Pete Stavros’ lessons for SMEs
There’s a lot of talk about engagement. About employees taking responsibility, working for the bigger picture, and moving with the entrepreneur’s ambitions. But the real question is rarely asked: what do they actually have to gain?
Pete Stavros does ask that question. And answers it with a radically simple idea: give people shares. Not as a bonus. Not as a symbolic gesture. But as a fundamental part of your business model.
That insight doesn’t come out of the blue.
Stavros, a partner at private equity giant KKR, grew up in a working-class family. His father worked as a road builder for decades, without ever owning anything in the company he bent his back to. That experience stuck with him.
When he moved from healthcare to industrial companies within KKR, he saw it even more clearly: if you really want to create value, you have to look beyond spreadsheets. It's about operations, productivity and culture. That's where the difference is made.
From that conviction came Ownership Works - an initiative with which Stavros helps companies worldwide to make their employees truly co-owners. Not an HR tool, but a different way of organizing.
He shows:
- Employees with shares are more productive and loyal.
- Companies with an ownership culture perform better.
- And entrepreneurs build stability, not just profit.
It is not a soft mission, but a hard strategy.
What Eyevestor sees in practice
Stavros' theory may sound American, but we see it working here too. Entrepreneurs who opt for share funding with Eyevestor not only achieve results in euros, but also in energy, support and sustainable growth.
What do they have in common? They first build trust, then capital. They involve their community before the issue. They do not see shareholding as a transaction, but as a connection.
Whether it concerns a bakery like Kadir's, which made its dream come true with 494 investors, or a night train company like European Sleeper, which raised millions from thousands of enthusiasts - they all share the same lesson:
Involvement does not start with financing, but with vision.
And the stronger that vision is supported, the greater the effect of participation.
Watch below how Cosmas Blauw also makes his employees owners of SharePeople. (in Dutch).
“Letting employees participate is the only way I can beat big employers.” - Cosmas Blaauw, founder of SharePeople Coöperatie.
Yet this often comes up against cold feet in the Netherlands. "They prefer cash, don't they?" Or: "Then I lose control." Understandable reflexes, but rarely justified.
The secret lies in smart design. If you set up participation properly - clear, fair and in addition to the salary - you give employees something they don't get anywhere else: influence and future prospects.
Not everyone needs the same amount of say. But everyone can build something. And that changes how people view their work.
That is exactly why we at Eyevestor have been focusing on shared ownership for years. Sharefunding makes it possible to make employees, customers or partners part of your mission - without losing control or getting stuck in legal constructions.
You strengthen your own capital, and you build something that banks can never give you: real involvement.
Because in the end, it's not just about financing. It's about who grows with you. Who feels connected. Who stays when things get tough, because they also have a piece of the future in their hands.
What if your employees really are co-owners?
Maybe that's not the risk you're afraid of, but exactly the leverage you need.