Back in early 2016, AdVic® started its journey towards B Corp certification. At the time, there were only around 1,500 B Corps around the world and only six in our home state of Georgia (there are now 6,100+ and 24 in Georgia). 

What appealed most to us about the certification was the rigor with which it validated and verified our performance in its five key sections: governance, workers, community, environment, and customers. 

We officially became certified in January of 2018 and finished our first recertification, required by the certifying nonprofit B Lab every three years, in 2021. We’ll be up for recertification in early 2024, but we put ourselves through the B Impact Assessment at the end of every year, giving ourselves a score for the year gone by and using it as a basis for the next year’s strategic plans. 

AdVic’s B Corp Highlights to Date

We recently completed the aforementioned annual B Impact Assessment and are excited to announce that our own score, albeit unverified, has improved since our last recertification, and includes opportunities to improve it even further in 2023, setting us up for another successful recertification in early 2024. Here are some of the highlights: 

• For the past two years, we have been working with We Are Neutral to offset our Scopes 1, 2, & 3 GhG emissions, which includes our two offices (and our remote team’s home offices), and all business travel. 
• We’ve continued our commitment to Pledge 1%, donating a combined 1%+ of revenue in the form of volunteer time, pro bono work, and charitable donations. In 2022, we finished right around 1.5%, marking the sixth consecutive year we’ve surpassed our commitment. 
• 2022 also saw us strengthen our commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion in the Salesforce® community. On top of regular donations and employee matched donations to organizations like HYPE and TechForward, we also sponsored the first annual Dreamin’ In Color conference. 

This process of self-evaluation is a powerful tool and an important step in becoming a better version of ourselves every year. It gives us a chance to set targets for improvement, holds us accountable to previous year goals, and see where we surpassed our expectations or fell a little bit short. 

If you’re interested in learning more about the B Corp certification process, we invite you to reach out to us. And if you’re just interested in learning more about how we use it, year in and year out, to evaluate our own commitments to using our business as a force for good, we’re happy to help you with that as well. And we look forward to celebrating our recertification with all of our stakeholders in 2024! 

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The post AdVic’s B Corp Commitment Continues Into 2023 appeared first on Ad Victoriam Solutions.

AdVic’s B Corp journey began five years ago, in a conference room on the fourth floor of Correll Hall at the University of Georgia. 

Powered by four eager MBA students and a vision for our growing company, AdVic embarked on a journey to pursue both profit and purpose. As the saying goes, time flies when you’re having fun. And after initially certifying in 2018 as a result of that student project, we’re excited to announce that we have met all the requirements and have officially recertified as a B Corp. 

The 5 Reasons We Recertified

Required every three years by B Lab, the nonprofit organization that oversees the certification and standards, recertification can be difficult for scaling companies. In the past three years, we’ve gone from 25 local employees to over 100 spread out across the country. But we’ve managed to maintain our purpose as we’ve scaled, a testament to the value of certification. 

So to celebrate our commitment to being a business force for good, here are five reasons AdVic recertified, and why you should too: 

1. B Corp got us here and has made us better. 

Our certification empowered us to begin tracking important, non-revenue related numbers and KPIs, holding ourselves accountable to steady improvements and progress. When we initially certified, we were, like most technology companies, comprised of almost three-quarters white males. By the end of 2020, we were reduced that number to 51%, a direct result of setting goals and testing solutions, like the wording of job descriptions and the locations we recruited. 

Simply put, B Corp establishes a high bar and sense of responsibility. It keeps us honest when evaluating our business and helps us continually iterate and improve, even as we scale.

“We do not have all the answers and we won’t claim to be experts. We are on a journey that starts with transparency and continues with action and dialogue. We invite you to come along.“

2. B Corp will continue to make us better.

We love that quote from the equality module of Salesforce’s Equality, Diversity, & Inclusion trailhead. As a B Corp, we know the journey is never done. As we continue to scale and grow, new problems will arise, both internally and externally, that will require creative, mission-driven, and purposeful solutions. We’re fully committed to self-reflection, measuring what matters, and becoming a better version of ourselves. And we’re excited for the progress we’ll make and the updates we’ll have when we recertify in 2024. 

3. AdVic wants to be a leader in this movement, an example for all that a purpose-driven organization can turn a healthy profit, and scale. 

