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We believe in employee ownership because it changes the relationship between the company and the employee. Employee-owned companies help people build wealth, create a better working environment, and outperform their competition. That’s why we are building a future where a majority of American businesses are employee-owned.
Our certification is increasing the visibility of employee ownership. We are the bridge between employee-owned companies and the community. We are helping employee-owners, job seekers, clients, consumers, and local governments understand the benefits of our movement. By raising the profile of our community, we are helping employee-owned companies succeed.
600+
Members
200,000+
Employee-owners
50
States
200+
Industries
Our certification is based on rigorous standards of significant and broad-based employee ownership. At an employee-owned company, reasonable access to ownership should be available to everyone and concentration should be limited.
Without a standard, any company could call themselves employee-owned, from companies owned by founders and CEOs who consider themselves employees to public companies and private equity-owned firms that give workers small stock grants totaling one or two percent of the business. Those can be great things, but they are categorically different from broad-based employee ownership. The difference matters.
History has shown that when a positive trend emerges, people rush to associate themselves with it, even if that association is a stretch. As the employee ownership movement grows, it’s important that we set a standard and hold the line to defend the goodwill generated by the actions of our community.
Explore how certification could help you share your ownership story.
Schedule a CallIf you want to go far, go together. Our certification unites all forms of employee ownership with a common voice. Employee Stock Ownership Plans (ESOPs), Worker Cooperatives, Employee Ownership Trusts, and companies coming up with new and innovative forms of employee ownership can all participate in our coordinated effort to promote the values that we share.
Working together to build a common brand will help us all standout a great employee-owned companies. Coordination is essential for breaking through the noise to share our story on the national stage.
As one of the largest ESOP companies in the nation, WinCo Foods believes wholeheartedly in the benefits of employee ownership and we are 100% behind Certified EO and its mission.
We verify your employee ownership and hit the ground running to help you share your ownership story.
Explore how certification can benefit you with a short 20-minute conversation.
Complete our certification questionnaire and provide relevant documentation. Our rigorous but efficient process takes roughly 1 - 2 hours.
Meet your dedicated contact and discuss how our expertise can be tailored to your needs. Gain access to our Member Platform for you and your team.
Position yourself within a broader community. Increase engagement and retention with our proven tools and playbook.
Is your business at least 30% employee-owned? Get certified and start reaping the benefits of a Certified Employee-Owned membership.
Apply Now
10+ years of experience in operations and program management to leading operations at Certified EO. Vanessa previously led post-secondary education programs at General Assembly and SV Academy and is excited to continue her focus on increasing economic mobility through growing employee ownership. Vanessa graduated from Columbia University with a BA in Economics.
Susie is a creative that is passionate about the space of animation and story-telling in her work. Before joining the Certified EO team, she was a graphic designer for INC Corporate Services, a small business based in New York. She is also passionate about baking and runs her small baking company on the side. Susie received her B.S. from Queens College, and thrives in the art world.
Rachel brings 5 years of Marketing experience in the multi-family real estate and quick service restaurant industries, providing comprehensive marketing strategies to a multitude of clients. As a Membership Manager, Rachel works directly with Certified EO's members to inform and engage with them on all things employee-owned. She has her B.A. in Communication from Truman State University.
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Zarin is excited to help grow the employee ownership community and build national recognition for this unique business model. Before joining the Certified EO team, Zarin was the Executive Director of Community Thrift Store, a nonprofit in San Francisco. Zarin discovered the power of EO while completing his MBA. Zarin graduated from Presidio Graduate School with an MBA in Sustainability and University of California, Santa Cruz with a B.S. in Marine Biology.
As part of the Program Team, Adrienne produces positive experiences for members. She’s a graphic designer who’s previously worked with non-profits around the world and uses her background to create meaningful products for current and prospective employee-owners. Adrienne graduated from the University of California, Berkeley with a B.A. in Art History and History and the Art Institute of San Francisco with a degree in graphic design.
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Randy works directly with Certified EO's members to deepen their engagement with employee ownership. Previously, Randy worked in community development finance and underwrote loans for affordable housing projects and small businesses. He currently serves as an advisor for One Up Action, a nonprofit that supports youth climate activists. Randy received his B.S. from Fordham University, and as an undergraduate, he worked as a fellow with the university’s social innovation hub.
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Kramer uses his software engineering background to lead technical and operational projects for Certified EO. He co-founded Certified EO after Thomas introduced him to the concept of employee ownership and realized finding and supporting EO companies was too difficult. Kramer graduated from the University of Virginia with an M.S. in Management of Information Technology, a B.A. in Computer Science, and a B.A. in Economics.
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Shelly founded her own business management company and spent nearly a decade partnering with employee-owned companies and service providers across the country. After championing the cause for years, it took less than a year away from the EO space for Shelly to realize her skills, her expertise, and her heart belonged to furthering the mission of growing an employee-owned economy.
Thomas is a passionate advocate for employee-owned companies. Thomas co-founded Certified EO while working on a Ph.D. in Organizational Behavior at the Stanford Graduate School of Business. Thomas graduated from Stanford University with an M.S. in Statistics and the University of Virginia with a B.S. in Physics and a B.A. in Mathematics.