DisCOs are a set of organizational tools for people interested in commons-oriented and feminist cooperatives. An alternative to Decentralized Autonomous Organizations, or DAOs, DisCOs offer a distributed and cooperative model.

The choice of legal entity for an employee owned company, e.g., C corp, S corp, LLC, etc.

An investment club is a group of individuals who pool their money to make investments, typically organized as partnerships. Members collectively decide on investment actions, often after educational meetings where everyone participates in decision-making.

Net present value (NPV) is the difference between the present value of cash inflows and the present value of cash outflows over a period of time. NPV is used in capital budgeting and investment planning to analyze the profitability of a projected investment or project.

The many things that set EO companies apart from non-EO, driving better results for people, planet, and profit. This can include longer tenure/loyalty with customers, and employees, more wealth creation for employees, reduced carbon footprint, and more.

A profit-sharing plan gives employees a share in the profits of a company.

A situation when an individual wants to sell his company for more money than the buyer is willing to pay

The evaluation of different types of employee ownership by a selling owner, and making a choice between them based on the relative strengths and weaknesses of each type.

Recognition that a business meets some body of criteria according to a certifying body of some kind.

Community Wealth Building (CWB) is an economic development model that transforms local economies based on communities having direct ownership and control of their assets. It challenges the failing approaches that have been widely accepted in American economic development for too long, and addresses wealth inequality at its core.

of looking or feeling more diverse, without any meaningful participation, and often

Diversification is a risk management strategy that creates a mix of various investments within a portfolio. A diversified portfolio contains a mix of distinct asset types and investment vehicles in an attempt to limit exposure to any single asset or risk.

A company document that forms internal "laws" that determine how a firm will be run. Ordinarily, the details about the company structure is reflected in the bylaws, which are not usually filed with state officials and are thus easier to amend.

In the Explore stage, a business owner learns the benefits and options of different exit options and decides where to invest further time and resources. The essential question is whether a given exit option will meet the outcomes desired by the seller.

Statistics pertaining to EO companies, e.g., how many EO companies there are, increases to EBITDA following EO conversion, etc.

A viewpoint of doubtfulness pertaining to one or more of the merits of becoming an EO company, typically net resulting in the viewpoint that EO is not a wise exit option.

A US Government agency whose mission is to provide America's taxpayers top quality service by helping them understand and meet their tax responsibilities and to enforce the law with integrity and fairness to all.

A leveraged buyout (LBO) is when one company acquires another using mostly borrowed money, often secured by the assets of both companies.

IRR, or internal rate of return, is a metric used in financial analysis to estimate the profitability of potential investments. IRR is a discount rate that makes the net present value (NPV) of all cash flows equal to zero in a discounted cash flow analysis.

CAFE is a novel financial instrument aimed at enhancing community engagement in company success introduced by Fairmint. Developed in collaboration with legal experts, CAFE offers enhanced control for founders, equity access for stakeholders, and liquidity for investors.

An IPO is the process by which a private company offers its shares to the public for the first time. The process involves meeting regulatory requirements, hiring investment banks to manage the offering, setting the IPO price, and issuing shares.

An individually owned retirement savings vehicle or account.

An ESOP that operates within a 401(k). Companies match employee contributions with stock rather than cash. KSOPs are considered defined-benefit plans, as companies that offer them can reduce the administrative expenses of operating separate ESOPs and 401(k) plans.

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

The Employee Impact Index™ illuminates company top opportunities to leverage changes in the operational and managerial practices that have known correlations to improved human capital and financial KPIs. Index scores provide the business with an actionable roadmap to success.

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 snapshot of the profitability of a business

Consumer cooperatives are owned by the people who do business there

Result of hard work by the owners.

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