Session Date & Time:
April 6, 2026 | 9:00 AM - 12:00 PM
Description
Every company encounters challenges daily. How those challenges are addressed defines how you lead and the legacy you leave as a CEO or business owner. In many situations, you work through the same issues repetitively. A few examples are:
- Lack of control over time, market or your company
- Your employees don’t embrace or follow through on the day to day operations or the strategic plan of the company
- Your growth, either topline, bottom-line or both falls below your projections and expectations. If these challenges resonate with you, you’re not alone. Implementing a few things differently will help you get a grip on your business, gain better traction, and lessen your frustrations.
Participant takeaways:
- Review the Six Key Components™ of a truly great organization
- Gain insight to a powerful tool to clarify and achieve your vision
- Work with two simple tools that will get the right people in the right seats
- Design the right company scorecard creating a pulse on your business and gain traction
- Master practical tools that successful entrepreneurs use to get more done
- Grow your revenue and profit faster, easier, and with less risk and stress
You will understand how to create alignment and to synchronize all areas of your company to produce desired results and view your business in a new light.
Learning Objectives
- Attendees will have a working knowledge if the Entrepreneurial Operating System (EOS).
- Understand their organizational gaps within the 6 key components of EOS.
Presenter
Jackie Kibler, EOS Worldwide
Jackie believes in the power of entrepreneurs. As a first-generation American coming from a family of successful entrepreneurs, Jackie prides herself on empowering business leaders to overcome their toughest challenges, reaching their goals.
Jackie serves as an accountability partner and trusted advisor by creating alignment and fast-tracking progress within their organizations using EOS®. Jackie’s strategic mindset and direct, hands-on approach allow companies to get where they want to be faster and easier, resulting in unprecedented success and growth. Driven by her passion for supporting business leaders and their teams, Jackie is committed to making the process seamless, effective, and fun
Sponsored by: 
Session Date & Time:
April 6, 2026 | 9:00 AM - 12:00 PM
Session Description
“If I could wave a magic wand, I would have every ESOP company make this its playbook” – Corey Rosen, Founder, NCEO.
Though technology has evolved at hyper speed over the past hundred years, management styles have mostly stayed the same. The higher-ups make the decisions, and the employees grind it out, often without knowing the endgame. In 1983, Jack Stack created a new game: The Great Game of Business.
Get in the Game explains the rules of The Game: to win, you must get everyone at all levels of the business as informed, involved and engaged as the owner.
In this pre-conference workshop, the authors of Get in the Game will walk you through a step-by-step guide on how to educate your team about the business, involve them in setting goals, have them hold one another accountable, and provide a stake in the company’s success.
Organizations in every industry around the world have benefited from The Game...is yours ready?
Learning Objectives
- Learn why "The Company is the Product" and how to build a business of businesspeople who think, act and feel like owners.
- Discover the 10 Steps required to create rapid financial results and cultural change.
- Discover how to strengthen their business of employee-owners by driving results through improved business and financial literacy.
Presenters
Steve Baker, The Great Game of Business
Steve Baker coauthored Get in the Game and the update of the number-one bestseller, The Great Game of Business—20th Anniversary Edition.
Known for his engaging and irreverent style, Steve is a top-rated speaker and coach on open-book management, strategy and execution, leadership, and employee engagement.
His audiences range from Harvard University to the Department of Defense. He is a regular at the Inc. 5000 Conference. He served on the Board of the National Center for Employee Ownership and SRC's Ownership Culture Initiative. Steve is an award-winning artist and lives in Springfield, Missouri, with his trophy wife, JoAnn, and three above-average children.
Rich Armstrong, The Great Game of Business
Rich has over 30 years of experience improving business performance and employee engagement through open-book management and employee ownership. He served as President of The Great Game of Business for 16 years and as an executive at SRC Holdings Corporation, one of America’s 100 largest majority employee-owned companies. Rich co-authored The Great Game of Business, 20th Anniversary Edition and Get in the Game: Creating Rapid Financial Results and Lasting Cultural Change with Steve Baker. He continues to advance SRC Holdings’ open-book management and employee ownership practices, applying them in organizations of all sizes around the world.
Jarett Payne, The Great Game of Business
Jarrett Payne is a third-generation member of the Great Game of Business (GGOB) family, carrying forward a legacy of open-book management and employee ownership. With a background in hospitality management and leadership experience running multiple businesses, Jarrett developed a passion for creating transparent, engaged workplaces. At SRC Automotive, he saw firsthand how The Great Game transforms teams and results. Now, in his role with GGOB, Jarrett shares that passion with organizations nationwide, helping leaders harness the power of business literacy, ownership thinking, and participation to build stronger, more sustainable companies.
Sponsored by: 
Session Date & Time:
April 6, 2026 | 9:00 AM - 12:00 PM
Description
Regardless of what stage your ESOP is in, change happens. Sometimes the ESOP grows faster than expected—and leaves you wondering how to keep up. You may be surprised by the operational challenges that arise when participants don’t enter the plan quickly enough, receive allocations, or begin to adopt the cultural norms of your ESOP company.