The late American economist and statistician, Milton Friedman, argued that businesses exist solely to serve their shareholders–to maximize profits. Milton Friedman’s arguments made sense, in 1960. They don’t any longer. At some point, this argument led capitalism astray. AdVic is proud to be a part of a growing example of businesses existing to make money in a manner that benefits all: stakeholder (workers, clients, communities you operate in, etc.) capitalism. 

Since starting the B Corp process, we’ve gone from a scrappy eight-employee startup to employing over 100 full-time employees. We’ve grown revenue every year since our founding, while also growing our impact on our employees and the communities we serve. Stakeholder capitalism is indeed alive and well–and here to stay. 

4. It’s an awesome community!

Nothing beats the Bs. To say the B Corp community is welcoming is an understatement. We’ve yet to meet a B Corp that isn’t willing to invest some time in our journey. They share lessons, they share pitfalls to avoid, they share their blueprints to success.

As we move from a community of newcomers to seasoned veterans, we’re excited to pay it forward and continue our work helping companies certify and find their footing once they get there. 

5. We see the value, but we’re in it for the right reasons. 

Ask any B Corp business owner, there is one question that makes us all cringe, “What’s the ROI on it?” Have we landed amazing employees that found us because we are a B Corp? Yes. Have we gotten a client or two because we are a B Corp? Yes. Does it create a ton of natural marketing content that enhances and aligns our brand and culture? 100%, yes. But we wouldn’t say we have quantified the ROI on it. 

We believe in doing business the right way and being a place people are proud to work. We believe in serving our community. We believe in creating change through purchasing policies, hiring practices, and first-class benefit packages. We believe that B Corps can be a catalyst for change and that’s why we recertified as a B Corp. 

If you’re as fired up as we are, we invite you to join us and the greater movement of almost 4,000 businesses worldwide working and serving as a force for good. And whether it’s advice, answers, or assistance, we’re happy to help you get there. Feel free to contact us. 

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The Daily Agenda

For Ad Victoriam, the conference started on Monday, September 16, with the B Local Summit.

AdVic’s Director of Culture and the Chair of B Local Georgia, Nathan Stuck, spent the day with B Local leaders and community organizers from across the country. They shared strategies to build local organizations and the B Corp movement as a whole. From the more established chapters like Portland to the newer chapters like B Corp Local in Georgia, discussions centered on synergies and opportunities for collaboration.

After an incredible opening reception on Monday evening, the conference kicked into full swing on Tuesday. With a focus on building a regenerative and inclusive economy, attendees heard from Patagonia CEO Rose Marcurio, who spoke on the need for B Corps, and businesses in general, to lead by example and not accept “business as usual.” Breakout sessions focused on networking and creating a more inclusive economy, one that works for everyone.

On Wednesday morning, Ad Victoriam’s Stuck was elated to be called on stage to receive a Collective Action award with other B Local leaders from across the country. The award recognizes significant efforts to lead the movement, raise awareness, and promote growth.

Later on Wednesday, attendees were treated to an incredible session with Bart Houlahan, co-founder of B Lab, and Deval Patrick, former governor of Massachusetts and the newest B Lab board member. There was also an incredible breakout session focused on recertification, which AdVic will have to start working on in mid-2020.

Making the Pledge

AdVic’s proudest moment of the Champions Retreat was taking the Pledge to Build the B Economy from Within. With this signature, we pledged to:

– Support the B Corp community
– Speed up the building of an inclusive and sustainable economy
– Truly use business as a force for good
– Share knowledge with our fellow B Corps
– Align our purchases with our values
– Consider B Corps first when making decisions
– Promoting B Corps to our employees and networks

This trek to Los Angeles was an intense three days of meeting some of the most inspiring people. These people are being the change they want to see in the world. We can hardly wait until 2020’s Champions Retreat!

But until then, we are committed to advancing to the next level. We’re striving to ensure that purpose is intertwined with profit and businesses to serve both our employees and communities.

About B Corp
B Corps are for-profit companies certified by the nonprofit B Lab to meet rigorous standards of social and environmental performance, accountability, and transparency. Today, Ad Victoriam Solutions, along with the more than 3,000 other B Corps around the globe, is working toward one unifying goal — to redefine success in business.

So, would you like to learn more about how your company can become a certified B Corp? AdVic’s recent three-part blog series has all the information you need to succeed: Part 1 – Part 2 – Part 3. You may also find this recent AdVic B Corp/Corporate Social Responsibility webinar helpful, too. If you have any questions, contact us here.

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