​Trailblazers: Stories of Recertifying Under B Lab Standards V2 From B Lab’s Early Adopters Program

We’ve entered a new era for B Corp Certification. Companies can now recertify under the B Lab Standards V2, deepening their ability to make a positive impact as part of a global movement working to benefit people and planet. 

Developed through countless hours of research and refinement, B Lab Standards V2 are really about creating processes to listen, understand, experiment, build systems, and mark progress in iterative cycles. As companies evolve and improve, they also build models that lead other businesses along their own journey. These journeys, collectively, generate momentum for a global movement working to benefit people and planet.

In the spirit of building momentum through shared success, B Lab U.S. & Canada decided to invite companies to participate in a pilot program. A cohort of early adopters for the B Lab Standards V2, dubbed our “Trailblazers,” got to trace the first steps they’ll need to take—both individually and collectively—as they begin the next phase of their transformation.

Now that the program is complete, we had the opportunity to interview participants, along with key personnel responsible for its creation. Here’s what we learned.

How did the Trailblazers program get started?

Alesha Hartley (Associate Director, B Lab U.S. & Canada):  When we were finalizing the B Lab Standards V2 last year, it felt like the end of one long journey but the beginning of another. Companies now had put the recommendations into action — not just as a one-time exercise, but as a permanent, gradual, and iterative transformation.

That new journey of getting companies to adopt the V2 standards was full of promise, thanks to the work we had put into building them from a practical and academic standpoint. But it also meant uncertainty: what would it look like or feel like for a company to even get started?

The concept of Trailblazers was to conduct a “trial run” for adoption of the new standards by providing guided, cohort-based support. B Lab and others in the B Corp movement could then know what that looks like in action.

Our results could elevate the visibility of current B Corps actively working towards certification, while also showing others that they literally weren’t undergoing this journey alone.

And what were the results of the program? How did everything go?

Devin Nelson (Senior Manager, Key Account Management, B Lab U.S. & Canada): Overall, it went great!

To break down some stats:

• We had 10 participants, many of which were what we call “X Large” and “XX Large” companies, these big multinationals
• 100% of participants completed the gap analysis portion of the program and formed an action plan based on it
• 100% of participants increased their familiarity with the B Lab Standards V2
• 88% felt they had increased their readiness to re-certify, and the same number reported a positive experience with the program

Overall, by the end of the program, our participating companies said they weren’t just more ready to re-certify on B Lab Standards V2 but that they also felt more confident and more relieved.

Our main goal was to help them figure out how they should approach the transition—or transformation—required to implement the new standards. We partnered with a consulting firm, Impact Growth Partners (IGP), to do a tailored gap analysis for each Trailblazer. This could act as a self-help tool for each company to determine how to best engage their teams. From their, they could decide what systems they needed in place for the desired changes to actually happen and work towards the goals the company set.

There are still areas that feel challenging to our participants, and finding out what those challenges were was one of our main goals of the cohort. We now have more knowledge on what guidance or tools could be needed, so we’ll be developing and releasing some of those in the near-term.

The most exciting part of the program, though, was seeing our Trailblazers collaborate with one another! They shared policy templates, offered perspective, and really helped each other along when it came to wrapping their mind around the standards.

When helping build this Trailblazers program, how did you decide to approach it?

Rebecca Kline Coffey (Senior Consultant, Impact Growth Partners): Rather than positioning Trailblazers as a traditional consulting engagement, we designed the program as a shared learning environment—one that provides a rigorous, honest read of gaps while also creating space for companies to learn from each other in real time.

A core part of our approach was how the work gets done inside each company. We intentionally engage stakeholders from across the organization—legal, HR, operations, sustainability, leadership—so that the people responsible for each area are directly interacting with the requirements that map to their roles.

Pulling in the right roles across the organization can lead to more accurate assessments and action plans. But, more importantly, rather than isolating impact thinking and decision-making within a single team, it embeds them into the business’s day-to-day functions.

