Giving Compass' Take:

• Thomas Bourne, the founder of Greenheart Business Consulting, discusses how his business fits into the broader B Corp movement and the impact that other companies can have on this world by following the B Corp model.

• What is the effect of the B Corp Movement on the social sector and philanthropic practices? 

• Here is an investor's guide to B Corps. 

Thomas Bourne is founder of Greenheart Business Consulting, a Certified B Corporation based in Plymouth, Devon, United Kingdom. Greenheart applies its belief in the triple bottom line and circular economy while selecting and working with clients and suppliers. He recently answered some questions about Greenheart and its B Corp philosophy.

Tell us about the history of your company.
I set up Greenheart in 2015 after a career in commercial law followed by several years running small businesses. I realised that there was scope to apply those skills and experiences, run through the lens of some profoundly held personal values, to support businesses who wanted to grow their triple bottom line returns. Greenheart became a Certified B Corp in August 2017.

What excites you most about the B Corp movement?
B Corp values really resonate with today’s investors, consumers, employees and business people. What really excites me is that the B Corp approach changes the dialogue from “We need to do less bad” to “We have an opportunity to do more good, and make money while we’re doing it.” This is a much more universally engaging proposition and will lead to far greater long-term impact than simply beating ourselves up about how bad things have become.

Can you tell us about the impact that your company is having in the world?
Greenheart exists as a supporter and facilitator of impactful business — we spend a lot of time helping businesses on that journey and, in turn, making a positive change to the lives of their stakeholders. It also allows me to give a significant amount of time to the Soil Association, the UK’s leading charity for healthy and sustainable food and farming systems.

Read the full article about B Corp impact and movement from B Lab at B the Change.