Farewell AOA!
ALTERNATIVE OWNERSHIP ADVISORS and Forcefield capital are winding down
At the end of this month, Alternative Ownership Advisors and Forcefield Capital will be closing our doors. This will allow our parent company, Organically Grown Company, to focus 100% on their core produce business.
OGC is a leader in the steward ownership movement and was a great incubator for AOA and Forcefield.
The movement and the space is now more mature than it was in 2018 when we started this work, and we believe it makes sense for our work to continue independently.
Keep reading to learn more about:
What’s next for our team and where to find us
Highlights from AOA’s work over the years
Stewardship success stories
What's next for the AOA team?
Natalie Reitman-White
I am launching Purpose Owned, a consultancy for ownership & leadership succession planning using Purpose Trusts. We will focus on lighthouse companies, and innovative structures that benefit people and planet.
I am excited to continue movement building around Perpetual Purpose Trusts as a viable alternative.
Some things ahead:
I am writing a book, with inspiring case studies of companies pursuing these structures, and practical ideas about how they can be set up and financed.
I plan to support the multiple initiatives underway for state & federal policy change to make Purpose Trusts viable under multiple jurisdictions.
I am working to develop forums for companies pursuing these models to share learnings, best practices and practical resources, including partnerships with leading trade associations and nonprofits.
I’m keen to help start a fund, or partner with existing funds, to support more PPT transitions and start ups in the US.
Call to Action: Reach out to me [email protected] if you are interested in supporting or getting involved in any of the initiatives above.
Peter Koehler
I am co-founding a consultancy called Lumo Group.
Lumo helps mission driven companies plan for the future.
Lumo, like AOA, will offer a range of services related to purpose trust explorations and conversions. We can also support your business with strategic planning, succession planning, fundraising advisory services, and more.
Call to Action: Please go to our landing page (full website is under construction), and sign up for The Mission Report -A monthly report for forward-thinking entrepreneurs, business owners, employees, and capital providers. You may also reach out to me directly at [email protected].
Elle Griffin
I've been an executive coach for 20 years and founded my practice, Griffin Coaching & Consulting in 2008. I work with senior leaders, owners and founders and have a real soft spot for mission driven companies.
My specialties include leadership development and executive coaching, strategy planning facilitation, and organizational design and development.
In July, I will be newly certified as a trauma-informed coach, allowing me to support clients in a variety of challenging life and work situations.
Call to Action: Please visit me. My website is designed to feel like a retreat house with an oceanfront view. Come on in! Say hello and tell me how I can help.
AOA Highlights
Alternative Ownership Advisors opened its doors in late 2018. Over the past 4.5 years:
We educated hundreds of companies and business leaders about alternative ownership and perpetual purpose trusts.
We formally advised dozens of clients on their alternative ownership journey.
We successfully led six different businesses across industries and geographies through a transition to trust ownership (meaning they are either full transitioned now or will complete in 2023)
We cultivated and incubated a strong network of service providers such as lawyers, CPAs, and financial advisors who will be better equipped to provide resources and counsel for companies exploring trust ownership.
We developed a large open source library of resources related to alternative ownership and trust ownership: See our blog, resources page, and FAQs. Our plan is to maintain AOA’s website through 2023, and then transition much of this information over to various places including purposeowned.com and sustainablefoodandagtrust.com.
We helped, alongside OGC and others, craft and steer the legislation that resulted in the passage of the Oregon Stewardship Trust law, making Oregon one of only 12 states that fully supports Perpetual Purpose Trust ownership.
We helped build a movement. One of the things that set AOA apart was our commitment to movement building and education. The space is more mature than it was five years ago. Many more people are aware of Purpose Trusts as an ownership alternative. Interest in these sorts of structures is significantly higher than it was when we started. We are proud to have played a role in helping build this movement, and we look forward to continuing the work under different roofs.
Stewardship Success Stories
Local Ocean Seafood
Local Ocean Seafoods is a trust-owned restaurant and fish market on the Oregon Coast. Founder Laura Anderson decided to transition her ownership into a Purpose Trust because she wanted to protect the business’s mission of supporting the local, sustainable commercial seafood industry, while providing good jobs and income for her employees. Read more about Local Oceans in this article from Next City.
Zingerman’s Community of Businesses
Zingerman’s is a nationally recognized family of businesses in the Ann Arbor, Michigan area. What started as a deli is now a purpose-driven empire that includes over 15 different businesses ranging from a creamery, to a bakehouse, to a management training shop. Zingerman’s recently completed a transition to trust ownership which will help preserve the unique “Zingerman’s way” across all of their businesses for generations to come. Read more about it in this newsletter written by Zingerman founder Ari Weinzeig.
Grand Central Bakery
Grand Central Bakery is an incredible wholesale and retail bakery in the Pacific Northwest. The company is committed to sustainable sourcing, providing great jobs, and building community. They are in the process of transitioning 100% of their ownership into a perpetual purpose trust that will lock in their independence and cement their commitment to a sustainable supply chain and employee-centric operations. Read more about their transition in this article from Willamette Week.
Biohabitats
Biohabitats is an ecological engineering and consulting firm that is headquartered in Baltimore, with offices throughout the country. On earth day of this year, they announced their transition to trust ownership. One of the incredibly unique and pioneering components of their transition is that they included a seat for “nature” on their trust stewardship board. Read more about their decision and the specifics of their structure in their more recent newsletter.
Natural Investments
Natural Investments is a pioneering nationwide investment advisory firm specializing in Socially Responsible Investing and Impact Investing. As a firm they have helped to shape the purpose and standards of the socially responsible investment industry. They are transitioning their ownership into a Purpose Trust to preserve their independence and values so that clients can be certain their money will be invested responsibly for generations to come. You can learn more about Natural Investments on their website.
We are proud to have supported all of these companies on their journey to trust ownership.
Finally, we can’t end this post without expressing immense gratitude to Organically Grown Company for launching and supporting both AOA and Forcefield.
OGC stepped up at a critical moment to incubate the steward ownership consulting industry. If you would like to continue to follow OGC, be sure to sign up for their newsletter at their website.
We look forward to staying in touch! Please don’t hesitate to reach out.
Natalie, Peter, Elle