MEDIA ADVISORY
CONTACT: COMPANY CONTACT
Katie Holcomb, B Lab - (610) 293-0299 or katie@bcorporation.net
ME to WE Becomes 150th Certified B Corp in Canada
Meets Rigorous Standards of Social and Environmental Performance, Transparency
and Accountability
Joins Hootsuite, Business Development Bank of Canada and Beau’s Beer to Give
Canada Second Largest B Corp Community
Toronto, ON (December 2, 2015) – Today, ME to WE was certified as the 150th B Corporation in
Canada. Certified B Corporations™ are leaders of a global movement of people using business
as a force for good™.
As a Certified B Corp, ME to WE voluntarily meets rigorous standards of overall social and
environmental performance, transparency, and accountability. B Corporation certification is to
business what Fair Trade is to coffee or LEED is to a building.
ME to WE is an innovative social enterprise that provides products and experiences that make an
impact, empowering people to change the world with their everyday consumer choices. These
products and services include handmade ME to WE artisans accessories, ME to WE trips and
ME to We leadership programming. ME to WE donates half of their net profits to its charity
partner Free The Children, while the other half is re-invested to grow the enterprise and its social
mission. In addition, every purchase of a ME to We product results in a life-changing gift to a
child or family in a Free The Children partner community.
“To achieve B Corp certification, and say we have met the highest standards for social and
environmental performance is incredibly gratifying,” said Russ McLeod, Chief Operations
Officer of ME to WE. “Being a B Corp requires a different mindset and process, rigour and
discipline and I am so proud to say that we’re part of this incredible community of businesses
that make a positive impact on the world.”
ME to WE attained a score in the top five per cent of Canadian Certified B Corporations. Their
high impact policies and practices include producing financials that are verified annually by an
independent source; tracking the impact of its work with small-scale suppliers, such as the
women from Kenya who make handmade accessories for ME to WE Artisans; and reaching
underserved and bullied youth in Canada, including those in aboriginal communities or high risk
populations through its leadership programming. As a Certified B Corp, ME to WE solidifies
their commitment to using business as a force for good and paves a path for other companies to
follow.
“We are seeing an unprecedented amount of interest in this movement from Canadian companies
as the global community continues to grow,” said Joyce Sou, Director of B Lab Canada. “ME to
WE is a great Canadian example of an innovative business model for positive social change.”
While B Corp communities are growing in the UK, Europe, Latin America, and Australia,
Canada is home to the most Certified B Corps outside the United States. The Canada B Corp
community includes companies such as the Vancouver-based tech company HootSuite, Business
Development Bank of Canada, and Ontario craft brewery, Beau’s Beer.
Today, there are more than 1,400 Certified B Corporations in over 120 industries and 40
countries with one unifying goal — to redefine success in business. Their vision is that one day
all companies compete to be best for the world™ -- best for workers, best for communities, best
for the environment -- and as a result society enjoys a more shared and durable prosperity for all.
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About B Corporations
Certified B Corporations are leaders of a global movement of people using business as a force
for good. They meet the highest standards of overall social and environmental performance,
transparency and accountability and aspire to use the power of business to solve social and
environmental problems. There are more than 1,400 Certified B Corporations in over 120
industries and 40 countries with 1 unifying goal – to redefine success in business.
About B Lab
B Lab is a non-profit organization that serves a global movement of people using business as a
force for good. Its vision is that one day all companies compete not only to be the best in the
world, but the Best for the World® and as a result society will enjoy a more shared and durable
prosperity. B Lab drives this systemic change by:
1. Building a global community of Certified B Corporations who meet the highest standards
of verified, overall social and environmental performance, public transparency, and legal
accountability;
2. Promoting Mission Alignment using innovative corporate structures like the benefit
corporation to align the interests of business with those of society and to help high impact
businesses be built to last;
3. Helping tens of thousands of businesses, investors, and institutions Measure What
Matters, by using the B Impact Assessment and B Analytics to manage their impact -- and
the impact of the businesses with whom they work -- with as much rigor as their profits;
4. Inspiring millions to join the movement through compelling story-telling by B the Change
Media.
For more information, visit www.bcorporation.net, www.bimpactassessment.net, www.banalytics.net and www.benefitcorp.net.