March is known as the Certified B Corp Month.
During the whole month, the B Lab invites all the certified companies to uncover what makes B Corps better for people and the planet.
You might come across any post from one of the more than 4800 B Corps Worldwide. Perhaps, some are explaining what a Certified B Corporation mean. Others are sharing lessons and examples of why they are better for an inclusive, equitable, and regenerative economy.
What does it mean to be a Certified B Corp?
Well! Before moving forward, We‘ll explain what it means to be a Certified B Corporation.
B Corps are companies that make their business as a force for good and place purpose over profits. In other words, Certified B corporations are leaders in the global movement for an inclusive, equitable and regenerative economy.
The purpose of the B Lab is to transform the global economy to benefit all people, communities, and the planet, together with all the B Corps.
What does it take to become a Certified B Corp?
Verified by the B Lab, every company must follow tight guidelines and a rigorous certification process to become part of the movement.
To be certified, companies measure the entire business impact to achieve the highest social and environmental responsibility standards, public transparency, and accountability. From employee benefits and charitable giving to business model and materials used, all the evaluation factors within the business matter to complete the assessment and meet the legal requirements.
You can find here the pathway to becoming a Certified B Corp.
Which are the best for the World Certified B Corps?
Every year, B Lab releases a certified b corp list whose scores reach the top 5% of all the b corps. Among the 4000 B Corps, the best scoring companies for the world appear in one or more different impact certification areas: community, environment, governance, customers and workers.
So, you can check all the best for the world 2021 lists here. From the top 5%, we decided to present you 10 b corps divided by the five impact areas.
Best for the Community:
Dr Bronners – Developing conscious personal care products.
Dr Bronner’s was certified as a B Corp in September 2015. With an overall score of 177,05, Dr Bronner’s focuses its business on making socially and environmentally responsible products, dedicating its profits to help make a better world and advancing positive social change.
Founded in 1948 by Emanuel Bronner, Dr Bronner’s is the legacy of a third-generation German-Jewish Soapmaking Family. From pioneering USDA certified organic products to fair trade projects, the main focus of this company is body care products.
Since 2016, the company has been collecting the recognition of being one of the best of the world B corps in different categories.
Uncommon Goods – Offering remarkable designs by independent makers.
After visiting a craft show in 1999, Dave Bolottsky had an idea. Afterwards, he created a place where people could find unique and different artwork – Uncommon Goods.
Now, this online marketplace connects worldwide makers and artists with people looking for unexpected gifts. Furthermore, with a strict selection, products with fur, feathers, pearls or leather goods are not welcome on this platform.
Supported by 200 year-round team members, this online platform uses its business to solve social and environmental challenges. Caring for its members, it gives an above-average wage, training, and paid family leave to its members. For maximum transparency, all the financial reports are available to the employees.
Being part of the B Corps since May 2007, Uncommon Goods is recognized as best for the community for the last 5 years. In 2021, this company scored 126.2 on the overall B Impact Score.
Best for Customers
Amplio Recruiting – Giving work opportunities to refugees.
Amplio Recruiting is a staffing agency that connects dependable refugee workforce with companies.
Created in 2014, Amplio Recruiting ensures that all the employees are qualified and experienced to exceed the company’s expectations in different industries, including light industrial work, hospitality and construction.
As companies give opportunities to refugees, companies gain loyal and talented people, reducing the turnover. With a qualified and organized process, this recruiting agency completes drug tests and background checks to provide legal and motivated refugee workforce.
Considered a B Corp since 2018, Amplio Recruiting was nominated one of the best for customers in 2021. Its overall B Corp score is 108.9.
Watalux – Treating water to improve the health of vulnerable communities.
Recognized as a B Corp since February of 2020, Watalux is a social enterprise based in Switzerland. This company grew out of an organization of public benefit – Antenna Foundation.
Founded in 2018, this B Corp Company is on a mission to produce and disseminate innovative technologies to reduce extreme poverty and improve the health of the most vulnerable communities.
Through a stand-alone device for disinfection and water treatment – Wata, Watalux can provide the chlorination of water networks and treat water in times of humanitarian crises and hospital hygiene.
Nominated as best for the Customers, Watalux has an overall B Corp score of 110.5.
Best For Workers
Fat Beehive – Amplifying not-for-profit organizations through design.
Founded in 1997, Fat Beehive designs stunning websites, digital products and brands for the not-for-profit sector and organizations committed to social good. This creative company was certified as a B Corp in 2020
Offering digital services, Fat Beehive’s mission is to support and amplify the work of organizations doing social good. Also, it demonstrates that ethical businesses can create a positive impact on employees, communities and the environment.
