Reflecting on our first B Corp™-certified year, I am filled with immense pride and gratitude for the collective efforts that have brought us to where we are today.
This year has been both testing and transformative as we navigated a complex global landscape marked by economic uncertainties, a climate emergency, and ongoing social justice issues.
Despite these challenges, our commitment to making a positive impact on people and the planet has remained steadfast.
Globally, businesses have faced unprecedented disruptions and much uncertainty.
The lingering effects of the pandemic and geopolitical crises, coupled with economic volatility and the urgent need for climate action, have reshaped the way we operate.
At The Colibrily Crew, we have embraced these challenges as opportunities to innovate and strengthen our resolve to drive positive change.
Achievements and Milestones
Defining and Redefining Our Core Values
This year, we embarked on a collaborative process to revisit and redefine our core values. Through workshops and brainstorming sessions, we gathered meaningful input from our team and aligned our values with our strategic goals.
This process has not only strengthened our organizational culture but also provided a clear direction for our future endeavors, ensuring that our values resonate with every member of our team.
Enhancing Communication and Active Listening
One of our significant achievements this year has been the enhancement of our communication strategies. We introduced new communication channels and tools, ensuring every team member remains informed and engaged.
Regular client scorecards, enhanced internal communication, and interactive sessions with clients have facilitated open and transparent dialogue.
Additionally, we had our first on-site, company-wide session in Madrid, Spain. This event was a significant opportunity for our team to collaborate, share insights, and build stronger bonds. The session played a crucial role in aligning our strategic objectives and fostering a deeper sense of unity and cooperation within the team.
Providing More Meaningful Change through Volunteering
Our commitment to community service has never been stronger. We’ve expanded our volunteering programs, including partnering with Tech To The Rescue and local organizations.
Employees have been encouraged to participate in volunteer activities, supported by the company through paid volunteer days, and coordinated group efforts. These initiatives both benefit our community and foster a sense of purpose and fulfillment among our team members.
2024 Goals
Looking ahead, we are more committed than ever to drive positive change.
Our goals for the next year include raising our environmental score through better waste management practices, increasing our community involvement by expanding pro bono initiatives, and further supporting our team’s well-being with new health and wellness programs.
Our journey as a B Corp is the ultimate Kaizen – aka continuous improvement – and I am excited about the opportunities that lie ahead. Together, we will continue pushing boundaries, challenging norms, and creating a lasting, positive impact on people and the planet.
Journey to Certification
The Colibrily Crew’s journey to B Corp certification began in 2011 when Dave discovered B Lab and their incredible work with many similar organizations in the Pacific Northwest of the United States.
When The Colibrily Crew was founded, it was clear that becoming B Corp certified was a priority. We received our first certification in March 2023 because we wanted to “walk the talk.”
Sharing our decision-making process highlights our dedication and engages our stakeholders in our journey, reminding them of where we began and how far we’ve come.
Why We Decided to Become a B Corp
At The Colibrily Crew, our commitment to sustainability, social responsibility, and ethical business practices drove us to become a B Corp. We recognized that B Corp certification would validate our efforts and provide a structured framework for improving our impact on people and the planet.
Additionally, we knew it would enhance our business for our staff and align us to work with like-minded clients who share our values.
Our core values of integrity, inclusivity, and innovation are at the heart of our business strategy.
Becoming a B Corp lines up perfectly with our strategic direction and organizational culture. The certification process encouraged us to engage in meaningful conversations about our impact and involve our entire team in our sustainability efforts.
This alignment has strengthened our culture and reinforced our commitment to being a force for good.
“The impact of becoming a B Corp has been profound. It has enhanced our reputation and credibility, differentiating us from competitors and attracting like-minded clients, partners, and employees.” – Dave Hoch, CEO of The Colibrily Crew
The B Corp framework has provided valuable insights and benchmarks for measuring our impact, helping us identify areas for improvement and implement targeted initiatives.
This has led to better employee wellness programs, expanded community engagement, and more sustainable practices.
Moreover, the certification has created a sense of pride and purpose within our team. Being part of a global movement of businesses committed to making a positive impact has fostered fulfillment and motivation among our employees. It has also strengthened our bonds with the community and stakeholders, who appreciate our dedication to transparency and continuous improvement.
Reflections on Our B Impact Assessment Journey
Our B Impact Assessment journey has been both enlightening and constructive in its first year.
The assessment provided a comprehensive framework for evaluating our impact across various domains, from governance to community engagement.
On the positive side, we have excelled in areas such as employee well-being, community involvement, and ethical governance.
These scores reflect our ongoing efforts to create a supportive workplace and actively contribute to social equity and local economic development.
