V2 Standards: JEDI (w/ Bernard Gouw)

In this final episode (for now) of Beyond the B, Ryan Honeyman is joined by former co-host Emmy Allison to catch up on her move from B Corp consulting to employee ownership at Apis & Heritage Capital Partners. They discuss recent changes in the B Corp movement, including new pricing, the audit process on the new platform, the difficulty of the new standards, and what the value proposition of certification looks like now. They also look back on what the show covered, and Ryan shares why Beyond the B is pausing and what he is working on next.View the show notes: https://go.lifteconomy.com/blog/the-last-episode-b-corp-changes-reflections-on-the-show-what-comes-next—Just announced! Check out Impact Peers, a new support group launching in January 2027 for CEOs, founders, and other leaders of purpose-driven companies. Learn more at: https://www.lifteconomy.com/impactpeers

Rod Johnson, co-founder and Chief Values Officer of BLK & Bold, joins Ryan Honeyman to talk about building a nationally distributed coffee and tea brand that gives 5 percent of gross profits to youth programs. They discuss staying independent without growth capital, the economics of retail and distribution, hiring for alignment, and what B Corp certification has and has not delivered for the company. Rod also shares his view on what the racial equity moment of 2020 left unfinished and what founders of color often face in the room.View the show notes: https://go.lifteconomy.com/blog/blk-bold-growing-a-business-without-compromising-its-mission-w/-rod-johnsonRegistration open now! Check out Impact Peers, a new support group launching in January 2027 for CEOs, founders, and other leaders of purpose-driven companies. Learn more at: https://www.lifteconomy.com/impactpeers

Hannah Sandmeyer, founder of Steward Market and CEO of Up & Over Advisors, joins Ryan Honeyman on Beyond the B to discuss how mission-driven companies can use mergers and acquisitions to grow and how founders can plan ownership transitions that protect their mission. They cover why B Corps often think about selling rather than buying, how acquisitions have helped employee-owned companies like 3LS grow, and what cultural integration requires after a deal closes. Hannah also explains how Steward Market, a marketplace for ethical exits, helps sellers, buyers, and capital providers find each other.View the show notes: https://go.lifteconomy.com/blog/ethical-exits-for-b-corps-w/-hannah-sandmeyerRegistration open now! Check out Impact Peers, a new support group launching in January 2027 for CEOs, founders, and other leaders of purpose-driven companies. Learn more at: https://www.lifteconomy.com/impactpeers

Ryan Honeyman talks with Brigitta Nemes of B Lab about the purpose and stakeholder governance impact topic in the new B Corp standards. They discuss how it operationalizes the B Corp legal requirement, including public purpose, stakeholder mapping, materiality, responsible marketing, grievance procedures, and board oversight. Brigitta also explains what assurance providers are likely to look for and how ownership structures such as purpose trusts relate to protecting purpose over time.View the show notes: https://go.lifteconomy.com/blog/v2-standards-purpose-and-stakeholder-governance-w/-brigitta-nemesRegistration open now! Check out Impact Peers, a new support group launching in January 2027 for CEOs, founders, and other leaders of purpose-driven companies. Learn more at: https://www.lifteconomy.com/impactpeers

Equator Coffees co-founder Helen Russell and Director of Coffee Culture Devorah Freudiger join Ryan Honeyman to share how the company has kept its founding values intact through 30 years of growth, pivots, and change. They explore how B Corp certification helped Equator codify and protect its values, why long-term supplier relationships sometimes require choosing partnership over short-term optimization, and how employee benefits, culture, LGBTQ+ visibility, and sustainability show up in everyday decisions. The conversation offers a practical look at what it takes to turn purpose from a set of intentions into the operating blueprint of a growing business. View the show notes: https://go.lifteconomy.com/blog/b-corp-as-a-blueprint-w/-helen-russell-devorah-freudigerRegistration open now! Check out Impact Peers, a new support group launching in January 2027 for CEOs, founders, and other leaders of purpose-driven companies. Learn more at: https://www.lifteconomy.com/impactpeers

