I stood on the side of a hill in the Andes at 3,700 meters altitude. A gentle rain was falling, thunder rumbled in the distance. Nearby, small homes stood—homes without running water or electricity, without the comforts I take for granted in my Ottawa home.
I was standing in a field of recently planted organic quinoa, the dark, fertile soil stretching as far as the eye could see. Beside me stood two women, both in their 60s, both members of a cooperative that grows and sells their organic quinoa on the international market—ideally at fair trade prices that recognize the true value of their work.
They welcomed me in their local Indigenous language. I was honored to share this moment, to gain a deeper understanding of where the quinoa I cook for my family comes from.
They told me how hard they work to grow these plants. How they rely on their cooperative to negotiate fair prices. How they wish consumers in my country understood that choosing fair trade means choosing a better life for them. They smiled, they laughed—there was joy, but also hardship.
I reached out my hand to one of them. She hesitated, saying her hands were too dirty. Before I could insist, I knelt, ran my own hands through the cool, damp soil, and then offered my hand again. This time, she accepted.
We were the same. Connected. Our hands and lives may be different, but the forces that shape them—economics, ownership, power—are deeply intertwined.
What would happen if we built businesses that recognized this connection? What if companies saw employees not just as workers, but as essential stakeholders? What if ownership itself was shared—creating wealth, security, and opportunity for more people, not just a few?
The women in that field were not just farmers; they were owners. Their cooperative gave them a voice, a stake in their future, and the ability to work together for something greater than themselves. That is the power of employee ownership.
Imagine businesses that put people first—not just as a moral ideal, but as a practical, sustainable way to operate. Where employees have a seat at the table, where wealth is distributed more fairly, where long-term value matters more than short-term gains.
People say I am a dreamer, but I am not the only one.
If you are curious about what it would take to bring employee ownership into your company, let’s have a conversation.
