The startup community is a powerful driver of innovation, creativity and change in the world. New companies have the opportunity to manage their businesses in ways that serve the people and the planet from the start, rather than backwards engineering them when they become large and complex. Companies that do so will gain a competitive advantage - attracting customers, investors and top talent - while improving their ability to address global challenges.

We call this being “Born B”.

We are working to grow a movement of entrepreneurs and business leaders around the world building companies that are “Born B”. Now, more than ever, we need businesses to help build a brighter future for all.

Get started with becoming Born B:

• Take Born B Impact Assessment and start the journey towards becoming a B Corp.
• Join us for a webinar, co-hosted by B Lab, to learn the nuts and bolts of the Assessment, and how you can use it to take your company’s impact to the next level on May 4, 11:00am EDT, Register here.
• Align your governance model with your mission, whether by becoming a benefit corporation or building your mission into your LLC’s operating agreement. Learn the basics of Mission-Aligned Governance with B Lab’s Best Practice Guide.
• Take the Founders Pledge to join a community of entrepreneurs who have committed to give a small portion of their future exit proceeds to social causes, and connect with charity thought leaders through intimate events and online content.
• Pledge 1% as part of a global movement to create a new normal where companies of all sizes integrate giving back into their culture and values. Already over 1,750+ companies in 40 countries—including Twilio, Box, Yelp, Docusign, Atlassian, Optimizely, Salesforce, Techstars have taken the pledge. Join them at p1.today.
• Register with the Unilever Foundry. Unilever is always looking for partners to collaborate with, to help towards their mission of making sustainable living commonplace. Sign up to stay in the loop with all Unilever Foundry briefs which outline problems that need solving and opportunities Unilever is seeking to grasp.
• Join the Born B mailing list to learn about B Team initiatives and commitments you can take to drive change. To start taking action in side your company:
  • Drive Full Transparency: Visit Ownershiptransparency.com to learn about six actions companies can take to become leaders in transparency.
  • Make Work 100% Human: To learn more about what it means to be 100% Human at Work and get started in your company read our “New Ways of Working” report on the future of leadership and “Refugees & Migrants – An Opportunity For Humanity,” outlining a clear case for business action, within companies and as part of the larger social movement, to help resolve the humanitarian crisis refugees face today.
  • Head for Net-Zero by 2050: Commit to one or more of the We Mean Business commitments. We Mean Business gives companies and investors a common platform to act and be recognized for bold leadership on climate change. Companies can commit to one—or all—of a set of innovative and practical climate initiatives, and they can work to scale low-carbon solutions to meet specific technology challenges to tackle climate change.

As a first step on the path to becoming Born B, we are encouraging companies to measure their current social and environmental impact through the Born B Impact Assessment, which highlights ways businesses can start to embed positive progress throughout their operations and value chains. You will also be able to benchmark your company’s progress against others in your sector or at your stage of growth.In 2017 we will continue to work to grow and support the Born B community globally through interactive events, online resources and partnerships with like-minded organisations.

We hope you will join us and tell others. Get in touch at bornb@bteam.org.