2022 Best for the World Customers: B Corps Add Value to Customers’ Lives

7 Companies with Products and Services That Support Customers and Build a More Inclusive Economy

The Certified B Corporations on the 2022 Best for the World for customers list offer products and services in core industries like finance and insurance and go beyond the norm with a focus on helping people. By providing crucial services to underserved populations that enhance people’s everyday lives, these B Corps reinforce the value of customers as stakeholders. 

A stakeholder economy is a new economic system where business decisions benefit all people and the planet. A stakeholder economy empowers business leaders to make decisions that consider the impact they have on stakeholders equally with the financial value they create. To earn Best for the World recognition, B Corps must score in the top 5% in their corresponding size group in one of the five impact areas evaluated on the B Impact Assessment: community, customers, environment, governance, and workers. Best for the World companies are exemplifying ways to bring a stakeholder economy to life.

The Best for the World B Corps for customers are creating long-term positive ripples through inclusive products and services that reach new customers and reshape the marketplace. In creating an economy that works for all, the seven B Corps in the U.S. and Canada highlighted here offer mission-minded products and services that build human capital and skills. 

See the 2022 Best for the World lists. 

Capital Plus Financial

Texas

People of Color-Owned, Impact Business Model

Capital Plus Financial recently launched a social impact venture competition to support businesses that are working to address challenges in underserved communities. In the wake of COVID-19, the B Corp provided PPP loans to about 400,000 small businesses, with 80% of the funds going to business owners and contractors who are People of Color. 

As a large Community Development Financial Institution (CDFI), Capital Plus Financial focuses on homeownership in underserved communities to amplify economic and social impact. By designing a financial approach that is profitable, sustainable, and scalable, Capital Plus Financial continues to recruit investment and ensure its mission-driven work is sufficiently capitalized.

The Genus Capital Management team at a park cleanup for a B Local Vancouver event.

Genus Capital Management

British Columbia

Indigenous-Owned, Women-Owned, Employee-Owned, Impact Business Model

Since 1989, Genus Capital Management has offered sustainable investment solutions for institutions and families. Its Net Impact Score provides Canadian investors and institutions with an impact measurement tool that helps stakeholders communicate their message. By incorporating environmental, social, and governance (ESG) screening, Genus Capital has started to lower carbon intensity across its funds. 

Through a series of monthly educational webinars, the B Corp helps customers better understand wealth management topics ranging from values-aligned investing to the potential for hydrogen infrastructure. Genus reinforces its commitment to an inclusive workforce that reflects its customer makeup by publicly reporting its staff diversity demographics. 

Kids in the Game

New York

Impact Business Model

As a community sports organization driven by a spirit of play, Kids in the Game has grown to offer dozens of programs throughout the New York City area that serve more than 25,000 children. Through strategic partner selection, the B Corp is able to provide services to all kids and families regardless of economic status. Its pricing models allow Kids in the Game to be accessible to 97% of New York City ZIP code areas. 

With a customer-focused theory of change model, Kids in the Game monitors and evaluates data from stakeholders to make impact-focused changes to its services. This tool allows the B Corp to measure its progress and adjust its services as it grows and evolves, while reinforcing the core services that continue to excel.  

To get firsthand experience using its product, Link2Feed workers volunteer in the field.

Link2Feed 

Ontario

Impact Business Model

By having a mission that aligns with the mission of its customers, Link2Feed helps drive mutual success. Through a data-driven approach, the B Corp monitors and reports on customer benchmarks and targets for its product: software programs that assist hunger relief organizations. To get firsthand experience using its product, Link2Feed workers volunteer in the field with customers.

With a team of people dedicated to the customer experience, Link2Feed builds strong relationships to better understand customer needs. The B Corp also centers the customer voice in its operations through an advisory board that helps shape plans and processes, and sets customer satisfaction goals that are discussed among its team, measured for evaluation, and reported for transparency.

Payactiv

California

People of Color-Owned, Impact Business Model

Payactiv helps employers support their workers by providing access to earned wages so they can avoid financial crises and the associated penalty or overdraft fees. To better understand and illustrate the gap that can emerge between paychecks, Payactiv recently studied the cost of living across America and created a Livelihood Index that reflects how basic expenses exceed income for most people. 

By partnering with mission-driven companies as vendors and providers of its earned wage access service, Payactiv connects with compassionate leaders and human resources executives who care for their workers and seek additional benefits that enhance their lives. It’s a holistic approach that can enhance financial wellness and improve employee satisfaction.

Riverwater Partners

Wisconsin

Women-Owned, Employee-Owned, Impact Business Model

With a focus on environment, social, and governmental (ESG) investing, Riverwater Partners aims to make the world a better place by growing wealth through investments that promote racial equity and climate justice with a focus on underserved or underrepresented stakeholders. 

The B Corp incorporates lessons and tools from its work with investee companies to inform and improve its own sustainable business practices. Recently this included performing an internal materiality assessment as an instructive best practice for identifying ESG factors considered most important by and for its stakeholders.

Vonzella 

Minnesota

LGBTQIA-Owned, Black-Owned, Impact Business Model

Vonzella expands options and access to insurance by developing products for people who have been historically excluded or who live in under-resourced communities. In using insurance as a tool to advance social equity, wealth preservation, and economic justice, the B Corp partners with community organizations and gives back a portion of every commission they help refer.By rethinking the typical insurance market structure and reaching out to mission-aligned organizations, Vonzella has created a customer-focused product that also builds community relationships and resilience.