Business Development Bank of Canada Partners with B Corporations to Grow Community of Socially Responsible Businesses

VANCOUVER, BRITISH COLUMBIA--(Marketwired - June 22, 2016) - B Lab and the Business Development Bank of Canada (BDC) announced today a new partnership to build upon BDC's commitment to growing the B Corporations movement in Canada to raise the standards for social and environmental responsibility among Canadian businesses.

BDC has dedicated senior manager Carla Heim to focus on growing the B Corporation movement, starting in western Canada. The partnership will leverage BDC's network of clients and the broader entrepreneurial community to engage and support the growing number of people using business as a force for good.

In this partnership, BDC will directly support B Lab activities to:

• certify new B Corporations in Western Canada;
• engage BDC's networks of entrepreneurs to use the B Impact Assessment to measure their social and environmental impact;
• host local gatherings to provide entrepreneurs occasions to strengthen the B Corp network;
• represent B Lab Canada at local conferences and events, and;
• support B Lab's goals of proactively seeking a diverse, inclusive community.

BDC and B Lab Canada will build on the successes and lessons of these activities to grow the partnership into regional B Corporation communities in other parts of Canada. The goal is to harness the talent of BDC employees who are inspired to help grow the B Corporation movement.

"BDC is uniquely positioned as a Crown Corporation to participate as a B Lab Canada partner. Since the day they certified, they have fully embraced the B Corp Movement as their own. This commitment of resources showcases their leadership and drive to redefine success in business," said Joyce Sou, the director of B Lab Canada.

"BDC is a global leader in serving and supporting purpose-driven entrepreneurs. With BDC's local presence and relationships across the country, this partnership has the potential to accelerate the movement to use business as a force for good across Canada. Together we hope to redefine success in business, creating a shared and durable prosperity for all," said Bart Houlahan, a co-founder of B Lab.

"The B Lab network is rallying entrepreneurs in more than 50 countries to redefine success in business," said Craig Ryan, the Director of Corporate Social Responsibility at BDC. "We're excited to partner with them to bring the B Corp certification and movement to a greater number of Canadian entrepreneurs."

At over 165 B Corps, Canada is home to the second largest B Corp community in the world. The community in British Columbia and Alberta (Western Canada) represent over 35% of this and the momentum continues to build. B Lab Canada's head office is located in Toronto.

About B Corporations

Certified B Corporations are leaders of a global movement of people using business as a force for good. They meet the highest standards of overall social and environmental performance, transparency and accountability and aspire to use the power of business to solve social and environmental problems. There are more than 1,700 Certified B Corporations in over 120 industries and 40 countries with 1 unifying goal - to redefine success in business.

About B Lab

B Lab is a non-profit organization that serves a global movement of people using business as a force for good. Its vision is that one day all companies compete not only to be the best in the world, but the Best for the World® and as a result society will enjoy a more shared and durable prosperity. B Lab drives this systemic change by:

1. Building a global community of Certified B Corporations who meet the highest standards of verified, overall social and environmental performance, public transparency, and legal accountability;
2. Promoting Mission Alignment using innovative corporate structures like the benefit corporation to align the interests of business with those of society and to help high impact businesses be built to last;
3. Helping tens of thousands of businesses, investors, and institutions Measure What Matters, by using the B Impact Assessment and B Analytics to manage their impact -- and the impact of the businesses with whom they work -- with as much rigor as their profits;
4. Inspiring millions to join the movement through compelling storytelling by B the Change Media.

For more information, visit www.bcorporation.net, www.bimpactassessment.net.