Key Accomplishments
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JUSTICE, EQUITY, DIVERSITY, & INCLUSION (JEDI)
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In January of 2020 we hired Anti-Oppression advisor Brenda Herrera Moreno from In.Visible Paradigms to guide the journey to further embed JEDI in the Board.
We’ve completed 2 training sessions with Brenda and commissioned an analysis of the B Local Boston’s online JEDI landscape. As a result of the findings noted, we’ve started to implement recommended best practices, such as adding proffered pronouns and bios to the Meet the Board webpage.
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COLLECTIVE ACTION
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In 2019, we introduced collective action to the B Community through two key events, hosted at Eileen Fisher and Impact Hub Boston, in which 50 B Corp leaders met with NGO partners to envision how we can act together. The outcome of these events was a plan for actions in the first half of 2020.
In 2020, we partnered with Ceres, a sustainability nonprofit organization, to elevate the role of advocacy in the community by bringing engagement opportunities to certified B Corps. Our first collaboration was a sign-on letter in support of Massachusetts net-zero legislation sent to the Massachusetts General Court on July 20, 2020. Eight MA B Corps were signatories of this letter as a signal of their prioritization and commitment to this specific issue.
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SKILL BASED LEARNING
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Since 2018, we’ve offered a wide range of skill based learnings to support the B Community in their business initiatives. Events include topics specifically suited to B Corps, such as Navigating B Corp Recertification, to business best practices, such as Negotiating for Good and Running Effective Meetings.
As interactions turned virtual in the beginning of 2020, we pivoted to offer resources to help the community embrace these new challenges, such as Running Good Virtual Meetings.
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NETWORK & COMMUNITY BUILDING
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We’ve hosted a number of networking events to bring together those passionate about the B Corp movement. Each networking event is hosted by a B Corp, such as Wine Tasting with B Corps, hosted by 8 Certified B Corp Wineries from the West Coast, and B Corp Burrito Building, hosted by Boloco.
The B Corp Leadership Development (BLD) New England event, the largest B Community event of the year, is an all-day conference dedicated to the development of the B Economy in our region. In 2019, B Local Boston co-hosted this event which was attended by more than 170 people and received sponsorships from 20 organizations.
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BOARD OPERATIONS & DEVELOPMENT
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The B Local Boston Board is made up of 9 members, 2 Board Co-Chairs and 7 Board Committee Chairs. The Board is governed by formal policies and procedures that are upheld in Board operations.
In 2019, we gained nonprofit status through our fiscal partnership with Social Good Fund, a 501(c)3 organization with the mission to sponsor and develop projects that will help positively impact and develop local communities. In achieving nonprofit status, we also received our first major donation of $35,000.
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