Standards and Governance

Multiple governing bodies and advisory bodies oversee the work of B Lab, the global B Corp Movement, and the requirements for B Corp Certification.

Board of Directors

B Lab is governed by a dynamic process of broad, transparent, multi-stakeholder engagement. The Board of Directors establishes Advisory Councils to ensure continuous incorporation of best thinking and practices into B Lab's mission and activities. The Board also has ultimate decision-making authority on recommendations coming from the Advisory Councils and oversees strategy, budget and operations.

Bart Houlahan,

Co-Founder B Lab, Former CFO, COO and President of AND1

Debra Dunn,

Director, Skoll Foundation

Katie Hill,

Global Governance Council Representative; B Lab Europe’s Management Board Chair and Former B Lab UK Executive Director

Lorene Arey,

President, The Clara Fund

Luis Duarte,

Chief Philanthropy Officer of ZOMALAB

Ommeed Sathe,

Vice President & Head, Social Investment ProgramCommunity Resources Department, Prudential

Swati Mylavarapu,

Founder, Incite Labs and Incite Ventures

Global Governance Council

The Global Governance Council oversees the global growth of B Lab and the B Corp Movement. The 11-member council has representatives from each global partner organization, including B Lab US & Canada, and B Lab’s Independent Board of Directors. The responsibilities of the GGC include global expansion, policy strategy, amongst others.

Ben Anderson,

B Lab US & Canada

Co-Chair: Bart Houlahan,

B Lab

Co-Chair: Mele-Ann Havea,

B Lab Australia & New Zealand

James Perry,

B Lab UK

Juan Pablo Larenas,

Sistema B

Katie Hill,

GGC Representative to B Lab Board

Leen Zevenbergen,

B Lab Europe

Lorene Arey,

B Lab Board of Directors

Standards Advisory Council

Oversight of the B Impact Assessment is the responsibility of B Lab's Standards Advisory Council, an independent committee of 20-22 members, each with deep industry or stakeholder expertise. The Standards Advisory Council is divided into two subgroups — one to oversee the content and weightings for the version of the B Impact Ratings System that is appropriate for companies and funds in developed markets; the other for the version that is appropriate for companies and funds in emerging markets.

The Standards Advisory Council’s responsibilities include:

Approving changes made to the B Impact Assessment as part of its three-year update process
Determining eligibility for B Corp Certification in cases where companies make material disclosures on the Disclosure Questionnaire
Reviewing material complaints against Certified B Corporations
Approving addenda to the B Impact Assessment created by specialized Advisory and Working Groups

Decisions made by the Standards Advisory Council may be appealed to the Board of Directors.

CONTROVERSIAL ISSUES AND B CORP CERTIFICATION B LAB'S COMPLAINTS PROCESS

Developed Markets SAC

Bart Houlahan,

Co-Founder, B Lab

Hewson Baltzell,

President and Chief Operating Officer of Helios Exchange

Clara Barby,

Partner, Head of ImPACT+, Bridges Ventures

Debra Dunn,

Director, Skoll Foundation

Bonny Moellenbrock,

Executive Director, SJF Institute

Stephanie Nieman,

Associate, SJF Ventures

Richard Pike,

Technical Director, Cook Trading Ltd.

Beth Sirull,

Former President, Pacific Community Ventures

Bob Willard,

Author and Speaker, Sustainability Advantage

Jamie Robertson,

Managing Director, 361 Degrees

Thomas van Craen,

Managing Director, Triodos Bank Belgium

Emerging Markets SAC

Carlos Eduardo Lessa Brandao,

Independent Board Member

Chid Liberty,

Project Manager, Dalberg Global Advisors

Darin Kingston,

Portfolio Manager, Global Development Incubator

Flory Wilson,

Former, Director, Impact Management Team, B Lab

Genevieve Edens,

Impact Assessment Manager, Aspen Network of Development Entrepreneurs (ANDE)

Joseph Wozniak,

Program Manager - Trade for Sustainable Development, The International Trade Center (ITC) - WTO/UNCTAD

Kelly McCarthy,

Senior Manager, IRIS, Global Impact Investing Network

Rob Schneider,

Senior Alliance Manager, U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID)

Veronica Chau,

Project Manager, Dalberg Global Advisors

Watanan Petersik,

Director, Lien Centre for Social Innovation; Chair, Ashoka Singapore Advisory Council

Advisory and Working Groups

The B Impact Assessment is tailored to a company's size, sector, and market. When the need arises for more nuance in assessing the impact of particular topic areas, models, or industries, B Lab convenes expert working groups to develop standards for approval by the Standards Advisory Council. See a list of active and past working groups.