Champions Retreat 2022
November 29 to December 1, 2022 — Loews Hotel, Philadelphia
Champions Retreat 2022 has ended! Thank you to our all of our attendees, speakers, sponsors and partners who helped us create a truly memorable event. You can watch the session recordings on the B Lab U.S. & Canada YouTube channel. Stay tuned and subscribe here for updates about the next Champions Retreat, to be held in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada in 2024! Reach out to championsretreat@usca.bcorporation.net with any comments or questions.
View the 2024 Champions Retreat page.
About Champions Retreat
Champions Retreat is the marquee gathering of the community of Certified B Corporations in the U.S. & Canada, partners, and values-aligned people using business as a force for good to deliver on our vision of an inclusive, equitable, and regenerative economic system for all people and the planet. The 2022 theme, Humanity @ Work, celebrated the human values that fuel our business values and allowed us to build community and connection. The first time our B Corp community gathered in person in three years, Champions Retreat 2022 was an important forum for mobilizing toward collective action around racial equity, climate justice, and a stakeholder-driven economic system.
We’re excited to have brought our community together in-person for the first time since 2019 to connect, celebrate, and collaborate at the 2022 Champions Retreat.
When: Tuesday, Nov. 29, 2022 to Thursday, Dec. 1, 2022
Where: Loews Hotel, Philadelphia
If you have any questions about Champions Retreat 2022 please email us at championsretreat@usca.bcorporation.net
Thank you to our 2022 sponsors!
November 28, 2022
November 29, 2022
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Registration / Information
7:30 am – 5:00 pm
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Lend a hand in support of the Point Breeze Community @ Saxbys
9:30 am – 12:00 pm & 12:00 pm – 3:00 pm
Register -
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Buses Depart to the Opening Reception @ Franklin Institute beginning
5:30 pm – 6:15 pm
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November 30, 2022
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Yoga
6:30 am – 7:30 am
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Registration / Information
7:00 am – 5:00 pm
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Opening Plenary: Humanity @ Work
8:45 am – 10:00 am
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Morning Networking Break
10:00 am – 10:30 am
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Funders Forum
11:45 am – 1:00 pm
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Marketplace
11:45 am – 5:00 pm
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Afternoon Plenary: Building a Movement and Shifting Power
1:15 pm – 2:30 pm
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Afternoon Break
3:45 pm – 4:00 pm
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Closing Plenary: Co-Creating Climate Justice
4:00 pm – 5:00 pm
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Buses Depart to B Together @ MaKen North
Beginning at 5:30 pm – 6:30 pm
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December 1, 2022
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Yoga
6:30 am – 7:30 am
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Marketplace
7:00 am – 3:30 pm
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Opening Plenary: Centering Racial Equity
8:45 am – 10:10 am
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Morning Networking Break
10:10 am – 10:30 am
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Closing Plenary: Our Collective Future
2:30 pm – 3:30 pm
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Film Screening
4:00 pm – 6:30 pm
Tickets
This is the standard Retreat ticket type for members of the B Corp community who do not experience systemic barriers to access. Registration at this level helps to subsidize the attendance of those registering for the Retreat at the Equity level. This additional support allows us to keep Champions Retreat accessible for more members of our community.
Limit of 4 per order. Please contact us at championsretreat@usca.bcorporation.net if more are required.
This subsidized registration level is for employees of Certified B Corporations and Pending B Corps who experience systemic barriers to access. These include (but are not limited to) individuals who identify as Black, Indigenous, and People of Color and/or LGBTQIA; individuals who live on a fixed income or experience ongoing financial hardship; and individuals living with a disability or impairment.
Registration at this level allows access to networking events including the opening ceremony, evening events, service tours and other off-site activities and virtual access for all plenaries and select workshops.
Includes virtual live-streaming access to opening, closing and daily plenaries plus selected breakout rooms and workshops. Please stay tuned for programming and announcements.
