Forces for Good

Businesses have the opportunity to put their money where their mouth is and use everyday spending to further their sustainability goals. In this episode we’re sharing how to get started in climate finance, and why it might be one of the simplest sustainability moves you can make. My guests are Kylie Nealis, Senior Program Manager for Climate Justice, B Lab US and Canada and Kate Ogden, Head of Adv...

Climate action doesn’t happen alone: effective leaders understand that relationships are essential to success. Climate justice is about the ‘who’ and the ‘how,’ not just the ‘what.’  Getting started can be daunting. That’s why B Lab, along with partners and stakeholders, recently published the Principles for Partnership with Frontline Communities .    Today’s guests were instrumental in writi...

Agriculture and climate are inextricably linked.  A healthy climate is key to producing healthy crops but modern agricultural practices often exacerbate climate change.  There are also serious inequities between the Global North and the Global South built into our food systems.  In today’s episode, we’re joined by two guests who understand this system and are working hard to improve...

The global fashion industry is responsible for as much as 10 percent of global greenhouse gas emissions and generates a massive amount of waste that often ends up in landfills. But it’s also an industry filled with innovation, and passionate, creative people who are ready to do business differently. We recorded this episode live during New York Climate Week at Remake World's Wear Your Values Weeke...

Natural resources are not limitless, Yet, if used responsibly, nature-based solutions can provide innovative and regenerative alternatives to the world’s most harmful products.  Did you know that plastic could be replaced with seaweed in the coming years? Hoa Doan, Head of Impact and Sustainability at Notpla, a London based B Corp,  joins us to share how they make seaweed based packaging...

Environmental science covers some large and confusing topics. In this episode, we invite you to head back to the classroom with us to learn about decarbonization. In order to combat climate change, businesses must reduce their carbon and other greenhouse gas emissions to net zero and beyond. Jane Eisenhardt joins us from The UN High Level Climate Champions. She is the Engagement and Acceleration M...

Travel is an impactful experience. It’s impactful on the traveler, on local communities, and on the environment. In this episode, we’ll tell you how the travel industry is driving efforts to champion positive change and tell you about personal changes you can make to travel more consciously.  Our guests this episode are working at all levels of the industry to improve travel. Julie Cheetham i...

Being a force for good means centering people and the planet. Joining us for our inaugural episode of season 4 we have two B Corps who are doing just that. Beauty and personal care brand, Faith in Nature was the first company to appoint nature to its board of directors. In the episode, Brand Director Simeon Rose tells us how the idea came about and how nature is represented in every decision the c...

Forces for Good takes a hard look at how companies are helping to solve the biggest social and environmental challenges we face.  On Season 4, we’re zeroing in on the environment and exploring sectors with the biggest climate impact: finance, fashion, travel, and more.  As the B Corps in this season demonstrate, meaningful climate action is not out of reach! We’ll tell you how both busin...

AI is poised to radically transform the way we work. This moment is an opportunity for workers, business leaders, and governments to come together and harness this powerful technology for good – or face the consequences of failing to act.  Today’s guests, Richie Jones and Hilke Schellmann, help us learn how people and AI fit together into the future of work. Hilke is an Assistant Professor of...

The ability for employees to speak up is critical to creating a system that is fair, representative, and works for all. Our guests today, Jenny Holdcroft and Antoine Heuty, are both on a mission to make sure people are heard by their employers.  Jenny is Deputy Director of Business Engagement at the Shift Project, the leading center of expertise on the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Hu...

The best way to build a thriving business is to build a thriving workforce. In this episode, we look at two ways both a business and its people can prosper. First, we’ll learn about worker cooperatives from Julian McKinley, Co-Executive Director for Partnerships and Growth at the Democracy at Work Institute. A business co-op is a group of workers coming together to co-own the business for which th...

Alternative ownership structures, like cooperatives and employee ownership trusts, are some of the most powerful wealth and power distributors we have at our disposal. Are they the key to creating better jobs? Today’s guests would tell you yes! In this episode, we hear the story of how B Corp and outdoor clothing brand, Patagonia donated itself to Planet Earth and we learn more about alternative o...

