About EOXEOX works to expand employee ownership across the US by creating and supporting a network of non-profit state centers for employee ownershipWe see employee ownership as a critical tool to help reduce income and wealth disparity, increasing community wealth, and creating a more vibrant, participatory economy. ^^ OUR GOAL ~ One Million New Employee Owners by 2025. Employee Ownership Expansion Network (EOX) needs your assistance in three ways: time, talent, and investment. ^^ With a solid foundation of employee ownership ambassadors and investors, EOX can create a State Center for Employee Ownership across the country and accomplish our goal of creating one million new employee owners by the end of 2025.Employee Ownership Expansion NetworkEOX_7fec05b6-38ef-11ef-8c4d-e603f982ea00The Employee Ownership Expansion Network is a national nonprofit focused on significantly expanding employee ownership across the United States by establishing and supporting a network of independent nonprofit State Centers for Employee Ownership. ^^ The Employee Ownership Expansion Network (EOX) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that relies on the support of companies and individuals like you who believe in the power of employee ownership.EOX CommunityWe are a community of individuals who have seen the transformative power of employee ownership for businesses, communities and individuals - first hand. We believe that employee ownership is a key tool to helping improve the ever widening wealth and income gap in the United States. We also believe that closing this gap through the creation of more employee owned companies starts with education, outreach, and advocacy at the state level, one meeting at a time, no matter how small or large the audience is.Steve StorkanEXECUTIVE DIRECTOR ~ Steve Storkan has been involved with employee stock ownership plans for over 25 years, most recently as the Director of ESOP Administration for Alerus Retirement and Benefits where he worked closely with businesses in the creation of an ESOP and the technical administration and compliance required in subsequent years. Steve spent 11 years as a member of the Board of Directors of the Minnesota-Dakotas Chapter of the ESOP Association where also served as Chapter President and VP of Government Relations. Steve holds a Certified Financial Planner (CFP®) designation from the University of Minnesota State Mankato.Roy MessingDIRECTOR OF STATE CENTER OPERATIONS ~ Before his time with EOX, Roy was a large part of the success of the Ohio Employee Ownership Center (OEOC) spending 8 years as the OEOC’s Director. Over 30 businesses became employee-owned during this timeframe in part due to the assistance provided the OEOC. Prior to working at the OEOC, Roy was a community-based lender, having provided financial services to the cooperative member-owners of Farm Credit Services of West Michigan. He has a BS in Agricultural Economics from Michigan State University and an MBA (finance concentration) from the University of Dayton (Ohio). In 2010, Roy received his Certified Exit Planning Advisor designation, and in 2017 received his Certified Value Builder Advisor designation.Elle CarneDIRECTOR OF OPERATIONS ~ Elle Carne is happy to be an operational generalist with extensive experience in progressive organizational leadership specializing in team and policy change management and organizational growth through a lens of equity and efficiency. In her most recent role at Women In Bio, she innovatively updated employee and organizational policies, led the transition to a new CRM, revamped a national webinar series and supported the organization's first annual report. She has served in the capacity of a COO for a charter school during COVID-19, managed various DC charter school and national higher education construction projects totaling over $75M, as well as provided organizational strategic advisory services. Elle holds a BA in history and a master’s in public administration, both from the University of Washington. In her spare time, she serves on the Board of Trustees for Two Rivers Public Charter School, is an avid traveler, scuba diver, and Peloton user and enjoys mentoring youth through sports. EOX Board of DirectorsKen BakerCEO, NEWAGE INDUSTRIES ~ Ken Baker is the CEO of NewAge Industries, a plastic and rubber tubing