Chapter 05 · Standards & assuranceStandards, Labels & Certification Schemes

B Lab

Meaning statusEstablishedSource recordDirect document linkedWhy these are different

Definition

A non-profit network, founded in 2006 by Andrew Kassoy, Bart Houlahan and Jay Coen Gilbert, that develops the B Lab Standards, certifies companies as B Corporations, and mobilises a global business community around stakeholder governance. Its standards are developed with an independent, multi-stakeholder Standards Advisory Council.

References

B Lab"About B Lab"

Founding 2006 and founders; certification role; benefit corporation legislation history (Maryland 2010); B Global Network structure.

B Lab"B Corp" (homepage)

Movement scale (over 11,000 companies, 102 countries, >1.1 million workers); B Lab Standards and Theory of Change.

Overview

What it means

B Lab became known for certifying B Corps — companies meeting verified standards of social and environmental performance, accountability and transparency — and was instrumental in creating benefit corporation legislation (first passed in Maryland, 2010; now active in dozens of jurisdictions). The community numbers around 10,000 certified companies across more than 100 countries.

How it is used

B Lab operates through a global network of regional and national organisations (the B Global Network), manages certification and standards revision (a major update was published in 2025), and engages in policy advocacy for economic systems change.

Why it matters

B Lab is arguably the most influential non-state body in the "purpose economy": its certification created a recognisable global marker of responsible business, and its legal and standards work has shaped how companies embed stakeholder interests in governance.