Beyond the B: Latest on the B Corp Movement

Last month, B Lab Global made an announcement that affects some small-to-medium existing B Corps. If your B Corp is due to submit for recertification between July 1 and December 31, 2025, and you would like to be evaluated under Version 6 (i.e., the current version of the standards), you must submit your assessment by June 30, 2025 — six months earlier than many of us expected.

If you miss that deadline, or your submission date is in 2026 or later, you will be moved onto the new standards (new B Corps still have until the end of 2025 to submit under Version 6 of the standards).

Emmy and Ryan explore why this change caught many off guard, what it means for businesses of different sizes, and how companies can navigate the revised timeline. Whether you’re directly affected or just keeping up with the evolving B Corp landscape, this episode offers essential insights to help you stay prepared.

View the show notes: https://go.lifteconomy.com/blog/last-call-current-version-v6-b-corp-standards

In this episode, we speak with Marcel Fukayama, co-founder of Din4mo and a key leader in the B Corp movement, to explore the evolving landscape of B Corps, the role of policy in shaping the movement, and the challenges and opportunities ahead. 

Marcel shares insights on reducing dependency on philanthropy, navigating governance hurdles, and fostering deeper collaboration among B Corp leaders. He also reflects on the impact of COVID on the movement and the urgent need to reconnect with its core purpose.

View the show notes: https://go.lifteconomy.com/blog/b-corp-ecosystem-building-policy-marcel-fukayama

The B Corp movement in the UK is growing at an unprecedented pace. In this episode, Chris Turner, Executive Director of B Lab UK, and Dyann Heward-Mills, CEO of HewardMills, explore what’s fueling this rapid expansion. From the rise in purpose-driven leadership to the push for systemic change through the Better Business Act, we discuss how UK businesses are embracing B Corp certification and what this means for the future of ethical enterprise.

View the show notes: https://go.lifteconomy.com/blog/b-corp-growth-in-the-uk

A new initiative called the "Purpose Pledge" launched earlier this week. The timing—coinciding with Dr. Bronner’s decision to decertify as a B Corp—has led to questions about whether Purpose Pledge is designed to compete with B Corp certification. Folks are also understandably confused about why LIFT Economy is involved.

In this episode, we set the record straight.

• What is the Purpose Pledge, and how does it differ from B Corp Certification?
• Why did LIFT Economy help co-create it?
• Why do we believe B Corp and Purpose Pledge are complementary, not competing?

View the show notes: https://go.lifteconomy.com/blog/purpose-pledge-b-corp-setting-the-record-straight

If you haven’t already, we highly recommend listening to our most recent episode with Farmer Cee Stanley for additional context: 

https://go.lifteconomy.com/blog/dr-bronners-decertifies-as-a-b-corp

In this episode of Beyond the B, co-hosts Ryan Honeyman and Emmy Allison explore the recent decision by Dr. Bronner’s to decertify as a B Corporation. Ryan kicks off the episode with a monologue offering both a generous interpretation of the decision and constructive feedback on how the announcement could have been handled differently.

Then, Emmy and Ryan are joined by Farmer Cee (Clarenda Stanley), CEO of Green Heffa Farms and a leader in the B Corp community. As a Black woman in regenerative agriculture, a small business owner, and the first company to go through the B Lab Level program, Farmer Cee shares her candid reaction to Dr. Bronner’s decision. She discusses the implications for small and historically excluded businesses, the importance of maintaining rigorous yet accessible standards, and the broader impact on the B Corp community.

View the show notes: https://go.lifteconomy.com/blog/dr-bronners-decertifies-as-a-b-corp

We are sharing this crossover episode from Next Economy Now, our other LIFT podcast highlighting the leaders who that are taking a regenerative, bio-regional, democratic, equitable, racially-just, and whole-systems approach to creating the new economy.Check out all episodes here lifteconomy.com/podcast.

How can we move beyond shame and blame to foster collaboration in addressing climate challenges? In this episode, Jenny Morgan, climate strategist and author of Cancel Culture in Climate, discusses the intersection of B Corps, cancel culture, regenerative economics, and sustainable business practices.

For full show notes, visit: https://www.lifteconomy.com/blog/jenny-morgan/

In this mailbag episode, we give an update on Beyond the B listener stats, answer your questions about the new B Corp standards, share the latest updates from B Lab, and explain how you can already begin to make progress on the new B Corp standards--before their official release!

View the show notes. https://go.lifteconomy.com/blog/make-progress-on-the-new-b-corp-standards-today

In this episode, Vincent Stanley, longtime Patagonia executive and co-author of The Responsible Company, describes how his company first found out about B Corps, why Patagonia didn't initially join the community, and his thoughts on the arc of the B Corp movement to date. Vincent also highlights the challenges of balancing urgency with patience, fostering localism, and building a business that prioritizes environmental and social impact.

View the show notes: https://go.lifteconomy.com/blog/vincent-stanley-patagonia-b-corps

In Part 2, Kevin Bayuk from LIFT Economy returns to continue our discussion about what it could look like to go "beyond B Corp." We explore this topic through the second half of the 10 Principles of Next Economy enterprises, which include:

• 6) Open source and regionally replicable
• 7) Transparent
• 8) Regenerative operations
• 9) Supports movement building for broader systems change
• 10) Supports personal growth and development

Whether you’re a dedicated B Corp advocate or simply curious about the Next Economy, this conversation will inspire you to reimagine the role of business in driving systemic change.

View the show notes: https://go.lifteconomy.com/blog/b-corps-10-principles-of-next-economy-enterprises-part-2-kevin-bayuk

What does it mean to go “beyond B Corp”? LIFT Economy’s Kevin Bayuk explores this question through the lens of the 10 Principles of Next Economy enterprises. In this episode, we go through the first 5 principles:

• 1) Need-oriented, basic goods and services
• 2) Inclusive ownership
• 3) Equitable and democratic culture
• 4) Supports local economy ecosystem
• 5) Education embedded into the good or service

This conversation offers a powerful roadmap for B Corps striving to create a regenerative and just future. Stay tuned for Part 2, coming soon!

View the show notes: https://go.lifteconomy.com/blog/b-corps-10-principles-of-next-economy-enterprises-part-1-kevin-bayuk