Agency for Change : A Podcast from KidGlov
Working in an advertising agency, you meet some fascinating people. You also have the power to tell their stories. Agency for Change brings you interviews with people who are using their power to change the world around them in positive ways. Each episode focuses on one of these changemakers: the issue they’re addressing, the programs, products or services they’re providing to drive change, how they’re getting the word out about that change and the impact they’re having on people’s lives. Prepare to be inspired! Each of us can play a part in making positive change – and these are the people who show us how. Be sure to subscribe to this podcast so you don’t miss one of these uplifting interviews. If you know a changemaker you’d like us to consider for a future episode, please let us know. This podcast is produced by KidGlov, an advertising agency dedicated to helping change-making clients amplify their message, so they can focus on what they do best.
Agency for Change : A Podcast from KidGlov
Changemaker Dr. Ellonda Williams, Co-Executive Director & Sr. Director of Community, B Lab U.S. & Canada
Use Left/Right to seek, Home/End to jump to start or end. Hold shift to jump forward or backward.
Good intentions can start a change, but real impact means making sure the solution works for the people who face the greatest barriers. For businesses, that means finding ways to turn purpose into measurable impact.
In this episode of Agency for Change, Lyn sits down with Dr. Ellonda Williams, co-executive director and senior director of community at B Lab USA and Canada, to talk about what it really takes to make business a force for good. Dr. Williams breaks down what B Lab does, how businesses can use their power to shape economic and political systems for good, and why designing inclusive solutions can lead to better outcomes for everyone.
Connect with Dr. Williams and B Lab at:
· Website – https://usca.bcorporation.net/
· Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/bcorpuscan/
· Instagram – https://www.instagram.com/bcorpuscan/
Welcome To Agency For Change
Dr. Ellonda WilliamsDon't just come with the problem, but with an idea for a solution. And if your solution doesn't work for the people facing the greatest barriers, it's not quite finished yet.
AnnouncerWelcome to Agency for Change, a podcast from KidGlov that brings you the stories of changemakers who are actively working to improve our communities. In every episode, we'll meet with people who are making a lasting impact in the places we call home.
Meet B Lab
Lyn WinemanHey everyone, welcome back to the Agency for Change podcast. This is Lyn Wineman, president and chief strategist of KidGlov. And today I am so excited to be talking with Dr. Ellonda Williams. She is the co-executive director at B Lab, USA and Canada. That is the organization that certifies B Corps. And so many of you listeners know that KidGlov is a certified B Corp. It's a very important part of our identity and our ethos. We love being part of this global movement. And Dr. Williams is going to talk to us about what the buzz is all about. See what I did there with this movement and why business and how business can be an important part of systems change. I can't wait for you to hear this conversation. Dr. Williams, welcome to the podcast.
Dr. Ellonda WilliamsI'm excited to be here.
Lyn WinemanI am excited to be here too. You have been on my list for a bit because our listeners know that KidGlov is a very enthusiastic certified B Corp. We talk to a lot of certified B Corps on this podcast. And you are essentially the Queen Bee, right? And so love that.
Dr. Ellonda WilliamsLove the Queen Bee. Love any sort of you know segue into B Lab, B Corps, all the fun stuff. Yeah.
Lyn WinemanFantastic. Well, let's do the full segue. I'd love for you, for people who haven't heard me talking about it, I'd love for you to tell us more about B Lab, US and Canada and just this whole B Corp movement.
What B Lab And B Corps Do
Dr. Ellonda WilliamsTotally happy to do that. So B Lab is the nonprofit organization behind the B Corp movement. That's what you hear about, right? B Lab creates standards, policies, tools. You got programming. We really, our goal is to reimagine capitalism. We want to build a new economic system that benefits people and the planet. And so what B Lab does is we've created and we've led efforts to pass over 50 corporate statutes globally.
Lyn WinemanAmazing.
Dr. Ellonda WilliamsWe advocate for stakeholder governance. And this really requires business decisions to benefit workers, communities, and the environment. So it's a really, really cool movement. We've got really cool numbers, right? We're certified B Corps, or we like to call them affectionately, B Corps. That's what you hear.
Lyn WinemanThat's right. That's what we call it.
