What about making this a non-profit, run by a board?
Different idea, but, for example Matt M. created the WordPress Foundation to independently carry out the things he believed in.
Different idea, but, for example Matt M. created the WordPress Foundation to independently carry out the things he believed in.
"From an ultimate decision-making point of view, the Foundation is mainly just me. [...] It’s worth noting that the Foundation was created purely to be a trademark and IP holding entity that Automattic could transfer its ownership of the WordPress trademark to. There are no “members.”" [0]
[0] http://wpkrauts.com/2013/leaders-and-the-greater-good/#comme...
In addition, having counseled clients on this structure, the benefit of creating a nonprofit and giving it IP is that it creates a public check on anything to do with that IP. For example, while a startup's founders can sell the company, they can't unilaterally agree to sell off the IP in the nonprofit, and the public can challenge any such sales by recourse to a state attorney general's office.
It's not perfect, but it helps protect the IP in the way founders want to. In many ways, it's a one-way decision, which is why it works.
(Yes, IAAL.)