Employee Ownership as a BRE Strategy
January 28, 2026
10:30 a.m.
Topical Webinar
Employee ownership models – including Employee Stock Ownership Plans (ESOPs), worker cooperatives, and Employee Ownership Trusts (EOTs) are a powerful but often underused tools for business retention, succession planning, and long-term community wealth creation. Join us for a topical webinar on January 28, 2026 at 10:30am that will provide a clear, practical overview of how employee ownership models work, why they matter to business owners and employees, and how they can be used as an effective strategy within a community’s Business Retention and Expansion (BRE) efforts. Participants will learn when employee ownership makes sense, the basic mechanics and benefits of the three models, and the role they can play in keeping locally owned companies rooted, stable, and growing. The session will also highlight Kent State University’s Ohio Employee Ownership Center (OEOC) and the resources it offers to businesses, advisors, and economic development professionals exploring employee ownership as a path to business continuity and shared prosperity.
About the Ohio Economic Development Association
The Ohio Economic Development Association is the state’s professional association for economic and community development practitioners, offering networking and learning at our annual events; professional development through the Ohio Economic Development Institute and Ohio Certified Economic Developer (CED) credential; and nonpartisan advocacy on behalf of issues important to growing the state’s economy and supporting our more than 500 members and the communities they serve. ohioeda.com
OEDA Professional Development Opportunities are made possible by the generous support of