How We Help

We see a better future for employees and companies.

Ownership Works partners with companies and investors to develop and implement innovative broad-based employee ownership programs that can unlock new levels of success for businesses and in turn create meaningful wealth-building opportunities for employees.

Generating these results for companies and employees requires a management team to commit to implementing a thoughtful and holistic program that includes the following four verticals. We recognize that no two companies are alike and each program will have different needs. Ownership Works and our partners are here to help.

Learn more about how Ownership Works helps by downloading our fact sheet.

1. Structuring & Implementing Broad-Based Equity Plans

We help companies and investors structure and implement broad-based ownership programs that provide all employees with the opportunity to participate in future equity growth, creating an alignment of interests between companies and employees.

This includes:

  • Determining the optimal forms of equity, sizing and timing of grants, and vesting schedules.
  • Working through the tax and accounting implications of the plan
  • Preparing for ongoing administration of the plan
  • Crafting a communications plan for key stakeholders (e.g. boards, shareholders and employees)

Our approach to shared ownership advises that programs are:

  • Broad, providing all full-time employees with the opportunity to become an owner;
  • Meaningful, providing—when feasible—the potential to earn at least half of an employee’s annual earnings; and
  • Free for non-management employees.

2. Developing a Culture of Ownership: Employee Engagement & Voice

We help companies foster a culture of ownership that coalesces and aligns an entire workforce around a common purpose, values, and goals to maximize shared wealth creation. This helps create better work environments where employees feel respected and engaged and have greater voice, which can, in turn, increase efficiencies, productivity, and value creation.

This includes:

  • Providing employees at all levels of the company with education and information on business strategy and performance
  • Elevating employee voice by creating formal and informal opportunities for employees to participate in innovation and decision-making
  • Implementing a data-driven employee engagement program informed by surveys and other feedback channels
  • Creating a communications plan to continuously share with all employees how the company is progressing towards operational and value creation goals

We have seen that companies and employees thrive when everyone understands how their company creates value, feels empowered to contribute to value creation, and has a stake in the value they help create.

3. Creating a Financially Inclusive & Resilient Workforce

Often in partnership with nonprofit organizations and financial institutions, we help companies bridge gaps in employees’ access to financial education and financial services.

This includes:

  • Connecting employees to basic corporate finance education and personal financial coaching to help employees understand the equity plan, create a personal financial plan, and make informed decisions when a liquidity event occurs
  • Connecting employees to resources and tools that support financial resilience, such as accessing their pay more frequently and/or on short notice, small loans, emergency funds, and banking services on a low- or no-fee basis

4. Data & Insight

We partner with companies to evaluate the impact of shared ownership programs on businesses and employees.

This includes:

  • Assessing shared ownership’s impact on key metrics related to employee financial wellbeing, engagement and corporate performance
  • Convening our partners to share lessons learned and develop best practices
  • Sharing insights, data, and research with the public

See what business leaders are saying about us.

Vann Parrott

"O.W. has a solid understanding of the playbook for how to make a shared success program successful. They also have a nice team of competent people."

Vann Parrott

Big Top USA

Chief Executive Officer

Ragan Cain

"I really think we would have fallen short without the launch materials and all the support. The materials are very high quality, you are very professional; a high-caliber organization."

Ragan Cain

Tacala

Chief Administrative Officer & Treasurer

Kahena Joubert

"The team did a very great job anticipating the needs of the portfolio company and taking a beat to hear them. Ownership Works was an essential element of this initiative and its positive outcome."

Kahena Joubert

Ares

Principal

JP Laqueur

"The Ownership Works team was really a force multiplier. We could not have done it without you, or at least not at this pace."

JP Laqueur

DataBank

Sr. Vice President, Marketing

JT Price

"The team's very talented, very professional, very committed — we could not have done a shared prosperity program without your support."

JT Price

Landscape Workshop

Chief Executive Officer

Jim Miller

"O.W. worked very effectively with our leaders, our Board, and our Investors. They did a great job aligning everyone on the ongoing work needed to build a strong ownership culture."

Jim Miller

Power Test Dyno

Chief Executive Officer

Vinay Menon

"Everyone I’ve worked with has been a strong thought partner and always brings a resource, perspective, or tool to help. In every interaction, the team has found ways to lighten the load."

Vinay Menon

OpenGate Capital

Principal

Marjorie Perlman

"O.W. quickly grasped our business and were great listeners who challenged us to think differently (asked the hard questions) and ensured alignment at all stages of the process."

Marjorie Perlman

Tacala

Chief Marketing Officer

Blake Toll

"I was really impressed with the actual support the O.W. team provided – including detailed modeling, weekly updates, and project management. As a deal team member, I had visibility and could follow along with confidence."

Blake Toll

Ares

Principal

Kaye Ceille

"The work O.W. did to help us bring our strategy on a page was remarkably helpful. It provided clarity to our executive team and helped us know what to cascade to the front-line."

Kaye Ceille

Sterling Solutions

Chief Executive Officer

Read our Frequently Asked Questions.

FAQ

See shared ownership in action.

Companies & Case Studies