Ownership Works created the 2026 CEO & Executive Convening to help expand shared ownership.
Broad-based employee ownership gives workers outside the C-suite a financial stake in the companies where they work and the opportunity to share in the value they help create. Ownership Works has set a goal of generating at least $20 billion in wealth for workers by 2030.
The organization’s two-day Convening brought together CEOs, employee ownership implementation leaders, private equity professionals, and partners at different stages of this work. Some were considering where to implement employee ownership, while others were focused on improving established programs or expanding the model across their investment portfolios.
The Convening gave participants the evidence and practical guidance needed to move that work forward. The agenda addressed the key factors that shape the success of an employee ownership program, from company leadership and workplace culture to employee understanding and financial wellbeing.
The goal was for each participant to leave prepared to act within their organization. Depending on their role, that could mean addressing a barrier in an existing program, improving how employees experience ownership, or identifying new companies where the model could work.
Through the Convening, Ownership Works achieved its key goals of deepening partners’ commitment to sharing ownership with workers, in service of improving workers’ economic wellbeing.
The Convening brought together leaders who influence employee ownership at different levels. Private equity professionals can introduce the model across an investment portfolio, CEOs shape how ownership fits into company strategy, and implementation leaders carry that commitment into employees’ daily experience. Ownership Works designed the program to support and connect those roles.
The agenda centered data and company case studies that showed what broad-based ownership can achieve for workers and businesses. Company leaders spoke candidly about the work that follows the launch of an employee ownership program, such as creating a culture where employees are empowered to think, feel, and act like owners and how to build greater alignment and participation in the program.
Dedicated tracks allowed attendees to focus on the choices they could make in their own roles. CEOs considered how leadership affects employees’ experience of ownership, while implementation leaders compared approaches to employee education and engagement and private equity professionals examined actual portfolio companies and deals to assess where the model could work.
The Convening brought employees’ experiences directly into these discussions. Five employee-owners from Charter Next Generation joined CEO Kathy Bolhous to speak about how ownership had shaped their work and sense of accountability, as well as how a stronger sense of financial security had impacted their personal lives. Their firsthand accounts showed executives and investors how an ownership program is understood and experienced by workers.
The event also allowed participants to create action plans. CEOs and implementation leaders assessed their programs and set priorities for the next six months. Private equity professionals identified opportunities to introduce or expand ownership. During an immersive financial wellbeing session, CEOs worked developed an understanding of challenges faced by working families and considered how company decisions affect employees’ financial lives.
One of the main planning challenges was making the program useful to people with different roles and levels of experience, especially as the Convening marked Ownership Works’ largest gathering to date. Some participants needed a clear foundation, while returning attendees more advanced topics. Ownership Works addressed both needs through shared evidence, tailored sessions, candid discussion, and time for participants to work through their own challenges. This allowed participants to approach the work from different positions while moving toward the shared goal of providing more employees with the opportunity to become owners who share in the value they help create.
The 2026 CEO & Executive Convening was Ownership Works’ largest gathering to date. It brought together more than 250 leaders, including over 100 C-suite executives and more than 70 private equity professionals.
The reach of the audience extended well beyond the event. Participating companies employed more than 175,000 people, and the investors in the room represented approximately $4.5 trillion in assets under management. Their decisions can affect who shares in company success, from individual businesses to entire workforces.
The Convening gave these leaders practical ways to strengthen and expand broad-based employee ownership. Participants examined how to improve employees’ understanding and experience of ownership, worked through barriers within existing programs, and identified opportunities to bring the model to more companies. Private equity professionals also explored how to move from a single employee ownership program to a repeatable approach across their firms.
Attendee feedback showed that participants left with useful ideas they could bring back to their organizations. They highlighted the candid discussions, peer learning, and practical guidance for strengthening ownership programs. The event’s Net Promoter Score and additional attendee feedback are included in the confidential section.
The Convening advanced Ownership Works’ broader goal of improving workers’ economic wellbeing. It equipped leaders to strengthen existing employee ownership programs and bring the model to more companies, giving more employees outside the C-suite the opportunity to build wealth and share in the value they help create.
