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Boston Globe
14-07-2025
- Business
- Boston Globe
Andrew Kassoy, 55, dies; saw capitalism as a force for social good
Advertisement His contradictory philosophy, Mr. Kassoy continued, was that 'you're here to care, to care for your workers, your community, the planet, the other people that you do business with in your supply chain.' Get Starting Point A guide through the most important stories of the morning, delivered Monday through Friday. Enter Email Sign Up In 2006, Mr. Kassoy, Coen Gilbert, and Houlahan left the corporate world and jointly founded B Lab, a nonprofit network whose lofty mission is 'transforming the global economy to benefit all people, communities and the planet.' To accomplish its goal, B Lab certifies companies, known as B Corps, that meet verified standards of social and environmental performance. These include pay and working conditions for employees; ethical marketing and data privacy for customers; hiring practices and charitable causes in neighborhoods where businesses are situated; non-exploitive sourcing of raw materials; and the impact of energy use on the air and water in those communities. Advertisement Among the 9,979 certified B Corps companies that employ more than 1 million people in 103 countries, according to B Lab, are Patagonia, the outdoor apparel maker; Danone Yogurt; and Ben & Jerry's ice cream. Advocacy by Mr. Kassoy and others also led to the creation over the last 15 years of so-called public benefit corporations -- required to consider the public good in their business decisions, not just the interests of shareholders as in a standard corporation -- through legislation in 42 states, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico. Those states include Delaware, where most public companies are incorporated. While business language can be rife with jargon, Mr. Kassoy spoke plainly about wanting to 'put purpose and profit on a level playing field.' In a 2020 Q&A with the Shared Future Fund, which finances projects that address climate change, Mr. Kassoy noted that it was the 50th anniversary of an influential article by economist Milton Friedman, published in The New York Times on Sept. 13, 1970, with the headline 'The Social Responsibility of Business Is to Increase Its Profits.' That view had been baked into corporate law in Delaware and the teachings of Harvard Business School, Mr. Kassoy said, but it failed to make companies as sustainable as possible. 'I think the opportunity is to reverse all that,' he said. Many young people, he said, 'don't believe in capitalism. They feel like they don't have the same kinds of opportunities, that companies don't look at them as anything other than a resource to be exploited.' Advertisement Countering such cynicism, he said, required reimagining capitalism. To convey his message, he didn't always quote Friedman's doctrine or 'The Great Gatsby' and its portrayal of the irresponsibility of elite wealth. As a father of four, he also found incisive meaning in animated feature films and was fond of an aphorism from the 'Kung Fu Panda' movies: 'One often meets his destiny on the road he takes to avoid it.' Mr. Kassoy helped start B Lab, a nonprofit network that seeks to transform "the global economy to benefit all people, communities and the planet." CALLA KESSLER/NYT Andrew Renard Kassoy was born July 8, 1969, in the La Jolla area of San Diego and grew up in Boulder, Colo., where his father, David Kassoy, is an emeritus professor of mechanical engineering at the University of Colorado. His mother, Carol (Fuchs) Kassoy, a former music teacher, is a board member of the Colorado Music Festival. In a 2019 series in the Times about visionaries, Mr. Kassoy said that by the time he was in fifth grade he wanted to be an elected official or a policymaker. An early influence on the need for social justice and opportunity for all was his maternal grandfather, Reuben Fuchs, known as Ruby, who was then the principal at Clara Barton High School in New York City and started public-private partnerships to train vocational students. 'Ruby instilled in Andrew a view that the world and its systems could always be improved,' Mr. Kassoy's sister, Erin Falquier, a clean energy consultant, said in a text message. 'Like Ruby, Andrew saw challenges as exciting opportunities rather than barriers.' While on a grant from Stanford, he worked on his senior thesis on the Pine Ridge Reservation in South Dakota, where he was mentored by an elder named Basil Brave Heart. It is one of the poorest communities in the United States, and Brandenburg, Mr. Kassoy's wife, said the challenges of extreme poverty that he witnessed 'really drove home the stark inequalities in this country' and were 'eye-opening in a way previous experiences hadn't been.' Advertisement He also served an internship with David Skaggs, then a member of Congress from Colorado. When Mr. Kassoy sought to return to work for him after graduating with a degree in political science in 1991, he recalled to the Times, Skaggs's response was 'Maybe, but I think not yet.' Skaggs advised him to do something in the world, like exploring the workings of the economy. Mr. Kassoy ended up working in private equity for 16 years and realized that he could create change without being a politician. But he began to reevaluate his career path after the 9/11 terrorist attacks and, he said, ultimately found Wall Street too focused on 'how quickly you could leverage something up and sell it with little interest' in the underlying business 'or the humans involved.' There had to be a better way, he thought, of running capitalism to 'benefit society and not just a few shareholders.' He