Steward Ownership in the US
A growing ecosystem of founders, companies, investors, academics, and practitioners is exploring ways to structure ownership that protect purpose, independence, and long-term value. Discover how steward ownership is taking shape across the US.
What this is about
Ownership is one of the most powerful yet overlooked forces shaping our economy. It determines who makes decisions, how value is created and shared, and whether a company can stay true to its purpose over the long term. As more founders, investors, employees, and communities ask how businesses can remain independent while creating lasting value, ownership is becoming part of the conversation.
Across the United States, steward ownership is gaining momentum. Companies are demonstrating what purpose-driven ownership can look like in practice, new legal pathways, including Perpetual Purpose Trusts and other stewardship-aligned structures, are making implementation possible. A growing ecosystem of practitioners, academics, investors, and entrepreneurs is advancing the field. Together, they are building the foundations for an ownership model designed to structure businesses to remain purpose-driven, independent, and built to last.
Why ownership matters
What is steward ownership?
Steward ownership offers an alternative to conventional ownership models. It ensures that companies remain independent and mission-driven by enshrining two core principles in a legally binding way:
Purpose orientation
Profits are a means to an end, not an end in themselves. They serve the company’s mission and development or can be used to fund charitable activities. The value created within the company cannot be extracted by the company owners for their personal benefit.
Self-determination
The company cannot become an object of speculation but remains self-determined and independent in the long term. The steering wheel always remains in the hands of people who are connected to the company and its mission.
Steward ownership in practice
Patagonia transferred ownership to a trust to handle succession without selling the company or passing it on through inheritance.
The transition of Grady-White shows how steward ownership “can protect what any business owner believes is extraordinary about the company they built”.
Organically Grown Company was one of the 1st companies in the U.S. implementing a Perpetual Purpose Trust structure to solve their succession and financing challenges.
U.S. bakery Firebrand adopted a steward ownership structure to reshape local economics, emphasize shared wealth and community impact.
Newman’s Own is using a single foundation structure to give away 100% of their profits and helping other business owners do the same.
Berrett-Koehler is a publishing company, using a steward ownership model as a legally binding promise to be around in the long term.
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.
Local Ocean Seafoods transferred ownership to a purpose trust to solve succession while locking in its mission of supporting the local, sustainable seafood industry.
Resources and insights
Whether you're new to steward ownership or exploring implementation, here you’ll find some open resources that provide practical guidance, research, case studies, and insights to deepen your understanding of steward ownership and its application in the US and beyond.
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Steward Ownership 101 Book
This book for everyone curious, exploring, or already working with steward ownership. Discover the core principles, legal implementations, and real-world examples behind steward-owned businesses.
First TikTok, Now Warner
TikTok, CNN, Warner Bros. what do they have in common? They're all ending up in the hands of the same Trump-connected family. This blog post explains why that's a problem antitrust law alone can't fix and what we should be talking about instead.
Can Companies Force Themselves to Do Good?
The article shows how the Purpose Foundation uses perpetual-purpose trusts to secure mission-driven businesses (e.g. OGC, Firebrand), protecting values from sale while enabling sustainable growth.
#25 Camille Canon of the Purpose Foundation: What does it mean to be a purpose-driven business?
Camille Canon talks about steward ownership and why it’s essential when discussing purpose today, sharing insights and examples from companies like Firebrand Artisan Bread.
The US Ecosystem
Steward ownership grows through a diverse ecosystem of entrepreneurial forerunners, investors who provide aligned capital, lawyers who help create pathways, researchers who deepen our understanding, and field builders who connect and strengthen the movement. Together, these actors create the conditions for steward ownership to flourish.
Steward ownership and aligned financing are advanced by a growing network of entrepreneurs, academcs, practitioners, investors, and community builders – each contributing unique perspectives and expertise.
Explore the organisations and initiatives contributing to the development of steward ownership and aligned financing in the US:
Any questions?
Join our open call
Weekly and free: We introduce the basics, walk through real-world examples, and answer questions from participants. Every second Thursday of the month, we offer a US-timezone-friendly call at 11am ET, 8am PT.
Get in touch
Do you want to get in touch directly? Send a message to Lilly and Annika from the Purpose Foundation.