Kira Day has spent the last five years guiding passionate companies towards a better future for all. Photo: B Lab Australia & Aotearoa New Zealand.
Imagine an economy that works for all people, communities and the planet we live on.
The ideal might be tricky to visualise, but it isn’t unreachable.
A number of organisations are working hard in Canberra, across Australia and around the world to make it happen, and they’ve been dubbed “Gen B”.
You may have noticed the “Certified B Corporation” logo on your favourite brands already. Fashion, food, education, charity, health, finance, sport, technology, even coffee and beer.
Known as “B Corps”, these companies are ushering in a different kind of business culture, verified by global organisation B Lab.
Certified B Corporations envision a better economic system where businesses can benefit people, communities, and the planet. They choose long-term investments over quick wins, and measure their success based on the positive impact they create not just profits.
B Corps measure their impact across five areas: workers, customers, governance, the environment and community.
There are over 9500 Certified B Corporations across more than 160 industries around the world. There are almost 750 throughout Australia with seven headquartered in the ACT and many more operating across the territory.
One of the first Australian B Corps, global healthcare provider Aspen Medical, was born in the nation’s capital.
The company recently gathered like-minded Canberrans at its Deakin office to celebrate B Corp Month. Attendees included David Smith MP.
Aspen Medical CEO Craig Fitzgerald was thrilled to welcome local businesses aspiring to become B Corps, alongside representatives from B Lab AANZ, the organisation responsible for certification.
“I first came across B Lab in 2013 when the founders came out to Australia,” he said.
“This coincided with myself and the owner of Aspen Medical, Glenn Keys, looking at how we wanted to define ourselves as a company.
“And we believed, we believe, that a company has to have a bigger purpose. I think in today’s environment, this is so important.”
Policy and advocacy manager for B Lab Australia and Aotearoa New Zealand, Kira Day, has seen the Gen B population more than double over the last five years.
“When I started this role, my job was to support a tight-knit community of around 200 companies across Australia and Aotearoa New Zealand,” she said.
“I knew the names of all the founders, their faces and company stories. Then the pandemic happened and demand for certification skyrocketed.
“One of the reasons we heard is that people started soul searching about their place in the world, why they got up in the morning, and where they wanted to be in the future. They realised the world needs change and didn’t want to keep doing business as usual.”
B Lab AANZ launched its most ambitious B Corp Month campaign yet this March, spotlighting a wave of purpose-driven businesses prioritising people and planet alongside profit.
Ms Day said the campaign theme “Gen B” was a nod to important relationships between early leaders in the space and new adoptees.
“A new generation of business requires parents to raise it, companies who have been walking the walk for a long time,” she said.
“I’m glad to see Aspen Medical standing here as one of those.
“A little over one in five Australians now recognise our logo and know who we are, what we do, and why it’s so important. That’s another great reason to celebrate this B Corp Month.”
In the spirit of positive change, B Lab is evolving the B Corp certification standards for the first time since its 2006 founding.
Andrew Simon, co-founder of Canberra performance consultants Yellow Edge, also spoke at the event and highlighted three ways B Corp certification benefitted the company.
“First, it has given us a framework to lead from the inside out, shape our environment and destiny in a way that is empowering,” he said.
“Second, we can confidently lead with a generous heart. The things we do are not just for our benefit but for that of others. And finally, they have helped us engage with our community in more proactive and authentic ways.
“It’s a privilege to live and work here in Canberra. As part of that privilege, we want to contribute, to make Canberra and the rest of the world better for those who come after us.”
For more information, visit Aspen Medical or B Lab Australia & Aotearoa New Zealand.
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