and hose manufacturer and RFID tag solutions provider located in Southampton, Pennsylvania. In 2006, Ken established the company’s Employee Stock Ownership Plan (ESOP), and in 2019 he sold his remaining shares to the ESOP, making New Age Industries a 100% employee owned company. He is a founding member and Chairman of Pennsylvania Center for Employee Ownership (PaCEO), and spends time speaking about ESOPs to other CEOs at local and national events. He is a Member of the Foundation board of Montgomery County Community College. Ken is also a generous contributor to local and national charities.Neil BrozenPRESIDENT/CO-FOUNDER VENTURA ESOP FIDUCIARY SERVICES ~ Neil Brozen is the President and co-founder of Ventura ESOP Fiduciary Services. Neil serves as ongoing trustee for more than 100 ESOP’s across the United States and has served as transactional trustee for more than 100 ESOPs since the summer of 2016. Prior to starting Ventura, Neil provided ESOP trustee services for two institutional trustees from 2005 through April 2016. He managed 60 ongoing ESOPs and more than 200 ESOP transactions during this time. Neil is an active member of the ESOP Association and their Fiduciary Committee. He has served on the NCEO Board of Directors, the ESOP Association Board of Governors as well as the Valuation, Finance and Ownership Culture Committees. He is a frequent national speaker on ESOP issues and wrote chapters for several NCEO publications.James SteikerCHAIRMAN AND CEO, SES ESOP STRATEGIES ~ James G. Steiker is a corporate, pension and tax attorney and financial advisor with more than 30 years of experience in Employee Stock Ownership Plans (ESOPs) and other employee ownership matters, focusing primarily on ESOP design, transactions and compliance in entrepreneurial companies. Jim is the past Chair of the ESOP Association's Advisory Committee on Finance and currently serves on the ESOP Association Board of Governors. He is also a past trustee of the Employee Ownership Foundation and a past member of the Board of Directors of the National Center for Employee Ownership. He is a frequent speaker and author on ESOP matters and serves as a director of nine ESOP companies. Jim is a graduate of New York University School of Law, where he was a Root-Tilden-Snow Scholar, and of Wesleyan University.Tracy TillPRESIDENT, T4 VERGE, INC. ~ Tracy Till is the President and Founder of T4 Verge, Inc. Founded in 2014, T4 Verge is a boutique business and leadership consultancy focused on assisting leaders of ESOP and WBENC companies. Till previously founded nationally-recognized, 100% ESOP and women-owned Media & Communications firm Butler/Till based in Rochester, NY. Till served as the Co-CEO at Butler/Till until 2014, and from 2015 to 2020 worked as the Chairman of the Board. Till comes to EOX with years of experience as an Independent Board Member, and currently serves as an Independent Board Member at Employee-Owned company Prolift Inc, as an Advisor to Certified Employee-Owned, and as National Co-Chair of Marketing for the Private Directors Association. Cecil UrsprungEOX CHAIR | CEO EMERITUS, REFLEXITE CORPORATION ~ Cecil Ursprung recently retired as CEO of Reflexite Corporation after 25 years. Reflexite’s ESOP was established in 1984. In addition to serving as the Chair of the State Center Task Force, Cecil formerly served as the NCEO board's co-chair and VP, Government Relations, New England Chapter of The ESOP Association. He has worked on helping to grow more active relationships with the other organizations serving the ESOP community. One example is the ROOF steering committee, which has members from throughout the ownership community. Cecil currently serves on the boards of two ESOP companies.Philip ReevesFOUNDING PARTNER, APIS & HERITAGE CAPITAL PARTNERS ~ Philip Reeves is a Founding Partner at Apis & Heritage Capital Partners, a company that is attacking the racial wealth gap by buying companies from retiring owners who have a concentration of workers of color and transitioning them into 100% employee-owned businesses. Philip has more than 10 years of experience in the private, public, and non-profit sectors focused on advising senior executives on how to achieve their business goals. Philip is the founder and principal of an investment and business advisory firm that works with global alternative