Why We Gather: Reflections on Past Champions Retreats From the B Corp Community

Voices from the Champions Retreat on connection, collaboration, and why gathering matters now

Every two years, Certified B Corporations and values-aligned leaders from across North America gather at Champions Retreat, the largest gathering of B Corps in the U.S. & Canada, to pause, reflect, and reconnect. The multi-day gathering offers a rare pause from daily demands: a chance to step back from execution and return to intention. It’s a space to learn from peers, exchange ideas, and reconnect with the principles at the heart of the B Corp movement: prioritizing people and planet alongside profit, advancing equity and justice through business, and holding one another accountable to higher standards of transparency and impact.

Unlike a typical business conference, Champions Retreat puts belonging before programming. Yes, there are plenaries and workshops. But the heart of the gathering lives in the conversations, shared experiences, and new collaborations that take shape between sessions—the unscripted moments when people trade lessons, swap hard truths, and remember they’re not alone in this work. Debbie Misajon, founder of The Coconut Traveler, summed up last year’s gathering this way: “The event felt like home.”

That sense of belonging came up over and over in reflections from attendees of the 2024 Retreat in Vancouver:

• “I walked away with many new connections and friends. As a small business (of one), this is so valuable: to be in community with other like-minded folks that are part of companies big and small, committed to collective action.” — Maryam Ahmed, CEO, Maryam + Company
• “My favorite part of Champions Retreat was catching up with old friends, meeting new ones, and the larger sense of belonging to an important movement dedicated to nurturing life.” — Shawn Berry, Co-founder, LIFT Economy

Connection as Catalyst

Relationships are the heartbeat of the B Corp movement, and at Champions Retreat, those relationships take shape in real time. Ideas traded online all year find their footing face-to-face, turning shared purpose into lived connection. For many attendees, being together reshaped how they experience the movement itself.

“There were a lot of people I had only met on Zoom that I finally got to meet in person—that was my favorite part,” shared Elise Allyn, VP of Organizational Effectiveness at Conscious Revolution. “The time spent talking and connecting was the most valuable. I made connections that I definitely wouldn’t have without Champions Retreat.”

In a movement that spans industries, geographies, and company sizes, these moments of recognition—realizing someone else is grappling with the same trade-offs, chasing the same kind of impact, or holding the same stubborn hope for change—are more than social niceties. As Abraham Chen, Board Chair at B Local San Diego, put it, “What I enjoyed most was connection with fellow leaders and chance meetings with people interested in collaboration in the near future.”

Across reflections, that word connection surfaced again and again: in hallway conversations that became shared initiatives, in spontaneous exchanges that sparked new ideas, and in the simple relief of talking with others who share a belief that business can serve a higher purpose.

• “Community connections and finding meaningful ways to support one another” — Tim Frick, Founder & President, Mightybytes
• “Meeting other people working towards the same goal” — Evan Fouts, Wireless Director, BAZ Group
• “The opportunity to form bonds with and connect with other attendees” — Sam Mazzeo, Co-founder, Fervor & Zeal

Learning in Action

Champions Retreat runs on curiosity. Every conversation doubles as a workshop: a place to trade hard-won lessons and sharpen new ideas. It’s less a conference than it is a collaborative lab: equal parts inspiration, practice, and accountability. The plenaries set the tone, but the real breakthroughs happen in roundtables, workshops, and peer-led discussions.

“The regional roundtables were really valuable, as they allowed for a structured, deeper dive into important questions,” said John Lewis, CEO at char.gy.

“I made copious amounts of notes of all the things I want to bring back to my organization,” added Charlotte Jewer, Community Engagement Manager at East Coast Credit Union. “I’m proud to be a part of this community.”

Participants didn’t just come to listen; they came to test, question, and build. After one advocacy breakout, Melissa Krchma, Director of Workplace and Digital Empowerment at Bluedog, reflected: “I’ve now got clear and relevant ways I can build an advocacy program within my B Corp.” Others described sessions as “super actionable” and “useful”—the kind of learning that travels home in notebooks and meeting agendas.

• “I liked hearing impact-driven business owners talk about their journey to starting their business and the purpose behind their brand or products” — Christina Huang, formerly Associate Principal at Green Dinosaur
• “I enjoyed the smaller workshop-like sessions that shared specific best practices and allowed for more engagement and conversation with other participants” — Emily Gaynor, Director of People & Culture at Native
• “I found the working sessions/roundtables most valuable. Intimate discussions where I can learn from other individuals were the most impactful” — Alyssa Feuerer, formerly Innovation Lead for Brand at Zeus Jones

The throughline across sessions was practical optimism: a belief that business can always do better, paired with the tools to make it happen. Learning at Champions Retreat isn’t theoretical; it’s collective problem-solving in real time. People bring what they’ve tried, what’s worked, what hasn’t, and leave with a clearer sense of what to do next.

