Last September, we had the privilege of seeing Gina Schaefer, the founder of ESOP-owned A Few Cool Hardware Stores, deliver the keynote address at our 2023 Fall Forum in Houston. Her story of how her company exceeded its promise of being a mere place of commerce, turning into a hub for the communities in which it resides, was inspiring. Even before becoming employee-owned, Gina's stores became essential fixtures for the locals and employees alike, and the ESOP only strengthened their impact. Her talk was vulnerable, witty, intelligent, and moving, and a great reminder of why we do the work that we do.

We're excited to hear that Gina will deliver the keynote at the annual conference of the Ohio Employee Ownership Center (OEOC) on April 18 in Akron. The OEOC routinely provides stellar educational content for a wide variety of audiences in the employee ownership space, and this year's conference promises to clear the high bar it has set. We encourage those in the area to attend—the event, and Gina's keynote, are not to be missed.

Meanwhile, our 2024 Fall Forum, taking place in Indianapolis, is open for registration. Stay tuned for information about the agenda, keynote, and extracurricular fun that awaits us in Indy. Visit the Fall Forum website to learn more and register for the event!