2025 Employee Ownership Month Programming
October is both Employee Ownership and Co-op Month, and VEOC is excited to once again be organizing a diversity of networking and educational events, as well as supporting the logistics of the annual fundraiser for the Vermont Food Bank!
Open to All
Monday, 10/6, 12pm - Employee Ownership 101 Webinar. This session will provide attendees with an introduction to the world of broad-based employee ownership. We will cover the basics of Employee Stock Ownership Plans (ESOPs), worker cooperatives, and employee ownership trusts, and discuss some of the factors that influence when different models are appropriate for a company. Register here.
Programming for the Vermont Employee Ownership Community
All Month! - Employee Owners of Vermont Food Bank Fundraiser. Each year, Vermont’s community of employee-owned companies work together to raise funds for the Vermont Food Bank, and this is a year of uniquely high need! You can see this year’s campaign page here, and if your company plans to participate but has not set up its page, please email matt@veoc.org for assistance.
Wednesday, 10/1, 12-1pm - Co-op Month Virtual Lunch Gathering. Gather with worker co-ops from around the state to share what's going well, how the struggle is real, and connect about finding the path forward! RSVP here.
Wednesday, 10/8, 6-8pm - Southern Vermont Co-op Bowling! To celebrate Co-op Month, come bowling with VEOC, BDDC, worker co-op and other co-op folks! Eat greasy food! Make new friends! See old friends! RSVP here.
Thursday, 10/16, 5:30-7:30pm - EO Month Charity Cornhole Tournament at Switchback Brewing Company. Celebrate Employee Ownership Month by meeting (and beating?) employee-owners from local companies in a cornhole tournament at ESOP Switchback Brewing Company to raise money for the Vermont Food Bank! The first round will start as folks arrive around 5:30, and we'll aim to have things wrapped up, and champions' crowned, by 7:30. $10 min suggested donation per team of two; register teams here.
Tuesday, 10/21, Dinner 5:30-7:30pm w/ possible workshop beforehand - ESOP Committee Dinner at PC Construction. Building on a successful event last year, ESOP committee members will be coming together at PC construction to network over pizza and beverages, and then have a chance to share about their committee’s work and learn about how others operate in a session facilitated by Matt Hancock of Praxis. Please RSVP for attendees from your company here.
Thursday, 10/30, 5:30-8pm - Vermont ESOP Leaders Dinner at Switchback Brewing Company. This invite-only event for company CEOs aims both create an opportunity for informal networking between company leaders, as well as to have some time for lightly structured discussion to share insights and experiences around topics such as leading and employee-owned firm, acquisitions, plan diversification, and others. If you’re an ESOP CEO who did not previously receive an invitation from Hallam-ICS CEO Keith Flaherty, but would like to attend, feel welcome to email matt@veoc.org for details.
