B Local Illinois

B Corps take pride in creating a work environment that fosters inspiration and community. Explore another way of engagement, Employee Ownership with our partners bluedog and Project Equity. Register at: https://lnkd.in/gmCsTBxK

Swipe through ⬅️ to learn how UIC College of Business students have teamed up with eight companies as consultants to assist them in maintaining B Corp Certification, a sustainability seal attesting they meet high standards of social and environmental performance, transparency and accountability. Read the full story on UIC today here https://lnkd.in/gSanUR6g #Sustainability #BusinessMajor #BImpactClinic #UIC #Chicago #ThisIsUIC

UIC teamed up with B Local Illinois and eight B Corp companies for our very first B Impact Clinic. Together, 70 students in Professor Shahnaz Ibrahim's class learned about stakeholder theory and sustainability in the real world. Working with their companies, students were able to put their learnings to use right away. Read all about it here: https://lnkd.in/gPZr8DkU Huge thanks to Melissa Krchma, Alexis Mordawski, Kristi Porter, Julia Bincik, Caitlyn Meyers, CPA, Melissa Mazzeo, Kelsey Moses, and Xavier Alexander for making this happen! Thanks to Carlos Sadovi and Jenny Fontaine for telling the story! Photo: Jenny Fontaine/UIC #BCorp #sustainability

Check out Shilpa Gadhok's article with B The Change Media on how to operationalize purpose so that you maximize your brand's amplification effect!

This Holiday Season, we are thankful for so much - at the top of our list is you, our amazing community who keeps us going. As we head into the next few years, our work is ever important to grow and scale the impact of stakeholder-based business models. If you or your organization would like to contribute to the development and growth of the B Corp movement in Illinois or if you found value from our organization this year and would like to help us grow, please consider donating to https://lnkd.in/gsU_cPyE Due to your incredible support, this year, we: 🟢 Secured a full roster of 7 Board Members, added 4 members to our Advisory Board and premiered our Deputy Board program with the welcome of 2 members. 🟢 Clarified and formalized our purpose, vision, mission, and core activation pillars to support our B Corp community in meaningful ways. 🟢 Streamlined our events strategy to deliver incremental value to our community. Through quarterly events in collaboration with B-Corp partners (thank you Armanino, Arabella Advisors, Pariveda, and Jill Pollack of StoryStudio Chicago for hosting) we organized panel discussions, workshops, and networking opportunities that furthered the education, community-building, and collaboration opportunity of our member B Corps and B Curious Companies. 🟢 Launched the first-ever B Impact Clinic in Chicago with our partner University of Illinois Chicago giving students an inside look at how B Corps work, and the needs & challenges they face. This gave students the opportunity to develop innovative ideas to help our B Corps, while fostering awareness & collaboration opportunities between students and impact-focused companies. 🟢 Re-vamped internal operations to build a solidified and cohesive marketing presence to amplify the incredible work our B Corps do everyday. But we're not done! Next year - our goals are EVEN BIGGER. We aim to: ⬆️ Grow our offerings with more networking events, workshops, panels, and opportunity for community building. 👩🏽 Develop a women's series focused on the growth and development of women leaders across our community. 👨🏫 Expand the influence and presence of the B Impact Clinic. 🏞️ Partner with community-based organizations for volunteering activities. 🧐 Proactively support the B Corp process with B Curious organizations. 💹 Build a long-term operational model to scale our influence & advocacy of the B Corp movement. 🏛️ Partner with members of local government to advocate for the interests of our B Corp organizations. 📣 Continue to build a robust marketing presence to amplify, support, and deliver value to our B Corps. If you can help, any little bit goes a long way. Please consider donating to https://lnkd.in/gsU_cPyE

Join bluedog this Thursday for a jam-packed half-day of learning the art and science of audience impact, aimed at helping you elevate your influence, create more momentum, and drive better outcomes in your day-to-day! Here are just a few of the benefits you’ll gain from the transformative mindsets and skillsets you’ll learn in this training: * Better diagnose how your (boss / key stakeholder / customer / etc.) makes decisions so you can craft your recommendation in a way that makes it an easier “Yes!” * Understand how to get ahead of potential barriers to what you’re trying to accomplish - and even convert your Detractors into Advocates. * Learn targeted techniques to help make your audience more naturally open and receptive to your message. * Get Bluedog’s top-favorite facilitators’ frameworks that you can apply immediately to better manage complex conversations and collaborative decision-making. There are still a handful tickets available, register now! https://lnkd.in/ecKNvyJ6 Thanks, Melissa Krchma, for sharing this opportunity with us!

