The Ownership Capital Lab focuses on capital as a growth and scale lever for employee ownership. Employee ownership — EO for short — is a powerful solution that preserves local business ownership, strengthens local economies, and creates quality jobs and wealth for workers.

Our vision is to grow capital to finance employee ownership by $1B in the next 5 years. We will be successful when investment capital is put to use to dramatically increase the rate and scale of the creation of new EO companies, ensuring that this growth includes frontline workers and workers of color.

Our R&D work is to research and pilot capital vehicles that can expand EO in ways that grow the pie for employees.

We want to see existing (and new) EO funds grow their AUM, and their impact, rather than create vehicles that compete. We pair R&D with investor education (directly and through partners), and fund engagement and support. Bridging between capital market and employee ownership expertise is central to our efforts.

The Lab’s initial focus is on the product-market fit of EO investment vehicles (existing and new) with investors’ and fund managers’ needs and appetites. Over time, we aim for there to be EO investment opportunities spanning asset classes.