MINNESOTA CENTER FOR EMPLOYEE OWNERSHIP

MNCEO ORGANIZES WORKSHOPS AND PRESENTATIONS AT VARIOUS LOCATIONS THROUGHOUT MINNESOTA THROUGH OUR AMBASSADOR PROGRAM. WE EXPLAIN THE DIFFERENT MODELS FOR EMPLOYEE OWNERSHIP AND ADVISE ABOUT HOW BEST TO TRANSITION INTO ONE OF THOSE OPTIONS. EMPLOYEE OWNERSHIP EDUCATION IS A CRITICAL TOOL TO ACHIEVE OUR ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT GOALS. BY EDUCATING THE PUBLIC ON EMPLOYEE OWNERSHIP, WE HOPE TO PROMOTE EQUITY AND INCLUSION BY EXPANDING ECONOMIC OPPORTUNITY, PARTICULARLY FOR THE BENEFIT OF TRADITIONALLY DISADVANTAGED GROUPS. ADDITIONALLY, WE HELP CONNECT INTERESTED BUSINESSES TO ORGANIZATIONS THAT CAN ASSIST THEM IN TRANSITIONING TO A WORKER OWNER MODEL. WE PARTICIPATED IN 19 CONFERENCES, WITH 14 DISPLAYS AND 38 PRESENTATIONS WITH 1016 ATTENDEES. THE MINNESOTA CENTER FOR EMPLOYEE OWNERSHIP (MNCEO) PARTNERED WITH THE NORTH CAROLINA EMPLOYEE OWNERSHIP CENTER (NCEOC) TO CONVENE TWO AMBASSADOR PROGRAM COHORTS- THE EMPLOYEE OWNERSHIP AMBASSADOR PROGRAM HAS BEEN DESIGNED AS A 4-WEEK PROGRAM WITH VIRTUAL MEETINGS AND INDEPENDENT LEARNING MODULES. A DEEP DIVE INTO: EMPLOYEE STOCK OWNERSHIP PLANS, EMPLOYEE OWNERSHIP TRUSTS AND WORKER OWNED COOPERATIVES, TRAINING 48 ADVISORS, SMALL BUSINESS OWNERS, ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT LEADERS AND COMMUNITY LEADERS. WE ALSO CREATED AN EMPLOYEE OWNERSHIP TRUSTS AND WORKER OWNED COOPERATIVES, TRAINING 48 ADVISORS, SMALL BUSINESS OWNERS, ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT LEADERS AND COMMUNITY LEADERS. MNCEO CONTINUED TO CONVENE AND LEAD THE MN BROAD EMPLOYEE OWNERSHIP WORKING GROUP WITH ADVISORS FROM: WORKER OWNED COOPERATIVES (WOCS), EMPLOYEE OWNERSHIP TRUSTS (EOTS) AND EMPLOYEE STOCK OWNERSHIP PLANS (ESOPS) TO CREATE A ROBUST BROAD EMPLOYEE OWNERSHIP MARKETPLACE TO EVERY REGION IN MINNESOTA. WE REACHED OUT TO 139 NEW PARTNER ORGANIZATIONS WITH 56 NEW PARTNER LEADS AND 23 PARTNER COLLABORATIONS. AS A RESULT WE HAD 25 BUSINESSES CONTACT MNCEO TO EXPLORE EMPLOYEE OWNERSHIP MODELS WITH OVER 45 REFERRALS TO SERVICES PROVIDERS. WE CREATED OUR MN TOP 50 ESOPS REPORT IN PARTNERSHIP WITH THE OHIO CENTER FOR EMPLOYEE OWNERSHIP AT KENT STATE.MNCEO PARTNERED WITH THE EAST CENTRAL REGIONAL DEVELOPMENT COMMISSION, REGIONAL ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT LEADERS, REGIONAL HRA-EDAS, LOCAL GOVERNMENTS AND REGIONAL COMMISSIONS TO STAND UP A REGIONAL BROAD EMPLOYEE OWNERSHIP MARKETPLACE. THIS WAS A FOCUSED WORK OUTSIDE OF THE TWIN CITIES METRO. WE HAD 12 EMPLOYEE OWNERSHIP 101 PRESENTATIONS, COUNTYWIDE- 5 FULL DAYS OF (BARNSTORMING)-INTRODUCING BROAD EMPLOYEE OWNERSHIP TO: CITY ADMINISTRATORS, ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT COMMISSIONS, BANKS, AND SMALL BUSINESS OWNERS. MNCEO CREATED THE WORKER CO. MN EDITION PODCAST TO TELL THE STORIES OF HOW EMPLOYEE OWNERSHIP TRANSFORMED THEIR MINNESOTA COMPANIES. OUR FIRST FIVE EPISODE INCLUDED: WINDINGS, INC A MATURE EMPLOYEE STOCK OWNERSHIP PLAN, WESCOM, INC. A YEAR OLD EMPLOYEE STOCK OWNERSHIP PLAN, ROOM AND BOARD, A BRAND NEW EMPLOYEE STOCK OWNERSHIP PLAN, THE IMPROVE GROUP, A WORKER OWNED COOPERATIVE AND CODEWEAVERS, MINNESOTA'S FIRST EMPLOYEE OWNERSHIP TRUST. IN 2025 WE ARE CREATING A WORKER CO. TOOLKIT FOR OTHER STATE CENTERS TO USE. CREATING THE PODCASTS GIVES US ANOTHER AVENUE FOR SPREADING THE WORD ABOUT DIFFERENT MODELS OF EMPLOYEE OWNERSHIP. WE ARE ABLE TO REACH MANY OF THE PUBLIC AS WELL AS SHARE SPECIFIC EXAMPLES OF BUSINESSES THAT DID THE WORK OF SWITCHING AND ARE THRIVING BECAUSE OF IT.