Year after year, we see headlines about huge venture capital financing rounds and major acquisitions by private equity firms, and we know where the story is supposed to lead: a public offering or another high-priced acquisition. Cash in, cash out, walk away, then do it again. If the founder gets ousted or their employees get laid off, that’s the price of going after that brass ring. But what if you want to create something of significant impact that lasts beyond your lifetime?

In “Another Way: Building Companies that Last … and Last … and Last” (Harvard Business Review Press; May 6, 2025), Dave Whorton with Bo Burlingham introduce an alternative path for founders and business leaders: what they call an “Evergreen company.” These companies are designed to stay private forever. They eschew investor money, giving them the freedom to grow at their own pace, fueled by their own profits. This approach allows them to focus on long-term planning horizons and fosters win-win relationships with their employees, customers, suppliers, and their surrounding communities.

Whorton’s uncovering of another way of doing business is grounded in an insider’s perspective as a venture capitalist, former serial tech entrepreneur, and the founder of Tugboat Institute—a network of 300+ Evergreen companies whose CEO members share inspiration, common values, innovative ideas, and best practices with each other. Their story hasn’t been told—until now.

Join us for a conversation with Whorton, moderated by Jenny Emery Davidson, The Community Library’s executive director, as they discuss the book and what Whorton has learned, and unlearned, about doing business in the twenty-first century.

Book signing with the Tugboat Institute to follow.