Purpose 360 TruStory FM

Today, the idea that business can be a force for good is mainstream…but it wasn’t always that way. The early pioneers, including host Carol Cone, invested and contributed to the creation of Business for Social Responsibility, a sustainable business network and consultancy focused on creating a world in which all people can thrive on a healthy planet, in 1992. Fourteen years later, three college friends launched a new movement: one that would transform the global economy through a standards and certification process designed to benefit all stakeholders.

This was the launch of B Lab, the nonprofit organization that sets the standards for and certifies businesses driving an inclusive, equitable, and regenerative economy. These businesses make up the B Corporation movement – distinguished by their special “B” logo.

We invited Eleanor Allen, B Lab’s new Lead Executive, who has taken the reins from its original founders to speak to the present and future of both B Lab and B Corps.

Listen for insights on:

What B Corp certification is and why your company should pursue it
The future for B Corp certification standards
Why large, publicly traded companies are becoming B Corps
How B Lab’s tools can help companies evaluate their ESG performance without applying for certification

Resources + Links:

Eleanor Allen’s LinkedIn
B Lab
B Corp Certification
B Impact Assessment


(00:00) - Welcome to Purpose 360
(00:13) - B Lab • Eleanor Allen
(03:02) - Eleanor's Background
(04:41) - Advice
(06:28) - What Is a B Corp
(07:53) - B Corp Community
(08:46) - Mainstream?
(09:42) - B Impact Assessment
(11:26) - Benefits
(13:17) - Best Practice Sharing in the Community
(14:38) - Common Questions
(15:20) - Standouts
(18:00) - Demand
(19:12) - Rollout Duration
(20:10) - Response
(22:17) - Evolution
(23:02) - 10 Year Vision
(24:40) - Advice
(26:32) - Why Become a B Corp?
(28:10) - Wrap Up

“You have to have a bias for action in the world if you want to do your part to make it a better place.”
     —Jake Wood

Jake Wood’s “bias for action” is indisputable: after graduating from college, he joined the Marine Corps and served two years overseas. His return to civilian life wasn’t easy. Like many veterans, Jake was faced with a loss in structure, purpose, and sense of impact. After a close friend and fellow veteran committed suicide, Jake founded non-profit Team Rubicon with a dual purpose: (1) to serve global communities before, during, and after disasters and crises, and (2) to reintegrate veterans into civilian life through opportunities to utilize military training for communities in need.

Ten years later, Jake welcomed his second daughter, who required surgery shortly after she was born, into the world. The experience sparked a new idea to empower more people to have a greater impact and sense of purpose. In 2021, Jake co-founded Groundswell, a corporate philanthropy platform that allows you to “give like Gates, be taxed like Warren Buffet, and be recognized like Rockefeller.”

We invited Jake to lead us through his purpose journey, from creating social entrepreneurship ventures to the impact your company can make through them.

Listen for insights on:

What to expect from venture investors
How companies can support and enable employees in their philanthropic giving
How employee-driven corporate donations drive better business outcomes
Advice for pursuing greater impact through social entrepreneurism
Resources + Links:

Jake Wood’s LinkedIn
Team Rubicon
Groundswell
New York Times: “Once a Warrior, Then a Nonprofit Leader, Now an Entrepreneur”
Forbes: How Groundswell Is Shifting Giving From The 1% To The 99%
“Once a Warrior” Memoir


(00:00) - Welcome to Purpose 360
(00:13) - Jake Wood • Groundswell
(01:30) - Jake's Personal Purpose
(02:32) - Evolving Purpose
(04:00) - Team Rubicon
(06:49) - Helping Veterans
(09:19) - Creating Groundswell
(12:12) - Structure
(13:37) - Elements of Groundswell
(17:19) - Response
(18:17) - Example
(19:52) - Philanthropy Trends
(20:41) - Inspiration
(21:32) - Insights
(23:01) - Empathy and Love in Leadership
(24:02) - Last Word
(24:44) - Wrap Up

To share more about the Association of Corporate Citizenship Professionals’ work – and the state of ESG and CSR today – we invited Carolyn Berkowitz, President and CEO at ACCP, to talk about the organization and how they cultivate inclusive peer communities to help members create a more equitable, sustainable, and prosperous society through corporate commitments.

We invited Martin Whittaker, CEO of JUST Capital, to address what conversations from Davos will mean for ESG in 2023.

Damon Jones, Chief Communications Officer at Procter & Gamble, talk with Carol about how P&G leverages storytelling to drive change for the environment and society.

We invited Edmond Scanlon, CEO, and Catherine Keogh, Chief Corporate Affairs and Brand Officer, of Kerry Group to take you through each step of the process to the “center of Kerry’s soul.”