B Corp: The Movement That Transformed My Career

This article is contributed by Abraham Chen, Classy Live Product Support Manager and Leader of Project Green, Classy’s sustainability community. He also serves on the board of B Local San Diego.

Career Aligning Values

My journey with B Corp began in the middle of the pandemic. There I was, bleary-eyed, slogging through another 3-hour Zoom lecture. I was halfway through my MBA program (in-person turned online) and a distinct jadedness was washing over me.?

Every single class, from supply chain to HR to marketing, was focused around maximizing profits. The message was clear: the sole purpose of business and the sole purpose behind my professional career and MBA degree was to help businesses maximize profits for their owners and shareholders.?

This idea haunted me for months, until an unassuming elective showed up on my schedule: Sustainability in Business. In the very first lecture, my professor introduced us to the B Corp certification: the most rigorous standard for business sustainability, and a measure of an organization's impact on all of its stakeholders (community, workers, and planet), not just its shareholders.?

I was hooked by the concept and knew that I had to learn more. My quest led to a month long deep dive into B Corp and culminated in a report which was published through the University, but I could not stop there. Who was actually operating real businesses like this around me??

I mustered up the courage to reach out to local B Corp leaders throughout San Diego and ended up conversing with founders, CEOs and sustainability leaders from all different industries. Of all the companies that I spoke to, Classy impressed me the most. They seemed so deeply connected to their mission of creating a better world and were clearly committed to furthering the B Corp movement. Little did I know that conversation would change the entire course of my career.

Classy’s Commitment to Sustainability

Fast forward to the end of my MBA program and I could not get Classy out of my mind. The prospect of investing my time and talents to further the mission at Classy was exactly how I envisioned my career. I applied and was hired in December 2021!?

Since starting at Classy I’ve had the pleasure of connecting with other talented individuals who are deeply passionate about sustainability. We have nearly 200 employees in our sustainability Slack channel and a 16-member Project Green leadership team that is dedicated to Green Lab certification through the nonprofit Urban Green Labs.?

We hold volunteering events including beach clean-ups, 1:1 LinkedIn coaching for underprivileged students, and even get our hands dirty with farming! Additionally, our group meets regularly to discuss environmental podcasts, encourage sustainable purchasing, and improve recycling/composting efforts in the office and at home.

The B Corp Connection

In May, I was invited to join the board of B Local San Diego to represent Classy. The organization exists to strengthen relationships between the 25 B Corps in San Diego. We meet regularly and focus on building community through networking and volunteering events. These meetings build relationships across organizations and spark natural brainstorming and knowledge sharing on how different organizations manage and contribute to sustainability and stakeholder capitalism.?

We also work to bring awareness of the B Corp Certification to the general public through speaking engagements at local universities, conferences, and events. It has been a gratifying experience to connect with leaders of mission-focused, sustainability-minded corporations, many of whom I interviewed for an MBA project the year prior!?

We are constantly looking for ways to more effectively impact the San Diego business community and ultimately shape it toward a more sustainable, stakeholder-focused model. (If you’re interested in learning more about B Local San Diego, join our newsletter for updates and ways to get involved!)

Excited for What’s Ahead

I pinch myself every day knowing that the time and energy I pour into my career enables nonprofits to do what they do best, saving the world. I’m equally grateful to connect with leaders in San Diego who create meaningful value for all of their stakeholders and are actively creating organizations that are good for our world and good for our planet. This is just the beginning and I’m excited for all that’s in store for the future of Classy, B Local San Diego, and the B Corp Movement!