GETTING STARTED
The path to certification starts with the B Impact Assessment. The assessment is a free online tool that any business can use to gage its practices relative to the B Corp standard. It is a step by step “deep dive” into business practices regarding Governance, Workers, Community, Environment and Customers. The B Impact Assessment has challenged us to take stock of our own practices and make sure that we, even as a small company, have policies in place that support our staff, our community, and the environment. As we began the assessment, we were able to answer many questions with “Oh! We already do that – great. Now we just have to write it down.” Other questions challenged us to recognize the ways in which we could be better supporting our workers or community, and encouraged us to create new policies or practices.
THE CLINIC
UNH’s B Impact Clinic works with a handful of businesses each semester. Each company enrolled in the program is paired with a team of students and a business advisor. Throughout the fall semester, we have met weekly our team as they thoughtfully analyze our B Impact Assessment, helping us to refine and document our practices and raising topics that we might target for future development. In addition to this helpful consulting, the team is developing an Impact Report, a concise way to document our practices and chart a path for the future.
We have been so impressed with the professionalism and creativity of this group of students. They represent a broad spectrum of majors and experience but share a passion for and a commitment to environmental responsibility. This week the team visited our office for the first time and it was a treat to be able to meet in person.
Katie Hoppler ‘22, Peer Mentor – Economics and English Journalism
Noor Malik ’23 – Information Systems and Business Analytics
Emily Nottonson ’22 – Community and Environmental Planning
Maddie Strange ’23 – Civil and Environmental Engineering