Dr. Ellonda WilliamsAffectionately so. B Corps are companies, they're verified, and you know this, verified at meeting standards for social and environmental performance, transparency, accountability. And to date, the B Corp community spans over 10,000 B Corps across more than 100 countries and 160 industries. So really, really big work. And collectively, B Corps are employing over 1 million people.
Lyn WinemanAmazing, amazing. You know what? I love the way you describe that because when people ask me, because I often will say, and of course we're a certified B Corp, and you can sometimes, sometimes people are like, oh yeah, that's amazing. And sometimes there's a few people out there who haven't heard, and you kind of see the look in your— their eyes. And I say, that means we have been verified to meet some of the most rigorous standards in taking care of our people, our community, our planet, and having transparent business standards. So, which at the end of the day is really good business. I mean, whether you're a B Corp or not. But all right, I know as a nonprofit, and I love that your organization is a nonprofit. The mission is centered around that transformation of the global economy to benefit people, communities, and planet. I want to hear from you why is this work so important, like right now?
Dr. Ellonda WilliamsWell,
Why This Work Matters Now
Dr. Ellonda Williamsyou can imagine a couple of reasons, right? So you know, B Lab began its journey in 2006. So we are at our 20th anniversary, we're celebrating this year. But in 2006, we really started in a moment of uncertainty, right? The US was slipping into a recession.
Lyn WinemanYeah.
Dr. Ellonda WilliamsConfidence in institutions was eroding. Really, many were questioning whether economic— the systems that we had bet, that we had already built, were inheriting, you know, for everyone. And are they capable of producing the outcomes that society not just wanted for some, but what we actually really needed. So at that time, B Lab was founded. It was a grand institution, and we did a lot of really wonderful work, but it was an experiment. It was an experiment thinking, you know, gathering individuals and organizations that believed in this mission, believed in an economy that was really built for all, and really trying to see if it had legs, see if this was something that was going to really move. And now, 20 years later, you know, we can look back and we continue to show up around moments of global disruption, right? We continue to show up in 2020 when the pandemic and the shutdown around businesses, providing guidance for what is the best way to take care of our communities and our people, and how do we bring in together this work and really focus on getting everyone the things that they need. And so we're purpose-driven. And purpose really accelerates this movement. It continues to push the work forward. And we are again in a very uncertain time of political uncertainty. We're seeing changes in funding and support in many different ways, but one thing that's steadfast is our growth. We continue to grow.
Lyn WinemanYeah.
Dr. Ellonda WilliamsWe continue to have conversations like this and open up the avenue for what this really means in terms of business. And I think businesses are being held culpable for the economic systems that we drive. And it's really been a pleasure to spend this last eight or so years in the movement kind of driving that forward.
Lyn WinemanI love it. You know what I love the most about this? I love that this is an experiment that has spanned 20 years and now has 10,000 certified members. So when KidGlov came in in 2021—
Dr. Ellonda WilliamsOkay.
Lyn WinemanI think there were five, I think we were just like kissing 5,000 at the time, maybe, right? And I think we started the process. We took, and we'll get into the process a little bit, but we like dipped our toes in the water and we took our first assessment right before the pandemic. The pandemic happened and we got scared and we said, no, no, no, we have to take a pause on this because we don't know what's happening in the world. But it didn't take us too long into the pandemic to realize, oh, wait, we need this more now than ever, right? So we jumped back in. So, you know, I really loved kind of how that all worked out. But before we get into the assessment, I want to talk a little bit about you because you have a really interesting past. But one of the things I read about you is your bio says that you spent your career asking the question, what would it look like if this actually worked for everyone, right? Because it was an experiment, it is a bit of a risk. How has asking that question shaped the way you approach your work, Ellonda?
