#22: ESOP Exit Strategies & Employee Ownership for Business Owners with Matt Middendorp​

Exit Algorithms · Feb 8, 2026 · 51m

In this episode, I sit down with Matt Middendorp, Director at Vision Point Capital and nationally recognized ESOP expert, to unpack how employee stock ownership plans can serve as a powerful exit strategy for owners who care about valuation, culture, and their people.​

We discuss:

– Matt’s journey from banker to founder to ESOP advisor, and what selling his own consulting firm taught him about identity, legacy, and “what comes next” after an exit.​

– What an ESOP (employee stock ownership plan) is in plain language, and how selling to an ESOP trust compares to private equity or strategic…