Project Equity’s Donna Sky (Senior Manager – Business Engagement & Partnerships) will moderate a panel discussion and working group at the B Lab U.S. & Canada Champions Retreat, the key catalytic and inspirational event for the B Corp movement in North America.

You don’t need to wait for an employee ownership transition to start building a culture of ownership. This interactive session explores how employee-owned companies foster ownership mindsets and shares practical strategies for engagement, accountability, and shared leadership.

Donna will provide an overview of the various employee ownership models and their benefits, readiness factors, and their value both as an exit strategy and resilience tool. B Corp leaders from OcAquatics, PixelSpoke, and King Arthur Baking will share lessons from their employee ownership journeys.  Participants will engage in a hands-on activity and group discussion to identify actionable steps for cultivating an ownership culture. Attendees will leave with real-world examples, practical takeaways, and a culture-building checklist.

Who should attend this session? B Corps exploring employee ownership or looking to boost engagement and shared leadership; founders planning succession or long-term ownership transitions; and HR, People & Culture, and DEI professionals.

By the end of the session, participants will:

• Understand what it means to build a culture of ownership, with or without an official employee ownership structure
• Learn practical strategies to increase engagement, accountability, and employee voice
• Hear real-world lessons from B Corps that have put employee ownership models into practice
• Identify actionable steps to start building an ownership culture immediately