Designing For Those With Barriers
Dr. Ellonda WilliamsYeah, I love this question, right? Because it gets me to like dig back into my background and what was really close to my heart. And so I spent over 15 years kind of like in collective action, the JEDI space, justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion. And when I joined B Lab, I was their inaugural at the time, EDI director. So equity, diversity, and inclusion, right? And so I started that and we created all kinds of work improving the standards that we now see today. So it's really cool that some of that work that we started talking about JEDI and how do we hold businesses accountable and what work can businesses do? We're now seeing in to come into fruition in the new version of the standards and the new standards. It's really cool and kind of meta to see, but quite truly, I've always really cared about people. I've really always spent my time in collective action, working with communities, and asking myself this question, you know, how can I make this work for everyone? How do we think about who's missing from the conversation, who's missing from the room, whose voice haven't we heard from? It's really challenged me to look beyond, right? To look beyond who's typically served and think about the those who may not have access to speak up, may not have access to opportunities. And I really find a lot of joy into kind of seeing the aha moments and having conversations with folks and identifying where those gaps are and figuring out how can we fill those gaps together. And I often kind of elevate the ideology around the curb cut. If you ever don't understand EDI and just want to try to understand something better, the curb cut is very, very simple. It's a global phenomenon. When you get to the intersection and you're stepping off that curb, there's a nice little ramp to make that execution a little bit easier. And this ramp is not just for individuals that might be experiencing physical disabilities. This is for all kinds, it's for moms or parents who are pushing strollers. It's for individuals who might be walking and don't have car access. So they're bringing their groceries where they have home or going to the laundromat and pushing their clothing, right? One small opportunity is something that's going to benefit all. And I think if you center those who are most marginalized, you're able to create, correct, create, excuse me, create outcomes that are gonna benefit so many more people. And when I think, when I think about the standards and the work that I'm doing, it's kind of the culmination of all of those things. I've worked in Philadelphia, I've worked in President Obama's promise zone, I've worked in a number of different community work, community focuses, but never have I been involved in something that's global, that really spanning 20 years holding businesses accountable to really, I think ultimately this changes lives. Our standards changes lives because not only does it change organization, it changes the outcomes for the individuals that work in the organization and the stakeholders that are involved with the organizations as well.
Lyn WinemanI love that. You know, you and I met recently in Nebraska at the Do More Good conference, and there were so many B Corps in the room. And what I love is when you get a room full of leaders that believe in this transformation, that are willing to ask the question, that are willing to push forward and make it work, it's a different kind of energy, right?
Dr. Ellonda WilliamsAnd I get joy, like I get energy from that energy. This perspective really has shaped the way that I lead. I naturally gravitate toward bringing people together, but also asking the hard questions, right? If we're gonna bring these magnificent minds and experiences together, ask the hard questions so that we can identify and solution together, creating spaces where different perspectives can influence creates better decision making. And I believe sustainable impact comes from relationships, shared ownership, and designing systems where equitable practical opportunities are built to last.
Lyn WinemanYeah, yeah.
Leading Through Collaboration And Community
Lyn WinemanSo, what does a day in the life look like? So, you know, what what because I feel your energy, I feel your passion, I feel your joy, but what does it actually look like in practice for you serving in this role?
Dr. Ellonda WilliamsYeah, this is a really cool question. My day, asking about my day is interesting, right? I have a very I can be having conversations around strategy, thinking about how do we think about our resources and budgeting, you know, typical CEO type questions and conversations that you all know and love. But I also am having conversations with my team around community, around scaling impact. What is it that we might need? How do we create programming that we can actually support B Corps, understanding the new standards and getting re-certified? But I also can be having one-on-one conversations directly with our B Corps, directing them to questions, directing their questions to their answers and getting the right people, but also helping them solution any barriers or challenges that they might be seeing in those standards so that I can elevate to a larger conversation so that I can advocate for other B Corps that might be in that industry so that we can be able to better support and and provide for them the things that they need. So today my opportunity can kind of— my days can kind of shift a lot, but it's really exciting. I like it like that. You can tell by my energy. I love talking to people, I love finding kind of solutions, I love puzzles. So all of these things often are like, how do we solve this and how can we solve this together? And something that's really keeps me drawn to the work is the collaborative nature of the work and the movement and just this ecosystem as a whole.
Lyn WinemanYeah, you know, I'm in an industry, marketing and advertising, that tends to be hyper competitive, right? And we typically don't like to talk to each other, right? And one thing I love, I have got four beautiful friends who are advertising agency B Corp owners, and we help each other, which is not normal, right? Like I even have my friend Peter Georgariou. I just slaughtered his last name, Peter. If you're listening, I'm sorry. But he owns karmadharma in Canada.
Dr. Ellonda WilliamsOkay.
Lyn WinemanAnd we have a meeting, a regular standing meeting on our calendar, which is Lyn and Peter shooting shit, which is— sorry for cursing everyone. But it's just us like, hey, what's going on for you? What's going on for you? What are you doing with AI? What are you doing with your certif— recertification? What are you? And it's great to be able to help each other and have that, even in that environment, have that collaboration.
