Fidan Ana Kurtulus, professor of economics and co-director of the UMass Center for Employment Equity, spoke at the US Senate on April 9, 2025, on the economic benefits of broad-based employee equity ownership, wherein workers have an ownership stake in the company where they work. Her remarks outlined what the research evidence has to say on how employee ownership can strengthen the US economy. Professor Kurtulus has done extensive research over the past two decades showing that employee ownership increased labor productivity, employment stability, and firm survival, and has authored the book How Did Employee Ownership Firms Weather the Last Two Recessions? with Doug Kruse. There are currently multiple bills circulating in Congress supporting adoption of employee ownership programs, with bipartisan support from both sides of the political aisle.