evolveEA’s B Corp Recertification Reflects Improved Implementation of Company's Social and Environmental Mission

As part of a growing nationwide movement towards benefits corporations, evolveEA has successfully completed its first recertification as a B Corp. As one of four Pittsburgh companies to hold B Corp certification, evolveEA has met the rigorous standards of social and environmental performance. B Corp is to business what Fair Trade certification is to coffee or USDA Organic certification is to milk. B Corps are for-profit companies certified by the nonprofit B Lab to meet rigorous standards of social and environmental performance, accountability, and transparency. Today, there is a growing community of more than 1,400 Certified B Corps from 42 countries and over 120 industries working together toward 1 unifying goal: to redefine success in business.

evolveEA’s recertification resulted from a concerted team effort across the organization. Christine Mondor, Principal and cofounder of evolveEA, remarked:

“Environmental sustainability and organizational empowerment have always been part of evolve’s DNA—it’s who we are and what we do. Becoming a certified B Corp has helped us by providing a framework to measure many aspects of how we live up to our mission. This process has enabled us to hone our efforts and establish policies that boost our effectiveness, embody our commitment to the environment and create equitable business and labor practices.”

The evolve team had lunch with visitors from B Lab after they conducted an on-site audit.

The Environmental Practices category of the Impact Assessment helped evolveEA improved its score this year, which is up from 106 to 119 total points out of a possible 200. After being randomly selected to undergo an on-site audit as part of recertification, the evolve office met with the B Lab team that administers certification. “Taking a little extra time to verify our assessment and meet with B Lab staff a couple months ago helped validate our achievements as well as our place within the B Corp network,” said Christine.

Another benefit is participation in a global network of other certified and mission-driven companies. To foster this network in the Pittsburgh area, they presented on panels about B Corps at the Non-profit Leadership Summit and at a Green Building Alliance evnet. Panelists and audience members agreed about the win-win aspects of B Corp certification and said they hope to see a proliferation of B Corp certified companies in Pittsburgh.