We also designed the program to demonstrate that the standards are achievable. There was a lot of initial nervousness—understandably—because many companies were looking at Year 3 and Year 5 requirements alongside Year 0. Or, they would assume that they needed to meet the full scope of optional pathways (like all JEDI options) from the start. By grounding the work in what is actually required at each stage, and by showing that many near-term gaps are about formalizing practices already in place, companies quickly moved from overwhelm to clarity.

The results we witnessed validated this approach. Once teams engaged directly with the standards at a detailed level—while also engaging their peers at other companies—understanding deepened quickly. Companies saw that the standards were not only achievable, but that they were identifying meaningful gaps in governance and management systems.

Just as importantly, the process generated immediate momentum: companies were able to take the insights from the work and move directly into making improvements, strengthening systems, and preparing the documentation and evidence needed for verification. The program became not just a diagnostic, but a catalyst for action.

How did the companies react to the program?

Devin: The best way to share that would probably be for the companies to speak for themselves!

• “Relief and confidence; those are the two words I’d use to describe our engagement in the [Trailblazers] experience. Grateful to B Lab for supporting us on this journey and for IGP (and their stellar spreadsheet) for their energy and support.”
• “The collaborative calls between brands were helpful and inspiring, and the work with Rebecca and her team helped us feel much more prepared for this transition.”
• “It’s nice to see that it’s not set up as series of hoops to jump through, but as a guided way to ensure the change we’re working toward will make a meaningful difference.”

Seeing that feedback is so amazing! Were there any other big takeaways?

Devin: I think one of the biggest sources of confidence and inspiration for the companies is to remember that this is all part of an ongoing process. You don’t need to get it perfect in one go!

We also wanted participants to take away that you don’t need to be an “expert” on the standards or the specific Impact Topics. You just need to know your company well enough to engage the right stakeholders.

If you are leading the charge at your company to do this work, you can determine who the right people are to pull in. Building that team and giving them a clear goals is what can make re-certifying achievable for any company.

What was really inspiring and amazing to see was that you can engage even multinational teams to create change in your business around the new standards.

So it’s achievable. It’s something that you can work towards. And we’re looking at like multinational companies around the world right now, making significant changes, reviewing their entire company, and making tangible changes in alignment with our standards. And that’s really freaking cool!

It’s super compelling to see that something in the realm of 66% of our compliance criteria, on average, are driving some sort of change within a company.

Alesha: One thing that was incredible to me was how quick these Trailblazers were to communicate and collaborate with each other. It really showed the value of community, which generates momentum for everybody when they work together. During the program, everyone started pulling themselves together and helping each other out, feeling like they were part of the same team.

We aren’t necessarily planning to do any more of these guided cohorts again (or at least not on a large scale) but what we saw was that our participants were capable of grasping the changes needed—and that they didn’t have to do it alone! They have access to consultants. They can use tools like gap analysis.  And they have access to one another.

We’re also going to build more toolkits, references, and resources, based on feedback from what some participants were asking for. Anyone looking for more guidance or deeper information can also attend programs hosted by their B Local chapter.

And they can come to Champions Retreat! There’s going to be so many sessions and events they can attend. They’ll not just come away with information but also tools, resources, and the contact points they establish through networking. Our hope is that, like our Trailblazers, they can collaborate with others when adjusting to and preparing to re-certify under B Lab standards V2.

Stories From Our Trailblazers to Follow! Stay Tuned for Case Studies and Interviews

As part of our follow up and debrief with our Trailblazers, many agreed to recount their experience as part of an interview series. Readers can look forward to stories and insights from our early adopters in the weeks ahead!

Community members looking to learn more about standards V2 can also come to Champions Retreat, which is right around the corner! There will be many sessions and breakouts available to help you better understand and adopt them to help transform ripples across the B Corp movement into waves of positive transformation.

“In the Same Boat: Building Team Readiness for the B Lab Standards,” in particular, is one attendees might not want to miss. Participants will hear directly from members of the B Lab U.S. & Canada team, review toolkit resources available to them, and build a “B Keeper roadmap”: a custom plan for communicating and implementing the V2 changes internally.

We hope to see many people there, and we look forward to hearing more stories and feedback from our B Corp Community as other companies certify under the new standards.