Explore the issues
Find more information on the issues deeply affected by private equity investments:

Support a campaign
Rio Grande LNG in Texas The Rio Grande LNG terminal poses significant risks for South Texas communities and investors across the country. Exporting LNG may not align with the 1.5 degree warming targets of the Paris Agreement.

Effects of private equity investments
The private equity industry has touted its contributions to the US economy by employing millions of workers. However, since private equity firms acquire companies with existing workers, they often do not create new jobs. Studies show that private equity takeovers…

What is private equity?
Private equity describes the investment of equity capital in private companies. Private equity firms purchase ownership stakes in these private companies that are specifically not listed on a stock exchange. The hope for these firms is an increase in value…

Meet the team
PESP is proud to have a diverse team located across the country. Click on a team member to view their contact information.

Theory of Change
PESP Theory of Change We seek to shed light upon and demand accountability for the impacts of private equity investments on people and the planet through research, collaboration with impacted stakeholders, and engaging decision-makers to drive change.

Our mission and values
Background The Private Equity Stakeholder Project (PESP) is a nonprofit watchdog organization focused on the growing private equity and broader private funds industry. PESP was founded in 2017 to address the growing impacts of private equity and private funds managers…

Thai Workers Win Historic $8.3 Million in Back Pay Despite Private Equity Firm Sycamore Partners’ Failure to Pay
Thai workers have won the largest wage-theft settlement at a garment factory after a year-long campaign supported by international labor rights advocates. The Solidarity Center and the Worker Rights Consortium (WRC) announced…

Wisconsin Public Radio: Kohl’s Corp. fends off activist investor board takeover bid
Last week Kohl’s shareholders rejected a bid from activist investors to take over the board, voting to leave the company’s board of directors intact. Earlier this year private equity firms Sycamore Partners and Leonard Green & Partners made offers…

Pitchfork Economics: Pirate Equity with Jim Baker
Private Equity Stakeholder Project Jim Baker was a recent guest on Nick Hanauer’s Pitchfork Economics podcast. Pitchfork Economics’ host Hanauer interviews economic and political thinkers in an exploration of society’s growing inequality. Baker explained the private equity’s growth and the…