Network Summits
- Network Leaders Summit
- B Academics Roundtable
- B Corp Climate Collective Gathering – Reserve a spot
- WeTheChange Network + Allies Gathering – Reserve a spot
- B Local Leader Summit
- Network and Grow Our B2Bs Together
Plenaries and Events
- Humanity at Work (Nov. 30, Morning)
- Building a Movement and Shifting Power (Nov. 30, Afternoon)
- Co-Creating Climate Justice (Nov. 30, Closing)
- Centering Racial Equity (Dec. 1, Morning)
- Our Collective Future (Dec. 1, Closing)
History, live music, exciting entertainment, social and environmental business leaders
There will be all of that and more during this year’s Champions Retreat Opening Reception hosted by Beneficial State Bank and co-hosted by Bonterra Organic Estates and Fair Trade USA. Kick off #ChampionsRetreat2022 in style at the Franklin Institute with us!
What role can philanthropy play in scaling the movement towards an inclusive and regenerative economy? Where does the philanthropic community fit in helping to strengthen and diffuse this narrative, especially in the face of ongoing ESG backlash? And what does the B Corp community in particular need from the philanthropic community?
Join us for a session on Wednesday, November 30, where we’ll bring together B Lab’s philanthropic partners and B Corp leaders to discuss the ways in which we can collaborate to scale the B Corp movement and accelerate stakeholder capitalism.
Join our host, SHIFT Capital, a nationally-recognized neighborhood investment group and Certified B Corporation, in celebrating Philly impact organizations and groundbreakers, and its small (and mighty) businesses at MaKen Studios North. Meet some of Philly’s creative community of craftspeople, entrepreneurs, non-profits, and producers and check out MaKen North’s modern-day workshops that have revived an engine of economic opportunity in the heart of Philly’s Kensington neighborhood. Enjoy local live music and performances, and food and drinks as you explore the building! Buses depart at 6:15 pm from the Loews Lobby.
Join us at Triple Bottom Brewing, a mission-driven craft brewery here in Philadelphia and a Certified B Corp. Triple Bottom works hard to be a positive community partner, to advance equity and justice in little ways every day, and to uplift those who are doing that work in much bigger ways.
The brewery is powered by renewable energy. And they are a fair chance brewery — actively seeking to hire people who may otherwise be excluded from the mainstream economy, including people who have experienced homelessness or incarceration. Because everyone in every community should have the opportunity to craft something great.
Champions Retreat is serving plant-based food by default to support the growing movement of flexitarians eating more vegetable foods for individual and planetary health. We respect all attendees’ dietary preferences and freedom of choice and are offering both meat and plant-based proteins to meet everyone’s needs. B Lab is joining the growing movement of organizations serving plant-based food by default to help the planet. Small changes add up!
Regenerative Organic Certified™ – Farm Like the World Depends on It
Some of the delicious food and beverages at the B Corp Champions Retreat are Regenerative Organic Certified™. Regenerative Organic Certified is a revolutionary certification for food, fiber, and personal care ingredients that represents the highest standard for organic agriculture in the world, with stringent requirements for soil health, animal welfare, and social fairness. The certification uses the USDA Certified Organic standard as a baseline. From there, it adds important criteria and benchmarks that incorporate the three major pillars of regenerative organic agriculture (soil health, animal welfare, and farmworker fairness) into one certification. In practice, regenerative organic agriculture can look like cover cropping, crop rotation, low- to no-till, compost, and zero use of persistent chemical pesticides and fertilizers. Through the collection of practices that focus on regenerating soil health and the full farm ecosystem, we can sequester carbon, build healthier communities, and reap more nutritious and abundant yields. Founded by the Rodale Institute, Dr. Bronner’s, and Patagonia, Regenerative Organic Certified is overseen by the Regenerative Organic Alliance (ROA). More information about Regenerative Organic Certified can be found on the ROA website.
Please note this space is only for those that identify as Black, Indigenous, or People of Color.
Join the BIPOC Network Leaders in gathering all those that identify as Black, Indigenous, and People of Color at Champions Retreat. Make sure you stop in to eat brekkie and join in on conversation. Join if you want to further connect with the BIPOC network now and into 2023.
Ready to mix and mingle with tourism industry pros? Then join us for the B Tourism & UnTours Foundation Champions Hour pre-party event! Hosted at Iron Hill Brewery directly down the street from the Loews Philadelphia, you can expect free drinks and appetizers, chances to win a variety of prizes including a free vacation and view the announcement of the $5,000 ‘UnDreamedOf’ award to a local impact-travel entrepreneur, courtesy of the UnTours Foundation.
