Celebrating Excellence: Meet the 2024 B Academics Award Winners!
We are thrilled to announce the winners of the 2024 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: University of Illinois Chicago B Impact Clinic
Congratulations to the University of Illinois Chicago B Impact Clinic, launched last fall by Avi Mayerhoff. In its pilot phase, the clinic engaged 8 companies and 74 students through a Business in External Environments course, providing real-world experience while adding value for both students and businesses. By partnering with B Local Illinois and integrating stakeholder theory into the curriculum, the program has created a minimal viable course model focused on companies exploring the new B Corp standards—without diving into certification or recertification—paving the way for meaningful impact and future growth.
Publication of the Year: “Do prosocial‐certified companies walk the talk? An analysis of B Corps’ contributions to Sustainable Development Goals”
Congratulations to Leonardo Boni, Veronica Chiodo, Francesco Gerli, and Laura Toschi for their impactful research “Do prosocial‐certified companies walk the talk? An analysis of B Corps’ contributions to Sustainable Development Goals”. This study offers a critical analysis of how B Corp-certified companies compare to non-certified peers in driving SDG outcomes, using data from over 1,800 European firms. Through cluster analysis, the authors reveal significant variation among B Corps in their SDG contributions, raising important questions about the consistency and effectiveness of the certification in identifying high-impact organizations.This research not only deepens our understanding of the B Corp movement’s real-world impact but also highlights opportunities to strengthen certification processes and better align them with global sustainability goals. Congratulations to the authors for this significant contribution to the field!
B Local of the Year: Florida for Good
Congratulations to Florida for Good for its incredible dedication to cultivating connections with values-aligned companies, inspiring a focus on stakeholder capitalism, and growing the B Corp movement across Florida. With a mission to serve as an ally and resource for impact-driven businesses, B Local Florida actively promotes the growth of Certified B Corporations while educating both consumers and companies on the power of a values-driven corporate ecosystem. Their leadership continues to strengthen and expand the B Corp community throughout the state.
Course of the Year: University of Florida and DePaul University
This year, we’re excited to recognize a tie for Course of the Year, celebrating two outstanding programs that empower students to drive meaningful impact. First, BUS 103 – Business for Social Good at DePaul University, led by Melissa Markely, Summer Brown, Juan Mendez, and Morgan Herron, this course introduces students to the role of business as a force for good, inspiring the next generation of changemakers right from the start of their academic journey. Sharing the spotlight is Launch Florida: Strategic Impact Consulting for Entrepreneurs & Changemakers at the University of Florida. This course provides hands-on consulting experience, equipping students to help Florida-based entrepreneurs amplify their social impact while strengthening the local business community while utilizing B Lab’s impact business models as a guide.
Instructor of the Year: Michael Conger
Congratulations to Michael Conger, Associate Professor of Entrepreneurship and Director of the Center for Social Entrepreneurship at Miami University (OH). Michael’s teaching and research focus on how entrepreneurial action can address social and environmental challenges, exploring how social enterprises are reshaping the role of business in society. His work spans diverse contexts—from rural entrepreneurship and benefit corporations to green building and post-disaster rebuilding—offering students a broad and impactful perspective. With an impressive body of research published in leading journals and a passion for preparing future changemakers, Michael exemplifies the transformative power of education in driving social good. Thank you for your incredible contributions to the field!
Committee Member of the Year: Leonardo Boni
Congratulations to Leonardo Boni as he has been instrumental in the success of our Annual Meeting of the Academy of Management (AOM) Professional Development Workshop over the past three years and continues to play an active role within the Research Committee. His commitment to fostering collaboration and advancing research in the field has been invaluable to our network. Thank you, Leonardo, for your leadership and continued impact—congratulations!
Board Member of the Year: Veronica Devinin & Martina Pasquini
Congratulations to Veronica Devenin, Chair of Global Engagement, and Martina Pasquini for their exceptional leadership and contributions to B Academics. Veronica has been a driving force in expanding our global reach, successfully engaging international members and leading major collaborative initiatives. Her work resulted in the impactful white paper “Advancing the B Movement: A Review of Different Models of Engagement Between Academics and B Lab Offices” and the publication of “Ser empresa B Corp en España” (Being a B Corp in Spain), strengthening the global B Corp community. Martina has been equally instrumental, playing a key role in managing our growing events portfolio over the past year. Her dedication and organizational expertise have enhanced our programming and engagement efforts, and she will now bring her talents to the Global Engagement Committee, further amplifying our international impact.
Student of the Year: Yi Ming & Alyssa Menz
Congratulations to Yi Ming from Northwestern University and Alyssa Menz from Yale University. Yi Ming and Alyssa have gone above and beyond in strengthening the B Academics community by launching a dedicated PhD Reading Group within our Research Committee, creating a collaborative space for emerging scholars to connect, share ideas, and deepen their research on B Corps and benefit corporations. Their leadership and initiative have made a lasting impact on our network, and we’re excited to celebrate their contributions.
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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