There's No place Like Home, When It's In A Room with Patagonia, Ben & Jerry's and Other B Corp Leaders
What is it like working for a Certified B Corporation? Surreal. Visceral. Exhilarating…. And at times emotional, when the objective of success is to provide a better foundation for the future. And in honor of February's B Corp month, I reflect on my journey with Dhana and the community at large.
My introduction to the B Corp community was instinctive yet inexperienced, unveiling the possibilities of employing business as a vehicle for good. Since my start at Dhana, I have been exposed to the many avenues of conscious capitalism and the importance of prioritizing all segments within the triple bottom line-people, planet, and profit. It's true, each day at Dhana is a step forward towards a better society, culture, and environment for the planet and people behind the product we provide. And until October of 2017, my perspective on the power of B Corps grew beyond our little office fighting for change, as I attended the 2017 B Corps Champions Retreat in Toronto, Canada.
Aside from this being my first time in Canada, the experience was of its own. As a rookie to the industry (and working world) I was overjoyed to be in the same room as pioneers from Patagonia, Seventh Generation, Ben & Jerry's, Deschutes Brewery (because who doesn't like to save the planet while having a beer) and many more. The flow of the conference was reflective of B Lab; honest, inclusive and empowering. Over the following three days I engaged in meaningful workshops on self-improvement that ended with tears, restored gardens at Evergreen Brick Works and engaged in plenty inspiring conversations that warmed the little activist within in myself who believed I could.
Prior to attending the retreat, outside of the cozy Dhana office where we dream big, plan bigger and do all things in favor of our community and the natural world, I was often labeled as 'hippie-ish', meaning I imaged grander than the world was ready. But after the first day of the retreat, I found myself surrounded by other like-minded individuals who saw beyond theoretical ideas and were engaged in constructive action bettering varying industries from banking to beauty cosmetics. We shared some of the challenges we have faced, accomplishments made, the failures we were forced to accept, but most importantly our personal stories on why we each were committed to the movement. These were the things we have all seen in our lives that we wish we hadn't or wish didn't exist. Well, this community is dedicated to making sure they don't.
While the world is still not perfect, we can still engage with certain businesses and brands to better the way the world operates. Next time you go shopping for groceries or are looking for a new bank, or anything that requires a transaction, look for the little B Corp logo letting you know you are supporting the environment and "people using business as a force for good".
A Movement Within Business Re-Defining Success and Standards
Certified B Corporations are businesses approved by the nonprofit organization, B Lab, who meet strict environmental, social, accountability, and transparency standards. B Corps are committed to using their business as a tool to empower the people and planet behind supply chains, participating in the global movement dedicated to redefining the limitations of success to value more than just profit.
If you are a business and this sounds like a fit for you, feel free to join the movement here!