Preserving Family Legacy Through Direct Employee Ownership
Demme Learning is an independent, family-owned and operated publishing company founded by Steve Demme. Since 1990, the company has developed skills-based education products for parents, teachers, and schools. Sharing success has been at the core of Demme’s mission since its founding.
A school teacher by trade, Steve Demme homeschooled his children and was eventually asked to teach math at a homeschool co-op. When assigning homework, he developed worksheets that made it easy for students to build on the multi-sensory learning happening in the classroom. When parents began asking Steve to purchase his educational materials, he compiled his first math workbooks from hundreds of handwritten worksheets, photocopied and hand-bound at home.
“I grew up seeing my dad negotiate printing contracts around the kitchen table while we were doing our homework,” said Ethan Demme, CEO of Demme Learning. “I’ve been selling homeschool textbooks at trade shows since I was a teenager.”
Steve’s generosity established Demme Learning as a primary resource for homeschool communities, and his family was involved every step of the way. In 2012, Demme Learning transitioned to its second-generation owners. Ethan became President and CEO, gradually purchasing the company from his parents, alongside his brothers, who remain involved in the business.
As he considered the company’s future, Ethan knew he wanted it to pursue employee ownership as a way to create a path for long-term success. After getting to know Chip Cargas through The High Center for Family Business peer group, Ethan learned about Direct Employee Ownership as a way to preserve the company’s values and independence, regardless of whether the third generation of the Demme family chooses to be involved.
He began working with Tandem Center for Shared Business Success to transition the company into its next chapter and found support from a network of business experts, accountants, lawyers, and Tandem staff who walked him through the process.
In October 2025, Ethan Demme told his staff that Demme Learning was transitioning to Direct Employee Ownership. Team members completed their first stock purchase in October 2026.
“It wasn’t a surprise that that’s the direction we chose to go. It’s consistent with everything we’ve been doing for several years,” Ethan said. “I wanted employees to have that sense of ownership in a very tangible way.”
Since the transition, Ethan observes Demme’s team thoughtfully considering how each action impacts the company.
“They’ve already said, ‘Should I be in this meeting? Should I be spending time on this?’ Not just from ‘is it good for my job and my performance review,’ but ‘is this good for the company itself,” Ethan reflected. “Ownership slows you down and helps you think long term, which in the end I believe will drive better sustainable growth over time.”
As he looks toward the future, Ethan sees Direct Employee Ownership as a way to ensure shared success remains a priority.
“Employee ownership gives our employees the same opportunity that my parents gave my brothers and me,” Ethan said. “We already know that they’re aligned with our values. They’re the people that I trust most to be able to carry those values into the future.”