The assessment also revealed room for improvement in career development, cross-training, and life skill support.
Achieving a high score – nearly 100 points in our first go – is a testament to our dedication, but it also highlighted areas where we can improve.
B Corp Score and Goals
Overall B Impact Score – 97.5
The median score for businesses who complete the assessment is currently 50.9. 80 is the minimal score required for B Corp Certification.
- 16.0 Governance
- 45.8 Workers
- 23.5 Community
- 8.6 Environment
- 3.4 Customers
2025 recertification goals
In the name of continuous improvement, we intend to focus on the Workers Impact area in our 2025 recertification.
Specifically, we’ll improve career development, cross-training, and life skill support initiatives, along with enhancing employee wellness programs to create more opportunities for professional and personal growth.
Impact Area Plans and Progress
GOVERNANCE
| What we said we’d do | What we did |
|---|---|
| Create a formal mission statement to focus on social, environmental, and target beneficiary groups. | We overhauled our mission statement to be more inclusive of all our targeted groups. |
| Develop a written code of ethics. | A code of ethics and a marketers’ code of ethics were developed and implemented. |
| Develop a written whistleblower policy. | A whistleblower policy was implemented and shared amongst the staff. |
| Have The Colibrily Crew’s finances reviewed by an independent 3rd party. | A 3rd party independent entity reviewed The Colibrily Crew finances. |
WORKERS
| What we said we’d do | What we did |
|---|---|
| Pay a family living wage to all staff members. | Continued to offer family living wages, additional salary increases, and localized inflation matching to 100% of staff. |
| Hire staff who typically have barriers to employment. | Made a conscious effort to hire staff who are chronically facing employment barriers. |
| Offer formal training to staff. | 100% of staff received formal, apprentice, and technical training. |
| Develop a parental paid time off program. | Implemented and approved our first parental paid time off program. |
COMMUNITY
| What we said we’d do | What we did |
|---|---|
| More than 50% of non-managerial workers identify as women. | 100% of our non-managerial workers identify as women. |
| Have a workforce that identifies as being from a racial or ethnic minority. | More than 30% of our staff meet this criteria. |
| Participate in 1% for the Planet charitable donations. | Over 1% of our revenues were donated to staff-chosen NGOs. 🌎 Wild Forest and Fauna 🌎 Alexandra Rose Charity 🌎 Dutch Civil Action 🌎 Raising The Village 🌎 Sea Shepherd Conservation Society 🌎 Falklands Conservation |
| Offer paid time off for community services. | Our staff have volunteered at various organizations, including a Tech To The Rescue partnership. |
ENVIRONMENT
| What we said we’d do | What we did |
|---|---|
| Develop an environmental stewardship model for home offices. | A policy was created, implemented, and distributed. |
| Offset 100% to 1000% of our carbon emissions. Go big or go home. | We partnered with Carbon Credit Capital to purchase certified carbon credits to offset 100% of our Scope 1 and 2 GHG emissions. |
| Develop an e-waste-safe disposal plan for home offices. | A policy for safely disposing of e-waste was implemented and distributed. |
CUSTOMERS
| What we said we’d do | What we did |
|---|---|
| Develop a comprehensive customer feedback form. | We updated and distributed a new customer scorecard survey. |
| Develop an ethical and advertising written policy. | We developed and distributed an ethical marketing code of conduct policy. |
| Develop a formal data and privacy policy. | We updated our privacy policy and made it public on our website. |
Plans for the next 12 months
- Review the feasibility of an ethics-focused risk assessment, which will provide us with valuable feedback and a North Star for ways to continue to improve.
- Implement internal financial control mechanisms to fight corruption and mitigate risk.
- Evaluate corporate registers to provide transparency regarding beneficial owners.
- Develop and publicly share our social and environmental performance annually.
- Develop Personal Development Plans (PDPs) for all staff members.
- Launch staff engagement and satisfaction surveys.
- Benchmark our workforce development program to track success and engagement.
- Calculate our internal staff satisfaction compared to industry standards.
- Increase our overall workforce that identifies as part of another underrepresented social group (such as LGBTQI+, individuals with disabilities, neurodivergent, etc.).
- Migrate our banking services to a financial institution that supports impact organizations.
- Provide staff with time or financial support to develop or advocate for policy changes to improve social and environmental outcomes.
- Research opportunities for monitoring and recording energy and water usage.
- Set science-based targets necessary for achieving global goals to address climate change.
- Share our customer scorecard publicly on all channels.
- Develop specific targets for client satisfaction.
“Thank you for your unwavering support and commitment to our mission.” – Dave Hoch, CEO of The Colibrily Crew