If you’re leading an ESOP company and are asking questions about plan design, distribution rules and policies, future diversification, compliance testing aches and pains, or when a repurchase obligation study needed, this interactive pre-conference workshop is for you.
Over the course of this in-depth, 3-hour session, our senior ESOP experts will guide you through the critical stages of the ESOP lifecycle, focusing on the unique challenges that emerge once your ESOP is established and thriving.
Key Topics We’ll Cover:
- The Growth of ESOP Accounts: How balances accumulate, how distributions are paid, and the mechanics of cash flow back into the ESOP.
- The 5R’s, Diversification, and Distribution Policies: A practical primer on the policies every mature ESOP should review and refine.
- Repurchase Obligation in Action: An overview of why, when, and how—plus key considerations and strategies for future planning.
- Putting It All Together: How to apply these insights to strengthen your company’s ability to meet current ESOP growth and obligations, while setting the groundwork for future plan participants.
Learning Objectives
- Understand how balances accumulate, how distributions are paid, and the mechanics of cash flow back into the ESOP.
- Understand an overview of why, when, and how—plus key considerations and strategies for future planning.
- Application of insights to strengthen your company’s ability to meet current ESOP growth and obligations, while setting the groundwork for future plan participants.
Presenters
Scott Freund, Blue Ridge Associates
As the Senior Vice President of ESOP Plan Administration Services at Blue Ridge, Scott oversees the ESOP Plan Administration operations team and ESOP Client Care team to ensure the delivery of best-in-class services to our ESOP clients. His commitment to excellence is evident in his focus on timely and accurate service, staff development, and client consulting. Scott is also a frequent speaker at local, regional, and national conferences, sharing his extensive knowledge and insights on ESOP-related topics.
Barbara Clough, Blue Ridge Associates
Barbara Clough is a Vice President at Blue Ridge ESOP Associates where she focuses on ESOP design, administration and consulting. Ms. Clough has experience working with C & S ESOP companies, ranging in size from small to large. She advises on tricky administration and compliance issues, §409(p) testing and distribution policy design. In her practice she works with plan sponsors, accountants and attornies to provide guidance on plan design, legal and compliance matters as well as IRS & DOL inquiries. Ms. Clough holds ASPPA’s QPA, QPC and QKA designations, frequent speaker, author, member of The ESOP Association, NCEO and ASPPA.
Marcus Dahl, Eide Bailly
Bio Coming Soon
Sponsored by: 
Session Date & Time:
April 6, 2026 | 1:30 PM - 4:30 PM
Description
ESOP sustainability is one of the hottest topics in the ESOP community. While many dynamics influence sustainability, there are five predictive dashboard metrics that can foretell strains on sustainability or growth. We will give attendees an opportunity to calculate these metrics for themselves before the session—though this is not a prerequisite- and then present typical results gleaned from over 200 recent sustainability studies and 75 compensation studies. You will instantly see how your company compares on these predictive metrics, and everyone will discuss what they are doing about these issues.
We will also discuss four factors that significantly impact sustainability and growth: the corporate growth strategy, the compensation philosophy, the ownership philosophy, and the method of handling the repurchase obligation.
This session will be highly interactive using a roundtable format so attendees can discuss their results and learn how other ESOP company leaders are approaching these challenges. Panelists include seasoned consultants and a former Director of FP&A of an ESOP company.
Come prepared to see how your company stacks up against these predictive metrics and participate in these discussions with other ESOP company leaders!
Learning Objectives
- See how your company compares versus metrics that can predict strains for sustainability
- Understand the four factors that influence the allocation of value within ESOP companies and how this allocation of value influences sustainability
- Discuss how companies can manage ESOPs better internally among corporate functions and successfully pass this knowledge to successive generations of leadership
Presenters
Matt Keene, Chartwell
Matt leads Chartwell’s executive compensation practice. He works with privately-held companies to obtain relevant pay data and achieve key goals for compensation programs, with a special focus on ESOP companies and equity-based incentives. His passion is helping companies implement successful ownership transition strategies while aligning shareholders, executives, and employees in the achievement of mutually beneficial outcomes. For 30 years he has worked with companies on all aspects of ESOP and non-qualified plan origination, operation, and termination. Matt currently serves on the National Center for Employee Ownership Board of Directors and on the Advisory Committee for ESCA.
Ryan Graham, Chartwell
Ryan is a leader in Chartwell’s consulting practice, providing ESOP-owned companies a holistic approach to corporate sustainability. Ryan has been assisting privately-held business owners and management teams in analyzing the financial impact of transactions and the ongoing repurchase obligation for ESOP companies since 2004. He is recognized nationally as a leader in ESOP sustainability and repurchase obligation forecasting. Throughout his career, Ryan has worked with companies of many different sizes in diverse industries across the country. Ryan has worked with over a third of NCEO’s “The Employee Ownership 100: America’s Largest Majority Employee-Owned Companies.
Amanda Strickler, Chartwell
Biography coming soon.