investors, and also led a program at 1863 Ventures focused on scaling businesses. Philip began his career on Wall Street in private equity at Lehman Brothers. He is the former President (Curator) of the World Economic Forum's Global Shapers Washington, DC Hub and a Phi Beta Kappa graduate of Morehouse College.Danielle MontesanoMANAGING DIRECTOR, J.P. MORGAN CHASE’S ESOP ADVISORY GROUP ~ Danielle Montesano is a Managing Director in JP Morgan Chase's ESOP Advisory Group team with more than 25 years of experience advising on ESOP-related matters in both public and private ESOP transactions. Her expertise focuses on transactional fiduciary and board compliance, governance, and executive compensation. Danielle began her career as an ERISA attorney and served as an institutional fiduciary for more than 15 years with two large national trust companies. Danielle is a frequent speaker and is nationally recognized for her expertise. She was appointed as an ESCA (Employee Owned S Corporations of America) Advisory Board member and was the chairperson of the Legislative and Regulatory Committee of the ESOP Association. She currently serves as a board member for several ESOP-owned companies. Danielle holds a Juris Doctorate from Loyola University Chicago School of Law and is licensed by FINRA with a Series 79 and Series 63.Adria Scharf, Ph.D.ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR OF THE INSTITUTE FOR THE STUDY OF EMPLOYEE OWNERSHIP AND PROFIT SHARING, RUTGERS UNIVERSITY SCHOOL OF MANAGEMENT AND LABOR RELATIONS ~ Dr. Adria Scharf researches the wealth, wage and job benefits of employee ownership; teaches; and directs the Curriculum Library for Employee Ownership. ^^ "EOX is laser-focused on expanding employee ownership in the United States. I'm delighted to have the opportunity to join the board and help advance its vital mission because I see including employees in ownership as key to building a more equitable economy."EXO State PartnersKevin BurnsALABAMADaniel MarshallALABAMAMatthew LicinaCOLORADOMinsun JiROCKY MOUNTAINAmy M. HuotCONNECTICUTKim BlaugherCALIFORNIAMarie B. DavisGEORGIA | MISSOURIStacy MullinexIOWADeb GiarussoIOWAHaydee CalderoILLINOISRichard Van DoelINDIANAKirsten KennedyMINNESOTADarren MozenterMINNESOTABill CastellanoNEW JERSEY | NEW YORKAnne-Claire BroughtonNORTH CAROLINAChris CooperOHIOMichael PalmieriOHIOKevin McPhillipsPENNSYLVANIAAshley AllenTENNESSEETaylor KnickelTEXASMatthew CroppVERMONTAnnie WinklerVERMONTRyan ThorntonVERMONTJohn Holdsclaw IVWASHINGTON, DCTim GibbonsWEST VIRGINIARyan KauthWISCONSINNational Center for Employee OwnershipGet the resources you need to make the right decision for you and your company. The National Center for Employee Ownership (NCEO) is the premier organization for education, research, best practices, and networking for those interested in ESOPs and employee ownership. We are proud to offer an EOX-exclusive discount on your NCEO membership through the NCEOX Initiative so you can explore the benefits of employee ownership for your company at your own pace.National Service ProvidersEOX is grateful to the following individuals and organizations for their significant financial support.Levenfeld PearlsteinFormed in 1999, Levenfeld Pearlstein was born of the desire to create a different kind of law firm -- one that prioritizes collaborative relationships built on trust. We continue to be guided by this principle as we strive to provide exceptional legal counsel and an unparalleled client experience. Prairie Capital AdvisorsPrairie Capital Advisors is a leading financial advisory firm specializing in creating and executing ownership transition strategies for middle-market companies nationwide.SES ESOP StrategiesA Stevens & Lee companySCJ Fiduciary ServicesESOP Trustee ~ SCJ Fiduciary Services is a firm dedicated to bringing Employee Ownership to companies nationwide. In 2017, our founder Steve James set out to follow his passion of assisting in the creation of ESOP companies and empowering employee owners. With the vision and insight from Heather Driscoll, SCJ Fiduciary Services was formed.Ventura TrustOur Strategic Vision ~ To be the most service oriented and people-oriented ESOP Trustee. The Capital ESOP GroupAs a firm providing wealth management services to clients, UBS Financial Services Inc. offers investment advisory services