was driven in his work, in the way he cooked -- his motto, his wife said, was 'Go big or order pizza' -- and in the way he exercised. He rode a bicycle up Mont Ventoux, a famously steep climb on the Tour de France course. Numerous times he climbed Longs Peak in Colorado, at 14,259 feet the tallest peak in Rocky Mountain National Park, Brandenburg said, though on occasion his ambition overcame his endurance. After Mr. Kassoy underwent his first round of chemotherapy in 2023, she said, he and friends hiked Colorado's Arapaho Pass to 11,906 feet before his stamina waned. He had to be helped down and was taken to an emergency room. Advertisement Mr. Kassoy left his daily involvement in B Lab in 2022. Over the past year, he wrote a critique of OpenAI and served as a senior adviser to a holding company, started last month, called Nine Dean, whose aim is to acquire midlevel businesses and hold them for the long term, relieving the immediate pressure to maximize profits. In addition to his wife, whom he married in 2013, his sister, and his parents, Mr. Kassoy leaves a daughter, Etta, and a son, Xavier, from his marriage to Brandenburg; and two sons, Max and Jed, from his marriage to writer and therapist Kamy Wicoff, which ended in divorce. 'The problems we face as a society, they're enormous and they can be totally overwhelming,' Mr. Kassoy said in a 2021 video. He often awoke in the middle of the night, he said, thinking, 'Climate change, we're screwed.' What is there to do? he asked in the video. Do something, he answered. 'At a minimum, just by taking action, it gives you a sense of meaning in your life.' This article originally appeared in
Cision Canada
10-07-2025
- Business
- Cision Canada
veritree is now B Corp Certified, reinforcing its commitment to people, planet, and transparency
VANCOUVER, BC, July 10, 2025 /CNW/ - veritree, the nature tech platform helping businesses scale verified nature restoration, is proud to announce it has officially earned Certified B Corporation™ status, earning a B Impact Assessment score of 104.2. This recognition affirms veritree's mission to use business as a force for good and to lead with the same transparency, accountability, and integrity it enables in others. Recognized worldwide as the benchmark for responsible business, B Corp Certification independently verifies rigorous standards of social and environmental performance. For veritree, this distinction affirms that its model of connecting verified restoration with community impact and environmental accountability, meets global standards for purpose-driven businesses. "We work with some of the most forward-thinking companies, many of whom are B Corps themselves," said Derrick Emsley, CEO and co-founder of veritree. "They've relied on us to bring rigour, integrity, and transparency to their restoration efforts. Becoming B Corp Certified is about extending that same level of accountability and trust to how we operate internally." At the time of veritree's certification, companies were required to score at least 80 points on the B Impact Assessment, a rigorous evaluation of a company's impact across workers, communities, customers, governance, and the environment. veritree earned a score of 104.2, significantly surpassing the certification threshold and more than doubling the median score companies achieve during the assessment process. "This certification highlights how businesses can support the planet while advancing their own goals," said David Luba, Head of Partnerships and co-founder of veritree. "By working together with our partners, we're helping turn sustainability commitments into meaningful, measurable impact, proving that positive environmental and business outcomes can go hand in hand." Through partnerships with over 300 brands committed to advancing nature restoration, including DECIEM, Samsung, Manulife, and TELUS, veritree helps turn commitments into tangible climate action, and recently reached 100 million trees pledged since the company's inception in 2022. By joining a global movement of over 10,000 Certified B Corporations™, veritree is accelerating efforts to prove that business can be a powerful catalyst for lasting environmental and ecological change. "We're proud to welcome veritree to the B Corp community. Their innovative approach to verified nature restoration, commitment to transparency, and focus on long-term impact exemplify what it means to be a Certified B Corporation," said Max Hayes, Growth Manager at B Lab U.S. & Canada. "As more companies seek to align their operations with the needs of people and the planet, veritree is leading by example and showing what's possible." Recognized as a 'Companies-to-Watch' winner in Deloitte's 2024 Fast 50 program, the company continues to expand its impact across land and sea. This certification reinforces veritree's dedication to doing business the right way, delivering trusted data, real results, and restoration at scale. veritree is a platform powering the global restorative economy. Its platform brings trust, traceability, and impact to nature-based solutions. Having reached 100 million trees pledged, it connects forward-thinking companies with verified action. From mangroves and kelp to wildfire reforestation, veritree helps organizations move from intention to measurable environmental and social outcomes. Learn more at
Forbes
17-06-2025
- Business
- Forbes
Lead With Purpose, Win With People: What Top Leaders Know
