why: the case for b corp certification with happy family
TRANSCRIPT
Andy Fyfe, B LabHosted by:Jessica Friesen, B Lab
Featuring: Emily Erickson, Happy Family
The Case for B Corp Certification
with Happy Family
1. Overview of B Lab & Vision
2. Certified B Corporation– Spotlight:
3. Why certify as a B Corporation
4. How to Get Started
Agenda
B Lab is serving a global movement ofPeople Using Business as a Force for Good
So that one day all companies compete to be Best for the World
And society enjoys ashared and durable prosperity.
• A certification conferred by the non-profit B Lab
• A company that meets a high level of social and environmental performance AND makes a legal commitment to consider all stakeholders
• Any for-profit company in any country can pursue certification (LLC’s included)
• A corporate form (taxed like a C-corp or an S-corp) that has a higher level of transparency, accountability and purpose
• A legal entity that has protection and permission to consider its impact on all stakeholders, not just shareholders
• Available in 31 states in the U.S.
Certified B Corp vs. Benefit Corporation
Poll:
How interested are you in B Corp Certification?• I’m doing it• Interested, but something is standing in the way• I’m curious, but need to be convinced• Not interested• N/A
B Corporations
The B Corporation certification is to business what Fair Trade is to coffee orUSDA Organic is to milk.
1. Social & Environmental Performance
2. Transparency 3. Accountability
Companies using business as a force for good.
They meet verified higher levels of:
“By committing to accountability and transparency in our
own business practices, we’re joining in the
global movement to change the way that businesses operate.”
What is a B Corporation?
• New York, NY (and Boise, ID!)Organic Baby & Toddler Food
✓ Mission: Changing the way we feed our children
✓ Health insurance offered to all employees. *New 12 wk. paid
maternity leave
✓ >10% profits donated to charity✓ >60% of suppliers have third party
social/environmental certification.
B Corp Community = Good Company to Keep
Happy Family: Green Team• Mission: provide education and opportunities to employees in pursuit
of creating a cleaner, happier planet.
“Walking our talk”• Zero Waste goal
○ Composting & recy.• Office purchase guide• Wellness Challenges • Tracking employee air
travel • Coffee club
Danone - Target Zero Net Carbon
Create a baseline for carbon footprint
Compare to industry standards
Happy Family: Environmental Stewardship
“There’s a lot more authenticity in the process today and there’s a lot more strategy around long-term shareholder value.
- Dave Stangis, VP Corporate Affairs and Social Responsibility, Campbell Soup Co.
B Corps in the Public Market
“The B Corp movement is one of the most important of our lifetime, built on the simple fact that business impacts and serves more than just shareholders – it has an equal responsibility to the community and to the planet.
Patagonia has been a 40-year experiment in what it means to be a responsible company, and becoming a B Corp has ensured that our experiment will keep pushing forward.”
- Rose Marcario, Patagonia CEO
Lead a Movement
B Corp Certification helps companies:
1. Maintain Mission
2. Differentiate from Pretenders
3. Benchmark and Improve Performance
4. Attract and Engage Talent
5. Collaborate with Peers
6. Save Money and Access Services
7. Generate press
8. Raise Capital
Learn more here: http://www.bcorporation.net/become-a-b-corp/why-become-a-b-corp
Why Certify?
Why are you interested in becoming a B Corp?
• Maintain Mission
• Differentiate from Pretenders
• Benchmark and Improve Performance
• Attract and Engage Talent
• Other
Poll:
Adopting the B Corp legal standards:
• Bakes the values of the company into its legal DNA
• Gives protection and permission to consider non-financial stakeholders (community, employees, suppliers, environment)
• Ensures that mission can survive through new management, succession, or ownership
Yvon Chouinard, Patagonia First to register as a benefit corporation in CA
January, 2011
“Benefit corporation legislation creates the legal framework to enable mission-driven companies like Patagonia to stay mission-driven through succession, capital raises, and even changes in ownership, by institutionalizing the values, culture, processes, and high standards put in place by founding entrepreneurs.” – Yvon Chouinard
1. Maintain Mission
Jennifer McKaig
“The biggest surprise to me was realizing that our employees deeply cared about the things the B Impact Assessment measured.”
