In this episode of Ethical Exits, Hannah sits down with Gina Schaefer, founder and retired CEO of Recovery Hardware, a $50M, 13-location Ace Hardware business in Washington, DC. Gina shares how a single human decision reshaped her company’s culture—and how selling the business to her employees through an ESOP became a joyful opportunity to amplify what it had already become.

What happens when a mission-driven company becomes infrastructure?

In this narrative episode of Ethical Exits, we trace Whole Foods’ journey from a community-rooted grocery store to its acquisition by Amazon — and examine what changed when growth, capital, and values collided.

What if the biggest wealth transfer of our lifetimes didn’t lead to consolidation, extraction, and loss — but to shared ownership and durable prosperity?

In this episode of Ethical Exits, Hannah sits down with Chris Fredericks, founder of Empowered Ventures, to explore how disciplined, values-aligned acquisitions can scale employee ownership and protect the businesses, people, and communities behind them.

Chris breaks down why the “silver tsunami” of retiring founders demands better buyers, how acquisitions can turn hundreds of workers into owners overnight, and what thoughtful M&A strategy actually looks like when the goal is long-term stewardship, not short-term flips.

This conversation is a masterclass in ethical buying — and a roadmap for founders, operators, and investors who believe ownership matters.