In 2014, Project Equity was born out of a simple yet profound idea: that employee ownership has the power to maintain thriving local business communities, create quality jobs, and address income and wealth inequality. Since then, Project Equity has grown into a national leader in the employee ownership movement, and our impact speaks for itself:
- We have created dozens of new employee-owned companies, securing quality jobs and pathways to ownership and economic resilience for hundreds of workers.
- We’ve provided hands-on technical assistance and guidance to over 100 businesses (with more than 2,000 employees) along the path to employee ownership.
- We have educated over 15,000 stakeholders about employee ownership and provided 1-on-1 counseling to more than 1,100 business owners.
- We’ve engaged with key stakeholders in diverse regions across the U.S. to foster an awareness of employee ownership and the growth of local ecosystems that support employee ownership transitions.
- We’ve championed diversity and inclusion within the ownership landscape to ensure that workers from all walks of life can become employee-owners through our Black Employee Ownership Initiative and Spanish language justice services in our transition processes.
- We’ve broadened access to critical innovations in the employee ownership field, like standing up two capital initiatives to provide loans to support transitions and creating accredited employee ownership courses for business advisors.
- Our research and advocacy efforts have shaped local, state, and national conversations on employee ownership, influencing policy and inspiring real change.
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our Timeline
Ten year history of Project Equity
Project Equity Launches
Project Equity launches on April Fool’s Day when co-founders Alison Lingane and Hilary Abell receive an Echoing Green Fellowship.
We launched the first of two cohorts of the Bay Area Worker Coop Academy with two local partners at an Oakland community college. This was part of our strategy feasibility study, in which we assessed whether Project Equity would focus on start-ups or transitions of long-standing businesses to employee ownership. We landed on a focus on transitions.
First transition client
We put out our shingle to support companies to transition to employee ownership. California Solar Electric becomes our first transition client.
Nexus and Industrial Commons Partnerships
We begin working with our first regional partners, Nexus Community Partners (Twin Cities, MN) and The Industrial Commons (Western NC) .
Silver Tsunami data study
Our first data study makes the case that employee ownership could help stem business closures due to the Silver Tsunami.
Niles Pie and A Slice of New York
Niles Pie and A Slice of New York become worker cooperatives, completing Project Equity’s inaugural cohort of our EO Transitions Program.
Berkeley partnership
We were awarded a grant by the City of Berkeley’s Office of Economic Development to quantify and address the risks posed to local business retention when baby boomer small business owners retire.
Accelerate Employee Ownership
We worked with Shared Capital Cooperative to launch Accelerate Employee Ownership.
San Francisco partnership
We partnered with the San Francisco Office of Economic and Workforce Development (OEWD) to deliver San Francisco’s small business owners with a business succession support program.
Adams and Chittenden Scientific Glass
We assisted Adams and Chittenden Scientific Glass located in Berkeley, CA, with its transition to employee ownership.
EOX partnership
We partnered with the Employee Ownership Expansion Network (EOX) to help new state centers communicate the twin small business crises and educate about the employee ownership solution.
The Employee Ownership Catalyst Fund
We launched a new initiative to provide flexible capital to companies on the path to employee ownership. The Employee Ownership Catalyst Fund provides working capital and transaction financing to businesses with 25-100+ employees.
First CEO, Evan Edwards
We appointed Evan Edwards as the first Chief Executive Officer for Project Equity. This appointment deepens the focus on scale strategies to help local businesses thrive through employee ownership.
The Local Butcher Shop
We assisted The Local Butcher Shop, located in Berkeley, CA, with their transition to employee ownership.
CITI partnership in Miami
We partnered with CITI to support small business recovery and sustainability in South Florida.
Alternative Technologies
We assisted Alternative Technologies, located in Berkeley, CA, with its transition to employee ownership.
Atlanta partnerships
We launched an initiative to retain Black-owned legacy businesses and preserve jobs in Atlanta, bolster the local economy and generate wealth as business owners retire in partnership with Atlanta Wealth Building Initiative and Morehouse College.
