Stapelstein® is a purpose company and owns itself

How can a company be run with a sense of purpose rather than profit maximization? What if the company is inherited or sold one day and the new investors are more interested in private profit accumulation than in the mission? How can we ensure that Stapelstein^® continues to provide moving adventures in children's everyday lives, remains a transparent and honest company and thus secures the trust of customers, employees and business partners?

At this significant intersection, Stapelstein^® meets the Purpose Foundation.

What is the Purpose Foundation?

The Purpose Foundation is an international organization that supports companies in remaining permanently independent and purpose-oriented. On the one hand, it is a contact point for advice and knowledge transfer, and on the other hand, the Purpose Foundation is able to legally bind companies to its independence and value orientation. In doing so, a share - 1% "golden share" - of the company is transferred to the Purpose Foundation. Thus, the foundation has a veto right, which is activated, among other things, when acting and investing against the company's idea.

The Purpose Economy is a pioneering form of business that focuses on a we economy. For Hannah and Stephan, this is the key to guaranteeing long-term self-reliant and purposeful business management.

A company in steward-ownership

In the German-speaking region, the Foundation for steward-ownership was established in 2019 with the aim of connecting Purpose companies even better.

Stapelstein^® has been a company in steward-ownership since May 2022 and is committed to living the principles of self-determination and asset commitment, of Purpose. This means:

• Decisions rest with active entrepreneurs.
• Profits remain in the company and cannot be withdrawn for personal purposes.
• The company cannot be sold or simply inherited automatically.

Self-determination

The principle of self-determination means that Stapelstein^® is no longer owned by shareholders who do not actively work in the company, but only by people who sit at the steering wheel and work very closely with the mission on a daily basis.

If investors wish to support the company financially, it is possible to obtain shares, but voting rights are excluded. The Purpose Foundation also only has co-determination rights without profit participation.

Asset Commitment

The principle of asset retention means: "Profits and assets cannot be withdrawn for individual purposes, but serve the purpose of the company and its development. The focus remains on fulfilling the original entrepreneurial mission," says Jakob Willeke from the Purpose consulting team, which as part of the PURPOSE network is committed to a sustainable and equitable economy and actively supported the founders Stephan and Hannah in the process.

Profits are reinvested directly in projects of Stapelstein^® or donated.

Stapelstein^® belongs to itself

We are very much celebrating this significant step into the steward-ownership , because we have both found a corporate form that is in line with our values and allows us to grow as a company in a self-determined manner, as well as setting an elementary signal in economic policy to give this forward-looking ownership structure more visibility.

Did you know that_...

in Germany, there are now an estimated 300 pioneering companies at steward-ownership ? For example, Waschbär, Einhorn, Waldorfshop and Ecosia.

"For us, transforming into a company of this kind is the logical and compelling consequence of how we view our business and our lives," explains Stephan Schenk, founder and designer of Stapelstein^®.