When I founded Prosper for Purpose in 2013, I had already heard about something called Benefit Corporations.

At the time, the idea intrigued me.

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A legal structure for businesses that weren’t solely driven by profit, but were also accountable for creating positive impact for people and the planet.

It felt like a long-overdue evolution of capitalism.

There was just one problem. My state, Ohio, didn’t recognize Benefit Corporation status yet. And I didn’t want to incorporate somewhere else.

So while I knew I wanted to build something different—something that didn’t force me to choose between purpose and profit—I didn’t yet have a formal framework to anchor it.

I built anyway.

Two years later, everything clicked.

Discovering B Corps

In 2015, I was introduced to Certified B Corporations.

Unlike Benefit Corporations (a legal structure), B Corps are a certification—a rigorous, third-party verification that a business meets high standards of social and environmental performance, accountability, and transparency.

And when I say rigorous, I mean it. This isn’t a badge you buy or a statement you claim. It’s earned, measured, and verified.

And it’s continuously evaluated.

As the B Corp community itself puts it, certification represents “measurable social and environmental impact… translated into practice and progress.”

The moment I understood that, I knew this was what I had been looking for.

Not a label. A standard.

Why It Mattered So Much to Me

At that point in my career, the decision wasn’t just strategic.

It was deeply personal.

1. I was done choosing between purpose and profit

I grew up with a belief system that most of us inherit:

• If you want to make a difference, go into nonprofit work

• If you want to make money, go into business

So I did both.

For more than two decades, I moved back and forth between the nonprofit and for-profit worlds—trying to reconcile impact with income.

And I kept running into the same frustration:

The nonprofit world had the mission.

The business world had the resources.

But they rarely existed in the same place.

At some point, I stopped looking for that place…and decided to build it.

Prosper for Purpose was my answer to that tension.

And B Corp certification was the structure that validated it.

2. The shift from shareholder value to stakeholder value

Around that same time, I was watching a broader shift happen in business.

For decades, companies had been driven by shareholder value—prioritizing profits and returns above all else.

But something was changing.

There was a growing recognition that businesses don’t operate in a vacuum. That long-term success isn’t built by serving shareholders alone, but by creating value for everyone connected to the business.

Employees. Customers. Communities. Sometimes even the environment.

In other words: stakeholders.

And for someone trained in public relations—where the entire discipline is built on creating mutually beneficial relationships with stakeholders—this shift felt both familiar and necessary.

It wasn’t a trend; it was a return to what business should have been all along.

B Corps didn’t just acknowledge that shift.

They operationalized it and measured it.

And for me, that alignment made the decision to pursue certification feel not just right, but inevitable.

3. “Purpose-driven” was becoming a marketing strategy

At the same time, I was seeing something else emerge. Businesses were starting to talk about purpose.

But not always from a place of conviction. From a place of positioning.

“Purpose-driven” was becoming a trend.

A tagline.

A way to differentiate in the market.

And I remember thinking, “If everyone can say it… how do you prove it?”

B Corp certification answered that question. It separated claim from commitment.

Because behind that simple “B” is a system of accountability, measurement, and continuous improvement.

Or as the B Corp community describes it:

“A simple symbol, a powerful signal.”

That signal mattered to me.

Because I didn’t want Prosper for Purpose to be perceived as purpose-driven.

I wanted it to be proven.

4. I found my people

And then there was the part I didn’t expect. Community.

When you become a B Corp, you’re not just earning a certification: you’re joining a global movement of companies committed to using business as a force for good.

Today, that community includes thousands of businesses—and more than a million workers—around the world working toward the same goal.

Different industries. Different sizes. Different approaches.

But a shared belief that business can—and should—create positive impact.

For the first time in my career, I didn’t feel like I was straddling two worlds.

I felt like I had found one.

Ten Years Later

It’s now been ten years since Prosper for Purpose became a Certified B Corp.

We’ve re-certified three times.

And I can say, without hesitation:

It’s one of the most important decisions I’ve made as a founder.

Because B Corp certification isn’t a finish line; it’s a commitment to continuous improvement.

Or as the campaign language so perfectly states:

“We earned the B by doing good. We keep it by doing better.”

What “Business as a Force for Good” Actually Looks Like

The phrase “business as a force for good,” and the tagline “B the Change” sound great, right?

But what do they actually mean in practice?

B Corps are evaluated across five key areas:

1. Governance

How your company is structured and how decisions are made.

This includes accountability, transparency, and the way your mission is embedded in your operations—not just your messaging.

2. Workers

How you treat your employees.

Compensation, benefits, professional development, workplace culture, and overall well-being all factor into your score.

3. Community

Your impact beyond your company.

This includes diversity, equity, and inclusion; local engagement; charitable giving; and how you contribute to the communities you serve.

4. Environment

Your environmental footprint.

From resource use to sustainability practices, companies are measured on how they minimize harm and contribute to environmental stewardship.

5. Customers

The value and impact of what you deliver.

This includes whether your products or services are designed to solve meaningful problems and create positive outcomes.

These aren’t vague ideals.

They are measured, scored, and verified.

And re-evaluated every three years (and it used to be every two!)

Which means you don’t just become a B Corp.

You have to continue earning it.

Why This Matters Now More Than Ever

We’re living in a moment where trust is eroding.

Consumers are more skeptical. Employees are more discerning.

And leaders are being asked to stand for something—not just sell something.

This is what I talk about all the time when I say trust is the new currency.

Trust isn’t built through messaging alone. It’s built through alignment.

Between what you say and what you do.

B Corp certification forced that alignment for us. It required us to look at every part of our business and ask, “Are we operating in a way that reflects what we believe?” And are we consistent in that practice?

The Real Story Behind the B

There’s a line from the B Corp playbook that I love:

“The B is a symbol on our door. The real story is what happens inside.”

That’s the entire point. The certification matters. But the work matters more.

And after a decade of being part of this movement, I can say with absolute conviction: the B didn’t change who we are.

It clarified it.

Strengthened it.

Held us accountable to it.

And gave us a way to prove it.

Final Thought

I didn’t set out to build a B Corp. I set out to build the kind of company I couldn’t find.

One that held the mission of a nonprofit, with the scalability and sustainability of a business.

B Corp certification didn’t create that vision.

But it gave it structure, credibility, and community.

And ten years later, I’m still proud to say:

We use business as a force for good.

If you want to learn more about B Corp Certification, go to https://www.bcorporation.net/en-us/certification/

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