Tucson partnership
We partnered with the City of Tucson Office of Economic Initiatives to create a business succession and recovery initiative aimed at preserving Tucson’s small business vitality.
California Employee Ownership Act
We partnered with Worker-Owned Recovery California (WORC) and Ownership America to support Senate Bill 1407 (Becker D-Menlo Park), which was signed into law by Governor Newsom as the California Employee Ownership Act.
Heinz Award for the Economy
Our work is recognized through a Heinz Award for the Economy awarded to its co-founders.
Hummingbird Wholesale first EOT
Hummingbird Wholesale becomes one of the first Employee-Owned Purpose Trusts in Oregon, elevating their mission and their employees.
Morehouse partnership
We partnered with Morehouse College to produce two groundbreaking papers on the topic of employee ownership, “Employee Ownership for Black Workers: Closing the Racial Wealth Gap,” and “Strategies to Advance Black Employee Ownership."
LA County partnership
We partnered with The Los Angeles County Department of Economic Opportunity (DEO) to launch Employee Ownership LA County, a business succession and recovery service aimed at preserving legacy small businesses in LA County.
2024 EO Equity Summit
The 2024 EO Equity Summit in Los Angeles convened policymakers, funders, business owners and advisors from across the nation for two and a half days of education, collaboration and inspiration. Speakers included acclaimed journalist and author Nick Romeo, former Stockton Mayor Michael Tubbs, selling owners, worker-owners, elected officials, economic development professionals and many others. For the first time, 2024's summit also included accredited educational content specifically for business advisors, helping them become equipped to counsel clients on options to assess and maximize the benefits of EO.
Saint Paul Shared Ownership Equity Summit
Project Equity hosted a Shared Ownership Equity Summit in Saint Paul, MN in collaboration with Mayor Melvin Carter and the City of Saint Paul, Nexus Community Partners and Living Cities. Participants learned how they can activate EO in their work and communities, including a practical toolkit for implementation, municipal tools to advance EO, an overview of small business challenges, and a community-owned real estate supplemental workbook.
Public policy platform and database
We published a public policy platform at the federal, state and local levels that offers solutions across five key areas—education and awareness, affordable technical assistance, accessible capital, economic development programs, and incentives for Employee-Owned Businesses (EOBs). We also created an interactive state policy database to serve as a tool for researchers, policymakers, advocates and practitioners. To ensure comprehensiveness and accuracy, we leveraged resources from leading EO organizations and research centers and conducted independent research into policies related to EO across all 50 states.
Certified Employee Ownership Advisor (CEOA)
Project Equity launched the Certified Employee Ownership Advisor (CEOA), an accredited certificate program for business advisors. With this launch, Project Equity now offers 10 hours of CPE from on-demand, self-guided educational content for advisors nationwide looking to expand their expertise and offer added value to their clients. The 8-module CEOA series builds upon our EO ExitPro 101 course to cover a range of topics essential to advising on various forms of EO, including financial and legal considerations. The CEOA series equips advisors with the knowledge and tools they need to effectively guide their clients through the complexities of EO transitions.
Read more about our ten years of impact
New year, new partnerships, renewed commitment to expanding employee ownership in 2025
Project Equity is launching new initiatives to expand employee ownership in 2025. This year marks a period of transformation, growth and impactful partnerships.
January 6, 2025
A decade of wealth-building strategy at Project Equity
Diane Ives, former fund advisor for the Kendeda Fund, reflects on Project Equity’s unique role in the employee ownership ecosystem.
November 12, 2024
10 year Anniversary campaign
Join the movement today
Our 10 Year Anniversary Campaign is more than just a fundraiser; it’s a celebration of our collective impact and a step towards an even more equitable future. Whether you give now or pledge for tomorrow, your generosity will catalyze our work for another decade of shared prosperity.
