Aspen is a place for leaders to lift their sights above the possessions which possess them. To confront their own nature as human beings, to regain control over their own humanity by becoming more self-aware, more self-correcting, and hence more self-fulfilling.

Walter P. Paepcke, Aspen Institute Co-Founder

Employee Ownership

The Economic Opportunities Program advances strategies, policies, and ideas to help low- and moderate-income people thrive in a changing economy.

We recognize that race, gender, and place intersect with and intensify the challenge of economic inequality and we address these dynamics by advancing an inclusive vision of economic justice. For over 25 years, EOP has focused on expanding individuals’ opportunities to connect to quality work, start businesses, and build economic stability that provides the freedom to pursue opportunity.

We collaborate with national and local leaders across the United States – nonprofit leaders, policymakers, labor leaders, business leaders, educators, academics, and more – and we actively seek input and ideas from individuals and communities affected by proposed approaches to address economic opportunity challenges. Through our leadership and fellowship programs; applied research and evaluation; data and analysis; and dialogue with diverse stakeholders, we work at both local and national levels to build understanding and galvanize action to address the challenge of economic opportunity in America.

Join our mailing list and follow us on social media for regular updates on our work.

Events

What Employee Ownership Means to Workers
Economic Opportunity

What Employee Ownership Means to Workers

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Employee Ownership Ideas Forum 2026: Owning America’s Future
Economic Opportunity

Employee Ownership Ideas Forum 2026: Owning America’s Future

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Ownership During the AI Revolution
Economic Opportunity

Ownership During the AI Revolution

| Washington, DC

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Industry Spotlight: Healthcare

Industry Spotlight: Healthcare

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Strengthening Small Business through Employee Ownership

Strengthening Small Business through Employee Ownership

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Bridging the Gap: Institutional Investment and Employee Ownership

Bridging the Gap: Institutional Investment and Employee Ownership

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The Future of the American Worker

The Future of the American Worker

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Five Big Ideas for Employee Ownership

Five Big Ideas for Employee Ownership

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Photos — Employee Ownership Ideas Forum 2025

Photos — Employee Ownership Ideas Forum 2025

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Briefs — Employee Ownership Ideas Forum 2025

Briefs — Employee Ownership Ideas Forum 2025

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Event Videos

Ownership During the AI Revolution
Podcasts Videos

Ownership During the AI Revolution

Shifting Culture to Advance Employee Ownership
Videos

Shifting Culture to Advance Employee Ownership

Fmr. NEC Deputy Director Bharat Ramamurti Keynotes the 2026 Employee Ownership Ideas Forum
Videos

Fmr. NEC Deputy Director Bharat Ramamurti Keynotes the 2026 Employee Ownership Ideas Forum

panel discussion about EO at EOIF26
Videos

Moving Institutional Capital into Employee Ownership

Margot Brandenburg speaking at EO Forum 2026
Videos

Ford Foundation’s Margot Brandenburg Keynotes the 2026 Employee Ownership Ideas Forum

Five Big Ideas for Employee Ownership (2026)
Videos

Five Big Ideas for Employee Ownership (2026)

Prudential Financial’s Paula D’Ambrosa Opens Day Two of the 2026 Employee Ownership Ideas Forum
Videos

Prudential Financial’s Paula D’Ambrosa Opens Day Two of the 2026 Employee Ownership Ideas Forum

Gwyneth Galbraith delivers closing remarks EOIF 26
Videos

JPMorganChase’s Gwyneth Galbraith Closes Day One of the 2026 Employee Ownership Ideas Forum

Publications

What Employee Ownership Means to Workers
Publications

What Employee Ownership Means to Workers

Insights from Focus Groups with Employee Owners

Employee Ownership: An Economic and Workforce Development Strategy for State and Local Governments
Publications

Employee Ownership: An Economic and Workforce Development Strategy for State and Local Governments

Policy Brief on the Study, “Employee Share Ownership, Management Practices, and Labor Productivity: An Analysis Using Establishment Level Micro-Data from the US Census”
Publications