How B Corp Certification Works
Lyn WinemanSo Ellonda, I know we have got people listening who have thought about B Corp certification, but they don't really know what it's about. Can you walk us through the process? What's it like? How hard is it? I have been on record saying it is rigorous, it is not easy.
Dr. Ellonda WilliamsFair enough.
Lyn WinemanAlso good.
Dr. Ellonda WilliamsYeah. I think that's a good, that's a good, good segue, good conversation to have, right? It's not about being easy, right? We know that because our B Corps are purpose-driven. They're about the impact, they are about changing lives, they are about creating equitable outcomes for all in all the work that they do. And so it's not about it being easy, but it is about being in good company in community, right? And we're creating programs and opportunities to learn and educate. So B Corp standards help companies move from good intentions to measurable impact, which is lovely, right? We can spend a lot of time and good intentions, but really understanding impact versus outcome and it really helps. And B Corp takes the takes the guesswork out of that, right? Our standards really lay this out and they actually give you background, understanding, historical context for why the standards are the way that their standards are. So it is a lot of information, but you gotta remember this is— this is version, this is the next version. So it is a level up, but we have created reasonable pathways to certification for B Corps of all size and every industry. If you don't know, come and find us. We can talk about it. But we can also talk about it right now. So to certify, to certify under the new B Lab standards, really companies must show specific requirements across seven impact areas. So this is our save. When you hear about the impact areas, I'm gonna name them. We've got purpose and stakeholder governance, fair work, justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion, or JEDI, like we call it, human rights, collective action, environmental stewardship and circularity, government affairs and collective action.
Lyn WinemanWow.
Dr. Ellonda WilliamsThat'd be seven really heavy-hitting impact topics.
Lyn WinemanYes.
Dr. Ellonda WilliamsThe first step that companies are going to make is to complete a self-assessment in the impact. It's free. You can go online, you can start that process. You measure your impact for where you are right now. That provides a little, you might provide a little bit of evidence on why your impact assessment is measuring as it is. But then afterwards, you submit the impact. We do a little bit of an audit by an independent provider, which is a newer process for us. Wow, yeah. Right, helping with the not only the standards are written, but it's important to verify them through, and we're having third-party verification. So we have an independent provider who will reach out, validate that information, and determine if you meet B Lab certification standards. There's a process of that where you prove and you provide some evidence and those steps, but ultimately you have a process that kind of walks you through. We have technology that will able to go step by step. And we also have account managers and individuals like the ones that I lead across the community team and our re-certification team that help you along the way.
Lyn WinemanAwesome. It's a lot of steps and it's a lot of information. But my experience has been that you've got it all laid out online that you can go in. I mean, even if you're not sure, you can go in and take a free assessment and just see where you are. And I think for KidGlov, you know, we came in in 2021 under the original standards or the standards that were in effect in 2021. And we took the initial assessment and we were like just close. We were just a hair under the line, and we were like, hey, we thought this was so far away and it's attainable. But what happened for us is it wasn't just about getting the certification, going through the process made us a better company because it took things that we were— that were just kind of loosely part of our intentions and our ethos, and they became like documented and hard documented and measured, so that then three years later, when we recertified, we had a 15% jump in our score. And we were a little bit surprised because it didn't feel that hard, but it was the momentum of being intentional. So now I'm really looking forward to digging into the new standards and you know, seeing where we are, seeing how we can improve. What is the next layer for KidGlov? Yeah.
Dr. Ellonda WilliamsYeah. Historically, right, and and we can get into that. And historically, B Corps often do find that they've scored higher than they originally thought that they might, got it, you know, were surprised by the results, right? Or just under maybe they didn't didn't quite hit the mark, but they were closer than they originally would have might have thought to be so.
Lyn WinemanRight.
Dr. Ellonda WilliamsAnd something that you mentioned right at the tail end around what's next for KidGlov. The standards are written so that all B Corps are asking themselves that when it's time to be certified. What's next?
Lyn WinemanAs we should be, right? As we should be.
Moving Beyond The Points System
Dr. Ellonda WilliamsRight? What's next for us?
Lyn WinemanLike, we shouldn't get stagnant, right?
