March is Women's History Month

We'll be sharing information about some incredible Conscious Capitalism Boston members to honor, commemorate, and encourage the study, observance and celebration of the vital role of women in American history.

Thursday March 30th at 6 pm ET

March is also B Corp. Month, and Teak Communications is co-hosting a night of networking, cocktails, and inspiring ideas for how to use business as a Force For Good. B Local Boston is a volunteer-led group that helps share the word . CCB members and speakers – including famed eatery Boloco – are B Corps and member Jackie Herskovitz Russell made it the only B Corp PR firm in New England. Our chapter’s co-founder/president, Bob Scoville, will be there to share thoughts about Conscious Capitalism. Please add your voice at District Hall in Boston’s Seaport District.

Wednesday April 19th 

Join us at Salve Regina University in Newport, RI for the award-winning documentary Beyond Zero as it chronicles the story of visionary leader Ray Anderson and his publicly traded company, Interface, as they embarked on a high-stakes journey to become a 100-percent sustainable enterprise.

Ray's heroic leadership serves as an inspiration for organizations at any stage and the film tells a powerful story about what it means to build a business around restoring the earth and just why we must reimagine capitalism to heal our world. It serves as a call to action for business leaders from all industries to accelerate their sustainability efforts.

If you spent seven years researching the future of business, things would surely have changed while that work was going on. Authors Jess Rimington and Joanna Cea had 60 companies, called “co-learners” on that journey, and their research resulted in a book titled “Beloved Economies” – with possibilities and strategies for altering how we work.

Even before pandemic response and economic change, there were demographic and social shifts. New definitions of business “success” emerged, with well-being, community connections, resilience taking the spotlight along with more traditional yardsticks like financial profit and personal growth. Embracing these diverse metrics opens up opportunities and prepares companies for thriving despite the upheavals we’ve seen.

Community building is a key that “Beloved Economies” defines in multiple layers. Overlapping groups of local companies, suppliers, employees and clients can all be part of their own community while affecting adjacent groups, creating openings for what they call “breakout innovations.” An ongoing discussion is at: https://www.belovedeconomies.org/book .

Making your company a magnet that attracts the best workforce, loyal customers and industry support is a critical difference (something Conscious Capitalism companies and B Corp employers are embracing). Please share your stories of this ongoing trend and the effects on your day-to-day business.

“Good business” and attempts at building a circular economy (that reduces waste and increases reuse of resources) can be hard to explain. Circular business models are gaining attention. And detailed standards of B Corp put measurement and metrics behind the goals or missions that can be part of sustainability or equity initiatives. These are ongoing, work-in-progress efforts and have made the B Corp movement a growing part of so-called “next wave capitalism.” 

Since 2017, the number of B Corp organizations has tripled, and the role of identifying and reporting their work has gained importance, according to an article in The Boston Globe. Companies interested in pursuing the designation can learn more about stakeholder focus from B Lab – and it is a badge that customers and partners are seeking out in making purchasing decisions.

More than 5,700 companies worldwide had B Corp designation as of October 2022, and nearly 200 are in New England, four are corporate partners of CCB: boloco, Green City Growers, and Trillium Asset Management. Many are consumer brands, such as Bigelow Tea or Walden Meats, and others that offer business services. Supporting those standards and tools that deliver better business – the behaviors, cultures and attitude – all make a difference.

Take your conscious capitalism to the next level and become a member of our Boston chapter.

Why?

• Engage with the powerful and emerging Conscious Capitalism Movement
• Gain access to people, information, special events and other resources and opportunities
• Have the opportunity to share your unique voice and talents within the CC Community
• Receive recognition as a pioneer and leader in support of the growth of CCB

Good Business Referrals

All of us support local companies that work to create positive impacts, so when you find them, please share via social, email or just a quick text message. We’ll include some favorites in the newsletter, even if they’re not Conscious Capitalism members (yet). Not only can we spread the message, we can encourage other companies to be a force for change.

SPARK CHARGE

Somerville, MA

Creating easier, portable electric vehicle charging is what Spark Charge is all about. Battery recharging packs that can be brought to you, via appointments or on-call service was the initial vision company founder Josh Aviv had for expanding the utility of electric vehicles. The packs can offer both product, and service options.

The company developed a large, stackable batteries – one is called the Roadie – as a stationary charger for fleet operators and smaller devices usable by AAA or companies that deliver a top-up charge to your vehicle. In December, 2022, the company announced plans to expand to San Diego, Phoenix and New York City in 2023.

Gasoline delivery companies and on-site maintenance/repair startups grew in popularity as a pandemic response, and Spark Charge saw growth as well. Aviv outlined his expansion plans in this interview with The Boston Globe.

It’s been a long road (groan) since 2016, when Aviv appeared on TV’s “Shark Tank.” Since then, the shrinking cost and size of batteries have helped the company get (ahem) traction, and it has grown with new products and markets. With technical teams in MA and upstate NY, Spark Charge is (sorry) riding with the growing popularity of electric vehicles and making the recharge process more convenient for apartment or city dwellers, office park commuters and people unsure about their comfort-level with driving EVs.