Policy Brief on the Study, “Employee Share Ownership, Management Practices, and Labor Productivity: An Analysis Using Establishment Level Micro-Data from the US Census”

  • Fidan Ana Kurtulus
  • Eric Hoyt
  • Paige Ouimet
  • Joseph Blasi
  • Douglas Kruse
  • Richard Freeman
  • William Castellano
Employee Ownership and ESOPs: What We Know from Recent Research (2026)
Publications

Employee Ownership and ESOPs: What We Know from Recent Research (2026)

  • Joseph Blasi
  • Douglas Kruse
Employee Ownership and ESOPs – What We Know from Recent Research
Publications

Employee Ownership and ESOPs – What We Know from Recent Research

  • Joseph Blasi
  • Douglas Kruse
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Publications

How Many Firms Are Good Candidates for Employee Ownership?

  • Matt Mazewski, Ph.D.
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Publications

Ownership With a Purpose

This profile of Clegg Auto illustrates the company’s experience becoming employee-owned, the innovative holding company model it pursued, and its employees’ perspective on the transition and what ownership means to them.

Employee Ownership Plans According to Earnings, Gender, and Race in the United States
Publications

Employee Ownership Plans According to Earnings, Gender, and Race in the United States

Blog Posts

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Blog Posts

Economic Opportunities Program Monthly Digest — June 2026

Upcoming Events from the Economic Opportunities Program — June 2026
Blog Posts

Upcoming Events from the Economic Opportunities Program — June 2026

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Blog Posts

Economic Opportunities Program Monthly Digest — May 2026

Upcoming Events from the Economic Opportunities Program — May 2026
Blog Posts

Upcoming Events from the Economic Opportunities Program — May 2026

Upcoming Events from the Economic Opportunities Program — April 2026
Blog Posts

Upcoming Events from the Economic Opportunities Program — April 2026

We hope you’ll join us at one of our upcoming events. Everyone who registers will receive a link to the recording, so please sign up even if you can’t participate live.

Economic Opportunities Program Upcoming Events — March 2026
Blog Posts

Economic Opportunities Program Upcoming Events — March 2026

We hope you’ll join us at one of our upcoming events, which you can learn about here. Everyone who registers will receive a link to the recording, so please sign up even if you can’t participate live.

infographic of a newsletter on a tablet
Blog Posts

Economic Opportunities Program Monthly Digest — January 2026

We are pleased to present a selection of our work from the past month.

Resource Roundup: A Look at the Year Ahead
Blog Posts

Resource Roundup: A Look at the Year Ahead

Newsletters

Ownership Across America: What Iowa and New Jersey Are Teaching Other States
Blog Posts

Ownership Across America: What Iowa and New Jersey Are Teaching Other States

Building an Ownership Culture: From the Shop Floor to the National Narrative
Blog Posts

Building an Ownership Culture: From the Shop Floor to the National Narrative

The Employee Ownership Advantage
Blog Posts

The Employee Ownership Advantage

Views from Capitol Hill
Blog Posts

Views from Capitol Hill

Five Big Ideas for Employee Ownership
Blog Posts

Five Big Ideas for Employee Ownership

Institutional Investment and Employee Ownership
Blog Posts

Institutional Investment and Employee Ownership

Securing The Future of America’s Critical Industries
Blog Posts

Securing The Future of America’s Critical Industries

Graphic image featuring headshots of four speakers: Adria Powell, Michael Quarrey, Xavier de Souza Briggs, Chris Griswold
Blog Posts

The Future of the American Worker

Stake Your Claim
Publications

Stake Your Claim

By allowing people to own a piece of the company that employs them, capital share strategies are changing how Americans work and businesses earn—and everyone’s a winner.

A group of smiling workers
Videos

Webinar: Expanding inclusive development through employee ownership in opportunity zones

This webinar explores inclusive development through employee ownership in opportunity zones.

Gold bar split between 90% and 10%
Blog Posts

A better way to share the wealth

If we want to be a country that provides opportunity to all, we need to rethink how Americans acquire wealth.