Dr. Ellonda WilliamsNo, what area and they're also written in such a way is kind of like you choose your pathway, right? There are some base level things, right? And let me let me go let me share. Prior to V7, right, before our this standard, this version, our standards required a minimum points, right?
Lyn WinemanYeah, and it was it was when we came through, the minimum was 80 points on a 200— Oh, I know it was 80 points on a 200-point scale. And I remember thinking, oh my goodness, that's 40%. I've never done worse than 40% on anything in my life. This will be a piece of cake.
Dr. Ellonda WilliamsYeah.
Lyn WinemanIt was not a piece of cake, but the beauty of the system is that point system gave us flexibility because you know, there were certain areas we had a hard time scoring well on the environmental category, not because we're doing anything bad. We're a small service company with a small environmental footprint that's very hard to measure, right? So it was hard for. To get those points, we scored very well on community and team. But it— the scoring system gave us flexibility to be the company we are and still meet the standards.
Dr. Ellonda WilliamsYeah. And so what's tweaked a little bit, and that's been the general feedback, and that flexibility that you mentioned is something that we ensured to build into this standards without compromising it with points. The challenge of the point system prior was some B Corps could essentially score so many other points in some area, but not really be able to score or not really score at a baseline. And so what we said was what is that baseline? What is the baseline across all of these impact areas, right? And ensure we all hit that baseline. That's where we are with our general requirements. Once you've kind of hit that baseline, then the flexibility comes in. Where now we would like to improve as an organization, but what's in our wheelhouse? What are we good at? What do we have access or expertise on? And you can kind of focus on where you want to strengthen your organization without compromising the baseline requirements that everyone is required to have. So that was how we took that feedback around keeping flexibility and incorporated that into the certification without relying so heavily on a point system that allowed individual that allowed organizations to kind of skirt some of those expectations. And so I think we've landed in a wonderful place.
Lyn WinemanAlright. It
Business As A Lever For Systems Change
Lyn Winemanmakes me eager to jump in and see where we fall. So, alright, as I think about the point system and as I think about moving forward and what all of this means, I think part of what's behind it is businesses have that power to create not just meaningful change, but meaningful systems change. And I think that is even so big. And I'm really curious why do you believe that business is such an important avenue for this work?
Dr. Ellonda WilliamsYeah, I think that I think it's really important for businesses as a whole, right, to really understand the power that they have and the levers that they can pull as businesses. Individuals, right, coming together collectively is really a great way to kind of get action and create change. Businesses coming together in the same way is also going to create that change. And we believe that businesses play a powerful role in a world shaped by profit and capitalism. We don't get away with it. You have to shop, you have to buy your groceries, you have to live in this world, right? And so, how do we utilize our relationships and our partnerships and capitalism in such a way to create, to help, not harm? Companies can choose. Companies have the right to choose to operate either extractively or contribute positively to society in the planet. It's a choice that businesses can have. And the standards, as we've laid them out, allow businesses to live into that choice that they've made, assuming they've chosen not to be extractive and want to contribute. They have to influence to shape economic and political systems. We've seen how all of these things influence each other. We've seen how economic systems influence political systems and how all of these things are intertwined and work together. B Corp's holding audacious, I love that word when we talk about it. Audacious and courageous belief that businesses can be different. And I think that the movement and the fact that we have 2,700 businesses and that we, in fact, that we— in the US-Can in this region, and that we continue to grow and we continue to see new small, medium, and large businesses joining the movement, it's evident to me that we're not the only— B Lab is not the only entity that believes that businesses are both not only culpable or— but capable of creating change, creating last— that lasting impact that we're really trying to create. It can only really happen together. And businesses have such a powerful lens and lever and platform collectively. We really believe that through collective action, learning, and leading together with peers in the space like yourself, it can really lead to future generations and outcomes that are just far beyond what we could have ever imagined.
Lyn WinemanYeah, I feel your call to action. I want to be audacious and courageous, right? I mean—
Dr. Ellonda WilliamsYeah. Don't you? Yeah.
