Employee Ownership Lunch & Learn Event

January 22, 2026 12:00 PM - 2:00 PM (MST)

Description

Join the City of Boulder, the Boulder Chamber, and its partners for an engaging Lunch and Learn designed for employers curious about employee ownership.

What to Expect

This Lunch and Learn offers a practical, employer-focused introduction to employee ownership, featuring expert insights, real-world examples, and time for discussion. Designed for business owners, leaders, and HR professionals, the session combines short presentations with a panel conversation and networking, helping you understand how employee ownership can support business continuity, workforce engagement, and long-term resilience. 

Attendees will:

• Explore common models -- ESOPs, worker cooperatives, and equity-based plans
• Understand why businesses choose employee ownership and the key benefits
• Gain insight into transitions in work, processes, financing, and timing
• Hear about state/national employee ownership policies, incentives, and resources
• Learn from Boulder-area businesses that have successfully transitioned
• Participate in a moderated expert panel with live Q&A
• Network with peers, advisors, and community partners over lunch
  • Please share any dietary restrictions during the registration process

Speakers & Panelists

	Commissioner Dr. Martins Rodrigues, EO Commission Julia Martins Rodrigues, PhD, serves as Vice-Chair of Colorado's Employee Ownership Commission in the first active US public office dedicated to employee ownership, housed within the Office of Economic Development and International Trade. Development and International Trade. She is the Associate Director of the Media Economies Design Lab and research associate at the University of Colorado Boulder, where she works at the intersection of cooperative law, multi-stakeholder cooperative networks, shared ownership, and collective governance.
	Libby Lukens, Employee Ownership Office, Program Manager (OEDIT) Libby Lukens is the Employee Ownership Office Program Manager at Colorado’s Office of Economic Development and International Trade, OEDIT. She oversees tax credit programs, training, support, education, and consulting for businesses considering employee ownership structures.
	Andrea Steffes-Tuttle, Well Economy Lab Andrea Steffes-Tuttle serves on the state’s Employee Ownership Commission. She is an entrepreneur, researcher, and journalist specializing in employee ownership and regenerative economics. At the Well Economy Lab, her work focuses on education and ecosystem building to advance shared ownership and create more equitable economies.
	Ashley Ortiz, Mountain Region Fund of Boulder Ashley Ortiz is the Director of the Mountain Region Fund in Boulder. As an advisor she supports several statewide employee ownership initiatives and her work focuses on helping Colorado businesses learn about, fund, and implement employee ownership conversions.
	Blake Jones, Namaste Solar Blake Jones is a co-founder of Namasté Solar, a Colorado-based solar company known for its employee-owned, conscientious business model, and he continues to serve in a flexible leadership role helping with projects and mentorship across the organization.
	Cynthia Case, Alpine Bank Cynthia Case is the Head of Community Outreach for Alpine Bank. She has served with the bank since 2018 and volunteers with Philanthropiece, a nonprofit that partners with people and organizations to co-create solutions for positive social change.