In a world where every company seems to claim purpose, B Corps are one of the few proving it—in action, not just intention. That was on full display at the recent BLD Mountain West gathering in Denver, where B Corps and 'B Curious' leaders from across Colorado and the Rockies came together to share, challenge, and celebrate what it means to use business as a force for good. The conversations were diverse—from carbon accounting to workforce development—but one theme echoed across the most impactful stories: when leaders allow people to follow their passions in alignment with company values, everyone wins. It may sound risky—like a formula for chaos or drift—but the evidence shows it's the opposite: it's how you unlock sustainable performance, from the inside out. In other words, it's Leading in 3D. The Lead in 3D framework is a method for aligning a leader's investments of time, energy, and attention across three dimensions: Me (personal wellbeing), We (team performance and culture), and World (the broader impact of our work). This multidimensional leadership isn't a luxury; it's a necessity in today's purpose-driven, resource-constrained world. And as two standout leaders from the BLD event showed, giving people permission to pursue passion projects that align with shared values can light up all three dimensions at once. Jennifer Riley-Chetwynd, interim CEO of the Denver Botanic Gardens, shared a powerful story of values-based leadership in practice. When she was earlier in her career at the Gardens, she was encouraged by the former CEO to dedicate time and energy to her personal passion: water conservation. Following her passion for water conservation helped Riley-Chetwynd build an impactful and successful ... More career. At first glance, it might not have been the most obvious fit for a public garden. But the alignment was there—botany, sustainability, and environmental stewardship are deeply interconnected with water. And rather than stifle that drive, leadership made space for it. That decision not only unlocked Riley-Chetwynd's full engagement and commitment, but helped deepen the organization's role in regional water education and conservation work. Her passion became a platform for broader impact—and eventually part of her pathway to leadership. It's a textbook example of the Me-We-World connection in action: honoring individual purpose, enriching team culture, and expanding community impact. The Horizon Organic story is one many in the B Corp world were watching closely. After being acquired by Platinum Equity from Danone, there was widespread uncertainty: Would the new ownership continue the company's commitment to values? Would B Corp certification fall by the wayside? Catherine Musulin, Head of Mission and Sustainability at Horizon Organic, didn't let those questions go unanswered. Instead, she led a fast, rigorous, and transparent process to garner internal support for the effort and successfully certify both Horizon and Wallaby as B Corps under their new ownership—a move that proved the brands' commitment to impact in the face of change. To get the necessary buy-in, she acknowledged the potential risks to the business: failing the audit could have meant costly packaging overhauls and loss of trust with values-aligned employees and consumers. But more importantly, it would've compromised a deeply held belief that business and impact don't have to be in conflict. 'B Corp is so much more than a certification,' Musulin wrote. 'It's a journey of continuous improvement and transformation.' As she explained, 'Purpose isn't something you define and set aside—it's something you live and evolve with. There will be moments of doubt or challenge, but staying connected to why you do what you do keeps the momentum going.' Horizon Organic Farmer Partners practice regenerative agriculture because they want their children ... More and grandchildren to breathe clean air and eat healthy food. Fortunately, the results speak for themselves: the effort put forth; the high score well above the certification's required threshold; and the brand's demonstrated commitment to B Corp's high standards. Horizon stands as a proof point that private equity-backed companies can and do lead with purpose. According to Musulin, the journey forward won't be powered by checklists. It will be powered by people. In her talk, Musulin described meeting a Horizon farmer practicing regenerative agriculture—not because it was required, but because he wanted his grandchildren to breathe clean air and eat healthy food. His personal 'why' was the most powerful form of compliance. By leaning into those deeply felt passions and moments of connection—rather than merely conducting a technical audit—Musulin believes Horizon can harness intrinsic motivations at every level of the business. These stories illustrate what B Corp leaders have known for years, and what more traditional organizations are waking up to: the most effective and resilient form of impact comes from within. It's tempting to think that purpose has to be assigned, architected, or branded. But more often, it already exists—in your people, your suppliers, your customers. The leadership opportunity is not to dictate it, but to recognize, support, and amplify it. Whether you're leading a nonprofit, a PE-backed business, or a values-driven startup, here are three ways to apply this principle: As Musulin reflected, 'Purpose doesn't just drive results; it sustains them—even when things get tough.' In the ongoing work of rehumanizing leadership, BLD Mountain West was a much-needed reminder: your people are your strategy. And when you lead in 3D - nourishing their wellbeing, tapping into their unique strengths, and supporting their sense of purpose - you don't have to choose between performance and passion. Letting passion lead isn't risky. It's a strategy for sustainable success. Letting passion lead isn't risky. It's a strategy for sustainable success.
