Ownership Design Group — Your Life's Work Is In Good Hands

Employee Ownership Specialists — Canada

Your Life's Work
Is In Good Hands

We design ownership transitions — EOTs, ESOPs, and MBOs — for Canadian founders who care deeply about what happens after they exit.

Start the Conversation Explore Services

What We Design

Succession Built Around
Your Values & Legacy

Not every exit looks the same. We work with owners to find the structure that protects employees, preserves culture, and honours the business you've built.

Employee Share Ownership Plans (ESOPs) Flexible
Employee Ownership Trusts (EOTs) New in 2024
Management Buyouts (MBOs) Leadership-Led
100+ Owners Advised
$5M+ Revenue Threshold
2024 EOT Canada Launch

Our Approach

Five Principles That
Guide Every Engagement

From first conversation to long-term stewardship, we design ownership around what matters most to you and your people.

Possibilities

We open the conversation to routes you may not have considered — beyond a traditional sale.

Options

Every business is different. We tailor structures — EOT, ESOP, or MBO — to fit your situation.

Pathways

A clear roadmap from today's ownership to a secure, values-aligned future for your company.

Planning

Rigorous, structured planning that accounts for valuation, governance, tax, and timeline.

Partners

We coordinate with your legal, accounting, and valuation advisors — so nothing falls through the cracks.

Why Ownership Design Group

A Name That Finally
Matches What We Do

For years, Firefly Insights helped Canadian business owners navigate the most consequential decision of their lives. The work was always about designing ownership — ESOPs, EOTs, and MBOs that protected businesses, employees, and legacies across Canada.

Our name just never said so — until now.

"We design ownership transitions for the people who built something worth preserving."

— Ownership Design Group, Our Mission
Jennifer Williams

Jennifer Williams — Founder & Principal Advisor

EOT

Canada Specialist

ESOP

Advisor

Our Services

Three Structures.
One Goal: Your Legacy.

It does not have to be all or nothing. We also design hybrid approaches tailored to your goals, timeline, and team.

Employee Share Ownership Plans

ESOPs

The most flexible ownership transition structure available to Canadian businesses. We design ESOP programs through share purchase plans, holding companies, or trusts — customized to your goals, governance preferences, and timeline.

  • ✓ Broad-based employee participation
  • ✓ Customizable vesting & governance
  • ✓ Phased or full ownership transfer
Explore ESOPs

Employee Ownership Trusts — New 2024

EOTs

Canada's newest and most powerful employee ownership structure, introduced in 2024. An EOT holds shares on behalf of employees — offering simplified governance, strong legacy protection, and potential capital gains tax advantages for the selling owner.

  • ✓ Capital gains tax advantages
  • ✓ Simplified governance model
  • ✓ Long-term stewardship structure
Explore EOTs

Management Buyouts

MBOs

When the right successor is already inside the business, an MBO is often the cleanest path to continuity. We structure leadership-led transitions that work for both the departing owner and the incoming management team.

  • ✓ Leadership continuity preserved
  • ✓ Vendor financing structures
  • ✓ Clean, confidential transition
Explore MBOs

How It Works

From Conversation to
Long-Term Stewardship

1

Discovery Call

We start with a no-obligation conversation to understand your business, your goals, and your timeline. No jargon. No pressure.

2

Structure Design

We assess your options — EOT, ESOP, or MBO — and recommend a structure tailored to your values, financial goals, and employees.

3

Collaborative Planning

Working alongside your legal and accounting team, we build the transition plan: valuation, governance, tax strategy, and communication.

4

Transition & Beyond

We stay with you through closing and into governance — offering ongoing coaching for employee-owned companies after the deal.

Ready to Design Your Exit
On Your Own Terms?

Book a no-obligation discovery call with Jennifer Williams. We'll talk through your situation, your options, and whether employee ownership is the right path for you.

Book a Discovery Call

© 2025 Ownership Design Group. All rights reserved.

Serving Canadian business owners coast to coast.