ESOP Radio
ESOP Radio is the official ESOP podcast—where real stories of growth, succession, and long-term wealth building are told.
Hosted by Trevor Gilmore, CEO of Menke, and Ben Spadt, ESOP Investment Banking Consultant at Menke, the show features conversations with business owners, executives, and advisors who have navigated employee ownership as a strategic path forward. Episodes explore why companies choose ESOPs, how those decisions shape culture and continuity, and what it takes to build durable, long-term ownership structures.
Alongside real-world stories, ESOP Radio examines the practical realities behind successful ESOPs, including fiduciary responsibilities, valuation, transaction structure, and regulatory considerations.
ESOP Radio is educational in nature and designed for listeners seeking a clear, grounded understanding of employee ownership and long-term succession planning.
ESOP Radio
Latest Episodes
Do ESOPs Really Increase Productivity? New Research Says Yes.
Do ESOPs actually improve company performance — or is it just theory?In Episode 22 of ESOP Radio, Trevor Gilmore and Ben Spadt break down new research from Rutgers University showing a measurable connection between employee ownership and...
Funding Entrepreneurship Through Retirement Capital | Jeremy Ames of Guidant Financial
Entrepreneurship often begins with one major challenge: access to capital.In Episode 21 of ESOP Radio, Trevor Gilmore sits down with Jeremy Ames, CEO and co-founder of Guidant Financial, to discuss how business owners are using retiremen...
From Ultra-Endurance to ESOP Ownership: Building a Resilient Company with Dave Odell
What does it take to build a company that lasts—and a team that truly owns it?In Episode 20 of ESOP Radio, Trevor Gilmore and Ben Spadt sit down with Dave Odell, CEO of MedBridge and CFO of Tynan Group, a 100% employee-owned company mana...
How M-Group Used Pre-Funding to Build an Orderly ESOP Transition
What does an ESOP transition look like when a company starts planning early?In Episode 19 of ESOP Radio, Trevor Gilmore and Ben Spadt sit down with Jeff Bradley and Heather Hines of M-Group, a Bay Area urban planning...
Why ESOP Companies Command Higher Valuations in AEC
AEC firms—architecture, engineering, and construction—are seeing a clear trend:ESOP companies are outperforming their peers on valuation.In this episode, Trevor Gilmore and Ben Spadt break down the 2026 data and explain