Stephen R. Smith addresses concerns about the risks of ESOPs
Videos

Stephen R. Smith addresses concerns about the risks of ESOPs

Stephen R. Smith addresses concerns about the risks of ESOPs.

Steve Voigt talks about unexpected benefits of King Arthur Flour’s switch to an ESOP
Videos

Steve Voigt talks about unexpected benefits of King Arthur Flour’s switch to an ESOP

Steve Voigt shares unexpected benefits that his company experienced when switching to an ESOP.

Markita Madden Puckett describes why working at an ESOP company is satisfying
Videos

Markita Madden Puckett describes why working at an ESOP company is satisfying

Markita Madden-Puckett shares why working at an ESOP company is satisfying for employees.

Amy Hall on why an ESOP model appealed to EILEEN FISHER’s owner
Videos

Amy Hall on why an ESOP model appealed to EILEEN FISHER’s owner

Amy Hall explains why an ESOP model appealed to EILEEN FISHER’s owner.

Congressman Erik Paulsen on the advantages of employee share ownership
Videos

Congressman Erik Paulsen on the advantages of employee share ownership

Congressman Erik Paulsen discusses the opportunities employee share ownership can provide.

Background Information on Employee Share Ownership
Publications

Background Information on Employee Share Ownership

Strategies that transform workers into owners can give them a stake in our growing economy and include them in the nation’s prosperity.

Fact Sheet on Worker Cooperatives, ESOPs, and B Corporations
Publications

Fact Sheet on Worker Cooperatives, ESOPs, and B Corporations

Learn more about the alternative business models, including worker cooperatives, ESOPs, and B corporations with this fact sheet, produced in late 2013.

TEam

Maureen Conway

Vice President; Executive Director

Policy Programs

Matt Helmer

Director of Job Quality and Worker Well-Being

Policy Programs

Maxwell Johnson

Senior Research Associate

Policy Programs

Merrit Stüven

Associate Director

Policy Programs

About the Economic Opportunities Program

The Aspen Institute Economic Opportunities Program advances strategies, policies, and ideas to help low- and moderate-income people thrive in a changing economy.

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Connect on Social Media

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More from the Economic Opportunities Program

Foundational Skills: National Survey Findings
Publications

Foundational Skills: National Survey Findings

This publication examines how fragmented skills, credentialing, and workforce data systems limit the potential of skills-based hiring and advancement, and outlines a shared vision for building the interoperable infrastructure needed to create a connected skills ecosystem that benefits workers, employers, educators, and governments.

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Podcasts Videos

What Employee Ownership Means to Workers

This conversation is part of our Opportunity in America series, where we take a look at the economy, what’s working, what’s broken, and really how we fix it to make sure that everyone can succeed in today’s economy.

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Blog Posts

Economic Opportunities Program Monthly Digest — October 2026

Resource Roundup: Wages and Affordability
Blog Posts

Resource Roundup: Wages and Affordability

Ownership Across America: What Iowa and New Jersey Are Teaching Other States
Blog Posts

Ownership Across America: What Iowa and New Jersey Are Teaching Other States

Room for Growth: A Survey of Upskilling Approaches — 2026 Analysis
Publications

Room for Growth: A Survey of Upskilling Approaches — 2026 Analysis

This publication examines how fragmented skills, credentialing, and workforce data systems limit the potential of skills-based hiring and advancement, and outlines a shared vision for building the interoperable infrastructure needed to create a connected skills ecosystem that benefits workers, employers, educators, and governments.

Building Economic Security: A Book Talk with Arindrajit Dube and Carrie Joy Grimes
Podcasts Videos

Building Economic Security: A Book Talk with Arindrajit Dube and Carrie Joy Grimes

Economic security shouldn’t be a lottery. Yet for millions of working families, stagnant wages and precarious jobs collide with the daily grind of managing money on shaky ground — leaving stability feeling less like a plan and more like a gamble. Fixing that takes more than one lever. It takes structural reform and the tools people need to take control of their financial lives, working together.

What Employee Ownership Means to Workers
Publications

What Employee Ownership Means to Workers

Insights from Focus Groups with Employee Owners