This is an elective course for the Certified Employee Ownership Advisor certificate program, providing business brokers with the critical knowledge and skills needed to navigate the complexities of employee ownership transitions. By understanding the legal, financial, and strategic aspects of these transitions, brokers can provide comprehensive support to their clients, ensuring a smooth and compliant transfer of ownership. By the end of this module, brokers will be able to:

• Understand the core principles of employee ownership
• Develop and implement employee ownership transition strategies
• Evaluate the financial impact using ROI analysis
• Provide ongoing support and sustain employee engagement

Faculty

Hunter Arwood, Partner, Falco Sult

Hunter manages Falco Sult’s business brokerage and business valuation engagements. He joined the team in July 2019 after a brief hiatus from the firm. Hunter brings valuable insights to clients that he has gained from over nine years of professional experience serving local business owners in the Pacific Northwest, since graduating cum laude from Western Washington University in 2015. As both a Certified Public Accountant and Certified Valuation Analyst, Hunter leverages his expertise in business valuation and fluency in financial analysis to provide clear answers to clients who are seeking to either understand what their business is worth or for those who are considering a sale or transition of their business.

Emily Bergstrom, Former , Project Equity
Emily is the Director of Manufacturing Operations for Meliora Cleaning Products. Before that she served as the Senior Manager, Investments & Partnerships at Project Equity for several years. At Project Equity, she advised owners on the benefits of transitioning their company to an employee-owned structure. Emily has an MBA from the University of Chicago Booth School of Business with a focus on operations and economics. She received a Fulbright scholarship and spent two years abroad in Latin America, becoming fluent in Spanish. She earned her undergraduate degree at Michigan State University and comes from a long line of hard-working Detroiters. 

Colby Mayberry, Financial Advisor, Edward Jones
Colby is a financial advisor with Edward Jones in Washington state, where he works closely with supply chain professionals and small business owners to build and manage their financial strategies. He holds multiple professional designations including CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ (CFP®), Certified Exit Planning Advisor® (CEPA®), and Accredited Asset Management Specialist™ (AAMS®). Known for his client-focused approach, Colby is committed to helping clients achieve their long-term financial goals through thoughtful planning and ongoing guidance.

Stacey Smith, Senior Vice President & Head of Programs, Project Equity
Stacey has spent most of her career helping businesses examine their impact and aligning it with their values. She started as a CPA with Arthur Andersen, then moved into strategy and organizational development. Seeking to devote her financial expertise to social and environmental issues, she was an early mover in the field of sustainability and corporate responsibility in the US. She joined Business for Social Responsibility in 2001 to build their business consulting practice and spent the next decade guiding Fortune 500 companies to address their negative impacts.  At Project Equity she is helping grow our team of professionals to accelerate the adoption of employee ownership as a key to building wealth and high-quality careers in communities. In addition to having been a licensed CPA, Stacey has a degree in Business Administration from the University of Vermont and has done coursework in International Business Studies at the University of Copenhagen.

Continuing education

Upon successful completion of the course, participants will receive 1.25 hours of NASBA, CFP Board and EPI CPE.