One of the best things about being a Certified B Corporation is teaching other companies how the B Corp movement is using business as a force for good. We at Synergy love working with impactful, purpose-driven businesses to help them join this growing global movement of collective impact.

Cascadia Seaweed is one of them. B Corp was a perfect match for this young company, which is growing to be the largest North American provider of cultivated seaweed. Rob Napoli, Cascadia Seaweed's Finance Director, explained why they pursued the certification:

“The B Corp certification has become a global standard of excellence, like a badge of trust, for consumers to feel confident in their purchasing decisions. By selecting a B Corp brand, you know you’re supporting an organization that is committed to social justice and environmental stewardship and profitability.”

What does it mean to be a Certified B Corporation?

Achieving the B Corp Certification is hard, and that’s exactly why we like it. The rigorous assessment and verification process forces companies to take a hard look at exactly how they create positive impact, and rewards companies that implement rigorous policies, build sound and ethical processes, and achieve measurable, transparent results.

Becoming B Corp Certified

Over the last three months, we’ve worked with the Cascadia Seaweed team to help them complete the B Impact Assessment, which measures company performance in five key areas: Governance, Workers, Community, Customers and Environment. By adapting the B Impact Assessment questions to the specific company structure, size, region and industry, B Corp ensures it evaluates the most materials aspects of each company’s impact.

Because Cascadia Seaweed was founded on the principles of climate action, social responsibility and good governance, they were able to achieve the highest preliminary score we’ve ever seen – 156.3 points to be exact! The Synergy team was blown away by all the wonderful things they do, from growing a climate-positive crop that naturally sequesters carbon, to partnering with First Nations and bringing economic opportunities to rural and coastal communities.

Reflecting back on the process, Cascadia Seaweed had the following advice for other companies thinking about becoming B Corp certified:

“I would recommend seeking help from professionals like those at Synergy Enterprises. They have the experience to identify what parts of the impact assessment is worth focusing on, and they have developed tools for tracking your progress to not only achieve the certification, but to maintain it. The process requires a commitment of time, effort and resources, and with experts helping you through the process it’s likely to be much more efficient and therefore rewarding — that was our experience working with the team at Synergy Enterprises.”

B Corp Certification is a statement of credibility and value for employees, customers and investors. The bar is high, and the process is rigorous. Interested in learning about how you can become a B Corp and certify your business as a force for good? Visit our Become a Certified B Corp page or contact us at info@synergyenterprises.ca to learn more!