Research

Employee ownership has the potential for enhancing the asset holdings and economic well-being of Black communities across America, as well as addressing the “Silver Tsunami” of baby boomer entrepreneurs who seek to cash-out and retire. While the movement is national, we focus on Atlanta with its unique social, political, and economic culture.

Despite the enormity of the racial wealth gap in our country, the current conversation around Black wealth is healthy. Across every sector, and within every stakeholder group, many extraordinary Black business and economic leaders are convening and engaging in productive conversations about the state of Black America and the future of Black economic prosperity. We all know that there isn’t a single solution; the pervasiveness of the racial wealth gap makes it important to harness a myriad of strategies. One proven, yet highly underutilized strategy is employee ownership. Employee ownership can play an important role in preserving and expanding Black wealth, offering value to Black business owners, Black workers and Black communities.

This report describes the results of the evaluation of the Village Enterprise poverty graduation program, conducted in Kenya and Uganda between November 2017 and December 2020. The objective of this evaluation was to measure the causal impact of the program on household consumption and assets.