What does it really mean to go green? As the climate crisis accelerates, businesses are under pressure to transition away from fossil fuels, adopt sustainable practices, and reduce their environmental impact. But this shift isn’t just about the planet—it’s about people, too.  In this episode, we hear from Marina Gning, CEO of ApiAfrique, a B Corp proving that sustainable businesses can create...

How do we make sure everyone feels welcome when they show up to work? Our unique qualities are what make us great at our jobs and we have to build inclusive workplaces where we can show off those talents. Our guests today are Tom Strong, Director of Employer Activation at the National Fund for Workforce Solutions and Sarah White, CEO and Founder at Fairware. Sarah shares why social justice is a bu...

People want meaningful, purpose driven jobs now more than ever. In this series so far, we’ve talked about what makes a job "good" - we’ve looked at pay, economic mobility, benefits, hours and scheduling. But what about purpose? In this episode, we dive into why workers are demanding more meaning in their careers and how it keeps them engaged for the long haul. Annemiek Nusmeijer is the owner of Gr...

Policy and progress can’t exist without each other. Without progress there would be no demand for new policy and without new policies we wouldn’t see progress continue. In this episode we focus on policy and the workplace - is it business-focused policy or societal progress that really improves the livelihoods of employees? Our guests for this episode are Jamila Rizvi, Deputy Managing Director at...

Maine’s Lobster Industry is at a breaking point. Jobs all over the state depend on lobster fishermen bringing in over 100 million pounds of lobster each year. But with fewer and fewer legacy lobstermen this is becoming harder and harder. That’s where retraining and economic mobility come in. Young people and immigrants from all over the country, and the world, are filling the labor gap in Maine. I...

‘A good job’ is a phrase we hear all the time. But what does it really mean?  Perhaps some combination of fair pay, flexible hours, and a strong purpose? In this episode we set the foundation for our series on good jobs with Sarah Kalloch, Executive Director of Good Jobs Institute and Joachim Krapels, Head of Strategy & Global B Corp Movement at B Lab Global.  We dive into the curren...

Forces for Good from B Lab is back with host Irving Chan-Gomez.   Our show takes a hard look at how businesses are helping to solve the biggest social and environmental challenges of our time.  This season we dive deep into what makes a good job. Across this 10 episode series, we'll use examples, anecdotes and data from experts and the B Corp companies to explore how workers can demand m...

Why don’t Black and brown entrepreneurs have the same access and opportunities as their wealthy, white counterparts?  How can access, opportunity and support empower these entrepreneurs so that their great ideas are able to thrive and make a difference in the world? Jay Bailey is the President and CEO of the Russell Innovation Center for Entrepreneurs. When we sat down in Aspen, we talked abo...

What is philanthropy’s role in finding the next world-changing great leader? What if the solutions to some of the world's biggest problems are out there, but they just need a little help scaling?  Anne Welsh McNulty is the co-founder and president of the John P. and Anne Welsh McNulty Foundation.  When we sat down in Aspen, we talked about impact centered leadership, what moral courage m...

Why does purpose matter? How can for profit companies have a positive impact on their communities? How are purpose and profit linked?  Rob Falzon is Vice Chair at Prudential Financial and a Member of the Board of Directors and Lata Reddy is Senior Vice President of Inclusive Solutions. When we sat down in Aspen, we talked about impact investing, community work, and balancing purpose in the fi...

How are food and justice linked? How can we change the way our society approaches nutrition? How can businesses and individuals be a part of that? Maya Feller is a nationally recognized, registered dietician-nutritionist who brings a culturally sensitive approach to her work. Curt Ellis is the CEO of FoodCorps, a nonprofit focused on food justice and education. When I sat down with the two of them...

As we increasingly witness the effects of climate change, what can we expect for the future of our planet? How can we mitigate these harmful effects? What is the importance of coming together to find solutions? Greg Gershuny is the Executive Director of the Aspen Institute Energy and Environment Program, – and co-director of Aspen Ideas Climate. When we sat down in Aspen, he underscored the import...