3. Benchmark & Improve Performance
• B Corp certification provides a platform to engage current staff and give employees more meaning in their work
4. Attract & Engage Talent
Guinness Book of World Records:
Lined up more than 10,000 packages of baby food in the park, building a 1.2 mile chain.
Donated to local charities like Ronald McDonald House, the Idaho Foodbank, and City Light Rescue Mission.
Access to a suite of partnerships and discounts• NetSuite – ERP software discount• Salesforce – Software discount• TrustLaw – Legal advice• Intuit – Software discount• B Corp Jobs Board – Free postings
Tuition Discounts / Forgiveness• Yale School of Management • NYU Stern School of Business• Presidio Graduate School • Golden Gate University
6. Save Money & Access Services
• For-Profit Companies of Any Size
• Any Industry / Geography
• Customized assessment based on industry, size, geography
• Any Legal Structure (sole proprietors, LLC’s, Corporations, etc.)*
• Companies over 1 year old – special Pending B Corp program for start-ups*
Who Can Certify?
Step 1: Meet Performance Requirement Complete the B Impact Assessment and earn a reviewed minimum score of 80 out of 200 points
Step 2: Meet Legal RequirementDetermine the path for your corporate structure and state of incorporation
Step 3: Make it OfficialSign the Declaration of Interdependence, pay certification fees and and put a profile up on bcorporation.net
To learn more, visit:www.bcorporation.net/become-a-b-corp/how-to-become-a-b-corp
How Does a Company Certify?
Governance
• Transparency
• Ownership
Workers
• Job Growth
• Compensation & Benefits
• Employment Practices
• Work Environment
• Employee Ownership
Community
• Suppliers
• Local
• Diversity
• Charity / Volunteerism
Environment
• Energy Use
• Facilities
• Supply Chain
• Manufacturing
+ Impact Business Models
• Direct Impact Products /Services
• Targeting Underserved Communities
• High Impact Supply Chain
Step 1: Meet Performance Requirement
Adopting the B Corp legal standards:
• Bakes the values of the company into its legal DNA
• Gives protection and permission to consider non-financial stakeholders (community, employees, suppliers, environment)
• Ensures that mission can survive over time
Step 2: Meet Legal Requirement
Legal Requirements Term Sheet & Certification Fees ❑ Sign B Lab Term Sheet
▪ Certification term is 2-years▪ Participate in on-site review if randomly
selected (10% of Certified B Corps randomly selected each year)
❑ Sign the Declaration of Interdependence,
❑ Pay certification fees▪ Annual certification fees based on the tiered
structure
❑ Put a profile up on bcorporation.net
Step 3: Term Sheet & Fee
What’s your next step for moving forward?
• Start or complete the B Impact Assessment
• Improve my score to be over 80
• Preserve my mission
• Complete documentation
• Other
Poll:
▪ B Impact Assessment: http://bimpactassessment.net/
▪ How to Certify as a B Corp: http://www.bcorporation.net/become-a-b-corp/how-to-become-a-b-corp
▪ Legal Requirements: http://www.bcorporation.net/become-a-b-corp/why-become-a-b-corp/protect-your-mission
▪ FAQ for Investors & Directors: http://www.bcorporation.net/sites/all/themes/adaptivetheme/bcorp/pdfs/faqs_investors_and_directors4.pdf
▪ Pending B Corp Status for Start Ups: http://www.bcorporation.net/become-a-b-corp/how-to-become-a-b-corp/steps-start-ups
▪ Case Studies: http://bimpactassessment.net/case-studies
▪ B Corp Press: http://www.bcorporation.net/news-media
Resources
Jessica FriesenB Lab: Community [email protected]