SMLR Info

PISCATAWAY, N.J. – The Rutgers Institute for the Study of Employee Ownership and Profit Sharing today announced the re-release of “We the Owners: Employees Expanding the American Dream,” an award-winning documentary film about worker-owned businesses.

Produced by the nonprofit Beyster Foundation for Enterprise Development and originally released in 2013, “We the Owners” profiles three companies that have embraced different forms of employee ownership – DPR Construction, Namaste Solar, and New Belgium Brewing – and explores how these alternative ways of doing business could help in overcoming some of America’s greatest economic challenges.

"More than a decade has passed since ‘We the Owners’ was released, but the film seems more relevant than ever," said Mary Ann Beyster, Executive Producer of the documentary and Managing Director of the Beyster Foundation. “Frustration over the struggles of lower-income and middle-income workers has only grown. The update to the film and supporting case materials provides a much-needed new look at how businesses can share the rewards of success with their workers, the challenges they face in doing so, and the leadership required to pursue creative solutions in dynamic times."

The 2025 edition features new on-screen text, updating viewers about developments at the spotlighted companies since the time of the film’s debut, including the sale of New Belgium. A redesigned website launched by the Institute in collaboration with the Beyster Foundation hosts fresh educational content designed to complement the documentary, including case studies and a movie discussion guide.

For the first time since the 2013 release, “We the Owners” is streaming for free on the Institute’s website. Students, workers, business leaders, and all who are interested in learning about employee ownership are invited to view it anywhere and anytime they choose.

"Employee ownership is an underexplored topic in business school education, despite its demonstrated ability to help reduce the wealth gap and improve company performance," said Adria Scharf, Senior Associate Director of the Rutgers Institute for the Study of Employee Ownership and Profit Sharing. "’We the Owners’ stands out as a valuable classroom resource often used by business school faculty to introduce students to the concept. The film offers an inside look at the unique dynamics and cultures of companies owned by their employees through the stories of three very different businesses."

About the School

The Rutgers School of Management and Labor Relations (SMLR) is the world’s leading source of expertise on managing and representing workers, designing effective organizations, and building strong employment relationships.

About the Institute

SMLR’s Institute for the Study of Employee Ownership and Profit Sharing conducts empirical research, analyzes policy, and sponsors the leading global fellowship program and academic conferences in the field. The Institute also manages a program to help college professors teach about these subjects (The Curriculum Library for Employee Ownership) and a technical assistance center (The NJ/NY Center for Employee Ownership), including a new program with the State of New Jersey Economic Development Authority.

The Institute recently launched an Applied Research Laboratory funded by the Prudential Foundation. The Institute offers a free Coursera course and a free online program with short, engaging videos introducing employee ownership, sponsored by the W.K. Kellogg Foundation, to show retiring business owners how to sell to their employees. This year it will host a policy analysis discussion of key share policies and will offer the new Pete Stavros Fellowships.

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