I wasn't always an advocate for employee ownership.

For years, I navigated leadership roles in growth-stage tech startups where I experienced the painful disconnect between leadership vision and employee reality. I watched talented teams burn out under constant pressure while executives celebrated metrics that felt disconnected from our daily work.

One moment hit extremely hard: watching a CEO fire product developers without consulting their team leader (me). The message was clear: delivery at all costs, people are replaceable.

That environment - constant pressure, threats, and lack of inspirational leadership - never sat right with me. As an empathetic leader who cares deeply about quality work, I knew there had to be a better way.

My search for alternative leadership models led me to Conscious Capitalism, where I served six years on the Boston chapter's board. There, I discovered the transformative potential of employee ownership- not just as a financial structure, but as a completely different operational model.

But I also learned that employee ownership alone isn't enough. Without the right operational systems, communication frameworks, and leadership development, even the best-intentioned employee-owned companies struggle to deliver on their promise.

After helping countless executives navigate these challenges, I founded Elevate Coaching & Consulting to bridge this gap between ownership structure and operational excellence.