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MOCEO Launches the KC Task Force on Employee Ownership

Employee Ownership
February 03, 2026•1 min read

As we kicked off 2026, MOCEO was proud to launch the Kansas City Task Force on Employee Ownership, bringing together more than 25 trusted community partners who share a commitment to advancing employee ownership across the region. This coalition reflects a growing momentum around employee ownership as a powerful wealth-building tool for workers, a smart business succession strategy, and a way to preserve locally owned businesses and jobs.

The timing of this work is critical. With over 6,500 baby boomer–owned businesses in the Kansas City region and more than 56,000 across Missouri, many business owners are actively planning for retirement. Employee ownership offers a proven pathway for succession—one that supports business continuity, rewards employees, and keeps companies rooted in their communities.

Through the Kansas City Task Force on Employee Ownership, MOCEO and our partners will expand awareness, strengthen the employee ownership ecosystem, and accelerate outreach to business owners and community stakeholders throughout the region.

Thank you to everyone who joined us to launch this important effort. I’m energized by the collaboration already underway and excited for the impact we’ll create together in 2026 and beyond.

— Julie Leonhardt, Executive Director, Missouri Center for Employee Ownership (MOCEO)

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Julie Leonhardt is the Executive Director of the Missouri Center for Employee Ownership (MOCEO), advancing employee ownership as a strategy for business sustainability, equitable wealth building, and community prosperity. With a background spanning law, real estate, technology, and nonprofit leadership, she brings a systems-level approach to economic development. Julie is a graduate of Westmont College and Fordham University School of Law and is based in Kansas City.

Julie Leonhardt

Julie Leonhardt is the Executive Director of the Missouri Center for Employee Ownership (MOCEO), advancing employee ownership as a strategy for business sustainability, equitable wealth building, and community prosperity. With a background spanning law, real estate, technology, and nonprofit leadership, she brings a systems-level approach to economic development. Julie is a graduate of Westmont College and Fordham University School of Law and is based in Kansas City.

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