We are thrilled to announce the winners of the inaugural B Academics Awards, a celebration of excellence and dedication to B Corp and benefit corporation education within our community. These awards recognize individuals who have demonstrated outstanding commitment to sustainability, innovation, and leadership in their academic pursuits.
Meet the Winners:
B Impact Team of the Year: NC State B Corp Clinic
The NC State B Corp Clinic was developed in 2015 by Jessica Yinka Thomas, Associate Professor of the Practice at the Poole College of Management. The B Corp Clinic has worked with over 480 students on 108 projects and helped companies make progress on over 2,500 points towards certification, including 34 companies that have become B Corp Certified.
“Publication of the Year: “The Consequences of Financial Leverage: Certified B Corporations’ Advantages Compared to Common Commercial Firms”
“The Consequences of Financial Leverage: Certified B Corporations’ Advantages Compared to Common Commercial Firms”. was written by Ine Paeleman, Nadja Guenster, Tom Vanacker, and Ana Cristina O. Siqueria. Abstract: Businesses often rely on debt to start and expand, but higher debt levels can bring increased risks and costs for stakeholders. Past studies show that for profit-focused firms, higher debt leads to lower sales growth and higher employment costs. However, Certified B Corporations (CBCs), which prioritize social and environmental missions, may be less affected by higher debt levels. Analyzing data from 136 CBCs and 136 profit-focused firms in Europe, we find that the negative impact of debt on sales growth and the positive impact on employment costs are less pronounced for CBCs. This suggests that CBCs, with their certified social missions, have an advantage in debt financing compared to profit-focused firms.
B Local of the Year: B Local Georgia
B Local Georgia is a community of for-profit companies united by the belief that profitability and positive impact can go hand in hand. Committed to this principle, each member of B Local Georgia upholds rigorous standards set by B Lab™, ensuring corporate citizenship, environmental stewardship, accountability, and transparency. These standards serve as a testament to our dedication to practicing what we preach and being accountable for our impact on local communities, the state, and the world. B Local Georgia continues to be a leading B Local for the south and will host the nezt BLD Southeast in Atlanta in collaboration with other southern B Corps.
Instructor of the Year: Kristin Joys
Kristin Joys has been a dedicated advocate for the B Corp movement since 2005, when she first learned about it at the Net Impact Conference at Stanford University. Since then, she has been actively involved in promoting B Lab’s work, teaching students about the B Impact Assessment, and helping companies become certified B Corps. Kristin is a founding member of B Academics and serves as Chair of Teaching & Curriculum Innovation. She also helped launch Florida for Good and currently serves as their Director of Impact Strategy & Senior Advisor for Academic Partners. Kristin developed the “Business for Good Lab: Sustainable Business Consulting” course at UF, where students help companies complete the BIA and consider implementing B Lab’s 24 Impact Business Models.
Committee Member of the Year: Adrienne Hines
Adrienne Hines, a recent graduate of Emory University, has been an enthusiastic member of B Academics since 2021. She currently serves as the B Academics Student Engagement Chair and made remarkable contributions to both the Teaching and Communications committee last year. We are delighted to see her transition into a board leadership position and look forward to her continued impact on our community.
Board Member of the Year: Joel Gehman
Joel Gehman is a Professor of Strategic Management & Public Policy and Lindner-Gambal Professor of Business Ethics at the Georgia Washington University and also a founding member of B Academics. He studies the strategies and practices organizations pursue in response to grand challenges related to sustainability and values, and how such grand challenges impact technology innovation and institutional arrangements. His work has been published in the Academy of Management Journal, Academy of Management Review, Journal of Management Studies, Organization Studies, Research Policy, and many others. Ongoing research examines these issues in the context of Certified B Corporations, social entrepreneurship, ESG practices, oil and gas development, hydraulic fracturing patents, multinational divestitures, climate change, and organizational codes of conduct, among others. As Vice President Joel continues to provide invaluable strategic leadership as B Academics grows as an organization.
Looking Ahead
As we celebrate the achievements of our award winners, we are also looking ahead to future opportunities for growth and collaboration. The B Academics Awards serve as a reminder of the importance of business sustainability in academia, and we are committed to continuing our efforts to promote B Corp and benefit corporation education and research.
Congratulations to all the winners of the B Academics Awards! Your dedication and passion are truly inspiring, and we look forward to seeing the impact you will continue to make in the future.
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