A caregiving business in Lane County says it’s now the first-of-its-kind in the state to become employee-owned.
Cindy Koza founded Rise & Shine Social Enterprise in 2020. It now runs more than 20 group homes, serving people with intellectual and developmental disabilities.
“These are all individuals who would otherwise be in a facility or hospital,” said Koza. “We are able to give them a community-based care setting.”
Rise & Shine also has daytime care services and currently employs around 250 workers. On Aug. 14, Koza officially handed over ownership of the organization.
Koza said the move reflects the business’s mission of social justice. She said she hopes it will encourage staff to stay there longer, despite the extremely high rates of turnover in the caregiving industry.
“That's really devastating for clients, especially with autism and learning disabilities, to have to deal with so much change,” said Koza. “And so my focus was increasing retention.”
She said there is a high need for these services across the county, and Rise & Shine has grown exponentially in the past six years. She said its operations are 100% Medicaid Funded.
Koza said while she's no longer the business' sole owner, she’ll continue to serve as the CEO.
“I just want to share with other business owners that there are other alternatives out there than selling out to a private equity firm outside of our state,” said Koza. “There is a way to keep it local, to have a legacy, and to share the success with your employees.”