in its capacity as an SEC-registered investment adviser and brokerage services in its capacity as an SEC-registered broker-dealer.Prudent Fiduciary ServicesAmbroseAdvisorsAmbroseAdvisors™ is a middle-market investment banking and financial advisory firm focused on guiding and assisting private company business owners with business succession planning, valuation advice, executing business sale transactions, acquisitions and capital placements to companies operating in all industries.Founding Investors SocietyMike AroughetiKen & Valerie BakerLaura & David StillerCecil & Lana UrsprungEwing Marion Kauffman FoundationThe Kauffman Foundation intends for this funding program to help build connections between entrepreneurship support organizations (ESOs) operating in the Heartland and with ESOs either outside the Heartland or within to support work already in development.The Great Game of BusinessThe Great Game of Business® offers so much more than organizational business consulting, resources, and hands-on training. We offer a network of professionals that can help you change the way you do business. Connect to a community of like-minded business owners, managers, factory workers, accountants, lawyers, frontline employees, designers, engineers, hairdressers, truck drivers, landscapers, and much, much more. ^^ A community of business people that are just like you.EOX PartnersNational Center for Employee Ownership (NCEO)We are a nonprofit organization that has been supporting the employee ownership community since 1981. Our mission is to help employee ownership thrive. The ESOP AssociationThe ESOP Association is the only organization that advocates on behalf of all ESOP companies.Employee-Owned S Corporations of America (ESCA)Fifty by FiftyFifty by Fifty is catalyzing a movement to scale up employee ownershipUnited States Federation of Worker Cooperatives (USFWC)The United States Federation of Worker Cooperatives (USFWC) is the national grassroots membership organization for worker cooperatives and democratic workplaces. Our mission is to build a thriving ecosystem for worker-owned and controlled businesses and their cooperative leaders to power movements for racial justice and economic democracy.Certified EOProject EquityOur mission is to expand employee ownership to preserve business legacies, retain jobs and help working people and people of color build long-term wealth.CLEOCurriculum Library for Employee Ownership ~ CLEO is the largest online library for teaching materials on employee ownership. | Rutgers School of Management & Labor RelationsEO=We are supporting small businesses with tools designed to help them determine exactly how EO can help their business thrive. Then they can connect with experts to find the solution that will work best for them.Democracy at Work InstituteThe Democracy at Work Institute was created by the U.S. Federation of Worker Cooperatives (USFWC) to ensure that worker cooperative development in economically and socially marginalized communities is adequately supported, effective, and strategically directed. Income and wealth disparity reduced, community wealth increased in a more vibrant, participatory economy_7fec06f6-38ef-11ef-8c4d-e603f982ea00To expand employee ownership across the United States_7fec07b4-38ef-11ef-8c4d-e603f982ea00IncomeWealthEquityVibrancyParticipationNetworkEstablish and support a network of independent nonprofit State Centers for Employee Ownership_7fec0804-38ef-11ef-8c4d-e603f982ea00FundingFund State Centers across the nation_7fec0854-38ef-11ef-8c4d-e603f982ea001Education & ResourcesOffer education and resources for business owners interested in transitioning to employee ownership or employee ownership models_dcebe43c-3950-11ef-aa86-cb730983ea002EOX State CentersBusiness OwnersDecision MakingEnable business owners to make informed decisions to transition to employee ownership or employee ownership models_dcebe842-3950-11ef-aa86-cb730983ea003OwnershipIncrease the number of employee owners across the country_dcebeb26-3950-11ef-aa86-cb730983ea004Employee OwnersInequalityAddress economic inequalities_dcebebee-3950-11ef-aa86-cb730983ea005OutcomesImprove employee outcomes_dcebed1a-3950-11ef-aa86-cb730983ea005.1EmployeesJobsMaintain jobs_dcebee46-3950-11ef-aa86-cb730983ea005.22024-07-03https://www.eoxnetwork.org/OwenAmburOwen.Ambur@verizon.net