Owning the Future: Creating the Next Generation of Employee Owners

US businesses and workers are currently at a critical crossroads. Millions of baby boomers will soon retire and sell their businesses, transitioning trillions of dollars of wealth in the process. This transition, along with the continued strength and profit growth of large corporations in the US, has created a once-in-a-generation opportunity for millions of workers to share in the profits of their labor and become business owners. Many barriers, however, stand in the way of the US realizing this opportunity, and new policy innovations are needed to address these obstacles. In this conversation, speakers discuss the barriers and solutions, including proposed legislation, to capitalize on the growing number of business owners selling their businesses to build a future where American workers’ path to prosperity is self-determined. It features special remarks from the Honorable Chris Van Hollen (US Senator for the State of Maryland), the Honorable Dean Phillips (US Representative for the State of Minnesota), and the Honorable Blake Moore (US Representative for the State of Utah), followed by a panel discussion with Regina Carls (Managing Director, ESOP Advisory Group Head, JPMorgan & Chase Co), John Cochrane (Senior Manager of Policy and Programs, US Impact Investing Alliance), Bill Hayes (Founder and Managing Partner, Mosaic Capital Partners), Todd Leverette (Partner, Apis and Heritage), and moderator Jack Moriarty (Founder and Executive Director, Ownership America; Assistant Director for Policy Analysis, Institute for the Study of Employee Ownership and Profit Sharing, Rutgers University). For more information about this event — including video, audio, transcript, speaker bios, and additional resources — visit: https://www.aspeninstitute.org/videos/owning-the-future-creating-the-next-generation-of-employee-owners/ This discussion was held on June 14, 2023, as part of the Employee Ownership Ideas Forum, co-hosted by the Aspen Institute Economic Opportunities Program and the Institute for the Study of Employee Ownership and Profit Sharing at Rutgers University. This two-day convening brought together leading policymakers, practitioners, experts, and the media for a robust discussion on how we can grow employee ownership for the shared benefit of American workers and businesses. Learn more: https://www.aspeninstitute.org/events/employee-ownership-ideas-forum/