Sponsored by: 
Session Date & Time:
April 6, 2026 | 1:30 PM - 4:30 PM
Description
This session equips ESOP leaders with a powerful, people-centered approach to evaluating and strengthening the long-term health of their organization. We’ll explore the GRITT Stress Test framework by examining how optimistic thinking drives individual resilience and ownership culture, why psychological safety is essential for teams to communicate, adapt, and perform under pressure, and how modern talent strategies, supported by people data and technology, create a workforce built to thrive. Participants will gain practical insights and tools to enhance engagement, predict and navigate stress points, and align their people, culture, and systems for sustainable ESOP success.
Learning Objectives
- Participants will learn the science behind Explanatory Style-the mental habits that shape how people interpret challenges, setbacks, and successes - and why it is a foundational driver of ESOP culture and performance.
- Participants will discover how belonging, trust, and interpersonal safety enable people to adapt more quickly, communicate more openly, and respond creatively to uncertainty.
- Attendees will walk through a clear Talent Management Strategy Map that aligns people, roles, systems, and technology in support of a high-performing ownership culture.
Presenters
Tom Bagwell, GRITT Business Coaching
Tom is the VP of Learning & Development at Gritt Business Coaching. Previously, he was the EVP for an International Truck and Caterpillar dealer for twenty years. His team earned awards for outstanding financial performance and Environmental Stewardship.
Lifelong learner and three-time “Teacher of the Year” professor at CSUEB, Tom graduated from UC Berkeley (BA, Economics & History), University of Chicago (MBA, Finance & Marketing), University of Pennsylvania (Master of Applied Positive Psychology), is a recognized Executive Scholar at Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Management in Sales and Marketing, and Certified Executive Coach at Haas School of Business, UC Berkeley.
Daniel Hood, GRITT Business Coaching
Daniel is a visionary leader with over 20 years of experience building organizations from the ground up. He specializes in developing high-performance teams and has a deep passion for strengthening relationships in individuals and communities.
Certified in Restorative Practices, Trauma Facilitation, and Narrative-Focused Trauma Care, Daniel is currently completing his Master’s Degree in Restorative Practices.
As a gifted and engaging speaker, he connects authentically with his audience, inspiring them to discover their unique gifts and empowering them to lead with purpose. Daniel’s life mission is to strengthen relationships between individuals and communities.
Alexa Lott, GRITT Business Coaching
With 25+ years in strategic HR, Alexa combines real-world expertise with behavioral science and AI to help companies build high-trust cultures, retain top talent, and grow confident leaders. She is a certified Predictive Index Partner, Gallup Strengths Coach, and Kolbe Consultant, and the creator of an ESOP custom GPT for her company and an AI-powered coaching tool that personalizes leadership development at scale. As Vice President of Communication for The ESOP Association’s Heart of America Chapter, Alexa speaks nationwide, challenging leaders to rethink how they lead, connect, and unlock the full potential of their employee-owners.
Sponsored by: 
Session Date & Time
April 6, 2026 | 1:30 PM - 4:30 PM
Description
What does it mean to be 'AI-native'? It's when every person in your company naturally leverages AI tools to solve problems. This session will go through AI today and tomorrow.
We'll address the reality of the AI landscape - from specific challenges to massive wins. The focus won't be on large enterprises with unlimited capital, but on businesses like yours that need practical, affordable solutions that work on Monday morning.
In this unique session, you won't just learn about AI - you'll actually use it to solve a real problem. Working in small teams with a Village Labs facilitator as your guide, you'll tackle a business challenge and create a functioning AI solution from scratch. Whether it's optimizing inventory or streamlining customer service, you'll build something that solves a problem you face every day. No coding required, no technical background needed - just bring your business challenges and we'll show you how to solve them.
We'll also tackle the tough questions head-on: How do you introduce AI without sparking fear? What about job security? How much will this really cost? You'll get honest answers, field-tested strategies, and actual scripts that have worked in companies like yours. By the end of three hours, you'll walk away with three concrete deliverables: a working AI tool you built with your team that you can implement immediately, a realistic 90-day roadmap and most importantly, the confidence to use AI more effectively.
Learning Objectives
- You'll leave with working prompts, templates, and the know-how to recreate and expand what you built, plus the confidence that comes from doing it yourself rather than hiring consultants.
- Learn field-tested approaches for introducing AI to skeptical employees, addressing job security fears honestly, and turning resistance into enthusiasm.
- Develop a realistic 90-day roadmap that matches your team's current skill level, and includes specific milestones so you'll know if you're on track.
Presenters
Turja Chowdhury, Village Labs
Turja Chowdhury is the co-founder & CTO of Village Labs, a technology firm that develops AI products for ESOP companies and service providers. He was previously a software engineer at firms like Bitwave, Scotiabank, and KPMG. Turja has a B.S. in Computer Science from Ryerson University.
Charlie Ney, Village Labs
Bio coming soon
Nicholas Jones, Village Labs
Bio coming soon
Mohamed Ahmed, Village Labs
Bio coming soon
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