We stand on the shoulders of giants. The movement to redefine success in business didn’t begin and won’t end with B Lab. There are many more significant milestones in B Lab’s short history and many more people and organizations than those mentioned below who have contributed to our collective success. To all, a huge thank you.
Inter-dependence Day
July 5, 2006
First offical day of full time work at B Lab on what happily ever after becomes known as Inter-dependence Day
Measuring what matters: the first B Impact Assessment
September 15, 2006
On an excel spreadsheet, the first version of what will become the B Impact Assessment is created, synthesizing the best practices in socially responsible business from Ben Cohen and Mal Warwick's SVN book, Betsy Power's work with Natural Capital Institute, and the small company version of the Global Reporting Initiative reporting standards
1st B Corps Certified
June 8, 2007
First offical day of full time work at B Lab on what happily ever after becomes known as Inter-dependence Day
1st Standards Advisory Committee Meeting
September 12, 2007
Independent Standards Advisory Council convenes for the first time, institutionalizing sound governance for future evolution of standards for B Corp certification, GIIRS ratings, and any business that wants to use a free, credible, and useful management tool to benchmark their social and environmental performance
Impact Investing 'Born'
October 5, 2007
1st Rockefeller Foundation gathering in Bellagio, Italy at which the phrase 'impact investing' is born
A New Kind of Company
July 1, 2007
Inc. publishes first feature on B Corps with a strange boy band photo from Method's 'green room'
10 Million Bags of Flour
December 6, 2007
King Arthur Flour becomes first B Corp to put Certified B Corp logo on product - lots of product
If at first you don't succeed...
September 15, 2008
Governor Schawrzenegger vetoes AB2944 due to vigorous opposition from a few friends of the Corporations Committee of the California Bar, setting the stage for 'a new corporate form' at a later date
GOOD Business
October 1, 2008
GOOD + B Corps = GOOD Business, a one-time magazine precursor to the B Corp Annual Report and web-based channel on good.is, includes 3 awesome videos that have stood the test of time Watch Videos »
Launch of B Lab's Policy Efforts
February 1, 2008
California Assemblyman Mark Leno responds to request from future benefit corporation legal champion Jonathan Storper of B Corp Hansen Bridgett and agrees to introduce AB2944 to create a constituency statute to permit businesses to consider stakeholder interests
1st Outside Grants to B Lab
February 19, 2008
Rockefeller Foundation's Social Investing Group makes first core support grant to B Lab of $500k to develop 'social capital markets infrastructure', followed shortly by a matching $500k from Halloran Philanthropies as part of their overarching plan 'to create the world we all want'.
1st B Corp Champions Retreat
September 25, 2008
50+ invited champions gather (and eventutally get lost until 2:00am) in the high desert 90 minutes from La Jolla, CA
GIIRS and IRIS Concieved
February 9, 2009
Presentation to what will become the GIIN Investors Council (Global Impact Investing Network) outlining the future of two organizations that will become IRIS and GIIRS Ratings & Analytics; Acumen, Rockefeller Foundation and B Lab agree to partner to co-create IRIS (Impact Reporting & Investment Standards)
1st Canadian B Corp
February 19, 2009
Better the World blazes the trail with help from future Canadian partner MaRS and law firm Blake's
"Jamie meet Andrew; Andrew, Jamie."
Novemeber 1, 2009
At an IC party in DC at future B Corp Busboys & Poets, champion Jim Epstein introduces Maryland State Senator Jamie Raskin to B Lab and within 30 days the nation's first benefit corporation legislation is introduced
1st B Lab standards partnership
February 12, 2009
Sustainable Business Network of Philadelphia holds first webinar launching partnership requiring all members to complete B Impact Assessment
"Please hold.": 1st B Corp break proposed
February 25, 2009
Phone rings and a staffer from Philadelphia City Councilmember James Kenney's office says that a press release is planned to go out tomorrow announcing the introduction of legilsaiton to create the nation's first B Corp tax break; legislation passes December 1st thanks to testimony from B Corps Greyston Bakery and Untours and comparative impact data that will later take the form of the B Corp index
5:30am?!? Really?
July 1, 2010
For the distinction of becoming the nation's first registered benefit corporation, 11 companies -- and one inspiringly aggressive attorney with sharp elbows -- wait outside the offices of the Maryland State Department of Assessment and Taxation on the legislation's effective date
$1 million... dollars!
September 1, 2010
Cumulative savings for B Corps through service partnerships crosses $1MM mark
B Corp ad campaign launches
September 1, 2010
The generosity of Ogden Publications, Care2.com, Sustainable Industries, and BBMG helps B Lab launch ad campaign that has 96% of consumers saying 'I'm going to look for these B Corps the next time I go shopping, or at least learn more about them'
1st State Signs Benefit Corp Legislation into Law
April 23, 2010
Maryland starts the ball rolling thanks to Senator Jamie Raskin and champion Jim Epstein.
1st 25 GIIRS Pioneer Funds announced
September 4, 2010
For SoCap announcement, 25 leading funds agree to more than they bargained for by committing to have their portfolios participate in the GIIRS World Tour beta test
Around the world in 45 days!: GIIRS World Tour
January 31, 2011
200 companies from 25 funds across 30 countries in 45 days. Now that's a beta test!
