LIFT Economy

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Jorge Fontanez: B Corps as a Force for Change

Ryan Honeyman
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Consumers need more from the companies and brands they support. Aspects such as governance, social impact, and environment are what consumers demand, requiring business and business leaders to operate and think differently. What is needed is a way for consumers to ensure they support businesses and products that help drive change in the world.

Today’s guest is helping lead the charge to change the economy to benefit all people, communities, and the planet. Jorge Fontanez is the Chief Executive Officer for B Lab, a leader in systems change, creating standards, policies, and tools for businesses and also certifying companies regarding their social and environmental responsibility. Jorge is a strategic marketing consultant who leverages his experience to help companies grow and drive change. He is also a First Movers Fellow at the Aspen Institute Business and Society Program and a Professor of Marketing with the Bard MBA Sustainability Program. 

In this episode, we unpack the social responsibility of corporations and the B Corp Movement, and what certification entails. We learn about Jorge's professional career journey, how his heritage grounds him and informs his work, and what got him interested in marketing. He provides insights into how to effect change, the role of the private sector in terms of social responsibility, the many challenges and potential facing the movement, and how to change the system from within. We also delve into Capitalism, why it cannot be separated from racism and the patriarchy, and much more. Tune in to find out how B Corps can be a force for good with Jorge Fontanez.

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Key Points From This Episode:

  • Background about Jorge and his professional career journey. [0:02:50]

  • We learn about B Lab and the B Corp Movement. [0:07:20]

  • Whether capitalism can be changed or is fundamentally the problem. [0:11:23]

  • Jorge shares details about projects that he is most excited about. [0:15:55]

  • Why people not in a B Corp should join in on the B Lab Champions Retreat. [0:21:39]

  • Evolution of the new standards created for B Corps Certification and why. [0:24:50]

  • Outline of the challenges and opportunities B Lab faces. [0:30:41]

  • How to change the system when you are a part of the system. [0:36:02]

  • The questions Jorge wishes people would ask him about his work. [0:39:27]

  • How listeners can help grow the next economy movement. [0:43:01]

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Tweetables:

“What drew me into B Lab is knowing that the next chapter of this work is engaging B Corps, and businesses like B Corps, more deeply in the work of systems change.” — @CuriousJLuis [0:09:42]

“Working within the system can be a mode of effective change.” — @CuriousJLuis [0:12:23]

“We are really interested in ensuring that experience for B Corps is one in which they are learning along the way but also understanding what is possible.” — @CuriousJLuis [0:20:53]

“I don’t know that we need to simplify I think it is more about how we get creative solving problems that are really interconnected.” — @CuriousJLuis [0:31:40]

“I think we owe it to ourselves to have more faith in each other, knowing we are all doing our best.” — @CuriousJLuis [0:35:13]

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Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:

Jorge Fontanez on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jorgelf/

Jorge Fontanez on Twitter: https://twitter.com/CuriousJLuis

B Lab U.S. & Canada: https://usca.bcorporation.net

B Lab U.S. & Canada on Twitter: https://twitter.com/bcorpuscan

B Lab U.S. & Canada on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bcorpuscan/

B the Change: https://bthechange.com/

Marca Studio: https://marcastudio.co/

The Aspen Institute: https://www.aspeninstitute.org/

Bard’s Graduate Programs in Sustainability: https://gps.bard.edu/

Champions Retreat 2022: https://usca.bcorporation.net/champions-retreat-2022/

The Revolution Will Not Be Funded: https://www.indiebound.org/book/9780822363804

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Show Notes + Other Links

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