Lyn WinemanYes. One of the reasons I love purpose-driven marketing is because I have this fundamental belief that you can use your marketing voice for good, right? You think about, you know, all of these businesses that are thinking about their reach and their frequency and their positioning and how are we going to get out there in ways that impact people. And there's a lot of, that's a lot of noise, a lot of conversation. And if if you can angle that to do your work, because I think we all agree in this movement that profit is part of it, profit is part of it, but it's profit and purpose and consideration of people and community and planet and fairness and justice along the way. So I think that's an important part of it. So, all right, next thing I want to ask
New Standards And What Comes Next
Lyn Winemanyou. So, what's next? What's on the horizon? I know you got the new standards going.
Dr. Ellonda WilliamsSure.
Lyn WinemanPeople are, or companies are verifying under the new standards, but what else is on the board that you're excited about?
Dr. Ellonda WilliamsYeah, well, I mean, that's taking up a lot of our time. It's definitely, you know, it's because we've it's so much educating that has to happen. It's upskilling. We're at an unprecedented time at B Lab because you know, we've had this version of our standards and we tweaked them and we've made our changes and we've listened to our feedback, but we're really at a time that we've never been in before. You know, we've never made an overhaul in such a way, in addition to changing our verification practices as well, and all of those things coming together is really taking up a lot of our time, but rightfully so. This is going to take— it's taking a lot of our time to make sure that we are bringing our B Corps along. And that's really, really important because our B Corps make up everything. They're important to us. We want to make sure that they're understanding and coming along for the ride. So, really, it's an exciting time, point blank period. But what I want to elevate is the world is asking for more of businesses than ever, right? We have— the youth are coming into the business sector, expectations have changed, right? We are seeing different generations exiting the work sector. And so what does that mean, right? And so I— and I think that the standards are creating a blueprint and a framework that is tested, tried, and true, right? We are not making things up because we have nothing better to do. We are asking, there's been research. We are asking experts, we are looking ahead to forecasts and making best guess on what is going to be coming down the pipeline. And we've created standards with all of those things in mind. And those standards are going to allow businesses to say to themselves, what to better understand the impact versus intention, right? We talked about intention a little while ago and what we want to happen and what we're hoping can happen and what the choices that we make. What we're doing is creating a set of standards that allows B Corps to know for a fact that if I'm taking these steps, my outcome and my intention is going to match the impact that I'm making.
Lyn WinemanI love hearing that as a B Corp. I love that.
Dr. Ellonda WilliamsYeah, yeah. It's going to help ensure B Corp. How often do we take our times to invest in work and invest in outcomes and programming and and and opportunities only to come to find out that the impact or the outcome did not match our intentions? And our hope is that it's going to save time, resources, and energy from B Corps to be able to know if I follow these standards and align my B Corps to these standards, I'm going to be doing exactly what I would like for my business to do. So we're trying to help businesses not only meet, improve their businesses and meet where the world is asking for them to show up, but also to help with growth too. We think that over time, right, these types of ways, people are looking at really thinking about where they're spending their money.
Lyn WinemanYeah.
Dr. Ellonda WilliamsWhat is the impact, right? And how can I show up? A lot of individuals are are limited with how they can show up, especially in today's political climate, especially in today's economic climate. And so if I can make one small choice by shopping for cabbage cheese or shopping for an shopping at an Olly or another B Corp, that's how I'm able to show that it matters to me where my dollars go and it matters to me how I can utilize that. So we're really trying to get that message out, really drive not only with our B Corps and through our B Corps, but through programming, opportunity, growth, growth opportunities where we can talk about B Corps, talk about this. And across the broader movement, I think we're going to see an even greater collaborations with how do we come together? It's not just about improving business, but it's really about coming together to tackle the world's biggest problems.
Lyn WinemanAbsolutely.
Where Leaders Should Start On Impact
Lyn WinemanSo, what recommendations or advice do you have for people? Maybe they're not sure if they want to go B Corp or not, but they just want to make a meaningful impact through their organizations.
Dr. Ellonda WilliamsSure.
Lyn WinemanWhere can they start?
Dr. Ellonda WilliamsYeah, I think first and foremost, we have to stop thinking about impact as something that's separate from business. You can create impact through your business, right? And utilizing your business as a pathway to create that impact that you're trying to create. I always like to say at the end of the day, while businesses are a catalyst for change, that alone doesn't change the world. People change the world.
Lyn WinemanRight.
