Purpose Trusts and EOTs: Expanding the Ownership Conversation

About this episode

The episode explores the growing momentum behind Employee Ownership Trusts (EOTs) in the U.S. with insights from Zoe Schlag and Mark Hand.

SUMMARY: In this episode of Owners at Work, we sit down with Zoe Schlag of Common Trust and Mark Hand of the Purpose Trust Ownership Network (PTON) to explore the growing momentum behind Employee Ownership Trusts (EOTs) in the U.S. Zoe shares her journey from early-stage and impact investing to co-founding Common Trust, an organization dedicated to helping mission-driven businesses transition to employee ownership through EOTs. Mark—an academic and advocate for purpose-driven ownership—discusses his research and organizing work around EOTs, including the founding of PTON and his weekly newsletter The Stakeholder. Together, Zoe and Mark break down how EOTs offer a flexible, affordable, and values-aligned pathway to employee ownership—often well-suited for founders who want to preserve mission, reward employees, and avoid traditional exit routes like private equity. We hear examples of successful EOT transitions, from Clegg Auto to Live Oak Living and ACP International, and learn how each deal was tailored to meet the unique goals of its founders and workforce. The episode also previews the first PTON conference (slated for early 2026 in Austin). It highlights how peer learning…

People in this episode

Guests: Zoe Schlag, Mark Hand

Topics covered

• Employee Ownership Trusts
• business transition
• mission-driven ownership
• flexible ownership models
• peer learning
• trust governance

Keywords

• Employee Ownership Trusts
• EOTs
• business transition
• mission-driven
• flexible ownership
• Clegg Auto
• Live Oak Living
• ACP International
• PTON conference

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Common Trust, Purpose Trust Ownership Network, Clegg Auto, Live Oak Living, ACP International

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