Employee Stock Ownership Plan (ESOP) Education Program

Employee Stock Ownership Plan (ESOP)

Introduction to Selling Your Company to Employees with an ESOP  

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Module Descriptions

Business Succession Planning for Business Owners of Color

Determining how to transition a business is one of the most significant decisions in the life of a business owner. In making that decision, an owner must weigh a wide array of considerations, such as financial needs and goals, future business prospects and needs, and family and community legacy goals. Myah Moore Irick of The Irick Group at Merrill Lynch and Jeffery Kennerly of Morgan Stanley will discuss the steps business owners should take to craft their succession plans carefully. 

What is an Employee Stock Ownership Plan (ESOP)?

What’s an Employee Stock Ownership Plan (ESOP)? It’s a powerful succession planning tool that can provide a business owner with the opportunity to sell or get liquidity from his or her business while delivering an incredible benefit to employees. Sean-Tamba Matthew of SES ESOP Strategies, a Stevens & Lee Company, will provide an introduction to ESOPs by discussing their benefits and risks and providing an overview of an ideal ESOP candidate.

How to Finance an ESOP Transaction 

Securing financing for an ESOP transaction is essential for providing business owners with the ability to use an ESOP to facilitate their liquidity needs. In this session, you’ll hear from Phillip Reeves of Apis & Heritage Capital Partners, a private equity fund that finances and facilitates ESOP transactions for companies that have workforces of color, who will discuss what lenders look for in ESOP financing opportunities.  

Increasing Your ESOP Value

This session will help you gain a basic understanding of why the valuation of an ESOP-owned company is necessary and what the primary drivers of value are. You will hear about the purpose of an ESOP valuation, measuring performance through value base management and the application of generally accepted valuation methods.

How to Tap into the Benefits of Employee Ownership 

Drawing on research and experience, this module will cover the benefits of employee ownership to the company and employees.

Part 1 will cover how employee ownership can help companies perform better and how to create an ownership culture where employees think, feel, and act like owners.

Part 2 will go into depth on the specific strategies for creating a high performance ownership culture.

New! Certifying an ESOP Company as a Women-Owned Business Enterprise

A big challenge for women-owned businesses transitioning to an employee-owned ESOP company is maintaining their women-owned certification. The Women’s Business Enterprise National Council (WBENC) provides women-owned ESOP companies an opportunity to maintain their certification. The WBENC is a non-profit organization dedicated to women’s business development. They are the largest certifier of women-owned businesses in the U.S. and a leading advocate for women-owned businesses in corporate and government supply chains. Their certification is accepted by thousands of corporations representing the world’s most prestigious brands as well as many states, cities, and government entities. They are also an approved third-party certifier for the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) Women-Owned Small Business (WOSB) Federal Contracting Program.