Built by founders
who believe in shared ownership.
Orchestra exists to reshape the future of ownership — so the people who build value can share in it.
Our Mission
We believe the people who build value should own it.
What we believe
Orchestra exists to reshape the future of ownership.
We help companies transition to employee ownership so the people who build the value of a business can share in it. At a time when automation and consolidation are rapidly changing the economy, we believe the next generation of resilient companies will be owned, guided, and strengthened by the employees who power them.
Like an orchestra, where every instrument contributes to a greater performance, employee-owned companies thrive when everyone has a stake in the outcome. Our mission is to help founders preserve their legacy while empowering employees to build lasting value together.
Meet the team
Our Leadership
Orchestra has a designated network of advisors in finance, strategy, and legal to make transition planning stress-free. Meet the conductors at our helm who are helping create an employee owned future.
Ashwin Dayal
CEO and Co-founder
Ashwin Dayal is a serial entrepreneur and applied mathematician with a track record of building and scaling technology-driven businesses. He has developed several pioneering products, including early ad-tech innovations and real estate analytics tools, and co-founded LoanMonkey, a leading AI-enabled mortgage platform acquired by Orchard in 2022.
Steve Bogda
Co-founder
Steve Bogda is an experienced product director with a multidisciplinary background in product design, software engineering, and digital marketing. He has led the development and launch of numerous successful technology products and creative campaigns.
Alana Casner
Co-founder
Alana Casner is a strategic growth leader with nearly two decades of experience across content strategy, partnerships, and organizational development. She has held leadership roles at The Players' Tribune, the NBA, and the WNBA, where she focused on building brands and scaling partnerships.
Matthew Belyakov
Platform Architect
Matthew Belyakov is finishing his PhD in Planetary Science at Caltech. Outside of his work on asteroids and Solar System formation, he is interested in developing novel, tech-forward approaches to establishing democratic ownership in the workplace.
Alexander Polekha
Lead Engineer
Alexander Polekha is an experienced full-stack developer specializing in complex APIs for mobile and web applications, project management, and DevOps. He has built web-based learning platforms on Open edX and advanced from Software Developer to Head of IT at GAZPROM UGS LLC. Alexander holds a Master’s degree in Car Engineering from Moscow State Technical University "MAMI."
The moment we're in
Why Now?
The business landscape is changing quickly and now is the perfect time to rethink how companies are owned.
The Aging Nature of Business Ownership
Millions of businesses are owned by founders approaching retirement. In the U.S. alone, owners of small and mid-sized companies are reaching succession age faster than traditional buyers can absorb them. Historically, these companies sell to private equity or strategic acquirers. But those exits often lead to consolidation, layoffs, relocation, or cultural erosion. Founders who spent decades building a company increasingly want another option that protects what they built and rewards the people who helped create it.
Automation Is Reshaping Work
Advances in automation and AI are dramatically increasing productivity across industries. But productivity gains don't always translate into shared prosperity. When ownership is concentrated, the economic value created by automation flows primarily to investors and shareholders. Employee ownership changes that equation.
The Era of Aggressive Consolidation
Over the past two decades, private equity and large strategic buyers have acquired thousands of independent companies across industries. While consolidation can create efficiencies, it also concentrates economic power and reduces the number of locally rooted, independent businesses. Employee-owned companies can offer a counterbalance since they tend to think longer-term, invest more in their people, and remain anchored in their communities.
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See what's possible with Orchestra
The next generation of companies won't just employ people. They'll be owned by them.