A project funded by the EOX State Center Grant Program

A reset year with a targeted impact

After leadership transitions, the Tennessee Center for Employee Ownership (TNCEO) used its EOX project grant to do something simple and important: rebuild trust in the Tennessee ecosystem with small, high-quality events that delivered value and reconnected key players. 

Through the project, TNCEO:

• Hosted four strategic events in different regions of the state.

• Generated 100+ registrations statewide.

• Re-engaged legacy ESOP advisors who had been involved in earlier waves of EO activity.

• Built new relationships with SBDCs, economic developers, and Harvard Business School alumni.

• Ended the year with 75% board giving, a strong signal of renewed alignment and confidence. 

This built on TNCEO’s capacity grant year, where they secured a $500,000 TNECD grant, launched a board giving program, and strengthened tracking of referrals and outreach. 

WHY THIS MATTERS

Tennessee’s project is a good example of meeting the moment. Instead of chasing big numbers, TNCEO focused on credibility, relationships, and board alignment — the kind of foundation that makes later growth more sustainable. And where trust is vital to every State Center's work, quality over quantity makes sense.

For the EOX Network, this project shows how a State Center can use project funding to stabilize and reconnect an ecosystem, especially after a transition year.