green|spaces’ green|light program launches a focus on helping women and minority owned businesses achieve green|light and B Corp certification. green|light is conducting a survey to understand the current scope of sustainability in women and minority owned businesses. This initiative was announced and a survey was debuted at a special screening of the documentary film “Tomorrow” held at green|spaces on Wednesday.
To take the survey click here.
green|spaces’ green|light program is one of only seven organizations participating in a special pilot program through a nonprofit called B Lab. B Lab is a global movement of business leaders that seek to redefine success in business, so that one day all companies compete not only to be the best in the world, but to be the best for the world.
The B Lab Quick Assessment is an online tool that measures companies in five areas: Environment, Workers, Customers, Community, and Governance. The B Lab Quick Assessment is open to all businesses and once it is completed businesses will have a better idea of where they are in terms of sustainability and how green|light can help their business create and maintain sustainable practices.
green|light worked with Chattanooga’s first and only Certified B Corps, Whiteboard, and helped them achieve B Corps status.
“We worked with green|light to help us codify our sustainability practices,” said Whiteboard’s co-founder and CCO Eric Brown. “We created an employee handbook to solidify our stance on sustainable and social accountability, as well as to touch on topics like team benefits and work/life balance. Becoming a Certified B Corporation also requires you to amend your incorporating documents, stating your commitment to sustainable and social standards.”
There are 2,200 Certified B Corps around the world including Patagonia, Etsy, and Ben & Jerry’s. By bringing the B Lab Quick Assessment to Chattanooga, green|spaces is helping to raise the bar for sustainability practices among local businesses.
“We realize that not every business will become a B Corps,” said Natalie Hostetler, green|light program coordinator. “Our goal is to be companies’ energy star portfolio manager so they always know how they compare to other businesses based on sustainability points.”
While the B Lab Quick Assessment is open to all businesses, green|light is first focusing on women and minority owned businesses for this initial launch. If interested in participating, please contact Natalie Hostetler at natalie@greenspaceschattanooga.com or 423 648-0963.