The Long View
Exploring how ownership transitions shape people, communities, and what comes next.
Six Months In: Grading Our Own 2026 Predictions
We called ten trends for mission-driven M&A in January. Six months later, we're grading ourselves. Employee ownership moved faster than we predicted, with federal policy now backing ESOPs and Canada making its ownership tax incentive permanent. B Corp roll-ups are still building their runway. The silver tsunami keeps accelerating. Here's what's ahead of schedule, what's on track, and what we're still watching.
The Great Ownership Transfer: What $5 Trillion in Exiting Businesses Means for Mission-Driven Buyers and Sellers
Over the next decade, more than six million small businesses will change hands as baby boomer owners retire, putting up to $5 trillion in enterprise value in motion. Nearly 92% of businesses that exit the market close entirely rather than sell. At Up & Over Advisors, we help mission-driven buyers and sellers navigate this moment with intention, so businesses stay alive, communities stay whole, and ownership becomes more accessible to more people.
Employee Ownership Takes Time. Arbitrage Requires Urgency.
Employee ownership is having a moment. But language can change faster than power. When ownership structures are designed for speed, tax efficiency, and the next exit, employees may share upside without ever holding control. This piece breaks down why real employee ownership takes time, why arbitrage demands urgency, and how confusing the two creates equity washing that harms workers, companies, and the public commons.