Charlie Iscoe from CommonShares

Charlie Iscoe is the Co-Founder of CommonShares.

CommonShares is a business succession platform that enables retiring owners to get fair value for their business while ensuring that their employees and communities are cared for.

They facilitate fair and efficient exits for retiring owners, recruit, train and support succession leadership as required, and transition the business to employee ownership over time.

They believe that business succession can be a win-win outcome for owners, workers, and communities.

Takeaways

Charlie transitioned from banking to entrepreneurship. Sunday Farms his first venture. Travelling around the world helped Charlie gain clarity on his entrepreneurial aspirations. CommonShares aims to address the succession planning crisis among small business owners. The "Silver Tsunami". Over 90% of small business owners lack a succession plan, creating a significant opportunity. Employee-owned companies tend to outperform their peers in various metrics. CommonShares' model. Financing and structuring deals. Post-acquisition support and operations. Common Shares is positioned to become the buyer of choice for businesses transitioning to employee ownership. Creating a "Win-Win-Win" model.

Chapters

00:00 From Banking to Entrepreneurship

04:16 The Birth of Sunday Farms

10:22 Identifying the Silver Tsunami

18:17 CommonShares: A New Business Model

26:46 Financing and Structuring Deals

30:54 Post-Acquisition Support and Operations

39:00 Collaborations and Future Opportunities

Keywords

entrepreneurship, employee ownership, business succession, private equity, small business, investment, CommonShares, Sunday Farms, financial model, community impact