1.
Evolving for Good:
The evolution of business as a lever for
environmental and social change.
Kim Coupounas
B Lab
kim@bcorporation.net

2.
By the end of this session you
will...
1 Have a clearer vision
for how capitalism -
and your industry
and businesses - can
be used as a force for
good
2 3Understand
“movements”
better and the pet
industry as a
powerful
community of
practice capable
of great good in
the world
Be excited about
what you can do
to forward this
movement, your
industry, and
your business

3.
6

4.
First numerical point Fourth numerical point
Second numerical point Fifth numerical point
Third numerical point Sixth numerical point
7

5.
9

6.
“Directors cannot
defend a business
strategy that openly
eschews stockholder
wealth maximization.”
-- craigslist v
ebay decision, Sept.
2010
PEOPLE
PLANET
i.e., OTHER
STAKEHOLDERS
SHAREHOLDERS

7.
of Americans 18 to 29
identify as ‘capitalists’
Sources: Foreign Affairs Dec 2016; Mauna Loa Observatory Jan 2016; Harvard Institute of Politics, as reported in Time May 23, 2016
40% 19%
Systemic Failure requires Systemic Change
407.7
carbon ppm
in Earth’s atmosphere
of wealth owned by
1% of Americans

8.
Recognition
of system
failure
Existence
of viable
alternatives
The conditions for systems change are:

9.
What if…
…we could
harness the power of business
to address these issues and help solve
some of society’s greatest challenges?

10.
15
“Businessmen who
focus on profits wind
up in the hole. For me,
profit is what happens
when you do
everything else right.”
- Yvon Choinnard,
Founder of Patagonia
(a Certified B Corp
and CA benefit corp)

11.
16
“I don't think our fiduciary
duty is to put
shareholders first. I say
the opposite…[If] we
focus our company on
improving the lives of the
world's citizens and
come up with genuine
sustainable solutions, we
are more in synch with
consumers and society
and ultimately this will
result in good
shareholder returns.”
- Paul Polman, CEO,
Unilever

12.
17
As younger companies
come up and think about
how they operate and
how they want to be
structured, maybe they
won’t be so easily swept
up by all the usual
choices. Maybe they’ll be
thinking long term,
thinking about how to
look after the things they
care about.” – Perry
Chen, Co-Founder,
Kickstarter (a Certified B
Corp and benefit
corporation)

13.
What if
companies
competed to be
not only the Best
in the World but
the Best FOR
the World….

14.
An Historic Global
Culture Shift is
Underway

15.
Making an Alternative Viable and Scalable
B Lab is a nonprofit that serves a global movement
of people using business as a force for good.
Our vision is that all companies will compete to be
best for the world, and as a result society will enjoy
a more shared and durable prosperity.

16.
Integrated Approach to Systems Change
Start
Develop market
infrastructure
Step 2
Create standards +
tools
to make it easy
for millions of other
businesses to follow
Step 3
Inspire billions of
consumers, workers,
investors and others
to support businesses
who are a force for good
Step 1
Build a community
of thousands of credible
leaders -- B Corps
End
Shared & Durable
Prosperity

17.
Building a
community of leaders2000+
CERTIFIED B CORPS
50
COUNTRIES
130
INDUSTRIES
1
UNIFYING GOAL

18.
Certified B Corporations are leaders
of a global movement of people using
business as a force for good.
They meet verified higher levels of
● Social + environmental performance
● Transparency
● Accountability

19.
Began offering a retirement plan,
life insurance, and disability
insurance to employees
Began subsidizing
off-site childcare
Raised compensation
for all employees to
a living wage
When companies take the B Impact Assessment, they make measurable change.
Switched energy providers
so their office could be 100%
wind-powered
Created a supplier education
program to help their supply
chain reduce their carbon
emissions
Tripled their percentage
of spending with locally
owned businesses
Badger
Boloco
iSupportU
Greyston Bakery
Fireclay Tile
Etsy

20.
The Evolution of Business
20th Century 21st Century
Shareholder Corporation Stakeholder Corporation
Maximizes
Shareholder Value
Creates Social Value and
Shareholder Value
was about is about

21.
27
There is one rule for the
industrialist and that is:
make the best quality of
goods possible at the
lowest cost possible,
paying the highest
wages possible. – Henry
Ford

22.
33
LAWS PASSED
3500+
BENEFIT CORPS
G8
TASK FORCE
ERISA
REFORM
Impact Governance

23.
Investing in benefit corporations
+ B Corps

24.
60,000+
USERS OF THE BIA
60+
GIIRS RATED FUNDS
Impact Management
100+
MEASURE WHAT MATTERS
PARTNERSHIPS

25.
Institutions using
the B Impact Assessment

26.
Collective Voice
3000+
ARTICLES
60MM+
FOLLOWERS
200+
UNIVERSITIES

27.
Unifying Brand
Building awareness and preference for a
better way to do business.

28.
Positive, System Impact
When all businesses behave like B Corps, all stakeholders in the ecosystem
will have better choices and better outcomes
• New products to meet demand
• Credible impact data
Investors
• More solutions at scale
• Fewer negative externalities
Policy Makers
• Innovative economic development
• Building + keeping community wealth
• Improved quality of life
Communities
• Concrete examples, frameworks, and experiences
• Vast, credible data for research
Educators
• Higher quality jobs
• Meaningful work
Workers
• Better choices at retail
• Higher impact, lower risk supply chains
Customers
• Lower carbon, waste, water, toxins
• Fewer resources consumed to make products
Environment

29.
I often wonder to what extent business
can help society in its goals to alleviate
poverty, preserve ecosystems, and
build strong communities and
institutions…
The B Corp movement shows us that
business, the driving force of our
economy, can be an agent of change.”
U.S. Secretary of State
Madeleine Albright
“B Corp is one of 20 Moments That
Mattered Over the Last 20 Years”
“Be Like a B Corp is one of 5 Business
Trends to Master in 2016”
“

30.
movement
/ˈmo͞ ovmənt/
noun
a group of people working together to advance their shared political,
social, or artistic ideas or values.
“labor movement”
“the civil rights movement”
“the B Corp movement”
(conscious capitalism, business for good, impact capitalism, shared
value, etc)

31.
Case Study:
The Outdoor Industry

32.
42
JANUARY 2007
JULY/AUG 2010
MARCH 2011
2017
OIA SWG founded by industry members
Goal: develop an industry sustainability
index
Original ECO INDEX launched at OutDoor,
Germany + Outdoor Retailer, USA
SAC is founded; adopts ECO INDEX as
key input to what would soon become the
HIGG INDEX
OIA SWG: ~150 member companies
Higg Index adoption campaign

33.
How to Start a Movement

34.
The Lone Shirtless Guy

35.
The First “Follower” (Co-Founder)

36.
The Second “Followers” (Founding Members)

37.
“Now We Have a Movement!”

38.
People are Demanding Better
Last 20 Years
Good Products
“
21st Century
Good Companies
90% of Americans say that companies must not
only say a product or service is beneficial, but they
need to prove it.”
– Cone Communications
73% of consumers care about the company, not just
the product when making a purchasing decision.”“ – BBMG