A huge thank you so everyone who made our panel last night so memorable. It was a pleasure to be surrounded by our B Corp community to share stories of purpose and determination. Thanks to Pariveda for being the most welcoming hosts and providing an incredible spread from All Together Now. Thank you to our panel of speakers, Kristian A. Alomá, Ph.D., Melissa Krchma, Sunny Cheng, Brandon Rowold and our fearless moderator Natika Washington, MBA for sharing your journeys and commitment to the B Corp ethos. Your valuable insights into the challenges and successes you faced through the certification process and beyond, gave the entire room a reason to create change. Thanks to Emily Taub and the entire B Local Board for coordinating the event. Thank you to everyone who attended and contributed to the conversation! Together, we can continue building a community that champions responsible business practices. Want to stay in the loop for our next event? Sign up for our newsletter: https://lnkd.in/gTneQYCV #BCorp #SustainableBusiness #CommunityImpact #Networking

No panel is complete with an expert moderator to lead the charge! There are only a few tickets left and still time to sign up: https://lnkd.in/gGnj8ucH Meet... Natika Washington, MBA CEO & Founder TOBY Agency Natika is the founder of Tomorrow Owned By You (TOBY) agency, which was recently certified as a B Corp and delivers creative strategy and global talent representation, with a specific focus on driving equity by uplifting marginalized communities for economic growth and impact. She also joined the B Local IL board as our JEDI Chair earlier this year to help champion an inclusive ecosystem and workplace that embraces diversity, empowers underrepresented voices, and creates an environment where justice, equity, inclusion, and belonging are underscored throughout the local B Corp certified community. 

We are excited to showcase our final participant rounding out our esteemed panel. Register now to guarantee your spot: https://lnkd.in/gGnj8ucH Meet... Brandon Rowold Sr. Manager Talent Acquisition – Transportation and Supply Chain KeHE Distributors, LLC Brandon brings a unique perspective to talent acquisition, shaped by his 20-year journey in the transportation industry and at KeHE Distributors, a Certified B Corporation. Beginning as a truck driver, he gained firsthand experience in the transportation industry, fueling his passion for championing drivers and improving their work experiences. This passion led him to transition into talent acquisition 2.5 years ago, where he now leads transportation and supply chain recruiting efforts across the enterprise. Brandon believes that KeHE's B Corp status is more than just a certification; it's a reflection of the company's commitment to its people, its communities, and the planet. He sees this commitment as a powerful tool for attracting and retaining top talent who share these values, seeking candidates who not only possess the necessary skills but also demonstrate a commitment to social and environmental responsibility. Brandon actively contributes to his community by serving on the advisory board of the Salt and Light Coalition in Chicago, an organization dedicated to empowering individuals and transforming communities. This involvement aligns with his dedication to social impact and the values championed by B Corps. For Brandon, being part of a B Corp means actively participating in creating a better world, both within KeHE and in the broader community. He firmly believes that businesses can be a force for good, and he strives to build a workforce that reflects this belief, contributing to a more sustainable and equitable future for all.

It's this week! Starting off the countdown with another incredible panelist. Register now to guarantee your spot: https://lnkd.in/gGnj8ucH Introducing... Sunny Cheng Senior Manager, Pariveda Solutions Sunny is a senior manager and solutions architect at Pariveda Solutions, a technology consulting firm focused on developing people to their greatest potential. He has a background in software engineering, cloud architecture, and as a community activist in Washington, DC. He is a member of the B Local Mid Atlantic Steering Committee and helped lead Pariveda through it's initial B Corp Certification. Sunny firmly believes that a better world is possible - that it starts with our local communities, and that a responsible intersection of sustainability and technology is at the heart of it. Sunny is a big film buff and believes that there is no more effective storytelling than a good movie.