BUILDING THE FUTURE OF EMPLOYEE-OWNED COMPANIES.
A Better Way to Transition Your Business
Rise ESOP Collective buys strong businesses and brings them into employee ownership.
Many owners reach a point where they need to decide what comes next. Most of the options — private equity, strategic buyers, or shutting down — can change the company in ways they never intended.
Rise offers another path.
We bring successful businesses into our employee-owned structure, allowing them to continue operating with the same people, culture, and long-term focus that made it successful.
Our goal is simple: help strong companies continue to grow while giving employees a real stake in the future they help create.
Our Story
Rise ESOP Collective began with OWN.
OWN, Inc., a civil engineering firm, has been employee-owned since 1998. Overly nearly three decades, we’ve seen firsthand what employee ownership can do - creating long-term stability for the business, sustainable growth, and meaningful wealth for the people building the company every day.
Employee ownership has shaped how OWN operates through a culture of accountability, shared success, and long-term thinking.
Rise ESOP Collective was created to build on that experience. Through Rise, we aim to bring other healthy businesses into employee ownership and extend the same model that has guided OWN for nearly 30 years.
Why Employee Ownership?
Employee ownership is one of the most powerful ways to build strong companies and lasting opportunity. When employees share in the value they help create, businesses benefit from stronger alignment, deeper engagement, and a long-term mindset that prioritizes sustainable growth.
For founders and business owners, employee ownership can provide a path that protects culture, preserves legacy, and ensures the future of the company remains connected to the people who built it.
Learn more about employee ownership through the trusted resources below.