The Vermont Employee Ownership Center’s (VEOC) annual conference offered a strong reminder of what makes State Center gatherings so valuable: they create space for people across the employee ownership landscape to learn together, ask practical questions, and see what ownership can look like in real businesses.

This year’s conference brought together employee-owned companies, advisors, business owners exploring succession options, and advocates working to expand employee ownership across Vermont. One of the most meaningful parts of the event was the mix of perspectives represented. Worker Cooperatives, ESOP companies, and business owners exploring different ownership models toegther, which is not something that happens every day.

That kind of cross-model learning matters. Employee ownership is not one-size-fits-all, and business owners need opportunities to understand the different paths available to them. By bringing these models into shared space, VEOC is helping participants compare experiences, hear from people who have been through the process, and better understand how employee ownership can support succession, worker participation, local legacy, and long-term business resilience.

Annual conferences like this are more than educational events. They are part of the steady ecosystem-building work that helps employee ownership become more visible, more trusted, and more actionable in Vermont.

EOX is grateful for VEOC’s continued leadership and for the business owners, employee-owners, advisors, and partners who are helping strengthen employee ownership across the state. Special Thanks to NCEO's, Tim Garbinsky, for being the keynote presenter.