The B Corporation Movement

The B Corporation movement is growing. 

Positioned at the helm, B Lab supports entrepreneurs through efforts to spotlight certified B Corporations, remove legal impediments for the entrepreneurs via Benefit Corporation legislation, and drive capital through Impact Investing.

In the last quarter of 2012, over 72 companies qualified as certified B Corps (including Ben & Jerry's), making a grand total of over 685 companies in 24 different countries and 60 industries. Within the B Corp community, members have begun to form partnerships, offer discounts, and advocate for good business.

Benefit Corporation legislation has been enacted in 12 states, and is moving forward in 17 others. The legislation has enjoyed overwhelming bi-partisan support mainly because it’s 100 percent voluntary and costs states nothing. One state which hasn't yet passed legislation but holds potential for great impact is Delaware: this is expected to happen coming months.

The goal of B Corp entrepreneurs, consumers and investors is simple: to redefine success in business. Maybe the B-Corp certification will become the new BBB or Good Housekeeping Seal of Approval? Time will tell.

Stats and updates courtesy of CSR Wire 

Social Intrapreneurs

There's a lot of buzz and dialogue around social entrepreneurship these days. But not everyone who is passionate about social good is cut out to be an entrepreneur, or even to work in a startup-style operation, and not everyone can: we need existing companies to make a shift too, and everyone plays a role in creating sustainable change.

So what is a Social Intrapreneur?

Social intrapreneurs are individuals who work within a company or organization to align economic and social goals. They can work in one of many departments: managing finance or the supply chain, operations or marketing, or as the head of a business unit.

A social intrapreneur is committed to continual economic, environmental, and social improvement, and disregards the logic that says economic prosperity sacrifices any of these.

New processes such as the Global Reporting Index and Impact Reporting and Investment Standards help intrapreneurs define social impact and demonstrate results, which can reinforce the value of improvements to higher-up management. CSR team or no, there is no better time than now to start: in fact, any later time is probably a worse time. Your company will thank you.