What happens to a values-led company when its founders or longtime owners are ready to step away? Ryan Honeyman speaks with Miren Oca of Ocaquatics and Claire Randall of Grand Central Bakery about employee ownership trusts, perpetual purpose trusts, seller financing, and the culture required before an ownership transition can work. They share what they learned from rejecting more traditional exit paths, why profitability and financial literacy matter, and how alternative ownership can help B Corps protect mission and keep wealth rooted in their communities.View the show notes: https://go.lifteconomy.com/blog/two-ceos-share-their-inside-stories-employee-ownership-and-purpose-trusts-w/-miren-oca-claire-randallRegistration open now! Check out Impact Peers, a new support group launching in January 2027 for CEOs, founders, and other leaders of purpose-driven companies. Learn more at: https://www.lifteconomy.com/impactpeers

Maria Emilia Correa, cofounder of Sistema B and a pioneer of the B Corp movement in Latin America, joins Ryan Honeyman to explore why better individual companies are necessary but insufficient to build a better economy. Drawing on Sistema B’s origins, benefit corporation policy, business education, and her work with small and midsize businesses in Colombia, Maria Emilia makes the case for collective action that changes the rules surrounding business. The conversation offers B Corps and mission-driven leaders a practical challenge: keep improving your company while also working with investors, educators, policymakers, citizens, and people with different perspectives to create change at scale.View the show notes: https://go.lifteconomy.com/blog/the-next-frontier-of-business-as-a-force-for-good-w/-maria-emilia-correaRegistration open now! Check out Impact Peers, a new support group launching in January 2027 for CEOs, founders, and other leaders of purpose-driven companies. Learn more at: https://www.lifteconomy.com/impactpeers

Professor Christopher Marquis joins Ryan Honeyman to examine what we can and cannot yet prove about the financial ROI of B Corp certification. They explore why Christopher supports B Lab’s shift from an 80-point threshold to minimum requirements across seven impact areas, what may be lost without clearer recognition of leading companies, and how businesses such as Tony’s Chocolonely, Dopper, and Triodos pursue systems change beyond their own operations. The conversation offers practical context for B Corps, aspiring B Corps, consultants, researchers, and mission-driven leaders weighing the value and future of certification.View the show notes: https://go.lifteconomy.com/blog/b-corp-roi-standards-and-systems-change-w/-christopher-marquisRegistration open now! Check out Impact Peers, a new support group launching in January 2027 for CEOs, founders, and other leaders of purpose-driven companies. Learn more at: https://www.lifteconomy.com/impactpeers

In this rebroadcast of one of our most listened to episodes of all time, we dive into the prominent role of circularity in the new B Corp standards with Nellie Cohen, creator of Patagonia's Worn Wear project, and Dan Kurzrock, CEO of Upcycled Foods. Nellie and Dan share strategies for transforming waste into value across diverse industries like textiles and food. We also highlight how smaller companies and service-based businesses can integrate circularity more deeply into their operations. Tune in today!Show Notes: https://go.lifteconomy.com/blog/circularity-lessons-from-patagonia-and-upcycled-foods-rebroadcastRegistration open now! Check out Impact Peers, a new support group launching in January 2027 for CEOs, founders, and other leaders of purpose-driven companies. Learn more at: https://www.lifteconomy.com/impactpeers

Bernard Gouw joins Ryan Honeyman to unpack the new Justice, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion topic as part of the V2 B Corp standards. Drawing on his four and a half years at B Lab developing the Human Rights, Fair Work, and JEDI topics, Bernard explains how companies can use data, stakeholder feedback, and context-specific action to move beyond good intentions. Ryan and Bernard also explore the anti-DEI backlash, concerns around demographic data, and why JEDI work must reach beyond the workplace.View the show notes: https://go.lifteconomy.com/blog/v2-standards-jedi-w/-bernard-gouwRegistration open now! Check out Impact Peers, a new support group launching in January 2027 for CEOs, founders, and other leaders of purpose-driven companies. Learn more at: https://www.lifteconomy.com/impactpeers