Dr. Ellonda WilliamsWho's leading? Who's making the decisions? Who's pulling those levers? Who's out in front trying to pull us along? And so we really have to think about picking leaders that are understanding what is expected of them from the world or that are showing up in such a way that they can have equitable and diverse conversations and be able to lead equitable and diverse people and communities and be able to do that. It's really about educating yourself and looking first within, you know, what can I do? How can I be self-aware of where my shortcomings might be? Taking a look at those standards and those impact areas is a way that you can also assess yourself. Yeah. How am I with human rights? Have I educated myself on what some of the biggest human rights challenges are currently in the world today? Why? Because those human rights issues are affecting my staff. And am I doing and thinking about that from that perspective? And so you can also use those standards as a lens for yourself to build understanding and context so that you're ready to kind of embrace what's necessary to really create the change that you want to see.
Lyn WinemanAbsolutely. How are they impacting my staff, my customers, my community, my family, everyone around me? I love that so much. So, how can people find you? This is my big invitation for you to tell me your website address.
Dr. Ellonda WilliamsInvitation, super easy for our listeners. We know, go check out we are bcorps.com. That's B as in boy. We are bcorps.com, or you can go to usca.bcorporation.net. Either way, that is the best place option, the best step to kind of get involved, find out where we are. We also have be locals. You can also learn to see if maybe there's a B local in your area. There might be in-person events where you can show up. We welcome you to ask questions and to learn a little bit more. So that's definitely a good first step.
Lyn WinemanYou know, those B locals, too, that is a great way to get in the room and feel the energy of all the other B Corp leaders. So I love that so much. And you don't have to be a B Corp to go, it's also a great way to go kind of dip your toes in the water and see what's going on here. All right,
The Signature Quote And Final Takeaway
Lyn WinemanEllonda, I'm gonna ask you my favorite question next because my listeners know I love motivational quotes. And I would love a Dr. Ellonda Williams inspirational original quote for our listeners.
Dr. Ellonda WilliamsOkay, this is what— I thought about it. I would say, don't just come with the problem, but with an idea for a solution. And if your solution doesn't work for the people facing the greatest barriers, it's not quite finished yet.
Lyn WinemanOh my goodness. Wow, I think that one's poster worthy. Most of the listeners can't see this because they're gonna be listening. Over my shoulder is one of my favorite quotes from this podcast. It is from Patty Connor, at the time was the CEO of a B Corp called Our Gorongosa. I actually met her in my B Corp certification, and she said, work to build the world you wish for. So I think I need a poster of that quote you just gave us to put on the wall. So thank you. Alright, I have so loved this conversation, and as we wrap up our time together today, I just love to hear what is the most important thing you would like people to remember about the work that you're doing.
Dr. Ellonda WilliamsIt's not about you. That's the most important thing. This isn't about me. Yeah, this isn't, you know, I get a paycheck, I show up to work, I have a title, I get to do fun things like podcasts and travel around, right? But this work isn't about me. The standards, holding B Corps and businesses accountable for creating a better world is about the future. It's about creating something that is outside of myself, it is about creating something that improves the lives of people that I've never met. Of people that I will never met, who will never even know my name. It has the effect to be— to have so many ripples. And I think when you spend— I'm about to cry, I'm about to make myself emotional.
Lyn WinemanI'm loving this. I'm loving this.
Dr. Ellonda WilliamsWhen you spend your days made up of doing work that you know is not for you, I think it keeps you humble, I think it keeps you empathetic, I think it makes you a better person and a stronger human. And I think we need more people to do this type of work.
Lyn WinemanWhat a great way to end. Ellonda, I just want you to know, I believe the world needs more people like you. Yes, more organizations like B Lab. And we definitely need more certified B Corps that are doing this good work, that are impacting systems change. Thank you, thank you, thank you for spending your time with us today.
Dr. Ellonda WilliamsThank you for the invitation. It was a fun, fun afternoon. Fun, great way to spend a little bit of time. Thanks, Lyn.
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Lyn WinemanI agree.
AnnouncerWe hope you enjoyed today's Agency for Change podcast. To hear all our interviews with those who are making a positive change in our communities, or to nominate a changemaker you'd love to hear from, visit kidglov.com at K-I-D-G-L-O-V dot com to get in touch. As always, if you like what you've heard today, be sure to rate, review, subscribe, and share. Thanks for listening, and we'll see you next time.