Employee Ownership Blog

A Recap of the EOT Workshop at the 2025 NCEO Forum

The second annual employee ownership trust (EOT) and perpetual purpose trust (PPT) workshop at the 2025 NCEO Forum in Philadelphia was an incredible gathering of the growing EOT and PPT community. I had the honor of moderating the workshop and would like to thank everyone who joined us for a day full of deep learning, connection, and passion. With about 50 people in attendance, the room was packed and highly engaged from start to finish.

The workshop had strong attendance by intermediaries in the ecosystem. About two-thirds of the attendees were service providers and development professionals. This trend isn't a surprise; it reflects the growing demand and interest we're seeing in the EOT/PPT field. The workshop was also attended by many companies, including prospective, recently converted, and mature EOT- and PPT-owned firms. 

Together, we dove deep into the nuts and bolts of how EOTs and PPTs work as both a succession plan for exiting business owners and as a long-term benefit for employees. Here’s a quick recap of the main takeaways from each session of the workshop:

  • Welcome to the EOT One-Day Workshop
    • Executive Director Loren Rodgers and I kicked the program off with opening remarks. Loren spoke about the NCEO’s continued commitment to supporting EOTs and PPTs, touching on the “Cambrian explosion” of interest in the structures. I shared, for the first time ever, preliminary research findings from the NCEO EOT/PPT survey. If you’re an EOT or PPT and are interested in taking the survey, please contact education@nceo.org. 
  • The Global EOT Landscape: Trends, Growth, and Lessons for the US
    • Graeme Nuttall, an NCEO fellow and international EOT ambassador, was patched in from the UK to make a keynote presentation on the global EOT movement. Graeme highlighted the rapid development of EOTs internationally, particularly in the UK, and provided key insights and strategies for building these ecosystems here in the US.
  • The Nuts & Bolts of Employee Ownership Trusts (EOTs)
    • We heard from Zoe Schlag of Common Trust and Ben Wihebrink of Cypress Valley Meat Company. They broke down the core fundamentals of EOTs. This session gave us a practical look at how EOTs are structured and what makes a business a strong candidate for this succession model.
  • Designing Your EOT: Legal Frameworks and Strategic Choices
    • One of the most engaging sessions was presented by attorneys Jason Wiener of Jason Wiener|p.c. and Nicolas J. Sasso of Porter Wright. They were joined by Meg Anderson of Forestry Suppliers, Inc. This session was a deep dive into the legal and strategic decisions involved in designing and implementing an EOT, including how to identify key stakeholders and compare EOTs to other ownership models. The presenters engaged in a role-play activity to demonstrate the important questions for a business owner to ask advisors early on in their EOT journey.
  • Creating a Thriving Culture Post-EOT Transaction
    • Courtney Kemp of Project Equity and PTON plus Amalia Freedman of RDA Consulting shared strategies for fostering a thriving culture of ownership after an employee ownership transition. They presented various governance arrangements and detailed methods for building effective communications in an EOT/PPT after the transaction.

The collaborative energy didn't stop with the presentations. During our roundtables, participants connected with their peers, sharing experiences and tackling common hurdles. There was also a live EOT Peer Network gathering where attendees had the chance to discuss specific challenges and find solutions with peers and service providers. The conversations were robust and showcased the collaborative spirit evident in the burgeoning EOT/PPT ecosystem.

As the NCEO team continues to debrief and plan what's next for our work with the EOT/PPT community, we wanted to announce that the third iteration of the NCEO EOT Workshop is on the agenda for the 2026 NCEO Forum, which will take place on August 26-28 in Phoenix, AZ. Add it to your calendars!

In the meantime, the best way to continue the conversation is by joining our virtual EOT Peer Gatherings. It's the best place to jump in, learn more from your peers, and increase your knowledge. Our next meeting is open to both companies and service providers and will be held on October 8 from 11am-12pm PT/2-3pm ET. To join the peer network and attend future meetings, please complete the NCEO EOT Peer Gatherings Sign-Up form.

For business owners interested in learning more about the EOT/PPT model, see our article An Introduction to Employee Ownership Trusts and our book Using an Employee Ownership Trust for Business Transition.

We are excited to continue building this community with you and look forward to seeing you at our next event.