This event isn’t just for travel industry folks – all are welcome! No matter your business, join us to learn more about traveling in a regenerative way personally and to create a more ethical business travel plan that supports fellow B Corps.
Interested in supporting this event as a sponsor? We are asking for donations to help cover the cost of our gathering and to further the mission of B Tourism to use travel as a force for good. If you are able, please consider a donated fee in any amount and well will provide a shout out at the event, on our social channels and within attendee communications. All donations are charitable to a 501c3 and will count towards your 1% For The Planet commitments.
Following our celebration, buses will depart for the event at Maken North in front of the Loews between 6:30 and 6:45 pm.
FAQ
Champions Retreat is the marquee gathering of the community of Certified B Corporations in the U.S. & Canada, partners, and values-aligned people using business as a force for good to deliver on our vision of an inclusive, equitable, and regenerative economic system for all people and the planet. This year’s theme, Humanity @ Work, celebrates the human values that fuel our business values and allow us to build community and connection. The first time our B Corp community will gather in person since 2019, Champions Retreat 2022 will be an important forum for mobilizing toward collective action around racial equity, climate justice, and a stakeholder-driven economic system.
Register for Champions Retreat through Eventbrite, using this link: Registration Link
There is a cost to attend Champions Retreat. Please visit our Eventbrite Registration Page to learn more about your virtual and in-person options.
You will receive an email notification with your ticket confirmation from Eventbrite. You do not need to bring a printed ticket with you to the event.
Registration is exclusively online and must be completed on Eventbrite prior to the retreat.
- You may cancel your registration up to 30 days before the event for a full refund. If you need to cancel due to a confirmed case of COVID-19 diagnosis, please contact us to review options including, but not limited to:
- 1. A full refund
- 2. Transfer to a virtual pass and partial refund.
- 3. A full credit to the next Champions Retreat
Please email championsretreat@usca.bcorporation.net for further information.
- All attendees are required to present proof of COVID-19 vaccination prior to entry; OR, present proof of negative COVID-19 PCR or Rapid Antigen Test, within 24 of attending the Champions Retreat;
- All attendees will be asked to complete a daily symptom check/attestation. The check/attestation has been developed in accordance with Public Health recommendations. Anyone experiencing any symptoms of COVID-19, or any other communicable illness should refrain from attending the Retreat and stay home to self-monitor.
Attendees are strongly encouraged to wear masks when indoors and not eating or drinking.
- Access to all plenary sessions and breakout rooms
- Access to wellness activities, quiet rooms and childcare
- Access to the Opening Reception with food and beverage on November 29.
- Breakfast on November 30 and December 1
- Lunch on November 30 and December 1
- Access to evening networking events and After Party
Ground transfers to and from the Loews Hotel to all events from November 29 to December 1.
When registering, you will be asked if you have any dietary restrictions, please indicate what they are, and we will do our best to accommodate them.
The Champions Retreat is being held at multiple venues including: The Loews Philadelphia Hotel: 1200 Market St Philadelphia PA 19107 United States. The evening Opening Receptions will be held at the Franklin Institute: 222 N 20th St Philadelphia, PA, United States.
Lodging is not included in the registration fee. B Lab has arranged an exclusive rate at the Loews Philadelphia Hotel. To review your options, please follow the link here. You are also welcome to make your own accommodation arrangements elsewhere.
While necessary transportation will be arranged for attendees to get to any offsite events as part of the registration fee, if you wish to drive to the Loews please follow this link to review the hotel parking rates. We encourage attendees to use the many alternative modes of transportation available throughout Philadelphia such as public transit, bicycles, electric scooters, rideshare/carpool, etc.
There are organized shuttles to and from the Loews Philadelphia Hotel to the Evening Opening Reception (Tuesday, November 29) and the B Together Evening Event (Wednesday, November 30). There will also be transportation arranged for all separately ticketed tours and service opportunities. The Champions Retreat will also provide alternate options for transfers between destinations. Please check back regularly for updates.
With the event taking place at the end of November the weather will be on the cooler side. The average temperature at the end of November in Philadelphia is a of high 55° F/13 °C and a low of 41° F/5 °C. We would suggest that you dress in layers to ensure you are prepared for the elements.
