Why We Became B Corp Certified

I got my MBA in the 1990s, back when were taught to bow down to Milton Friedman, the Nobel Prize-winning economist and advocate for free-market capitalism. The central idea is that capitalism is good and that businesses—unregulated by government restrictions—can unlock maximum human potential and innovation for the greater good. As Milton Friedman said, "There is no alternative way so far discovered of improving the lot of the ordinary people that can hold a candle to the productive activities that are unleashed by the free-enterprise system."

Starting in the 1970s and continuing over the next few decades, the government was deregulating businesses across many industries. In business school, we saw so much opportunity in the banking and finance world, the airline industry, the telecom industry, the tech business! Our business school Dean, Professor Harry Davis, put on sunglasses when he first greeted our class of 1994, shouting, "your future's so bright, I gotta wear shades!"

He was right; we were optimistic about our future, and for good reason. Capitalism has brought about significant advances in our society. As Matthew Wilburn King wrote in this BBC article, Why the Next Stage of Capitalism is Coming, "Capitalism has fueled the industrial, technological, and green revolutions...It has lifted innumerable people out of poverty over the last two centuries, significantly increased standards of living, and resulted in innovations that have radically improved human well-being."

But we didn't know what we didn't know (and still don't, obviously). We didn't know much about climate change, forever chemicals, plastics in the ocean, and the pollution that would cause many health issues, particularly in poorer areas. We didn't all have computers in our pockets that could answer any question any time, anywhere (accurately or not). Social media had not yet amplified everyone's outrage.

I first became aware of the damage businesses were doing to our environment while I worked on Capitol Hill after graduating from college. I handled legislative issues on energy and the environment. It was a crash course in air pollution, water pollution, the non-profits that care about those things, and the debated legislation that was supposed to help.

But it wasn't until I read Paul Hawken's The Ecology of Commerce about a decade later that I realized businesses were a significant part of the problem. The fundamental reliance upon growth in earnings per share forces business leaders to make decisions that might be better for shareholders in the short term but not beneficial for anyone in the long run. Today's politics reflect a more divisive attitude towards businesses; many politicians, journalists, and influencers are part of an anti-capitalist movement. The fundamental principle of businesses--growth for the sake of growth--is morally devoid of meaning. So, what's a conscious capitalist like me to do?

To help resolve my cognitive dissonance, I decided to immerse myself in the sustainability world. As a sustainability consultant, I helped businesses do better financially by doing better with natural resources. I became a LEED Accredited Professional, and LEED Certified several million square feet of commercial and residential property. But LEED was only a little better than all other buildings. The more I worked with architects and building owners, the more I realized that buildings could actually serve communities. For example, the home of Kate and Mark Hanson (whose house I wrote about and featured here) produces more electricity than it consumes (even with their two electric cars), so they return energy to the grid. Their lot absorbs more stormwater runoff than it produces, helping the entire neighborhood and the city's water department manage heavy rainfalls.

That got me thinking: if a building can be of service to its community, couldn't an entire business? And why wouldn't it? Turns out I'm not alone: companies and brands have been stepping up to the challenge, with the outdoor retailer Patagonia as the shining star. (Thank you, Yvon Chouinard!)

Now, with Project Hive Pet Company, my husband and I get to author our own decisions on how we run our business.

We started Project Hive Pet Company to make a difference in the world. Sure, we love pets and bringing joy to pets and their parents by making great products, but we have a more significant reason for being that has to do with helping save the planet. Our mission is to save the bees. We do this by partnering with non-profits that plant healthy wildflower habitat on wide swaths of land. 

When we formed the company, we decided to incorporate it as a public benefit company with the goal of becoming a Certified B Corp.