🎁 Happy Holidays

24 State Centers, Thousands of Owners, One Big Year

Hear from EOX Executive Director, Steve Storkan

This has been EOX’s strongest year yet. Before everyone disappears into year-end board meetings and holiday gatherings, we wanted to pause and reflect on what your support has made possible.

In 2025, the EOX network grew to 24 State Centers for Employee Ownership, with serious momentum behind a 25th Center in North Dakota. State Centers have met with thousands of business owners, advisors, and community partners this year, helping them see employee ownership as a strong option for succession, job retention, and long-term local wealth.

We’re also close to a major milestone. Through the State-by-State Capacity Building Campaign, we’ve raised 92% of our $6.9 million goal. That leaves just $567,000 to fully fund this phase of growth for the State Center Network. If you’re in a position to make a year-end gift, it will go directly toward building the infrastructure that keeps this movement growing in every corner of the country.

SUPPORT EOX

EOX EIN: 83-2849677

Our new State Center Grant Program — funded through our State-by-State Capacity Building Campaign — has been the fuel for much of our impact this year. Together, we have now deployed more than $1.13 million in capacity, project, and storytelling grants to State Centers across the country. Those grants have helped Centers hire staff, launch new initiatives, and share stories that can genuinely inspire people.

One of those stories comes from the Ohio Employee Ownership Center (OEOC). In their recent video about CLAMPCO, you hear directly from the people inside a homegrown manufacturing company that chose employee ownership. A founder facing the question, “what’s next?”. Employees stepping into something bigger than a paycheck. A business that stays rooted in its community instead of being sold off to whoever offers the highest price. It paints a crystal clear message about why this work matters.

This year also marked the launch of EOX’s new Strategic Plan, which gives us a clear path for the next three years: strengthening the State Center network, deepening partnerships, and making employee ownership a familiar part of the conversation in every state. National partners have noticed. Support from organizations like JPMorganChase, Prudential, and others has helped us bring business succession, generational wealth, and employee ownership into important conversations with the potential to move the needle for our growing EO Movement.

We have wrapped up our cross-country travels for 2025. From Great Falls to Tampa, to Rochester — from co-op conferences and economic developer convenings, to ESOP forums, to EO family dinners — our team has spent the year showing up, listening, and making the case for employee ownership as a powerful, local solution to some of the greatest economic woes facing our country. Now we’re home, catching our breath, and getting ready for a bigger 2026.

Most of all, we’re grateful for the...

... passionate State Center leaders who continue to support businesses and localize the impact of the EOX Network

... loyal partners and funders who continue to help us build the best possible ecosystem for our growing EO Movement

... legacy-minded business owners willing to consider a different path, create employee-owners, and continue saying YES to telling their stories.

CLAMPCO IS JUST ONE OF MANY GREAT STORIES FROM ACROSS THE EOX NETWORK, brought to you by the EOX Storytelling Grants →

NEWS ACROSS THE EOX NETWORK

SPOTLIGHT: The Michigan Center's Grant Program with the Michigan Department of Labor and Economic Opportunity (LEO) continues to draw dozens of interested businesses.

Since launching their partnership with LEO in July, the Michigan Center for Employee Ownership (MICEO) continues to show real traction with their new technical assistance grant program. The MICEO has connected with hundreds of Michigan businesses, helping owners learn what an employee ownership transition could look like for them. So far, 58 companies have applied for LEO grant funding to cover feasibility and pre-feasibility assessments, valuations, legal support, and other technical assistance that makes serious exploration of EO possible. It’s a strong signal that, when the right tools and resources are available, business owners are willing to consider employee ownership as a real path forward.
WATCH HERE →

ALCEO debuts their short documentary highlighting the incredible story of AL's largest employee-owned company →

GACEO partners with the Russell Innovation Center for Entrepreneurs to host an exciting EO Celebration with some powerful testimonies →

IACEO shares a powerful guest column from The News Review with great insights for any exploring succession options →

ILCEO launches their new website, offering honest information and simpler sign-ups for their EO programs and resources →

MOCEO brings EO to the conversation at the Global Entrepreneurship Week in Kansas City →

NCEOC wraps up their Elevate Initiative Alumni Learning Year alongside their cohort of orgs working to advance economic mobility →

OEOC welcomes Graeter's Ice Cream to the OH employee ownership family →

TXCEO shares the power of EO at the Texas Economic Development Council's 2025 Annual Conference →

VEOC captures a powerful testimony from the team at Real Pickles, featuring VEOC staff member Annie Winkler →

UPCOMING EVENTS

🗓️ Check out the EOX Events Calendar!

SEE EVENTS

WEBINAR — Employee Ownership Trusts: Policy Needs, Implementation, and Opportunities

hosted by the Rocky Mountain Center for Employee Ownership

January 07, 2026 | 11:00 am MT

REGISTER →

WEBINAR — Understanding ESOPs: Practical Guidance for Business Owners

hosted by Prairie Capital Advisors

January 21, 2026 | 12:00 - 1:00 pm CT

REGISTER →

CONFERENCE — NCEO Women's Summit

hosted by the National Center for Employee Ownership (NCEO)

February 02 - 03, 2026 | Fort Lauderdale, FL

REGISTER →

CONFERENCE — 2026 Purpose Trust Ownership Conference

hosted by the Texas Center for Employee Ownership & the Purpose Trust Ownership Network

February 25-27, 2026 | Austin, TX

REGISTER →

CONFERENCE — 2026 National Employee Ownership Summit

hosted by the Ohio Employee Ownership Center and the National Center for Employee Ownership

February 25-26, 2026 | Mesa, AZ

REGISTER →

EO IN THE NEWS

NORTH DAKOTA | Guest Column from Former Lt. Governor Tammy Miller, who is helping EOX pave the way for a new State Center for Employee Ownership in North Dakota.
READ HERE →

HAVE YOU SUBSCRIBED?

EOX encourages all of our readers to subscribe to The Stakehold — a weekly newsletter on all things employee ownership (and then some), including purpose trust ownership, steward ownership, workplace democracy, and the ownership economy.

This is the best way to stay up-to-date in real time while you wait for EOX's monthly publications.

EO RESOURCES

📑 RESEARCH - The Retirement Savings Crisis and the Role of ESOPs
Presented by the National Center for Employee Ownership
READ →

🎥 VIDEO SERIES - For the EO Curious
Presented by Good Future (and TNCEO's own, Rachel Eva Merfalen)
WATCH →

SUPPORT EOX

Want to get more involved in a State Center near you or at the national level? Please email Steve Storkan at sstorkan@eoxnetwork.org.

If you're interested in donating to support our work to expand employee ownership across the United States, please click the button below to make a tax-deductible gift to the Employee Ownership Expansion Network!

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EOX EIN: 83-2849677

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