, has transitioned to employee ownership through an Employee Ownership Trust. This move secures the firm’s independence, empowers staff, and strengthens its mission to deliver innovative, compassionate family law services—while ensuring a sustainable future rooted in its people-first values.

Ownership Honor

Force Construction Co., Inc. has been named Indiana’s ESOP Company of the Year, recognizing its exemplary employee ownership culture. Through education, innovation, and active engagement, Force empowers its workforce to drive the company’s growth and success, showcasing how shared ownership fosters stronger performance and deeper commitment.

Research Corner:

In this ILR Review study, researchers explore how broad-based employee stock options influence job performance. Rather than simply serving as financial incentives, the authors argue these options foster a social exchange relationship—where employees respond to perceived trust and reciprocity with improved future performance. The analysis shows that these social exchange effects can be more substantial than traditional incentive effects, offering fresh insight into compensation design and employee motivation.

The regenerative business practices and sustainability innovations highlighted in this week's Regenerative Insights directly tackle the critical issues of corporate responsibility explored in my recent book explored in my recent book, The Profiteers: How Business Privatizes Profit and Socializes Cost.

Quick Takeaways:

Local control: Empower staff with decision-making through shared ownership.
Succession planning: Transition ownership to employees to sustain legacy.
Design trust: Preserve firm independence via employee ownership trust.
Sector shift: Bring ownership to traditional industries for resilience.
Training future: Secure mission and staff engagement through shared ownership.
Legal alignment: Support values-driven law with employee-led models.
Culture recognition: Celebrate strong ownership cultures that drive results.

Regenerative Insights