In 2015, UN Member States translated their vision of sustainable development into a blueprint: the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. Its 17 Sustainable Development Goals -- with ambitious targets to achieve by 2030— cover the three dimensions of sustainable development

A Simple Agreement for Future Equity (SAFE) offer future equity rights without immediate valuation, making them popular for early-stage startup funding. These were introduced by Y-Combinator in 2013 and these convert into equity during funding rounds or acquisitions.

Blended finance lets investors choose different risk tolerances while all participating in the same project. Often used in real estate transactions, it is also proving to be an effective way to get capital to critical, but hard-to-fund projects.

The Worker Ownership, Readiness, and Knowledge (WORK) Act, part of the SECURE 2.0 Act of 2022, aims to promote and support worker-owned businesses in the U.S.

Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) are essential metrics used to evaluate a company's overall performance in strategic, financial, and operational terms. They quantify success against targets or industry benchmarks, guiding strategic decisions.

Post Growth Entrepreneurship (PGE) redefines business as an avenue for activism, art, spirituality, and creative expression. It promotes sustainable business practices that prioritize social and environmental impact over traditional growth metrics like scaling and investor returns.

Regulation Crowdfunding enables eligible companies to offer and sell securities through crowdfunding.

A DPO, also known as a direct listing, allows companies to raise capital by selling securities directly to the public without involving traditional intermediaries like investment banks. This method appeals particularly to small companies and those with established customer bases

Preferred stock represents ownership in a company with higher claims on dividends and asset distribution compared to common stock.

An autonomous association of persons united voluntarily to meet their common economic, social and cultural needs and aspirations through a jointly owned and democratically-controlled enterprise

A non-EO business owner who has become curious about EO, and is willing to continue exploring this option for business succession planning purposes.

Employee prosperity refers to the wealth an employee can accumulate as an employee of a company, such as through ESOP stock allocation, worker co-op capital accounts, or EOT profit sharing

An impediment to the sale of a business to the employees, e.g., selling owner on a very short timeline, highly volatile financial history, etc.

A Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV), also known as SPE or Special Purpose Entities, is a subsidiary created by a parent company to isolate financial risk. This separate legal entity ensures that its obligations remain secure even if the parent company faces bankruptcy.

Feelings of or a sense of ownership

Transferable value refers to the value derived from financial performance of a business that is not tied to a specific individual or the original owner

A family office is a private wealth management advisory firm that serves ultra-high-net-worth individuals (HNWI). Family offices offer a total solution to managing the financial and investment needs of an affluent individual or family.

Liquidity refers to the efficiency or ease with which an asset or security can be converted into cash without affecting its market price. The most liquid asset of all is cash itself. This also includes how fast a business sale will result in cash to the selling owner.

The debt-to-equity (D/E) ratio is a crucial financial metric used to assess a company's financial leverage by dividing its total liabilities by shareholder equity. This ratio indicates the extent to which a company funds its operations through debt rather than its own resources.

Liquidation value is the net worth of a company's physical assets if sold off during closure, including real estate, equipment, fixtures, and inventory. It excludes intangibles like intellectual property and goodwill. This metric is crucial in bankruptcy to gauge asset recovery.

An ISO gives an employee the right to buy shares of company stock at a discounted price. Generally, ISOs are awarded only to top management and highly-valued employees. ISOs are also called statutory or qualified stock options.

Return on Equity (ROE) measures a company's profitability by dividing net income by shareholders' equity. It indicates how effectively a company generates profits from its net assets. A higher ROE indicates better management efficiency in using equity for profit generation.

A variety of terms for individuals who have been incarcerated, and who may face employment barriers as a result.

The CHIPS and Science Act, signed into law in August 2022, allocates $280 billion to strengthen US semiconductor capacity, support R&D, establish high-tech hubs, and promote a more diverse STEM workforce.

We provide leadership on food, agriculture, natural resources, rural development, nutrition, and related issues based on public policy, the best available science, and effective management.

An individually owned retirement savings vehicle or account.

Asset-based lending involves providing loans secured by collateral, typically used by businesses to cover short-term cash flow needs. Collateral for these loans can include inventory, accounts receivable, equipment, or other owned property.

A portion of something, such as a transaction to buy a company that occurs in parts (tranches)

A specific governing body in an EO company, e.g., an ESOP committee, charged with administering an ESOP Plan and overseeing its operations

Consumer cooperatives are owned by the people who do business there