In our B Corp series we report on news within the B Corporation community, often focusing on inspiring B Corps and their stories. Our May blog talked about B Lab having reached 5000 B Corps. In June we spoke about women in leadership moving corporations toward sustainable development goals (SDG) and we explained what SDGs are.
This month we have taken note of a very important announcement at bcorporation.net: the three Co-Founders of B Lab are passing the torch to new leadership. At AMS Fulfillment, we see the B Corporation as vital to a future where human beings and the earth are no longer exploited. We have chosen to be the change we all want to see in the world and are very happy and proud to be in the company of a growing number of B Corporations. We welcome the new leadership and look forward to a future where the B Corporation leads the way.
At bcorporation.net we see the following announcement:
“Sixteen years ago this week, B Lab was formally launched by three college friends committing themselves to a Declaration of Interdependence. The three of us — Andrew, Bart, and Jay — shared a hope for a better way to do business: better for workers, better for communities, better for the planet.”
The article goes on to talk about the beginning, the inspiration, the ideas and what they saw as the opportunity to address challenges.
“The very first B Corps were certified 15 years ago, in June 2007, at the BALLE (now Common Future) conference at UC Berkeley. 19 pioneering companies stood up in a room and said “We Are In” without having any idea what they were in for. By the end of that year, we had certified 81 Founding B Corps, each signing a copy of the Declaration of Interdependence as an expression of our shared values and additional requirement of their certification.”
The article talks about having reached the milestone of 5,000 B Corps spanning 80 countries and 150 industries. The authors explain that the movement “…has never been about building an empire of B Corps, and that the certification is a means, not an end. B Corps have a direct impact on their workers, communities, and environment; they are making collective commitments to be net zero on climate, to reduce inequality, and to build racial equity in their companies; and their advocacy has resulted in the passage of legislation in 52 jurisdictions around the globe to upgrade fiduciary duty and corporate governance.”
The founders welcome Eleanor Allen as B Lab’s new Lead Executive as follows:
“We believed that the organization would be best served by moving from a founder-led organization to a professionally managed global network. After an 18 month search, we are beyond thrilled that Eleanor has agreed to carry the torch of leadership into this next decade of impact.
“The three of us remain totally passionate about and totally committed to this movement. We will continue to contribute outside of day to day operating roles, with Jay leading Imperative 21, a collaborative organization that is building narrative power for a just economy, and Andrew and Bart as executive members of the B Lab Board of Directors and advisors to Eleanor.”
AMS Fulfillment joins in welcoming Eleanor to the constellation of leaders that is the B Global Network. Please read the full article HERE.
