1.
B Corp Certification
Joyce Sou

2.
Overview of B Lab & Vision
Why certify as a B Corporation
How to Get Started

3.
B Lab is serving a global movement of
People Using Business as a Force for Good
So that one day all companies compete to be
Best for the World
And society enjoys a
shared and durable prosperity.

4.
The Global Movement
Canada

5.
Evolution of Business

6.
People are Demanding Better

7.
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
• I’m a skeptic
• N/A

8.
The B Corporation certification
is to business what
Fair Trade is to coffee and LEED is to
green buildings.

9.
Certified B Corporations are using business as a force
for good.
• B Corps are certified by the independent nonprofit B Lab
• B Corps meet higher standards of social and environmental
performance, transparency, and accountability
• Over 1400 companies in 41 countries
• Makes a legal commitment to consider all stakeholders
What is a Certified B Corp?

10.
1. Social & Environmental
Performance
2. Transparency 3. Accountability
Companies using business as a force for good.
They meet verified higher levels of:
“B Corp certification
further signals to our
stakeholders
(coworkers, customers,
suppliers, and
community) that our
values are truly at the
core of our business.”

11.
Environment
100% green energy
Workers
50% full time employee participate in
external professional development
Community
1% of sales donated to environmental
NGOs

12.
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

13.
50%
26%
6%
1%
5%
2%
4%
6%

14.
Benchmark performance
Attract and Engage Talent
Save Money and Access Services
Partner with Peers
B Corp Certification helps companies:
Show Leadership
Differentiate from Pretenders
Generate Press
Attract Investors

15.
Why are you interested in becoming a B Corp?
• Maintain Mission
• Differentiate from Pretenders
• Benchmark and Improve Performance
• Attract and Engage Talent
• Other

16.
Maintain Mission
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

17.
Jennifer McKaig
“The biggest surprise to me was realizing that our employees deeply
cared about the things the B Impact Assessment measured.”

18.
“B Corps are 46% more likely to
have satisfied and engaged
employees than ordinary
businesses.”
“Employees who are satisfied in
their jobs because they believe in
what they are doing have 16%
better overall performance and
125% less burnout than their
peers.”
“Almost two-thirds of millennials
said they would rather make
$40,000 a year at a job they love
than $100,000 a year at a job they
think is boring.”
• B Corp certification provides a platform to engage current staff and give
employees more meaning in their work

19.
• For-Profit Companies of Any Size
• Any Industry / Geography
• Customized assessment based on industry, size,
geography
• Any Legal Structure (sole proprietors, LLP’s,
Corporations, etc.)*
• Companies over 1 year old – special Pending B
Corp program for start-ups**
Who Can Become a B Corp?
** For more on Pending B Corp, visit: http://www.bcorporation.net/become-a-b-
corp/how-to-become-a-b-corp

20.
Meet Performance Requirement
Complete the B Impact Assessment and earn a
reviewed minimum score of 80 out
of 200 points
Meet Legal Requirement
Determine the path for your corporate structure
Make it Official
Sign 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

21.
Step 1: Do the Assessment
Timeline: 1.5 – 3 hours
❑ Create a B Impact Assessment Login
❑ Take a first pass of assessment
❑ Review initial score
❑ See how you stack up compared to 20,000
+ that have taken the assessment

22.
Step 1: Do the Assessment
• Visit www.bimpactassessment.net to get started

23.
Step 1: Do the Assessment

24.
Step 1: Do the Assessment
• Take a first pass – estimates are great at this stage

25.
• Take a first pass – estimates are great at this stage
Step 1: Do the Assessment

26.
Step 1: Do the Assessment

27.
• Use ‘Revisit This’ and make sure to save your work
Step 1: Do the Assessment

28.
Step 1: Do the Assessment

29.
Step 2: Documentation & Review call
❑ Submit Assessment for Review (90% complete)
❑ Submit Documentation (as required)
❑ B Lab Staff will Schedule 90 minute call
❑ Review Assessment, refine score

30.
Step 3: Follow up
❑ Update assessment (if necessary)
❑ Upload outstanding documentation
❑ Finalize score with B Lab staff

31.
Step 3a: Fine Tune & Continuous Improvement
❑ If your score is below 80, use this opportunity to fine tune your plan to
improve your score and deepen impacts
❑ Celebrate success! Each action you take is moving you down the path toward
becoming a better company!
❑ Develop a timeline for certification & share with your team

32.
Best Practice Guides
Step 3a: Fine Tune & Continuous Improvement

33.
Step 3a: Fine Tune & Continuous Improvement

34.
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

35.
• A legal entity that has protection and permission to consider its impact on all
stakeholders, not just shareholders.
• Most benefit corporations are required to create annual reports on their positive
impact.
• B Lab is an advocate behind the legislation
Benefit Corporation

36.
Legal RequirementsTerm 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)
▪ Annual certification fees based on the tiered structure
Company Revenue Fee
$0 - $499,999 $500
$500,000 - $1,999,999 $1,000
$2,000,000 - $4,999,999 $1,500
$5,000,000 - $9,999,999 $2,500
$10,000,000 - $19,999,999 $5,000
$20,000,000 - $49,999,999 $10,000
$50,000,000 - $99,999,999 $15,000
$100,000,000 - $999,999,999 $25,000
$1B+ $50,000+
Make it Official

37.
What is your next step?
•Start or complete the B Impact Assessment
•Meet the legal requirement
•Improve my score to be over 80
•Complete documentation
•Engage my team internally

38.
Join us.
Redefine success in business.
Help create the new economy.
Build a better business.
Compete to be not only
the best in the world,
but the best for the world.

39.
Resources
▪ B Corp Press: http://www.bcorporation.net/news-media
▪ How to become 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 Certification for Start Ups: http://www.bcorporation.net/become-a-b-corp/how-to-
become-a-b-corp/steps-start-ups
▪ B Impact Assessment: http://bimpactassessment.net/
▪ Case Studies: http://bimpactassessment.net/case-studies
▪ Certification Fees; https://www.bcorporation.net/become-a-b-corp/how-to-become-a-b-corp/make-it-
official