Get Down to Business Podcast
Discover the eye-opening stories behind businesses making a positive impact on the world. Get Down to Business: A B Corp Podcast delves into the journey of B Corp Certified companies, exploring the unique challenges and rewards of achieving B Corp Certification.
In each episode, we’ll sit down with a different B Corp, unpacking their inspiring business practices and focusing on a specific aspect of the B Corp Certification process. From environmental sustainability to ethical labor practices, we’ll provide in-depth explanations and real-world examples to illustrate the significance of these standards.
Join us as we navigate B Corp Certification, examining the growing demands within the community, alongside changing requirements. Discover what it truly means to be a part of the B Corp movement and how these businesses are shaping a more sustainable and equitable future.
Episodes
Episode 1: “What exactly is a B Corp, anyway?” | Jorge Fontanez
The Get Down to Business podcast series takes listeners on a journey to discover what it means to become a B Corp, why it matters, and what comes next—for B Corps and for the rest of the world. Throughout the series, host Lauren Everett explores the certification process firsthand with B Corp leaders who have taken the leap, and together they break down what it really means to use business as a force for good. In this first episode, Lauren sits down with Jorge Fontanez, former CEO of B Lab U.S. & Canada, to dive into these topics.
Episode 2: “Working in Community” | Triple Bottom Brewing
Lauren and Briana Humes sit down with Tess Hart, co-founder of Triple Bottom Brewing, to talk about the impact of certification on employees, workplace culture, and the community. Triple Bottom Brewing is a certified B Corp brewery in Philadelphia that’s been making waves with its commitment to employee welfare and community engagement since it opened its doors in 2019.
Tess and her co-founders chose the name because of their focus on a “triple bottom line” of beer, people, and the planet, with a mission to create jobs for people facing barriers to employment. Going through the B Corp certification process in 2020, at the height of the pandemic was challenging. “We built the brewery with some of the B Corp goals already in mind,” Tess says. “(Because of the pandemic) lots of different priorities come up for a business owner, so some things went on pause, but ultimately certification was a really great learning opportunity. Honestly, I feel like I learned more about the business and know the business better as a result of that process.”
Episode 3: “Governing Ourselves According” | Solar States
Join hosts Lauren Everett and Max Hayes as they chat with Solar States founder Micah Gold-Markel and CFO, Jael Blankenship. Solar States is focused on using solar energy as a tool for sustainability, economic development, and workforce training, and the company has installed solar projects on homes, schools, and businesses across Philadelphia, while also training the next generation of green energy workers.
Micah and Jael join Lauren and Max to discuss governance, one of the key pillars of the B Corp impact assessment. “Good governance ensures that a company’s mission and values aren’t just words on a page, but are embedded into its decision-making structure,” Lauren explains. In this episode, she explores with her guests how transparency and accountability shape businesses for long-term success.
Episode 4: “Re-envisioning Environmental Impact” | Re: Vision Arch
Get Down to Business hosts Lauren Everett and co-host Max Hayes sit down with Drew Levine and Shawn Hogan from Re:Vision Architecture, an architecture and sustainability consulting practice that has been a certified B Corp since 2007 and is deeply committed to re-envisioning and restoring the balance between natural build and social environments.
Drew is a partner at Re:Vision and an expert in designing net zero energy passive house and living building challenge projects. He’s also been an integral part of embedding B Corp principles into Re:Vision’s culture and operations. Shawn Hogan is a project manager at Re:Vision’s High Performance Consulting Studio who specializes in fostering collaboration and environmental change within corporate and community spaces.
In their conversation with Lauren and Max, Drew and Shawn focus on one of the most crucial aspects of the B Corp certification process: environmental impact and sustainability. Businesses today are increasingly being held accountable for their environmental footprint, and B Corps are leading the way by measuring, reducing, and mitigating their impact on the planet.
Episode 5: “Coming with Receipts” | Noor by Grant BLVD
This episode explores the journey of Kimberly McGlonn’s sustainable luxury brand, Noor by Grant Blvd, as a certified B Corporation. McGlonn reflects on her experience with the B Corp certification process, the role of intersectionality in creating positive community impact, and the challenges of balancing ethical practices with consumer pricing. She highlights the support she’s found in the B Corp community and the importance of redefining luxury and sustainability to prioritize people as well as the environment. McGlonn also shares how B Corp certification has helped her communicate the value of ethical production to customers.
Episode 6: “The Journey to Certification and Beyond” | Max Hayes & Zach Fayer
In the last episode of the first season of the Get Down to Business podcast, host Lauren Everett chats with two experts on B Corp certification and recertification at B Lab U.S. and Canada. Zach Fayer is the organization’s recertification manager, supporting the community of B Corps in the United States and Canada on their recertifications. And Max Hayes is a community growth manager who helps companies navigate the standards, benchmarking, review process, and other aspects of the certification journey at B Lab.
Measure your business’s impact by taking the B Impact Assessment, a digital tool that can help measure, manage, and improve positive impact performance for environment, communities, customers, suppliers, employees, and shareholders