From Founder to Future

Learn how to transition leadership, implement shared ownership, and preserve your organization‘s core values—setting the stage for your business to thrive for generations to come. This practical handbook offers mission-driven business owners a roadmap for ensuring their company‘s lasting impact. This is a visionary yet practical roadmap for small and medium-sized business owners facing a monumental transition. Through inspiring real-world examples of B-Corps, worker co-ops, ESOPs, and perpetual purpose trusts, this book demonstrates how to create resilient organizations that benefit workers and communities. Abrams provides actionable strategies for navigating leadership succession, implementing shared ownership models, fostering participatory management, and codifying company purpose. Drawing on his 50-year journey with South Mountain Company and extensive research, Abrams outlines four critical transitions for mission-driven businesses: From founder to next-generation leadership From sole ownership to shared ownership From hierarchical control to democratic management From unprotected mission to preserved purpose From Founder to Future is an essential guide for mission-driven leaders seeking to reshape their businesses for inclusivity, longevity, and positive impact. Whether you‘re a retiring owner planning your exit or a young entrepreneur building for the future, this book offers a blueprint for creating enduring, values-driven enterprises in the emerging regenerative economy. As $10 trillion in assets prepare to change hands over the next two decades, this timely guide shows how to preserve your company‘s mission and legacy while empowering the next generation.