Businesses can take many different forms, and one of our favourites at Roundhouse is B Corp. You might be wondering – What is a B Corp? What does the B stand for? Business? Better? Banana? Well, a B Corp is a for-profit company, certified to meet rigorous standards of social and environmental performance, accountability, and transparency.
Basically, B Corp is to business what Fair Trade is to coffee. And the B? It stands for benefit!
There are over 2,100 certified B Corps in the world, across 50 countries and 130 industries. These B Corps, including businesses such as Ben & Jerry’s, Patagonia, and Etsy, are working together towards the goal of redefining what success looks like for business. In Canada, we are currently the second largest community of B Corps with over 150; 15 of those from Alberta. We are very proud of the four B Corps from Edmonton: Chandos, Localize, Peace Power, and Unbelts. Representing the construction, food, energy, and fashion industries, the B Corps in Edmonton have diverse missions, and show the possibilities that are available for any business to be a force for good.
Becoming a B Corp is not only good for the world, but it is also great for business! Among other benefits, being a B Corp can help you attract investment, attract quality employees and benchmark your performance to encourage improvement.
Roundhouse and the MacEwan University Social Innovation Institute want to see the B Corp movement catch momentum and spread across Edmonton. We’re excited to have BDC at Roundhouse to host a B Corp 101: Learning to Measure What Matters workshop on June 21 from 9 a.m. - 12 p.m.
This workshop is perfect for anyone contemplating B Corp certification, or who just want to get a better idea of how to measure the impact that their business is having.
To learn more about B Corps and how to support them you can visit their website at bcorporation.net.