Upcoming Events
Tuesday, July 21
Employee Ownership and the Future of Workplace Development
VIRTUAL EVENT
July 21, 2026 12:00 - 1:30 PM (CDT)
Employee Ownership is increasingly understood to be a powerful strategy for helping lower-income Americans build wealth while also helping companies succeed and create good jobs. Join Tom Strong of
Shift Work Forward and Rachel Merfalen of the
Tennessee Center for Employee Ownership as they examine a broad-based approach to expanding ownership and wealth, and the skills that workers-as-owners develop that are shaping the future of the workplace. They will be joined also by Paul Boney, an Account Manager at
Inline Electric Supply, who will share his experience of becoming an employee-owner and how it changed his experience at work.
Thursday, September 17
ESOP CEO Roundtable
IN-PERSON EVENT
September 17, 2026 8:00 - 10:00 AM (CDT) Brentwood, TN
A confidential gathering for Tennessee ESOP CEOs to connect with peers and discuss the practical realities of leading in ESOPs. Leading an employee-owned company comes with opportunities and challenges that are hard to address in a general business forum. The Tennessee ESOP CEO Roundtable is being created as a trusted, CEO-led space for leaders of employee-owned companies to exchange experience, ask candid questions, and build relationships with peers who understand the work
Wednesday, September 23
Keeping It Local: Jackson, TN
IN-PERSON EVENT
September 23, 2026 9:00 - 10:00 AM (CDT) Jackson, TN
Learn & share your perspective on how employee ownership can anchor local businesses and provide opportunity to Madison County residents. Join local business, economic development, and community leaders - and
help shape what employee ownership and cooperative entrepreneurship could mean for Jackson and Madison County.
October 2026
Employee Ownership Month Celebration
IN-PERSON EVENT
Late October | 5:00 - 8:00 PM (CDT) | Nashville, TN
Every October, we celebrate Employee Ownership Month with a great big party. Join Tennessee's employee owners, business leaders, and those shaping the field of employee ownership in Nashville. Details coming soon.
Get Notified of New Events
TNCEO has more in the works.
Sign up to be notified of future events.
Past Events
Employee Ownership is Economic Development
May 15, 2026
ONLINE EVENT
Join the Tennessee Department of Economic and Community Development (TNECD) and TNCEO to learn about employee ownership, why it works, who it works for, and how the Tennessee Center for Employee Ownership works with economic development organizations, chambers, and other partners to help business owners understand their options.
Building New Narratives on Work and Opportunity in the US South
February 19, 2026
ONLINE EVENT
Hosted by the Aspen Institute Economic Opportunities Program as part of its Job Quality in Practice Series. Speakers include TNCEO's Executive Director, Rachel Merfalen, and three other Job Quality Fellows who examine narrative challenges around work and opportunity, highlight strategies for change, and explore how to amplify approaches rooted in worker dignity, quality jobs, and community wealth-building.
Harvard Business School - Ownership Breakfast
November 21, 2025
IN-PERSON | Nashville
Hosted by TNCEO and The Ownership Project at the Harvard Business School's Institute for Business in Global Society. This breakfast brought together leaders from across Tennessee for a conversation on qwnership and the role of the firm in building a more equitable society.
