For some companies, moving to employee ownership has been a concrete mechanism for their businesses to become more conscious. How? One of businesses' most important stakeholders: the employees. By empowering employees to work, think and operate as owners of the business, employee-owned companies enjoy higher growth, productivity, and profitability, as well as reduced turnover rates. Employee-owners reap the benefits of increased wages, wealth creation, and the opportunity to have a voice/representation in business decision-making.
With employee ownership not being common in the US, there are lots of questions (and sometimes doubts) about the effectiveness of this model. We want shine a light on this structure of business due to the results it can drive while simultaneously cultivating a conscious, caring culture.
Join us for an engaging conversation with Shavon Prophet from the ICA Group, to dispel doubts and concerns about this model. Shavon will be joined by two CEOs who opted for this path, Dan Kenary of Harpoon and Ralph Dumke of Waterline Industries.
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SPEAKERS
Shavon Prophet is the Outreach and Marketing manager for the MA Center for Employee Ownership and ICA Group. She works with business owners, communities, and partner organizations to advance the adoption of employee ownership and create a more fair and democratic economy.
Dan Kenary is CEO & Co-Founder of Mass Bay Brewing Company, aka Harpoon. Dangraduated from Harvard College in 1982 with a degree in American History then earned an MBA from the University of Chicago Graduate School of Business in 1985 while working at the First National Bank of Chicago. Frustrated with the lack of beer options, Dan left the bank in 1986 to co-found Harpoon. Dan has served on the Institute of Brewing Studies Board of Advisors, as director and treasurer of Save the Harbor/Save the Bay, a local environmental advocacy organization, president of the Boston Marine Park Business Association, founding president of the Massachusetts Brewer’s Guild, and recently completed serving as Chair of the Associated Industries of Massachusetts, the Commonwealth’s largest employer association. Dan is also a member of Commonwealth’s Metropolitan Beaches Commission. In 2014 Dan led Harpoon through its transition to employee ownership through the creation of the Harpoon Employee Stock Ownership Plan (“ESOP”). Originally from Worcester, Dan lives in Boston with his wife, Julie, and has four children.
Ralph Dumke is Founder and CEO of Waterline Industries Corporation. Mr Dumke is a leading water and wastewater treatment facility builder on the east coast. In 2018, to share the rewards of their success, the original owners gifted Waterline’s legacy to their team through an Employee Stock Ownership Plan (ESOP). Now, Waterline is 100% employee owned and each team member has a vested interest in the overall success of the organization.
