When we gathered over 100 women from the employee ownership community at the beginning of this month, the result was magical. But it was also much more.
This story starts because of a one-hour networking session last April at the 2025 Annual Conference, where attendees shared what connected them, what challenged them, and what built them into the women they are today in the employee ownership space. We used the data and community feedback to build the NCEO Women's Summit: a full two-day event of educational programming under the sunny skies of Florida. The event was the first of its kind and felt like an historically significant success in the employee ownership space.
Our mission in developing this event was, more than anything, to create a formal space for women to connect, engage, and create education that responded to their reality. But what did that look like?
NCEO Peer Networking Manager and Women's Summit moderator Kimberly McCourtney kicked off the Summit by sharing some facts about women in employee ownership. That set the foundation for the rest of the summit, where conversations could be built upon a greater understanding of where we are and where we want to get to. One fact in particular really shocked the audience: namely that, according to Kimberly's own analysis of our membership, women are the fastest-growing segment of employee-owned company leadership.
The women in the room took that as a challenge. What developed was a room full of women who said, "I want to be a part of that growth," and asked each other—how? 
Opening keynote speaker and inspirational leader Shannon Litton of 3LS led the summit and asked the women in the room to consider where the intersection between purpose and profit lies, and how that nuanced corner could be answered by employee ownership. What kinds of unique challenges have women faced that help them understand that intersection more intricately, and how can that understanding be used as a superpower in bringing employee ownership to the forefront of the conversation?
From there, the expert speakers covered making an influence without always having designated authority, discussed the complex issue of burnout, and led a hands-on workshop on finding mentorship by turning to a neighbor at the table.
The room was abuzz with incredible learning, undeniably so. But what felt most impactful was the intangible: generational knowledge that passed from established leadership to aspiring changemakers; reflections between honest peers on daily challenges; notebooks filled with pages of notes and shared quotes; pens busy scratching down ideas to take home on Wednesday; and smiles that reflected genuine relief at finding others who really understand the experiences they've faced.
We at the NCEO truly got a sense of the need this community has to uplift the voices of women in the space, and how much power that holds. These moments of connection and recognition are both personally meaningful and strategically vital to the future of employee ownership.
Why This Matters—And Why You Should Be There Next Time
What lies ahead? The NCEO Women's Summit is returning in October 2026, and we're building on everything the first one showed us is possible. More community. More story-sharing. More momentum—and a bigger invitation to bring colleagues into the conversation so the insights from this room reach every corner of the field.
When we invite more voices into the room to listen, learn, and engage with these stories, we strengthen the entire movement.
So here's the invitation: Share what resonates with you, start the conversation at your next team meeting, or join us in October to continue building this underrepresented space. Expanding the circle of people engaged in these discussions doesn't dilute the message; it multiplies the impact. The 100+ women who gathered in Florida showed us what's possible when we create space for voices that have been underrepresented. This is just the beginning.