Firm co-founded by Burlingame councilmember wins Skoll Foundation award

“We exist to help close the wealth gap in the U.S., and we do that by buying companies for sale from owners getting ready to retire and turning them into 100% employee-owned businesses,” he said. “It’s a very innovative product.”

The 2025 Skoll Award for Social Innovation is honoring groups advancing societal change in a variety of arenas, including climate, health and economic outcomes. For nonprofit groups receiving the award, a $2 million grant will be offered.

As a for-profit organization, that $2 million will go into A&P funds that allows the organization to buy out retiring business owners through a trust, which then doles out shares to employees each year.

Financing employee-led buyouts has several benefits, Brownrigg said, including major federal and state tax breaks and the simplicity of the proposition — allow those who contribute to the company to benefit from its profit upon retirement.

“It’s not easy to do, but it’s a very easy value proposition to understand,” he said. “That’s pretty simple, and powerful. That’s one reason the Skoll Foundation likes our approach.”

So far, A&H has invested in five companies, including a commercial nursery in rural Oregon and a heavy utility company in Maryland, and helped put 450 workers and their families on a path to financial security, Brownrigg said.

Owners benefit from the model because, unlike selling to a private owner, employees can continue the mission of their company and its community impact in a direct way.

“This is often somebody who has poured his or her life into this company. Most of them have never heard of employee ownership,” Brownrigg said. “After they meet us, they find out they can get paid a fair price for this life’s work.”

On the other side, employees who get the opportunity to invest in their own work are more likely to keep the company in its original location and come up with a sustainable growth model.

“Workers stay rooted in their communities,” Brownrigg said.

As the baby boomer generation readies itself to retire and sell businesses, Brownrigg encouraged those individuals to consider an employee-owned model.

“People my age, we own a lot of businesses across the country. For some of us, our kids want to take over. … For most of us, that isn’t an option,” he said. “A lot of baby boomers are going to have to decide what to do. We hope they’ll explore selling businesses to their employees.”