Annually, the entire B Corp Community comes together for a global gathering called the B Corp Champions Retreat. We come together to celebrate our collective success and the growth of the global movement. This year marked a decade since the B Corp community started. The initial B Corp Found class of 82 companies has morphed to over 2,300 companies in 50+ countries representing over 130 industries.
This year also marked another milestone for the community, it was the one year anniversary of the B Corp Inclusion Challenge. The Inclusion Challenge was the first global call to action for B Corps to work towards creating an inclusive economy for all.
To mark these key milestones, the B Corp community gathered in Toronto, Canada with the theme of Interdependence. Two representatives from B Lab East African, Olivia Muiru and Felicia Solomon, together with Caroline Wanjiku, CEO of B Corp Daproim Africa, were able to attend the retreat this year. Here they give us three key takeaways from the gathering.
1. Spirit of Leadership
“Being in a space of like-minded global leaders, was just breathtaking, all these verified and gave more meaning to what we do at Daproim. B Corps are full of inspiring stories and people who had the courage to act to make a change in society. Inspirational stories of people actually working towards the kind of future we want. There is an environment of open collaboration and networking. More importantly we all declared an intention to do better” Carol Wanjiku, CEO Daproim Africa Ltd
2. It is better to Scale with Integrity than Otherwise
We must aim to transform life and business in unusual ways by creating a true movement within your organisation that moves people and business with integrity. Do not be afraid to fail because failure leads to long-term Success. It is okay to fail, to be vulnerable and to trust. Be a trusted leader known above all for your integrity.
” For me it was to see this hundreds of companies that are truly living by their values, and going over and above. More than marketing their actions are really speaking louder. I was truly inspired. I am more energised to be apart and grow this movement” Felicia Solomon, B Lab East Africa Board Member.
3. Inclusive and distributed decision Making is the way to go!
An inclusive and distributed decision making process increases employee engagement and organisation agility. How can we do this? Create structures that support and allow room for growth. Have decision making boundaries, a feedback system, periodic reviews, transparency, talk and action. Truly care about your employees, articulate the business values consistently and strategies and share setbacks.
Individually, our actions create ripples that build a current to redefine success in business. Together we are building a new economy that is more inclusive and sustainable and that will influence the next generation of leaders to come.
Check out the communities 2030 vision.
