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• What are we doing and why are we doing it?
• How are we going to support B Corporations?
• The Advisory Council
• The Board of Directors
• Who is B Lab?
• How can I contact B Lab?

We are supporting B Corporations through an organization that we call B Lab. The mission of B Lab is to support B Corporations and this emerging sector by 1) certifying and rating B Corporations through the B Ratings System; 2) developing and disseminating a legal framework to institutionalize stakeholder interests within existing corporate law; 3) recruiting and promoting B Corporations; and 4) helping B Corporations access purpose-driven capital markets.

B Lab is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization governed by a process of broad, transparent multi-stakeholder engagement. The Board of Directors will establish several Advisory Councils to ensure continuous incorporation of best thinking and practices into B Lab's mission and activities. The Advisory Councils will each focus on one of B Lab's core activities:

• Standards (certification and ratings)

  The Standards Council will be comprised of 6-12 entrepreneurs, thought leaders, and practitioners in the fields of social investing, corporate social responsibility, and social reporting.

  The Standards Council will recommend to B Lab's Board of Directors:

  • the certification requirements for B Corporations;
    
  • the ratings system for B Corporations;
    
  • the Audit Standards for B Corporations;
    
  • ratings partners for accreditation;
    
  • ensure that best thinking and practices are integrated continuously into the B Ratings System.
    

  A Legal Team will be comprised of 5-10 practicing attorneys, legal scholars, and entrepreneurs and work in collaboration with the Standards Advisory Council.

  The Legal Team will:

  • develop the legal framework(s) to institutionalize stakeholder interests within existing corporate law;
    
  • ensure that this framework places B Corporations on a path toward eventual legal recognition;
    
  • catalogue best legal practices within the field of social enterprise which accomplish other objectives of B Corporations which are not requirements to become a B Corporation (i.e. creating governance structures which prevent mission-creep, etc);
    
  • oversee B Lab's Conflict-of-Interest Policy.
    
• Branding (recruitment and promotion)

  The Branding Council will be comprised of 10-15 entrepreneurs, leaders of responsible business associations, and leading brand building professionals.

  The Branding Council will:

  • review partnership agreements, including any revenue sharing, between B Lab and other responsible business associations;
    
  • recruit B Champions to lead the recruitment of B Corporations;
    
  • review the licensing agreement governing logo usage guidelines and royalty payments;
    
  • review and identify resources to help implement branding strategy for B Corporations.
    
• Capital Markets (access and development)

  The Capital Markets Council will be comprised of 6-12 entrepreneurs, thought leaders, and practitioners in the fields of social finance and socially responsible investing, capital markets and financial services, and corporate social responsibility.

  The Capital Markets Council will provide guidance to B Lab's Board of Directors in two primary areas: first, recruiting and developing a critical mass of B Corporations in the financial services sector; second, facilitating development of a capital marketplace that ensures B Corporations access to mission-aligned capital throughout their lifecycle.

  Members of the Capital Markets Advisory Council will:

  • Work closely with the Standards Advisory Council to develop appropriate standards for financial services B Corporations consistent with their unique regulatory environment;
    
  • Work closely with the Branding Advisory Council to recruit financial services businesses to become B Corporations;
    
  • Identify capital markets needs of B Corporations and develop recommendations to serve these needs (i.e. equity/debt intermediaries, exchanges, etc);
    
  • Facilitate ties to and leverage mainstream financial markets by educating investors in using B Corporation standards to:
    • screen investments
      
    • advocate for preferential procurement
      
    
    
  • Engage the philanthropic community around mission-related investing in B Corporations;