Yes, there will be childcare available at the Champions Retreat. This service is free of charge to registered attendees. Please indicate if you require childcare when registering.
When you check-in at the registration desk at the Champions Retreat your name badge will be provided to you. If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to ask one of the team members at the registration desk.
We are expecting approximately 700 + guests to be in attendance.
Yes, there will be multiple opportunities during the daily sessions as well as at the nightly events. You will also have the opportunity to use our event app Hopin to network with your peers throughout the entire retreat as well as the virtual attendees.
Keep an eye out for an email from B Lab U.S. & Canada inviting you to log into Hopin, our onsite event app and virtual event platform. You’ll be asked to accept our terms of service to enter the virtual and onsite event spaces. Next, you’ll be prompted to create your personal profile — this will help you connect directly with live and virtual attendees! To use the app on your mobile device, please download the Hopin app for iPhone or Android and sign in using your email address!
We are working with Trip Zero to offset attendees’ travel footprints through the purchase of Certified Carbon Offsets. These offsets finance renewable energy, methane reduction, and forestry projects that reduce atmospheric carbon. In turn, they render your trip carbon-neutral and benefit local communities.We are also working with Greener by Default to make plant-based food the default for Champions Retreat, while giving diners the choice to opt into meat and dairy. This strategy allows us to meet carbon reduction goals, save on food costs, and improve health and inclusivity – all while preserving freedom of choice.Printing, where possible, takes place on sustainable substrates, and we’ve taken every effort to eliminate or reduce single-use items. Stay tuned for more detail on our impact after the Retreat!
Please email us at championsretreat@usca.bcorporation.net
COVID-19
The Champions Retreat’s highest priority is the safety of every attendee, all event staff and team members. As we gather again in person, we have put in place several measures that will help us minimize the effects of COVID-19, and other transmissible illnesses. Our commitment to your safety may require us to change or adapt these measures in the future. We thank you in advance for your cooperation.
All attendees must agree to abide by our general health & safety/COVID-19 policy to attend the Champions Retreat, this includes:
- All attendees are required to be vaccinated against COVID-19; OR, have a negative COVID-19 PCR or Rapid Antigen Test, within 24 of attending the Champions Retreat.
- All attendees must attest to having none of the following symptoms:
- Fever (37.8˚ C or higher) and/or chills
- Cough
- Shortness of breath or trouble breathing
- Decreased or loss of taste or smell
- Runny nose or nasal congestion
- Headache
- Extreme fatigue or tiredness
- Sore throat
- Muscle aches or joint pain
- Gastrointestinal symptoms (such as vomiting or diarrhea)
- Abdominal pain
- Conjunctivitis (pink eye)
- Decreased or lack of appetite
Attendees are strongly encouraged to wear masks when indoors and not eating or drinking.
This policy is subject to change or adaptation to local guidelines, and we will keep attendees apprised of any updates.
INDIVIDUAL COVID CANCELLATION POLICY
If you test positive for Covid 19, or have symptoms of any other communicable illness, please contact us at championsretreat@usca.bcorporation.net to discuss your in-person attendance cancellation options.
IN PERSON EVENT CANCELLATION POLICY
In the unlikely event Champions Retreat is unable to take place as an in-person event, it will be conducted as a virtual online experience. Your registration will be applied to that event, with the following additional benefits:
- You will have access to the Champions Retreat virtual online experience, (produced at a time and date TBD) all of which you will also have access to on-demand at your own convenience.
- You will receive two additional complimentary passes to the Champions Retreat online experience to share with others on your team.
- You will receive a discount off your conference registration for the 2024 Champions Retreat (fully transferable).
Thanks for scanning the code and leaning into our journey together
Below are some resources to get you started
We are here to do the work, to get comfortable with discomfort and to work toward a more just community and world. We’ve gathered a few resources in addition to the code of conduct and code of ethics that should help us all to show up as our best selves during our time together.
Need to rest? Head to the third floor and go to the Franklin Room or Anthony Room
Need healing? Schedule a practitioner
Feeling harmed? There are opportunities for healing with our practitioners
- We want to know, please email us at ethics@usca.bcorporation.net
- Leave your name and contact info and we’ll be in touch with you
As we make the intentional shift from using “climate change” or “environmentalism” towards using “climate justice” to describe our collective climate action work, it helps to understand how and why this term bridges the gap between climate change activism and social justice.
