Amsterdam, 8 October 2026
In the city that invented shareholder capitalism, let’s explore what comes next! On 8 October, we are shifting perspectives on ownership with:
Explore the future of business at SOFA
Meet the founders, investors and policymakers who are shaping an economy that's built to last. At SOFA you learn from pioneers, experts and peers. Get inspired and leave with new connections.
Explore and take a next step with steward ownership at SOFA!
Schedule
Arrive and meet fellow visitors. Stroll over the Steward Square. Enjoy a steward-owned coffee. Explore what steward ownership can do for housing, our digital autonomy and healthcare. Get inspired by art.
Keynote: Challenging capitalism as we know it and the potential for steward ownership.
Welcome to the city! The ambition of the City of Amsterdam is to transition to an impact economy. What role can steward ownership play?
Interview: Steward ownership for affordable housing, high-quality healthcare and sovereign digital infrastructure
The road towards creating a legal form for steward ownership
Keynote: We're not in it for the money, our company exists to restory biodiversity.
Explore the journey to steward ownership with pioneers and peers. How did other founders explore steward ownership and how do they look back at their decision?
For founders and families looking beyond family succession or a traditional exit, steward ownership can be an alternative. What are scenarios for financing the exit of existing shareholders and how can the bank contribute to fund the transition to steward ownership?
Together with American experts of the Democracy Collaborative and Amsterdam-based pioneers, we explore how community wealth building can help us build democratic steward-owned companies in which profit and voting rights are shared with employees and local communities.
Together with leading voices on responsible capitalism, politicians and the largest steward-owned company on the globe, we explore how to make our economy more social and resilient. How can steward ownership become a practical building block for our future competitiveness and wellbeing?
Enjoy a healthy lunch, with choices from steward-owned companies. Get matched with other visitors, speak to experts and stroll over the Steward Square.
Many of the world's most pressing challenges go unsolved. In this introduction to Profit for Good, you'll be invited to think even bigger about the impact your company can have. You'll be introduced to the philosophical concept of moral circle expansion and challenged to think about where you invest your profits to maximise your positive impact.
In this pop-up session, Oxfam Novib and Triodos Bank will explore with you: what are the financial, institutional, and cultural obstacles to investing in and scaling these future-oriented business models? Come and join us!
Let’s unpack a successful steward-owned venture capital deal with a founder, investor and venture capital lawyer. What were the key success factors to get both angel investors and VC funds on board at CrowdBuilding and how can other founders and investors apply this in their practice?
Lawyers and experts from We Are Stewards, Purpose and Copenhagen Business School share best practices for structuring steward ownership. Together we explore how to choose a model and building blocks for your company and what to expect from the new Dutch, German and European legal forms for steward ownership.
In this workshop, hosted by two coaches for stewards, you will actively get to work on the essential personal skills for stewards. The workshop will give you insights and tools that you can use in your day to day practice and will help you in your personal journey of be(com)ing a steward.
Can we be good ancestors? Join us for an inspiring closing.
Keynote: Voys is a self-managed communication provider. In 2024, the company became steward-owned. Pollien led the transition and became the new CEO. Two years in: why did they choose this, what did it take and what changed?
Panel: How the next generation of stewards and directors lead companies that own themselves.
Keynote: New standard legal forms for steward ownership in Europe
A special legal form for steward ownership in the Netherlands
Have a bite and network with peers and experts before we bid you farewell and au revoir!
Many of the world's most pressing challenges go unsolved. In this introduction to Profit for Good, you'll be invited to think even bigger about the impact your company can have. You'll be introduced to the philosophical concept of moral circle expansion and challenged to think about where you invest your profits to maximise your positive impact.
Speakers
Ward Wolters
Impact investment principle, DOEN Ventures
Hajar Yagkoubi
Host of the day
Connect
At SOFA, you make valuable new connections.
Matchmaking
The Conversation Starter event app automatically suggests matches between you and other attendees and speakers based on interests, knowledge, expertise, and what you are looking for. You can then arrange a short meeting in the app at one of the meeting points on Steward Square.
Capital Table
Are you curious about the opportunities for raising capital or investing in steward-owned companies? Join the Capital Table for a chat. Fund manager e3 Partners is hosting the table and is launching a new fund: e3 Rebalance will support entrepreneurs in building mission driven steward-owned companies that operate within the boundaries of our planet. Next to e3 other investors will be present at the square as well.
Sectors in the spotlight
Three sectors we're exploring at the Steward Square during SOFA:
Housing
Can we build houses that own themselves? To make housing more participatory and affordable for generations to come, we should redesign the ownership of buildings and neighbourhoods. Together with steward-owned construction company TBI, CrowdBuilding and others, we explore how houses can own themselves.
Digital
Can we protect our vital digital infrastructure? Our digital infrastructure depends heavily on big tech, which creates systemic risks, especially in the current geopolitical climate. To guarantee continuity and safety, we should choose European alternatives and protect them from hostile takeovers. At SOFA we explore how steward ownership can be a foundation for our digital sovereignty.
Healthcare
Healthy healthcare companies prioritize quality of care over profit. Steward ownership ensures that this choice will never be overshadowed by shareholder interests. During SOFA, BuurtzorgT and other frontrunners demonstrate why steward ownership and healthcare companies are such a logical match.
Side events
The day before SOFA, we organise a number of exciting side events.
Stewards City Tour
Home to over 50 steward-owned companies, Amsterdam is a global hotspot for steward ownership. The day before the main event, we take you on a tour through the city and visit steward-owned pioneers. Learn from their experiences and already get to know other festival visitors. We start the tour with a light lunch at Community Wealth Building, after which we visit Odin, Sumthing and Kriterion. We wrap up the tour with drinks at Patagonia.
Signup available for visitors of the main event.
Academic Day
Amsterdam University of Applied Sciences is hosting a dedicated research and education day on the day before the main event. Are you researching or educating steward ownership or interested to do so? Registration is open now and the call for contributions is open until 1 September.
Investor Circle
The afternoon before the main event, we gather with a diverse group of investors, from early stage VC's to institutional funders. The Investor Circle is a place to learn, share experiences and connect with other investors. The Investor Circle is organised in partnership with the Netherlands Enterprise Agency.
Are you an investor? Get you ticket and you will receive an invite to the Investor Circle, as long as there are spots available.
Steward ownership
Steward ownership is based on two core principles:
Self-governance
Control lies in the hands of stewards – people who are connected to the company and its mission. Control cannot be sold.
The principle of 'self-governance' means that the controlling voting rights rests with stewards and cannot be sold or inherited. At some steward-owned companies, self-governance takes shape by allowing only employees to serve as stewards. At others, it is expressed through the involvement of primarily independent stewards.
Profit serves purpose
Profit is a means, not an end in itself. It serves the company's mission and development and is reinvested or donated in alignment with that mission. Investors, founders, and other stakeholders are fairly compensated.
The principle of profit serves purpose means in practice that compensation to capital providers is limited in duration, amount, and/or influence – and that profit can never be distributed at the expense of the company.
About us
SOFA is organised by We Are Stewards, with support from our committed partners and you! Together we make SOFA a true festival. We invite you to co-create SOFA with us.
We Are Stewards is building a movement and ecosystem for steward ownership in the Netherlands, to inspire beautiful companies to commit to their purpose, in perpetuity.
Partners
SOFA is made possible by amazing partners:
Feature partners:
Supporters:
Media partners:
