Employee ownership can be a powerful tool for businesses, providing a wealth of benefits such as increased productivity, higher job satisfaction, and improved financial performance. However, transitioning to this model can come with its unique set of challenges. Here, we outline some common hurdles in employee ownership conversions and provide practical strategies to address them. …
Jason Wiener
Reflections on MAPS Psychedelic Science 2023
The largest convening relating to psychedelics anywhere in the world at any point in known history took place at the Colorado Convention Center from June 19-23. With a few weeks to integrate the immensity of the experience, I have some personal and professional reflections to share: The multi-disciplinary and cross-sector nature of the psychedelics “space” …
Patagonia “Exits to Climate”: A Win for Capitalism, But a Mixed Bag for Stakeholder Governance
I, like most, was delighted to read the news that Patagonia’s shareholders decided to give away ownership of the company to benefit the climate and not private equity, a strategic buyer, or public capital markets. We’ve written extensively on mechanisms for mission protection in corporate entities. It appears that the Chouinard family, which owned …
VC Investment into Democratic, Worker-Owned PBC
What does it feel like when traditional notions of worker-ownership come face to face with venture capital and a deal gets hammered out? As you might expect, pretty exciting and hopeful. One of our clients came to us a little more than a year ago as a group of workers and friends who left …
Co-ops and Capital
A few weeks ago, I presented to the Colorado Employee Ownership Commission about co-ops and capital formation strategies and options. Here is the presentation. If you’d like to learn more about the subject, or design your own cooperative’s capital strategy, you can book a bespoke consulting session with me, HERE.
Vlog: Mission Outcomes Convertible Series Preferred Term Sheet
I have been working for over a year on a template impact oriented term sheet with the above captioned mouthful of a name. Here is a loom explainer on what it’s all about. Email us if you’d like to learn more, or want to consider deploying it. Episode 1 Episode 2
Capital Basics: Five Categories of Financing
The Jason Wiener, p.c. blog has a significant and growing section on raising capital for a business. This post will go back to the basics and briefly describe the five categories of financing: debt, equity, convertible debt, grants, and rewards-based fundraising. Most types of fundraising fall within one or more of these areas. Debt: Debt …
SEC Adopts Temporary Rules to Loosen Crowdfunding Regulation in Light of COVID-19
In recognition of the particular effect of COVID-19 on small businesses, the SEC issued temporary rules earlier this month to allow small businesses greater access to interstate crowdfunding. The federal requirements for crowdfunding, called Regulation Crowdfunding or Regulation CF, had slow approval processes and arduous requirements which made it difficult for small businesses to access …
Cuba and Cooperatives (Part 4): Reflections
My time in Cuba is now close to a month in the rear-view, and yet the full sensory experience has stuck with me longer than any other trip. I have a few ideas why. Nonetheless, these blog posts are as much to help keep the feeling alive as to honor the profundity of the experience …
Cuba and Cooperatives (Part 3): Social, Economic, Racial, Gender and Sexual Justice Through Constitutional Reform
Information derives from a lecture by Cuban Criminal Justice and Cooperative Attorney Oldalys Perex Martinez, on January 15, 2020 We’re mainly taught in the U.S. that Cuba is “ruled” by a militaristic, one-party, authoritarian regime (e.g. links intentionally omitted). The on-the-ground perspective in Cuba is quite different; so too are the facts. Cuba’s people democratically …