Forbes
20-05-2025
- Business
- Forbes
From I To We: The Collective Shift Women Leaders Are Making—And Why It's Working
Leadership is often framed as an individual pursuit. But at the recent WeTheChange gathering of women and nonbinary leaders of B Corps and values-aligned businesses, one truth resonated across every session, conversation, and shared moment: real change is collective. As I sat among founders, CEOs, creatives, and community builders, I felt a rare mix of affirmation and relief. It was a room filled with people who had already 'made it'—and still knew that doing it alone wasn't the answer. The prevailing energy wasn't hustle or competition. It was we. Collaborative. Curious. Connected. A powerful group of women leaders doing business in a way that's good for the world - and ... More themselves! This shift from 'I' to 'we' isn't just a feel-good sentiment. It's an urgently needed evolution in how we think about power, progress, and performance. And it aligns beautifully with the Lead in 3D framework I've spent years learning, teaching, and living. Lead in 3D is a simple but powerful framework that guides leaders to align their investments of time, energy, and attention across three essential dimensions: When we get stuck in a single dimension—sacrificing 'Me' for the sake of 'World,' or neglecting 'We' in pursuit of 'Me'—we lose energy, perspective, and momentum. But when we lead in all three dimensions, we unlock sustainability and satisfaction. The shift from 'I' to 'we' doesn't erase the self. It integrates it into a broader ecosystem of change. As Meghan French Dunbar, leadership expert and author of the forthcoming This Isn't Working, reminded us: women are more burned out, more stressed, and more likely to leave the workplace—not because we're less capable, but because we're navigating systems that were never designed for us. Her call was clear: stop contorting ourselves to fit broken norms. Start reshaping the norms to reflect who we are—and what we need to thrive. Her words echoed the foundational insight of 3D leadership: performance doesn't have to require sacrifice. In fact, the data shows that when we center empathy, belonging, and shared wellbeing, results improve. Systems change starts with inner change. And that change becomes collective when we model it together. Jessica Lau offered a metaphor that landed deeply: we need to move like geese flying in formation. In nature, each goose takes a turn leading—and rests in the slipstream when it's not their moment. No one flies alone. The formation creates efficiency, resilience, and shared direction. In nature, each goose takes a turn leading—and rests when it's not their moment. No one flies alone. It's the opposite of the solo-hero myth. And it's what I felt in that room: the ease and power of distributed leadership, of letting someone else carry the wind for a bit while you catch your breath—and then doing the same for them. Leilani Raashida Henry's story brought us back to roots—literally. The daughter of the first person of African descent to set foot on Antarctica, she shared her own journey to that same continent, decades later. Her reflections reminded us that our presence in leadership is never just about us. It carries echoes of those who came before—and ripples into the lives of those who will come next. Our presence in leadership is never just about us. It carries echoes of those who came before, as ... More Leilani Raashida Henry reminded us. It was a moving reminder that our individual stories matter. Not to make us exceptional, but to make us connected. Our personal truths, our ancestral threads, our inner shifts—they're all part of collective change. The event closed with a rousing moment led by Kate Dixon. One by one, each person stood and declared one action they would take. The range was stunning: That last one got a loving nudge from across the room: 'Playing big a little is an oxymoron.' With a laugh, the speaker corrected herself: 'Okay, okay—play big a lot.' It was a perfect metaphor for what we'd experienced: individual voices, strengthened by a collective container. Action made braver through shared witness. It wasn't about becoming someone new. It was about showing up as who we already are—together. Like-hearted accountability is a powerful tool for action, in a way that serves our businesses, but ... More also our communities and ourselves! As spiritual teacher Reverend angel Kyodo williams puts it: 'Without inner change there can be no outer change. Without collective change, no change matters.' That's what we saw at WeTheChange: inner work becoming outer strategy. Personal insight becoming confidence to reimagine our systems. It's what we mean when we talk about 'leading in 3D.' Some of us start with Me—recovering from burnout, reclaiming joy. Others begin with We—healing teams, reshaping culture. Still others begin with World—justice, equity, sustainability. There's no wrong place to start. The key is to move, and to move together. The old models of leadership told us to grind harder, do more, win alone. The new model invites us to align, collaborate, and rise—together. We don't need to play by the old rules. We must write new ones. We can build workplaces—and systems—where thriving isn't the exception. Indeed, French Dunbar shared recent research by Stanford psychologist, Jamil Zaki, that demonstrated the return on investment of empathy as a superpower, leading private equity firm KKR to invest in empathy training programs for its portfolio companies' leaders. This is the path to sustainable success, wellbeing, and shared prosperity. And that change starts with We.
