Ownership Works: When All Employees Own a Piece of The Upside w/ Anna-Lisa Miller
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Why are we still treating wealth-building at work like a VIP perk?
Senior executives have long enjoyed equity as part of their compensation. But what happens when everyone gets a piece of the upside?
This week, we sit down with Anna-Lisa Miller, Executive Director of Ownership Works, a nonprofit partnering with companies and investors to expand broad-based employee ownership - creating real financial stability for workers and driving stronger business performance for employers.
📈 Here’s the wild part:
Shared ownership isn’t a feel-good perk. It’s delivering life-changing payouts —
helping employees pay off debt, buy homes, build generational wealth, and finally get out from under the daily squeeze that 1 in 4 American workers are living in.
In this conversation, we get into:
- How equity for all employees actually works (it’s simpler than you think)
- Why private equity has become an unlikely accelerant of inclusive wealth-building
- The cultural shift that happens when workers feel, think, and act like owners
- What CEOs gain when they stop treating employees as a cost and start treating them as partners
- Why empathy + transparency are becoming future-of-work leadership superpowers
This movement is already proving what many of us believe:
When companies win, workers should too.
And Anna-Lisa? She’s a powerhouse — and the daughter of a badass immigrant mom who built the American dream the hard way. This work is deeply personal.
Listen in to hear how shared ownership could redefine what’s possible for millions of workers - and for the companies bold enough to lead the way.
About Anna-Lisa
- Anna-Lisa Miller is the founding Executive Director of Ownership Works. She is responsible for the organization’s strategy, key partnerships, growth, and overall impact. With a career deeply rooted in expanding shared ownership, advancing racial equity, and driving systemic change, Anna-Lisa is a recognized leader in the nonprofit sector. She brings extensive experience in building organizations, designing impactful programs, and forging partnerships that deliver lasting social and economic benefits to communities.
More about Ownership Works:
- Site
- Videos Anna-Lisa references:
Disclaimer: This podcast is for informational purposes only and should not be considered professional advice. We are not responsible for any losses, damages, or liabilities that may arise from the use of this podcast. The views expressed in this podcast may not be those of the host or the management.
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Chapters
1. Why Shared Ownership Matters (00:00:00)
2. Defining Broad‑Based Equity (00:02:04)
3. Financial Insecurity And The Case For Ownership (00:03:30)
4. Life‑Changing Payouts And Real Stories (00:06:02)
5. From Grants To Culture: Acting Like Owners (00:08:58)
6. Transparency, Metrics, And Engagement Shifts (00:11:04)
7. Charter Next Generation Case Study (00:13:33)
8. Building Empathy And A Culture Of Care (00:17:20)
9. How Ownership Works Partners With Companies (00:20:00)
10. Movement Building And Data Proof (00:24:16)
11. Personal Why: Upward Mobility And Mom’s Grit (00:27:02)
12. Hitting $20B: Scale, PE, And IPOs (00:31:09)
13. Global Expansion And Japan’s Fit (00:34:00)
14. How Leaders Can Start Today (00:36:18)
15. Rapid Round: Future Of Work And Joy (00:38:38)
16. Where To Learn More And Closing (00:44:01)
91 episodes