About PURPOSE®

In 2015, PURPOSE coined the term steward ownership and has since helped build the knowledge, the legal structures, and the network to make it work at scale. Steward ownership offers entrepreneurs an additional path to conventional ownership models by ensuring that companies remain independent and mission-driven.

Illustrated journey showing the three barriers to steward ownership: lack of information and narratives, complex legal implementation, and lack of aligned capital

PURPOSE identified three key challenges that need to be overcome to ensure the growth and widespread adoption of steward ownership: 1) lack of information, language, stories and narratives, 2) complex legal implementation, and 3) lack of aligned financing. Over the last ten years, we have seen significant progress and development in all three areas – however, access to fit-for-purpose capital is still limited, which is where we want to offer solutions with SO Capital.

While the PURPOSE Foundation advances the field through advocacy, research and education, and PURPOSE Consulting accompanies entrepreneurs into steward ownership, PURPOSE Ventures and PURPOSE Evergreen Capital have spent a decade building and financing steward-owned companies directly.

We are building SO Capital on the foundations of the work of PURPOSE, a group of autonomous but connected entities. SO Capital is an independent company and will be the future financing pillar in close connection with the partner entities.