A year full of B Corp adventures

Let’s hit it off with a bang: in 2023 we supported 12 companies to become B Corp certified! Just to name a few: Marlies Dekkers, Keune Haircosmetics, Karmijn Kapitaal & Noppies (Nine & Co). We couldn’t be more excited. Not because of the certification itself, but because this means 12 more companies have joined the movement of businesses as a force for good. And because all of these 12 companies have ambitious impact strategies to do even better over the coming years. By the way, these 12 come on top of the 15 companies already certified in the years before.

Some number crunching
We are extra proud that the average score of the companies we helped certify is 101.2 – more than 20 points higher than the necessary score of 80 to get the B Corp Certification. As many of our clients are in the waiting queue to become certified, we expect to have gotten at least 40 companies into the B Corp community by the end of 2024.

So, how do we do this?

> We start with breaking down the certification process into practical chunks and projects, so you won’t drown in all the questions coming your way. Note: an average B Impact Assessment has 300+ questions.

> We always make sure these projects actually help your company to improve sustainably and professionally. They are always strategic, and never about merely accumulating points.

> And because we know becoming B Corp certified is not always easy (we speak from experience ;)), the main job of our sustainability experts is to coach you through all the steps. You are in the lead, and we guide you from the sideline.

“Rainbow Collection has a hands-on way of working. With strategic insights and practical tips and tricks they guided us through the complex B Corp process.”

The journey continues after certification
Together with our B Corp clients Dille & Kamille and Karma Kebab we organized our first Beyond B Corp Session. This is an event concept focused on knowledge- and experience-sharing to make sure we keep all our organizations dedicated to the sustainability goals they set. In 2024 more Beyond B Corp sessions will follow.

Another event highlight was the yearly summit of ‘B for Good Leaders’ in Amsterdam, where we connected with many impact makers. We attended several workshops on themes such as ‘Corporate Activism’, ‘Sustainable Finance’, & ‘Food & Beyond’ – all themes that we will further explore together with and for our B Corp companies in the year to come.

A global adventure
As part of our journey to create a more inclusive language for sustainability (that is accessible and understandable worldwide) in February, Koen went to South Africa, to connect with the African B Corp movement and to build long-lasting partnerships to grow the community together.

Also, in our B Corp process with Alvi, Juultje and Lana traveled to Poland and Germany to perform a ‘pressure cooker” B Corp session, including a site visit in the factory, and guiding Alvi to be ready for B Corp Certification in less than 3 months. Lana: ‘At Alvi, it was really valuable to be involved and visit the factory (located in Poland) separately. The factory is owned by Alvi, bus has its own innovation processes and sustainability practices. We learned a lot by speaking to employees while also collaborating with their management about sustainability strategies. It showed us the value of strong relationships with close partners.’

We want to thank all our clients and partners for an adventurous and impactful year and we look forward to 2024 with new energy.

And okay, one more thing, if you want to know more about becoming B Corp certified, download our updated ‘Becoming a B Corp’ guide here. And get started right away.

On to a new year of making impact through B Corp! Feel free to reach out if you need any help or just want to have a cup of coffee with us to see what else we do.

Koen, Juultje, Bram & Pien
The Rainbow Collection B Corp team