March Newsletter | 1st Edition

ESOP| Worker Cooperative| Employee Owned Trusts| Succession Planning| Employee Ownership

May 11, 2026•1 min read

Have You Looked Into Our EO Resources?

Dear Friends and Partners,

Employee ownership is one of the most effective ways to build long-term economic stability by allowing employees to share in the success and wealth of the companies they help build. To support business owners, advisors, and community leaders exploring this model, MOCEO’s website offers a range of resources, including:

Training & Resources – including a Business Succession Planning guide, and an Understanding ESOPs guide
Talk to an Expert – MOCEO can connect you with experts with demonstrated expertise in the Employee Ownership industry
Explore Types of Employee Ownership – Employee Stock Ownership Plans (ESOPs), Employee Ownership Trusts (EOTs), and Worker coops,

These resources are designed to make employee ownership easier to understand and more accessible for organizations at any stage of exploration, whether you are a business owner planning for the future, an advisor supporting ownership transitions, or a community partner interested in preserving local businesses and jobs.

We invite you to explore MOCEO’s training resources and share them with your networks. Together, we can expand employee ownership and help businesses remain locally rooted and resilient.

Sincerely,

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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