We the Owners: The Film

What does it mean to have employee share ownership?

In the documentary film We the Owners: Employees Expanding the American Dream, employee owners from New Belgium Brewing, Namasté Solar and DPR Construction answer this important question.

Successfully thriving in the global economy of the 21st century and beyond will require new business strategies to enable the American Dream of opportunity and economic prosperity. One alternative is the employee-ownership model (e.g. ESOP, stock/stock options, cooperatives).

"We the Owners" captures stories from the founders and employee-owners from New Belgium Brewing, Namasté Solar, and DPR Construction about company start-up, expansion, succession, rapid recruitment, and layoffs. They share the worker's perspectives on shared ownership structures, highly empowering corporate cultures, linked reward and risk incentives, and human-capital innovation models. 

If everybody feels that sense of pride and responsibility, we can change the world and do great things.

– Doug Woods, co-founder of DPR Construction

As the stories in the film show, employee ownership comes in a variety of shapes and sizes. But the core message from all of these companies rings out loud and clear: voice, vote and shared ownership of employees cannot, and should not, be taken for granted.

Running Time: 52 minutes

Educational Tools and Teaching Resource Materials 

Visit the We the Owners: The Film website to access resource materials including:

• Lesson plans
• "We the Owners" Chapter List
• Books
• Featured Company Cases
• Recommended Reading: Employee Ownership Cases

Watch the official film trailer: