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It’s B Corp Month and International Women’s Day! To celebrate, we’ve profiled a group of strong, intelligent, empathetic, courageous and inspiring leading ladies making a difference in the world, thanks to the sustainability-focussed businesses they've founded.
March 8 is International Women's Day – a global day that's all about the social, economic, cultural and political achievements of women. The day also marks a call to action for accelerating gender parity.
March is also B Corp Month, and this year, the theme is #WeGoBeyond.
To celebrate the glorious intersection between women and doing good for the world, we've profiled women-founded sustainable businesses that go beyond in all kinds of incredible ways.
Not only have these spectacular sheilas started successful businesses (a feat in and of itself), they're also volunteering to boost up other women, prioritising marginalised communities in their work, lessening the impact of traditionally highly polluting industries, donating a portion of profits and creating circular systems to avoid end-of-life waste.
Fernweh
Photo source: Fernweh
The world is facing some of the biggest crises and challenges of our time. Our environment is in rapid decline. Social justice gaps are widening, not closing. By choosing to prioritize profit over people and the planet, most businesses are adding to the problem.
Most, but not all. Because there are still plenty of purpose-driven businesses committed to doing good in the world and Fernweh is here to help amplify their impact.
Based in Hawaii, the female-led creative studio works with like-minded start-ups who believe doing business should be as ethical and equitable as possible. Founder Lisa Hennessy uses recycled, non-toxic printing materials from California Green Press and giver her time freely with FoundHer – an entrepreneurship program for native Hawaiian women.
Mangrove
Photo source: Mangrove
Mangrove Web is a female-owned digital design agency that creates 'websites that make it easier for good people to do great work'. As a purpose-driven business, and a Certified B Corp, they build brand identities and enduring websites that grow with their clients' businesses and business needs.
Managing Partner, Founder + CEO, Maiya Holliday, has led over 200 website projects for change-makers and purpose-driven organizations, and champions socially and environmentally conscious businesses deepening their impact.
Mangrove share their name with the flexible, tropical plants that help other organisms thrive. This is why they prioritize, and offer a sliding scale to, clients who are categorized as purpose-driven, minority or female-owned, or nonprofit organizations, and have a formal commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion.
Ritual
Photo source: Ritual
Ritual is bringing a whole new level of transparency to the health and wellness industry with their science-based daily vitamins and supplements. They’re (rightfully) proud of offering 100% traceable ingredients, which has made them a trusted leader in prenatal vitamins.
Katerina Schneider, CEO & Founder (pictured above), turned her house upside down to get rid of products with ingredients she couldn't get behind. She replaced everything from her cleaning supplies to her deodorant. But, in her search for an ideal prenatal vitamin, she found questionable ingredients. She couldn't find a brand that I trusted, so she decided to build my own.
As a B Corp, their sustainability standards are built on science, and their production road map is intended to leave no trace. For example, their vitamin C is manufactured using 100% renewable energy, and they've saved 4,249,299,600 fish since 2018 by using Omega-3 DHA from microalgae.
#GoKindly
Photo source: #GoKindly
Helping others has never been easier, or more comfortable, thanks to #GoKindly.
#GoKindly creates high quality pillows, quilts, and mattresses, while operating in a ‘Kindness Circle’ – at each touchpoint they aim to be kind and tread lightly. They support women, pay fair wages, use no single-use plastic packaging and manufacture locally, in Australia.
Along with being a Certified B Corp, they're also certified by Social Traders as a Social Enterprise which exists to drive social change. They donate 50% of their profits to provide housing for women and non-binary people.
For founder, Laura (pictured above), #GoKindly is a reflection of her constantly thinking ‘why is the world not kinder?’. At 19 years of age she left her family's Fundamentalist community in regional Australia, determined to build a career and support herself. Today, along with leading #GoKindly, she sits on the board of Wellsprings for Women and Its Not a Compliment – both grassroots organisations driving change.
Sunwink
Photo source: Sunwink
Sunwink was born out of necessity. After their CEO and co-founder, Eliza, was diagnosed with an auto-immune disease she scoured the beverage shelves for truly clean plant-powered products, and was found wanting.
The resultant plant-based nutrition brand believes wellness shouldn't be complicated or overwhelming. Their superfoods and herbal tonics are easy to incorporate into your everyday diet, in fact, Oprah, yes that Oprah, loves their Turmeric Recover Sparkling Tonic.
Their forever commitment is to continue to do the good work: make delicious, clean-label beverages from Superfoods, give 2% of net sales back to our community, build an inclusive company, and push the industry towards more sustainable practices. We’ll drink to that!
Better Packaging Co.
Photo source: Better Packaging Co.
The global eCommerce industry uses approximately 2.1 billion pounds of plastic packaging each year, and unfortunately, most of this packaging ends up in landfill.
Founders Rebecca and Kate decided courier, eCommerce and retail packaging needed a serious overhaul.
Better Packaging Co. produces revolutionary, customisable, sustainable packaging solutions like mailers and satchels, garment bags, labels and tape.
What sets them apart? All packaging is either home-compostable or made from ocean-bound, recycled plastic. And, because they take product stewardship very seriously, they've invested in an extensive collection network so that people who don’t have a home compost are able to dispose of their packaging responsibly.
Sendle's own compostable satchel (loved by worms) was developed by Better Packaging Co.
