B. Listening: The B Corp Buzz

Podcast episodes
2 minute read 23 Oct 2024
Brand awareness for B Corp in the UK is 35%. It’s an incredible way for businesses to collectively do things in a better way, making positive change together. But becoming a B Corp is no easy feat — it requires a rigorous assessment and continuous reporting. That’s where The Pollinator come in; a business dedicated to helping others understand the B Corp buzz. 

From a background in environmental science, corporate development, and sustainable leadership; Jaimie Harris and Paul Coverdale became B leaders and co-founded The Pollinator to make B Corp accessible for all businesses. They offer programmes to guide your company through achieving the B Corp certification, and create the space where businesses can learn from each other, encouraging more and more businesses to join the community doing business better.

“It’s well-known now that once you’ve worked at a B Corp, you’re not going to work at another type of company. What we find is actually that (especially those under 26) are heading to the B Corp directory searching for companies that are B Corp certified and then looking for jobs within those companies. And it’s this tangible shift that we’re seeing as more is known about the movement and more is understood”

There are now over 8000 businesses in the B Corp movement including ourselves at Broadsword and The Pollinator. All of these like-minded B Corps have gone through an assessment by B Lab (scored over 80 points) and a legal change to become certified, committing to considering all stakeholders and pursuing purpose alongside profit. Together, B corps hope to enable change and create the space for positive action. No matter the size of the B Corp, they’re involved in a larger community.

“Take Ben and Jerry’s. Every supplier that Ben and Jerry’s use is a B Corp. And when they couldn’t find a B Corp supplier, they actually started their own dairy farms. For companies looking to become certified, that has been a really big draw, wanting to work with and learn from these leaders of industry”.

Get comfy, grab your B Corp ice cream, and tune in — this is an insightful and in depth conversation with two B Leaders. Whether you want to explore the topic or your journey, The Pollinator explores the misconceptions about B Corp, how to start the process to become certified, the benefits to business and how businesses can evolve from just starting the assessment. Listen below, on Spotify or Apple Podcasts.

“In the way that B Corp takes a holistic view, there isn’t anything else exactly like it. There are some fantastic certifications that look purely at your environmental footprint, that are purely at your community impact or your supply chain, but there’s nothing else currently that looks at this kind of all-rounded viewpoint”.