B Corp is a global certification system developed by the nonprofit organization B Lab, designed for businesses committed to balancing profit with purpose. The B Corp framework establishes rigorous standards for social and environmental performance, accountability, and transparency, with certified companies required to demonstrate ongoing compliance through regular assessments and public disclosures. Since its founding in 2006, B Lab has expanded the program to more than 100 countries and across 150 industries, with nearly 10,000 companies certified as of 2025. Certification requires companies to complete the B Impact Assessment with a minimum verified score of 80 points, legally amend governance structures to account for all stakeholders, and recertify every three years. The certification process and community are intended to shift business models away from shareholder primacy toward sustainable stakeholder value, encouraging collaboration on social and environmental challenges. B Lab also promotes broader systemic change through policy advocacy, standards development, and international network-building, positioning the B Corp movement as both a certification and a driver of global economic transformation.
I see B Lab’s creation of the B Corp model as both a powerful idea and a cautionary tale. What began with values-driven companies like 📝Dr. Bronner’s eventually expanded to include corporations accused of greenwashing, such as 📝Nestle’s Nespresso (which in turn led Dr. Bronner’s to renounce its certification). To me, this shows how even well-intentioned systems can drift from their founding ideals, living out the paradox of either dying the hero or living long enough to become the villain.