Thanks to the generosity of a few key donors and the vision of ESOP-owned Panagora Group and its founder, Betsy Bassan, the NCEOX Inclusivity Fund is giving the NCEO and EOX the chance to bring employee ownership to more places and more people than ever before.

This fund opens doors to new possibilities for the NCEOX Initiative: reaching women-owned and minority-owned businesses through targeted outreach, strategic partnerships, and designated spaces for meaningful peer connections. It’s helping us do more than spread awareness; it’s helping employee ownership take root in fresh soil. And this is just the beginning.

With support from the NCEOX Inclusivity Fund, we will:

• Launch EO education campaigns tailored to women- and minority-owned businesses
  
• Create certification pathways that protect WBE and MBE status, post-transition
  
• Collaborate with leading organizations like WBENC, NAWBO, WPO, and NMSDC
  
• Create new peer networks that will enrich professional communities
  
• Create scholarship opportunities for employee-owners from varying backgrounds to attend ESOP events

We believe employee ownership thrives when everyone has a seat at the entrepreneurial table. The Inclusivity Fund isn’t just a new initiative—it’s a signal that the EO movement is growing deeper, stronger, and more inclusive every day.