Yahoo
18-03-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Controversy Leads Dr. Bronner's To Go "Beyond B Corp"
For the past decade or so you may have noticed a new label pop up in everything from health food brands to outdoor apparel to even a certain surfboard manufacturer–yes, we're talking about B Corporation. Since 2007 B Corp has been certifying companies who share their vision of 'business as a force for good'. For the most part, B Corp was seen as a success for both businesses and consumers in bringing about a new form of accreditation for sustainability, environmental performance, and accountability standards. Yet, as of recently, there has been a rise in allegations of greenwashing as certain companies, mostly owned by Nestle, have been granted B Corps status in spite of serious concerns from other B Corps members. One such company, surfer-owned Dr. Bronners–the highest scoring B Corp in the world–even decided to leave the program due to the loss of integrity in the standard for membership. Based out of North San Diego County, the Dr. Bronner's brand is known for its environmentally safe products, namely their 'magic soaps', as well as employee empowerment and fair pay. They're the top-selling natural soap brand in the country and have expanded beyond their signature liquid soaps to include coconut oil, lip balms, toothpaste, hand sanitizers, and, as of recently, chocolate. Having lived in Encinitas for over a decade, I got to meet several employees over the years, all of whom seemed happy with their jobs, and even met CEO David Bronner a handful of times at events and surfed with him on various occasions. Once I saw the news about the company leaving B Corp, I was intrigued to learn more so I rang up David for a call. I learned that they had been a part of B Corp for 10 years before deciding to leave the group, something he described as their 'last resort'. He was clear that, 'the goal was to help progress the program, something we tried to do from within for several years as concerns grew about the decreasing standards. We tried communicating and offering alternatives, like a tier-system similar to the LEEDs (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certification for energy efficient buildings. Unfortunately, they weren't having it and we had to take a stand and that meant to withdraw in a very public way.' For those who joined the resulting B Corp logo, easily recognizable by its encircled 'B', came to represent corporate responsibility to discerning consumers. It was a welcome development from the private sector in response to the realization that governments were either ill-equipped or unable to address issues of the 21st century. The membership of well-established conscious companies like Dr. Bronner's and Patagonia made it seem like B Corp was indeed legitimate. However, the real turning point came via the admission of several consumer-facing companies that, in many eyes, should have never have even been considered. The most notable being Nestle subsidiaries–a company infamous for privatizing water, utilizing child slavery and forced labour, and rampant single-use plastic pollution–like Nespresso, Nescafe, and Danone-Aqua (one of Indonesia's worst plastic polluters). Integrity is a rarity these days and Dr. Bronner's has chosen the high road–to continue to lead by example while cheering for the evolution of B Corps and humanity in general. 'People who know us, know what we believe in, it's been on the bottle since the very beginning.' In case you've never looked at the messaging of their products, it is best surmised by this, 'In all we do, let us be generous, fair & loving to Spaceship Earth and all its inhabitants. For we're ALL-ONE OR NONE! ALL-ONE!' Dr. Bronner's is now an integral part of Purpose Pledge, a new consortium of responsible companies working to continually elevate the standard for doing business on Spaceship Earth.