Recognized as the UK’s 8th best place to work in 2019, this company created an inclusive and supportive work environment. Each year, it provides paid placements for disabled graduates. Most importantly, the company looks for ways to have more BAME and Women representation in tech.
Furthermore, Fat Beehive reverts a portion of profits to its foundation to support small charities around the UK. In addition, it pays volunteering days to their staff to help other impactful causes.
With a score of 119.9 in 2021, Fat Beehive is one of the best for the workers of the Certified B Corps.
Sama – AI Training Data Platform to empower businesses.
Created in 2008 by Leila Janah in Kenya, Sama is based on the belief that “Talent is equally distributed, but opportunity is not.”
Sama provides high-quality training data annotation that powers AI technology. Through it, this company is pioneering new technologies and business methods to harness social good impact. Moreover, well-known organizations use this AI platform, such as Google, NVIDIA, GM, and Walmart.
Through its Ethical AI supply Chain system, Sama believes that connecting people to dignified digital work and paying good living wages can solve social and environmental challenges—from reducing poverty to empowering women and mitigating climate change.
In conclusion, Sama was certified as a B Corp in 2020 and became one of the best for the world B Corps for Workers in 2021.
Best for the Environment
Bio Bean – Making sustainable bio-based products from coffee grounds.
Certified a B Corp in October 2020, Bio Bean is one of the largest coffee grounds recyclers in the world.
Based in Cambridgeshire, UK, this company makes sustainable bio-based products from spent coffee grounds for industrial markets and consumers.
Through the coffee ground business, Bio Bean is:
- driving behavior change;
- reducing greenhouse gas emissions;
- saving businesses money;
- and delivering sustainable impact within the circular economy.
In conclusion, Bio Bean wants to create impactful and sustainable change by collecting the coffee grounds and transforming them into value.
With sustainability at the heart of their business, Bio Bean is one of the best for the world in the environment category and has a B Corp score of 99.1.
Green Vines – Developing fresh & fair trade personal care products.
Green Vines was founded in 2010 by Dr Lin Pishia in Taiwan. This company is a unique lifestyle brand creating fresh and personal care products for the human bodies’ real needs.
Green Vines is on a mission to change the way the world consumes one face at a time.
Furthermore, Dr Lin Pishia believes that with more information, more transparency, more consistency and more power to you, we can live a life with less of the other stuff we don’t need: less waste, less excess, fewer chemicals, less uncertainty. In other words, Green Vines lives by the philosophy that “The more you know, the better you consume”.
With an amazing history during the last years in the environmental category, this skincare product brand got the certification certified in 2015 and had an Overall B Corp score of 117.6 in 2021.
Best for Governance
Lift Economy – Advising companies for impactful results.
Founded in 2011, LIFT Economy is an impact consulting firm helping its clients grow their businesses.
Furthermore, LIFT Economy helps:
- Certify B Corps;
- integrate diversity equity and inclusion in the roots of any company’s culture;
- increase the organization’s social and environmental responsibility;
- and raise mission-aligned capital.
Some of their clients are Patagonia, Ben & Jerry’s and Allbirds.
Moreover, Lift Economy Team members contributed to writing a book on B Corps: “The B Corp Handbook: How You Can Use Business as a Force for Good”.
On a mission to create, model, and share a locally self-reliant and inclusive economy that works for the benefit of all life, this Impact Consulting firm has been a B Corp since July 2014.
In 2021, LIFT Economy scored a total B Corp score of 154.7 and got the nominations of one of the Best for The World in Governance.
Patients Know Best – Including patients on their medical records.
Recognized as a B Corporation since 2015, Patients Know Best (PKB) is a social enterprise and technology platform.
In short, this software arose to empower patients to be part of their health and wellbeing by crossing the medical data from health and social care providers with the data from the patients. In other words, the full medical record is accessible to clinicians, researchers, charities and patients for the benefit of everyone.
Also, the platform enables health network interactions, including remote consultations and dynamic care planning.
With over a million patients using the platform across the United Kingdom, PKB is recognized as a top 5% company for Governance in 2021 with a score of 21.6 (Overall score of 87.4).
Becoming a Certified B Corp.
Perhaps, your business is driving a meaningful impact. Or you want to recalibrate your business to improve your impact and become a force for good. Hence, it might be great for your organization to become part of the Certified B Corp movement.
The first step is to study the certification processes and check all the required standards. If you want to understand your environmental and social impact, you can enroll in one of the B Lab Programs. Also, you can read the resources provided by the organization.
To be certified, your organization needs to achieve the 80+ points required. Are you ready to transform the economy to benefit all people, communities and the planet? Recently, Work For Impact was recognized as a Certified B Corp and proudly became part of this purposeful movement and this month we are celebrating too.