One of the movement’s quiet truths is that progress is contagious. When one company experiments, measures, and shares what it learns, everyone advances. Champions Retreat keeps that momentum alive. It’s a living field guide for better business, written together in real time.

Diversity and Belonging in Practice

If connection fuels the B Corp movement, diversity gives it depth. Champions Retreat reflects that truth in ways both visible and structural, from who takes the stage to how the event itself is designed. Attendees describe it as one of the most inclusive gatherings they’ve experienced—not just in demographics but in spirit.

Last year’s conference “was led and attended by the most diverse group of BIPOC, gender-diverse, and neuro-diverse people I’ve ever seen,” shared Sonia Strobel, CEO of Skipper Otto. “It speaks volumes about the intentional work that B Corp has done to attract, celebrate, and amplify truly diverse voices.”

The same care guides not just the programming, but the small details that shape how people feel in the space. From the plant-based meals and accessibility considerations to the presence of Indigenous leadership, the event models what inclusion looks like when it’s woven into every decision. “I enjoyed the genuine integration with Indigenous culture and hearing people’s ancestral stories,” reflected Courtney Bannatyne, Director of Business Development at UpHouse.

For many, what stood out most was the authenticity of representation—a sense that inclusion wasn’t curated, but lived. “The inclusion and representation was awesome to see and didn’t feel forced,” said Jalyn Guse. “The Truth and Reconciliation lens of the whole retreat was a real eye-opener for our American B Corps.”

• “The diversity of the community and presenters” — Flip Brown, Fractional Culture Change Facilitator at Business Culture Consultants
• “The inclusivity and equity” — Tessa Danelesko, Senior Account Director, Justice + Impact Programming at Yulu Impact Communications

Restoration and Resolve

In the midst of upheaval and acceleration, Champions Retreat offers something both rare and necessary: space to restore. For many of last year’s attendees, that restoration came from reconnecting with purpose, with peers, and with the shared belief that business can be a force for good.

“For me, it was restorative,” said Derek Hydon, Founder and Sustainable Growth Champion at MaCher. “It has been a tough few years and it was good to be able to see other perspectives and remind myself how interconnected we are.”

Others spoke to the sense of energy that comes from stepping back into shared purpose. “The Retreat renewed my enthusiasm around this purpose and gave me motivation to engage more deeply with my B Local community,” said Leslie Hoolaeff, Co-founder and COO at Lovers Tempo. “I really valued the candid conversations I had with folks I met with.”

Many described the feeling as a collective recharge: the renewal of energy that comes from belonging to a movement that leads with both heart and conviction, an antidote to cynicism and a vision for what’s next. “This time together has validated that there is an ever-growing community of global companies dedicated to business not only as a force for good, but also as a truly viable growth strategy,” said Ashley Yetman, Co-CEO and Director of Brand Strategy at Baldwin&. “Both heart and data abounded, proving that a better way to business is here and thriving.”

• “The people, the people, the people. I LOVE my B peeps. I get so energized by our community of business leaders and our wonderful supporting partners at B Lab.” — Adrian Gershom, Marketing Leader for B2B Impact Brands and Advisory Board Member at B Local Illinois
• “Spending time with my fellow B’s and being in dialogue with leaders in a similar mindset was infectious and hugely meaningful in my work and life. This is how I want to spend my time.” — Liz Rubin, Founder, CEO, and Lead Filmmaker at Ecodeo
• “Feeling inspired and energized after spending time with fellow B Corp champions from around the globe. It’s been a privilege to exchange ideas, collaborate on solutions, and celebrate the power of business as a force for good. This retreat has been a testament to the strength of our community and the commitment to using business as a catalyst for positive change.” — Katie Stone, CEO at PixelSpoke

From Ripples to Waves

Champions Retreat has always been more than a convening; it’s the pulse of a living movement. What begins as a conversation over coffee or a spark in a breakout session carries outward into workplaces, boardrooms, and communities across North America. Every idea tested, every partnership formed, becomes a ripple of change that strengthens the collective current.

That’s why we gather. To remember that progress depends not only on innovation, but on one another. To trade isolation for solidarity. To build an economy grounded in shared responsibility and possibility.