The B Corp Handbook, Second Edition: How You Can Use Business as a Force for Good

Front Cover
Berrett-Koehler Publishers, Apr 23, 2019 - Business & Economics - 288 pages
B Corps are a global movement of more than 2,700 companies in 60 countries—like Patagonia, Ben & Jerry's, Kickstarter, Danone North America, and Eileen Fisher—that are using the power of business as a force for good. B Corps have been certified to have met rigorous standards of social and environmental performance, accountability, and transparency. This book is the authoritative guide to the what, why, and how of B Corp certification.

Coauthors Ryan Honeyman and Dr. Tiffany Jana spoke with the leaders of over 200 B Corps from around the world to get their insights on becoming a Certified B Corp, improving their social and environmental performance, and building a more inclusive economy. The second edition has been completely revised and updated to include a much stronger focus on diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI). These changes are important because DEI can no longer be a side conversation—it must be a core value for any company that aspires to make money and make a difference.

While this book is framed around the B Corp movement, any company, regardless of size, industry, or location, can use the tools contained here to learn how to build a better business. As the authors vividly demonstrate, using business as a force for good can help you attract and retain the best talent, distinguish your company in a crowded market, and increase trust in your brand.
 

Contents

Introduction
1
1 Overview
21
2 Benefits of Becoming a B Corp
37
3 The B Impact Assessment
61
4 The Quick Start Guide
161
Conclusion
177
Certified B Corporations and Benefit Corporations
189
Sample Diversity Equity and Inclusion Surveys
195
Acknowledgments
203
Index
205
Photo Credits
215
About the Authors
216
About LIFT Economy
218
About TMI Consulting
219
About B Lab
221
Copyright

Notes
199

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About the author (2019)

Ryan is a consultant at LIFT Economy and has helped Ben & Jerry’s, King Arthur Flour, Method, Klean Kanteen, and Nutiva become Certified B Corporations and maximize the value of their B Corp certification. Ryan has written articles for the Stanford Social Innovation Review, Fast Company, Entrepreneur, Huffington Post, Utne Reader, and TriplePundit. He has also been a featured speaker at SOCAP, Bioneers, the B Corp Champions Retreat, CatalystCreativ, and the Sustainable Enterprise Conference. Ryan holds a B.A. from the University of California, Santa Cruz and a M.Sc. from the London School of Economics and Political Science.

Ryan Honeyman is a consultant at LIFT Economy and has helped Ben & Jerry’s, King Arthur Flour, Method, Klean Kanteen, and Nutiva become Certified B Corporations and maximize the value of their B Corp certification. Ryan has written articles for the Stanford Social Innovation Review, Fast Company, Entrepreneur, Huffington Post, Utne Reader, and TriplePundit. He has also been a featured speaker at SOCAP, Bioneers, the B Corp Champions Retreat, CatalystCreativ, and the Sustainable Enterprise Conference.

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