Greater Washington Center

for Employee Ownership

The Greater Washington Center for Employee Ownership (GWCEO), powered by Rochdale Capital, promotes and supports shared ownership throughout the District of Columbia and surrounding counties in Maryland and Northern Virginia to preserve legacy businesses, increase job quality, and build community wealth.

Building Community Wealth Together

The Greater Washington Center for Employee Ownership (GWCEO) serves as a hub for information, technical assistance, resources, and access to capital for owners interested in selling their businesses to their employees, employee groups interested in purchasing a business, and entrepreneurs who wish to start up a company with shared ownership.

GWCEO Services

What We Do

GWCEO preserves legacy businesses, increases the quality of jobs, and builds community wealth throughout the Greater Washington area. Our services are designed to provide you with the tools to help you convert, start, and grow an employee-owned business. Learn more about our business financing and Annual D.C. Co-op Impact Grants.

Business Financing

The GWCEO will work with you to find the best financing possible to fit the unique needs and goals of your employee-owned business. Our financial products range from a variety of financing options.

Annual D.C. Co-op Impact Grants

The D.C. Co-op Impact Grant aims to support cooperatives while catalyzing growth, boosting the localized economy in marginalized communities, and providing catalytic capital to attract other funders.

The grant recipients are expanding the cooperative model in the District, Maryland, and Northern Virginia, led by people of color and/or members of a historically disinvested community.

The 2024 funding cycle is now closed.

Please check back for the opening of our next funding cycle.

2024 Annual D.C. Co-op Impact Grant Winners Announced

The Greater Washington Center for Employee Ownership (GWCEO) awarded approximately $40,000 to four grantees through the Annual D.C. Co-op Impact Grant.

Recipients of this funding include:

Community Purchasing Alliance Cooperative in Washington, D.C., is a cooperative that leverages the buying power of community institutions to accelerate progress towards sustainability, equity, and justice.

Mirlo, in Washington, D.C., provides a user-friendly space to help musicians sell music, manage subscriptions, and share with their supporters.

Sankofa Video & Books in Washington, D.C., founded by a filmmaking couple in 1997, provides a place that uplifts African thought and philosophy, highlighting the contribution of the African continent and diaspora and challenging the dominant Eurocentric perspective on philosophy and intellectual pursuit.

Steptoe Farm in Brandywine, MD, provides fresh, affordable produce to working-class families in the D.C. area. The Steptoe Farm also supports a thriving cooperative ecosystem and provides employment and training for BIPOC farmers in organic farming practices and cooperative business ownership.

Congratulations to our winners, and stay tuned as we follow them on their D.C. Impact Grant journeys!

Advisory Council

The advisory council is comprised of ecosystem partners, local government leaders, funders, co-op worker-owners, and ESOP employees. They offer their expertise to guide and shape the GWCEO's programming and operations.

GWCEO Resources

Resources to help you convert, start, and grow an employee-owned business

Our team is here to meet you where you are on your journey toward employee ownership, regardless of whether you are exploring your options for the first time or have been operating an employee-owned business for 30+ years. We encourage you to browse through our resources to learn more about the different models available for your consideration. If you would like to discuss your options, our team is happy to meet with you.

Resource Library

We're Here for You

Click below to contact the Greater Washington Center for Employee Ownership, powered by Rochdale Capital.

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