Honoring a Legacy of Purpose: Tim Frick Receives the 2026 Hal Taussig Award

At its core, the B Corp movement has always been powered by people willing to imagine business differently — not simply as a vehicle for profit, but as a force for equity, dignity, and long-term change. Few individuals embodied that belief more fully than Hal Taussig, whose vision helped shape what would become one of the most influential movements in business today.

Now, in 2026, the B Corp community honors another leader whose work reflects that same spirit of innovation, generosity, and systems-level thinking: Tim Frick, recipient of the 2026 Hal Taussig Award.

For years, the award has recognized individuals whose leadership has left an enduring imprint on the B Corp ecosystem. On top of being a celebration of achievement, it serves as a reminder of the movement’s roots and of the people who continue pushing it forward.

The Legacy Behind the Award

The Hal Taussig Award is named for one of the early pioneers of stakeholder-centered business. Alongside his wife, Norma, Hal co-founded UnTours, the world’s first Certified B Corporation and a company long recognized for proving that business success and social impact are not mutually exclusive.

Long before “purpose-driven business” became a widely used phrase, Hal was challenging traditional assumptions about ownership, wealth, and responsibility. His work helped lay the foundation for the broader B Corp movement by demonstrating that companies could prioritize the needs of both people and the planet while remaining financially sustainable.

Hal’s influence extended beyond business operations. He believed deeply in community, collaboration, and using entrepreneurship to address systemic inequities. Those values continue to shape the award that bears his name.

Over the years, the recognition has evolved alongside the B Corp community itself. While B Lab and the broader community have celebrated leaders through various awards and gatherings, including community-led recognition programs and Champions Retreat ceremonies, the Hal Taussig Award has remained one of the movement’s most meaningful honors.

Past recipients reflect the breadth and evolution of impact leadership within the community. In 2022, the award recognized Yvon and Melinda Chouinard of Patagonia for decades of environmental leadership and their groundbreaking decision to transfer company ownership in service of the planet. In 2024, Carolina Miranda of Cultivating Capital was honored for her work advancing racial equity and inclusive economic systems.

Each recipient represents a different dimension of what it means to build a better business ecosystem. And in 2026, Tim Frick joins that lineage.

A Builder of Better Digital Systems

Tim Frick has long been recognized within the B Corp community as a leader operating at the intersection of sustainability, technology, and ethical business. As founder of Mightybytes, a digital agency and Certified B Corporation, Tim has spent years helping organizations rethink the environmental and social impact of their digital presence. At a time when conversations around sustainability often centered on physical supply chains and manufacturing, Tim helped expand the dialogue to include the hidden footprint of the internet itself.

Through his work, Tim has consistently challenged organizations to consider how websites, digital products, marketing systems, and online behaviors contribute to larger environmental outcomes. His leadership helped bring greater visibility to sustainable web design, carbon-conscious digital practices, and the role technology companies can play in climate action.

But Tim’s impact extends beyond technical expertise. Within the B Corp community, he has become known as a collaborator, educator, and generous thought partner. He is seen as someone deeply committed to sharing knowledge and helping others strengthen their own impact journeys. Whether mentoring fellow entrepreneurs, contributing to industry conversations, or helping organizations align digital strategy with mission, Tim’s work reflects a belief that transformation happens collectively.

That commitment mirrors many of the principles Hal Taussig championed decades earlier: using business as a platform for systems change, investing in community, and prioritizing long-term impact over short-term gains.

The Evolution of Recognition in the B Corp Community

Awards within the B Corp ecosystem have always represented something larger than individual accomplishment. They serve as moments for reflection and opportunities to recognize how the movement has grown and who is helping shape its future. Over the years, those celebrations have taken many forms.

Community members still remember gatherings at Champions Retreat where entire evenings were dedicated to honoring leaders across the ecosystem. In 2020, amid a year defined by uncertainty and isolation, B Lab U.S. and Canada organized a virtual end-of-year celebration recognizing community-nominated leaders and organizations making meaningful contributions during an extraordinarily challenging time.

Those moments reinforced an important truth about the B Corp movement: its strength has always come from people willing to lead with courage, creativity, and care for others.

The Hal Taussig Award occupies a unique place within that tradition because it connects today’s leaders directly to the movement’s foundational values. It reminds the community not only where it is headed, but where it began.

Carrying the Movement Forward

As the B Corp community continues to evolve, so too do the challenges businesses must confront. Climate instability, technological disruption, economic inequality, and growing distrust in institutions all demand new forms of leadership.

The leaders who stand out today are often those willing to ask difficult questions: How can business models become more regenerative? How can technology be designed more responsibly? How can companies create value that extends beyond shareholders?

Tim Frick’s work speaks directly to those questions. His leadership reflects a broader shift happening within the B Corp movement; one that recognizes sustainability not as a siloed initiative, but as something embedded across every aspect of business, including digital infrastructure and communications.

At the same time, his collaborative approach underscores that progress happens through shared learning, another defining characteristic of the B Corp community. The movement has never been built by one company or one leader alone. It has grown through networks of people willing to exchange ideas, challenge one another, and collectively reimagine what business can be.

A Recognition Rooted in Community

Tim Frick receives the Hal Taussig Award at B Lab U.S. & Canada’s 2026 Championship Retreat. Pictured (left to right): Jonathan Coleman (UnTours), Jaime Coyle (B Lab USCA), Tim Frick, Carson Bolding (B Lab USCA), and Adrian Gershom (Fractional CMO)

Ultimately, the Hal Taussig Award is not simply about honoring a career. It is about recognizing the kind of leadership that strengthens an entire ecosystem. Leaders like Tim Frick help expand the boundaries of what responsible business looks like. They encourage organizations to think more holistically, act more intentionally, and remain accountable to the communities and environments they impact. In doing so, they carry forward the values that helped launch the B Corp movement in the first place.

As the community gathers in 2026 to celebrate another year of progress, innovation, and collective impact, Tim Frick’s recognition serves as both a tribute and a challenge to continue building businesses that not only succeed, but contribute meaningfully to a more inclusive, equitable, and sustainable future.