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RainTech Transitions to Employee Ownership — Not as an Exit, but as an Operating Model

RainTech Transitions to Employee Ownership — Not as an Exit, but as an Operating Model

RainTech has transitioned to 100% employee ownership through an Employee Ownership Trust (EOT), aligning ownership with its people-first operating model. The transition includes shared governance, equal profit sharing, and continued leadership from founder Andrew Jahnke.

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RainTech has officially transitioned to employee ownership through an Employee Ownership Trust (EOT), marking an important step in the company’s evolution.

Founded in 2001, the Colorado Springs-based company provides fully and co-managed IT services, including cybersecurity, cloud infrastructure, comprehensive support, compliance services, and custom AI development. RainTech serves clients in regulated industries with a model shaped by its core ethos: People, period.

For founder and CEO Andrew Jahnke, this wasn’t about stepping away from the business — it was about taking what already worked and formalizing it.

Rather than treating this transition as an exit, RainTech saw it as an opportunity to reinvest in the team, the company, and the relationships that have shaped the business over time. Employee ownership offered a structure to support what the company already believed in: shared responsibility, long-term thinking, and a more direct connection between the work people do and the value they create.

"Converting to an EOT when you retire is a great way to win a popularity contest — doing it well in advance, and when it stands to benefit you less and your co-workers more, is a great way to do the right thing, which it turns out is also pretty popular." — Andrew Jahnke, CEO, RainTech

Working with Common Trust, RainTech designed and implemented a transition that reflects those priorities. The process included not just the legal and financial structuring, but also employee engagement sessions that brought the entire team into the conversation about what ownership means and how it would work in practice. 

The company is now 100% employee owned, with ownership held in a trust for the ongoing benefit of employees. It also introduced a governance structure that expands participation, including employee representation on both the Trust Stewardship Committee and the Board of Directors.

This wasn’t just a transaction. It was a choice about how the company operates going forward.

RainTech’s People, period. philosophy is reflected in its 32-hour workweek — an initiative made possible by using AI to support and expand its people, not replace them. Employee ownership is a natural extension of that same approach, including a shift to 100% equal profit sharing that gives the people doing the work a more direct stake in the company's success.

“RainTech represents something we're seeing more of — founders who view employee ownership not as an exit ramp, but as an accelerant,” said Zoe Schlag, CEO of Common Trust. “Andrew isn't stepping away from this company. He's doubling down on his belief that when you share ownership, accountability, and upside with the people doing the work, everyone wins.”

Andrew will continue serving as CEO, helping lead RainTech through this next chapter as an employee-owned company. Looking ahead, the focus remains the same: supporting its people, serving clients well, and continuing to build a business designed to last.

If you’re exploring whether employee ownership could be the right fit for your business, we’d love to talk. Schedule a call with one of our advisors today.

More from Common Trust: Employee Ownership Trust Playbook · What is employee ownership? · Employee ownership trust FAQ · Case studies · Clegg Auto case study · CodeWeavers case study · Text-Em-All case study

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Zoe Schlag

Zoe Schlag

CEO & Founder

Zoe leads our investment practice, and helps companies organize capital that doesn't compromise their values. She has worked for over a decade in impact investing, including with TechStars and Schmidt Futures, and sees Common Trust's work as a critical component to leaving the economy better than we found it.