Employee Ownership as a Community-Anchored Alternative to Extractive Capital
Our region’s locally owned businesses — that anchor communities and support families — are on the brink of a historic transition as small business ownership passes from retiring baby boomers to new buyers. If capital alone decides the outcome of this transfer, many of these enterprises may be acquired by distant private equity firms whose short-term extractive practices can hollow out jobs, depress wages, and siphon wealth away from our neighborhoods. But what if there were a different path—one in which ownership remained rooted in the hands of the people who create value every day? This session will explore how employee ownership (EO)—including worker cooperatives, employee stock ownership plans (ESOPs), and other democratically governed enterprises—can function as a tool for poverty alleviation, wealth-building, and community resilience in Philadelphia. The discussion will center on the role that impact investors, foundations, family offices, and other capital stewards can—and must—play in enabling this shift.












