Steward-Owned Companies
Steward ownership is not just an abstract concept. It is a lived reality for many companies worldwide. From forerunners that have been operating under steward ownership for over 100 years to start-ups founded directly in steward ownership. Are you curious who they are? And do you want to learn more about their structures and why they chose steward ownership? Then you are at the right place.
This page is currently under development and we’re working on an exciting project to launch a database of steward-owned companies. So everyone can get a good picture of all these companies at a glance.
Yet steward ownership is a topic with many nuances, different cultural contexts and individual decisions. Hence, we do not simply want to share a list with you but rather make these nuances visible. However, we'll have a first entry point soon and will iterate from there. Please bear with us while we are working on that it - it’s gonna be worth the wait, we promise!
Living proof
From bakeries in Portland to banks in Santiago de Chile to tech firms in Berlin: Below, you’ll find some examples of steward-owned companies worldwide. This is not a full collection but a sneak peek of how diverse this company ecosystem is. Steward ownership is not confined to a specific sector, company size or region, instead, it offers a different perspective on ownership for all kinds of companies.
Company case studies
If you want to dive deeper into individual companies and their steward ownership journeys, explore some of our case studies
Audience
Topic
Type
Language
Region
AgriPurpose
Wie AgriPurpose Investierende, frühere Aktionär:innen und Mitarbeitende am Erfolg beteiligt, ohne die Kontrolle über das Unternehmen aus der Hand zu geben.
Flavum
Die Berner Beratungsfirma Flavum wurde in Steward Ownership gegründet, damit sie dauerhaft selbstbestimmt bleibt und ihre Gewinne langfrisitig der Mission dienen.
Märkisches Landbrot
The Berlin bakery Märkisches Landbrot emphasises the common good, sustainability, and stakeholder involvement. Succession through steward ownership and a foundation structure safeguards its independence and values.
Sumthing
Can a government fund and a bank invest in a steward-owned startup? Read how Sumthing became steward-owned, closed its Seed round with institutional investors, and gave its investors a seat at the table.
Good Store
Good Store sells everyday products and donates 100% of its profits to charity. The company is exploring a purpose trust to safeguard this mission long term.
Berrett-Koehler Publishers
Berrett-Koehler is a publishing company, using a steward ownership model as a legally binding promise to be around in the long term.
Trust Neighborhoods
Trust Neighborhood was among the first to bring steward ownership to real estate: its Mixed-Income Neighborhood Trusts keep long-term residents central while sharing upside between neighbourhood and investors.
bio verlag
bio verlag, publisher of Schrot&Korn, solved its founder succession in 2011 not by selling or passing the company to family, but by transferring it to its employees through a steward ownership structure that keeps the company independent and mission-bound, while giving staff both control and a real financial stake.
How do I know if my company is steward-owned?
We often receive this question and, again, it is not a simple yes-or-no answer. But we do hear the wish and need of many to have some support in evaluating your own structure against steward ownership principles. So we are working on a self-evaluation tool for you that can guide your steward ownership journey. Not as something imposed or labelled by us. But as a way to spark the right conversations and enable a deeper understanding of which principles matter in steward ownership and why. This self-evaluation will be available on this website once it is ready.
Test our self-evaluation tool
If you’d like to become one of the first to test this tool, we'd love to hear from you. Whether just curious or on your way towards steward ownership, please sign up here and we’ll reach out with more information soon.
In the meantime
Can't wait? Read our principles article: Carefully crafted to reflect the breadth and depth of steward ownership implementation to get you thinking on your own ownership structure.