- Those affected by oppressive systems are often the ones most affected by climate change – these communities hold less responsibility for causing climate change but carry more of the burden
- Current mainstream climate change activism can have a white dominant culture/perspective and ignore the BIPOC and specifically Indigenous activism/traditions/stewardship that came long before it
- The urgency of the climate crisis is sometimes used to supersede the urgency of crises of harmful systems that affect historically oppressed communities/identities
Dig deeper with these resources:
As we move forward together as a community, we acknowledge all the strides we have taken to make it a place of belonging. We also recognize all the efforts thus far to dismantle harmful systems that were unintentionally repeated within our community. That said, it is crucial that we also acknowledge that we still have a long way to truly eliminate these things within our own community and beyond.
“If you are neutral in situations of injustice, you have chosen the side of the oppressor. If an elephant has its foot on the tail of a mouse, and you say that you are neutral, the mouse will not appreciate your neutrality.” ― Desmond Tutu
It can be easy to fall into the trap of thinking that “not being racist” is enough. This is a passive state and though it may not (directly) contribute to the problem, it also neglects to contribute toward a solution. Being leaders in changing the way business is done requires us to adopt an ‘anti-racist” posture, one in which we commit to actively work against racism and all forms of bias. Oppressive systems harm us all (even those who might be experiencing various levels of privilege within said systems):
Suggested Anti-Racist resources:
You may have noticed when you registered for the conference that you were asked to provide your pronouns. This is happening to make spaces more inclusive of transgender, gender nonconforming, and gender non-binary people. Including pronouns is a first step toward respecting people’s gender identity, working against cisnormativity, and creating a more welcoming space for people of all genders.
If this is new for you, or if you are working on this, here are a few tips:
- Share your own: it will appear on your badge if provided, and if you are comfortable, share your pronouns when you introduce yourself out loud as well
- Don’t assume, ask: you can’t assume someone’s correct pronouns by how they appear, how they dress or their name. It’s OK to ask. Keep it simple and do it in private, ask “Can I ask what pronouns you use?”
- Made a mistake?: Misgendering someone can be harmful, and it can happen by accident. The best thing to do is to apologize, keep trying your best and move on – try not to make too big a deal of it when you do.
- Use inclusive language: Avoid addressing groups as “guys”, “ladies and gentleman” or “boys and girls”. Instead address groups of people as “you all”, “everyone”, “friends”, “students”, etc.
- Help others: if a colleague misgenders someone, correct them
More about pronouns:
White supremacy, patriarchy, and economic systems that make pollution profitable are intimately intertwined. Addressing the climate crisis and collectively creating a more just and equitable future for all requires transforming the systems of power governing who pollutes, who profits, and whose lives are valued.
Cisgender men have a particular role to play in dismantling patriarchy as those who usually benefit most from this inequitable system.
Some resources to dig deeper:
We say “called in” because that’s what’s happening when someone points out something to you. You’re being called in to practice, to do work, to do your part.
- Being called in can feel bad, but stop for a moment and ground yourself (you are not in any danger and not being harmed)
- Don’t get defensive
- Understand the difference between intent and impact
- Apologize authentically
- Promise to do better
- Ask if the person harmed needs anything more from you
- Let go of the expectation of acceptance/forgiveness/resolution
- Above all, remember it is not the responsibility of the person harmed to provide you with education or the emotional labor you need to process the incident
Here is a good resource:
I’ve Been Called Out For Causing Racial Harm. What Do I Do Now?
Want to know how to deliver a good apology?
Let’s see… do your job, serve your community, try to have a personal life of any sort… oh, and while you are at it, dismantle all the harmful systems layered into everything. It’s hard work and we need to be able to bring our full selves to it if we are going to have a chance to succeed.
To do that, we need to take care of ourselves, here are some resources to help you:
Additional Resources
A short list of additional resources for Allyship
- Resources for White Allies
- LGBTQ+ Allyship
- Disability Allyship
- Dismantling Anti-Blackness in Communities of Color
*If you have any questions or need support around these, email ethics@usca.bcorporation.net
Contact Us
If you are interested in sponsorship, getting involved, or have any questions about Champions Retreat 2022, please email us at championsretreat@usca.bcorporation.net